Some of you might be too young to remember Dr. Baker or the TV show that made his character famous. It was called, Little House on the Prairie, and if you’re not familiar with it, look it up on Netflix. It’s family-friendly viewing at its finest.

Up until around the middle of the 20th century, most rural communities had a Dr. Baker who treated everyone from infancy to death. They made house calls, delivered babies, set broken bones, and many times even doubled as veterinarian for farm animals.

The Dr. Bakers of the world knew everything about their patients because they followed them throughout their life. So not only did they have a thorough knowledge of a person’s medical history, they also had an understanding of their patients’ life situation. Dr. Baker knew when a family was struggling financially, who was grieving over the loss of a child, when someone’s business was booming – basically he could see how life events shaped the health and wellbeing of his patients. Knowledge like this proved more valuable than anyone ever realized . . . until recently.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve noticed that health care has moved far, far away from the Dr. Baker model. We go to specialists and walk-in, urgent care clinics, and we’re seen by strangers. Specialists and urgent care have their merits for sure, but they don’t replace the personalized care and understanding that Dr. Baker used to deliver.

So what did happen to this legendary healer from generations past?

He’s gone, and it looks like he’s gone for good. But in recent years, people have begun to realize that a Family Doctor – or a Family Practice has more value than they ever realized.

As WebMD describes,

“A family practice offers continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body, and based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion.”

Sounds like a modern version of Dr. Baker, don’t you think?

Well, that’s what we do at Rocky Top Family Practice, and we pride ourselves on the ability to care for a person across many levels and layers. Anything we can’t treat, we refer out to a specialist. We even do house calls!

Oh – and while we might not be able to help you with a lame horse or a sick dog, we do have a veterinarian right next door who can definitely help you out.

Come by and see us. We believe in health care that keeps you healthy.

Joanna Henning
Summit View Health Mgmt | Vol Magic
Brand Digital & Creative
Joanna.henning@summitviewhm.com