Dr. Kara Hartl, an eye surgeon and founder of Austin-based Troy Medical, wakes up at 5 a.m., eager for another day of helping to bring extraordinary care to rural communities. After a quick breakfast and a strong cup of coffee, she heads to Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Her first patient, Mrs. Carter, awaits cataract surgery—a routine but transformative procedure.
Entering the operating room, Dr. Hartl is confident that everything she needs for a successful surgery day is attended to because of her partnership with Vantage Surgical Solutions, a mobilized specialty surgery company that partners with rural hospitals and physicians to provide their communities access to more care.
Two weeks prior to surgery, her Vantage Surgery Coordinator worked with her to make her equipment and supply selections for each of the 21 patients she has scheduled today.
During her pre-op appointment, Dr. Hartl met with Mrs. Carter and her husband to help select the best lens option for her lifestyle and budget. Being an active 62-year-old who loves outdoor activities and is an avid golfer, Mrs. Carter opted for the Vivity extended depth of focus lens and is excited to get back to a clearer view of her game.
Upon arrival, Dr. Hartl prepares meticulously, reviewing patient files and confirming the procedures with Leanna Rhodes, her Vantage Surgical Technologist. The room hums with activity as her tech and team ready the equipment.
As the anesthesia takes effect, she starts the surgery, deftly maneuvering the delicate instruments to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial one. The precision and finesse required in eye surgeries demand complete focus.
In under 10 minutes, Dr. Hartl successfully concludes the sight-restoring surgery and meets with Mrs. Carter post-op, ensuring she understands the aftercare instructions and feels comfortable. Seeing the joy and gratitude in her patient’s eyes is the most rewarding part of her job.
The rest of the day went as smoothly as her first procedure, due to the experience delivered by Vantage and the clinical expertise and technologies they deliver. Not having to worry about those details helps her to provide even more focus on delivering an exceptional experience for her patients. She believes in empowering her patients with knowledge and strives to make them feel informed and confident in their decisions.
As the day winds down, Dr. Hartl reviews the day’s cases, documenting and planning for the rest of her week. She takes pride in providing comprehensive care and ensuring her patients’ well-being even after they leave the operating room.
Leaving the hospital, Dr. Hartl reflects on the day’s successes and challenges. Despite the long hours and demanding nature of her job, the gratitude and smiles from her patients make it all worthwhile. She heads home, knowing she’s made a difference in people’s lives, and eagerly anticipates doing it all over again tomorrow.
We knew if we’re going to do this, we had to do it right, and do it all the way. We bring to the table the fractional surgeons who are committed to transforming rural care and partner with Vantage to provide access to all the best equipment, and all the best resources. We aren’t going to cut corners or skimp in any way. Vantage makes that possible.
Dr. Hartl strongly believes that access to quality eye care should extend beyond urban centers. Her passion for reaching these markets is rooted in her belief that everyone, regardless of their location or financial status, deserves access to extraordinary care. It started with her first foray with world-renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute where she received extraordinary training equipping her for any career path. She then took the path less traveled and found herself building a state-of-the-art surgical facility in rural Alaska that rivaled anything in the US. It was there she proved that exceptional care wasn’t bound by geography, but that “ivory tower” medical care is available to everyone. And that fueled her dedication to improving eye health in rural communities leaving a positive, lasting impact on multiple generations.
Today, through her company, Troy Medical, Dr. Hartl fills an important gap in rural healthcare by making specialty care available where it has never been offered before. Bringing in fractional surgeons and chronic care specialists to rural communities to deliver extraordinary care is just the start. Fueling them with Vantage’s solutions that include curating all the logistical details including the very best technology, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform ophthalmic surgeries and gastroenterological procedures makes it possible. And doing it without the upfront capital that often makes it prohibitive for facilities to do it on their own makes it sustainable.
Dr. Hartl’s approach, through the great work at Troy Medical, and in partnership with organizations like Vantage Surgical Solutions, is transforming rural care and is responding directly to the growing demands of today’s aging and rural populations.
For more information about Troy Medical, visit them at www.troymed.com.
To learn more about Vantage Surgical Solutions, visit them at www.vantage.healthcare.