Dr. Newhouse to help fill void
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January 15, 2012 |
By Marcia Morman
 Chuck
Newhouse, M.D., has agreed to help for two
months with the treatment of Dr. Lucero’s
patients during this time of transition
following Ernie Lucero’s unexpected passing.
It is a time of sadness for all who knew and
worked with Dr. Lucero.
Dr. Newhouse has practiced in the medical
community of Boundary County for 11 years. He
grew up in Boundary County graduating from
Bonners Ferry High School in 1973.
He currently serves as an emergency room
physician for Boundary Community Hospital.
Dr. Newhouse will attend all of Dr. Lucero’s
patients at Dr. Lucero’s old office, 6641
Kaniksu Street.
“Some people in the community have wondered how
things will change with Dr. Lucero’s office
joining Boundary Community Clinics,” said Dr.
Newhouse. “There won’t be a change felt by his
patients. The change that is happening is that
the attending physicians will have more time
with patients by eliminating the hassles of
running an office. As time marches on, the trend
in health care is more and more paperwork.
Joining Boundary Community Clinics is a way of
releasing physicians from paperwork and giving
us the thing we value—time with our patients.
When a patient calls for an appointment, they
schedule their appointment with their primary
physician. That choice is a patient’s choice,
just as it has always been.”
Dr. Lucero is a familiar name in Boundary
County. He was a forty-year resident as well as
the personal physician to many local families.
Papers were signed and plans made by Dr. Lucero
and Boundary Community Clinics for the merging
of Dr. Lucero’s practice with the clinic. It was
to be an easy transition—not even requiring a
physical move. He would have still been
practicing in the same office space.
In an interview just days before his death, Dr.
Lucero explained his plans.
“Medicare is becoming too cumbersome to deal
with,” he said. “I was facing two choices,
neither of which I wanted. I was looking at
either having to stop seeing Medicare patients
or end my practice.
“Boundary Community Clinics really saved my
practice as far as keeping me working seeing
patients. Medicine is what I enjoy. I get a lot
of fulfillment from my work."
Dr. Lucero was looking forward to doing the
thing he enjoyed most, practicing medicine.
Boundary Community Clinics is a joint venture
between Boundary Community Hospital and Kootenai
Health.
Kootenai Health, which is known as Kootenai
Medical Center, employs the physicians,
mid-level providers and the support staff of
Boundary Community Clinics. Boundary Community
Hospital participates in the cost of operations
and provides clinic space, housekeeping and
maintenance services.
This model allows the physicians and providers
to devote their efforts to serving their
patients.
Boundary Community Clinics provides electronic
health records that soon will interface with the
hospital’s electronic health record system. This
communication between the systems will be secure
and will allow for improved patient care and
safety.
“The sole purpose of Boundary Community Clinics
is to recruit and retain qualified practicing
physicians for service to our community,” said
Craig Johnson, administrator of Boundary
Community Hospital. “This partnership will
assist in stabilizing our physicians and
providers workforce thereby improving patient
access to both local and regional physicians and
specialty physicians.”
Michael Snyder, M.D. and Amanda Horricks, P.A.
continue to serve the community at Boundary
Community Clinics. Patients schedule with the
primary physician of their choice. New patients
are welcome. Working together as a clinic
ensures that any patient who needs medical
assistance will receive it in a timely manner.
Dr. Newhouse, just like Dr. Lucero in the past,
and just as the other caregivers at Boundary
Community Clinics, has admitting privileges to
the hospital.
This is a huge factor in health care.
When a patient needs hospitalization a physician
with admitting privileges can offer a continuum
of care by treating the patient with whom he is
familiar. The patient’s medical background is
already known and understood when their
primary-care physician is the one treating them
in the hospital as well as in the clinic
setting.
Boundary Community Hospital is searching for a
full-time primary-care physician to practice at
Boundary Community Clinics.
For information about Boundary Community
Clinics, or to make an appointment, call (208)
267-2086. |
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