Located just a dozen miles south of Lawrence, Kansas, it would be easy to assume this Douglas County town would identify itself with the University of Kansas' flagship campus.

But as residents here point out, they've got their own college, Baker University, which is seven years older than KU. And they've got an event, the Maple Leaf Festival that draws 30,000 people each fall.  

They also have their own medical providers, Drs. Kevin Hughes and Bonnie Cramer, who both have ties to KU School of Medicine-Wichita.  

"It's a neat little town," said Hughes, who earned his medical degree on the Wichita campus and then completed his residency through one of KU Wichita's family medicine residency programs in 1998. "It has advantages that more remote towns don't have." Hughes practices at Family Medicine of Baldwin City, a satellite clinic of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.  

He grew up in Lawrence and wasn't sure what career he wanted to pursue. His first job, at a movie theater in Lawrence, had nothing to do with medicine but was a formative experience as he sold tickets, ran projectors and learned to "take care of something from top to bottom."  

You could say he does the same now ... only with families.  

"We take care of a one-year-old baby in one room somebody who's 105 in the next," he said. "I think it's safe to say no two days are alike."  

A strategy Hughes uses when treating older patients is to keep an eye on chronic health issues as well as addressing whatever acute issue has brought them to the clinic. The clinic, which is located on Baldwin's main street and recently underwent renovation, has seen an upsurge in patients, probably due to an increase in the number of retirees in the area. Lawrence might not be far away, but many patients would rather get medical care close to home.  

"They don't want to have to travel to the doctor," Hughes said. "More and more folks come in for care. I feel like there's a need there."  

And that allows Hughes to achieve a goal he says his father, a teacher, instilled in him: "That you made a difference for people."  

Unlike Hughes, Cramer, who's from Wetmore in rural northeast Kansas, said she knew by junior high that she wanted to be a physician. A self-described "science geek," some of her favorite books growing up were her mother's nursing school textbooks.  

She graduated from KU School of Medicine-Wichita in 2006 and completed her residency at KU's Smoky Hill Family Medicine program in 2009. She worked at Cloud County Health Center in Concordia for several years before moving to Baldwin two years ago, to be nearer family and to provide a more regular schedule as her children started school.  

An ice cream social was held to mark her arrival. "It is still definitely a small town," she said. Their clinic has eight exam rooms, a procedure room, X-ray room, and lab. Cramer said the combination of younger patients from Baker's student body and faculty and older long-time area residents makes for a diverse practice.  

Cramer enjoys medicine for the challenges it provides, including keeping up with latest developments in care. On a personal level, "It's the relationships I form with patients that I find most rewarding. You have to get to know the patient and not just their illness. If you can't talk to your patients, you're not going to be effective with them."  

She sees herself as an advisor to her patients, rather than one who dictates what measures should be taken. Buy-in from patients generally leads to better outcomes, she says.  

"It's fun both personally and professionally," Cramer said. "There's definitely a need. We keep busy."