Covenant Levelland launches hospitalist program

Covenant Health Levelland has recently launched a hospitalist program to aid in the care of patients focused solely on the hospital.

Chief Executive Officer Newman Wheeler explained that prior to the program, which was established in January, the facility historically had doctors within clinics, and they would admit patients and go seem them for treatment.

In bigger cities and major hospitals, they have started hospitalist programs which means a patient see’s a doctor who is solely responsible for incoming patients at the hospital and not the patient’s primary physician which Levelland has operated as such in the past.

Wheeler explained that there is a burden placed on the doctor that has a full clinic is having to constantly travel between buildings and offer a high level of care for each patient.

“It is a very big burden for a physician to do both in terms of taking care of patients in a clinical and hospital setting,” said Newman. “Patients are having to wait longer; nurses and staff are needing things pushed through in terms of medications and it becomes a very difficult process to run efficiently.”

Newman added that it has become more important than ever to listen to what issues there are or what may need to be changed from the staff. Since the COVID19 pandemic, Wheeler explained that turnover in physicians and other staff have become a difficult task to manage.

“With the amount of stress and burnout that the pandemic brought on, we started having discussions about what we could do to create a better experience for our physicians and our patients,” said Wheeler. “The patients deserve to have a physician that’s going to be attentive to them when they are in the hospital, not just running back and forth.” Up until this point, Wheeler explained that the physicians in place have done a great job with the system that had been in place for decades prior to the hospitalist program. With a healthy dose of optimism, the hospital management decided to implement the hospitalist program.

Moving forward with their search, Dr. Mu Ming Chen joined the staff as their first hospitalist. Dr. Chen is a graduate of the Texas Tech Health Science Medical school and also completed his fellowship in the South Plains for family practice in Plainview at the Covenant Hospital.

From there, Dr. Chen relocated south of San Antonio in Jourdanton at the Methodist Hospital Atascosa as a hospitalist. Dr. Chen served in the role for five years before reaching out and sharing his interest while Levelland was conducting their search.

Securing physicians for rural hospitals has been a challenge for any hospital. Wheeler added that it was blessing to have a quality physician in Dr. Chen reach out and inquire about the position. In a short time of having the hospitalist program, Wheeler has noticed a more streamlined process for patients and has also shortened the length of stay for those patients.

“He is very attentive to the patients and enjoys teaching, so he takes the time to explain the steps and processes for treatment,” said Wheeler. “Our patients have really enjoyed that.”

Additionally, the feedback from patient surveys have shown they enjoy Dr. Chen’s care and treatment.

“We brought in Dr. Chen and had discussions about bringing him on staff and his family supported the idea of coming back to this area,” said Wheeler. “With the program being established in January, I like to think this program is a bit of a concierge service because those who are admitted into the hospital, Dr. Chen is immediately going to take over their treatment. He is going to walk you through admission and discharge.” Wheeler added that Dr. Chen will be with those admitted patients every day and is a specialist in getting those patients back home.

“That is what he does every day. He focuses solely on the patient’s time in the hospital, so medications are on time, tests are up to speed and treatments are done in a timely manner,” explained Wheeler. “He follows every piece of that pathway for you.”

While in the clinic, physicians have dozens of patients a day and that requires a lot of attention. In the case of Dr. Chen, Wheeler explained that patients that are admitted into the hospital will allow him to take a broader look at medical records and history to address more detailed issues.

“While patients are admitted, Dr. Chen can do more diagnostic work to figure out if there are underlying issues or if medications are not correct in addressing issues,” said Wheeler.

If for someone reason a patient is not showing signs of getting better, Dr. Chen will utilize his connections with Covenant’s main hospitalist to transfer a patient.

“The beautiful thing about coming to the hospital with our hospitalist and having Lubbock as our backup is we are all on the same EMR system,” said Wheeler. “Anybody that touches the patient here or in Lubbock will we be on the same page. That has been in place since 2022.”

Wheeler explained that the goal is to treat patients in the Levelland hospital as it is an easier process for older and reoccurring patients. This also helps family members because it becomes more difficult for all parties involved when patients are transferred to larger facilities.

It was mentioned that some rural hospitals struggle with keeping staff and physicians such as Littlefield and Brownfield. Expense for rural facilities continue to be the main issue when implementing newer programs.

“It is unique for us and one of the benefits of having Dr. Chen is having him take point in doing direct admins from other facilities,” said Wheeler. “If Morton or Brownfield have a patient that needs a surgery, there have been issues in the past of Lubbock hospitals being on diversion and we cannot transfer patients. We would have to transfer them even further to San Angelo, Abilene or Amarillo. Some of these smaller facilities have had even more trouble with that. Since we have a hospitalist, we can help those patients and limit the distance they have to travel for treatment.”

Wheeler added that Levelland is in a unique position because they are only 25 minutes away from a medical center. As a rural hospital, they are within grasp of higher medical flow which helps them as a transfer center.

