Dr. Gene Ogrod has his first recruiting class.

Since arriving in Casper last August, he said he has taken a more aggressive approach to recruiting than seen before and his team has been more organized.

At least 22 new physician players will start in Casper over the next year. The Wyoming Medical Center chief medical officer said he would not have been able to recruit this many doctors without hospital administrators, existing doctors and the community.

A big difference in this year's physician recruitment, he said, was the Natrona County School District, elected officials, churches and other community organizations became more involved with the lengthy process.

"We've done a pretty darn good job," said Ogrod, who spends more than 20 percent of his job recruiting physicians. "I am competing in a national market. I'm fighting with New York for doctors. It's not just with Cheyenne down the road."

Some might say the hospital had more success recruiting this year because many hospitals stopped hiring doctors because of the economy, but Ogrod said the hospital simply put more effort into it.

WMC officials say they've spent about $11 million in physician recruitment over the past five years. The amount includes establishing Sage Medical Group for primary care physicians, creating a hospitalist program and financing direct recruitment costs.

The hospital assists interested physicians by repaying education loans and relocation expenses, offering sign-on bonuses, and assisting with start-up costs, Ogrod said.

Commissioner Terry Wingerter asked hospital officials at Tuesday's joint meeting with the WMC board and the county commission whether another neurosurgeon was needed given the two at the hospital and three across town at Mountain View Regional Hospital. CEO Vickie Diamond responded that the new doctor will assist in the emergency room.

About 50 percent of the new doctors will be employed by the hospital and the others will join established practices or start their own.

Recruiting physicians to Casper can be difficult, but it is not impossible, Ogrod said. Casper has a lot to offer with outdoor sports, entertainment, a good school system and great community atmosphere.

"We have a high quality medical community," Ogrod said. Prospective physicians "are surprised we are much like a regional medical center. When they listen to the physicians about the cases they are seeing and the surgeries they are doing, they think, 'This is an interesting place to practice.'"

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

New docs in town

Michael Sloan, Rehabilitation Medicine - Jan. 2009

Joseph Rose, Rocky Mountain Oncology - Jan. 2009

Stephen Anderson, Family Practice residency - June 2009

Robert Neff, Nephrology - July 2009

Roberto Fars, Hospitalist - July 2009

Jeffrey Cloud, Gastroenterology Associates - July 2009

Jason Strand, Family Practice, private - July 2009

Eric Lawrence, Family Practice, private - July 2009

Demian Yakel, Casper Orthopaedics - July 2009

Ryan Burton, Anesthesiology - Aug. 2009

Matthew Swan, Anesthesiology - Aug. 2009

Kirk Mitchell, Hospitalist - Sept. 2009

Ammar Hussieno, Pulmonologist - Sept. 2009

Anca Voinov, Family Practice at Sage Medical - Sept. 2009

Darrell Willis, Family Practice at Sage Medical - Sept. 2009

Rob Hollis, Neurosurgery - Nov. 2009

Dexter Casta, Internal Medicine - July 2010

Shaun Gonda, Radiology - July 2010

Eric Cubin, Radiology - July 2010

Rick Clemmons, Neurology - July 2010

Travis Washut, Emergency Department - Aug. 2010

Brock Anderson, General Surgery - Sept. 2010

Michael Sloan, Rehabilitation Medicine - Jan. 2009

Joseph Rose, Rocky Mountain Oncology - Jan. 2009

Stephen Anderson, Family Practice residency - June 2009

Robert Neff, Nephrology - July 2009

Roberto Fars, Hospitalist - July 2009

Jeffrey Cloud, Gastroenterology Associates - July 2009

Jason Strand, Family Practice, private - July 2009

Eric Lawrence, Family Practice, private - July 2009

Demian Yakel, Casper Orthopaedics - July 2009

Ryan Burton, Anesthesiology - Aug. 2009

Matthew Swan, Anesthesiology - Aug. 2009

Kirk Mitchell, Hospitalist - Sept. 2009

Ammar Hussieno, Pulmonologist - Sept. 2009

Anca Voinov, Family Practice at Sage Medical - Sept. 2009

Darrell Willis, Family Practice at Sage Medical - Sept. 2009

Rob Hollis, Neurosurgery - Nov. 2009

Dexter Casta, Internal Medicine - July 2010

Shaun Gonda, Radiology - July 2010

Eric Cubin, Radiology - July 2010

Rick Clemmons, Neurology - July 2010

Travis Washut, Emergency Department - Aug. 2010

Brock Anderson, General Surgery - Sept. 2010]]->