Extended family of medical specialists helps Maryland county thrive

In the 1970s, St. Mary's County in Maryland was once a place where no doctor wanted to settle. The county hospital used decades-old equipment, struggled to make payroll and had no full-time specialists. Then came Vinod K. and Ila Shah, Bombay-educated husband-and-wife doctors who were eager to open a practice in the rural area. The Shahs are a perfect example of a trend that has seen foreign-born doctors become the medical backbone of rural America.