A man who grew up in Kay County has returned to work at Ponca City Medical Center as a hospitalist. Dr. Ted Kaspar was born at the Ponca City hospital in 1980. He grew up on a farm northwest of Newkirk and graduated from Blackwell High School in 1998. He received his undergraduate degree in physiology from Oklahoma State University in 2002. He earned his medical degree from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in 2006. Dr. Kaspar completed his training in June at Swedish Family Medicine Residency in Littleton, Colorado.

The hospital instituted the hospitalist program to enhance care to patients in the Ponca City community. Dr. Bruce Baugher is the medical director and is one of two hospitalists on staff. Dr. Kaspar is the other hospitalist on staff. There are also two mid-level practitioners that provide coverage. Hospitalist coverage at the hospital began August 3.

Hospitalists serve as valuable liaisons for both patients and providers. They work as a team and are available at the hospital or on call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like a primary care doctor, hospitalists are trained in general internal medicine and other specialties. Because they practice exclusively in the hospital setting, they know the hospital’s specialists and departments well, and can expedite communication and treatment with other caregivers.