Off Beat: Not a good place to get sick

A few weeks ago, this column noted the dearth of active dentists in the Mid-Valley.

Colusa, Yuba and Sutter counties, according to the most recent figures, had fewer dentists than the state average.

Well, now the other stethoscope has dropped, courtesy of the California Healthcare Foundation.

It released a report, "Fewer and More Specialized: A new Assessment of Physician Supplies in California."

The biggest finding? The overall supply of MD physicians is 17 percent lower than what the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile data indicates: 66,480 vs. 80,000.

Not surprisingly, according to the report, rural areas "suffer from low physician practice rates, and from a diminishing supply of primary care physicians."

Sound familiar?

Across the state, the average level of active patient care MD physicians is 174 per 100,000 population.

So where do the local counties land? In Colusa, it's 53 per 100K. Sutter County, actually, is not so bad: 170 per 100K. Yuba County is slightly better than Colusa at 60 per 100K.

For active primary care physicians and specialists, the state average is 115 per 100,000. Colusa is at 26 and Yuba is at 40. Sutter County, again, is almost at the average, at 110.

"In general, rural counties tend to have far fewer physicians per capita than urban counties," the report noted. "Counties in the Central Valley and Inland Empire are particularly likely to have a low supply of physicians. Several rural counties also face the predicament of an aging primary care physician workforce, compounded by an apparent difficulty recruiting younger physicians to replenish it."

Luckily for Yuba County residents, it's only a short drive to Sutter County for a doctor.

Back in the time machine

You really have to hand it to the folks in Yuba County. They just keep plugging away, no matter how many times it gets thrown back in their face.

And so it was with the county's recent missive to Nevada County, seeking money to help pay for repairs to Smartsville Road, a key route to Beale Air Force Base.

Nevada County said no, of course.

If that scenario sounded familiar, it's because it is: 15 years ago — May 1994 — Yuba County sent a similar letter to Nevada, Sutter and Placer counties, asking them to share some of the burden of road repairs to Beale, which has such an important regional impact.

They all said no, of course.

According to the minutes of the June 14, 1994, Nevada County board meeting: "Supervisor Drake suggested that a letter be written to Yuba County explaining that the county supported their effort to keep Beale AFB open but that the county regretfully had no funds to assist with maintaining the road. Mr. Doug Latimer, county administrator, indicated he would draft a letter for the chairman's signature."

And so in 2009, Yuba County tried the same gambit, with the same response.