Retiring in an underserved community

For the past 32 years I've been the only specialist in my field in the region. How can I break the news of my upcoming retirement without alarming my patients about the lack of care in the community?

You probably can't avoid alarming them, especially if the nearest specialist is so far away that it's hard-or maybe impossible in some cases-to get the treatment they need. Nevertheless, they'll have to come to terms with the situation and work with their primary care physicians to come up with a plan for how they can best have their medical needs met.

Send your practice management questions to: PMQA Editor, Medical Economics, 123 Tice Blvd., Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677-7664, or send an e-mail to mepractice@advanstar.com (please include your regular postal address).