Therapy Plus: Hospital Board of Control president Darlene Beardsley, front row center, is joined by the physical therapy unit’s Brenda Beard (l) and Latronda Lornes, and (back) respiratory therapists Ron Kimery and Carolyn Garner in the doorway of the planned conference room segment of the new 3,500 square foot building. The therapy module is being lowered to the foundation on the right. The units will be joined and acquire a brick façade prior to... Read more
An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Basic) course will be offered by Mercy Health/Love County EMS starting August 10.
Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. until mid-November at the Emergency Services building on Merle Wolfe Road near the WinStar Golf Course.
Seating is limited and an entrance exam is required, according to EMS training officer Natasha West, who will teach the course.
A shiny new ambulance is scheduled for delivery at Mercy Health/Love County EMS in August.
The vehicle, which will replace an older model, will keep the fleet at five modern, full life support ambulances. Three will be on duty daily to speed paramedics to the aid of seriously injured or ill residents and visitors to the county, and two will be on standby.
All of the vehicles are equipped with diesel engines and none has more than 100,000 miles of... Read more
Hitting the Books: Dr. Larry D. Powell, center, examines the 12-pound course manual for an advanced life support course Mercy Health/Love County will be co-sponsoring next week. Richard Barker, hospital administrator, (left), and Rod Hargrave, flex program coordinator of the Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, will host the training for area rural hospitals at the Winstar Events Center.
Armed with a 12-pound course manual, a team from Mercy... Read more
Child Abuse Prevention Puppeteers: Holding hand puppets, speech students Erika Agpawa, Karli Plunkett, Brenton Brown, Lauren Navarro, and Trysta Kershner enjoy a light moment during rehearsal, as speech teacher Donna Plunkett, and Community Children’s Shelter counselor Stacey Letkeiwicz look on.
Four years as a puppeteer hasn’t diminished the satisfaction Brenton Brown takes as one of the unseen stars of the annual Child Abuse Prevention Month puppet... Read more
For two reasons, the Poker Run for Children raising money for the Child Advocacy Center (Sara’s House) on April 10 will make five stops, including at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS.
First, there are five counties – Love, Carter, Johnston, Marshall, and Murray – using the center on 16 NW in Ardmore.
But five was also the average number of interviews child victims of rape or serious physical abuse -- the type of assault likely to... Read more
Sissy Burge of Marietta will speak on child abuse prevention efforts in the area to the Love County Community Coalition at a noon luncheon at the Love County Library on April 5.
She will be recognized for leadership as executive director of the C/SARA Foundation in Ardmore.
Her appearance is part of Child Abuse Prevention Month activities in Love County. The Community Coalition has actively supported the prevention, reporting, and... Read more
Coding Detective: Linda Dixon, manager of the health information management department of Mercy Health/Love County, has coded thousands of medical records for reimbursement by Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Some of the most important work in healthcare takes place away from patients.
Coding, for instance.
Assigning the correct code to each medical diagnosis and procedure is especially critical.
Back on Task: Training captain John Gilliam holds a 2009 award for dedicated service and teaching from Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS. Following back surgery, he has resumed training paramedics.
Paramedic training at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS is back on track . . . because the trainer has his back on track.
Instead of starting the institution’s second paramedic class as planned last September,... Read more
Drop-in patients have a new option at Mercy Health/Love County clinic.
A physician assistant has joined the clinic specifically for sick people who are unable to obtain a same-day appointment with their regular practitioner.
“We welcome walk-in patients. They can now be seen in the clinic instead of going to the emergency room most weekdays,” said clinic director Connie Barker.
Testing Daily: Medical technologists in the laboratory of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic, and EMS include (front) Gay Galano, Olivia Sunga, Elmer Denoso, and (back) Carolene Thompson, laboratory services director Kelvin McMillan, and Dunhill Casipong. Not pictured: Richard Acayan, medical technologist, Tad Hall, PA, and Dr. Ron Fattor.
Laboratory tests are the most frequently-performed procedures at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic... Read more
Drive Tops Goal: United Way chair Daren Flanagan (right) celebrates results with (left) Don Sessions, assistant drive chair; Greg Winchester, Red River Valley REA; Linda Briggs, Chickasaw Nation legislator; and Richard Barker, Mercy Health/Love County.
