Mercy Health Love County - News

Press Release Archive

Environmental Services Department

Friday, December 20th, 2013

This department, supervised by Director of Nursing Marie Ross, cleans and sanitizes exam rooms, patient rooms, trauma rooms, hallways, and special purpose rooms and buildings on the grounds of the hospital/clinic. Under OSHA guidelines, the coworkers use individual cleaning devices for each patient's room. Specific cleansers and chemicals control for infectious diseaes. Deep-cleaning procedures apply before a new patient is admitted to a vacated hospital room. 

 (Left) Hope Young is the...


Obamacare Explained, Deadlines Looming

Friday, December 13th, 2013

 

 
Want Obamacare Plan for All of 2014? Enroll by December 23
 
By Barbara W. Sessions
Chair, Love County Community Coalition
sessions@arbuckleonline.com
(580) 276-2333
 
The enrollment deadline for eligible people who want health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare or “ACA”) for all of 2014 is fast approaching.
 
December 23 is the last day to enroll in an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan and have help paying medical bills at the earliest possible date,...

Dietary Department

Thursday, December 5th, 2013

 The Dietary/Food Service Department:

  • Plans and Cooks General and Special Diets for Hospital Patients
  • Prepares Food for Hospital Special Events
  • Responds To Calls for Guidance on Best Dietary Habits for Diabetes and other Chronic Conditions

 

 
Valerie DeFoor, Certified Dietary Manager (left), is celebrating her 25th year
in the department, the past 17 as manager. She plans meals based on the
Nutrition Manual of the Oklahoma Dietetic Association, with supervision


Radiology Department

Friday, November 22nd, 2013

 

 

We Offer CT Scans, Ultrasounds, Dexa Scans
(Bone Density), and Radiography (X-Rays)

 

Rick Stephens, RT, (left) Department Director. A technologist since 1969.
Has a total of 42 years of hospital-based experience, the past 35
with Mercy Health/Love County. Veteran of U.S. Army. Marneta Dorsey (right).
A technologist for 13 years, all with Mercy/Health Love County Hospital. Born
and raised in Love County.

 

Blake Scott  (left). A technologist for Mercy Health/Love County...


Welcome, New Physician Assistants!

Friday, November 1st, 2013

 

 (Left) Troy Bender, PA-C. A PA for four years in orthopedic spine care in
New Orleans. Early career included 17 years as a paramedic, 8 of them as
a helicopter paramedic. Graduate of Missouri State University. (Right)
Shannon Martin, PA-C. A PA for 22 years in family practice and urgent care.
Served past 2 years as a medical contractor in Afghanistan, Iraq, and
Alaska. Graduate of University of Washington.

On Duty in the Emergency Department   

New Signal Tower Boosting Fire/EMS Radios

Thursday, October 17th, 2013

 

 
Radio Tower Aiding Fire/EMS Responders:
A crane lifts the county’s new communication
tower into place 11 miles west of I-35 on
Oswalt Road. (Photo by Tracey Smithwick).
 
Love County fire and ambulance departments have been talking and listening on their own radio frequency since October 1.
 
The signal for the fire/EMS “repeater” is emanating from atop a new 250’ communication tower on Oswalt Road.
 
The new channel is freeing up airways once clogged by traffic on a...

Voters Support Hospital Sales Tax by 95%!

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

 

Love County voters approved a renewal of the 1¢ sales tax in support of hospital operations by a large and impressive 95% margin on October 8. 

There were 540 YES votes in favor of the initiative and 28 NO votes.

"I am just in a state of awe," Hospital Administrator Richard Barker said about the election results.

"The Board, administration and all the coworkers are thankful to the voters of Love County for their tremendous vote of confidence," he said.

"We will continue to navigate...


Upcoming Tax Vote Is Critical

Friday, September 27th, 2013

 

 Love County Health Center: EMS Station 1, Training Center, Hospital, Clinic, Therapy Building and Food Pantry. Twenty-two county hospitals have closed since 1985, but Love County Health Center, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012, is open and growing.

