SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Thomas White, MD, was recently recognized as the inaugural speaker for the Westerbuhr-Forney lecture at the second annual Western Nebraska Trauma Symposium.

On Oct. 4, physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and emergency services personnel gathered to further their knowledge and understanding of trauma-related subjects from guest speakers who are experts in their disciplines. This year, the symposium initiated the Westerbuhr-Forney lecture, a special series that honors past Regional West surgeons Lloyd Westerbuhr, MD, and Glen Forney, MD.

Westerbuhr and Forney are credited with founding not only Regional West’s trauma network, but also the statewide trauma system. After starting at Regional West in 1977 and 1980, respectively, Westerbuhr and Forney were at the forefront of many innovative procedures and services, including verifying Regional West as a Level II Trauma Center in 1996 and bringing Air Link air medical services to the region. 

“They had a vision, and they never really took credit for it,” said Rommie Hughes, MD, FACS, RPVI, Regional West Trauma Services medical director and a surgeon at Regional West Physicians Clinic-Surgery, Vascular Diagnostics. “They wanted the people they brought in as their partners to be more successful than they were, and that’s a trait you don’t see very often.”

White, a former surgeon at Regional West who is currently a trauma surgeon at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, worked alongside Westerbuhr and Forney earlier in his career. Before presenting his lecture, “Be Spineful!” White expressed gratitude for being selected as the first special lecture speaker.

“This is a big honor, and I’m glad to be the first one for this lecture,” he said.

About Regional West

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Nebraska is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a regional referral center celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024 and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s sole tertiary medical center, Regional West features an expansive array of medical specialties and numerous physician clinics. Regional West offers comprehensive and innovative healthcare services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.