McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital Partners with St. John’s.

After the events of May 22 left a devastating impact on the Joplin area, McCune-Brooks has worked to provide services to St. John’s patients and room for several Mercy physicians. According to hospital officials, when it became obvious that staff would temporarily need to be increased, those positions were offered to St. John’s employees through St. John’s Talent Sharing program. The partnership will put about 80 St. John’s co-workers back to work delivering health care.

"After orientation in our system and introduction to our mission, vision and values, St. John’s Partner employees will help us ensure continued patient safety and comfort, allowing us to continue to provide patient-centered care," said Bob Copeland, CEO of McCune-Brooks.

In addition, McCune-Brooks has signed an Assistance Agreement with St. John’s to provide for the expansion of beds from 25 to 52 and to furnish staff and equipment for a third surgery suite. Funding will come from an unrestricted donation by St. John’s to McCune-Brooks. The increased beds and surgery suite will help St. John’s with the added space they need for their providers to work. St. John’s hospitalists will provide coverage 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and additional specialists such as anesthesiologists, surgeons, ENT and gastroenterologists will also join the medical staff.

"We did a tour of McCune Brooks and were absolutely impressed with the design of the facility and the fact that it is built around the patient experience," explained Gary Pulsipher, St. John’s Mercy Hospital president / CEO. "This is a wonderful arrangement for co-workers and patients alike. Patients can get care close to home. And we are able to give St. John’s Mercy co-workers and physicians a place to serve."

"Our passion to provide great care to our patients drives our number one ranking, out of 86 participating Missouri hospitals, according to the National Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers survey or HCAHPS. We are committed to providing the very best service to all of our patients and the gift of St. John’s talent and financial assistance will go a long ways towards ensuring that happens." Copeland said.

McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital serves patients primarily from the counties of Jasper, Newton, Barton, Greene, and Lawrence. The medical staff includes family practice physicians, surgeons, and other specialists. Staff is made up of physicians, whose primary practice is in Carthage, as well as those who maintain an office in both Carthage and Joplin. An emergency room with 24-hour physician coverage is available for patients who need urgent care due to illness or injury.

Jasper County Jail Count

202 July 1, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

In the oil patch there is a thing called tank "bottoms." This is the thick gooey stuff that settles to the bottom of the oil tank out in the field.

When the gauger comes ta check your tank for the buyer, they check ta see how much bottom there is in a tank. Too much and they won’t buy the oil.

The usual practice is to stir the bottom up real good as ya pump the oil outa the tank so as ta get ever’thing floatin’ so it flows out with the oil.

‘Course the buyers know the practice and they’d prefer that the mess wasn’t stirred at all. They’d be better off if ever’thing just settled and there was a good cleanin’ ever now and then.

Usually it’s not the stirrin’ that causes the most problems, it what floats to the surface that folks don’t want to deal with.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Weekly Column

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Getting a Handle on Heartburn

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: After an endoscopy, the doctor told me I have a hiatal hernia. He said nothing could be done for it and that I will have to live with it the rest of my life. He gave me no medicines or advice. I am anxious about this and would appreciate any info you can give me. -- Anon.

ANSWER: The swallowing tube -- the esophagus -- begins at the throat, travels down the chest and finally ends by attaching to the stomach. To reach the stomach, it must go through an opening in the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity. That opening is the hiatus. A hiatal hernia is a bulging of part of the stomach through the hiatus and into the chest cavity. Many times, a hiatal hernia causes no symptoms and needs no treatment.

At other times, a hiatal hernia produces GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux -- an upward spurting of acid and digestive juices from the stomach into the esophagus. That brings on heartburn, a common problem with many treatments. People without such a hernia also develop GERD.

Here are some tips to handle heartburn. Lose weight, if need be. Don’t eat within three hours of going to bed. Elevate the head of your bed using blocks that are 6 to 8 inches tall and placed under the bedposts. This keeps stomach juices in the stomach while you sleep. Sleep on your left side for the same reason. Don’t wear constricting garments around the abdomen or too tight a belt. Take antacids as needed -- Tums, Rolaids, Mylanta and Maalox. Eliminate any food that gives you heartburn. Usual offenders are citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, spicy foods, fatty and fried foods, chocolate, carbonated beverages, mints and caffeinated drinks.

If these steps don’t solve the heartburn problem, try medicines called acid blockers: Tagamet (cimetidine), Zantac (ranitidine), Pepcid (famotidine) and Axid (nizatidine). In low doses, all of these can be purchased without a prescription.

The next step is medicines that turn off acid production. Prilosec (omeprazole) doesn’t require a prescription. The prescription drugs are Prevacid, Nexium, Aciphex, Protonix and Dexilant.