For the fourth autumn in a row, Daren Flanagan of Flanagan/Watts Funeral Home, has overseen a goal-busting United Way drive.
The Love County division contributed a total of $13,531,... Read more
Speedy X-Ray: Elijah Churchill, 3, has a chest x-ray with assistance from his mother, Jamie Churchill. Elijah was one of the first patients to benefit when imaging plates replaced film in the creation of x-rays at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS. He is the great-grandson of the late Sue Cavitt of the hospital staff.
The radiology department at the hospital recently switched from film x-rays to digital x-rays, and that’s been... Read more
Carol and Rick Sommers of Leon display a picture of their three-month old son, Michael Richard Sommers. His death gave them a sense of urgency to improve emrgency response with E911.
Marietta city leaders have announced a grant to employ a fulltime domestic violence officer for the city and county starting January 1.
“We are very pleased. Domestic violence is a paramount issue, not just in Marietta but in Love County and elsewhere. To add an officer with that sole responsibility will make an impact in this community and benefit the entire county,” said Marietta Mayor Michelle Porter.
The grant, for almost $50,000, has been... Read more
SOS for 911:Love County dispatcher Billy Bob Ball appealed for a Yes vote for enhanced 911 services at a public meeting at Turner School. The countywide election is Dec. 8.
An emergency dispatcher and a county sheriff made moving appeals for enhanced 911 at recent public meetings held to explain the election issue to Love County voters.
The final public meetings, both beginning at 7 p.m., will take place at Enville Community Building on Monday,... Read more
No, I did not try to pet Bambi, nor did I take him on in my back yard.
We had a deer circling our house. He kept circling and each time he passed the back yard he eyed the swimming pool. I thought maybe he was thirsty and if I put out a pan of water he wouldn’t jump our fence and mess up the pool.
I put a pan of water outside and joined my husband inside the garage. The deer came around the... Read more
Tad Hall, P.A., manager of Mercy Health/Love County Emergency Department and Love County EMS, and Dr. Vergil Smith pause in the emergency department to talk about what E911 will mean.
Love County offers arguably the best rural ambulance service in Oklahoma – 28 paramedics and EMTs, two stations, five ambulances, a rescue unit, and advanced life-support capabilities for adults and children.
Priceless: Marietta Police Chief Linda Johnson wore a campaign shirt to the E911 planning meeting Monday night. It reads, “E-911 user fee per cell phone – 50¢. E-911 user fee per landline – $2.50. 911 Responder saving your life – PRICELESS.”
A series of five public meetings will help Love County voters determine whether to pass an approximate $2.50 per month fee on landline telephones and a $.50 per month fee on cell... Read more
Pending approval of E-911 service fees by voters on Dec. 8, fully installing an enhanced emergency answering system will take up to three years.
Equipment will not be purchased and operational until the 18-24 month mark.
Mapping and Addressing Takes Months
The most time-consuming stage comes first – mapping and addressing every structure in the county. The fieldwork alone will consume 12-18 months, mapping experts say.
Tad Hall, PA, Cassie Sallee, PA, Dr. J.T. O’Connor, Jr., Kari Cochran, PA, Richard Barker, Mercy Health/Love County CEO, and Connie Barker, clinic manager, celebrate Dr. O’Connor’s award as Physician of the Year from the Oklahoma Academy of Physician Assistants.
Dr. J.T. O’Connor, Jr., D.O., of Marietta was honored as Physician of the Year by the Oklahoma Academy of Physician Assistants at the OAPA annual conference in Norman on Oct. 22.
Love County is one of only 17 counties in Oklahoma that has not implemented telephone service fees in any community to upgrade its 911 system, according to the statewide 911 advisory board.
Put another way, the risk to life and property is relatively greater here than in the other 60 counties because of the added time it takes fire, police, and ambulance to find emergency scenes.
A remedy is the one Love County voters will address on December 8.... Read more
Paramedic Teresa Tow (back to camera) and other Love County medical, law enforcement, and fire responders share stories of delays in response time to 911 calls that can be overcome if voters will approve system improvements.
“Please hurry!” is often the urgent plea of callers to the 911 emergency dispatcher.
But responders say Love County’s outdated 911 answering system costs them valuable minutes in reaching the site of medical, fire, and law... Read more
The new director of the Family Shelter of Southern Oklahoma will be attending her first Candlelight Vigil on October 8.
