From Prague to Klickitat County, new doctor aims to help others
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
Prague: 1.2 million
Seattle: 600,000
Spokane: 200,000
Goldendale: 3,700
Recently, Dr. Dagmar Crosby has been downsizing.
The Czech-born physician, who joined the medical team at the Klickitat Valley Health hospital (KVH) this month, went from the giant city of Prague - once called the “Paris of the 90s,” to rural Goldendale, a town without a three-color stoplight.
Although the move has been a transition, Crosby says it’s been a welcome one.
Born and raised in the tiny spa town of Marienske Lazne, just 15 miles from the German border, the doctor says she is a farm girl at heart.
“There are times in your life where you probably prefer one over the other,” said Crosby. “Right now I have a little girl – I’m just glad to be back in a small town,” said Crosby. “The timing is right for this.”
She made two stops before arriving in Goldendale — one in Seattle, where she worked as a Red Cross stipend volunteer, and another in Spokane, completing her residency at the Sacred Heart Hospital.
It was at the latter that she met and fell in love with her husband, Paul, who is also a doctor, and part of the reason she remained in the U.S. The couple now has a 15-month-old daughter, Maggie.
Recently, they bought a home about 10 miles outside Goldendale, on the Highway 142. Paul is considering a return to teaching medical students or perhaps commuting to Yakima.
In the meantime, Crosby is the sole breadwinner of the family.
“That’s okay because he’s a pretty good cook,” she says, grinning. “He’s taking excellent care of Maggie and me as well.”
In their spare time, they hike, ski, play tennis, and spend time with their daughter. The physician speaks Czech, German, English, and has dabbled with Russian - though she say she finds the alphabet difficult to grasp.
As for her take on the U.S. health care system, compared to Europe, she says there are pros and cons to both. The edge they have overseas is a system that insures many more people and offers greater access, she says.
The downside is patients often have fewer options.
“Most of the systems in Europe are more controlled by the government,” she says. “I wouldn’t say they are socialized medicine, per se, but there is more involvement.”
There are also often longer waits, she says, and overall the standard of care is not as high. However, she emphasizes that no country has mastered health care.
“It’s very complex,” she says. “It’s very hard for anybody to understand in detail how the system works, so people tend to simplify.”
Crosby is not completely new to Goldendale. She did a brief stint at KVH during her Spokane residency and fellow doctors have referred to her return as a “homecoming.”
She says she knew she wanted to study medicine at a young age, when her grandmother began to age. Childhood idealism, she says, helped her believe she could keep people alive longer and aid in sickness.
Little has changed since then. Crosby continues seeking avenues to help others through her work.
She has traveled extensively to places including South Africa and China, and at some point says she wants to practice medicine in countries with struggling health care.
“She’s that type of person,” says John Rohrer, KVH interim C.E.O “She’s a very hardworking, giving, selfless type [of] individual.
“We’re looking forward to working with her as long as she’s in this community, which I hope is for a long time.”
Local educator named VP of statewide board
Goldendale School District board member, Deborah Heart, has been elected vice president of the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA).
The decision was made during a vote last week at a WSSDA conference in Spokane.
Heart has been a member of the Goldendale School Board for 15 years.
She has served on the WSSDA board since 2003. Heart has been active in the organization, serving on numerous committees and task forces, and is a graduate of the WSSDA leadership training program.
Chamber to vote for new board
The deadline is closing in to vote for the open board positions for the Greater Goldendale Area Chamber of Commerce. Each member business, organization, couple or individual has a vote, which is due Dec. 3.
Running for the board are Cindy Bluemel, Len Crawford, and Ray LaFond.
In other Chamber news, the Board has made slight adjustments to its December meetings. They will now be held at Boonie’s Restaurant at 7 a.m. on Dec. 4, and Dec. 18.
All Chamber members are welcome to attend.
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