3 columbushosp.org Whole-person care in the ER Meet Kevin Montgomery, DO From an early age, Dr. Kevin Montgomery seemed destined to be a physician. He was interested in science — especially biology and the human form. His optometrist father was an important influence. “My dad was always interested in science and exposed me to it at a young age,” he said. “I think that’s why I gravitated toward that.” At around age 10, Montgomery helped his father with a patient whose glass eye had fallen out. “It was a Saturday, and I was with my dad for the day,” he said. “He had to go help a patient put the glass eye back in. The patient was really nice, and it really wasn’t hard. He just needed an extra hand.” Years later, Montgomery discovered a passion for emergency medicine. He has served in Columbus Community Hospital’s emergency department (ER) since 2022. A Bulldog on the gridiron Montgomery is from Missouri, near Lake of the Ozarks. After high school, he completed his Bachelor of Science in exercise science at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. He played football all four years of college, returning punts and kickoffs and playing as the slot receiver and running back for the school’s Division II football team, the Bulldogs. After Truman State, Montgomery earned his medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. He then completed his residency in emergency medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha in July 2022. Montgomery started working at Columbus Community Hospital that fall. A whole-person approach to care He chose emergency medicine as his specialty because he likes the variety of opportunities to help people in the ER. “You never know what’s going to come in,” he said. “You have to think on your feet quite often, and it’s fast-paced — and I enjoy that.” Emergency medicine became an established medical specialty in 1979, Montgomery noted. Training is typically completed at high-volume, high-acuity medical centers that receive a lot of very sick or injured patients. “There’s a focus on things like resuscitation, acutely ill patients and knowing how to balance and prioritize what needs to be done right in the moment to prevent things from getting worse,” Montgomery said. The ER at Columbus Community Hospital is staffed and equipped to meet a full range of needs, including rapid treatment for heart attacks. “We have the capability to see and stabilize essentially any condition that presents itself,” Montgomery said. He takes a whole-person approach to patient care, and is committed to helping his patients receive follow-up care — either with their primary care provider or another specialist — after they’re discharged from the ER. A love for the outdoors In his spare time, Montgomery enjoys hiking and boating. He’s also fond of weightlifting. “I play video games now and then as well,” he said.
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