But Sara Bell is no stranger to the area. The daughter of Vanesa Harper Ramsey and Charles A. Roberts grew up in Marietta. She and her husband, Dillon Bell, graduated with the Marietta class of 1998.
Sara Bell earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources counseling with a minor in psychology at East Central University.
Patricia Dewbre has something to say about the deadly nature of domestic violence, and she hopes lots of acquaintances from her youth in Love County will come out to hear her keynote speech at the second annual Candlelight Vigil at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 at Marietta School Auditorium.
“I survived an incident meant to leave me dead. I want to help other people stop keeping their own situation a dark, dirty secret in the closet and understand they can... Read more
Radio Test: Kevin O’Dell, instructor, points out features of a ham radio set to (back) Charlie Garner, Carolyn Garner, Dusty Michael, Tad Hall; and (front) Jeff Hicks, Obie Heath, and Tracy Walker.
Eight more medical staff and volunteers have joined the ranks of amateur (ham) radio operators to serve Love County in public health emergencies or other disasters.
Carolyn Garner, Charlie Garner, Tad Hall, Jonathan Hall, Jeff Hicks, Dusty Michael,... Read more
Victim advocate Yolanda Gay is asking the public to mark their calendars for an event Marietta School Auditorium to honor the memory of Love County residents who have lost their lives to crimes of domestic violence.
The second annual Candlelight Vigil is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, October 8. Guest speaker will be Patricia Dewbre, a survivor of domestic violence. Gay will also give her survivor testimony.
Music will be by Pemberton & Langley, a... Read more
The city/county office of emergency management has begun offering a free service that allows residents to receive phone text messages or emails concerning public safety emergencies in the county.
“It’s possible for me to send alerts for weather, missing kids and adults, advisories, pretty much any emergency that affects this area, plus community information,” said Tracey Smithwick, agency director.
Dan McLeod, SOAS; Richard Barker, Mercy Health/Love County Administrator; Alex Scott, SOAS; and Brandon Mathews, William Heath, and John Gilliam, Love County EMS, participated in paramedic graduation at Kiamichi Technology Center. (Photo by Connie Barker)
Go to the head of the class, Love County EMS and Mercy Health/Love County!
The only EMS in Oklahoma to offer Paramedic and Basic EMT education to the public graduated its first paramedics in... Read more
A specialist at keeping up with the “next best thing” in computer technology has joined Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic, and EMS.
James Riggs is the first manager of information systems. He will be exploring and implementing ways to use computers to serve patients faster and safer throughout the institution.
“I’m thrilled that James has the desire to come here and help enhance the quality of services to our... Read more
Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic has recently launched a new Web site. The health care site provides information about hospital/clinic/ER programs, services, history, news, and more.
For the 16th year, a Child Abuse Prevention Month puppet show will make its way to all Love County Elementary Schools, April 27-29.
The program was developed by the Love County Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention in 1994. Marietta High School speech and drama students act as the puppeteers.
In the performances, the puppets tell about abuse and what they did about it. The purpose is to make it clear to young children that when personal safety or... Read more
Up to 125 motorcyclists are expected to thunder through Marietta Saturday morning on a benefit ride for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
They will stop briefly at the pavilion on the east side of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic, with the first wave expected around 10:20 a.m.
“A Real Reason to Ride Poker Run” is sponsored by the C/SARA Foundation, whose work in crisis intervention benefits children from Love County and four surrounding... Read more
That One’s Mine: Scott Neu, Paramedic (left) is first out on ambulance calls and Adam Zimmerer, EMT is first out on fire calls from the WinStar station. They are members of the hospital-managed EMS and Fire Brigade serving WinStar casino properties and southern Love County.
EMS Manager Tad Hall, PA and Training Officer Dusty Michael
Fire and Ambulance: Some of the members of the new hospital-managed EMS and Fire Brigade at WinStar... Read more
Love County EMS sent ambulances and rescue units to the scene of the Lone Grove tornado last Tuesday evening.
Local paramedics transported injured patients, engaged in search and rescue for victims trapped in fallen buildings and debris, and supplied radio relays when normal medical communications in the area went down.
The first and last patients taken to hospitals rode in Love County ambulances, said EMS manager Tad Hall, PA.
