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About PEP In 1964, there was no Emergency Department as we know – and have come to expect – today. No specialty or residency in Emergency Medicine. No certification through the American Board of Emergency Medicine. No fellowships in the American College of Emergency Physicians. Quite simply, there was an Emergency Room – literally, a room! – where, if a patient happened to present, a physician of no particular medical specialty designated as “on call” would be paged. All that changed when Dixie Hospital – later Hampton General Hospital and now Sentara CarePlex Hospital – extended an offer to Dr. Forrest McCoig and Dr. Keith Wolford for an as-yet-unproven position. They would not only become the founders of Peninsula Emergency Physicians, Inc., but they would assist in the inception of the American College of Emergency Physicians towards the vision of timely, competent, and caring specialty service. As the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians was formed, Dr. McCoig became its first President. Since then, two other PEP physicians – Dr. Gil Schmidt and Dr. Andy Cole – have also served as Presidents. Further, Dr. McCoig was instrumental in the development of one of the nation’s first Emergency Medical Services programs in Hampton and was also appointed as Chair of the Governor’s EMS Advisory Board that would advance EMS throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Meanwhile, Dr. Wolford’s attention was focused on the groundwork for PEP to establish itself as an independent, fee-for-service, and democratic practice. He had the foresight to realize that hospital billing for physician care was not a long-term solution and initiated the first business office in this specialty in the state to conduct its own billing, coding, and collection operation. As such, claims continue to be filed with a multitude of government and insurance programs that enable revenues to cover expenses and generate profits. Finally, PEP’s member physicians steadfastly share equally the burdens and the benefits – in particular, the schedule and the bottom line! – of being in practice together. We appreciate and are inspired by the many years of dedication and hard work by our predecessors. Their core values, leadership, and commitment to our specialty, our hospital, and our community are maintained today. |
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