Amboy doctor is a Kurt-of-all-trades

AMBOY – It could be easy to feel a bit unappreciated working in the hinterlands of rural Illinois.

That’s not a feeling Dr. Kurt Crowe is burdened by, though. Quite the opposite.

The 48-year-old GP treats all members of the family, from the cradle to the grave, out of his Amboy office – babies, who need routine immunizations; children with cuts, scrapes, and broken bones; adults, who come in for annual screenings; senior citizens with diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic illnesses.

“The people are very down-to-earth, and they seem as though they appreciate having someone [a doctor] close by … someone who is available when they need them,” Crowe said.

“I’m taking care of families. I might be taking care of one person, but everyone in the room with them is a patient, too.”

And the locals aren’t the only one who appreciate his care:

Crowe was named a 2014 Rural Physician of Excellence by the Illinois Rural Health Association.

He said at the ceremony he was “humbled and honored” to receive the award, but added that the credit should not go solely to him.

“Everyone who works for me and with me … they are just as big a part of the team as I am. They all play very important roles, and I couldn’t do what I do without them.”

Crowe, who lives in Dixon with his wife, Ruth, and their 6 children, grew up in rural northeastern Wisconsin, knew firsthand the importance of so-called country doctors, who could serve entire families, from acute illnesses to chronic diseases.

“If you can only have one doctor, then a family doctor is the jack-of-all-trades, who can handle most things,” he said. “I wanted to fill that need in small towns.”

Crowe received his undergraduate degree in biology from Northern Illinois University. He then studied at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, which houses the Rural Medical Education (RMED) program; he completed his family medicine residency there, too.

“I did all of my training in an urban area, with a lot of volume and variety. By the time I got [into regular practice], I had been able to see and do a lot of procedures.

“It trained me well for working in a small area with a wide variety but not always the volume … although rural areas are so underserved, that one doctor easily can become overwhelmed.”

Crowe practiced in Princeton for 6½ years, then joined Dixon-based KSB Medical Group in 2006; he practices primarily in Amboy, although he sees patients in Ashton, too.

“The workload [is very challenging],” he said. “Because it’s an underserved area … you tend to get pretty busy after a while. It means a lot of time away from home, a lot of trips to the hospital.

“It’s a challenge, but I am doing what I enjoy doing.”

Crowe was among the first graduates of the RMED program in 1997. He since has served on its Recruitment and Retention Committee for 15 years, and now is a faculty member in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Now, every year, Crowe takes a student from the program into his practice for a 16-week apprenticeship.

“I feel like [the program] provided me with lots of opportunities and excellent training to do what I do … and I feel that it is important to continue that tradition for future generations of rural doctors.”