RUTH MOHR is a lab supervisor at New Ulm Medical Clinic. She is using a device which counts red and white blood cells automatically. Blood cell counts are a way of diagnosing illness. (Photo by Art Hanson)

In the early days of his practice in Now Ulm. Dr Howard Vogel was afraid to leave town for any length of time.

He was concerned back then that if be took any time off, there would be no one to care for his patients if an emergency occurred

FOR THE doctors who belong to the year-old New Ulm Medical Clinic, that concern no longer serves as prominently in their minds.

Many report that during the past year, they have been able to do something they were able to do only rarely in previous years.

While they maintain that their work load has remained as high as ever, they say they have been able to steal moments for relaxation.

“The branch is the finest thing that could have happened to medicine in New Ulm,” Dr. Vogel states.

ROBERT. W. FRENCH, administrator for the clinic, sees it as probably one of the biggest boosts to physicians that they’ve received in New Ulm.

The doctors are so much happier,” he says.

Dr. P.J. Kitzberger, who had practiced alone for five years, says he’s convinced the clinic is better. It’s eased his personal life,he says,and has made his patients certain there always is a doctor on call.

“Generally, we can serve the people better with nine doctors,” he says.

“Universally, we are offering much better health coverage to the community,” Dr. Carl Fritsche says.

Noting that the clinic means there are always a minimum of two doctors on call over the weekends, Dr. Fritsche adds that the clinic is “good for the community and good for the doctors.”

DR. LAURENCE RINGHOFER explains that the opportunity to relax will probably give the doctors

in New Ulm more longevity and keep them sharp.

But he and Dr. William Black point to what is felt to be one of the biggest advantages of the clinic and one of the primary reasons for its creation: recruiting more doctors for New Ulm.

“The doctors nowadays won’t work 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week,” Dr. Black says.

When the doctors practiced in smaller clinics in the past, he says, all of the clinics tried to recruit young physicians. The chief objection, he adds, was that if they came to New Ulm, they’d be on call too much, with no time left for their families.

During the past year, working with the University of Minnesota Medical Center, the New Ulm Medical Clinic has hosted two residents, both of whom are considering a practice in New Ulm when they complete their residency, according to Dr. Frank Carthey. Next month, another resident will be touring in New Ulm.

WHILE COMMITMENTS haven’t been made to New Ulm yet, physicians are optimistic that-due largely to the clinic – the community will be getting some new doctors soon.

“The more people you get together, the more it grows, and that’s the object,” Dr. Vogel states.”I expect this thing to go to 20women and men.”

Hazel Meine, secretary-manager of the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce,feels that New Ulm will have no trouble selling itself to prospective community doctors.”I think we have a lot to sell,” she says.

The chamber works with the medical clinic in providing information about the community when prospective physicians and their spouses tour New Ulm.

FRENCH SAYS he’d like to see the clinic get at least two new doctors during the next year. He adds he wouldn’t be surprised to see as many as six set up practice in the clinic.

For while recruiting doctors is a primary force behind the clinic, the need for recruiting them is also one of the major problems that some of the nagging mechanical problems hang on.

The clinic, French says,has one of the highest patient loads he’s ever seen.

As of the end of October, ac-cording to clinic statistics, 49,090 patients have gone through the clinic so far this year. That’s an average of 5,399 per month or about 600 a day, French says.

While the nationwide average of patients seen by a doctor is about 32 per day, he points out, it is between 50 and 55 in New Ulm.

The national average for a physician’s daily working hours is about five, according to French, but it is seven to eight hours in New Ulm.

“I can assure you we have the most dedicated doctors I have ever met,” he says.

THE PATIENT load is not remaining constant either, he says. The clinic gets five or six new patients every day.

French adds that patients come from all across the country because of their respect for doctors in New Ulm.

Elmer Manthai of Loretta, a small town in Hennepin County, comes to the New Ulm clinic for treatment of his arthritis because he likes Dr. Vogel, he says. He adds that he knows of others who come from similar distances.

Vicki Ourada of Lamberton goes to the New Ulm clinic, she says, because “my faith is here.”

MEANWHILE, THE clinic has also created a certain type of togetherness among New Ulm’s doctors, according to Dr. Ringhofer.” We’re not competitive like we used to be,” he says.

At the clinic, he says, doctors are able to consult each other for medical advice. “The big plus,” says Dr. Ann C. Vogel, “is we’re having more fun practicing medicine.”

New Ulm Daily Journal

Dec. 11, 1975