Right at HOME Video e-Magazine September 2021 Issue

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Critical ER Care Wait Time Crucial in Emergency Response

(Pictured L-R) The team at Physicians Premier, David Holland, M.D., Regional Marketing Manager, Jennifer Meachum, R.D.N., L.D., Nurse Manager, Aaron De La Paz, R.N., and Medical Director, Zack Baum, M.D.

By Amy Morgan

he unexpected has occurred. A debilitating headache T won’t diminish. Your daughter twists her ankle on the soccer field. You’re experiencing worrying chest pains. You’ve had an accident in the yard.

Your heart sinks. Thoughts race through your mind. Is your concern worth braving the traffic and a potentially hours-long wait in a hospital emergency room, especially now that new COVID cases are crowding facilities?

There’s a better option. Drive north just 15 minutes on US Highway 281 to Physicians Premier, a free-standing emergency room located west on Highway 46 near the HEB Plus. Physicians Premier offers all the capabilities of a hospital emergency room without the wait or the crowd.

In an emergency, timing is crucial, according to Dr. Lonnie Schwirtlich, Physicians Premier founding partner, who brings 41 years of emergency medicine experience. He describes a “golden hour” — the first hour when treatment is optimized for best outcome. You don’t want to waste that time sitting in a waiting room. The location of Physicians Premier is critical and a big benefit to the Far North San Antonio community.

Last summer, Medical Director Dr. Zachary Baum, a Hill Country native who helped open the Physicians Premier Bulverde location in 2017, experienced the efficiency and efficacy of care first-hand when his son broke his arm. Dr. Baum knew “the normal waiting time in an emergency room would be a couple of hours for something like that. We were in Physicians Premier, seeing the doctor, X-rayed, splinted and out the door in under an hour,” he testified.

What constitutes an emergency?

“You have the ability to determine if you are having an emergency,” Aaron said. Dr. Baum added, “If someone’s worried, they just need a doctor who has years of training to decide what to do. I tell them they can relax, take the responsibility off their shoulders and put it on mine.”

One case of which the professionals are particularly proud occurred this summer, when they safely delivered a 22-week old baby. They were able to stabilize and transfer the extreme preemie to a NICU.

Physicians Premier is staffed by board-certified emergency room doctors, unlike many urgent care facilities. Nurses with years of emergency training immediately triage each arrival. The facility can handle any type of traumatic injury or illness, both pediatric and adult. It includes X-rays, CAT scans, a full laboratory and ultrasound.

“We’ve all worked busy hospital ER’s,” said Nurse Manager Aaron De La Paz. “Here we can look out for the interests of the patient and family. We rarely use the chairs in our waiting room.” Rather than spending time waiting, patients are seen, treated, and on their way.

Dr. Holland and Aaron De La Paz review a patient’s chart.

“If that mother had tried to make it to the city, the baby would have died.” Dr. Schwirtlich said.

Sometimes someone remains too sick to go home safely but doesn’t quite need to be admitted to a hospital.

Physicians Premier offers a 23-hour observation option. Professionals can stabilize a patient with IV antibiotics, watch labs, or control pain until they are improved enough to return home.

However, if admittance to the hospital Lonnie Schwirtlich, M.D., is necessary, starting at Physicians is the founding partner at Premier offers another advantage.

Physicians Premier.

“If we determine someone needs to be admitted, for instance, someone having a heart attack who needs to go to the cath lab, we can initiate the emergency treatments, then transfer the patient straight to the hospital that has a specialist and spot waiting. We bypass their need for another long wait, either in a hospital ER or for a specialist,” Aaron said.

Tri-Care due to the COVID emergency. “We are proud to take care of our heroes in the military,” Dr. Schwirtlich said.

