🩺 Country Doctor (2025) — One Man’s Fight to Heal America’s Heartland

The HBO Original documentary Country Doctor shines a deeply human light on America’s rural healthcare crisis. Directed by Emmy®-winning filmmakers Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, this intimate story follows Dr. James Graham — a small-town physician in Fairfax, Oklahoma — as he battles to keep his community’s only hospital alive. Country Doctor premieres October 28 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

🌾 “When you’re the only doctor in town, quitting isn’t an option.”

In a world where rural hospitals are fading one by one, Country Doctor becomes a haunting reminder of what’s truly at stake — not just lives, but the soul of small-town America.

Set in Fairfax, Oklahoma (population: 1,263), the film follows Dr. James Graham, a compassionate and tireless physician who has served his community for more than 40 years. As the Fairfax Community Hospital faces bankruptcy, Dr. Graham refuses to walk away. Instead, he doubles down — treating patients, comforting families, and keeping faith alive in a system that seems to have forgotten them.

“If I stop, who will they call next time their baby’s burning up with fever?”

Through his quiet resilience, the film transforms a fading town into a portrait of humanity’s endurance.

🏥 A Crisis That Cuts Deep

Since 2010, over 140 rural hospitals in America have closed their doors. For the residents of Fairfax, that statistic isn’t just a number — it’s a daily fight for survival.

Dr. Graham becomes the glue holding this fragile community together, splitting his time between the hospital, a nursing home, and three distant clinics, one of which is 60 miles away. His dedication is unshakable; he even makes house calls, treating the poor, uninsured, and forgotten.

But as the hospital falls deeper into financial ruin, a shadow of uncertainty looms. A potential buyer emerges — a “beacon of hope,” yet one tinged with doubt. The local newspaper, The Fairfax Chief, led by Joe and Carol Conner, begins to dig into the motives behind the hospital’s new owner.

The film subtly asks: When profit enters the heart of care, what happens to compassion?

🎥 Crafted with Compassion

Directed by Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, the duo behind Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life & Times of Katrina Gilbert, Country Doctor captures the quiet heroism of its subject with a cinéma vérité lens — no dramatization, no narration, just raw, honest life.

Shot over three years, the documentary immerses viewers in the intimate rhythms of rural healthcare — from emergency calls to quiet moments of prayer. The camera doesn’t just witness; it listens.

💬 Featured Participants

• Dr. James Graham — The heart of Fairfax

• Darlene Graham — His steadfast wife and moral support

• Joe and Carol Conner — Local journalists keeping truth alive

• Dr. Elizabeth Pusey, MD — Advocate for healthcare reform

• The Staff of Fairfax Community Hospital — Everyday heroes behind the scenes

🕰️ Release & Streaming

📅 Premiere Date: October 28, 2025

📺 Where to Watch: HBO & HBO Max

🕒 Runtime: 38 minutes

Produced by Mackerel Sky Films and presented by HBO Documentary Films, this short documentary promises an emotionally charged and eye-opening experience.

❤️ The Heart of Country Doctor

At its core, Country Doctor isn’t just about one man’s struggle — it’s about America’s forgotten corners, where compassion is the only medicine left.

Dr. Graham’s story reflects a universal truth: care doesn’t survive because of systems; it survives because of people. In his hands, medicine becomes both a science and an act of love.

“We don’t measure health by profit margins. We measure it by how many people we can still help.”

Through his tireless dedication, Country Doctor transforms tragedy into testimony — proof that even in the loneliest places, humanity endures.

❓ Country Doctor — FAQ

Q1: What is Country Doctor about?

The film follows Dr. James Graham, a small-town physician in Fairfax, Oklahoma, who fights to save his bankrupt hospital while serving his rural community amidst a nationwide healthcare crisis.

Q2: Who directed Country Doctor?

It’s directed by Emmy®-winning filmmakers Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, known for Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life & Times of Katrina Gilbert.

Q3: When does Country Doctor premiere?

It premieres on October 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will stream on HBO Max the same day.

Q4: What makes Country Doctor special?

Its cinéma vérité style offers a deeply human, unfiltered look into rural healthcare — showing both the struggles and the unbreakable spirit of small-town doctors.

Q5: Is Country Doctor part of a series?

No, it’s a standalone HBO Original documentary short, running approximately 38 minutes.

🩶 Final Thoughts

Country Doctor is a humble, heartfelt reminder that real heroism doesn’t wear capes — it wears stethoscopes. In a time when rural hospitals are closing and hope feels scarce, Dr. James Graham stands tall as a quiet force of compassion.

“I can’t fix the system,” he says, “but I can take care of my people.”

This isn’t just a documentary. It’s a love letter to the doctors who refuse to give up — and the communities that refuse to die.