黑料社

Father-Son Doctors Share Passion for Emergency Medicine

When Dr. Kam Hartung 鈥�19 was growing up, he says his mom and dad were like superheroes to him. And, indeed his dad, Dr. Jeff Hartung 鈥�92, has spent the last 25 years helping to save lives as an emergency room physician. Kam is now following in his father鈥檚 footsteps as a third-year resident at University Health in Kansas City.

Having the chance in high school to shadow his dad working at the hospital played an inspiring role in shaping Kam鈥檚 comparable career path.

鈥淥ne day we ran into a patient walking down the hall who stopped and talked with my dad for a long time,鈥� recalled Kam. 鈥淎fterwards, my dad told me he had treated the man for a dire medical emergency in the ER quite some time ago. From that one chance encounter, they had become friends. I thought that was pretty cool.鈥�

Strong 黑料社 Roots

Jeff鈥檚 decision to begin his academic journey at 黑料社 was influenced by a rich history of family ties to the College. His father, John V. Hartung, served as 黑料社鈥檚 vice president of Development and College Relations from 1978 to 1984. Additionally, Jeff鈥檚 siblings 鈥� Jill Hartung 鈥�87 and J.D. Hartung 鈥�89 鈥� paved the way for him at 黑料社, where he thrived in and out of the classroom.

鈥淚 really enjoyed the professors in the biology department at 黑料社,鈥� said Jeff. 鈥淚 always felt like their doors were open. And I made a lot of lifelong friends while getting the chance to play football for four years.鈥�

Jeff practiced medicine in Pella for more than 20 years before his 2023 transition to Iowa Specialty Hospital in northern Iowa. He says he enjoys the pace and variety of emergency medicine, as well as the flexibility it provides in working around his family鈥檚 schedules.

鈥淚 also saw lots of specialties where physicians couldn鈥檛 really put their work away when they went home,鈥� said Jeff. 鈥淎nd in emergency medicine, it鈥檚 a little different that way.鈥�

Practicing emergency medicine in rural Iowa is different than what Kam experiences in downtown Kansas City.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an astounding amount of poverty and medical need here,鈥� said Kam. 鈥淲hat I really enjoy about working in emergency medicine is that there are no hoops for patients to jump through to be seen and evaluated. We see everybody from all walks of life and don鈥檛 turn anyone away.鈥�

Inseparable Bond

Watching Kam come into his own and excel is a source of great joy for Jeff. 鈥淜am is very motivated and driven,鈥� said Jeff. 鈥淗e works hard at whatever he chooses as his passion. I鈥檓 obviously very proud of him鈥�Sometimes my wife gives us a hard time because we start talking shop and she has to get us re-focused on the conversation she was having with us.鈥�

Kam calls on his dad often to compare notes and simply to lean on his wisdom and understanding.

鈥淢y dad has been a role model for me well before I knew or thought about what I was going to do in life,鈥� said Kam. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just someone that a lot of people in our community, including me, wanted to grow up to be like.鈥