By NICOLE GUGINO
OBSERVER Assistant News Editor
Brooks Memorial Hospital will soon see some changes in its emergency department.
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In the past the emergency department was managed by FDR Medical Services, however the company decided to end its contract with Brooks.
"FDR Medical Services has notified Brooks Memorial Hospital that they accepted a contract to provide services in Buffalo and will no longer be responsible for the supervision or staffing of the facility's department as of October 29," Scott Butler, vice president for marketing and community relations, said in a recent statement.
Some community members have voiced concerns about the change in the staff, but Brooks has already contracted with another company so there will be no gap in services provided.
"On that date, Professional Emergency Services (PES) under the leadership of CEO Dr. Mark Pundt, MD and Medical Director Dr. David Janicke, MD, PhD will assume responsibility for the management of the emergency department," Butler continued.
PES is familiar with the Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York (LERSNY) because it also manages Lake Shore Hospital and Gowanda Urgent Care.
"PES has also assumed responsibility for the medical oversight and management of physician services at Lake Shore Health Care Center's emergency department in Irving as well as the Physician Assistants at Gowanda Urgent Care," Butler explained.
Butler added both doctors come with a wealth of experience that they will now bring to Brooks emergency department.
"In addition to their responsibilities through Lake Erie Regional Health System, PES also currently staffs the Gates Vascular Institute and DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Dr. Pundt also operates the MASH Urgent Care centers in the Buffalo area, formerly known as MedFirst Urgent Care. Both men bring a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to LERHSNY and have demonstrated long-standing commitments to practicing Emergency Medicine throughout the Western New York region including teaching experience with SUNY at Buffalo's Department of Emergency Medicine," he said.
LERHSNY President and CEO Jonathan I. Lawrence, in a statement, also said he is pleased with the new arrangement.
"We are very pleased to be welcoming the PES team to Brooks Memorial Hospital. Dr. Janicke's clinical skill and experience has been evident since his recent appointment as our Director of Emergency Medicine at Lake Shore Health Care Center. Lake Erie Regional Health System and our community are very fortunate to have the benefit of Dr. Janicke's commitment to quality and patient satisfaction. We are proud to have the benefit of the resources of the entire PES organization in our efforts to provide the highest quality of care and service to our patients," he said.
Brooks Memorial Hospital emergency department is classified as a Level II Emergency Service and provides round-the-clock medical care to. It also serves as a "Stroke Spoke" through emergency stroke telemedicine services linked to the Gates Vascular Institute at the Buffalo General Medical Center. The Brooks emergency department is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians, registered nurses and allied health care professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For more information and non-emergency related questions about the Brooks emergency department, contact the clinical nurse manager at (716) 363-7297.
