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SEMINARS and PUBLICATIONS

 

SEMINARS OFFERED

1.  Basic and Advanced Equipping for Disasters, Sheltering at Home Hands-on Seminars

2.  Basic and Advanced Practicing Medicine by Physician House Calls Seminars

3.  Practicing Basic Wound Care for Nurses

SEMINARS

BASIC and ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters, Sheltering at Home

Hands-on Seminars

(Revision Date: March 8, 2024)

 

SEMINAR Announcement: 

“BASIC Equipping for Disasters, Sheltering at Home”

(Revision Date: March 8, 2024)

Dear Neighbor,

 

These are very dangerous and perilous times.   We all see the dangers and have been warned.

 

Do not be afraid.  I have Good News to share.  Since 2007, we have confidentially taught many how to be fully prepared and ready to care for their families plus obediently love one another as Good Neighbors in any disaster.

 

After COVID-19 shut-downs and lock-downs, we resumed teaching our very well-received “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminars and its follow-up “ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters” Seminars in private homes and in the workplace.  These Seminars teach and practice proven hands-on skills.  It is not some untested survival or prepper lecture.  Much of what we practice was done by me overseas as a missionary physician (Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.) serving in the most remote areas of Sierra Leone post-Civil War, Honduras post-hurricane, the Dominican Republic with its Haitian Refugee crisis, and in Northern Canada.  These proven skills were also practiced by me as a former U.S. Navy Commander (operational medical and research Naval Officer).  Many methods we practice have passed my rigorous Test & Evaluation (M.D., Ph.D. research scientist). 

 

We teach our neighbors to become fully-equipped and confident to wisely care for their families and neighbors to safely shelter at home, "When the lights go out, and stay out" ™.  We also teach co-workers how to stay safe and healthy and how to remain open for business, during and recovering from any disaster, natural or man-made.    

 

We enjoy practicing all the hands-on skills ensuring everyone will succeed in meeting our Six Basic Needs: 1. Food, 2. Water, 3. Home or Shelter, 4. Clothing, 5. Medicine and Surgery, and 6. Visitation (Matthew Chapter 25: Verses 31-46).  This is explained below.

 

Here in WNY during our National Weather Service’s “five and a half months of winter weather,” life-threatening Arctic Weather emergencies with fatalities have been directly caused by Lake Effect blizzards, long-duration snowstorms, and sustained loss of electrical power and home heat from storms or grid failure.  In 2022, our blizzard in Buffalo at Christmas time claimed 47 lives.  As widely reported, Buffalo Fire-Rescue, EMS and Police were not adequately trained or equipped to emergently and timely respond.  Many people died especially frozen to death outdoors in WNY Arctic Weather. 

 

As a nation, we are also at greater risk from rapidly worsening threats of "sword, famine, and plague".  This includes the next global pandemic, a sustained loss of electricity, and loss of other public utilities and public services (water, sewage, natural and propane gas, streets plowed, garbage pick-up, hospitals, clinics, etc.). 

 

There may be few or a complete loss of critical first-responders, equipment, and their vehicles (e.g., police, sheriff, state police, fire-rescue, EMS, National Guard).  We may suffer from acts of terrorism and from conventional and asymmetric warfare, cyber warfare, tactical and strategic nuclear warfare, and radiologic, biologic, and chemical warfare.  There are accelerating catastrophic natural disasters, (e.g., severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and solar storms, called Coronal Mass Ejection-CME from the sun as it reaches it Solar Maximum in 2025). 

 

Our biggest threat to life in WNY is loss of electricity during our published 5 ½-months of winter weather (National Weather Service-NWS) resulting in a catastrophic loss of home heating with hypothermia and death.  This occurs from a sustained power failure or destruction of our weak and susceptible electrical power grid by storm, terrorism, or warfare.  Unheated homes and other residences (e.g., nursing homes) become uninhabitable in the dead of winter in as little as four hours for those at greatest risk of hypothermia (e.g., elderly, disabled, and young children). 

 

Sustained power failure will cause supply chain disruptions and shut-downs, sudden lack of food, lack of chlorination for drinkable water, loss of prescription medications, and a shut-down of hospitals and emergency departments (EDs, ‘ERs’) after their usual three-day supply of diesel runs out to power hospital standby generators.

 

Many of these natural and man-made catastrophes occurred overseas in developing countries where I served.  Anarchy and a breakdown of public services happen immediately. 

 

The Good News is Jesus fully equipped me and sent me to tell you about Him and to train you how to trust and love our LORD, and how to love and care for our families and neighbors, anytime and anywhere.

 

These fast-paced evening “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminars are conveniently offered after work for just 90-minutes, 7:30 P.M.-9:00 P.M.  They are hosted in someone’s home or work place for ideally three households (5-10 people) of like-minded people who want to learn how to work together.  However, due to demand from single households, I am now offering exceptions to teach only one or two households, as explained below.

 

Rest assured.  All names are kept strictly confidential of anyone who has taken either the “BASIC or follow-up ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters” Seminars.  There is no list of anybody’s names, or addresses, or a number of those people trained and prepared. 

 

This encouraging hands-on training Seminar, “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” allows us to become faithful Good Neighbors. 

 

We will obediently follow the two most important Commandments from God spoken by Jesus in the Word of God, The Holy Bible. 

