As Appeared in the July 19, 2007 issue of the Dodgeville Chronicle

EMERGENCY CARE STEPS UP A NOTCH AT UPLAND HILLS HEALTH

by Jean Berns

Emergency care at Upland Hills Health has been enhanced since July 1 by a team of specialized doctors called Madison Emergency Physicians (MEP).

MEP is a group of 19 medical doctors who have specialized in emergency medicine, having spent three years training in that specific area. They are also all board certified in emergency medicine.

The MEP has staffed St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison with emergency medical physicians for about 25 years. The group of partners formed in the early 1980’s and have been the only physicians that have covered emergency services at St. Mary’s since that time.

These specialists, who work expressly in emergency care, will see patients who come into the emergency room at Upland Hills Health. Patients will be treated with the same level of knowledge and skills found in the emergency rooms in Madison and other large cities.

Three of the partners of Madison Emergency Physicians who will treat patients in the ER at Upland Hills Health are (l-r) Dr. Pete Stier, Dr. Kyle Martin and Dr. Michael Foley. They were photographed as three generations of residents who graduated from Methodist Hospital, a level one trauma center in Indianapolis, IN. Madison Emergency Physicians started providing service at Upland Hills on July 1.

“We’re very lucky as a rural hospital to have the expertise of this group of doctors,” said Jodi Cecil from Upland Hills Health Community Relations Department.

“Most rural hospitals don’t have a presence like ours in the hospital 24-7,” added Michael Foley MD, one of the MEP partners. “We will rotate in order to cover emergency service here and also at St. Mary’s, where emergency situations are more frequent and we can keep our skills up.”

“The diversity in our group is tremendous and the collaboration is really an asset,” he added. “New partners come in with knowledge from all over the country and, with our data base from St. Mary’s, we are constantly sharing expertise.”

Three area doctors who have worked in the Dodgeville ER in the past -- Dr. Aaron Dunn, Dr. Kent Kramer, and Dr. Gary Grunow -- will continue working in conjunction with the MEP.

Dr. Dunn trained at St. Mary’s Hospital and knows some of the MEP personally. As a local family practice physician, he reports feeling very comfortable with their staffing of the  emergency room.

“They are not only excellent physicians but they care about what they do and they care about their patients,” Dr. Dunn said. “Their staffing of the ER will make the Upland Hills ER stand out as one of the best in the area.”

“I see two main advantages in having them here, quality and continuity,” he continued. “They are a reputable group of board certified physicians from St. Mary’s, one of the best hospitals in the region.”

“And we will have the continuity of a consistent core of doctors for   patients to recognize and relate to. People will feel comfortable coming here for their emergency and urgent care,” he added.

The new staffing probably will not reduce the number of Med Flight transports, according to Foley, but the care before transport will be very focused and direct.

Many things will be done before med flight arrives in 20-25 minutes. For example, ultrasound is being used in the emergency room to detect potential surgical needs.

“There will be increased efficiency,”  Dr. Foley said. “I expect this to mean a huge savings in time and patient satisfaction.”

“We have the expertise in life threatening critical procedures like establishing an emergent airway,”  Dr. Foley said, “blood building up in the chest, specialized IV, toxicology, providing some sedations, or quick cardiac care. We have specialty training in all these skills.”

MEP will team with the skilled and capable ER nurses and staff serving Upland Hills Health.

The MEP are fully pediatric certified and trained in handling seizures, providing spinal taps for meningitis, and other childhood emergencies. They also do initial emergency dental work and ophthalmology.

Since MEP operates as an independent group of specialists, patients who must be transferred from Upland Hills Health’s ER can choose to go to the Madison area hospital of their preference.

Foley anticipates a good working relationship with the Dodgeville hospital’s emergency services staff and area EMT’s.

“EMTs are our eyes and ears out in the field,” Dr. Foley said. “We will provide continuing medical education and work with emergency services in the area.

“The nursing staff and administration have been outstanding here,” he added.

“I think our presence will alleviate concerns for the EMS people about whether to stay at the scene or go to the hospital,” Foley said. “They will come to the hospital confident that when Med Flight arrives, the initial therapy and care will have been provided.”

“Our goal is to have people feel very comfortable to send any patient in the area to this ER,” he said.