 A county-wide penny sales tax supporting hospital operations is up for renewal on October 8.

Hospital Board of Control president Jack Testerman says the support tax is indispensable to keeping the Love County Health Center...


Support Your Health Center!

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

 


Hospital 40th Anniversary, January 30, 3012
Dr. Virgil Smith (front row) admitted the first patient on opening day, January 30, 1972. He celebrates 50 years of practice, all in Marietta, in 2013!

 
EMS/Fire Brigade Station 2 at Exit 1 of I-35.
 
Hospital conference room seats 50 people for health seminars and public service events.
 
We Save Lives
      We Are Protectors of Your Health
            We are YOUR Love County Hospital, Clinic, and Ambulance!
 
Vote YES on...

Patient Report: Hospital's Breathing Program Saved My Life

Monday, September 9th, 2013

 

 

Building Lung Capacity: Registered Respiratory Therapists Michele Lively (seated), Ron Kimery, and Carolyn Garner, demonstrate exercise equipment used in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program to help lung patients build strength and endurance for better breathing.

 

 

Celebrating Graduation: Larry Hartsell follows tradition by putting on hospital scrubs and party beads to celebrate graduation from the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
 
Patient...

Hester Joins Hospital, Clinic; Powell Retires

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

 

 
Dr. John W. Hester
 
 
 
 
Dr. Larry Powell
 
John W. Hester, D.O., a family physician with more than 30 years of experience, has joined Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic and EMS.
 
Dr. Hester is serving patients of all ages. He maintains regular clinic hours on weekdays, except Wednesday.
 
Hester has deep Oklahoma ties, with degrees from three Oklahoma colleges and a high school diploma from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City.
 
His varied practice over...

Bedside Computers Target IV-Related Errors

Monday, July 8th, 2013

Caption:
 
Safe IVs: Jan Marutzsky, RN, charge nurse, and Marie Ross, RN, director of nursing, examine one of the hospital’s infusion modules for protecting patients from IV-related medication errors.
New technology for infusion therapy has arrived at the bedside of patients at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
 
Alaris CareFusion is an automated system for making safer the process of infusing patients with fluids or drugs.
 
“This is intended to prevent medication errors,”...

Hospital Stores Bottled Water for Fire Departments

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

 

Love County Emergency Manager Tracey Smithwick and Fire Association president Wesley Dill (in truck) receive assistance from Mercy Health/Love County maintenance director Clancy Hallum (operating forklift) and Administrator Richard Barker.
 
The American Red Cross donated 25 pallets of bottled water to the Love County Fire Association last week. Each pallet held 1,440 bottles.
 
“That’s lots of water. They’re helping us get ready to fight grass fires this summer,” said Fire...

Hospital Receives Blood Drive Award

Friday, April 5th, 2013

 

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...

Hospital Now 100% Smoke and Tobacco-Free

Friday, February 15th, 2013

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...

Heart Specialist Consulting at Marietta Clinic

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Dr. Robert A. Benson

 
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,...

Love County Legacy Park Will Get Us Moving!

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Reprinted from Senior News
of Retired Senior Volunteer Service (RSVP)

 

Design of Love County Legacy Park

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...


O'Connor and Langston Retire from Hospital

Friday, January 11th, 2013

 

 
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...

Silent Night, Except for Those on Duty

Friday, January 4th, 2013

Emergency Services Keep Holiday Watch: Wendy Vann, Ericka Wolfenbarger, and Rosemary Magner dispatched law enforcement, fire, and ambulance responders on Christmas Eve from the E911 Center in Marietta.
 
For local police and nurses, being on duty on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day means time spent with family – just not their own families.
 
Colleagues are close. With 48-hour shifts, firefighter/EMT Taylor Westbrook reminded, “We spend one-third of our lives together.”
 
A late night...