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OUR STORY

Central Emergency Physicians was founded in 1991 to provide emergency physician services at Central Baptist Hospital. Back then, the hospital was small with the emergency department seeing around 13,000 patients per year. Over the years, both CEP and the hospital, now called Baptist Health Lexington, have grown immensely. 

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            The BH Lexington's footprint has expanded many times and the ED with it.  We were seeing close to 45,000 patients annually before COVID hit. No one in our group was laid off throughout COVID and now in 2024 the ED's annual volume is around 55,000 and increasing. 

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February 1, 2024, Central Emergency Physicians took over the Baptist Health Richmond Emergency Department with a current annual patient census of 38,000.    We expanded physician coverage and created overlapping shifts to avoid patient hand-offs, increasing efficiency and improving safety practices.

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CEP is now made up of about 40 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

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            We are proud to be the only independent, democratic, fee-for-service ED group in Lexington and Richmond. We strive for excellence in efficient patient care and in our relationships with hospital medical staff and administration.

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We are also proud to be an integral part of a hospital that for years, including 2023, has been ranked either 1st, 2nd or 3rd "Best Hospitals in Kentucky"

by US News and World Report . 

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Breast Cancer Awareness - Painted Horse Statue
Lee Irwin, MD
Our Story: About
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