Ozarks Medical Center

At Ozarks Medical Center (OMC) in West Plains, Missouri, we take pride in the fact that we are neighbors providing care to neighbors. In addition to providing the compassionate care our patients deserve, we continually strive to bring high technology health care to the region, through the development of new services, the acquisition of new equipment and the recruitment of high-quality health care professionals.

OMC is a 114-bed, not-for-profit medical referral center serving an 11-county area in south central Missouri and north central Arkansas. OMC employs approximately 1,300 people and serves a population base of 160,000.

Ozarks Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an independent, not-for-profit organization that develops standards of quality in collaboration with health professionals.

Our Mission, Vision and Values

At Ozarks Medical Center, our mission is to provide high quality, compassionate health care and promote wellness in the communities we serve.

Our Vision is to be the best rural health care system in America.

Our core values are:

Respect: Having a regard for life, dignity and uniqueness of those served and serving.

Compassion: Expressing care and concern for others through our attitudes and actions.

Integrity: Maintaining the highest standards of behavior, encompassing honesty, ethical practices and doing the right things for the right reasons.

Superior Service: Providing the highest quality of care, consistently exceeding our customers' expectations.

Teamwork: Having a unified commitment to demonstrate pride, responsibility and accountability in working together to achieve excellence.

Enthusiasm: Inspiring others by displaying a positive attitude in all we say and do.

Quality

At Ozarks Medical Center, our physicians, nurses, staff, administration and board of directors are dedicated to providing quality care to our patients. Our goal is to demonstrate superior clinical quality, safety and effectiveness. We strive to create a culture of safety and quality for all services: every patient, every time.

As a measure of our quality, Ozarks Medical Center participates in the national Hospital Compare quality measure tracking program, coordinated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Hospital Compare quality report compares OMC’s performance in key areas of health care delivery to that of other regional and national hospitals.

If you would like to view Ozarks Medical Center’s results on the Hospital Compare website, you may click on the link below. Enter our zip code 65775 when prompted, then follow the instructions on the site.

Please remember that CMS data is one year old. At any time you visit this link, you will be viewing data measured one year ago.

http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/

Data and resources on the quality of care provided by Missouri hospitals is also available from the Missouri Hospital Association's website, Missouri Health Matters.

www.missourihealthmatters.com/hospital-quality/

Medical Staff

The people of this region can be very proud of the high caliber of physicians currently on staff at OMC. With more than 100 doctors, OMC has a strong core of primary care physicians as well as numerous specialists. Click here to find a physician.

History

On March 2, 1959 a historic milestone was reached when West Plains Memorial Hospital opened its doors, admitted its first patient and began serving the local community. More than 50 years later, Ozarks Medical Center is continuing its mission of providing quality health care the community can depend on.

Throughout its half-century of operation OMC has grown from a 42-bed hospital to a 114-bed complete health care system, which programs include heart care, cancer treatment, behavioral health care and rehabilitation services.

The Beginnings

OMC began to take shape in 1954 when a campaign began to raise the $350,000 needed to match federal funds to build the hospital. It took 56 months and a huge effort by the community but the campaign was a success. The hospital opened in March 1959 and on April 30 of that year, more than 3,000 people attended an open house and ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening.

Time of Expansion

In 1970, 24 beds, an intensive care unit, treatment room and family room were added to the original building. A second expansion was completed in 1974 that fulfilled the need for cafeteria space, office space and a waiting area. A third expansion project was completed in 1978. This time adding to the hospital 38 beds to the hospital, a new laboratory, X-ray department, physical therapy department, surgical suite, respiratory care and emergency room services.

Reaching Out

In the 1980s the hospital acquired Heart of the Ozarks Medical Equipment
(H.O.M.E.) as a for-profit subsidiary, built the Doctor’s Pavillion and opened a stress unit.

Recognizing that the hospital was serving much more than the West Plains area, in 1985 the board of trustees changed the hospital’s name to Ozarks Medical Center positioning the organization to become a regional medical referral center.

In 1989, OMC fulfilled another large need in the community by opening the Heart Care Center, including a cardiac diagnostic lab and cardiac catheterization lab. According to the then administration, the catheterization lab was opened to treat an estimated 500 patients each year who previously drove several hours to receive cardiac diagnostic procedures.

Growth of Services

In the 1990s, OMC underwent major growth and expanding services. Several area clinics became part of the OMC system, including facilities in Winona, West Plains, Thayer, Gainesville and Salem, Ark. In addition, OMC now has clinics in Mountain Grove, Mountain View, Alton and Mammoth Spring, Ark. Also in the 1990s, the OMC Neurosciences Center opened, Riverways Hospice services began and OMC received accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The external appearance of the hospital changed drastically in 1993 when a 47,000-square-foot expansion/renovation project was completed, providing new space for the medical/surgical floor, ICU, medical records, admissions, emergency department, mammography suite, gift shop and waiting room.

In 1997, OMC was awarded a state contract to provide mental health services for a seven-county region and OMC Behavioral Healthcare opened in the former West Vue Nursing Home. In 1998, the Shaw Medical Building was completed, providing space for the Cancer Treatment Center, Outpatient Imaging Services and Rehabilitation Services.

Major Milestones

The next big expansion for OMC was in 2001 when the OMC Surgical Services facility opened. The facility houses more than $2 million worth of state-of-the-art surgical equipment.

In 2005, a major milestone was reached when open-heart surgeries began at OMC. Today, OMC Heart Care Services sees approximately 1,200 patients each month, including Cardiac Rehabilitation patients.

In 2009, OMCcelebrated 50 years of providing quality health care to the community.

In 2010, OMC opened its new state-of-the-art, 16-bed Emergency Department.

In 2011, OMC made $3 million in improvements to its Cancer Treatment Center, including a new linear accelerator.

In 2012, OMC broke ground on a new home for the OMC Mountain Grove Medical Complex.

In 2013, OMC celebrated improvements to the OMC Parkway Center, home to the Community Educaiton Facility.

OMC Board of Directors

The primary responsibility for assuring that OMC achieves its mission rests with the OMC Board of Directors. This governing body has responsibility for the direction of the organization. It has a 15-member, volunteer board made up of physicians and dedicated community members. Current members are:

Marge Slayton Chairwoman

Kevin Gleghorn,
Vice Chairman

Greg Beykirch Secretary

Kenneth Joplin Treasurer

Judy Ingalsbe

mor

John McCormack, MD

Charles Morgan, MD

Travis Morrison

Gideon Morrison, MD

Roger Shaw III, DVM

Logan Dale

Travis Smith

Aaron Mills, MD

Bill Wood

Robert Martin, MD