QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS for RFP-25-PHX-12 ED WRSU.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS for RFP-25-PHX-12: ED and Prime Care Physicians at Whiteriver Service

Unit:

Question 1) Can you tell more about the ER, are there other practitioners there?

ANSWER: We have 14 ER physicians. 12 of them are board certified/board eligible in Emergency

Medicine. The other 2 have > 10 years of experience in Emergency Medicine. We also have 4 ER physician assistants whose experience ranges from 2-15 years. We have robust staffing coverage of the Emergency Department - 48 physician hours, 24 physician assistant hours per day given our higher volumes and acuity. We have a single physician vacancy at the moment.

Two of our physicians and one of our physician assistants are board certified and/or educated in addiction medicine and staff the Bridge Clinic, a primary care clinic tailored to patients struggling with substance use disorders. Our Emergency Department is the only site in the Indian Health service to employ Substance Use Navigators, whose task is to screen and engage with patients with substance use disorders.

We work with an extensive medical staff that covers the inpatient ward, family medicine, obstetrics, orthopedics, podiatry, psychiatry, pediatrics, public health and general surgery.

We are supported by a robust radiology department offering 24/7 access to Xray and CT. We have ultrasound and MRI access M-F 7am-5pm.

Question 2) How big is the facility?

ANSWER: The Emergency Department has 14 dedicated rooms and 8 chairs. The hospital has a 20 bed medical-surgical floor. There is no ICU.

Question 3) How is trauma and pediatrics managed?

ANSWER: We are a Level IV trauma center - and are the only certified trauma center in the Indian

Health Service system. We have dedicated physician and nurse trauma coordinators, metrics are tracked regularly, and we work closely with our EMS and state partners. Resources (blood, radiology, transfer coordinators) are brought to the bedside expeditiously to facilitate complex trauma management.

We are a pediatric ready center, and have a dedicated nurse and physician lead in the area of pediatric readiness. We are a model rural program in this regard as judged by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Pediatric Readiness program, who set national standards for rural service and received a national award for our hospitals. Our site is the model Emergency Department for pediatric readiness in the Indian Health work.

Question 4) Volume of the ER?

ANSWER: 40,000 patients/year. Acuity breakdown is 60% ESI level 1-3 and 40% ESI level 4-

5. Pediatric volume is ~25%. Admission/transfer rate is 10%.

Question 5) Do you know if there is onsite Govt housing for ER docs there?

ANSWER: Yes, there is. There is housing for locums contractors.

Question 6) Number of inpatient beds?

ANSWER: 20 beds.

Question 7) What specialties are available?

ANSWER: General surgery, orthopedics, podiatry, psychiatry, behavioral health crisis team, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics, public health.

Question 8) Transfer rates?

ANSWER: 5%

Question 9) Is there housing on site or nearby hotels

ANSWER: Hospital housing for locums onsite, also nearby hotels within 30 minutes in Pinetop, AZ.

END OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS