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Dublin ER doctor tackles life and work with enthusiasm

DDR. DAvID BoEHMER is a “running kind of a guy.”

The phrase doesn’t describe merely one of his preferred forms of exercise, but his whole life – including his job as head of the Emergency Department at Dublin Methodist Hospital.

While a pre-med major majoring in biology at Case Western University in Cleveland, Boehmer ran distance races -- 5,000 and 10,000 meters and steeplechase. He ran cross country to keep in shape.

As a high school junior in his hometown of Sandusky, Boehmer underwent surgery for a benign tumor in his left ankle. The experience “kind of turned me on to medicine,” he says. During college, he spent summers in Saginaw, Mich., where he trained and worked as an emergency medical technician.

The slightly-built, enthusiastic doctor has a degree from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He began his practice in Maryland, but after three years there with his young family, he wanted to return to Ohio.

Boehmer took at job with Mid-Ohio Emergency Services, the company that runs the emergency departments at Riverside Methodist and Grant hospitals, as well as at Dublin Methodist, all of which are part of the OhioHealth medical system. Initially, he practiced at the two Columbus hospitals, but he was assigned to Dublin Methodist when it opened four years ago.

It’s a busy place that sees about 95-100 patients a day – about 85 percent of them walk-ins, and the rest brought in by emergency squad, Boehmer says. It’s staffed around the clock with at least one physician and a nurse practitioner. Afternoons are busier, so another doctor and nurse practitioner may be added. “The beautiful thing is we staff to volume,” he says, so the group of eight doctors can keep up with the patient load when they’re on duty.

Sometimes they see children injured from playing sports, but Boehmer says it’s not a large number. On weekends, it’s likely a few kids may be brought in, but usually their injuries are not serious, although they may be painful, he says.

Today, in sports at all levels, concussions and concussion prevention are getting widespread attention as the long-term realities of the problem become more apparent.

“We see concussions in all (contact) sports,” not just football, Boehmer says. He tells of recently seeing a high school basketball player who suffered a concussion when he “tried to take a charge,” fell hard on his back and banged his head on the floor.

“We try to make sure it’s nothing more serious,” he says, such as cranial bleeding or brain damage. If so, “We send them to Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” which has the highest quality staff and facilities designed to treat seriously injured minors.

In an emergency room injury evaluation, time may be of the essence, but it is no problem when getting an X-ray diagnosis, Boehmer explains. The picture can be taken, digitalized and read by a radiologist in 10 minutes, he says.

Several factors contribute to low injury levels in sports, Boehmer says. Coaches for all age groups have players stretch and warm up, and they stress conditioning exercises. Training facilities at high schools, at least in Dublin, have top-notch equipment and training is thorough. Fields with scientifically designed artificial turf are forgiving.

Boehmer, 43, and his wife, Sue, have two daughters: Katie, 14, and Brooke, 12, who play volleyball or golf, both non-contact sports. Boehmer has coached both when the girls played on club teams. He stepped in because the sports are not offered in middle school and the kids needed someone.

Even quality coaching is not infallible, though. In football, “Coaches teach how to tackle with the shoulder, not the head. They’re kids and (sometimes) don’t listen and they (still) tackle with their heads,” he says.

“A lot of responsibility does fall on coaches,” Boehmer says. “Parents need to support coaches,” he says, because most are responsible and well-versed in teaching and protecting players.

Boehmer’s time is scarce. He dropped a membership at Tartan Field when he realized he was only able to golf three or four times in a year. His job requires about 15 nine-hour days a month – plus, his medical director position involves frequent meetings during his non-duty hours. It’s “a little more demanding job than a 40-hour work week” with weekend and late or overnight assignments blended in, he says.

In the little spare time he has, Boehmer runs around his Muirfield Village neighborhood or rides his bike 23-30 miles at a time. His life mainly consists of “working and watching (his) daughters grow,” but he’s hardly complaining.

“It’s different every day,” he says. “I get to meet a bunch of people from all walks of life. It’s good … It’s good.”

Duane St. Clair is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@ pubgroupltd.com.