People want to see their own doctor. It’s a familiar refrain in rural Minnesota and, we would note, in Fairmont, where concerns have been expressed over the years about family physicians departing the scene. While this has led to some criticism of major health care providers like the Mayo system, there are some sobering statistics to keep in mind.

Parts of south-central Minnesota are already considered to be medically underserved, or on their way there. This means there is roughly one doctor for every 3,500 people, or not enough doctors to treat low-income populations. This information comes from the Minnesota Rural Health Association, which is trying to raise awareness of the problem and help find solutions.

The group says that if you live in Minneapolis, there is about one doctor for every 300 people, by way of comparison.

The association notes that physicians have long been sought in rural Minnesota, and now the problem is getting worse because of retirements. The group wants state lawmakers and medical companies to do more to alleviate the situation.

Which brings us back to Fairmont, where we are actually quite lucky to have several independent clinics along with Mayo and, now, the UHD clinic near downtown. Each of these places utilizes caregivers who are not physicians to help ensure that people can get the care they need. Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and others are all part of the solution. Without them and the innovative ways in which providers are offering care and doing business, the shortage of rural physicians would be a greater challenge, or an outright disaster.