Area Doctors Not Accepting New Patients
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Harden named New Subway PICKUP VS. VAN starter for on its way Collision on North State Street Game 3 to local area .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 ......................................Page 1 INSIDE Mendocino County’s Obituaries The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Mostly sunny and warm 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY Oct. 11, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 148 Number 185 email: [email protected] Stabbing gang-related, MCSO states PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE By BEN BROWN calling a gang-related assault. street. The Daily Journal Sheriff’s Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said Brown told sheriff’s deputies that the A 19-year-old Ukiah man suffered David Brown was walking on South suspect asked if he had a problem, then minor injuries after being attacked twice State Street at 10:50 p.m. Sunday with a declared himself to be a gang member Area doctors in the space of minutes in what the woman when the pair were approached Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is by a Hispanic male from across the See STABBING, Page 2 not accepting new patients Life on the land Ukiah Valley Mendocino-Lake County Medical Society and the ‘On average we have three good years in 10; three mediocre years that break even, and Primary Care has an Foundation for Medical Care three loser years. The last year in that 10 years can go either way -- that is the crap shoot.’ 18-month wait list; Medical Society, primary care physicians do not receive BILL CRAWFORD, owner of McDowell Valley Vineyards other doctors also enough in reimbursements have full case load from patients’ insurance, whether it is Medi-Cal, By KATIE MINTZ Medicare or private, to offset The Daily Journal the cost of doing business. Wake up feeling ill? If you “Contrary to popular opin- don’t already have a doctor, ion, all doctors are not rich,” you may be in trouble. DeCrona said. He estimates Many local primary care having made $60,000 last physicians report that they are year with his low-volume not taking new patients, or if practice after taking into they are, they have a waiting account payments for office list that stretches anywhere rent, health benefits for his from three to 18 months. employee, malpractice insur- “When someone picks up ance, business insurance, the phonebook and goes workers compensation and through the A’s, B’s, C’s and supplies. D’s, they’ll see we’re not tak- “It’s become more and ing any patients,” said Dr. more challenging to run a Gary DeCrona, who runs a practice, and fewer and fewer small private practice office in people are going into primary Ukiah. His only new clients care,” Cho said, citing that the are friends or relatives of cur- cost of doing business has rent patients. “You’ve got to gone up 20 percent from when know somebody.” he began his practice in Ukiah Dr. Peter Cho will admit 11 years ago, while the rate of women to his obstetrics prac- reimbursement from insur- tice, but sees no new adults or ance companies has remained children for general family about the same. medicine. To complicate the situation, The Ukiah Valley Primary in Mendocino County, Faulk Care Medical Group has a said, high housing costs drive wait list of a year-and-a-half. away potential physicians, Mendocino County, as well Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal many of whom are already Bill Crawford tosses a bale of hay over a fence to feed steer on his ranch. On top of harvesting as most of the country, is fac- working to pay off between grapes, Crawford spends each day dealing with the daily responsibilities of ranch life. ing a shortage of primary care $100,000 and $300,000 in stu- and family physicians, leav- dent loans. ing remaining doctors over- “The main issue with booked or people left with recruitment to this area is the Family finds niche few options for care. high cost of housing and low According to a report physician income because of released by the American our payer mix,” Faulk said, in the wine market Academy of Family explaining that Mendocino Physicians in September, County has a high percentage Editor’s note: This is the chosen profession. between 1997 and 2005, the of Medi-Cal and Medicare first of two harvest season In fact, it’s gotten even number of U.S. medical recipients and few large profiles of local grape grow- more competitive over the school graduates going into ers/winemakers. employers that offer equitable years, said the