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About Us

What Differentiates TECHealth™

TECHealth™ Knows Emergency Medicine, It’s What We Do

TECHealth™ is dedicated to expanding our uniquely high standards of care and business operations to patients, consumers, ER physicians and potential partners throughout the U.S.

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Our Journey

2001

Founders began emergency medicine careers serving hospitals within the

southwest region which led to discovering a need for better ER care and providing excellent patient and clinical experiences

2004-2010

Principal’s founded Affilion® – a physician staffing management organization, that

provided physician staffing to smaller hospitals in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

2016

Developed electronic medical record – TECdoc for emergency medicine services

for hospital based emergency rooms as well as free-standing ER’s

2017

Opened our second free-standing ER – The Emergency Center in Arlington, Texas.

2020

Physician staffing agreement with two hospital ERs, and 12 satellite ERs across the greater Phoenix valley in Arizona

2003

Principals instrumental in are the creation, management, of Premier Emergency

Medical Group (formerly Chandler Emergency Medical Group), a clean design emergency physician group that grew with Dignity at Chandler Regional Hospital and the opening of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

2014

The Emergency Center was founded with a vision of making bad days better for ED patients and providers across the nation

2016

Opened our first free-standing ER – The Emergency Center in Ft. Worth, Texas.

2018

Opened our third free-standing ER – The Emergency Center in San Antonio, Texas

2022

As a result of comprehensive suite of products and services associated with

emergency medicine, TECHealth™, an Emergency Services Company, was born.

Leadership

Keith Butler, Chief Executive Officer

Keith Butler, MD, MBA, FACEP, CEP Chief Executive Officer

Keith Butler, M.D. graduated from Brigham Young University in 1993 and then attended the University of Arizona Medical School. After medical school, he completed a four-year Emergency Medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona while concurrently completing an MBA program in Healthcare Management. Dr. Butler is board certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

After completing residency, Dr. Butler was instrumental in the formation and management of several Emergency Department organizations. He served as Medical Director of the Arizona Heart Hospital Emergency Department. He was a founding partner and served as Director of Financial Operations for Chandler Emergency Medical Group. Prior to founding TEC, he served as CEO of Affilion®, Inc. for seven years.  Affilion® was a successful ED staffing company that had multiple ED contracts across the Southwest and is now part of EmCare®. He co-founded The Emergency Center to better focus on innovative patient care and currently serves as its CEO.

Dr. Butler also has an extensive IT background across multiple industries and is a Six Sigma Green Belt with process redesign experience. Continually improving patient care via innovative management and process improvements has been a core focus of his career.

Eric Wilke, Chief Operations Officer

Eric Wilke, MDChief Operations Officer

Eric Wilke, M.D. graduated from Texas A&M University in 1991 and then attended Texas A&M College of Medicine. After medical school, he completed a four-year Emergency Medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Wilke is board certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. 

After completing residency, Dr. Wilke continued at Maricopa Medical Center and served in many leadership capacities such as teaching faculty, Chief of House Staff, and Emergency Department Medical Director. At the same time, he and his partners started a medical software company that grew and merged into a major provider in the space of electronic data capture in FDA pharmaceutical trials.  Dr. Wilke has extensive experience in the formation and management of several Emergency Department organizations.  He was a founding partner for Chandler Emergency Medical Group where he served as Director of Emergency Department Operations at Chandler Regional Medical Center. While at Chandler Dr. Wilke created the very first Medical Scribe Program in the state of Arizona.  After returning to Texas, he created an ED staffing group, Traditions Emergency Medicine, that staffed the College Station Medical Center, where he also served as Chief of Staff. Dr. Wilke was also a founding member and Chief Medical officer of Affilion®, Inc.

Dr. Wilke currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer for The Emergency Center. In his role, he has coordinated systems for graded interviews and hiring, development of physician leadership coaching and management, creating systems for meeting and group communication, Cerner training and auto-text scripting, launching and curating a system wiki, and creation of ED flow systems for efficiency.

