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MedWatch: Outreach Care

When you’re in pain or recovering from surgery, the last thing you want to do is take long trips in the car.

That’s why Munson Medical Center started its outreach program, sending doctors to their satellite hospitals around the region to see patients closer to home.

Learn more in this week’s MedWatch report.

Linda Thompson works for Paul Oliver Benzonia Physical Therapy.

"I’m the scheduler tech. I’m usually the first person people talk to when they call in to get therapy for whatever their complaint is," says Linda.

But not so long ago, she was the one who had the complaint. 

"I’d had a series of trips and falls over the previous few years, tripping over kids, dogs, that kind of thing. It seems like I was always landing on cement, and my knee wasn’t so happy about it," explains Linda.

She decided it was time for surgery. That procedure happened at Munson Medical Center, but most pre and post-operative appointments were close to home.

It’s part of a new community outreach.

"We’re reaching out to smaller communities to still provide the same service that we’d be providing in Traverse City, still the same access to x-ray, CT scan, MRI at these facilities that we’re coming out to," says Dr. Michael Peters.

Dr. Peters is an orthopedic surgeon at Munson Medical Center, and Linda’s doctor.

He’s making the rounds to other facilities, like Paul Oliver Medical Hospital at least once a month.

"We want to keep people closer to their home. Some of these people have difficulty traveling because of their orthopedic conditions, so outreach to them makes it easier on them overall," explains Dr. Peters.

Linda couldn’t agree more.

"It’s very convenient. It’s a much needed service here in Benzie County. There’s so many people, who needs joint replacements more than the aging segment of society, and how difficult for a lot of them to make it to Traverse City. So, I personally think it’s a wonderful service to provide to the community," says Linda.

Dr. Peters says it’s nice to get out around Northern Michigan, to see all the places his patients call home.

And they seem to appreciate the service.

"I think it gives the patients a real feeling of they care about me, I don’t have to go through all the effort of going to Traverse City, they’re going to bring those services to me to make it easier for me to get the health care I need," says Linda.

To learn more about orthopedics at Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital, click .