About 30 persons, including business personnel, Mayor Bill Howard and city officials were present Wednesday at an informal meeting to introduce Jayna Cardetti, the new Communications Coordinator at Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette.

Hospital CEO Paul Taylor introduced Cardetti and described how she will be interacting with Gravette and the community for the development of the city and area.

Taylor explained that with Jayna’s experience in Washington, D.C. and St.Louis in grant writing, she will be available to assist Gravette.

“It is important not to let community traditions die,” Taylor said, and mentioned that when it was learned the community Easter egg hunt was canceled, Jayna and the hospital “grabbed hold” of the hunt. It will be held this Saturday on the hospital grounds. See related story.

Hospital Report

After the introduction, Taylor gave a brief report on the hospital and its progress since OCH reopened the facility in April, 2008.

OCH currently operates a 15-bed unit, a 10-bed geriatric behavioral unit and provides 24-hour emergency room service staffed by doctors who are boardcertified in emergency medicine.

Taylor described the hospital physical therapy department staffed by Fred Thompson and noted that department needs to expand with addition of a second therapist.

The hospital provides a pain management clinic and outpatient services such as radiology and an updated laboratory. See related story.

A new “call system” was completed just last week which enables patients to alert the nursing station and staff throughout the facility.

New Beds

New state-of-the-art hospital beds are replacing old beds that have been used since the hospital opened some 30 years ago.

Remodeling is underway at what was once the OB unit. Taylor pointed out the angel mural painted by former GHS art teacher Betty Boutin will not be disturbed.

Another improvement has been creation of what Taylor referred to as an “employee hotel”. This involved upgrading andremodeling rooms, equipping them with showers and other amenities similar to hotel rooms. These are available to employees, particularly those who commute from a distance, and to accommodate employees in times of emergency situations.

Patient rooms have been refurbished/upgraded and the hospital is the scene of continual remodeling, removing and moving walls to meet changing needs and challenges.

The vast amount of space in the four-story structure enables remodeling to continue as the hospital evolves into a facility that will even better serve Gravette and the area.

Taylor noted that some 80% of the present patient load are Medicare patients. HE added, “We need to get more doctors here.” HE also touched on the possibility of sometime in the future converting a section of the building into a clinic to operate in companionship with the hospital.

“Whatever the community needs,” Taylor said, “we’ll try to provide it.”

Following the presentation, light refreshments were served and tours of the hospital were provided.

News, Pages 7 on 03/31/2010