Page 9 - April 2016

AirTWIN & TURBINE • 7The rugged Ozark Mountain region of Arkansas and Missouri is not an easy area to serve with specialized medical care. Roads often wind through wooded hills, adding distance and hours when you have to travel between the small cities dotting the territory. Providing advanced health care in this setting is a challenge. To make the most of their time in clinical service, neurosurgeon Dr. Mark Crabtree and his associates make their rounds across the Ozark expanses to take care of patients by using a King Air 200 turboprop.Far from sparse and desolate, the scenic Ozarks have attracted a burgeoning population of newcomers in recent times, folks who have discovered the numerous lakes, easy lifestyle and mild climate. Many are retirees, stepping off the treadmill but still active and living their dream. When health care is needed, at a level beyond that of the excellent community hospitals, traveling to a bigger city, like Little Rock, Arkansas or Springfield, Missouri, is a doable, but challenging, task.APRIL 2016