Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center - (Page 4)

Quality Care Never Goes Out of Style Don James, D.O., an internal medicine physician at Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC), did not plan on a career in medicine. Instead, he was interested in becoming a trial lawyer or possibly a clinical psychologist. His interest in medicine could be attributed to happenstance or fate; but either way, medicine was to be Dr. James’ destiny. BY SOMER OVERSHON Don James, D.O., reﬂects on how medicine has changed over the years—and how strong core values have stayed the same When Dr. James was waiting to go to college, he sold pharmaceuticals for a national pharmaceutical company. He spoke to a doctor about meeting him regarding a potential sale, and the doctor told Dr. James he could meet—if Dr. James would accompany him to an autopsy! The experience would forever change his life. “The whole experience of the autopsy was fascinating to me,” he says. “Even though the person was dead, everything about the process was alive and vibrant. It was such a contrast.” After the autopsy, Dr. James says his love of medicine was born. He focused on internal medicine because the areas of cardiology and endoscopy speciﬁcally appealed to him, and an internal medicine path offered those avenues for him to explore. Noteworthy Learn some interesting facts about internal medicine physician Don James, D.O.: • Went to medical school at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. Don James, D.O. • Serves as senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC), a position that helps provide vision, program development, mentoring and leadership to medical staff and the community. • Was featured on the Discovery Channel’s show I Was Bitten, Episode 6, August 2009, highlighting how he successfully treated the victim of a tiger attack. • Has served as a medical malpractice consultant and trial witness in many wrongful death trials over the years, and testifies to the truth based on what happened from a medical standpoint. THE EARLY YEARS Dr. James joined PCRMC in 1975 and established the department of internal medicine. Thirty-seven years ago, the hospital was very different from the world-class facility it is today. “PCRMC really was a country hospital at that time, with only 50 to 60 beds,” he says. “The emergency department only opened up if you came to the door and rang a buzzer. A nurse would have to come down to the ED and let you in. The nurse would then check you and, depending on what needed to be done, would call a doctor to come into the hospital.” There were only two surgery rooms when Dr. James started practicing at PCRMC, two-and-a-half ED workspaces, an old wooden canopy that covered where the ambulance sat, and a three-bed intensive care unit, which had just opened the year before his arrival. Dr. James witnessed dramatic healthcare changes in his career. In pharmacology, only two or three medicines 4 Vim & Vigor · W I N TER 2 012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Auxiliary
Quality Care Never Goes Out of Style
Rapid Response
Because I Said So!
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
The Future Is Now
Everyday Hero
What Does 200 Calories Look Like?
Johnny Be Good
In the Driver’s Seat
We’ve Got Your Back
Bank on Your Health
Virtual Health
The Right Fit for Each Patient
Space-Age Science
Safe Haven
Foundation

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center