Recruiting Excellence and Celebrating Our Community: A Conversation with Lisa Steele and Dr. Monica Sarawagi

In this episode of the We Are Regional West podcast, host Julie Franklin is joined by Lisa Steele, Director of Physician Recruitment, and Monica Sarawagi, MD. Julie and Lisa discuss the importance and challenges of physician recruitment, particularly in rural areas like Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and highlight the strategies used to attract and retain top provider and physician talent. They celebrate the recent successful recruitment of 23 providers in 2024, which has significantly reduced the cost of temporary locum tenens physicians. Dr. Sarawagi, who has returned to Regional West after completing a geriatric fellowship, shares her passion for serving the community and her approach to geriatric care. The episode underscores Regional West’s commitment to patient satisfaction and creating a supportive work environment for healthcare providers.

00:34 Meet Lisa Steele: Director of Physician Recruitment
00:50 The Importance of Physician Recruitment
02:06 Challenges and Strategies in Recruitment
06:35 Welcoming Dr. Monica Sarawagi
07:28 Dr. Sarawagi's Journey and Geriatric Care
10:00 Conclusion and Thank You

Transitioning to EPIC: Enhancing Patient Care at Regional West

In this episode of the Regional West podcast, host Julie Franklin is joined by Caleb Wilson, MD, to discuss the health system’s transition to Epic, a new electronic health record (EHR) system. Dr. Wilson explains the benefits of the Epic system, including improved accessibility of patient records and a more streamlined experience for providers and patients. The discussion covers the advantages of the MyChart portal for patients and the process of transitioning from the current system to EPIC. Dr. Wilson highlights the collaborative efforts with UCHealth to implement these advancements, aiming to enhance patient care and overall communication.

00:35 Meet Dr. Caleb Wilson
01:28 Understanding Electronic Health Records (EHR)
02:20 Benefits of EPIC for Providers and Patients
03:22 Transitioning to EPIC: What Patients Need to Know
05:15 Improving Patient Experience with MyChart
06:34 The Transition Process and Future Improvements
08:28 Final Thoughts and Patient Advice

Celebrating 100 Years: Innovations and Improvements at Regional West

In the inaugural episode of the We Are Regional West podcast, host Julie Franklin interviews Bradley Hertzler, MD, a surgeon at Regional West Physicians Clinic-Surgery, Vascular Diagnostics. The episode celebrates the 100th anniversary of Regional West while discussing significant changes to enhance the patient experience, such as expanding physician representation on the Board of Directors, improving communication and billing processes, and transitioning to the Epic electronic health record system. Dr. Hertzler shares his personal journey, the importance of detailed patient care, community involvement, and ongoing physician recruitment efforts to provide comprehensive healthcare services. The episode underscores a renewed commitment to serving the community with passion and dedication.

00:00 Welcome to the Regional West Podcast
00:33 Meet Dr. Bradley Hertzler
00:43 Celebrating 100 Years of Care
02:16 Improving Patient Experience
04:03 Community Engagement and Events
04:39 Enhancing Communication and Details
06:22 New Electronic Health Record: Epic
07:15 Expanding Services and Physician Recruitment
08:47 Looking Forward to the Next 100 Years
09:33 Conclusion and Future Episodes