 

This happened when an expert in the Law of Moses, a so-called ‘religious attorney’ confronted and questioned Jesus whether He knew the most important Commandment of God.  This expert did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior,

 

"Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is just like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew Chapter 22: verses 37-39)

 

We are asked, 'What are your “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminars like?”  We really do have fun!  We practice the hands-on skills together as Good Neighbors including how to prepare our homes, families, and neighbors wisely and economically.  This is based on the Bible’s Six Basic Needs mentioned above, which were spoken by Jesus, whose Name is “Word of God” in the Holy Bible,

 

“For when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew Chapter 25: verses 35-36)

 

So, let us wisely prepare and be always ready with:

  1. Food that is inexpensively purchased and wisely stored long-term.

  2. Water that has been reliably filtered and chlorine-treated at-home to be safe-to-drink.

  3. Home or Shelter that is safe, secure, and warm with safe heat.  In addition, we discuss long-term daily safe use of home-generators, and practice the hands-on skills of how to properly preserve and store gasoline (two-years) and how to maintain and refuel a generator, even at night or in the worst of weather.

  4. Clothing that could also be shared for “Caring for those in greater need” ™ during a disaster or in time of need (hats, clothing, coats, shoes/boots, baby clothing, and diapers).

  5. Medicine and Surgery for “Caring for those in greater need” ™ during a disaster who are sick or injured using tested and evaluated 45 home-care instructions.  I wrote them as an emergency physician, missionary, former special operations medical officer, and inventor of the Federally-Registered PORTABLE ER® and Trademarked Emergency Physician House Calls™.

  6. Visitation to safely travel using preserved gasoline for “Caring for those in greater need” ™ often imprisoned at-home alone, unprepared, with little family to help during a disaster.

 

In your Seminar, “BASIC Equipping for Disasters,” it is required that every person, couple, or household must first purchase and study their own copy of the Sixth Revised Edition (© January 5, 2024), "Textbook of Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home".  The "Textbook of Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home" is a $60.00 tax-deductible donation to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.,” a Public Charity.   Everyone must then write down their three most important questions or concerns in advance of their Seminar on the last pages, 251-252, “Notes”. 

 

Pre-reading the "Textbook of Equipping for Disasters" is required for all households before I will agree to schedule a Seminar.   Everyone must use their "Textbook of Equipping for Disasters" to take personal notes, fill-in the forms for their home’s Disaster Plans, and come up with at least three written questions in the “Notes” (pages 251-252). 

 

Being prepared takes commitment to first study at-home, then agreeing to practice together in a hands-on Lab setting to master key skills in 90-minutes. 

 

The Seminar is a hands-on skills Lab.  So, studying beforehand and knowing where to quickly look up information is required.  I do not answer many questions during this skills Seminar.  I only take time to answer those few remaining written questions at the end of the 90-minute Seminar.

 

For details on the required “Textbook of Equipping,” please see our website, www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org, under the Tab, “Seminars and Publications.”  

 

Two Costs: Textbook and Seminar

 

Cost, “Textbook of Equipping.” The required “Textbook of Equipping” is first purchased by each household making a tax-deductible donation of $60.00 by check payable to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.” then mailing your “Textbook of Equipping” request and check to Dr. and Mrs. John and Janice Sterba, 226 Center Rd., East Aurora, NY 14052. 

 

People can also purchase the “Textbook of Equipping” on-line by PayPal or credit card making their tax-deductible electronic donation to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.” using our website, www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org.

 

Also, please call us (716) 655-6854 or Email (PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com) how many “Textbooks of Equipping” you want mailed out and please confirm your mailing address.

The “Textbook of Equipping” will be mailed (USPS Priority Mail), or personally dropped off, with your tax-deductible Receipt and Thank You letter. 

 

The “Textbook of Equipping” is used for hands-on skills training, including:

  1. How to inexpensively buy and safely store food long-term using double-freezer bags and evacuating air from the bags.  How to set up an inexpensive Food Pantry with labeling system, inexpensive see-through bins, and inexpensive five-level shelving units fully Tested and Evaluated and published in Chapter Five of the “Textbook of Equipping.”

  2. How to safely use water filters and Clorox™ (regular and extra strength chlorine bleach) to purify contaminated water, labeling safe-to-drink water jugs, plus how to remove chlorine smell and taste prior to drinking purified, safe-to-drink (potable) water.

  3. How to select the smallest possible, least expensive, and most efficient home generator (non-ethanol gasoline and/or liquid propane, or natural gas) by using a worksheet to add up the running and start-up (surge) Watts for only essential items at home (e.g., furnace blower, refrigerator/freezer, sump pump, key lights, washer, kitchen outlets, Keurig!, etc.)

  4. How to correctly use proven gasoline additives to preserve gasoline for up to two-years.

  5. How to mark and safely store plastic gasoline cans and rotate gasoline to keep your gasoline fresh.  Discuss reasons for non-ethanol gasoline.

  6. How one small person can safely maintain and refuel a home gasoline generator using a gasoline-funnel and gasoline-approved hose for refueling at night, in the rain, using a headlamp.

  7. How to set up a Disaster Plan of families and neighbors caring for each other, especially “Caring for those in greater need” ™ in the neighborhood.  This is done overseas, daily.

 

Cost, Seminar.  The “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar suggested tax-deductible donation is $200.00 per household (a family, or couple, or an individual) by check payable to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.” 

 

The “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar is hosted in someone’s home or work place for ideally three households (5-10 people) of like-minded people who want to learn how to work together. 

 

Therefore, the Total Donation per household is $260.00 donation: $60.00 initially to study the required “Textbook of Equipping” and then $200.00 to schedule the “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar.  These two costs are payable by check to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.,” or by cash, or on-line by PayPal or credit card making their tax-deductible donation to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.” using our website, www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org.  

