Thomas Wilder, M.D., has been taking his expertise on the road for several years and recently added another destination.
The general surgeon is now seeing patients at Hodgeman County Health Center in Jetmore in addition to Ness County Hospital in Ness City and Rush County Memorial Hospital in La Crosse.
Wilder Surgical Group, 3520 Lakin, is owned and operated by Central Kansas Medical Center.
While endoscopic procedures have been Dr. Wilder’s primary services in the outreach communities, he is able to do even more at Jetmore.
“They have an operating room with a full staff,” said Dr. Wilder, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. “The OR is available so we can perform out-patient procedures there.”
These procedures include tonsillectomies, gall bladder removal and hernia repair.
Tom Miller, CKMC nurse anesthetist, and a nurse travel with Wilder.
“Our team is gratified to be able to help the smaller hospitals,” Dr. Wilder said. “They don’t have to worry about coordinating everyone’s schedule. They can count on us being there every other Monday.”
Wednesdays are devoted to Ness City and La Crosse.
“In addition to the endoscopes and other out-patient procedures, we also offer consultation on other types of surgeries,” Dr. Wilder said. “And the follow-up care, which is extremely important, is given right there in their local hospitals.
“Patients say that they really appreciate this outreach service,” Dr. Wilder said. “They don’t have the inconvenience and stress associated with making a two-hour round trip. This is especially important if they are in some discomfort or if the procedure is set for early in the morning.”
The patients’ primary doctors are also grateful for the home-town service, Wilder added.
“This helps the physicians stay personally involved in their patients’ care,” Wilder said. “If patients have to go to Wichita for a procedure, doctors can lose track of what is happening on a day-to-day basis.”
The other benefit, the surgeon said, is the revenue generated by the hospitals involved in his outreach. The hospitals make money by opening up their facilities to Dr. Wilder and his team.
“This popular outreach is good for CKMC too because it speaks to our mission to provide healthcare to under-served areas,” Dr. Wilder said. “Our outreach also allows us to develop mutually supportive relationships with the other hospitals and provides them with services that otherwise may be difficult to get. And it helps increase our patient base at CKMC.”
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