Dr. Charles Frankum said he is “just a physician like any other,” aside from the fact that his daily four-hour commute includes piloting himself between some of Colorado and Kansas’ most remote hospitals.
“I have patients that I’ve seen for 20 years, and we used to go to 4H auctions together and buy cows, and stuff like that … that’s just part of being a physician. You’re going to build relationships because you see people over and over again,” said Frankum.
Frankum, a surgeon whose flights can be followed online, assumed the role of pilot-doctor around 2003. Over the last 20-plus years, he has flown and worked in Eastern Colorado towns including Burlington, Springfield and Yuma, as well as a few spots in Kansas, providing care ranging from general surgery to colorectal screenings…