The group of Yankton hasn’t had a full-time neurologist for 17 years.
That modified on the finish of 2024, when Avera Medical Group (AMG) Yankton efficiently recruited Neurologist William “Invoice” Andrews, M.D., to its new Avera Neurology observe in Yankton.
Andrews involves Yankton with a number of years of observe beneath his belt, having labored on the Heart for Neurosciences, Orthopedics and Backbone (CNOS) for the previous 14 years.
The Omaha native acknowledged he wished to go away the Midwest after highschool and went on to finish his undergraduate schooling at Arizona State College in Tempe, Arizona. Following that, the Midwest referred to as him dwelling and he got here again to Omaha to the College of Nebraska Medical College.
After finishing medical faculty, Andrews accomplished his residency and fellowship in neurophysiology on the College of Iowa.
Many younger medical college students aren’t certain which specialty they’re going into after they first attend medical faculty. It’s usually determined after doing rounds with a number of completely different specialties.
That wasn’t the case with Andrews. He knew he wished to be in neurology from the start.
“It was neurology that drew me to medical faculty initially,” he mentioned. “Once I was taking undergrad courses, I preferred the science side. We had been doing a module on stroke, Alzheimer’s and degenerative situations. Seeing how a lot these situations affected folks, I wished to attempt to assist. I used to be taking a look at drugs, so then I went into drugs particularly to do neurology.”
There have been different areas that the brand new medical scholar as soon as he started medical faculty, however he stayed along with his authentic intention.
“I’d by no means been uncovered to drugs in any respect earlier than,” he mentioned. “I had no household in it and never a lot data. Then, as I bought into med faculty, I did my rotation, and I mentioned, ‘Properly, I actually like ER (Emergency) drugs, I actually like inside drugs.’ I preferred all these completely different elements of it. Then, in my fourth 12 months, there have been so many selections. I simply mentioned, ‘Properly, I’m going to go together with what I got here right here for initially and it’s labored out nice.”
Andrews’ workplace is positioned on the Avera Medical Group Medical Plaza at Fox Run.
Andrews spoke with the Press & Dakotan concerning the varied neurological problems through which he specializes.
“In neurology, we’ll see strokes, epilepsy, sufferers with seizures, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and different kinds of dementia or reminiscence loss — these are in all probability the most typical issues that I’ll see,” he mentioned. “I did my fellowship in EMG (electromyography), which is a check that diagnoses completely different nerve and muscle situations. The most typical of people who we’ll be would carpal tunnel, diabetic-related neuropathies and nerve situations that we see.”
Andrews additionally makes a speciality of complications and headache reduction.
“There have been a variety of advances in power migraine reduction, in order that’s one other widespread one we see,” he mentioned. “
Coming to Yankton and Avera wasn’t a troublesome determination for the neurologist.
“The power of the well being care system was a serious cause,” Andrews mentioned. “I used to be at CNOS, and we had been a physician-owned group, and it simply felt just like the physicians didn’t have a variety of say. You’re type of dropping a few of the determination making skill in that group simply due to the general regulatory stuff.
“There are much more efficiencies by being a bigger group,” he continued. “That originally tracked me, after which the tradition of the group has been actually spectacular to me, particularly the general imaginative and prescient and mission, and the way effectively that appears to be just about throughout the whole group, everyone you discuss to.”
Andrews mentioned he was impressed with how he now will get to concentrate on his sufferers extra.
“It feels prefer it’s simpler to do what I went into drugs for — caring for the affected person, versus the conferences and stuff behind the scenes,” he mentioned. “I joked with a variety of my colleagues that after I got here right here they bought me two EMG machines to get began. That might have taken me not less than six months and 20 conferences to get that performed, wherever I used to be earlier than, regardless that I partially owned the enterprise. To this point, it’s been very refreshing to see.”
Andrews and his spouse Michelle have two teenage sons – Adam and Aaron. They are going to end their highschool careers in Sioux Metropolis the place the couple has lived for the previous 14 years. Andrews additionally has a spot in Yankton and mentioned the household is trying ahead to summer season in Yankton.
“Our youngest son was very impressed with the variety of powersports shops per capita in the neighborhood and he permitted,” joked Andrews. “When my spouse and I had been in Iowa Metropolis throughout residency, that was the primary time she had not lived in Omaha. We type of like a smaller city really feel and that’s why we selected Sioux Metropolis for some time. It was smaller than Omaha and Iowa Metropolis, however nonetheless near household.”
Andrews will share tricks to preserve and enhance cognitive health — which incorporates the flexibility to cause, study, bear in mind, plan and adapt — in addition to total mind well being at a free Wealth of Wellness studying collection at 12:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27 within the Avera Sacred Coronary heart Skilled Workplace Pavilion Amphitheatre. Refreshments might be accessible and attendees are inspired to carry a lunch.
