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“ I t ’s About Endurance.”

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So says Max Baier, a certi-fied physician assistant andfamily nurse practitioner,speaking about his love ofbowling a “squad” — six oreight consecutive games.Endurance and concentra-tion also applies to Max’sdedicated work with SIUSchool of Medicine’sDepartment of Family andCommunity Medicine insouthern Illinois.

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It’s early winter, and the first snowstorm of theseason has hit southern Illinois. Blustering winds,dropping temperatures and blowing snow are

the talk of the West Frankfort Family Practice Med-ical Center. Multiple cars have skidded into thehighway ditch. It’s the kind of day where one is gladto stay in the office from 9 to 5 — or stay at home.

But Max Baier shrugs as he glances out at thefalling snow. “I love my work. I grow in some wayevery day.” Even in the middle of a snowstorm,Max is happy to drive the 90 minutes round triphe’ll make on a typical day, which often ends longafter 5 p.m. He’s already spent the morning treatingpatients 10 miles from home at the rural health cen-ter in Benton, fighting the slowing traffic.

“After I finish here (at West Frankfort FamilyPractice), I’ll either go to my office at Family andCommunity Medicine in Carbondale (33 milesaway) or to the Urgent Care here in West Frank-fort. It closes at 9 p.m.” Max is the clinical supervisorof the Urgent Care at the West Frankfort facility.“This town doesn’t have a hospital, so there really isa need for an Urgent Care facility here.”

It’s a hectic schedule, but Max loves the varietythat his 20 years of work as a nurse practitionerand physician assistant has allowed. “Mid-levelpractitioners can see 85 percent of the patients aphysician sees,” he says, calling himself a “depen-dent practitioner, meaning I always have backup.”Within 24 hours, a physician signs off on his diagno-sis and treatment of each patient. “It’s a secure feel-ing that even though I am by myself physically,physicians are always here, or only a phone callaway when I need them.” He thrives on the varietyof patients, locations and ailments that make up thetypical day. “I love going up to an exam-room doornot knowing what’s behind it,” he says.

In addition to seeing an average of 25 patients aday ranging from infants to 100-year-olds, Max alsoteaches the crop of physician residents who do arotation at the family practice center, a mix of 18first-, second- and third-year trainees. Physicianassistant and medical students also observe his clin-ical technique while he treats his patients. “I lovethe problem-based learning at SIU,” he says. “It’s amore exciting way to learn, and I like sharing thatwith the students and residents.”

Originally from a tiny town northwest of theBlack Hills of South Dakota, Max notes that WestFrankfort, population 10,000, is also a rural, under-served area. Coal miners and the children of coalminers are a significant part of Max’s patient base,

Max Baier divides his day among the Benton clinic, the West

Frankfort clinic and his Carbondale office.

and he notes respiratory disease, allergies and short-term infections as their top diagnoses.

Max is a former R.N. and trauma nurse specialist,clinically supervising nursing personnel at the emer-gency department at Carbondale Hospital. Seeking toplay a more autonomous role, he went back to schoolto become a physician assistant, graduating in 1982.He’s been with SIU since 1989, where he has helpeddevelop SIU’s physician assistant training programwith his mentor, Penelope Tippy, M.D., professor anddirector of the Department of Family and CommunityMedicine in Carbondale. “She’s my main mentor andbest friend,” he says.

Max admits he puts much more intensity and con-centration into his patient care than he does into hisbowling game. A member of the Professional Bowler’sAssociation (PBA), he resists declaring his bowlingaverage, but he attends several tournaments a yearthroughout the region.

Upon successful completion of the rigors and stressof PBA school many years ago, Max bowled 13 gamesa day after work in an attempt to stay competitive inthe PBA, on both the regional and national levels. “I

like the competitiveness of the sport. It’s all about fig-uring out how to change your technique, speed orequipment to get all 10 pins down.”

Though alley time is less these days, he’s still pas-sionate about his bowling method. “You have to havea strong hand, keep your skin intact, have a goodtechnique and good timing.”

Max finds fun off the lanes too. “I like mingling withthe crowd, going to the gym to work out, playing rac-quetball, even playing golf in between squads, sothere’s plenty of variety.” He also is a fan of local highschool and college sports. “I like going to local sportsevents. It’s a thrill to see your patients on the teams.”

With such a busyschedule, he doesn’t getas much time on thebowling lanes as hecould. “I can’t take thatmuch time away frommy patients,” he says.“And they’re really whatit’s all about.” ■

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After 20 years as a certified physician assistant and family nurse practitioner, Max still loves caring for patients.