 

After the three households have pre-purchased and studied their “Textbook of Equipping” ($60.00/each household), the BASIC Seminar donation ($200.00/each household) is then required.  Grand Total tax-deductible donation for all three households would be $780.00. 

 

However, due to growing demand from single households, I am now offering exceptions to teach only one household, or only two households.  Special consideration is now offered for only one household with a $400.00 suggested Seminar donation and $500.00 suggested Seminar donation for only two households for the “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar.  Each household must pre-purchase their “Textbook of Equipping.”  Likewise, tax-deductible donations to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.” can be sent by mailed check or done electronically.

 

Dr. Sterba will either mail or hand out tax-deductible Receipts and Thank You Letters at the “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar.

 

Host Responsibilities.  The “BASIC Equipping for Disasters” Seminar host responsibilities include arranging the group meeting of at least three households (5-10 people) at the host’s home.  The host must confirm with Dr. Sterba that every household (family, couple, or individual) had already pre-purchased and thoroughly studied their “Textbook of Equipping” writing down their key three questions or concerns in the “Notes,” pages 251-252. 

 

For more information or if you have any questions about your hands-on Seminar, “BASIC Equipping for Disasters,” please call (716) 655-6854, Monday-Friday, 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M., or Email (PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com)

 

I understand people are now very anxious to prepare and want answers fast.  However, I must apologize in advance.  I do not have enough time to teach over the internet, or by Email, or over-the-phone, or casually.  People’s questions are most often better explained in detail in our Sixth Revised Edition (© January 5, 2024) of the “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters.”  For any new questions, I am preparing the Seventh Revised Edition.  I welcome your written suggestions, which I will personally research and then Test & Evaluate for consideration to be published by Saved by Grace Ministry, In.  In addition, I am commanded by Jesus to provide .pdf files of any Chapter from the “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters” for free to those in need.  So, please email me what Chapters you want at PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com.  To preview the “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters,” please go to our website www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org, Tab, “Seminars and Publications.” 

 

Thank you!

 

In His service,

‘Dr. John’

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS

President & CEO; Medical & Scientific Director; NYS DOH Clinical Laboratory Director,

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc. Emergency Physician House Calls™ using the PORTABLE ER®

Commander, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy-Reserves (Hon. Disch), Undersea & Arctic Warfare, Operational Medicine

Missionary Physician, trained at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL and in St. Lucia, West Indies

Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics, College of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences,

        University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa

Board-Certifications: American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), American Board of Wound Medicine and

       Surgery (ABWMS), American Board of Urgent Care Medicine (ABUCM), and Undersea Medicine Board-

       Certified Equivalency-U.S. Navy

Fellow, American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP); and Fellow, American College of Clinical Wound

       Specialists (FACCWS)     

Member, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College of Clinical Wound Specialists

       (ACCWS), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and American Academy of Urgent Care

 

 

ADVANCED Seminar, Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home

 

The hands-on skills in the Advanced Seminar are tailor-made answering questions that came from those who already took the Basic Seminar. 

 

The Advance Seminar usually last two+ hours, 7:30 pm to 9:00-9:30 pm. 

 

As with the Basic Seminar, there is a minimum of three households (every person, or couple, or household).  These three households already have their "Textbook of Equipping for Disasters". 

 

Costs, ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters Seminar 

 

Suggested donation for the Advanced Seminar is $300.00 per each of the three households, totally $900.00.  Special consideration is now given for only one household with a $500.00 suggested donation and $700.00 suggested donation for only two households.  All tax-deductible donations made to the Public Charity, "Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.", are used 100% to "care for those in greater need", not any salary.

 

For example, in the Advanced Seminar, we have all practiced these hands-on skills and others:

1.  Food. 25-year shelf-life food in sealed buckets; Making freshly ground wheat by using electrical and hand-cranking grinders of non-GMO ancient grain wheat (Einkorn Wheat) that is long-term stored in buckets; and Solve specific problems with Food Pantries.

2.  Water. Advanced water purification of contaminated creek with commonly used 0.1 micron filter, filter flushing and maintenance, and making chlorine stock solutions using granular swimming pool chlorine compounds (sodium hypochlorite, tri-chlor., etc.) using U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and missionary methods to make safe-to-drink water (potable water) from dirty water.

3.  Shelter.  Advanced generator long-term use (hook-up and safe operations) simulating common disasters, refueling, and maintenance for all types of portable and stand-alone back-up generators (e.g., portable generators using gasoline, or liquid propane (LP), or dual-fuels (gasoline switching to/from LP), and stand-alone automatic natural gas generators).  Practicing using fuel-less deep-cycle lithium-battery generators (400-600 Watt) with charging by linking up 100 Watt solar panels in series.  Places to buy much less expensive re-furbished fuel-less deep-cycle lithium-battery generators with new batteries.

4.  Shelter.  Home defense questions of gun safety, authorized defensive gun training and permitting, gun maintenance, and all the common home safety disaster scenarios from overseas including anarchy. 

5.  Medical and Surgical Care.  Long-term procurement and storage of prescription and OTC medications, 

Basic Wound Care hands-on training, and medical care of people's specific medical and surgical problems at-home.

6.  Visitation. Transportation done overseas during travel bans, loss of fuel and public services, during disasters, and anarchy.  

 

For more information, or if you have any questions about your hands-on Seminars, "BASIC and ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home" including security, please call me at (716) 655-6854 (office) or (716) 998-7474 (cell/txt), Monday-Friday, 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M., or Email me at PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com.

