Press Release Archive
Medics Practice IV on EMS Manikin
Friday, December 25th, 2015
Medics Find a Vein and Hook Up IV on Practice Manikin
EMS Manikin Has Lifelike Lung, Windpipe
Friday, December 18th, 2015
Manikin's Lung, Windpipe Rival the Real Thing
Clinic Adds Pilot and Truck Driver Physicals
Friday, December 11th, 2015
For the convenience of southern Oklahoma pilots and truck drivers, the Rural Health Clinic of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital in Marietta now offers physical examinations assessing their medical fitness to fly or drive.
"We are very pleased to announce that our clinic has providers certified to perform Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examinations," said Connie Barker, clinic director. "We are the only clinic in a wide area of the...
EMS Cot Does the Heavy Lifting
Friday, November 27th, 2015
Hydraulic Cot Easier on the Patient and Reduces Strenuous Lifting by Medics
EMS Splint Treats Broken Leg
Friday, November 20th, 2015
Traction Splint Realigns Bone, Reducing Patient's Pain En Route to Hospital
Select an Affordable Health Care Plan
Friday, November 20th, 2015
Open enrollment is underway for consumers affected by the Affordable Care Act.
Under the health care law, uninsured adults under age 65 must endeavor to buy health insurance or risk a tax penalty for being insufficiently insured.
December 15 is the ending date to enroll or change plans for those wanting their new health care plan to become effective on January 1, 2016.
January 31, 2016 is the last date to enroll for 2016 coverage.
Area enrollers are busy now counseling consumers on...
Hospital a National 'Community Star'
Thursday, November 19th, 2015
(A link to the full Community Star commendation can be found here.)
The National Association of State Offices of Rural Health recognized Mercy Health/Love County Hospital as a "Community Star" on National Rural Health Day, November 19, 2015.
The hospital is featured in a publication "showing how rural America addresses the unique health care needs of rural communities." The online book highlights a total of 10 rural physicians and 12 rural hospitals.
MHLC was commended for building a...
EMS Cold Packs Improve Survival
Friday, November 13th, 2015
Cold Therapy Improves Survival and Brain Function After Cardiac Arrest
Emergency IV Access Through Bone
Friday, November 6th, 2015
Bone Drill Opens IV Source When Trauma Renders Vein Unavailable
EMS Advanced Life Support Tools
Friday, October 30th, 2015
Advanced Life Support Tools a Hallmark of Love County EMS
Hospital Creating Next Era of Lifesavers
Friday, October 30th, 2015
Clinic Director Connie Barker (third from left) looks
on as Love County EMS Paramedic Dennis Frazier
gives CPR training tips to senior class presidents
Allie Foster, Turner High School, Shae McCage,
Thackerville High School, and Jesse Scott, Marietta
High School. The students are pictured with training
DVDs and the American Heart Association CPR in
Schools training kit.
All three Love County high schools will implement a CPR in Schools program to train students in CPR skills thanks to a...
EMS Monitor Tracks Vital Signs
Friday, October 23rd, 2015
Ambulance's High-Tech Monitor Warns of Heart, Respiratory Declines
EMS Adds High Tech Ventilator, 'Scope
Friday, October 9th, 2015
New Tools Enable Ambulance Patients To Breathe
Medicare Prescription Volunteer Does Plan Searches
Friday, October 9th, 2015
Open enrollment for Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans takes place October 15-December 7.
Participants may changes plans during open enrollment. The change will go into effect with prescriptions purchased on and after January 1, 2016.
Don Sessions, a certified volunteer enroller, is standing by to assist participants conduct a plan search for the lowest cost plan for their prescription drugs. Sessions may be contacted by calling (580) 276-2333.
Last year at this time, the...
Hospital, Clinic Adopt New Medical Codes
Friday, October 2nd, 2015
Studying New Medical Codes -- Medical coders
Misti Kirk, front left, Connie Barker, Linda Dixon,
back left, and Evelyn Bean lead the switch to the
nation's new medical coding system at Mercy Health/
Love County.
Mercy Health/Love County joined the rest of the U.S. healthcare industry in switching to a new medical coding system on October 1.
The new codes will be used to authorize and calculate payments from Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurers, Tricare, and the Veterans Health...
