“I am the site medical director with NES Health at Valley View Medical Center. My favorite perk is that I get to work with great nursing and technologist staff. We haven’t experienced “office utopia” by any means, although we seem to get along well, and the hospital staff make us doctors feel integral to the hospital team.
I stay with NES because it is a nimble contract management group that can respond to its physicians’ needs promptly and with very little bureaucratic hassle. Although there have been many changes in personnel lately, the support we receive from NES nonclinical staff responds quickly and with a level of transparency that’s not found in larger CMGs.
The favorite part of my job is doing the things that we do best in emergency medicine. Some folks say EMDs are ‘jack of all trades.’ The reality is that we are experts in resuscitation, experts at the initial treatment and reversal of most life-saving conditions. We know more about toxicology that most other specialties, we can shift focus and constantly triage (if we have our dedicated teammates around us). We see more abdominal pain than any General Surgeon, we treat more chest pain that cardiologists and we can literally take our skills just about anywhere, in the woods, on a plane, sporting event.
Every Emergency Physician should be able to perform Emergency Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). We don’t all need to be as proficient as fellowship trained; but as it is the stethoscope of the 21st century it is a must-have skill. The impact of Ultrasound improves Patient Experience, Quality Care, Lowers Cost, increases ED Staff happiness. Happy Doctors and Happy Nurses make happy patients.”, said Dr. Robert Lueken.
Dr. Robert Lueken is the founder of North American Emergency Medicine Consultants, a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Physician with over 15 years of experience. He has served as Clinical Faculty with VIGILINT since 2016. For the last 6 years, Mohave County, Northwest Arizona serving NES and Valley View Medical Center as the Chief of Staff, Site Medical Director for the EMD and four EMS Departments.
Dr. Lueken completed his undergraduate education in Biology and Chemistry at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA in. His medical education was completed at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Internship and subsequent Graduate Medical Education at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA.
Originally from Mid-Michigan Dr. Lueken served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years. He successfully completed his military career as a Hospital Corpsman, Advanced Laboratory Technician, UDT/SEAL, Special Operations Medical Technician, Special Operations Medic, Undersea Hyperbaric Medical Officer, and Emergency Physician with staff tours at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and Naval Hospital Okinawa.
He completed multiple deployments to South and Central America and combat deployments with Joint Task Forces in support of the Global War on Terror. His final tour of duty in the Navy was as the officer in charge of a Marine Corps Shock Trauma Platoon in Afghanistan where his team employed a state-of-the-art Mobile Trauma Bay to treat combat casualties.
Dr. Lueken participates in professional organizations including the American College of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, holds the title of Sir Knight with the Knights of Columbus. He supports and participates in fundraising for charities including the EOD Warrior Foundation, Tyler Community College Foundation, the Smith County Behavioral Health Leadership Team, and SEAL Legacy Foundation.
He enjoys family time and those connections that serve as his baseline to humanity while not at work. Avocations include song writing, playing guitar, golf, hiking, kayaking and he has maintained and active lifestyle with varied seasonal outdoor interests preferably in warm climates.
Dr. Lueken is a dedicated professional with a record of sustained superior performance who thrives in environments where non-linear solutions are required and always welcomes “another chance to excel.”
