Everything is a little different in West Texas – from the way we talk to the way we practice emergency medicine. The pace is a bit slower and sometimes West Texans resist change. What happens in the rest of our great state is not always viewed as the best for us, but sometimes it actually is. Convincing our community of that can be difficult task, but as West Texans ourselves, our community looks to us for approval of new advances in the delivery of emergency medical care.

Gerad Troutman, MD, one of the four ER Now founders, knows this well. He has shaped and influenced EMS care in Lubbock and Amarillo for several years, both of which are now at the forefront in pre-hospital emergency care. Dr. Troutman, originally from Wichita Falls, finished his EM training at the University of Mississippi and came to Lubbock’s University Medical Center Emergency Center to practice. “Lubbock and Amarillo are incredibly isolated in the state, and it takes time for the latest greatest anything to catch on. As I became EMS Medical Director, I sought out best practices and brought many care aspects home from the rest of our nation. Simple things, such as limiting backboard use or more CPAP use were slow to catch on here, but have now made incredible emergency medical advances for the people in west Texas.”

Dr. Troutman has become a leader in emergency medicine, not only in West Texas, but also in the rest of our state. He is the secretary for the Texas College of Emergency Physicians, sits on the EMS and Trauma Committee and serves as Chair of the Young Physicians Section with the Texas Medical Association, works with the Governors EMS and Trauma Council as a committee member, and finally serves in various roles with the national American College of Emergency Physicians. “I was first introduced to the freestanding emergency center (FEC) movement from my roles within the state. I recognized how the hospitals in West Texas are crowded and such facilities could bring value to our communities.”

Along with his team, Dr. Troutman worked hard to form ER Now and develop Amarillo’s first FEC facility. ER Now has been open just under a month, and already the community and patients are big fans! They provide a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility and have created a culture of family and community within their entire health care team. They offer a new choice of emergency care for the community that is owned and operated by local physicians. West Texans have their own way of doing things, and they value those who speak their same language and share their values. At ER Now, that is what sets us apart.

ER Now – Your 24/7 Emergency Room
Gerad Troutman, MD, FACEP
Chairman

ER Now has one location open at 2101 S. Coulter, a second under construction at 5614 S. Coulter in Amarillo, TX, and one location under architectural planning in Wichita Falls, TX.