While many hope for change, the reality remains that basic health insurance is not a given. Even more out of reach for millions is the prospect of an employer-backed health plan, often meaning those who do receive one are not in a place to turn the option down — deficiencies and all.
This is the case in Bigfork, Montana, where many local businesses provide medical benefits with one little snag — the only doctor covered practices in a dimly-lit shack and wears a dirty smock, no matter how early in the day.
"Sure, it's no Mayo Clinic, but I'm not going to throw a week-old bologna sandwich in the garbage just because somebody somewhere got a fresh one today," explained employee Chuck Rawley, seemingly comparing the well-being of his body to processed meat goo. "My doc may use rusty needles, but heck — he finds a vein on the first try every time. That oughta count for something."
The doctor in question is Lloyd Barber, who prefers to go by "Doctor Shredder" in tribute to the main antagonist of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. While the medical license for the self-proclaimed dual primary care physician and "full-body surgeon" has proven difficult to track down, employers in the region go to him due to decades-worth of good old fashioned word of mouth.
"I remember in '95, this man with one arm stopped into the office and asked Dr. Shredder to help him. Next time anyone saw him, he had two arms! It was sort of purple and zombie-like, but even so, gosh!" recalled local Maxine Bedford. "To this day, nobody knows where he got the arm from — a true miracle."
Given the shack's small size and lack of electricity aside from extension cords syphoning off of nearby homes, services may be somewhat limited. However, patients note that the dirt-caked doc doesn't shy away from do-it-yourself ethos.
"When I was maybe 13, I broke my arm playing football and had to have surgery. The really tough thing was that Dr. Shredder had run out of nitrous oxide. But he was laughing away from start to finish, which put me at ease," shared Devin Garcy. "To get around it, he lit a really hot fire under my unbroken arm so I'd be distracted from the work he was doing on the squashed one. Soon enough, smoke inhalation knocked me right out."
While this ilk of medical care may sound bleak to the hoity-toity of the nation, it's important to note that there's no reason to raise a ruckus — few doctors are willing to work in exchange for canned goods and a sleeping bag.
--------------------------------
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kraft via CC BY-SA 3.0
Comentários