4 Bringing health care news to your home Longtime ER physician is also chief medical officer Meet Mark Howerter, MD When he was growing up, Mark Howerter, MD, loved science fiction. He recalls browsing a bookstore at age 13, when an interesting title caught his eye. It wasn’t sci-fi, but it did change his life. “There was a doctor by the name of William Nolan who wrote several books about becoming a surgeon and the life of a surgeon,” Howerter said. “I really enjoyed the books and could visualize myself doing that.” That boy in the bookstore did become a doctor, though not a surgeon. Howerter is the chief medical officer (CMO) and emergency room director at Columbus Community Hospital. Loving the life of an ER doctor Howerter is originally from Chappell, Nebraska, and earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska– Lincoln. He thought about getting a doctorate in microbiology or entering pharmacy school, but after working a summer job in retail pharmacy, he decided to become a doctor instead. Howerter received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and completed residency training in family medicine at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in South Bend, Indiana. After five years in family medicine, Howerter transitioned to emergency medicine. He had moonlighted in an emergency room on the weekends during his residency training and found the experience to his liking. “I’ve always liked emergency medicine because of the variety and the urgency,” he said. “We deal with very sick people and extreme cases of trauma sometimes. I’ve always felt very competent and that I could connect with people in a good way when they’re in a vulnerable state.” In 2004, Howerter became CCH’s emergency department director. His approach to care is to tailor treatment to the individual, “meet people where they are” and hear their concerns. He likes to approach situations with humor, too, when appropriate. “I’ve had interesting things happen, like people with a walleye hooked to their finger and the walleye still on the hook,” he said. “Sometimes, people are a little bit embarrassed by what happened that led them to come to the emergency department, and I think disarming that situation with a little bit of humor helps,” Howerter continued. “And then there are people who are truly terrified about what’s going on, and that isn’t the time to be a jokester.” Our inaugural CMO Howerter’s other focus is administrative medicine. In 2023, he was named CCH’s first-ever CMO. There are many parts to his physician leadership role, but his main concern is ensuring that patients receive high-quality care, he said. When it’s time to recharge In his spare time, Howerter enjoys woodworking, carpentry, landscaping and taking his grandkids to Husker games. “That’s how I rejuvenate myself,” he said.
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