BEATRICE – Two new family physicians will soon be serving Beatrice. Dr. Jamie Zillig-Kielian, a Lincoln native…..and Dr. Hannah Baldridge-Painter….from the North Platte area….will begin their duties at Beatrice Community Hospital Clinics in August.

BCH Senior Leader for Clinic Services, Eric Trusty says Zillig-Kielian will start August 9th with Gage County Medical Center and Baldridge-Painter with the Beatrice Family and Internal Medicine Clinic, on August 16th. "All have Nebraska ties and so we're excited about that...and that is typically, we definitely look at that Midwest tie. They just understand the culture of the communities a little bit more. We're able to retain those physicians for a longer time."

Trusty says although the hospital recruits nationally, having doctors that understand the Midwest and its lifestyle, is important.
"We can really sell that we're 35 to 40 minutes from Lincoln...hour or an hour-and-a-half to Omaha...a quick trip to Kansas City, so that's really been good marketing for these recruits. Quite honestly, in Beatrice, we have a lot to offer here too." Both new doctors earned their medical degrees at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Trusty says the hospital has also recruited a new pediatrician, who has local ties to the Odell area…Dr. Lindsey Kostal. She’ll join the BCH Women and Children’s Clinic, September 20th. "She did her medical school at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. Her residency is actually in Kansas City, but she's also fairly local to the area."

The hospital has also landed a surgeon to take over for long-time surgeon, Dr. Blake Butler, who retired June 30th, after 35 years serving the area. Dr. David Masinter is a full-time general surgeon, completing a residency in Chicago, Illinois.

"The residency program that he is in, his residency director does really push their surgeons out to more of the rural areas. So, even though he's in the Chicago area, they do spend a lot of time in the rural areas surrounding Chicago, so he really has a passion for that. The very first phone conversation I had with Dr. Masinter, I asked the question...talk to me about what your practice would look like, if you were to come to Beatrice. He was talking for about ten minutes and I'm thinking, this is exactly what we're looking for. You are explaining to me what Dr. Butler's practice was. So, that was very exciting and we're excited to have Dr. Masinter come."

Masinter will begin his duties in August, of 2022. To help cover the gap, the hospital is contracting with surgeons Dr. John Fallick and Dr. Brad Olberding with General Surgery Associates of Lincoln. BCH is also contracting with Gastroenterology Specialties of Lincoln, for services in Beatrice.

Trusty says physician recruiting is a team effort, helped greatly by young doctors in the community who know colleagues looking for positions…and helped by others in the community.