Dr. Wilke has his pilot’s license and enjoys camping and hiking. He has organized several medical mission trips to Africa and serves as a critical care physician in the United States Air Force Reserve.

Jeff Erdner, Chief Medical Officer

Jeff Erdner, D.O.President – Texas Division

Jeff Erdner, D.O. graduated from Texas A&M University in 1997 and then attended Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. After medical school, he completed a three-year Emergency Medicine residency at Texas Tech Health Science Center in El Paso, Texas, where he was chosen as chief resident during his final year.

Dr. Erdner is board certified in Emergency Medicine by the American College of Emergency Physicians. As a pioneer in the Free-Standing ER market, Dr. Erdner co-founded Highland Park Emergency Center and Preston Hollow Emergency Center in Dallas, Texas in 2012. Both facilities have been extremely successful from inception. As a managing member, Dr. Erdner was intimately involved in the strategic planning in opening and managing both businesses. He was responsible for corporate marketing which included, branding, online social media, mass media mailing and radio, sponsoring local charitable events, and partnering with Southern Methodist University as the official ER of SMU athletics.

Marketing also included understanding and analyzing customer demographics and the cost per acquisition. He oversaw the hiring and management of the staff including the director of operations, marketing director, front office, nurses, and techs. While overseeing accounting he worked closely with the accounting firm creating budgets and analysis and forecasting cash flow. Dr. Erdner withdrew from his position at Highland Park and Preston Hollow Emergency Centers so he could join The Emergency Center full time. Dr. Erdner is also an Associate Clinical Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. He enjoys cycling, soccer and playing the piano in his free time.

Kristen Kolstad, Vice President of Operations

Kristen KolstadVice President of Operations

Kristen Kolstad graduated from the University of Washington in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and International Business. She joined Affilion® in 2007 and as Director of Operations built a Provider Relations Team from the ground up.

The Provider Relations Team covered all aspects of physician support including recruiting, credentialing, scheduling, and hospital relations. Kristen uses her extensive provider support experience in her current role at TEC. She currently manages all aspects of Human Resources for TEC and oversees back office operations. Kristen is responsible for implementing several innovative business management programs.

Medical Directors

Joel Betz, M.D. Medical Director

Joel Betz, MD Regional Medical Officer

Joel Betz, M.D. graduated from Arizona State University in 2002 and then attended the University of Arizona School of Medicine, graduating in 2006. Following medical school he completed an Emergency Medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Betz is board certified in Emergency Medicine. After residency Dr. Betz started his ER career at Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers.

His leadership talents were quickly recognized when, three years later, he was asked to serve as Assistant Medical Director in the Banner Gateway Emergency Department. When Banner Health acquired Banner Payson Medical Center, Dr Betz served as Medical Director during the transition and for 2 years following. Desiring to return to the Phoenix metro area, Dr. Betz joined the Adeptus and Dignity family where he served in several leadership positions including Regional Medical Officer.

Dr. Betz currently serves as Regional Medical Officer for TEC at Arizona General Hospital. He oversees all twelve HSED locations. His current interests and focus include increasing physician and staff communication, with a special focus on culture improvement. He is also passionate about patient satisfaction as well as physician satisfaction, and strongly believes the two are closely intertwined.
Dr. Betz has organized and attended several medical mission trips to Guatemala and has provided care to the underserved communities in the Guatemalan highlands. Recently he joined the board of Directors with the IHelp foundation to further humanitarian outreach. In his off time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, surfing, and training for triathlon, recently completing his second Ironman in Houston.

Paul McHale, MD Hospital ED Medical Director

Paul McHale, M.D. graduated from the University of San Diego in 1991, then attended University of Minnesota Medical School. After graduating in 1996, he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and trained in Hyperbaric Medicine.

