Nantucket Asks, Is There a Doctor in the House? [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Millions of people remain either unemployed or out of the labor market, which means they aren't actively looking for work. The top five jobs that employers have the most difficulty filling include: skilled restaurant and trade workers, delivery and heavy truck drivers, teachers, sales representatives and secretaries.

I looked but couldn't find any mention of doctors on the list, yet at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, they're searching for physicians after another primary care doctor departed. Citing personal reasons, this is the third doctor in two years to sail away.

Everyone on Nantucket knows exactly why there's an exodus going on. The island is like something out of an idyllic story book. Nantucket has a lot of good things going for itself; however, one of the biggest problems is hiring and retaining physicians, and that's because of the limited availability and the high costs of housing. The ultra expensive real estate market on Nantucket makes it impossible for new kids on the block to buy housing.

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So what does this cultured community expect is going to happen in the quick years ahead?

Dr. Tim Lepore, Nantucket Cottage Hospital's longest-tenured primary care physician, has been outspoken on this issue because it negatively impacts the quality of health care. He was telling the island's newspaper, Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror, that along with doctors, this setback wallops attracting police, fire, and teachers. For the seasonal prices they're forced to pay for a rabbit hole, they could have a really nice place on the mainland.

In Monopoly, what happens if you run out of houses? The entire point of Monopoly, how you win the game, is to corner all the cash and force your opponents to sail far away to another land, or go broke. That's exactly what's happening. It looks like the strategists of Nantucket might want to stash away the old Monopoly game and try rolling the dice in the game of LIFE.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.