PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT Judith Hunt, MD of Ponderosa Family Care in Payson shares her thoughts on rural health in Arizona. Q: You were the first pediatrician
in Payson. What drew you to practice in “The Heart of Arizona?”
Q: Are there ways for physicians in urban
A: I grew up rural, a town with more cows than people. Lack of access to medical care for rural people encouraged me to choose rural medicine. While I was at the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for my Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residencies, my attending physicians knew of my desire to return to a rural area. Dr. Paul Bergeson, a gifted pediatrician, took me up to his pediatric clinic in Payson. Immediately, I felt as if Payson was the home for me and my daughter. Dr. Bergeson should have been paid as a recruiter!
A: COVID has spurred the development of telemedicine consults from the office and patients’ home. They allow patients to get the specialty care without the 3-hour drive.
Q: What motivates you now to practice
in rural health? A: Twenty-five years later, my patients of Rim Country are my neighbors, friends, and their children. I was there for many of their first breaths. A rural physician has a commitment to both patients and a community. This was highlighted during COVID. We have a small medical staff and never have we worked harder to be both public health physicians as well as primary care/specialists.
settings to care for patients in rural Arizona?
Q: Do you see more interest from medical
students wanting to train in rural health? A: Those who choose rural are those who grew up rural or have had the most rural time in their training. I think the longer we have the students and residents in the rural communities, the more likely the choice will be rural. University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix (UACOM-P) and the Payson medical community developed the first Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) program in Arizona. With more LIC opportunities and creativity of the state residency programs, I think the people of rural Arizona will have more dedicated and talented physicians. I am looking forward to training my replacement! ■
Q: How do you recruit physicians to
rural Arizona? A: Recruitment is more than filling an empty position. Often, we are recruiting a family to an area without the same choices of restaurants, shopping, and schools. This family needs to be convinced that the rural community is best. Thankfully, the University of Arizona Center for Rural Health and the University of Arizona Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) have supported rotations in rural and underserved areas for all health professions for many years. These rotations allow us to find the few physicians who want to work in rural health. 30 n
A R I ZO N A P H Y S I C I A N M A G A Z I N E
JUDITH A. HUNT, MD Adolescent Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics Ponderosa Family Care paysonfamilycare.com
