Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Mont.
In the 1970s, if you had a medical emergency in Bigfork, you were likely in for a long wait while the ambulance crew from Kalispell made its way south. For some residents, waiting wasn't an option, and without a doctor in town, they'd head to Dr. Doug Smith's dental practice for help.
A dentist by trade, Smith also had some training in general medicine, learned in part through dental school, followed by an internship in the emergency room at Denver General Hospital. He'd patch them up as best he could, but a series of unfortunate events led Smith to wonder if he could do more.