Dr. Naumann heals what ails the town of accident
For some time, the town of Accident was without a family physician. Despite launching a vigorous campaign—advertising in magazines and newspapers and even posting a large road sign that read "Help, we need a doctor!"—the town couldn't get a nibble of interest.
Perhaps it was their remote location or the fact that the closest major hospital was (and still is) 20 miles away. But the residents of Accident (all 348 of them) now realize that the stars just needed time to align. Walter Naumann, a doctor who was perfectly matched to their small-town way of life, answered the ad 25 years ago and has called Accident his home ever since.
Walter Naumann is the type of doctor you only hear about—he focuses on the patient, not just the remedy. "I let people talk," he says. "I tend to take my time with patients."
The good doctor, who was studying to be a pastor before making the switch to medicine, realizes that practicing in Accident is different than seeing patients in a large metropolitan area—his responsibility to patients is greater in a small town, especially one in which he's lived for so many years. At some point along the way, he stopped treating patients, and started treating friends.
"When my kid had an ear infection, I would call him [Dr. Naumann] in the middle of the night and he would open up the office," says long time Accident resident Joyce Rodeheaver. "And I have three kids. Believe me, that's a lot of ear infections."
While this neighborly doctor-patient relationship is as charming as a Norman Rockwell painting, it often leads to sidewalk diagnoses, not that Naumann minds much. "People will pull down their collar, show me a rash, and say 'I have something here, doc, what do you think it is?" he says with a laugh.
While Dr. Naumann is somewhat of a celebrity in town, his casual manner puts folks at ease. "He's not someone who goes around telling people how important he is. That's why people around like him. He's simple folk," says William Carlson, the town's retired pastor.
His approachable attitude has generated a long line of loyal patients. For some residents, Dr. Naumann is the only physician they've ever known. Many met him as children and continued care into their adulthood. Now, those lifelong patients bring their children to Dr. Naumann; some bring their children's children. And the tradition continues.
Among the many benefits of being a doctor in Accident is Naumann's short commute. It would be the envy of any Metro DC area doctor. After leaving his home, he is donned in a stethoscope one quick minute later (the clinic is next door to his house). Five years ago, Naumann decided to build the town's only clinic, where he now practices. Another perk of being an Accident doctor? Very low gasoline bills.
But being a small-town doctor also means doing without. There are no sophisticated MRI machines, advanced laboratories, or expensive X-ray machines. And developing a relationship with patients beyond that of a typical doctor can be painful. Dr. Naumann treated his friend, Carl, an antiques dealer in town, for several years. Naumann and his wife would often drop in to chat with Carl, and stayed for several dinners. They became friends. About three years ago, Carl died from cancer.
"It was difficult to see him pass," says Naumann with sadness in his eyes. "But this is what it's like practicing in a small town."
Without the bond between Dr. Naumann and the residents of Accident, however, many patients would feel lost during times of illness. Recently, he made a house call for his friend, Reverend Carlson, whose wife has Alzheimer's. During the visit, Dr. Naumann checked her pulse, blood pressure, and made sure she was comfortable before sitting down to talk with Reverend Carlson and his daughter, Christen, at the kitchen table. The visit lasted an hour—a typical length of visit for Dr. Naumann, who has made this same house call every three months for the past six years.
"He explains things in a way that I understand. That's why people around like him, they don't feel intimidated," says Christen. "If it weren't for him, my mother would have to go to a nursing home."
Christen says there are rumors that Dr. Naumann is retiring. This is unwelcome news to Accident residents, many of whom remember how difficult it was to find a town doctor those 25 years ago.
"It's giving people in town a lot of anxiety," says Christen. Although Dr. Naumann hasn't confirmed the rumors, his wife admits that he's close to retirement age.
"At first I thought it'd be really hard to replace him," says Christen. "But now I think that even though there'll be other doctors, no one can really replace him. He's unique."
— Al Staropoli