Memorial Hospital Belleville launches intensivist service

BELLEVILLE — CEP America, a physician-owned organization that staffs and manages physician coverage for Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Departments as well as hospitalist services to inpatients, has begun an intensivist service at Memorial Hospital Belleville.

The service began Aug. 4. Pablo M. Echeverria M.D. will serve as medical director of CEP’s Intensivist Program at Memorial covering its 20-bed intensive care unit and eight-bed intermediate care unit. Prior to joining CEP America, Dr. Echeverria was the ICU medical director at Barnes Jewish St. Peter’s Hospital. Prior to that, he worked as an intensivist at St. Anthony’s Medical Center, Alton Memorial Hospital and Christian Northeast Hospital.

Board certified in Internal and Critical Care Medicine, Echeverria received his doctorate of medicine and surgery from the Central University of Ecuador and completed his post-graduate residency at University of Miami School of Medicine where he also did his critical care medicine fellowship. He is an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Intensivists, also known as critical care physicians, provide a comprehensive approach to caring for patients in the intensive care unit. At Memorial, the intensivists will not replace the patient’s primary physician but will serve as a consultant to enhance round-the-clock ICU care. Intensivists are trained in dealing with complex and changing issues in treating critically ill patients.

— From the Illinois Business Journal