RCES Celebrates 50 Years

Rapid City Emergency Services (RCES), an independent and physician run organization, which partners with Monument Health in offering emergency medicine support, recently celebrated 50 years of providing care in the Black Hills. 

Other than Monument Health, RCES works within the emergency room at hospitals in Hot Springs, Custer and Spearfish. Its physicians treat between 110 and 170 patients per day, with an average of 10 and 30 patients per provider. 

“I see about 20 to 25 patients per shift. Remember, these are all very sick patients, requiring lots of time and resources to care for,” said Patrick Tibbles, M.D., President and CEO of RCES. 

RCES got its start in December of 1973, triggered by the big flood of 1972, with four physicians on its roster. “Today, we’ve grown to 15 physicians, seven advanced practice providers (APPs) and one administrative staff, who provide 24/7 emergency department coverage,” he added.