Can I get an appointment with Dr. Robot?

We may be getting to the point where technology is advancing so fast, our physician’s assistant will be a robot. Just think of the advantages. Dr. Robot can be easily reprogrammed to keep pace with new medical advancements without being away from the hospital for training and retraining. Dr. Robot can perform surgery with wrist motions human counterparts are incapable of. Dr. Robot could keep appointments on Friday. Dr. Robot would not have to be away for personal reasons or vacation. Dr. Robot II could be cloned for use while maintenance is conducted on Dr. Robot I. Possibly other reasons which are not obvious could be mentioned.

What is truly amazing to me as a guest author of this column, is the way our local Ascension St. Thomas River Park Hospital is able to keep pace with the advancement of modern technology in the medical field even though we are located in a rural market. Obviously, being connected to a larger corporate umbrella is an advantage in this regard. 

Not only are we advancing with new medical equipment and knowledge of new medical advances, but also with these investments we are recruiting young doctors to our medical needs. These economies of scale, by buying through the larger purchasing departments and keeping our costs lower, are having a synergistic effect of interesting other medical personnel to our medical marketplace. Results are citizens of this region are receiving superior medical care in certain specific areas when other regions are losing their healthcare completely.

To cite a specific example, our hospital has purchased a state-of-the-art Da Vinci Xi. This equipment is armed with wristed instruments to bend and operate far beyond the abilities of the human hand. 

In addition, this technology is designed to support advanced instruments including SureForm staplers, the Vessel Sealer Extend, and the Force Bipolar grasper with DualGrip technology. Not only will the doctors using this capability be excited and increase quality control, but additional high-skilled employment will be created to maintain and calibrate the primary purchase and ancillary support pieces. 

Accordingly, recent graduates will want to exercise their talents on the latest and greatest developments.

We are very fortunate to have a quality facility in our area focused on our needs. A priority for everyone is our own individual healthcare, whether it be a splinter in a finger or heart surgery. Knowing physicians have a place to practice their skill sets is a great comfort to all in this region. 

Some neighbors drive from several miles around to obtain this medical care.

River Park Hospital tries to meet us halfway. The staff understands our economic situations are not created equally. They are constantly analyzing our market and changing to meet the needs of the populace. 

One of their tenants in their focus is as follows: “We actively seek to identify and respond to community needs, reduce disparities and ensure equitable access to care, quality and experience. We do this to improve the lives, health outcomes and environment of individuals and communities.”

An unnoticed benefit is a number of high-paying jobs which are supplied by this facility. Often we try very hard to recruit manufacturing jobs to this area for their stability, benefits and wages when our hospital does the very same thing - and has done so for years. Little do we realize this employer is probably third or fourth in terms of employment leaders for the labor market area with 350 or more people employed. 

This does not include some of the support and ancillary workers. Many career opportunities await our students. We wish to commend all of the hospital employees who dug-in and courageously tended to the sick during the COVID pandemic, whether the patient had the virus or contracted other better-known maladies.

In addition, River Park is unintentionally a manufacturing recruitment tool. Any company who is interested in manufacturing and creating jobs in this market is also interested in quality healthcare for the employees. Our community can easily check the box and make no excuses.  Already 60 doctors with 125 beds tend to our healthcare needs and this number continues to grow, because our population is growing.

We are most fortunate to call Warren County home to an Ascension St. Thomas Hospital. Thank you, River Park for taking care of all of us.

Now let’s tackle a cure for the common cold.