 

Rest assured, as mentioned above, all names are kept strictly confidential of everyone who has taken these Seminars, "BASIC and ADVANCED Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home".  And, there is no list of anybody’s names.  I am experienced protecting this confidential and protected information about anyone.

 

I apologize in advance; I do not have time to teach over the internet, by email, over-the-phone, or casually.  People’s questions are most often found in our Sixth Revised Edition © January 5, 2024 of “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters. Sheltering at Home.”  For any new questions, I am preparing the Seventh Revised Edition.  I welcome your written suggestions, which I will personally research and Test & Evaluate for consideration.

 

Sincerely,

‘Dr. John’

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS

President & CEO; Medical & Scientific Director; NYS DOH Clinical Laboratory Director,

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc. Emergency Physician House Calls™ using the PORTABLE ER®

Commander, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy-Reserves (Hon. Disch), Undersea & Arctic Warfare, Operational Medicine

Missionary Physician, trained at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL and in St. Lucia, West Indies

Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics, College of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences,

        University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa

Board-Certifications: American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), American Board of Wound Medicine and

       Surgery (ABWMS), American Board of Urgent Care Medicine (ABUCM), and Undersea Medicine Board-

       Certified Equivalency-U.S. Navy

Fellow, American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP); and Fellow, American College of Clinical Wound

       Specialists (FACCWS)     

Member, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College of Clinical Wound Specialists

       (ACCWS), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and American Academy of Urgent Care

      Medicine (AAUCM)

SEMINAR

Practicing Medicine by Physician House Calls 
Basic Seminar plus Hands-On Advanced Skills Seminars

Revision Date: July 19, 2023

 

Hello Providers (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants),

We are pleased to offer all of you our Basic Seminar, Practicing Medicine by Physician House Calls.  This Basic Seminar has been very well received.  It has steadily been updated including suggestions resulting in its current updated 16th Revision (© 2023).  

 

The Basic Seminar is confidentially taught often at night in the privacy of provider's homes, or in their offices.  During SARS-CoV-2, it was conveniently taught only by the Take-Home Version PowerPoint thumb drive mailed out with all the Seminar’s referenced handouts.  Now, it is again taught in-person, or by the Take-Home Version.

 

Providers are fully-equipped to “care for those in greater need", at-home.  They report back to me being grateful to return to the “old-fashioned days with the joy of practicing medicine.”  Providers learn how to accurately code and bill, and how to successfully chase-down hard-earned income.  I teach how to reduce overhead costs, reduce medical malpractice risk and premiums, and reduce many other costs (e.g., how I purchase either at near-wholesale or get free medical, surgical, and pharmaceutical supplies paying only S&H).

 

After their Basic Seminar, I teach the hands-on Advanced Skills Seminar detailed below (e.g., phlebotomy, IV’s, Point of Care (POC) labs, and advanced medical and surgical wound care procedures done at-home with very high insurance reimbursement).

 

Rest assured; I am not recruiting or hiring.  So, why am I teaching others?  As a condition of receiving a 2015 equipment grant (The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation of Buffalo, NY), I was wisely encouraged to share what we have learned in order to help others start-up or improve their own Physician House Calls.

This began in 2015 with University at Buffalo medical students who were most enthusiastic.  

 

To date, I have trained medical students, nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and Physician Assistants (PAs) from Western New York State (WNY), out-of-state, Canada, and NASA.  

 

The Basic and Advanced Seminars are Real World based on my out-of-hospital acute and urgent care of over 10,000 emergency patients treated in my solo private practice of Physician House Calls.  This included 150 emergency patients overseas (US Navy, Greenland and North Pole region, 1989), 4,300+ emergency patients on overseas missionary trips (Sierra Leone, Honduras, Dominican Republic, 2004-2008) and over 6,500 emergency, urgent care, and advanced wound care patients in WNY from insurance credentialing with very high reimbursements. (2009-present).

For details, please see www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org, under the Tab, “History of the Portable ER.”  Our Physician House Calls (Emergency Physician House Calls) use America’s first community-based and Federally-Registered PORTABLE ER®.


Basic Seminar Outline

If interested in the Basic Seminar Outline, I am happy to Email it to you.  Please contact me at PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com .  


Basic Seminar PowerPoint Full Notes, Handouts and Textbook

After the Basic Seminar’s tax-deductible donation is received by Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., (see below), the 22-page, highly-referenced Seminar’s Full Notes covering everything in the 179-slide PowerPoint Presentation, plus all handouts (detailed below) and the Textbook are promptly mailed out.

 

The Textbook is the Sixth Revised Edition © 2024S, “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters.”  It has the 101-page Chapter Ten, the full inventory of “The Community-Based Portable ER” plus other key Chapters in: 
Sterba, JA and JE Sterba.  Textbook of Equipping for Disasters, Sheltering at Home.  Revised & Expanded, Sixth Edition.  Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., 226 Center Rd., East Aurora, NY 14052, January 5, 2024; 252 pages.

 

In the Basic Seminar, the current literature, accelerating national trends and local research on Physician House Calls in (Western New York (WNY) are reviewed and discussed.  Physician House Calls are published to be “faster, better, and cheaper” than hospital-based emergency departments (ED).  Well known by the public and replicated in peer-reviewed medical literature, hospital EDs are becoming too expensive, under-staffed, over-crowded, most-stressful with provider burn-out, and are research-confirmed to be the major source of nosocomial (hospital) infectious diseases.   Physician House Calls helps patients, family members, care-givers and providers to avoid all these accelerating hospital-based problems. 


