Blood Drive Recognized: Kelvin McMillan, blood drive coordinator for Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, accepts a recognition plaque from Oklahoma Blood Institute CEO, Dr. John Armitage, far right. Joining in the presentation are Sally Reser, Board president, and Susan Crews, executive director, both from the Ardmore Donor Center; and Richard Barker, hospital administrator
Mercy Health/Love County has been recognized as the most productive hospital for blood drives in the southern region of the Ardmore Donor Center.
The blood collection center covers eight counties in southeastern Oklahoma.
Kelvin McMillan, director of laboratory services and blood drive coordinator, accepted the hospital’s award at a donor appreciation banquet in Ardmore.
Making the award were Dr. John Armitage, CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute, and, from the Ardmore Donor Center, Sally Reser, president of the Board of Directors, and Susan Crews, executive director.
The hospital has collected over 400 pints of blood since 2007, the most recent OBI collection figures show.
OBI was served by 477 blood drives in 2012. It collected 13,857 pints, which ranked 9th in the nation.
Blood units are distributed to 150 hospitals in the state, as needed, for the benefit of patients who need life-saving blood transfusions. Each unit saves three lives.
To meet demand for blood, OBI needs to collect an average of 700 units per day, Armitage said.
Tobacco-Free Hospital: Carolyn Garner, registered respiratory therapist and respiratory care practitioner, displays signage and receptacle emblematic of the new policy barring smoking and smokeless tobacco use anywhere on Mercy Health/Love County property, to include parking lots and grounds.
The local Board of Control for Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic, and EMS has adopted a 100% tobacco-free policy.
The policy went into effect February 1.
Smoking and the use of other tobacco products no longer are allowed inside or outside buildings of the hospital, clinic, or ambulance stations or anywhere on the grounds, including inside parked cars in the parking areas.
Becoming a 100% tobacco-free facility has been a several year process. Previous policy barred indoor smoking only and there were an enclosed smoking lounge and an open smoking pavilion on the perimeter of the property.
In addition to eliminating those areas, the new policy prohibits all tobacco products in all locations. Products include cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco, as well as electronic cigarettes.
The policy applies to all hospital staff, patients, and visitors.
In announcing the new policy, Mercy Health/Love County Administrator Richard Barker noted that the Board’s stance is in concert with the practice at hospitals and clinics affiliated with Mercy Health System of Oklahoma and with the Health Improvement Initiative of the Oklahoma Hospital...
A heart specialist, Dr. Robert A. Benson, is now seeing patients at Mercy Health/Love County clinic.
New patients may obtain an appointment without referral by contacting the clinic at 276-2400, said clinic director Connie Barker.
Dr. Benson is in Marietta once a month. His main office is in Ardmore, telephone 226-1110.
He performs heart testing and surgery at Mercy Hospital Ardmore and at Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and any concerns about heart health are reasons to consult a heart specialist, Benson said.
“By age 40, an assessment is good to have, and regular cholesterol checks can be done here,” he added.
Benson received his medical training from Tulane University in New Orleans and his cardiology specialty training in Albany, NY.
He is board certified in cardiology and internal medicine.
Connecticut born, Benson has lived for several years in Oklahoma, where, he said, he enjoys the warmth of the climate and the people.
There is a high incidence of heart disease in Oklahoma. However, Benson pointed out that heart disease is “the number one killer for men and women across the nation.”
To reduce risk factors, people can engage in proper exercise and diet, take medications when prescribed, and avoid smoking, he said.
Exercise strengthens the heart’s capacity to pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body, while a balanced diet keeps fats from...
The Love County Community Coalition is in the second year of a fitness and nutrition grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement and Endowment Trust (TSET).
The purpose of the grant is to increase opportunities for people to find and consume healthy foods and to engage in regular physical activity where they live, work, and go to school.
From this endeavor, the Coalition’s Health and Fitness Committee – the TSET grant implementer – has drawn vigorous support from community partners like Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
The Hospital, in the interest of preventing chronic illness by helping patients be fit and healthy, recently proposed that 10 acres of land on the north side of the facility be put to use for trails and recreation.
Plans for Love County Legacy Park are to have a one-mile trail around the circumference of the acreage, suitable for walking, jogging, biking, skateboarding, and roller skating.
The trail will be paved for wheelchair accessibility.
Future trails are anticipated that will connect to Shellenberger Park, one-half mile east, and to the nursing home one-quarter mile west.
The Love County Commissioners, acting on behalf of the county-owned hospital, has applied for a $162,000 recreational trails grant from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.
In addition, Commissioners voted at their January 14 meeting to...
Caption: Ann Langston, center, celebrates with Dr. J.T. O’Connor, Jr. and his wife, Karen. Langston and O’Connor retired in December after a combined 77 years at the hospital.
Two notable retirements at the end of 2012 have left a profound legacy on Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic, and EMS.
The careers of Dr. J.T. O’Connor, Jr., physician, and Ann Langston, executive assistant, covered almost the entire 40-year history of the hospital, with O’Connor affiliating in 1973 and Langston in 1974.
Such kind people in such key positions for such a long time eventually set the tone for employee and patient relations within the institution, according to their colleagues.
“I never saw either one of them angry,” said Richard Barker, administrator and CEO, who served alongside them both for just about as many years.
“Both brought a calm assuredness to their ability to assess a situation and take action with the other person’s well-being at heart. They were mentors to many. Their thinking was valued and welcomed,” he said.
“It’s sad to lose them at the same time after so many years, but we know them and that they will still be serving with zeal and enthusiasm in the community.”
O’Connors Put Out the ‘Gone Fishin’ Sign
Karen and Tom O’Connor have plans for the camping, kayaking, and family fishing trips they often had to set aside during his 39 years as a physician.
“We’re headed for the Blue River,” Karen O’Connor said...