Hospital working on recruiting, increasing capacity

MountainView Regional Medical Center is operating at “a level I’ve never seen for a hospital our size,” said MVRMC CEO Matt Conrad.

The 168-bed hospital has 200 providers with active privileges and is the highest-rated trauma center in Doña Ana county, providing “full-service medicine” and functioning at “almost a medical center level,” Conrad said.

A good example, he said, is Dr. Charles Dow, a cardiothoracic surgeon who returned to the medical staff at MVRMC in January. Dow was head of the hospital’s cardiac surgery program from its inception in 2002 until 2009, guiding it to the only five-star rating of any cardiac surgery program in New Mexico, according to MVRMC’s website. Dow was the first surgeon in the state to perform off-pump (beating heart) bypass surgery, thoracic endovascular aortic (aneurysm) repair and endovascular vein harvesting for bypass surgery, the website said.

“He’s phenomenal,” Conrad said.

Conrad became MVRMC’s interim chief executive officer in December 2020 and was named permanent CEO four months later. After guiding the hospital through COVID-19, he is now focused on recruiting outstanding medical staff, like Dow, to the hospital.

“We’re seeing people coming in from all over the place,” Conrad said. “If you can get somebody to Las Cruces, they fall in love with it.”

As a group of doctors and nurses at MVRMC prepare to retire, he said, the hospital is recruiting younger doctors and nurses – “bringing people in with families” – to serve in a wide range of programs.

“We’re doing a good job bringing in specialties,” he said.

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM), located on the New Mexico State University campus in Las Cruces, has “been very helpful” in recruitment efforts, Conrad said.

MVRMC’s four residency programs (internal medicine, osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine, orthopedic surgery and transitional year) include residents from BCOM, along with medical schools in Providence, Rhode Island, Huntington, West Virginia, New York City, India, Venezuela and other states and countries.

Dr. Ugonna Ezeh was a mechanical engineer in Nigeria before deciding to change his career. He earned a pre-med degree from Harvard and graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Ezeh applied to MVRMC’s Graduate Medical Education program for his residency.

“Las Cruces reminded me of home, and I felt comfortable here,” Ezeh told MountainView. “Add to that the deeply talented and committed physicians who trained and mentored us, and my wife and I knew this warm and welcoming community was where we wanted to be.”

Ezeh specializes in hip and knee joint replacement surgeries with MountainView Medical Group.

MVRMC has recruited providers in cardiothoracic surgery, GI, general surgery as well as bariatric, colorectal and orthopedic (total joint, sports medicine, spine, foot and ankle), surgery, family medicine and rheumatology.

Malpractice insurance

MVRMC – like hospitals across New Mexico – has lost doctors because of the cost of the high cost of medical malpractice insurance in the state, Conrad said.

Conrad said he is in regular communication with New Mexico Hospital Association President and CEO Troy Clark on the issue.

“He’s done a wonderful job” getting hospitals in the state to work more collaboratively – “getting our ducks in a row” – in dealing with malpractice insurance costs, Conrad said.

Accreditations

MVRMC accreditations include knee replacement, its primary stroke center, level III trauma center and chest pain center with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). It is designated a “baby-friendly  hospital” by the World Health Organization and UNICEF and is an accredited sleep medicine center.

Health education, Senior Amigos

In addition to educating the community about the services available at MVRMC, Conrad said he and his  staff are also focused on education: “What can you do to not be here?”

MVRMC’s Senior Amigos program is designed for people aged 50 and older “who are interested in pursuing an active lifestyle, learning about health and wellness and meeting others.”

Senior Amigos, with more than 1,000 members, has physician-led health seminars and classes that include dancing, strength and aerobic training, yoga, balance, tai chi, Zumba, Pilates and even meditation. Educational classes include financial and estate planning, Spanish, technology 101, neighborhood safety, stroke prevention and recovery, knitting and felting, Alzheimer’s and memory support, Medicare 101, downsizing and decluttering, AARP 101, painting with Q-Tips, bingo, fall prevention and fraud watch.

For information about Senior Amigos, 3948 E. Lohman Ave., suite 1, contact Program Manager Annette Morales at 575-522-0502 and Annette. Morales@mountainviewregional. com. Visit www.mountainviewregional. com/senior-amigos.

Contact

MVRMC is located at 4311 E. Lohman Ave. In addition to the main emergency room, MountainView Emergency Center is at 2811 N. Main St. Urgent care facilities are at 3485 Northrise Drive, 1455 S. Valley Drive, 540 Walton Blvd. and 2435 S. Telshor Blvd.