Dr. J.T. O'Connor, Jr., a physician with Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic, is chairman of the state board that regulates administrators of Oklahoma's 350 nursing homes.
O'Connor has served on the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators since 2005. He was appointed by Governor Brad Henry.
The board licenses and disciplines more than 800 nursing home administrators.
O'Connor has been a family practitioner in... Read more
Seeing a medical practitioner after hours in the local emergency room will no longer be available as an “extended clinic” visit. As of January 1, Medicare regulators say, all care rendered in the emergency room must be regarded as emergency care.
But the emergency room of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital is adjusting its fees to keep rates for “non-emergency patients” comparable to what they were under the extended clinic.
Love County EMS medics Teresa Tow and Justin Cheek ready the hospital’s portable decontamination shower for an educational panel/demonstration on methamphetamine.
The subject happened to be methamphetamine but the underlying message from panelists at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS recently was the same: addiction to any drug or alcohol is a terrible thing.
The panel was preparing local leaders for what the public... Read more
There’s a new answer to the old riddle, “What’s black and white and “read” all over?” Not just the newspaper anymore.
Now there are CT and bone density scans. These are high-resolution black and white images of the body that reveal more about what’s going on inside than a simple x-ray.
The best news of all: Scans are being taken and read for patients at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic.
The two scanners, installed over the winter,... Read more
(from left) Charlene Frazier, Ella Toles, Lula Finch, and Rose Jackson gather fresh vegetables from the new walk-in refrigerator at the Mercy Health/Love County food pantry in Marietta.
Fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are being offered for the first time at the emergency food pantry operated by employees of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic.
“This is a God-send. We are thrilled that we now have fresh foods for the families we... Read more
Advanced Life Support: Love County EMS is one of few rural counties to have attained paramedic status and able to provide the most extensive pre-hospital care. Kneeling from left are Richard Barker, Mercy Health/Love County administrator; Tad Hall, PA, EMS manager; Obie Heath, EMT; and James Hicks, paramedic.
Young people take note: A career path in healthcare has opened in Marietta.
Love County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and Mercy... Read more
In 1963, a brand-new doctor moved to Marietta and opened a clinic on SW 3 St. It was a risky move as three other physicians were in town already.
But Dr. Vergil Smith won instant and enduring acceptance – “ten people the first day and it never stopped. Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy,” he recalled recently.
The open and friendly general practitioner will turn age 78 this year and celebrate his 45th year in Marietta. He sees... Read more
Patient Cooking: Dietary Manager Valerie DeFoor pulls a food tray from the new cold/hot serving cart at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
Hospital patients eat meals prepared from a “dietary plan” appropriate for their illness. But what does the medical staff eat?
For the next 17 weeks, at least, many Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic employees will be preparing their personal meals under Weight Watchers® guidelines.... Read more
Almost three out of four people enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan would probably be better off in a different Part D plan, says the volunteer enroller in Love County.
Don Sessions arrived at his conclusion based on results for 83 Love County participants during the open enrollment period that ended last December 31.
All had sought assistance in comparing their 2007 Part D enrollment with the plan choices available for... Read more
Heart Shocker: Clinic manager Connie Barker and EMS trainer John Gilliam apply AED electrode pads to a training mannikin. An AED uses an electric shock to restart a stopped heart. All Love County schools have been given AEDs through a donation arranged by Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic.
Life-saving equipment to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest is being placed in Love County schools this month.
Safety from Medication Errors: Hospital pharmacist Dorothy Gourley (l) looks on as Megan Yow, R.N., extracts a patient’s drug from the new dispensing system cabinet.
Mercy Health/Love County installed a computerized drug dispensing system in the hospital in November.
The system adds a layer of protection and accountability to dispensing, stocking, and tracking medications.
“Our fundamental concern is patient safety – to keep... Read more
Rural Trauma: At the trauma team training in Marietta were (clockwise from lower right) Lee Martin, Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Trauma Division; Darin Farrell, administrator of Arbuckle Memorial Hospital in Sulphur; Dale Adkerson, OSDH Trauma Division; Dr. Timothy Cathey, instructor, director of OSDH Trauma Division; Dr. Roxie Albrecht, instructor, director of trauma and surgical critical care of OU Medical School; A. Alex... Read more
Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic received the thanks of the Love County Health Department recently for long-time support of the Love County Teen Conference.
