Just a year ago, 29-year-old Krista Scott couldn’t hold down a job
and most days she could hardly get out of bed. Suffering from a rare degenerative
kidney disease since she was 9 years old, she was close to kidney failure
and facing the possibility of going on dialysis.
When
Dr. Robert Neuwirth, who specializes in internal medicine and nephrology, joined the team
at Campbell County Medical Group in 2006, Krista was one of his earliest
patients. For years, Dr. Neuwirth has been monitoring Krista’s kidney
function and relaying to her the various options.
“Dr. Neuwirth just watched it really close,” Krista said. “He’s
been a huge part of my life for so long. He’s always taken really
good care of me.”
Three years ago, he told her it was time to get on a waiting list for a
kidney transplant. And earlier this year, he said it was time for either
a transplant or to go on
dialysis.
“In May he said I needed to have a transplant by July or I would
have to go on dialysis,” Krista said. “He let me know what
to expect. He’s referred me to everyone he thought would be best.”
For Dr. Neuwirth empowering patients to control their own medical care
is an important part of his job. With Krista, he educated her about her
disease and together they worked hard to keep her kidneys functioning
for as long as possible and make the move to a transplant at just the
right time.
“I’m a big believer in patients controlling their medical issues,”
Dr. Neuwirth said. “You give patients the information and allow
them to make the best decision for themselves.”
For Dr. Neuwirth, it was important to educate Krista about her illness
and all that she was facing. Ultimately, it would be up to her to decide
how she would move forward with her treatment plan.
“She’s an educated patient who over time learned a lot about
her own disease and how to treat it,” Dr. Neuwirth said. “We
worked together to maintain her health.”
Fortunately for Krista, her sister was identified as a donor match. On
June 30, the sisters underwent surgery at the
University of Colorado Hospital. With a successful surgery behind her, Krista has since returned to Gillette.
She has had an extensive follow-up schedule with Dr. Neuwirth who coordinates
with University of Colorado doctors on her health care.
“He is amazing,” Krista said. “He cares and he listens.
He’s not one of those doctors that pushes you out the door.”
As in Krista’s case, Dr. Neuwirth not only handled the details of
her kidney problems, but also is her go-to doctor when she had a cold,
flu or other illness. Dr. Neuwirth is in the process of building out his
practice with the addition of by nurse practitioners
Amy Hawk and
Anne Jones. Both with doctorate degrees in nursing, they will work with Dr. Neuwirth
to build a team approach to medicine.
“We want to develop a medical home for our patients,” Dr. Neuwirth
said. “Health care is typically quite fragmented. We want to change
that. It should be a continuum of care.”
For Krista, the transplant has been lifechanging. Unable to have a job
before, she now has two jobs and has been able to lead a fuller life.
“I have all this energy now,” Krista said. “It was a
huge blessing and I’m super thankful.”
Dr. Robert Neuwirth is an internal medicine doctor and kidney specialist at Campbell County
Medical Group
Nephrology and Complex Medicine. The Clinic just added two new providers, nurse practitioners
Amy Hawk and
Anne Jones, and is accepting new adult patients for internal medicine care. The clinic
is based on a medical home model, which seeks to meet many different healthcare
needs for their patients, from acute illness to routine immunizations.
Call CCMG Nephrology and Complex Medicine today at 307.688.3535. The Clinic
is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm, and same day appointments can be
scheduled. Learn more at
www.cchwyo.org/kidney.
Article written by Kim Phagan-Hansel, Wyoming freelance writer