The News-Examiner recently sat down with Dr. John Franson to discuss his upcoming return to Soda Springs from Maine and other topics. Here are his answers to our questions.
News-Examiner: What are you most excited about returning to Soda Springs?
Dr. Franson: I’m excited to be coming back to my patients and getting back to the way health care should be. Getting to be closer with my kids and families is exciting. We have missed them. And of course room to roam in a valley I love.
NE: Are you coming back to your same practice and taking back your patient load?
Dr. Franson: I will be returning in early June to the same practice, implementing the same procedures and same care I have always given.
NE: What have been some positives about the move to Maine?
Dr. Franson: I really enjoyed all the trees, lakes, stone walls, maple sugaring and my wood cookstove. Maine brings a different culture and that has been good to enjoy.
NE: What are some differences you found from life in Maine vs. Idaho?
Dr. Franson: In Maine, the roads are more winding and narrow. Hiking the trails are straight up without the switchbacks. Women wear beanie hats to church. Houses are old and you rarely see new construction. It is hard to find a vet, a dentist, a mechanic or a builder because most of them are not taking new customers. There are trees everywhere you look — beech, birch, ash, maple, oak, pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, elm — and every field is trying to become a forest again. In the winter, there is a lot of ice and almost no wind. Taxes are higher. There is no place to throw away old paint or transmission fluid.
NE: Why did you choose the medical profession?
Dr. Franson: Since I was about 15, I have been compelled by the natural sciences. I am fascinated by life. The chance to combine that with hands, head and heart in the service of helpful work was the draw for me. I have never regretted my decision.
NE: How has health care changed since you first entered the medical community?
Dr. Franson: When I started, medical care was straightforward and direct without computers in the middle of the mix. Patient records were kept on paper which kept things away from hackers, insurance companies and the governments. Hospitals had film and dark rooms for developing X-rays. Some of the autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis lacked good treatments, and laparoscopic surgery was in its early stages.
NE: What are the big health threats that Americans are facing?
Dr. Franson: The cost of medical care is a huge issue that just seems to keep growing. And in many parts of the country, like here in Maine, there are big problems with access to care — it is normal here to wait six months to see a physician or to have a colonoscopy. And care is more fragmented as most primary care doctors are no longer trained in delivering babies, hospital work or procedures. The mental health effects of screens and social media on younger folks is a concern everywhere. Colon cancer is occurring at younger ages and we don’t know why. On the other hand, there are some wonderful things happening in medicine. Surgery is safer and less invasive than ever before. Stenting in legs, hearts and necks has helped a lot of people. The biologic agents are very useful with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis and some of the rheumatoid diseases. So there are many things to feel good about.
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