Dr. McHale was a founding partner of Chandler Emergency Medical Group, PLC (DBA as Premier Emergency Medical Specialists), formed in 2002. PEMS provided clinical physicians & support for the Emergency Departments at Chandler Regional Medical Center (CRMC) & Mercy Gilbert Medical Center (MGMC). During the next 18 years, he helped lead ER Redesign teams, assisted in the implementation of a scribe program, served as EMS Director, Medical Director at CRMC ED, and Chairman of ED at CRMC. He also served on the East Valley Community Board from 2008 to 2019, including serving as Vice Chair and Chairman in later years.

Paul is also employed by Air Methods Corporation as a Medical Director for several bases in the Arizona service region. He has served as a Clinician for Gallus Detox & interim Medical Director for BCBS AZ and also served as Medical Director, and minority owner, of Trinity Air Medical, a logistics healthcare company based in Tempe, AZ, which is now part of a larger technology company.

Currently Dr. McHale serves as Medical Director AZ General Laveen, a critical access hospital with minimal inpatient support, but constantly challenged with critical medical & trauma patients that often need to be flown out. Dr. McHale has extensive background in medico-legal issues and high-risk patient scenarios that occur within Emergency Departments. He led an extensive two-week training program for all TEC Physicians & interested Dignity RN’s utilizing a local simulation training room & cadaver lab.
Throughout all of these jobs, Dr. McHale believed in creating an environment that is trusting, professional, supportive and most importantly he believes we should enjoy our workplace.

Paul McHale, M.D. Medical Director

Our Doctors Explain The TEC Difference

TECHealth is redefining emergency medical care with our state-of-the-art freestanding ER facilities. We deliver rapid, no-wait, 24/7 emergency room services, staffed by our expert team of physicians, nurses, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals. By partnering with TECHealth, you gain access to our wealth of experience in managing superior emergency care services for your patients.

In addition to staffing, TECHealth offers comprehensive EMR and partnership solutions for clinics, hospitals, and medical practices across Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Our all-inclusive approach encompasses owned and operated ER facilities, joint ventures, management services, and consulting services to elevate your emergency care provision. As a TECHealth partner, you become part of an expansive network of top-tier professionals and resources, enabling you to deliver outstanding emergency care to those who depend on you.

TECHealth‘s Core Values

At TECHealth™, we believe our interactions with others should leave us and them better. This applies to our partners, employees, patients, and providers. Our approach to delivering care and providing an excellent patient and physician experience is guided by our core values – accountability, zeal, do something good, and empathy.

Core Value Accountability
Accountability

We take responsibility for our words and actions consistently demonstrating a high level of dependability.

We admit mistakes and immediately inform supervisors when we are unable to meet commitments. Like all healthcare professionals, we are accountable to the higher calling of medicine. We are also accountable to our team, to our patients, and to TECHealth™.
Core Value Doing Something Good
Do Something Good

We actively seek to create positive experiences for those we interact with what is required, and we look for ways to serve others.

We do the right thing, not the easy thing. If it is legal, good for the patient, and good for the company, we do it. We take initiative to improve outcomes and processes.

Core Value Empathy
Empathy

We understand the vulnerability and fear associated with being injured or ill. We genuinely seek to:

(1) understand and respect others’ perspectives and emotions
(2) encourage a culture of compassion, empathy, and support
(3) alleviate suffering whenever possible.

We offer emotional support and/or tangible assistance to patients, their families, and coworkers. We understand how our actions and attitudes affect our team members and our patients and strive to uplift in all we do and say.

Core Value Zeal
Zeal

We work as a team with enthusiasm, dedication, and a passion for TECHealth’s mission, vision and values.

We model excellence and enthusiasm for our work and speak positively and enthusiastically about TECHealth™ and its future direction.

These Core Values inform our business decisions, from how we treat our patients to whom we choose as our business associates. Our hiring and evaluation decisions are also guided by this philosophy which has created a strong company culture.

TECHealth An Emergency Services Company

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