Dr. Susan Hepker, a general medicine internist, is joining the St. Ignace hospital staff. Patients at Mackinac Straits Hospital may see a new face next time they go in for a check-up or are in need of urgent care. Dr. Susan Hepker, a general medicine internist, is joining the St. Ignace hospital staff as a full-time physician, starting work Tuesday, September 8.

Dr. Hepker, a graduate of Oakland University and Michigan State University's school of medicine, worked at an office in Saginaw before spending the last 13 years practicing at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital in Manistique. Currently in the process of moving to St. Ignace along with her husband, Craig, and three children, she said she looks forward to her new position.

"My husband and I are looking forward to becoming part of the community," she said.

She will be employed full-time by Mackinac Straits, spending part of her time as a clinic doctor and part of her time treating patients in the acute care unit at the hospital. In Manistique, Dr. Hepker said she spent about 10% of her time working in acute care and the rest of the time in an office setting, and expects a similar mix in St. Ignace.

"It will probably be about the same," she said, "at least at first."

Living in St. Ignace will be new for Dr. Hepker, but she has already spent time in the halls of Mackinac Straits Hospital, helping to fill in there occasionally over the past three years.

She said providing the community with one more doctor could result in better quality around-theclock treatment.

"I'm hoping to increase the acuity of care in the area," Dr. Hepker said.

The hospital will now have eight permanent physicians on staff, though about 20 additional doctors work there as either visiting or independent contracting physicians.

The hospital's new hospitalist program will be in full swing near the same time Dr. Hepker starts work. This program means a team of doctors specializing in treatment of hospitalized patients will cover all acute care in the hospital, instead of clinic and family doctors.

Dr. Hepker said this would be her first opportunity to work with such a program. She will be working in acute care alongside the team of hospitalist doctors.

"I think it will work well," she said. "It's a very unique opportunity here to have the hospital back me up."

If all goes according to plan, Dr. Hepker will be moving, along with the rest of the hospital, to the new facility about six months after starting work at the old building. She said she believes it will be an improvement for staff and patients.

"It's very exciting," she said. "As things change in medicine, the facilities need to change to keep up with it."

Become a part of the community in St. Ignace and getting to know its residents and visitors is important to her both personally and professionally, Dr. Hepker said, and allows her to better treat her patients.

"It's important to know all the elements when treating a patient," she said. Knowing patients on a personal level means she is less likely to miss a key part of an illness, she said, and making those relationships is her favorite part of working as a doctor.

Saturday, August 15, her family visited downtown St. Ignace and attended the Bayside Music Festival. They enjoyed spending some time in the city that will be their new home, Dr. Hepker said.

"It seems like such a nice community," she said. "I really look forward to becoming part of it."

Dr. Hepker's daughter, Emily, will attend LaSalle High School as a senior, her son, Eric, will join the school as a sophomore, and her son, Austin, will be entering second grade at St. Ignace Elementary.