Gerald Luckey, M.D. starts before dawn each day and works past dusk as he cares for patients whose needs can range from colonoscopies to calluses.
He is a primary care doctor, called the frontline of U.S. health care. The ranks of these providers are growing thin, especially in rural communities like David City. According to the New England Healthcare Institute, the United States is in a “crisis in primary care delivery.”
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Dr. Luckey bikes to the clinic as the sun rises over David City. He’ll be busy at work long past the time the sun goes down. Such is life for this dedicated primary care provider. |
New medical school graduates often are lured by the promise of higher pay and shorter hours in specialty practice. Physicians like Dr. Luckey, though, say the opportunity to treat a variety of conditions and to become part of a community is worth the trade-off.
Read this blog entry from PR’s Nicole Lindquist and follow Dr. Luckey through what he calls a typical day. The story makes it clear what’s essential in primary care: broad and deep medical knowledge … and a good pair of tennis shoes.
Try to keep up.
Dr. Luckey should wear a helmet when riding a bike!
27 years ago, Dr. Luckey was the one who delivered me into the world. He was my family physician until I moved out of David City after graduating high school. He's high energy and busy but also takes time to stop and chat with you. I remember one time, the clinic was full and I was in there for something minute, and I was admiring the anatomical poster in the exam room and he stood there giving me a mini anatomical lesson, pointing to this or that on the poster and fielding my questions before we even got to what I was there for. He's a rare breed and David City is lucky to have him.