For more than a dozen years, the hospital has been the major financial backer of the annual event in the fall that brings all of the county’s eighth graders together for a day-long series of workshops and presentations on physical and mental health.
Strike Up the Band: Attorney Gary Brown (with saxophone) and physician Larry D. Powell (with euphonium) value their experiences in music education. They posed on the steps of the Love County Courthouse in Marietta. Photo by Barbara Sessions
(Marietta, OK)-- Here’s a key question: Do music students make better doctors and lawyers?
Take note: Two of Marietta’s leading professionals started their careers as band... Read more
The emergency room staff at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic is urging cell users to “ICE your cell phone.”
That doesn’t mean stick the phone in the freezer or beneath an icepack. ICE refers to a simple initiative to make medics’ job easier when aiding an unconscious or disoriented patient.
Under ICE, cell users would put the letters I-C-E, meaning “In Case of Emergency -- before the names of people they want to designate as next... Read more
Off-Road Emergency Service: Medics Jeff Hicks and Obie Heath, EMS Director Tad Hall, and Hospital Administrator Richard Barker are pictured with the recently-acquired four-wheel drive vehicle that takes medics and first responders to places ambulances cannot reach. Hicks is one of six new medics hired as a result of a contract to provide services to Winstar Casinos.
Love County has strengthened its emergency response capability, thanks to... Read more
Sixty-four first graders at Marietta Elementary drew posters to express their thoughts about the liabilities associated with smoking, following a recent presentation by respiratory therapists Sue Cavitt and Carolyn Garner of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic.
The therapists performed table-top experiments to illustrate what prolonged smoking can do to lungs and the capacity to breathe. The kids’ posters showed they picked up on the... Read more
Funding for Victim Advocate Office: Hospital Administrator Richard Barker, Family Shelter Executive Jessie Nance, Mercy Memorial Health Center CEO Bob Thompson, and Sister of Mercy Carolyn Stoutz gathered to announce the Catherine's Legacy Grant to Mercy Health/Love County.
Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault will have a new ally in Love County starting in January.
With a $100,000 grant awarded to Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and... Read more
Flowers and Smiles: Sarah Allison Flores meets critical care paramedic Mike Langford, who treated Flores for 45 minutes while rescuers freed the Keller, TX woman from an I-35 wreck.
Crash Site: Sarah Allison Flores was pinned in the driver-side floorboard of the SUV (left) after her vehicle was struck from behind by this semi-trailer truck at mile marker 11 of I-35. (OHP photo)
In 1974, when brothers Bill and Claude Brannan sought advice for establishing a family trust to benefit the then-new Love County Hospital, they turned to their banker.
L.E. “Gene” Washburn and his wife Willis Anne and their children had moved to Marietta in 1971, when Gene Washburn and his partners Melvin Hatley and John Hastie purchased First National Bank of Marietta. Washburn served as president and chairman of the board for the reopened... Read more
The Love County Health Center Auxiliary was recognized Wednesday as one of the state’s “top volunteer organizations.”
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services awarded OKDHS Volunteer Awards to a total of 18 individuals and 10 groups.
A convoy of auxiliary members and hospital staffers traveled to the Capitol to witness the presentation and attend a special reception for the honorees and guests. An estimated 700 persons from around the state... Read more
The Love County Health Center Foundation paid special recognition at its annual meeting Monday night to Claude Brannan for long-time support of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
Brannan, 83, is a co-founder of the Brannan Trust, which has been giving to the hospital for over 30 years. He and his late brother, Bill, both Loves Valley ranchers, established the trust “for the purpose of keeping the hospital open and as good as it can be,” Claude... Read more
When it comes to health care in Love County, there’s more than meets the eye of the casual observer, members of a community health needs assessment group has found. After spending the past six months compiling information about health services and conducting a random telephone survey of 201 citizens, the group has put together a summary of its findings.
·The health sector is a major employer in Love County. A total of 162 workers draw a... Read more
Employees of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital and Clinic will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday to officially open the emergency food pantry they have established.
The public is invited to the event, which will take place in the 24’ x 30’ building constructed on the north side of the clinic at 300 Wanda. Guest speaker will be Debbie Bell, coordinator of Kids Cafes for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.