Physician House Calls: Medical & Surgical Wound Care Done At-Home 

 

Our first prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved clinical research study documented that in 45 patients treated by Physician House Calls in WNY, all of whom required advanced wound care (e.g., pressure injury surgical debridement, closure, and medical care), nine-out-of-ten (91%) of these 45 patients never needed to go to the hospital ED.  All 45 Physician House Calls were cared for at-home at only 25% of the average patient-care allowable insurance-charge of the hospital ED.  

In this study, I first had to appeal Corporate Medical Directors of National Government Services (NGS), administrators of Medicare Part B.  They reviewed our patient’s charts and preliminary research results in this novel research study investigating surgical advanced wound care provided at-home on Physician House Calls.  The NGS favorably ruled on my behalf adding over 300 highly-reimbursed Integumentary billable precure codes for physician reimbursement when done at-home for all U.S. practicing physicians conducting Physician House Calls (e.g., Current Procedural Terminology-CPT Codes including surgical advanced wound care) .  

 

In this 2011-2012 wound care study, patient-care, allowable insurance-reimbursement for surgical advanced wound care (e.g., pressure injury/ulcer debridement, other surgical care) plus other necessary medical care was a reimbursement range of $600-$800 per Physician House Call.  These payments were dependent on depth, surface area and severity of the pressure injuries/ulcers being debrided, plus all other surgical and medical care requiring extra direct (face-to-face) patient contact beyond the usual Evaluation & Management (E&M) service of just the medical Physician House Call (CPTs 99341-99350).  


Physician House Calls: Medical Care (Non-Surgical) Done At-Home 

In our follow-up IRB-approved clinical research study sponsored in-part by the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation of Buffalo, NY, we prospectively investigated 100 successive patients who medically required Point of Care (POC) Labs immediately done and interpreted real-time, at-home.  

 

In this study, as in our wound care study, nine-out-of-ten (89%) of these 100 patients treated on medical Physician House Calls safely stayed at-home never needing to go to the ED, or ever needing to be admitted over the next three days as confirmed by close follow-up. 

 

There were no adverse events or complaints. Everyone was happy and encouraged from patients, family members, and care-givers to patients’ 22 Primary Care Physicians/Providers (PCPs), their medical/surgical specialists and Emergency Medicine emergency physicians working at regional hospital ED’s and Urgent Care Centers in Western New York State (WNY).  
 

In this medical study, we documented that in 100 patients who medically required immediate POC labs with bedside explanation at-home, the average patient-care allowable insurance-charge was $375.53 per patient. These 100 medical Physician House Calls were done at 1/10th (9.8%) of the patient-care allowable insurance-charge vs. the hospital ED using nationally-reported ED statewide statistics ($3,808/single ED visit, FL, 2012).


Physician House Calls: Provider Burn Out

 

Physicians and mid-level healthcare providers are burning out. This is well-known by the public and has been a key complaint in private medical practices of Primary Care (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and OB/GYN), medical and surgical specialties, and particularly in Emergency Medicine in today’s high-stress, fast-paced hospital EDs and Urgent Care Centers.  

 

It is my professional opinion from my clinical training and experience (not published) that this Basic Seminar, Practicing Medicine by Physician House Calls will help to treat and prevent provider burn-out.

 

Plus, the actual practice of medicine by Physician House Calls should allow more people to experience the joy of practicing medicine every day.  

 

For example, you can conduct your own Physician House Calls conveniently on your own time.  You can also leave the busy clinic a little early and see someone in greater need, at-home, and still make it home for supper, on-time, adding hundreds of extra dollars into your private medical practice.  

 

Patients are so very grateful knowing that a someone has taken time to come, listen and medically care for them suffering at-home.  You can aim to likewise try and keep nine-out-ten of your patients from needing to be sent to the ED. Patients dread the ED waiting room, which has had a reported very long wait-time in NY State of 6.1-hr., before being medically treated (not just RN triaged) by a provider.  


Cost, Basic Seminar, Practicing Medicine by Physician House Calls

 

Basic Seminar at-home or in-office is usually scheduled in the evenings (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm) or whenever the time is convenient for everyone.  The Basic Seminar at-home or in-office suggested tax-deductible, receipted donation is $260.00 per each physician, NP, PA, or staff member (minimum 3) payable to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.”, by mailed check or using the donate button (credit/debit card, PayPal) at www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org.  

 

This $260.00 donation, which supports the Ministry, includes each person receiving the required reference “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters”, plus each person gets their full copy of all handouts, listed here:
1.    Seminar Notes with References (22-pages), so no need to take notes as I go through all 179-PowerPoint slides.
2.    VistaPrint Brochures and Business Cards for both our Medical and our Surgical Wound Care Physician House Calls as your guide.  They all work very well.
3.    Research Article: Sterba, JA. Wound Care on the Go. ‘Portable ER’ Allows Physician to Reinvent House Calls. Today’s Wound Clinic.2012,September:18-21
4.    “Medical/Surgical Basic Kit G Inventory” to get you started for your first Physician House Call immediately with your own medical/surgical basic stock supplies
5.    “Common Procedure Codes (CPTs) and Medical Insurances on Surgical and Medical Physician House Calls.”  
6.    “Coding by Procedures (CPTs).  Suggested CPTs (Highlighted in Yellow) for Physician House Calls Depending on Training and Clinical Experience” in an easy-to-modify, 43-page Spread Sheet in Microsoft Word emailed to you to be easily updated by you with your own current Fee Schedule and any CPT and current Modifier changes.
7.    “Insurance Reimbursement for Medical and Surgical Physician House Calls: Coders & Biller, Choose Wisely,”
8.    “Billing Extra Time CPT Codes on Physician House Calls,”
9.    “Advanced Skills Training Seminar Outline.”
 
