SMITH CENTER, Kan. – The medical team at Smith County Memorial Hospital is growing. Lindsay Rut, a physician assistant from Beloit, Kan., will be joining the team on June 3.
“We’re pleased to be adding to our team of professionals and completing our emergency department provider team,” said Allen Van Driel, CEO of the hospital. “Lindsay’s background in ER, family practice and urgent care is exactly the experience we looked for in our final provider.”
Rut’s primary duties will be providing care in the emergency department along with Perry Desbien and Jeffrey Parsons, who started in 2019. The team of three will also work in the clinic during Quick Care hours and take on other duties as needed. Desbien and Parsons have both been working in the hospital’s wound clinic on Wednesdays.
“I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the Smith County medical system,” Rut said. “I was very impressed with the providers and the teamwork approach they take to patient care, not to mention the beautiful, state-of-the-art new facility.”
With Rut’s hire, Van Driel has reached the goal of developing a team of mid-level providers to support emergency medicine at SCMH.
“More than a year ago, our medical team started the conversation about changing our ER model,” Van Driel said. “The team was aware that they could provide better care for patients in both the ER and the clinic by hiring a team to focus on emergency needs.”
This model, used in many facilities across the state, makes it easier for patients with urgent needs to be seen quickly. It also means better care for patients in the clinic because it ensures undivided attention from the providers. To make this model work at SCMH, Van Driel and the medical team knew they needed three new team members.
Desbien and Parsons were hired in the summer of 2019, and the team took their time to find a third member to join.
“As with any of our staff, we want to hire the right fit,” Van Driel said. “We have a unique group who work together extremely well. In fact, I have not had the pleasure of working with a medical team that comes together and finds common ground so easily. Anyone who joins our staff must have an interest in working in a team environment like ours.”
Rut did the majority of her training in an emergency room and specifically focused on trauma. As a skilled decision-maker with ten years of experience, she is well-suited for the role.
“Lindsay is a great fit for our team,” Van Driel said. “Even though she isn’t working shifts yet, she has already participated through phone calls and video conferencing. I’m impressed with her willingness to jump into discussions, so she’s ready to hit the ground running when she starts in June.”
For Rut’s part, she, too, is excited to get started at SCMH.
“The SCMH patient community is lucky to have the team of providers and other medical professionals, especially in a rural community,” Rut said. “I’m excited to be part of the team helping in the ER.”
Rut earned a bachelor’s degree in life sciences from Kansas State University and her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Wichita State University. She lives in Beloit with her husband and daughter, and when she finds free time enjoys traveling with family and friends.
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