Show RURAL HEALTH Small Town Ingenuity Improving Health Condition in Farm Areas More than accidental deaths per year occur among farming people in the United States Farming is the most dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- occupation a man can enter even more dangerous then mining lumbering or construe construe- tion Farmers have all the illnesses of city folks but in addition they have this special problem That's one reason why farm areas have haven havea n a special need of doctors and hospital hospital hos hos- pital facilities And according to the Health Information Foundation rural areas largely because of the ingenuity and initiative of their citizens citizens citizens citi citi- zens are making it possible for d doctors doc c- c tors to bring the benefits of good medical care to these communities The availability of medical assistance assistance assistance as as- in rural areas the Foundation Foundation Foun Foun- dation points out is at a level never before reached because of the telephone the automobile Improved improved im urn- proved highways and a vastly stepped up hospital construction program But in addition many communities which never before had quick access to the best diagnostic diagnostic ding ding- nostic equipment and skilled medical medical medi medi- cal assistance now enjoy these advantages advantages advantages ad ad- vantages because they actively sought them Some of the methods by which individual rural communities have achieved this level of medical efficiency efficiency ef cf ef- ef says Admiral W. W H. H P. P Blandy Ret president of the Foundation arc are a tribute to American ingenuity and tion Admiral Blandy who commanded the joint navy army-navy force which conducted the atomic bomb tests at Bikini said that where the chief problem has been the lack of a doctor doctor doc doe tor br citizens have banded together to create conditions which would attract attract at nt- tract a young physician In other communities both a doctor and a clinic or hospital have been needed and in such cases it has been possible possible possible pos pos- sible to raise funds to erect com corn owned facilities offering the necessary equipment for the practice lice tice of medicine in its most modern form S S TYPICAL OF SUCH endeavors by bythe bythe 1 the admiral was the hospital built in Ennis Mont by the people of the community In order to attract attract attract at at- tract a doctor to head the new hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital the town arranged for suitable suitable suitable ble living quarters for the physician and his family and raised the money for both the hospital building building build build- ing and equipment In this particular case before the building and equipping of the hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital was an accomplished fact an automobile accident caused six patients patients pa pa- to be brought to the unfinished unfinished unfinished facility Citizens turned from fund raising tasks to gathering the necessary beds and other equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment to care for the patients Fortunately Fortunately Fortunately For For- the doctor had arrived some time before and had set up practice in the town Previous to his arrival Ennis had been five years without a doctor The town of Okarche Olda Okla population lation is another example of community enterprise described d by bythe bythe bythe the Foundation president Townspeople Townspeople Townspeople Towns Towns- people built and equipped a hospital raising the money by soliciting funds by voting a bond issue and by selling pre paid hospital certificates In addition they devised a plan of dedicating memorial rooms which brought in enough money to reach the final goal The first hospital to be built in Washington County Kans is the Hanover Hospital and Clinic a one- one story steel brick and concrete structure with all up-to-date up facilities facilities ties and ten beds 15 in an emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency It was financed locally by bya a bond issue of in an area of eight square miles designated for tax purposes as the Hanover hospital district It actually serves a much greater area Donations from individuals and organizations such as the American Legion totaled totaled totaled total total- ed another which was used for equipment The doctor who heads this new facility Daniel S. S Roccaforte MD M.D. came to the small community from Omaha because he preferred to practice in a small community When interviewed by a Foundation representative Dr Roccaforte explained explained ex ex- that he was able to move to Hanover only because there were in Hanover the tools and facilities he needed to practice Any community which is in need of a doctor or a hospital might profit from the splendid examples set by these American communities Admiral Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral Blandy said In many cases medical care community problems which seem insoluble can be solved readily by community Initiative and the assistance of experts who can give guidance on technical aspects |