Taking a trip to the emergency room does not usually top the list of places people want to visit. However, Texas County Memorial Hospital has been working diligently to improve patient care and the overall experience for patients and their families when a trip to the emergency department is necessary.
The hospital wants the amount of time patients spend in the emergency department to be minimal and the care coordination from that department to be smooth, regardless of whether or not the patients are discharged, admitted or transferred to a larger facility.
TCMH just took a big step toward improving patient care and the overall patient experience in the emergency department. Effective Sept. 17, TCMH has partnered with Triad Physician Solutions to provide physician coverage for the emergency department.
While TCMH still employs a few of their own physicians who work in the emergency department, most of the physicians who will be covering the emergency department are employed by Triad Physician Solutions.
“Triad is a physician-owned group that seeks to build partnerships with physicians and hospitals to provide the highest quality care for the communities that we serve,” Jeff Willis, MD, MHA, Triad chief executive officer, said.
Even though Triad was formed in early 2018, the three physicians that started the group all have decades of experience in emergency medicine from working in many different areas of the country.
These three physicians are board-certified in emergency medicine and have experiences in educational settings, military settings and in level I trauma centers.
“We work in other locations and are bringing the knowledge we gain there to the other locations that we serve, including TCMH,” Willis said. “We want to provide the highest level of clinical care with great physicians and state of the art practices.
“I want to bring my master’s level education with my medical education to help drive improvement. It’s my passion; it’s what I love and I think this is the perfect place for it. Even though this is a rural setting, which can be challenging sometimes, we want to match the physician and the processes with the needs of the community.”
Willis said the facilities of TCMH are beautiful and advanced, especially when compared to other rural hospitals. He mentioned that having those things already in place will help them reach their goals that they have established as a group with leaders of TCMH.
“I feel a real sense of community at TCMH; I think you miss that at some of the larger hospitals,” said Jon Etheridge, MD, Triad chief operations officer. “Everyone who works at TCMH is genuinely here to serve others.”
Willis said Triad’s three big goals for TCMH are simple: to provide clinical, service and operational excellence.
Triad hopes to provide excellent service through improvements in the operations of the emergency department, cutting down on patient wait times and ensuring patients are receiving the right care effectively and efficiently.
“From the first day that Dr. Willis was here, I was pleasantly surprised,” said Jerri Sue Crump, emergency department director. “He likes to meet and greet patients and wants to make a more personal impact with them.”
Crump said Willis tries to see people very quickly as they arrive, sometimes in the triage room.
“Don’t be surprised if Dr. Willis sends you home before you have made it from the triage room to a regular emergency department room. He really wants to see patients immediately and get them in and out as soon as possible,” Crump said. “I’m excited. They are very invested in patient care; it’s not just dollar signs for them. They are here to make people feel comfortable and get them the care they need, as quickly as they can.”
Willis said they are hiring physicians who want to be engaged with the community and the hospital, not just punch the clock.
“We want the physicians to partner with the hospital and make them a part of this community,” Willis said.
Willis mentioned that the emergency department is the face of the hospital and explained that he values the opportunity to provide coverage for the department.
“Wes and the team are dedicating themselves to improving the emergency department and they’re making it a top priority for the hospital,” Willis said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be trusted with something so important.”
Willis and Etheridge stressed the importance of partnership and hope the community will go out of their way to make the new faces in the emergency department feel welcomed when they spend time working in Houston.
“This is not just a ‘different group’ coming in and providing physicians,” Willis said. “We are partnering with TCMH to provide leadership and guidance for the emergency department, and it means so much to us.”
“Our hope is that we can make this is a long lasting partnership that will benefit the patients of TCMH for years to come,” Etheridge said.
For further information or any questions regarding Triad Physician Solutions, contact Texas County Memorial Hospital at 417-967-3311.