Three days past Friday, April 30th, but better late than never. The last Friday of the month is when these good and nonpolitical news posts are supposed to appear on the blogs of those who participate in the We Are the World Blogfest.

A different sort of good news—about one aspect of living in small town America. Not only the sense of community but a surprising range of essential services, assuming you pick the right location.

We knew that medical care would be something we needed as we aged. Silver City, New Mexico has more and better care now than when we moved here ten years ago. A week ago Saturday, my heartbeat was erratic for two hours that morning. That was the third episode in two years. This time, however, I had a thumb drive-sized device implanted under the skin over my heart. It records data and uploads it to the servicer and then the doctor’s office.

Surprising that I could get this newer technology here in a town of less than 10,000 people. More surprising, Gila Cardiology has a care coordinator who forwards her calls to home on the weekend!  Do you get that in big cities? She walked me through options; in the end, I waited it out rather than heading for the ER. Like before, the palpitations stopped on their own. On Monday a week ago, she called me at 8 AM, confirming that I have occasional AFib. The office sent in a prescription for one of the newer drugs that prevent clots.

As they say on the infomercials: But wait, there’s more! A few years ago, our eye doctor called in a prescription on a Saturday based on a smart phone image she sent him.  Our small town also has a celebrity surgeon who’s a pioneer GERD specialist, an excellent podiatrist in his early 40s, a skilled orthopedist, a choice of physical/occupational therapists and more. My wife and I have seen or been treated by all these doctors.

Note that this is considered a medically underserved area. Our wonderful primary care doctor is continually striving to recruit young residents to intern here, hoping they’ll stay beyond the time the federal government program requires for a deal that pays off medical school loans. There’s a solid regional hospital. Alternative medical care—including acupuncture or acupressure, herbalists and more can be found in Silver. Beyond that, yoga and other Eastern disciplines. Not to mention a variety of spiritual groups for healing mind or body.

Maybe this sounds like a promo for Silver City. Sort of, but I’ll do that in a post on another blog, Views from Eagle Peak, soon. In the meantime, if you’re fully vaccinated and looking for somewhere to travel, you can find out more about Silver City here.