The Doctor’s Fee: Five Dollars
Lisa
I recently read an article about a doctor by the name of Russell Dohner. He is 87 years old, works seven days a week, has delivered 3,400 babies and hasn’t taken a vacation in 57 years. Oh, and by the way, he doesn’t take insurance.
When Dr. Dohner was a boy, he had a terrifying bout of seizures. When he came out of them, there would always be his family physician by his side, Dr. Hamilton. He knew then that he wanted to be just like him. After medical school, he hung out a sign in the next county over. His fee for an office visit back then: two dollars. That was in 1955. And while times have changed, Dr. Dohner hasn’t. He still sees patients seven days a week out of that same office, keeps handwritten records with the help of his longtime nurse Florence Bottorff, 88, and has been charging patients $5 a visit since the 1970’s!
He says that’s the way he’s always done it and doesn’t plan to change. He lives off the income from his farm and draws no salary. Most of his patients come to see him because they can’t afford healthcare and he can help them.
For that, a town is grateful. Dr. Dohner works for his patients, and for love.
Wow. We need more people like Dr. Dohner in this world today!
Photo courtesy of gawker.com Brought to you by Mills Apartments
Lisa
Lisa actively supports Stray Rescue of St. Louis and anything related to animal rescue. She would like to travel to Germany one day to research her ancestors that came to America during World War 2.
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