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Happy in Hiawatha: Urban couple finds plenty to like in small-town medical practice

Hiawatha physicians Pete and Julie Rosa say the KU School of Medicine-Wichita gave them more than just the knowledge to practice medicince: it also influenced them to do it in a small town.

Hiawatha physicians Pete and Julie Rosa say the KU School of Medicine–Wichita gave them more than just the knowledge to practice medicine: it also influenced them to do it in a small town.

"We were city kids, tried and true," Pete Rosa says.

Now they're happy in Hiawatha, Kansas, population 3,172. Nicknamed the "City of Beautiful Maples," you'll also find well-tended green lawns and proudly maintained public spaces in Hiawatha. It reportedly was the inspiration for the idyllic town of Riverdale in the Archie comic book series.

The Rosas, both from the greater Kansas City area, met at medical school and completed their medical degrees on the Wichita campus.

While residents in KU School of Medicine–Wichita's Smoky Hill Family Medicine program, they were part of weekly discussions about what it means to be a doctor in a small town. Had that not happened, Julie says, "I would never have been ready to come to Hiawatha."

One much-discussed topic was the dual relationship small-town physicians have with their patients. Unlike doctors in more urban areas, they're much more likely to live next door to, attend church with, or sit on the school board with their patients.

"We live and work, and work and breathe with our patients," says Julie.

The only way to make that relationship work long-term, she says, is to keep them as separate as possible. As an example, she tells the story of finding herself in line at a church potluck next to one of her patients.  "The patient said, 'Oh no, you're going to see what I'm putting on my plate.' I just said, 'The doctor part of my brain is turned off. I'm just Julie.'"

Other boundaries had to be more clearly drawn. When the Rosas moved to Hiawatha in 1998, it wasn't unusual for people to visit their home during "off" hours to ask medical questions. That's stopped, aside from emergencies, as have most of the phone calls; the couple has been clear about setting limits. "They respect it," Julie says.

Despite their big-city backgrounds, Pete says the couple decided early on to raise their family in a small town. The only requirement was that the town be within two hours of their four children's grandmothers, who still live in the Kansas City area. 

As a college undergraduate, Pete says he got to know several students from Hiawatha. "I was really impressed with how well prepared for college the Hiawatha kids were."

Short on family doctors, the town recruited the Rosas and promised them a new clinic. They finally got it three years ago, located on the second floor of the new wing of the Hiawatha Community Hospital, paid for largely through an estate gift. The Rosas, along with two other physicians, a nurse practitioner, two registered nurses, and a dozen support staff, comprise the Hiawatha Family Practice Clinic.

"We have room to grow now," Pete says. "It's a really nice facility."

Pete works full-time between the Hiawatha practice and a satellite clinic in nearby Highland, 20 minutes away. About half of Pete's workload is geriatric care, the other half a variety of urgent care cases.

Julie's practice is primarily obstetrics and pediatrics. She has delivered around 500 babies since coming to Hiawatha. "I love that aspect of practice," she says.

Both doctors cite the variety of the work they get to do as one of the big advantages of a small-town practice. Julie was excited about a recent visit to the local high school, where she'd given a talk about medicine. Pete enjoys his ability to "get to do everything" as a family physician.

But there are outside resources when they need them. Specialists frequently visit the hospital, giving the Rosas the opportunity to refer patients as necessary. Julie says the ability to "work her network" contributes to her success as a family doctor. She specifically mentioned Dr. John Evans, an expert in maternal fetal medicine in Topeka, who had recently consulted with her on a difficult case.

And, of course, she has another physician to talk things over with right in her own home.

"We run through interesting cases together all the time," she says. "It's nice."

 

 


KU School of Medicine-Wichita