Rural physician describes his “working life” in Texas Monthly
posted 09.24.08
TAFP member Ben Edwards, M.D., of Post, was featured in the September edition of Texas Monthly magazine. In “The Working Life” column, Edwards tells his story about being a small-town family physician directly to the reader
By describing his experiences, both good and bad, he hits on some key points of rural practice. His typical day starts with “a pile of charts and paperwork,” he says in the column, then he spends very full days seeing a variety of patients for a variety of illnesses, including visiting patients in the nursing home. Edwards added a physician’s assistant to his practice to cut down the workload. Combined they see 40-50 patients, he says, a volume that doesn’t allow for him to spend as much time with the patient as he’d like.
“About 30 percent of my practice is Medicare, and 23 percent is Medicaid, which means the government makes up 50 percent of my practice,” Edwards says in the column. “It’s a good mix, but that paperwork is a headache. And the reimbursement rates almost aren’t worth the hassle: Medicare only pays 60 cents for every dollar I charge; Medicaid is even worse.”
He discusses the shortage of primary care physicians and other difficulties facing rural medicine, but in the end says that his reward comes from the relationship with his patients.