If our community’s confidence in our local health care were a patient, the diagnosis might be “rapidly improving.”

A few years ago, the public’s mood about health care in the Miss-Lou seemed to be at an all-time low.

Literally millions and millions of dollars were leaving our region, the experts told us all, because of either a real or perceived lack of health care options.

Overcoming the real problems will take time. Some may never go away — our rural location and relatively small population means we do not have as many specialists as we’d all like.

But the perceived problems often stem from a lack of information or information rooted in myth rather than the truth.

The truth is that our area has some excellent physicians, and all of the area hospitals are working hard to recruit more.

We need additional doctors, but when those doctors get here, we need patients willing to give them a shot.

In addition, the medical community by and large has struggled to consistently market itself to consumers.

Marketing takes repetition for most of us to notice it and absorb it.

When consumers are not consistently given a good reason to believe in a product or brand, the information gap is often filled with rumor and innuendo.

The Miss-Lou Regionalism Health Care Committee’s health fair — organized last Saturday — was a great shot in the arm for local consumers who want to start believing again that quality health care can be found right here in our own community.

Such work will heal our confidence in no time.