LMH: Physician Recruitment Focus

| 2015 Q2 | story by JANICE EARLY    | photos provided by LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL |

Lawrence Memorial Hospital Top 100 Hospitals 2015

Recruitment of well-qualified physicians and health care providers to serve the community’s medical needs well into the future is a primary focus of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

LMH is actively engaged in monitoring the number of physicians and advanced practitioners, which include advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs), serving the community. LMH works closely with hospital-employed and private physician practices to assist with recruiting efforts. According to industry benchmarks based on population, the community is particularly in need of primary care providers. The recruitment goal through 2017 is five additional family practice and six more internal medicine physicians.

Recently LMH expanded its commitment to the Eudora community with the addition of three new providers. Dr. Joseph Hawkins, Dr. Maribeth Orr and Nurse Practitioner Lorelei Witt joined Dr. Elizabeth Stamper at the Eudora Family Care practice. LMH and Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates also welcomed Dr. Leo Martinez, an ear, nose and throat specialist, to our community this spring. By the end of summer, two general surgeons, Dr. Jared Konie and Dr. Blake Conklin, will join Lawrence General Surgery; Dr. Martha Allen, an internist, and Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist, will join The Internal Medicine Group; and Dr. Heather Cunningham will join the LMH Oncology Center staff.

Attracting and retaining outstanding physicians is good for the community on many levels. Aside from increasing the capacity to diagnose and treat more people in a timely manner, the addition of new physicians and advanced practitioners contributes to the economic development of the community. New health care providers in our community mean the creation of more jobs as additional nursing and support staff are needed.

Joseph Hawkins, MD

Keeping health care strong at the local level is the hospital’s goal. LMH invites the community to join in welcoming these new providers, who are focused on serving the health and wellness needs of area residents:

Joseph Hawkins, MD – Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Hawkins graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and has been in family practice since 2011. He and his family come to Eudora Family Care from Marysville, where he has practiced the last four years.

Maribeth Orr, DO

Maribeth Orr, DO – A graduate of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Dr. Orr has been a board-certified family physician since 2005. She grew up in the Eudora area and most recently practiced in Shawnee and De Soto.

Lorelei Witt, APRN-BC

Lorelei Witt, APRN-BC – A board-certified family nurse practitioner, Witt completed her master’s degree in nursing at KU Medical Center in 2006. She has experience in cardiology, occupational health, wellness promotion, and family health care management of acute and chronic illnesses. She grew up and continues to live in the area.

Leo Martinez, MD

Leo Martinez, MD – Board-eligible by the American Board of Otolaryngology, Dr. Martinez diagnoses and treats all types of adult and pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders. His special interests include treating allergy and sinus disease with minimally invasive, image-guided endoscopic sinus surgery, as well as obstructive sleep surgery and general head and neck surgery. Dr. Martinez grew up in Leavenworth and completed his medical degree at KU School of Medicine in 2008, before completing a surgical internship and otolaryngology residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He is practicing at Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates in Lawrence.