Carthage to welcome seven doctors

On the heels of the Carthage Area Hospital's groundbreaking for the Community Health Center, hospital Administrator Walter H. Becker announced that seven doctors will be joining the team.

"We're very excited and pleased to have new physicians joining us in this area," Mr. Becker said. "They are very needed because this is a federally designated health care shortage area."

The new staffers are two family practitioners, two pediatricians, an orthopedic surgeon, an emergency room physician and a dentist.

"We should have all the people starting here this summer between now and September," Mr. Becker said.

Over the past few months the hospital has been conducting extensive interviews, the latest of which have been very successful.

"It's generally difficult for a small hospital in Northern New York to recruit doctors due to our rural isolation and the weather conditions we experience," Mr. Becker said. "You also have to keep in mind that everyone you bring in is interviewing at five or six other places all over America."

He said recruitment is a big job that takes a lot of planning and preparation.

"You have to bring the whole family up," Mr. Becker said. "You work with them and find their interests. It's also very important that the spouse is in the process. The family has to be happy if the doctor is going to be successful."

While the Carthage area may not have the amenities of larger cities or the technology of other hospitals, Mr. Becker said, there still is something to offer.

"Our schools are a big plus," he said. "When they see the schools, they're clean and they have up-to-date technology with nice faculty in a safe environment. It's a big draw."

Years ago, while he was taking a doctor and his family on a tour, Mr. Becker said, the doctor asked him what the area's gang colors were and whether it was safe for the children to play outside.

"You can sell the mentality of the community," he said. "It's safe walking down the street. Many of us leave our cars unlocked at night. There's a great support system in our community."