Prowers Medical Center is delighted to welcome Dr. Jeff Johnson and Dr. Ernest Steinle, both of Rural Physicians Group, to our physician team.

We are fortunate to have such skilled, experienced general surgeons providing essential surgical coverage in Lamar around-the-clock, 365 days a year. Drs. Johnson and Steinle started at Prowers Medical Center in February and March of this year, respectively. They rotate two weeks on, two weeks off, with one of them in-house/locally on-call at all times.

Meet Dr. Jeff Johnson

Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Surgery. He has been a surgeon since 2003, including more than 15 years working in busy hospitals in Houston and Austin, Texas. He served as Chief of Staff at Seton Southwest Hospital. In Lamar, he and Dr. Steinle are performing upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, gallbladder removals, appendectomies and more.

“The goal is to do everything that’s appropriate and safe to do at Prowers Medical Center,” Dr. Johnson said. “The staff here is wonderful. I enjoy working with the surgical team, including the anesthetist, surgical tech and OR nurse. And the entire hospital and community have been very welcoming.

“The first job of the surgeon, however, is to decide if surgery is needed,” he added. “I will always recommend what’s best for the patient, and it’s not always surgery. Sometimes it’s physical therapy, watchful waiting or other measures.”

Dr. Johnson has spent the past two years working brief, temporary stints in hospitals throughout Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Illinois. He has found that he especially likes practicing in rural facilities. “I like the small hospital atmosphere,” he said. “There’s a lot of fulfillment. It’s nice to be in a place where you’re needed and appreciated. Now, at Prowers Medical Center, I’m glad to be settling down in one place.”

Dr. Johnson has two young adult sons who live in Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and birding. “I like getting outside as much as possible,” he said. He’s also a sports fan who follows the Houston Astros and is getting acquainted with the Rockies.

Meet Dr. Ernie Steinle

Also certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Steinle (pronounced STINE•ly) comes to us from hospital posts in Salida, Colorado, by way of Walla Walla, Washington, and before that, Pueblo, Colorado. He has been a surgeon since 1997 and served as Chief of Surgery in both Walla Walla and Pueblo.

“My role at Prowers Medical Center is a good opportunity for me to have a different surgical schedule—two intensive weeks on followed by two weeks to spend on more leisurely pursuits,” he said. “I believe it’s also a good opportunity for the Lamar-area community to have permanent, full-time surgical coverage. It’s a win-win.”

Dr. Steinle concurs that offering both emergency and planned general surgical procedures in Lamar is essential to the community. “We’ll do as many surgeries locally as possible with the goal of always having excellent outcomes,” he said. “That will always be taken into consideration.”

Dr. Steinle likes living and working in rural communities. “Lamar is similar to where I grew up—near Douglas, Wyoming,” he said. “My brother still runs the cattle ranch there that has been in our family for over 100 years. I’m very comfortable with the agricultural community spirit.”

Dr. Steinle and his wife, Teresa, have two grown children who live in Wyoming. The couple enjoys hiking and skiing. They make their home in Salida, but Teresa looks forward to joining her husband in Lamar during his stays here.

Learn More about our Surgical Services