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Business & Tech

Meet Dave Perry, the ER doc who Makes House Calls

Emergency medicine makes a return to the old days as Dr. Dave Perry comes to the rescue in the comfort of the patient's home.

Town in which you live: Upper Milford Township

Job description:

"I'm an emergency doctor who makes house calls. I treat many of the same problems that usually require a trip to the ER or urgent care center in the comfort and convenience of the home or workplace."

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Do you have any other jobs outside of your East Penn House Calls business?

"I still practice Emergency Medicine at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center about 20 hours a week."

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When did you start your business, and what motivated you to do it?

In my 20 years of practice the job of the Emergency Physician has evolved in a way that has me spending less time personally interacting with the patients. When I opened East Penn House Calls in March 2007, it was because I wanted to "simplify my practice to return to a time where it was just the patient and me." It gave me plenty of time to get to know my patient in addition to treating the problem.

How does your business differ from that of a traditional emergency room?

"I don't think the column will be long enough to field this one, but I'll try to give it a shot..."

Editor's Note: Look for Dr. Dave Perry's response to this question as part of a separate business article about East Penn House Calls on Monday. He was right -- this column isn't long enough to answer this important and interesting question.

What do you like most about your job?

"I like most that I can spend as much time as I like or need with my patients."

What do you like least about your job?

"I least like that I now have to do the paperwork to bill insurance."

What is the most extreme injury you've had to treat at someone's home?

"I really haven't seen any injuries that I would consider 'extreme' at home. I've sutured some facial lacerations and reduced some finger dislocations at athletic events. I have had more of an issue spreading the word that I can actually manage some injuries that patients would not expect me to be able to manage at home. 

"Also, I listen carefully when someone calls, and if there is any doubt about safety of treating at home, I will refer them to the ER."

Have you ever had to go to a strange place to treat someone?

"I've treated patients at truck stops, athletic fields, campgrounds, picnics, construction sites, bookstores, coffee shops, and hotel and dorm rooms.  Are any of those strange?"

What's the most common reason people call you to come to their home for treatment?

"Probably simple illnesses are the most common - sore throat, earaches, cough, etc."

What is your favorite thing about Emmaus?

"I grew up in Emmaus, so I have to give you a couple. 

"I love on a crisp fall Friday night when you park a few blocks from the high school, and you can hear the band before you see the lights of the stadium. I love when daytime starts to last a little longer in the spring, and the kids in baseball uniforms are lined up 10 deep at Rita's (Deano's). 

"I love that when you pass someone on the street it is OK (and expected) to say 'hi.' I like that I can give my boys (12 and 9) permission to bike three miles through town to visit their grandmother and know that they will be safe."

What do you like to do in your spare time?

"I enjoy spending time with my wife, Susan, and boys, Max and Jake. I'm pretty involved in the youth sports programs for Upper Milford Youth Association. I also try to sneak out to play some basketball or golf once in a while."

Tell us something unique that people might not know about you.

"I've had eight knee surgeries due to an old rugby injury that causes little bone fragments to pop up in my knee joint. Once, I was so frustrated that a new fragment popped up two months after being scoped, that I cut it out myself at the kitchen table. Don't do this. It won't go nearly as well as you might hope.

"Another thing is that I still play Old Boys (over-35) rugby a couple times a year."

Every Friday the Emmaus Patch will help you to get to know another of the many people who make our hometown such a wonderful place to live. If you would like to recommend someone for us to highlight in the future, please tell us in the comment box or email jennifer.marangos@patch.com

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