Beverly Perdue told a story about a rural doctor at today's debate.

While speaking about her experience fighting health care disparities, the lieutenant governor shared the story of a Robeson County doctor she met recently.

Perdue said she went to Robeson County this week to present a N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund grant, part of the Eliminating Health Disparities initiative. She is chairwoman of the fund.

Dr. Robin Peace, chief medical officer for Robeson Health Care Corporation, told Perdue that she came to rural North Carolina to pay back her medical school debts, much like the doctor in the T.V. show "Northern Exposure."

"She told me that because of this little grant that she had that she was going to change the lives of her patients—16,000 patients a year," Perdue said. "She said, 'Bev, I am going to make a difference. Folks here are going to understand that diabetes is beatable in Robeson County.'"