Richard Eck, ARNP, originally thought his interest in medicine would lead him into psychiatric care, but one day in the Emergency Department (ED) during school changed his mind.

Richard began in medicine as a nurse in Burbank, California. He then returned to school to train as an advanced registered nurse practitioner and he’s been working at Samaritan’s ED since 2017. Providing ED care is different for each patient because their needs are so different.

“I really love the success of seeing a patient when I can help them in one ED visit,” said Eck. “Lacerations, dislocations, broken bones—the look on a patient’s face after I’ve been able to help them is fantastic. The key is to find out why the patient came in—it’s not always visible on an x-ray or lab test. Many times, patients want someone they trust to listen to them and calm their fears.”

Richard and his family moved from Los Angeles to Moses Lake because he knew L.A. wasn’t a place he wanted to raise children. Now they enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking, plus snowboarding in the winter.