[pct-l] health care providers along the PCT

[Rebecca Sudduth]

As a person that works in both Emergency Medicine and at a Primary Care
Clinic, you need to be a little careful about compiling this list. While you
might pull together a list of Dr's offices in the trail towns, it is very
possible that the docs are either a) not taking any new patients, b) have no
openings for new patients in their schedule in the near future, c) won't see
you until you have come in for a physical/establish as a new patient, d)
won't take your insurance, e)won't take you on as a self pay patient (if you
do not have insurance). That being said they just might take you in or be
hikers themselves and are glad to see you and help in whatever way they can.
So a simple list might require some leg work in calling these offices ahead
of time and asking them how they feel about taking same day new patients,
although this could change over time as well.

Other good options would include Urgent Care, cheaper than an ER visit and
can take care of most hiker woes unless it is more serious, and in that rare
care that you need more extensive care then they would send you to the ER
anyways.

So a list might be more effective if you list them in this order
1) Urgent Care in trail towns
2) Primary Care (but know that the MD just might NOT see you)
3) Emergency Room, or technically Emergency Department, as it is not one
room but several.

My 2 cents, not a great system but it is the system that we have.

Other than that, this is generally a good idea.

BooBoo
ME>GA '07
PCT CA '09