Dr. Steadman is a board-certified, emergency-medicine-trained physician. He has worked in a number of different emergency room settings within the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as in Oklahoma and Mississippi.

I went to medical school a little later than most, having spent quite a few years working as an engineer and in executive management in the telecommunications industry. A career in medicine was something that I had wanted to pursue, but the timing for me was not right until later in my life.

I completed medical school at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. Straight out of medical school I started a residency in general surgery. I really enjoyed general surgery and worked with some fantastic residents and attending physicians, but after my first year realized that a career in emergency medicine was much more in line with my interests and family goals.

As an emergency medicine resident in Mississippi, a very underserved state, I had the opportunity to moonlight during residency. There were many communities with critical needs that were met by us moving out of our Level 1 Trauma Center and into the communities. Both the hospitals and the patients were very grateful for our willingness to go where the needs were. This experience helped me appreciate the mission of freestanding emergency centers, and I jumped at the opportunity to help Emergis ER satisfy a public need — quality emergency care, where the people live, and when they need it. My previous management experience coupled with my medical career has been invaluable in helping me navigate the business side of our industry, as well as provide quality healthcare to our patients.

One of the most rewarding aspects of working in and managing a freestanding emergency center comes from the comments of our patients. Many had less than ideal experiences at large hospital emergency departments in the past. These experiences were not due to substandard emergency care, but rather due to longer wait times and/or staff that were extremely busy and did not seem to have sufficient time to spend with patients.

Freestanding emergency centers tend to be less busy, are newer facilities, and are located in the communities where our patients live. The best compliment we get from our patients is their commitment to return for future needs and their willingness to help us build a positive reputation within the community.

Along with the rewards come challenges. For us, the biggest challenge has been in correcting public perception of freestanding emergency centers. There are those in the community who see the freestanding model as threatening to the traditional hospital emergency rooms or feel that the care is substandard. I have personally spoken to those who have written negative articles and have worked to improve the understanding of what our goals and capabilities are. We have found that if we can get a patient to come into our facility, they quickly discover our freestanding emergency center as an asset to the maintenance of their own health, as well as that of their community.

Fortunately we have an organization in TAFEC that brings the freestanding emergency center community together, so that we can share benefits and pitfalls that we have experienced to facilitate positive growth within the healthcare arena. TAFEC provides a common platform where we can evoke change within the legislative process, as well as in community perception.