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Joan Kolodzik - PHCS Director of Education & EMS

Premier physician since 1989

Joan Kolodzik, MD

What were some of the factors behind your decision to become a Premier physician?

When I finished my residency in 1989, I interviewed around the Dayton area because that’s where we were living at the time. I did my homework and explored all the big groups here, and Premier seemed like the right fit.

One of Premier’s first contracts was in Marion, Ohio, and my husband was offered the Medical Director position there. We ended up in Marion for ten years, with Paul serving as Medical Director and me as one of the staff physicians. Paul earned his MBA degree, and then Premier wanted him for a corporate management and development position back in Dayton. I’ve been practicing medicine at Upper Valley Medical Center since we came back to the Dayton area in 1998, and I’m very happy there. I also serve as Director of Education for Premier. Paul and I have been with Premier since the kitchen table days, when we’d discuss what the company would become. It’s been a great experience to watch this company grow into something so impressive.

How has becoming a Premier physician impacted your career in Emergency Medicine?

I have been given a lot of professional opportunities, and the democratic group structure is attractive. Premier attracts experienced physicians because it has a history of stable and continuous growth, as well as financial stability, which is so important. A lot of groups haven’t been able to make that transition, so I can really appreciate how fortunate we are.

Having an equity ownership structure where everyone shares in the financial benefits is also appealing. Physicians reap the benefits of their own hard work. When you’re working as a shareholder with Premier, there is a lot of motivation to perform at the highest level. When a hospital contracts with Premier to provide emergency physician services, it gets a high-quality product. Hospitals can expect experienced Medical Directors and clinicians, in addition to Premier’s extensive knowledge of the ED processes.

Premier knows how valuable it is to become ingrained in the medical community, the committee structures of the hospital, and the overall communities it serves. It’s much more than a contract and a paycheck; it’s a total package — getting involved with everything that the hospital and community needs. Many of our physicians serve as Chief of Staff and are on executive committees and other standing committees within the hospital.

What do you consider Premier’s most valuable attributes?

Premier has excellent physician leadership, and each physician has a commitment to the specialty of emergency medicine. We all have independence in our decision-making and problem-solving when it comes to patient care, but we all have the same background training and educational opportunities to make sure that those decisions are consistent. I believe that medical decision-making should begin with excellent training and education, and I feel that’s an integral part of what we do. Premier physicians are well connected with the entire specialty of emergency medicine — not only in Ohio, but nationally as well. We have physicians who sit on national ACEP committees (I have served as a Counselor for national ACEP and as the President for the Ohio Chapter of ACEP 1999-2000), and we are integrated into the entire specialty across the country.

I also enjoy the family environment I work in and the professionalism of the people with whom I work. I’ve been in environments where physicians acted like they were in their own space and didn’t want to be bothered, but with Premier, I’ve always felt that there’s a healthy interchange among physicians. If a patient must be turned over, there’s a positive interchange and a prolonged discussion about that patient to ensure they will be in excellent hands and that all the information has been transferred.

What is it about Premier’s growth model that sets it apart from physician groups?

Premier’s growth model is strategic. Even though most of our contracts are in Ohio, we now have expanded to parts of West Virginia, South Carolina, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. Premier’s leadership is focused on addressing new opportunities in emergency medicine, but it isn’t willing to compromise the company’s integrity. Premier has been choosy in the markets it pursues. In fact, we’ve let contracts go because the hospitals weren’t willing to support emergency services.

Above all, Premier cares about its people, so if a hospital can’t provide a practice environment for physicians that will allow them to practice high-quality patient care, then that’s not a good contract for us. You have to be selective if you’re going to attract quality physicians. That is key to Premier’s success. Premier physicians give a lot to the company, but they’re given so much more in return.

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Premier Health Care Services, Inc.
332 Congress Park Drive
Dayton, OH 45459
800-726-3627