Cost, B
asic Seminar Take-Home Version 

 

The Basic Seminar Take-Home Version suggested tax-deductible, receipted donation is $260.00 per each physician, NP, PA, or staff member (no three person minimum) payable to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.”, by mailed check or using the donate button (credit/debit card or PayPal) below and on the "Home" page of www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org.

 

This $260.00 donation, which supports the Ministry, includes each person receiving the required reference “Textbook of Equipping for Disasters” plus each person gets their full copy of everything, listed here:
1.    PowerPoint thumb drive of 179 PowerPoint slides mailed out (16th Revised Edition © 2023),
2.    Seminar' Notes with References (22-pages), to add your own notes,
3.    VistaPrint Brochures and Business Cards for both our Medical and our Surgical Wound Care Physician House Calls as your guide.  They all work very well.
4.    Research Article: Sterba, JA. Wound Care on the Go. ‘Portable ER’ Allows Physician to Reinvent House Calls.  Today’s Wound Clinic. 2012, September: 18-21.
5.    Medical/Surgical Basic Kit G Inventory to get you started for your first Physician House Call immediately with your own medical/surgical basic supplies,
6.    “Common Procedure Codes (CPTs) and Medical Insurances on Surgical and Medical Physician House Calls,”  
7.    “Coding by Procedures (CPTs).  Suggested CPTs (Highlighted in Yellow) For Physician House Calls Depending on Training and Clinical Experience” in an easy-to-modify, 43-page Spread Sheet in Microsoft Word emailed to you easily updated by you with your own current Fee Schedule and any CPT and current Modifier changes.
8.    “Insu
rance Reimbursement for Medical and Surgical Physician House Calls: Coders & Biller, Choose Wisely,”
9.    “Billing Extra Time CPT Codes on Physician House Calls,”
10.    “Advanced Skills Training Seminar Outline.”


Hands-on Advanced Skills Training Seminar

 

Since the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) emergency is reported to be over, for all those providers that took or will take the Basic Seminar, whether in-person with me or the Take Home Version, I am grateful to announce that I am again teaching, in-person, the hands-on, follow-up Advanced Skills Training Seminar.  

 

It is fast-paced, lasting about two-plus hours.  Supplies and handouts provided by me include hands-on training in phlebotomy, IV/IO (chicken/turkey legs), POC Labs and RDT supplies, Personal Protective Equipment-PPE (gloves, goggles, masks, COVID-19 methods), the seven-page highly-referenced Advanced Skills Training Notes, four-page highly-referenced Health Insurance Information Sheets, six-page Surgical Kit H5 Inventory, and other practical handouts.  

 

Cost, Hands-on Advanced Skills Training Seminar

 

The Hands-on Advanced Skills Training Seminar suggested tax-deductible, receipted donation is $300.00 per each physician, NP, PA, or staff member (minimum 3 people) payable to “Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.”, by mailed check or using the donate button (credit/debit card, PayPal) found below or on the "Home" page of www.PhysicianHouseCalls.org.  

 

Advanced Skills Training Seminar includes the following: 


1.    Phlebotomy setting up all bedside supplies and methods; 
2.    Bedside Blood Testing using our BMP, CMP disks and actual blood in our portable Point of Care (POC) Abaxis Piccolo Xpress Blood Chemistry Laboratory, or learning how to drop off patient’s vacutainers to local Labs; 
3.    Intravenous/Intraosseous (IV/IO) Fluid Therapy Lab, Tricks-of-the-Trade; 
4.    Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDTs) using our (expired) common RDT's; 
5.    Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and CLIA-Waived Tests.  
6.    How to Apply to New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DOH) for Limited Services Laboratory Registration and Certificate of Qualification to be authorized to run your own POC Laboratory or conduct bedside RDTs; 
7.    Using the Hand-Carried Advanced Surgical & Medical Wound Care Kits.  You will tear-down and inventory our hand-carried surgical advanced wound care Kits for pressure injuries (‘bed-sores’), lacerations, and burns with basic surgical advanced wound care (AWC) methods, charting, coding and billing.  
8.    Advanced Wound Care.  You will review wound photographs, comprehensive documentation and CMS-required charting, coding and billing using an actual patient’s chart (with permission) with name, address, member I.D., etc. redacted.
9.    Actual Charting of a Typical Patient.  Includes common CPT procedures done.
10.    Quality Assurance (QA) CMS Audit Tool.  Checking off all your work actually done (history, physical exam and other categories, and start-stop times) to honestly determine the appropriate, justifiable Physician House Call procedure code using the Common Procedural Terminology Code (CPT Code) with the current insurance fees. 
11.    Coding Books for All Procedures (CPTs) and Diagnoses (ICD-10). Using the Optum CPT and ICD-10 two spiral-bound coding books, which are excellent (very intuitive, easy-to-use and most helpful). 
12.    Populating an Actual CMS-1500 Pink Medical Insurance Claim Form. Hands-on practice using the templated, computerized system (~$99) downloaded on our computer, populated for printing-off CMS-1500 pink medical insurance claim form (CMS-1500 Form) for a typical medical or advanced wound care patient for an insurance reimbursement check to be mailed to you or to your bank.  
13.    Health Insurances:  Key contacts and phone numbers are provided.  How to transfer or get new insurance credentials, get fee schedules, PaySpan, etc.
14.    Western New York HealtheLink, HealtheCommunity Portal and WNYHealtheNet:  On-line to check patient eligibility and when you’ll be paid.
15.    National Provider Identifier (NPI): How to get your NPI & Tax I.D. #’s faster.
16.    Contracting with a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO): Reduced prices.
Page Seven

17.    National Distributor:   On-line GPO ordering with next-day delivery to you.
18.    e-Prescribing Waiver (NYS Health Commerce System-HCS): Forms needed.

