Hodges returns to Fairmont area
Megan Alexander — Staff WriterArticle Photos
FAIRMONT - A large binder, marked "physician orientation," sat open Thursday afternoon on the desk of the newest general surgeon at Fairmont Medical Center.
Much of the procedural protocol is already familiar to Dr. LeRoy Hodges, who worked with the medical center during his time as a surgeon at Center for Specialty Care.
After a one-year hiatus in Worthington, Hodges is back and ready to start seeing patients on Monday.
"We're happy to have him back in town," said Darla Nelson-Philipp, with communications at Fairmont Medical Center.
Originally from the Chicago area, Hodges has come to love rural Minnesota and the opportunities he has here as a surgeon.
"There's a fallacy that rural surgeons exchange a slow practice for a good lifestyle," which isn't true, Hodges said.
Long-term patient care is one of the rewards for rural surgeons, who often take on broader duties than their urban colleagues. For example, Hodges might start seeing a patient for a colonoscopy and continue to work with the patient through diagnosis and treatment, even when surgery is avoided.
Urban surgeons, on the other hand, have very little time to spend with patients outside surgery, and they also tend to focus on research, which doesn't interest Hodges as much as developing relationships with patients.
Still, the challenge any surgeon faces, regardless of geographical location, is having to explain the medical problem and the options available, and gain the patient's trust, all within a very short timespan if surgery is needed immediately. A good rapport within a community is helpful in this situation.
"You could say my specialty is doing outreach to some of the smaller hospitals, that's really how I built my practice in the area, both in Fairmont and in the smaller communities," Hodges said. "... I'm looking forward to renewing some of those relationships."
On Monday afternoons and Thursdays, Hodges will travel to Windom to offer surgical services at the hospital there.
"Outreach by some is considered a difficult task," he said. "... There's the travel and the extra effort."
However, Hodges wants to be part of the solution to the problem rural communities face as medical services are centralized.
"It's a model that's proven to work," he said. "We're proving that rural communities can have high quality care."
What's happened is these smaller communities don't have the patient volume to sustain a full-time practice, explained Steve Pribyl, Fairmont Medical Center administrator. But when physicians are willing to travel to those rural hospitals, patients in these communities can avoid getting in the car to drive hours for medical treatment.
Hodges also enjoys building ties within a region as a whole.
"Success in any area of life ... is about building relationships," he said.
A physician's referral to see Hodges is not necessary, though some insurance companies may require it for payment.
Hodges completes a team of four surgeons at the medical center that includes Dr. Philip Vuocolo, Dr. Hyun Kim and Dr. Lee Yang.
