Barrett Rainey's Second Thoughts

From his opinionated perch on the far right, the late broadcaster Paul Harvey used to do some usually violent story out of an underdeveloped country which he headlined with the lament “It’s not one world.” His meaning was, most times, the details reported “over there” were far removed from this country and what we accept as “normal” behavior.

Well, this week, I had one of those moments. With apologies to Mr. Harvey, I’ll call my experience “It’s not one country.” At least I hope not. And the violence was verbal.

I was sitting in a physician’s waiting room. A woman in her 60’s, carrying an oxygen generator and wearing a cannula, reported to the front desk with the words “Can you understand the new doctor?”

She was assured the receptionist could, indeed, understand the doctor who happened to be East Indian. The woman shook her head and sat down.

When the nurse came to take her to the examining room, the woman again asked “Can you understand this new doctor?” The nurse said she could and had not noticed any problem.

To which the woman queried “Why can’t I have an American doctor?”

I confess I didn’t hear the nurse’s answer as they walked deeper down the hallway. I wouldn’t have heard it if I’d been standing between them. My head just shut down.

First there was the shock. Then the “Did she say what I think she said” moment. Then the anger. Lots of it. I still feel it.

Ours is a small, rather isolated Oregon timber town. Unemployment is very high and some folks are leaving as businesses close or those without jobs have exhausted their unemployment eligibility. For many, life here is tough.

Still, one thing we do have is an outsized medical community, due partly to a large VA hospital complex. But an even larger part seems to be moderate climate, a lot of year-round outdoor things to do, being an hour from the Pacific Ocean and it’s a good place to raise kids. We’ve got many medical specialists who came -and who stay – for those and other reasons just like the rest of us. Maybe they could make more money somewhere else but the tradeoffs are acceptable.

Part of that medical community – a growing part – is the arrival of physicians and nurses from other countries who have been licensed in the U.S. For some, if they’ve received certain education funding for med school, there’s the requirement of practicing for a couple of years in a medically-underserved community. As ours has been.

While some come, do their time and leave, others come, do their time and stay. My doctor has served on the credentialing committee of our local medical board. According to him, the committee is receiving more applications than there are openings and the quality is top flight.

He points to one European physician – Harvard trained – who could go back to Harvard Medical and teach anytime but, though having served the required time here, remains. With family. My doc repeatedly assures me there are others just as good who are being recruited to go elsewhere but who stay. In our little town. For whatever reason.

We have several East Indian physicians. We have a couple Latino physicians. And several from Europe and Asia. As a result, unless you require some really rare surgery or unusual treatment, you can be taken care of right here at home.

All physicians – all of ‘em – have to be board-certified and must demonstrate a minimum level of ability to be licensed. Wherever they were born, whatever school trained them, they are qualified to practice or they wouldn’t be here with that Oregon license hanging on the wall. Much less the specialty accreditation often found hanging next to it.

Our community is the better for all of them. Each patient who is cared for is better for all of them. If an elderly ear – or any other ear – has trouble with an accent not heard every day, asking for help to clarify is certainly not unreasonable. Even expected.

We live in a pretty damned conservative area. Racist comments can be heard hereabouts, too, at times. But asking for an “American doctor” tops my scale for ignorance. Maybe the doctor should require a higher level of patient intellect before undertaking the care.

Or maybe just say “Patient, heal thyself.”

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