He started Physicians Premier freestanding emergency rooms in Corpus Christi in 2012 after decades of experience both in emergency rooms and as medical director of the largest hospitals in Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley, where he won several awards for his expertise. He realized that despite best intentions, it was nearly impossible to minimize the volume of patients and wait times at hospital emergency rooms. That’s when Dr. Schwirtlich developed an idea for the lower-cost, higher capability freestanding emergency rooms to relieve the burden and provide better and more accessible care.

Physicians Premier allows patients to access the care they need when they need it, saving time, money, alleviating concern and allowing for a healthier patient and community. Find them at MDpremier.com.

Physicians Premier has been a good neighbor to the community.

They maintain close ties with local school athletic departments, Dr. Baum said, provided sports physicals on-site this summer, and even traveled to Smithson Valley High School to provide physicals to members of the sports teams, JROTC and band, as COVID has made regular appointments difficult.

What about cost?

The physician-owned and operated facility accepts all insurances and commits to work with the patient to make sure charges are billed appropriately with the least amount of out-of-pocket expense. They also offer a discounted self-pay rate. Physicians Premier has secured temporary authorization for Medicare and

The facility is equipped with full X-ray, CT Scan and Lab 24 hours per day.

Watch to learn more about Physicians Premier in Bulverde

SOME EMERGENCIES CAN’T WAIT. Dehydration Heat Exposure Trauma

BULVERDE’S 24 HOUR EMERGENCY ROOM

Chest Pain Abdominal Pain Athletic / Sports Injuries

WE’RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US MOST. Physician owned and operated, our independent, freestanding ERs offer exceptional care and comfort at a stressful time for you and your family.

We see all medical emergencies.

20475 Highway 46, Suite 100 Spring Branch, TX 78070 (830) 438-6911 MDPremier.com

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Senior Standout

Reagan Student Anticipates Physical Return to Classrooms

By Amy Morgan

A

ugust 16 couldn’t come fast enough for Ronald Reagan senior student Chloe Halsell. She so eagerly anticipated getting back to in-person classes for the first time in more than a year, she had her first day wardrobe picked out weeks in advance.

“I love school,” she said. “I’m super excited to introduce myself to my teachers and meet new friends. It has been hard to do it virtually.”

Interaction with favorite teachers is one of the things the Gifted and Talented student missed most during last year’s virtual classes. She remembers the fun she had when Mrs. Lamb (who’s also the sponsor for Mu Alpha Theta – the math honor society to which Chloe belongs) took her Geometry students on a math field trip to the Botanical Gardens. She also was inspired in Miss Granillo’s Biology class when they dissected a fetal pig.

“It was a little weird, but it was super interesting to see the actual anatomy of an actual living thing,” she said.

Chloe’s interest in math and science influenced her selection of Kinesiology as her future college major, with plans to become a physical therapist. She’s applied to TCU and hopes her top 7% class rank and high SAT scores will qualify her for a scholarship.

Senior Chloe Halsell excels at math and science and hopes to study Kinesiology at TCU. She is a member of the Silver Stars Dance Team at Reagan High School where she is a Senior Captain.

Last year one of Chloe’s only on-campus activities was Silver Stars Dance Team practice. This will be her third year on the team, and she has earned a Senior Captain position. The 70 girls were able to attend camp together in June, but once again, COVID cramped their style. After their new coach, Reagan alumna Alexis Bonilla, contracted the virus in July, in-person practices were put on hold. The team persevered and continued to learn routines over Zoom to prepare to perform for their debut football game August 27 against Brennan.

One of Reagan Spirit’s most important routines is called Game Day, which combines three performances and includes both the Rattlers’ fight song and The Eyes of Texas. The last time the Reagan girls performed at Nationals in March 2020 just before the shutdown, they earned a second place trophy. Chloe hopes to cap off her senior season with another trip to Disney World to compete for the blue ribbon.

“I’ve made so many friends through the organization,” she said. “It’s fun to put the hard work into it and see it pay off in competition.”

Chloe’s ready for all the in-person experiences her senior year has in store, whether in the classroom or on the field.