SEMINAR

Practicing Basic Wound Care for Nurses
(Revision Date: February 21, 2024)

 

Contact me for our one-hour Seminar's Syllabus (attached) and cost (tax-deductible donation) for our very-well received, practical hands-on Teaching Seminar.  This is a demonstration lab, not an academic lecture, with plenty of Q&A.

We gratefully Email or U.S. Mail everyone’s tax-deductible donation receipt with our Thank You Note for your tax purposes.  

 

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc. is a Public Charity founded in 1998.  

 

Please know that 100% of all donations and all medical insurance money go to our Public Charity’s mission, “caring for those in greater need”, and not for any salary.

It would be my honor to speak with you to help you.  

 

My office is 655-6854, (9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M., Monday – Friday) and my cell is (716) 998-7474.


Sincerely,
'Dr. John'

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS


President & CEO; Medical & Scientific Director; NYS DOH Clinical Laboratory Director, 
             Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.  
Emergency Physician House Callsusing the PORTABLE ER®
Board-Certificatio
ns: American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), American Board of Wound Medicine 
      and Surgery (ABWMS), American Board of Urgent Care Medicine (ABUCM)
Fellow, American College of Emergency Physician (FACEP); Fellow, American College Clinical Wound 
      Specialists (FACCWS)
Member, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College of Clinical Wound Specialists
      (ACCWS), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine
      (AAUCM) 
Commander, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy-Reserves (Hon Disch), Undersea & Arctic Warfare, Operational Medicine

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Institutional Review Board (IRB)-Approved Clinical Studies

Sterba, JA. Wound Care on the Go. ‘Portable ER’ Allows Physician to Reinvent House Calls. Today’s Wound Clinic. 2012, September: 18-21.

Author

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS

President & CEO, Medical & Scientific Director,

New York State Department of Health Clinical Laboratory Director

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.

Some conclusions we published include:

“From our ongoing Institutional Review Board-approved clinical study that measures patient convenience of house calls, the time from ordering a blood chemistry test until lab results are explained is 13.8 minutes, (+ 5.2 minutes, SD, n = 45 patients).” (pg. 20)

“Our insurance billing is approximately 25% percent of the cost for similar services from the hospital-based ED (Emergency Department). Of all patients seen during house calls, 91 percent are not clinically indicated to be sent to the ED. The remaining nine percent require to be transported to the ED for further lab/radiology studies, but are rarely admitted”. (pp. 20-21)           

“In conclusion, Physician House Calls using the Community-Based Portable ER provides faster, better and cheaper care – including advanced wound care - when compared to the hospital-based ED or urgent care facility.” (pg. 21)

If interested in receiving a free copy, please Email me at PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com

Our Office Phone Number is (716) 655-6854

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS

RESEARCH STUDY

WHITE PAPER

Emergency Physician House Calls™:

Point of Care (POC) Laboratories Used

© December 11, 2017

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., East Aurora, NY

Author

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS

President & CEO, Medical & Scientific Director,

New York State Department of Health Clinical Laboratory Director

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.

We are happy to Email a color .pdf file or U.S. Mail you a printed and bound color copy of this WHITE PAPER each for a suggested tax-deductible donation of $40.00 to "Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc.", which we will gratefully receipt. Please note that 100% of all donations are used to "care for those in greater need".

For ON-LINE PURCHASING the "WHITE PAPER. Emergency Physician House Calls™: Time, Outcome Benefits and Cost of Point of Care (POC) Laboratories Used with Community-based PORTABLE ER®", please make your tax-deductible donation to "Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc." with PayPal or Credit Card, here:

 

Conclusions. Private practice EM by EPHCs™ using the PORTABLE ER® provided very fast EP Response-Time and faster Triage and Seen-Times vs. PCP, UCF or ED. Emergency Physician POC-Labs were conducted, received and explained much faster (< 14 min) vs. labs by PCP, UCF, or ED. After 100-EPHCs™, 89% of patients remained safely at-home never needing admission with no problems, complaints or adverse events. Patient-care insurance-charge (cost) for 100 EPHCs™ with POC-labs using PORTABLE ER® was ten-fold-less ($375.53, 9.8%) vs. 7.4 million Florida hospital-ED patient-care insurance-charges ($3,808.00) during 2012-2013.

Therefore, these medical Emergency Physician House Calls (EPHCs™) using the PORTABLE ER®, which required POC portable labs, saved Medicare B and all other medical insurances $3,432.47 per patient for those patients that never had to go to the hospital ED. 

