Counting the doctors, one by one

You say there are 29 medical doctors in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. Are you sure? Who are they?

Such were the questions which were sparked by an editorial in Thursday's Gazette, welcoming two new docs -- Craig Svoboda, M.D., in Cambridge and Thomas Applegate, M.D., in Benkelman -- to the area and calling attention to the fact that their arrival will bring the number of physicians serving the 12-county area to 29.

So who are these 29 medical professionals, and where do they practice?

Following is a listing, compiled Wednesday during a telephone survey of hospitals and clinics covering eight Southwest Nebraska counties -- Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, and Red Willow -- as well as four counties in Northwest Kansas: Cheyenne, Decatur, Norton and Rawlins.

The medical doctors are listed in the towns where they live and/or serve:

ATWOOD -- Terrell Hadley, M.D.

BENKELMAN -- Emanuel Beyer, M.D.; K.C. Stout, M.D.; and (starting Aug. 1) Thomas Applegate, M.D.

CAMBRIDGE -- Lennie Deaver, M.D., and Shelley Kaspar-Cope. M.D.; and Craig Svoboda, M.D.

IMPERIAL -- Paul Grow, M.D.; Jeff Kasselman, M.D.; Jon Richman, M.D.; and James Schiefen, D.O.

McCOOK -- Kenneth Ellis, M.D.; Jane Eskildsen, M.D.; Dan Farrell, M.D.; Kathy Farrell, M.D.; Toby Free, M.D.; Rick Klug, M.D.; Corinne Phillips Ward, M.D.; Lori Reece, M.D.; Mark Serbousek, M.D.; and John West, M.D.

NORTON -- Roy Hartley, M.D.; Glenda Maurer, M.D.; Jeffrey McKinley, D.O. ; and Reuben Silan, M.D.

OBERLIN -- Richard May, M.D.; Elizabeth Sliter, M.D.; and Wendy Vogel, M.D.

ST. FRANCIS -- Mary Beth Miller, M.D.

That adds up to 29. The number rises to 31 when you count two doctors who live elsewhere, but commute to McCook each week to staff the emergency ward at Community Hospital. They are Ben Welch, M.D. of Kearney, and Craig Bartruff, M.D., of Gothenburg.

Even though the physician total is near a high point for this region, the numbers are changing. A man and wife from Imperial, David Johnson, M.D., and Kristin Johnson, M.D., are leaving their practice to move to New Zealand, and Shiuvaun Torres, M.D., of Benkelman, is departing in July to pursue other opportunities.

Yes, this area is fairly well staffed with physicians at the moment, but recruiting efforts must go forward because of doctor mobility and the increasing need for medical services in the Golden Plains.