MEDICAL MINUTE

Linda Lara 7to7 Dental Offers Work/Life Balance for Experienced Hygienist

By Amy Morgan

T

he events of the last year caused many of us to reexamine our priorities and consider our life/work balance. That was the case for dental hygienist Linda Lara, who realized that while she loved her career, she treasured time with her children.

Rather than return to a single-dentist practice, she found 7to7 Dental & Orthodontics’ flexible schedule a good fit.

She joined the Stone Oak office at the corner of Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road a year ago. Linda enjoys how 7to7 Dental incorporates dental assistants to complete preliminary activities with the patients so hygienists maximize the time they spend performing a cleaning or treatment.

Patient education is Linda’s favorite part of her work. She considers it vital to ensure patients understand the connection between oral health and the rest of the body.

“Over accumulation of bacteria in the mouth relates to other problems in the body — heart disease, diabetes,” she said. “I love to inspire patients to create a healthy lifestyle for themselves.”

Linda, who has 18 years of dental hygiene experience under her belt, followed her sister Yvonne to attain hygiene certification from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, not far from where they grew up in the Rio Grande Valley. Linda moved to San Antonio in 2003, attracted by the opportunities for growth. After her son graduated from Reagan in 2019, the family moved to Timberwood Park.

Her 13-year-old daughter will be a freshman at the new Pieper High School, while her 9-year-old will attend elementary school right across the street.

The Laras enjoy camping together, a tradition from her family’s annual trips to Garner State Park.

They love to make s’mores, but, true to her training, she makes sure everyone brushes their teeth after the sugary treat.

Linda is gratified that 7to7 Dental gives back to the community. Just last month, they collected supplies and backpacks for Title 1 schools near the offices. 7to7 Dental has donated well over $15,000 worth of supplies in the six years of efforts.

“This is just one of the many ways 7to7 Dental gives back to the community,” said Travis DeZuba, Director of Marketing.

7to7 Dental is a local business grown in 13 years from the practice of one dentist and six staff, which now employs 240 San Antonio community members. Co-Owners Dr. Tiffany Winburn and Justin Coke live in Stone Oak with their families and are part of the community.

For many people it has been longer than 6 months.

If this is the case, we recommend you schedule a visit in our office to ensure your smile is healthy.

Designed Around Your Life 7 Days A Week!

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SENIOR MOMENT

Artistic Author Octogenarian Publishes First Novel

By Amy Morgan

O

riginal paintings cover the walls of Virginia Blakeney’s beautifully decorated apartment, befitting her venerable career as an artist. Yet art is just one aspect of this multitalented woman’s endeavors. She’s also been a model, a fashion designer, a singer and songwriter, a teacher (in addition to wife and mother), and most recently, a published author. Her historical fiction Richilene Trunk was a 30-year endeavor.

The idea for her book was birthed when she lived in Oxford, Mississippi, where her late-husband, Dr. Russell Briner, taught post-graduate accounting at the University of Mississippi. Virginia was inspired by Oxford’s resident author John Grisham who would write at a back table in Smitty’s Café, guarded fiercely by owner, Miss Louise. Virginia never met him, she said, because the locals knew to respectfully watch him work from a distance.

Virginia wove details from her own life into Richilene Trunk. She modeled characters after friends and included significant names. For example, Virginia was born in Cohay, Mississippi, which she used backward as Yahoc, a renegade character. Jackson, Mississippi’s LaFleur Bluff found its way into the book as the name of the protagonist Gilbert LaFleur. The company for which her daughter, Shavonne, worked in New York City, Richilene’s, became the title of the book itself. Proceeds from the first 100 copies benefitted Abode Hospice. Shavonne relocated to San Antonio to be closer to her mother when Dr. Briner died in 2007.

Virginia Blakeney has been an artist, model, fashion designer, singer and songwriter, teacher and most recently, a published author.