winemaker family medicine fell by 50 health benefits. and grape grower -- who percent, with many young By LAURA MCCUTCHEON Kelly Clark, physician calls himself a “winegrow- doctors opting to specialize in recruitment and retention The Daily Journal er” -- currently in his 37th areas that offer better pay. coordinator for Ukiah Valley “It’s a great way of life, harvest. “What’s happened on a Medical Center, also said a great place to raise a fam- “We have almost 300 national level is that people housing costs deterred poten- ily, but it’s risky,” Bill acres of grapes, which are not going into family med- tial recruits, but that the hospi- Crawford inspects grenache grapes before he Crawford, owner of Mc- amounts to about 1,000 ton icine or general internal medi- tal was recently successful in trucks them to Navarro Wineries in Anderson Dowell Valley Vineyards cine because they can’t make adding both a general surgeon Valley Tuesday morning. said when asked about his See CRAWFORD, Page 16 a living at it,” DeCrona said. and an OBGYN to its medical According to Robert Faulk, executive director of the See DOCTORS, Page 2 Meth arrest made on coast TWO VEHICLES COLLIDE ON NORTH STATE ST. The Daily Journal received reports of someone selling metham- Juan Aguilar Lua, 45, of Point Arena, was phetamine out of their car on Port Road in Ben Brown/The Daily Journal arrested on suspicion of possession of metham- Point Arena at 3:40 p.m. Sunday. A two-vehicle traffic colli- phetamine for sale and transportation of Deputies responded to the area and saw the sion that occurred in the methamphetamine for sale in the 700 block of described vehicle driving away from the scene. 2200 block of North State Port Road at 3:42 p.m. Sunday. Deputies stopped the car and searched it, find- Street at noon Tuesday According to reports from the Mendocino slowed traffic for close to County Sheriff’s Office, sheriff’s deputies See METH, Page 16 an hour. At least one per- son was injured in the collision between a pick- up and a van. The acci- Two-party debate for Assembly dent blocked both lanes Republican doesn’t show ronmental arenas while her sole challenger in of North State Street, and Monday’s debate, Libertarian Thomas Reed, one-way traffic controls By JOHN DRISCOLL insisted it’s time for Californians to take a dif- were in effect until 12:42 Eureka Times-Standard ferent course than the one they’ve been on for p.m. The cause of the EUREKA -- Assemblywoman Patty Berg accident is under investi- peddled her efforts in the health care and envi- See ASSEMBLY, Page 2 gation. u Halloween Headquarters h's F n St 202 S. State St. ia or Costumes, Rentals & Sales k NEW e Downtown Ukiah U LOCATION Many Fun Halloween Treasures 463-2624 2 – WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES [\ She and her life from 11 am to 3 pm at daughter Maxine. He is also ily by his side. Fred, in 1949. She happily partner Bill Crow over the Todd Grove Park in survived by three Born January 27, 1921 followed Fred to all years traveled reg- Ukiah. A barbecue in her sisters, five grandchildren, in North Bend, Wash- parts of the world with his ularly to Mexico and to honor and a bless- and many nieces ington, Jack served in the work for Atkinson California’s Gold ing will be at 12 noon. and nephews. US Army Air Force Construction and made Country where they had The Eversole Mortuary There were no formal during WWII and was sta- friends easily wher- lots of fun panning is in charge of ar- services, but friends tioned in Germany. ever they lived. She always for gold and enjoying the rangements. and family are invited to He worked in logging, lum- made a comforta- sunshine. She has make a contribution ber and trucking in- ble home for her family and been a regular at the local [\ in Henry’s memory to the dustries. He married his always planted a casinos and is South Coast Senior wife Helen on Febru- garden in each new loca- known to her family as Center in Point Arena or to ary 7, 1942. She preceded tion. Jeanne was a ‘Double your money the charity of their him in death in fabulous mother to Dave, Gramma Rita”. choice. The family thanks 1994. They were married who was born in She is survived by her the local emergen- for 52 years. 1953 and died in 2003. She life partner Bill Crow of cy response team and the Jack is survived by his loved taking care Ukiah, son Ron Corpuz of Chapel By the Sea daughter Jill and Mike of her boys, Dave, her Ukiah, grandson HENRY “STOGIE” of Fort Bragg. Gomes, sons Terry and beloved son, and her MARGARITA DAYON CORPUZ Brian Corpus, wife Nicole STORNETTA Anne Boyes and Bill husband, Fred.