Farmers and ranchers put in long hours, in unpredictable conditions. From sunup to sundown, their work never stops.
Aric Cargile, a fifth-generation farmer and rancher in West Texas describes his work as “taking up one hundred percent of your time. Ensuring your animals are properly fed, watered, and taken care of is 24/7. After that, you have to tend to your crops. You can only take what nature gives you and you got to be highly adaptable, to weather, to temperatures, to the mechanics of everything.”
When your work is this demanding, access to healthcare is a necessity. But in rural areas, the closest healthcare facility may be 30, 70, or more miles away. That distance is dangerous, especially for someone like Aric, who is managing type 1 diabetes.
“If something happens out in the field,” he explains, “it takes time just to find you, let alone get you where you need to go…Timing is everything out here.”
For years, getting care meant long drives, time lost working on the ranch, and added stress. That is, until Nurse Practitioner John Hodges opened a nearby clinic.
When the mayor of Ralls approached John about opening a clinic, he saw an opportunity to bring healthcare closer to people with limited access.
"People living in rural communities deserve quality healthcare. I don't think you should have to live in a city to receive better healthcare," John said.
Access to healthcare is only part of the story. What sets John apart, in Aric’s eyes, is something harder to measure – trust and time.
John grew up in West Texas and knows the challenges rural families face. He understands the rhythm of agricultural life, the pressure of timing your work to the season, and the grit it takes to make life work.
“I have a lot of patients that will drive from Lubbock to Ralls to see me. I ask them why, when there are literally hundreds of nurse practitioners in Lubbock, but their provider only spends 5-7 minutes with them. That's just simply not enough,” John explains. “That's something that I enjoy about my practice. I can spend an hour with my patient if I want. I think that's why people come here too, because they know I'm going to treat them like family.”
Today, Ralls Family Medicine serves thousands of patients. That connection is evident in how he treats patients. He doesn’t rush appointments or treat people like numbers. He listens. He remembers. He follows up.
Farmers don't stop planting, irrigating, or harvesting when health concerns arise. For many rural families, getting care means they’re able to keep their livelihoods going. And for families like the Cargiles, it's the reason they can keep doing what they've done for generations.
"Having John here means that our operation will go as long as it can,” Aric remarked. “Hopefully into six and seven generations."
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