Force M.D. On the Scene
Trauma Surgeon Thompson makes impact in emergency room, and on the airwaves
by T.J. Moore
In the world of Dr. Errington Thompson, there is no such thing as a dull moment!
As a trauma surgical critical care physician at Mission Hospital, he makes his unpredictable and intense rounds in the hospital’s critical care/trauma unit and ICU ward. One minute, Thompson would treat an elderly man who fell down a fight of stairs. In the next minute, he’ll treat a gunshot victim.
As a weekend radio show host, Thompson slices through the political issues of the day with the same precision of his scalpel. His talk show, Where’s The Outrage, is described as a mixture of fresh, progressive political discussion with music and humor to sweeten the bitter pill that news can be at times.
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| Dr. Errington Thompson, critical care trauma surgeon, author, talk show host. |
From
Mission’s trauma unit to the halls of The Revolution 880 AM, it is
clear that Asheville’s busiest man is a man driven by inspiration and
purpose. These same attributes prompted Thompson to write his first
political book, “ A Letter To America: Is President Bush leading us in
the Right Direction?”
“As a physician,
I always wanted to help people.” says Thompson, “I became frustrated
with my ability to help my patients. These are patients who couldn’t
afford their medicine or supplies. They had to drop their insurance
because they just couldn’t afford it anymore. It is heart-breaking to
me to find patients who are hard-working but can’t afford meds. So, I
was hopeful that my book could elevate the debate and shine a light on
some of the problems that we face in our country.”
The need to help
people is what directed the Dallas native into the field of medicine.
For an influence, Thompson did not have to look far. “My father, who is
a General Practitioner, was a huge influence on me. We grew much closer
when I first got into medicine. We would talk about what we have seen
(in the field),” he said.
After completing
his undergraduate studies at Atlanta’s Emory University, Thompson went
on to Southwestern Medical School in Dallas where he developed the
passion for surgery.
“I got into
trauma surgery in a roundabout way,” recalls Thompson. “In medical
school, I did lab research to prove that I didn’t like surgery. I
wanted to be a general practitioner like my father, but, instead, I
loved surgery. I like working with very critically ill patients. In
trauma most of my patients were previously healthy, therefore if I can
do a few things right the majority of the patients will walk out of the
hospital and go on and have a long full life.”
In addition to
the reward of seeing a critical patient make a healthy recovery,
Thompson likes the fast-paced nature of the trauma/critical care unit.
“I’m not sure that there is a typical day. This is what is so
interesting about trauma/surgical critical care. No day is really the
same.” he says, “The patients come in within 10-40 minutes notice. The
next call could be an elderly man who fell down some stairs, or a young
lady in a motor vehicle crash. You never know what’s coming next.”
Despite the chaotic way of life in the trauma unit, there is a degree
of order for Thompson.
“On a typical
day, I round in the ICU where our sickest patients are. Once the ICU is
completed then I finish seeing patients on the wards. If the trauma
pager hasn’t gone off then I go back to the ICU and perform whatever
procedures need to be done. Surprisingly, this simple act of rounding
can take 4 – 8 hours depending on how many patients are in the hospital
and how sick they are,” he said.
Thompson says
that his industry is making new case classifications “The trauma
community is trying to change the lexicon. We don’t like the phrase
motor vehicle accident. An accident is something that can’t be avoided.
The phrase motor vehicle crash is more accurate. A motor vehicle crash
can be avoided most of the time. (Stop drinking, and driving. Stop
driving too fast. Watch the road. Don’t run the yellow lights, etc.) “
Following
medical school, Thompson spent his residency as a general surgeon at
LSU-Shreveport’s facility for trauma. While there, Thompson became
aware of the growing health disparities among minorities, an issue that
he remains extremely concerned about. “It (disparities) is a huge
problem. One problem is there are not enough physicians of color. We
have to increase the pipeline and reach kids in grade school.” he said.
In addition to
the lack of diversity in the medical field, Thompson believes that
current physicians could improve relations between them and the
patients. “Those who are already dealing with patients of color should
make a better effort in understanding that patients’ different cultures
and expectations.” he says, “There is no way that the physicians could
adequately provide health care without understanding the needs of the
minority patient. Those who believe in their doctor tend to get better
faster.”
His awareness of
and sensitivity to health care disparities is what fueled his
involvement with the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Commission to
end Health Care Disparities. Since disparities are a socioeconomic
problem as well as medical, Thompson gets to explore another passion of
his. “I have always been interested in politics. I remember arguing
with friends about politics as a very young teenager. This was back
when Nixon was in the White House,” he said.
Away from the
hospital and airwaves, Thompson enjoys sports. Since he’s from Dallas,
his favorite sport and team is no surprise at all. “I love football,
and I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan ever since I went to my first
Cowboys game in the famed Cotton Bowl,” he said.
Through his
strides in the medical field and in his numerous community projects,
Dr. Thompson does more than simply help people-He also influences and
inspires them as well, and that’s is the only way he’ll have it.
