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Physician assistant Austin Lutz joins staff of Oaklawn’s After Hours Express
MARSHALL – Austin Lutz didn’t have far to look for inspiration about a future career. He found a role model in his mother, a medical professional.
“My mom worked for about 25 years at the West Michigan Cancer Center in downtown Kalamazoo, helping doctors determine levels of radiation patients should receive,” he said.
“When I was younger, I would go to the center after school and saw how she really enjoyed helping others out, and how much other people meant to her. I wanted to follow in those footsteps to see whether I could help people also.”
Now a medical professional himself, Lutz is looking forward to serving Marshall area residents at Oaklawn’s After Hours Express as a physician assistant.
Appointments for medical services are not required at After Hours Express – Marshall, situated in Suite B at 1174 W. Michigan Ave. The service is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Additional information is available by calling (269) 789-4390.
Although a native of South Bend, Indiana, Lutz moved at an early age with his family to the Kalamazoo area, where he has spent almost his entire life.
“In middle school, I realized I wanted to do something in the medical field,” he said. The interest was further spurred by an incident during which he accidentally suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while in high school.
“I was going to a physical therapist and asked him how he liked his job,” Lutz said. The therapist responded with an explanation of his own job, but — knowing that Lutz was actively interested in medicine — suggested that Lutz might better apply that interest to work as a physician assistant.
Lutz began to pursue certification as a nursing aide, and after graduation from Plainwell High School, he worked in nursing homes while attending Western Michigan University. He graduated from WMU in 2016 with a bachelor of science degree in major interdisciplinary health services.
Lutz worked in the Kalamazoo area as a lead emergency technician and a home health aide, eventually determining that he would pursue a career as a physician assistant. Lutz subsequently enrolled in Drexel University, from which he graduated in 2021 with a master of health science degree.
Lutz is licensed to practice in Michigan and is certified by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Associates and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He is further certified in basic life support and advanced cardiac life support.
Lutz has clinical experience in pediatrics, general surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine, women’s health, urgent care and family medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Associates and the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates.
Lutz and his wife of five years, the former Tricia Gernaat, moved to Marshall earlier this year. The family includes two dogs — a Spanish water dog named Millie and a German shepherd named Mando. Lutz enjoys playing with his dogs during visits to Long Lake in Portage and golfing with family members.
“My parents grew up in Bronson and my best friends live in Coldwater so I’ve known the area a long time,” Lutz explained.
“During my time working in Kalamazoo, my medical co-workers talked very highly of Oaklawn,” he said. “They spoke so highly of the hospital that I looked at the possibility of working in a place that had such a reputation but still was close to family. That was a big part of the choice to move to town.”