RESEARCH STUDY

WHITE PAPER

Two-Way UHF Business Radios during

Transporting the PORTABLE ER®

© April 18, 2018

Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., East Aurora, NY

Authors

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP

President & CEO, Medical & Scientific Director,

New York State, Department of Health Clinical Laboratory Director,

and

Janice E. Sterba

Vice President; Secretary/Treasurer; Medical Transcriptionist/Editor

For ON-LINE PURCHASING the "WHITE PAPER. Test and Evaluation of Two-Way UHF Business Radios during Emergency Physician House Calls™ Transporting the PORTABLE ER® in a Hilly, Rural Environment", please make your tax-deductible donation to "Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc." with PayPal or Credit Card, here: 

Background: Relying on a cell phone to receive patient requests for Emergency Physician House Calls was discovered to be unreliable. Missed cell phone calls, messages and texts were due to three reasons: 1. Very weak or even no cell phone service in hilly, rural areas of Western New York (WNY), 2. In-coming cell phone calls, recorded messages and texts were blocked when inside certain insulated homes later found to have metal-foil insulation or with heavy brick-masonry construction, and 3. In-coming cell phone calls, messages and texts were occasionally blocked inside Saved by Grace Ministry’s Emergency Medicine emergency vehicle due to heavy-gauge ballistic steel in this armored (B6) Tactical Chevrolet Suburban.

Therefore, we hypothesized these occasional cell-phone reception problems could be avoided using powerful two-way business radios, thus allowing Dr. Sterba to remain in reliable communication with the office, whether in or out of the armored emergency vehicle, or inside certain insulated homes using two-way UHF (403-512 mHz) radios.

Conclusions and Recommendations: There were seven conclusions with recommendations from this 30-day T&E Trial using two-way radios for actual patient-care on Emergency Physician House Calls™ using the PORTABLE ER® and while traveling throughout the hilly, rural medical service area. 

Summary. Two-way radio communications equipped an emergency physician to reliably and securely communicate while conducting Emergency Physician House Calls™ transporting the PORTABLE ER® caring for those in greater need in a hilly, rural environment.

REFERENCE TEXTBOOK

"TEXTBOOK of EQUIPPING FOR DISASTERS. SHELTERING AT HOME"

image.jpg

Revised & Expanded, Sixth Edition.

Authors

John A. Sterba, M.D., Ph.D., FACEP, FACCWS and

Janice E. Sterba 

TEXTBOOK of EQUIPPING FOR DISASTERS,

Sixth Edition, Copyrighted 2024

“This 252-page Reference Book has been expanded & fully field-tested to teach us how to best care 

for each other

Since 1998,‘Dr. John’ and Mrs. Janice E. Sterba have told people about Jesus Christ, while caring for people’s needs through Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., East Aurora, NY. They encourage us to remain obedient to the LORD’s commands, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) and “This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17).

“This 252-page Reference Book has been expanded & fully tested to teach us how to best care for each other as Good Neighbors, during and recovering from all disasters.”

  • Prayer and Community Based Home-Care Ministry: TheSafe Haven Home; Determining needs in your neighborhood; Medically-trained people as our neighbors; Volunteers; Planning ahead & Using the Emergency Information Sheet
  • Food Pantry for the Home and Community-Based Disaster Shelters: Economical shopping; Balanced-diet; Long-term safe storage of food
  • Home Preparation Guide and Mini-Guide: 25 Home Systems (heating, electrical systems, etc.); Making & storing drinking water; Safety & well-being.
  • Emergency Physician-written, Home Care Instructions for 45 Common Illnesses & Injuries: East-to-understand teaching by a doctor.
  • Community-Based, DISASTER SHELTERS: Loss of power; Complete care.
  • Community-Based, PORTABLE ER: “The Portable ER” in 101-pages; 92 Medical & Surgical Kits and Cases with full inventory including ordering I.D. numbers and Portable Dispensary Cabinets-PDCs for all medications from all drug categories; Inventories of economical, essential antibiotics & pain meds.
  • Community-Based, MOBILE ER: Motor homes; Staffing; Disaster care

Since 1998, Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc. faithfully provides for those in greater need. Its Corporation’s Purposes include: “To relieve poverty, hunger, illness, homelessness and other forms of suffering in the world; to assist underprivileged people to improve their living conditions; to offer hope, comfort and aid those in need, particularly widows and orphans; to respond to natural and man-made disasters; to testify to the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ;”

Dr. John A. Sterba is a missionary doctor and former operational Medical Officer (Navy Commander). He clinically practices and teaches Emergency Medicine in NY State. He is Board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Wound Medicine and Surgery and Urgent Care Medicine for children and adults. Dr. Sterba is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP) and Fellow of the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists (FACCWS). He has academic appointments from the University of Sierra Leone, West Africa and the Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo (recently renamed to the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital), University of Buffalo, NY School of Medicine.

Please make your tax-deductible donation to "Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc." with PayPal or Credit Card, here: 

Previous Research Articles

1.  Sterba, JA, BT Rogers, AP France, DA Vokes. Horseback riding in children with cerebral palsy: effects on gross motor function. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2002, 44: 301-308.

2.  Sterba, JA. Adaptive downhill skiing therapy in children with cerebral palsy: effect on gross motor function. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2006 Winter; 18(4):289-96.

3.  Sterba, JA. A Review: Does Horseback Riding Therapy or Therapist-Directed Hippotherapy Rehabilitate Children with Cerebral Palsy? Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2007, 49: 68-73.

4.  Sterba, JA, D Safar-Riessen, M DeForest. Effect of aquatic therapy on Gross Motor Function Measure in children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2004: No. 99 (suppl), Vol. 46, page 47-48.

Mission Guide

Sterba, JA. Mission Guide: Caribbean and Central America. Saved by Grace Ministry, Inc., East Aurora, NY, 2009.

Please contact us and we will happily Email or U.S. Mail you a copy of this Instructional Missionary Booklet for free, no donations requested.  

Our Email is PhysicianHouseCalls@roadrunner.com and our Office Phone Number is (716) 655-6854.

May the LORD Jesus bless, protect and provide for you and your family. Amen!

Dr. and Mrs. John and Janice Sterba

(Ephesians 2: 8-10)

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