Dr. Ron Blum, 80, never expected to move to Patten, Maine. It was just supposed to be place where he picked up his mail during a 1973 road trip. But an unexpected layover led to unexpected connections, and the retired doctor is still there. Steve Osemwenkhae/Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Patten, Maine, is a former logging town in the foothills of Mount Katahdin. The closest towns with hospitals are a 35- to 40-mile drive away. Steve Osemwenkhae/Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Dr. Ron Blum practiced medicine for decades in rural Maine, and some of that time was at a clinic across the street from his house in Patten. Patients also frequently knocked on his door, looking for care when there were no other options. Steve Osemwenkhae/Federal Reserve Bank of Boston