
Dr. Tim Duncan is a recipient of the Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program, and is passionate about his role in Uintah Basin Medical Center’s Vernal emergency room (ER). He cares for uninsured, rural, and minority patients who may otherwise not seek or receive care.
In the winter of 2024, Dr. Duncan treated a patient in the ER who had been stranded in his car for several days. The patient was under the influence of illicit substances, and hadn’t seen a doctor in several years. Dr. Duncan recognized the high-risk lifestyle of the patient and tested him for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). He diagnosed both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis.
Dr. Duncan initiated treatment for these 2 STIs, and referred him to local specialists for follow-up.
“Diagnosing this patient helped protect him from potentially very poor outcomes from two untreated illnesses, as well as protect our small, rural community from the spread of these diseases,” Dr. Duncan said.
STIs can be difficult for patients to identify because symptoms can be minimal or nonexistent. Patients may also confuse STIs with urinary tract infections, as they present similar symptoms such as lower abdominal pain and burning with urination.
“This case has lowered my threshold for submitting tests for STIs,” Dr. Duncan said. “I’ve started sending tests more frequently, and I’ve caught a few that may have otherwise gone untreated.”
Read more about the Department of Health and Human Services’ work to decrease the spread of syphilis at Rural providers encouraged to screen for syphilis during pregnancy.
Due to the heavy burden of student loan debt, many new physicians often work in private practice to maximize their earning potential, leading to shortages of providers in rural communities. Loan repayment helps bridge the gap in compensation for providers like Dr. Duncan to fulfill the needs of disadvantaged patients, while addressing student loan debt. Read more information about the Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program.
Uintah Basin Healthcare’s mission is to care for communities through access to compassionate, quality healthcare and invest in the people the organization serves. Uintah Basin Healthcare is the largest independent rural healthcare system in Utah, with multiple locations throughout the Uintah Basin region.
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