November 2024 member spotlight
Keith E. Davis, MD
- AMA-SPS liaison, Idaho
- President, Idaho Rural Health Association
- Former Idaho alternate delegate, AMA (6 years)
- Past president, Idaho Medical Association (2013-2014)
- Former Lincoln County coroner (20 years)
- Member, Idaho Board of Medicine (2019-Present)
- Board chair, COLA.ORG (2023-Present)
Location: Shoshone, Idaho
Specialty: Family medicine
I’ve been in rural/frontier full scope family medicine including obstetrics and endoscopy in southcentral Idaho since 1985. I came to Shoshone when the only physician in the county was retiring after 38 years of practice. I had attended George Washington University School of Medicine through the National Health Service Corps.
My family medicine residency was at University of Iowa/Iowa City. Shoshone offered a private practice option and one of the area hospitals provided an income safety net which was never needed; I was very busy from the first day. My predecessor had recruited several physicians into his practice but none of them had stayed. Often the deal breaker was a spouse who didn’t enjoy or have employment in a small town. I had grown up in Tangent, Oregon, population 300, and the “unknown” was whether my wife would enjoy small town life. Success! Then the challenge was finding a replacement when the now-senior physician (me) wants to retire!
Q: What challenges to you feel senior physicians are facing today?
A: For several years I was unable to recruit another physician. About three years ago, I was fortunate that the area FQHC (Family Health Services) approached me about bringing dental services to my county. Based in nearby Twin Falls, they knew a lot of their dental patients were coming from the zip codes in my county. My clinic space in a 1910 building was too limited to add dental services. Thus, the plan for my Rural Health Clinic to be replaced by the area FQHC.
In the summer of 2022, they hired me and all my staff, purchased my equipment and furnishings, and rented my clinic space while building a modern new building which opened in August this year. The new building includes facilities for medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and attached is the county ambulance service with EMS quarters. However, there is a national shortage of dentists and counselors so recruitment there is ongoing. One challenge senior physicians face is the shortage of health care resources for teamwork and networking. A national shortage of physicians, nurses, therapists, dentists, mental health specialists, and many other professions.
Q: How can senior physicians help in their local communities, especially if doctors are retired and want to return to work to work during this time?
A: With the shortage of physicians in most parts of the country, some senior physicians may be considering return to practice. Volunteering at a free clinic can be enjoyable and often your state will have liability protection for such work. But be careful and make sure you’re fully covered for such volunteering as rules vary state by state.
You may also have to work with your state medical licensing board on reentry if you haven’t been practicing for some period of time. I currently serve on the Idaho Board of Medicine and I’m aware that states handle practice reentry very differently so check first. It is NOT “better to ask forgiveness than permission” with your medical board!
Q: As a physician leader, why is physician advocacy important to you? How can physicians have a significant impact outside the practice of medicine?
A: I’ve been very active with the Idaho Medical Association including serving as president and later alternate delegate to the AMA. The IMA is a leader in Idaho health care and often battles tough issues for our patients including affordable care, clean air, reproductive freedom and keeping legislators out of the exam room. Idaho had more than its fair share of COVID-related hostility around vaccination, use of ivermectin, value of masking and distancing and so on. Public health measures became very political. I served as medical consultant for my area board of health during the pandemic and it was very frustrating seeing the politics endangering the public health. Senior physicians are very much needed in all aspects of advocacy and, often, have more time available to serve in advocacy roles.
Senior physicians wishing to serve their communities need only reach out to their city council, county leaders, area medical society, or state medical association for suggestions. The need is great, and you meet some of the best people when you’re working for the good of your patients.
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