Minnesota Culture

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

Hilarious story about Minnesotans and health care.....

http://www.startribune.com/389/story/441694.html

The hardest part of being a doctor in Minnesota is when I first walk into the little room and ask, "How are you?"

The patients always say, "Fine." Every time. They can't help it. I have seen patients with 103-degree fevers and shaking chills, patients who are coughing up chowder and who are dehydrated to the point of unconsciousness, and they always answer, "Oh, fine. Could be worse."

You know how it is -- as Minnesotans, we just hate to complain. Of course, people here get sick just like anywhere else. The annual cycle starts in March and April, when doctors stay busy treating typical Minnesota winter-type illnesses like sunburn, yellow fever, intestinal parasites and other tropical maladies. This is because during April the entire population empties out and heads to Cancun, Florida or, for those over 50, Arizona. It's no accident that the Mayo Clinic built satellite locations in Phoenix and Jacksonville. They aren't going to find many patients hanging around Rochester.