A doctor's guide to the ER

• Schwindt

Dr. Mitchel Schwindt

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Dickinson native Dr. Mitchel Schwindt draws on his experiences as an emergency medicine physician to write a book titled “An ER Doctor’s Guide to Urgent Care and the Emergency Room.”

“The gist of the book is to help people advocate for themselves related to their health care and save both time and money,” he said.

Throughout his years of practice at Bemidji, Minn., and the Twin Cities, he has treated people with problems that weren’t emergency-related.

“Through working in the ER in a large metropolitan area, I see kids with pinkeye and simple ear infections,” he said. “We spend $1.2 billion on sore throats in this country.”

The book is divided into chapters based on common reasons people seek help at an urgent care clinic or the ER. He responds to the questions, “What tests are needed, or not needed, and why?”

Physicians have the choice to order a prescription for apparent strep throat or they can order a battery of tests costing hundreds of dollars. The consumer has a voice in making that decision, he said.

“In reality, you have the ability to partner with your physician,” he said. “Most people have more control with simple health care problems than they realize.”

The book also guides parents in making the decision to bring their child to a clinic rather than the ER to avoid further expenses, he said.

Schwindt is the son of DuWayne and Bernie Schwindt and a 1989 graduate of Dickinson High School.

He credits former Hagen Junior High science teacher Bill Andrus for sparking his interest in medicine.

“He pulled out a skeleton from the corner of his room and talked about bones — I thought that was cool,” he said.

Schwindt attended Dickinson State University for 21/2 years before transferring to the University of North Dakota. He graduated from UND School of Medicine and several months doing clinical rotations at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson. He went on to study emergency medicine in Michigan.

“I wanted to be able to take care of anything that landed at my doorstep,” he said.

Schwindt documents his ER experiences with references in back of the book.

“It’s written in easy-to-understand language — it’s not a medical reference,” he said.

Steve DeLap, a financial advisor at Bismarck and a former Dickinson resident, described the book as an excellent resource that everyone should own.

“Dr. Schwindt provides a wealth of information that is easy to understanding and if followed can save an individual or family both time and money,” he said. “The book gives you real-life situations, showing examples of patients who have made poor decisions that cost them time, money and in some cases their long-term health. It then gives examples of patients who have made proper choices.”

The 140-page book was released July 15 by Sunrise River Press. It’s available in electronic form from sunris

eriverpress.com or through Amazon.com.

Tags: lifestyle, dickinson, schwindt, local