To prospective teammates,

I’m the medical director for OSF St. Francis Hospital located in Escanaba, Michigan. I have been a part of Sound Physicians for five years. I’m proud of the hospitalist practice we have built and welcome interest from physicians coming out of training or desiring a career change. I’d like to share more about it, specifically about our people, practice, and purpose, as you consider options:

People

• We are a closely-knit, established team of four physicians and two APPs. OSF St. Francis is a 25-bed critical access hospital. Sound Physicians is responsible for managing all hospitalized (adult) patients. We have a physician scheduled seven days each week from 7 am to 6 pm (days). A physician or an APP covers our night shifts (6 pm to 7 am). When an APP is covering nights, the daytime physician provides call backup to the APP. Additionally, an APP is scheduled M-F from 7 am to 3 pm to help with rounding, admitting, and discharging.
• Our current group is primarily Michigan-based; some providers live locally, and some commute from Marquette, MI, and the Lower Peninsula. All providers have a tie to this area with years of experience caring for patients from rural Michigan.
• Each provider is expected to participate in hospital committees and department meetings. This ensures that our hospitalist team has a voice in inpatient medicine decisions. Our hospitalist team participates in caring for nearly all hospitalized patients, and the local administration hears and appreciates our voice.
• The cost of living in the Upper Peninsula has historically been lower than the national average. With competitive compensation, this makes for an attractive area to relocate. Yoopers (natives of the region) enjoy many outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, skiing, boating, fishing, motorsports, and beautiful scenery. Winters in the Upper Peninsula are not for the faint of heart, but Escanaba tends to be geographically guarded from heavy snowfall.
• We proudly sponsor H1B and J1 visa candidates and Sound has excellent in-house visa specialists as well as our licensing and credentialing experts. All required filing fees for the visa are paid and services are covered by Sound.

Practice

• Our hospitalist team manages 17 medical acute beds and seven intermediate/ICU level beds. We do not have an onsite intensivist.
• Subspecialist support includes general surgery, cardiology, and hematology/oncology.
• There is telemedicine support for neurology, pulmonology, nephrology, and infectious diseases.
• In collaboration with Bellin Health, a diagnostic cardiac catheterization lab will be built in Spring 2024.
• For those who like to teach, we work with medical students, APPs, and residents from multiple educational institutions.
• Our hospitalist team usually meets in person or virtually every 1-3 months to discuss the practice and areas for growth/improvement.
• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, long- and short-term disability, 401k with match, paid medical malpractice and tail coverage, and annual CME allowance.

Purpose

• We put patients first. Always.
• A focus on growth and development is a key feature of Sound’s practices, where teammates can expand their careers here locally and within the broader medical group.
• We’re a community-minded team and encourage our team members who want to contribute in and out of the hospital to help make our local community thrive.

More about our community: People enjoy living in Escanaba, Michigan, for its picturesque natural surroundings, including the scenic shores of Lake Michigan, and outdoor recreational opportunities. The community also values its small-town charm, friendly atmosphere, and a strong sense of community that enhances residents’ overall quality of life.

To learn more, please get in touch with my recruiting partner, who will put you in touch with me.

Casey Deshambo, PA-C, Medical Director