In terms of costs and expense, Wheeler explained that the program is sustainable due to the need being there for a hospitalist. As patients are treated, that generates revenue to cover the cost for the program.

“There is really more need for a hospitalist than we realized,” said Wheeler. “The more leadership talked about it, it has turned out that this is the gap we were missing.”

The desire to provide more investigative and intensive treatment that is catered to the patient is what ultimately led to the decision for the program. Wheeler explained that patients are having to consume a large amount of information during their stay and having someone dedicated who will follow the entire process during the patients stay will provide more peace of mind for those individuals with Dr. Chen’s arrival.

police report in 2019, an officer with the LPD responded to a residence in the 400 block of E. Jackson Street around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 regarding a welfare check.

When the officer arrived at the residence, he encountered a male individual attempting to leave the residence in a vehicle. The officer making initial contact, the man appeared to be cooperative with police.

However, as the officer attempted to approach the vehicle, the individual, who would later be identified as 36-year-old Jeremy Atchison, left the residence and drove south on Sherman Avenue. Another officer pursued Atchison, who was eventually apprehended in front of a residence in the 300 block of Pecan.

During the opening statement Tuesday, Slack focused on the discussion Jeremy had with the officers who responded to the residence. Slack explained that while Atchison had mental health concerns spanning back to 2015 and prior, he was able to hold a conversation with the officers and fully understand the difference between right and wrong at the time.

Slack explained that Atchison was still aware of who the officers were and relaying proper answers to the officers when questions arose.

Additionally, Slack told the jury that testimony would be presented outlining that at the time of the arrest, Atchison had a loaded firearm gun in his vehicle which was identified as the murder weapon used to kill Jill Atchison.

Slack also explained the jury will be presented with various pieces of evidence such as an Adderall bottle in the vehicle Atchison operated while fleeing from the LPD along with additional testimony.

After fleeing from the scene, Atchison was transported to the Hockley County Jail and charged with evading arrest. An officer returned to the residence of origin to complete the welfare check and gained entry with the assistance of a resident who opened the door.

The officer then discovered the body of Jill Atchison, 59, of Levelland inside the home. Upon finding the body, investigators with the Levelland Police Department and Texas Rangers interviewed Jeremy regarding the death of Jill Atchison.

Slack explained to the jury they will be presented with evidence regarding the lividity of the body of Jill Atchison as EMS reported upon examination, the act did not look recent at the time of discovery of the body.

It was stated that a Texas Ranger, who interviewed Jeremy the night following the events, obtained a confession and will be testifying during the trial.

Slack provided brief quotes that were taken by the Ranger during the interview.

A significant response from Jeremy during the interview concerned the shooting. When asked he had ever the shot the gun found in the vehicle, Atchison replied, “I shot my mom with that gun.”

Additionally, the Texas Ranger asked Atchison why he would do that, to which he would replied, “Because my dad didn’t.”

Slack also mentioned that Atchison recounted the circumstances that transpired between Jeremy and Jill, as well as explaining the graphic actions the jury will be informed of through evidence, testimony and those mentioned that during the interview, including that Atchison said he felt “god-like” during the events that transpired in the residence.

Police stated Jeremy was able to provide information regarding Jill’s death and was subsequently charged with capital murder. However, Slack explained that Jeremy retracted his statement the following day when the Texas Ranger would return for additional interviewing.

Slack offered more detail about the upcoming evidence and testimony expected to be shown to the jury throughout the trail and conclude by saying the state’s position for a proper verdict is guilty of capital murder.

At the time of arrest, Atchison’s bond was originally set at $250,000 for the capital murder charge but was upgraded to $1 million and $2,500 for the evading arrest charge.

A Hockley County Grand Jury indicted Atchison in October 2019 who found probable cause arrest warrant affidavit, with an officer dispatched to the residence to conduct a welfare check on a woman who had an argument with her son.

According to the affidavit, the officer was advised to tell the mother at the residence to get in contact with her daughter and let her know she was okay. As events unfolded with Atchison fleeing the home on E. Jackson Street, the officer later learned the residence that Atchison stopped at during the chase on Pecan Street was his father’s house.

Following the arrest of Atchison, a detective contacted the Texas Rangers to assist with the investigation and in interviewing Atchison. During the interview, the arrest warrant says, “it was learned that Jeremy Neil Atchison shot and killed his mother, Jill Atchison.”

Atchison told police after allegedly killing his mother, he went through her purse and took a large amount of money from it. He then left the residence and was apprehended by police at his father’s house, according to the arrest warrant.

According to the indictment, on or about Aug. 31, 2019, Atchison intentionally caused the death of Jill Atchison by shooting her and was then and there in the course of committing or attempting to commit the offense of robbery. After the reading of the indictment, Atchison pleaded not guilty to the charges by reason of insanity.

Atchison has been confined for 1,168 days while awaiting trial.