All though she was born in Mississippi, Virginia said her “daddy was a corporate gypsy,” moving the family so many times she attended 17 schools in 17 years. She fell in love with art as a little girl in Meridian, Miss., when she watched her neighbor, a commercial artist, practice his craft. By the time Virginia was a young teenager, she was already working as a commercial artist, creating fashion ads for the newspapers. She created scoreboard graphics for the Astrodome, the Auburn University’s War Eagle emblem, and advertisements for the motion picture industry. A memorable experience was “fixing” a poster portraying Jane Mansfield in Playgirl After Dark. The movie sold much better after they blacked out the bikini the actress wore in the original ad, Virginia said, with a twinkle in her eye.

While working as an art consultant for the Ford Foundation in New Orleans in 1967, she restyled the Monopoly game board. Virginia went back to school in mid-life and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Sam Houston State University at the age of 39, after which she began painting with watercolor and acrylic.

She was the first artist to have a showing at the Hemisfair Tower’s revolving restaurant and was nominated for an award celebrating the artist who had contributed most to the city’s art scene, coming in second only to San Antonio’s Symphony Director.

Virginia recently joined the Independence Hill Retirement Community. When asked to describe her new home, the author penned several descriptive paragraphs. “Talented dancers graced the floor of our DJ-led Friday night dances, and a chattering fun-filled afternoon is spent at the watermelon eating competition and tasting event. Many happy faces are evidenced at both.

“Our dining room breakfast buffet experience ranges from Eggs Benedict to quiche. A myriad of other treats are offered, including bacon, various sausages and ham, with fresh fruit and the usual hot and cold cereals.

Noon and evening bring ‘order from the menu.’ Outside vendors bring smiles along with alteration services.”

(For residents wishing to have clothes altered or mended) “Swimming, exercises, bridge — practically any diversion anyone would want is available. Like to show a skill? Volunteer!" For more information about the lifestyle offered at Independence Hill, call (210) 764-5260, or go to www.independencehill.com.

Live Life to the Fullest at Leave the housekeeping and cooking to us! You enjoy your days and new adventures in a community surrounded by people who share common interests and are available to “play” and have some fun!

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PET TIP

Disaster Preparedness

By Camp Bow Wow

F

lood, fire, freeze, tornado, or hurricane — Texas has weathered them all. You never know what’s just around the corner. Be prepared if disaster strikes and you need to leave your home. And don’t forget to make provision for your furry family member.

The first step according to ready.gov is to make a plan. If you are asked to evacuate, don’t leave your pets behind. Many public shelters and hotels don’t allow pets, so have a safe place in mind beforehand. You can develop a buddy system with neighbors, friends or relatives in case you need to leave your home or can’t care for your pet. Map out routes and call ahead so you know where you can reserve pet-friendly lodging. Ask if they’ll waive a no-pet policy in an emergency.

Microchipping your pup will help a rescuer return Fido safely should you be separated. Make sure your information is up to date and includes a back-up contact elsewhere in case your whole region is affected. Keep a picture accessible so people will know what your pup looks like and you can prove ownership.

Protect your Furry Family Member

Build an emergency kit that includes food, water and medicines. Include first aid, a backup leash, collar, ID tag and up-to-date vaccination records in a waterproof container. Many pet shelters require proof of current vaccinations before they accept a guest. You might also add grooming and sanitation items in case your pup needs cleaning, and don’t forget some favorite toys or bedding to reduce anxiety about being moved to a new location.

Stay informed of impending danger – pay attention to wireless emergency alerts. Listen to local officials about whether to evacuate or shelter in place. You can download the FEMA app and get weather alerts for the National Weather Service for up to five locations in the United States.

Your furry family member’s emotional health may be affected by the trauma of an emergency. He may be disoriented, nervous or aggressive. Make sure to check your fences and ground when you return home to discover any gaps or dangerous debris or chemicals.

With a little bit of preparation, you can rest easy knowing that all members of your family — furry and human, won’t be caught unaware if you find yourself in harm’s way.

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