Behind the stethoscope: A conversation with Dr. Matthew Lockwood

Dr. Lockwood (second from right) with his emergency medicine team at Samaritan Healthcare.

As the medical landscape continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly crucial to connect with healthcare professionals who are not only experts in their field but also dedicated to the health and vitality of their community. We caught up with Dr. Matthew Lockwood, Emergency Medicine Medical Director at Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake, Washington, to go behind the stethoscope and learn more about his experience with Sound, his local practice’s impact on the community, and his team that brings better to the bedside every day. 

What initially attracted you to Sound, and what keeps you here?  

Like many people in 2020, I found myself looking for work amid a pandemic. I responded to an email inquiring about joining Sound’s emergency medicine (EM) physician ambassador program. My decision to stay was easy. Never have I worked for a more provider-centric and supportive organization. It’s remarkable. I have many colleagues who have worked for other medical groups and find they are treated as another number — a small cog within a big machine that affords little regard and respect for their individual talents. The opposite is true of Sound, where I genuinely feel consistently supported by our regional and national teams. I feel like a physician rather than just a number.  

How has Sound supported your professional and leadership development?    

Sound offers routine ongoing education and engagement for medical directors and all EM staff. For example, we recently had Dr. Sergio Zanotti, Chief Medical Officer for Sound Critical Care, lead an amazing healthcare conflict-resolution seminar. Opportunities like these are the routine and demonstrate Sound’s dedication to supporting us and enriching our daily practices.      

What stands out about the team you work with at your local practice?  

Members of the emergency medicine team at Samaritan Healthcare.

Our provider and nursing team are so meaningful to our site. We all work hard to bring better to the bedside with each patient encounter. These folks – they’re not just patients. They’re our neighbors, often our friends. Our providers here embrace what it means to be community EM physicians, and I love working with them all. We’ve got a remarkably special group. 

Moreover, we’ve got a great team of nurses who receive excellent support in terms of staffing and leadership from a genuinely talented EM department director. Having this group of nurses at our side makes our job much easier and more efficient. We’re truly blessed!    

We’re also all EM residency trained and boarded. That’s huge today, where our profession is truly a specialty, and the proper training and experience are required to render the best EM care possible. We’re a diverse group; some have over a decade of experience, others have just a few years. Regardless, each provider brings something remarkable and unique to our group, and I wouldn’t change a thing. This group puts our patients first. As you can imagine, with the degree of talent and care our group musters for every shift, I’ve got the best job in the hospital.    

How does Sound help you invest in your community?    

Dr. Lockwood (left) and Clay (right), an emergency department registered nurse at Samaritan Healthcare.

Sound helps our team invest in our community by substantially supporting our day-to-day job activities. I’ll be honest: I’ve worked for some of our larger competitors, and frankly, I felt like I was treated as an expendable and readily replaceable commodity. Sound has never made me feel as such.  

Moreover, Sound’s primary focus is delivering excellent patient care. While metrics are important, the organization’s focus is always on quality care, knowing compliance with other measures will follow suit. This is consistently reflected by my regular interactions with our regional and national leadership teams, who routinely reach out to ask, “What can we do to help your team do the best they can?” I’ve never seen such excellent clinician support. Sound, in my opinion, really is the pinnacle of provider support when compared to its contemporaries. By ensuring we have the staffing and tools we need to render the best care possible, Sound invests in our community in the most crucial way.  

What aspects of living in Washington, including your experiences within the community around Samaritan Healthcare, do you enjoy most, and how have these factors influenced your decision to stay?    

I grew up in a town of 35,000 in central Kansas. For me, the size of Moses Lake’s community feels just like home. I love that we can enjoy the benefits of smaller city living while

The Gorge Amphitheater (photo courtesy of @gorgeamphitheatre on Instagram)

staying close to two major metropolitan areas (Spokane and Seattle) with drives 90 and 180 minutes away, respectively, which affords access to ample city opportunities without having to cope with the headaches that come with living in a major metropolitan area. Hiking, snow skiing, camping, world-class fishing, and boating activities abound in our region. If you enjoy concerts, you’ve got to check out The Gorge Amphitheatre. Situated on the Columbia River Gorge, this is (in my not-so-humble opinion) the most gorgeous venue on the planet.

Moreover, our community has rallied behind our local healthcare system, voting largely in support of a bond that will fund a new hospital. That’s right—we’ll get a brand-new hospital with an expanded emergency department next year! We’re truly fortunate to have these benefits, especially working in a community of this size.      

Why should someone consider joining your local practice?    

We have so much to offer here in central Washington. First, our team is a close-knit group of five full-time EM residency-trained and boarded physicians and one experienced, full-

Members of the emergency medicine team at Samaritan Healthcare.

time EM APRN. With the support of Sound and our hospital partner, our staffing model has recently been increased to include a mid-shift physician position to provide support and guidance as needed.   

The community of Moses Lake holds its own appeal. Small enough to enjoy the luxuries of no traffic and safe and quiet living. Whether you’re into quiet, small-town living, busy, active outdoor lifestyles, or engaging in big-city fun, we’ve truly got it all here in Moses Lake!  

What does Bringing Better to the Bedside mean to you?  

Great question. Our patients deserve the best emergency medical care possible. It’s our job to capitalize on our strengths, recognize and build upon those opportunities for improvement, and support our clinic and hospital-based colleagues – all to deliver top-notch EM care for the patients in our region.    

Patients should be treated exactly how we want to treat ourselves and our families. Some might think this is a lofty goal for a busy emergency department, but I must disagree. Greeting everyone in the room, sitting down to speak to the patient, providing accurate time estimates, and discussing pertinent results to ensure next-step clarity only adds 30-60 seconds to the average patient encounter. But those seconds can add a world of difference to the patient’s experience when they come to us for help. 

To learn more about Samaritan Healthcare and explore a Sound career of your own, click here.