Bedside Flow Meters Fill Oxygen Needs
Friday, September 25th, 2015
Respiratory Tools Supply Oxygen To Patients
EKG Machine Tests for Heart Attack
Friday, September 18th, 2015
Emergency Room Uses Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) in Case of Heart Attack
Wearable Heart Monitors Test for Disorders
Friday, September 11th, 2015
Respiratory Therapist Shows Holter Monitor and Cardionet Event Monitor
Devices Test and Treat Lung Disease
Friday, September 4th, 2015
Respiratory Therapist Demonstrates Lung Testing and Treatment Devices
Dressing Devices Aid in Recovery
Friday, August 28th, 2015
Patient Demonstrates Sock Aid and Reacher/Grabber for Ease of Dressing When You Have Trouble Bending or Stooping
Citizens Petition Lawmakers About Rural Hospitals
Friday, August 21st, 2015
Health Education - Marietta Mayor Jerry Cochran and others
conduct an assessment of health services and health needs
in Love County during July and August.
Rural Hospitals Under Study - Richard Barker, right,
administrator of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, welcomes
rural health consultants Corrie Kaiser, Nichole Nielson, and
Lara Brooks during a citizen-led assessment of the county's
health services and health needs.
A group of citizens completed a triennial assessment of health...
Cycling, Weight Lifting Aid Patients
Thursday, August 20th, 2015
Therapy Building Equipment Builds Strength, Stamina
Laser & Electro-Therapies Heal Injuries
Friday, August 7th, 2015
Soft Tissue Injuries Respond to Laser Heat Therapy or Electrotherapy
Stepper Works Out Therapy Patients
Friday, July 31st, 2015
Patients Exercise Arms and Legs Safely and Effectively
Telestroke Added to ER
Friday, July 24th, 2015
Two-Way TV Brings Off-Site Stroke Doctor To Emergency Room
Medicare/Medicaid Programs Are 50!
Friday, July 24th, 2015
Celebrating 50 Years of Medicare and Medicaid
By Barbara W. Sessions, Chair,
Love County Community Coalition
Before 1966, roughly half of all Americans were uninsured. They lived in fear that the high cost of health care could plunge them and their families into poverty.
Likewise, disabled people, families with children, pregnant women, and low-income working Americans were unable to afford the medical care they needed to stay healthy and productive.
Fifty years ago, on July 30, 1965,...
Patient Interpreter Talks the Talk
Friday, July 17th, 2015
Remote Linguist Handles 200 Languages 24 Hours a Day
Hospital Chair Relieves Back Pain
Friday, July 10th, 2015
Support Chair Takes Gravity Pressure Off Lower Back
Mercy Ardmore Opens Senior Mental Health Unit
Monday, July 6th, 2015
Pamela Lynn, Mental Health Services of Southern Oklahoma;
Shelly Schwake, Mercy Hospital Ardmore; and Todd Ferrand,
Mercy Hospital Ardmore, addressed crisis mental health
services with the Love County Community Coalition in July.
Todd Ferrand, program director, and Shelly Schwake, community relation coordinator, visited the Love County Community Coalition in July to talk about the senior behavioral unit at Mercy Hospital Ardmore. The 16-bed unit opened in 2014.
Some of the problems...
New Doctor Enjoys Healing Field, Outdoor Life
Friday, July 3rd, 2015
Dr. Margaret Western
A new doctor, Margaret Western, M.D., joined Mercy Health/Love County Hospital on June 1.
"She is personable and approachable. These are great qualities to have in the clinic," says clinic director Connie Barker about the newest staff member.
Before accepting a position in Marietta, Dr. Western practiced medicine for 10 years in New Mexico. She speaks Spanish as well as English.
The family physician is accepting patients of all ages. She is on duty in the clinic...
Electronic Record Replaces Paper Charts
Friday, July 3rd, 2015
Epic Electronic Record Fully Digital at Mercy Hospitals
Mental Health Agency Responds to Hospital ER
Wednesday, July 1st, 2015
Pamela Lynn, Mental Health Services of Southern Oklahoma;
Shelly Schwake, Mercy Hospital Ardmore; and Todd Ferrand,
Mercy Hospital Ardmore, addressed crisis mental health
services with the Love County Community Coalition in July.
Pamela Lynn, program director of the adult Crisis Stabilization Unit on the campus of Mercy Hospital Ardmore, spoke to the Love County Community Coalition in July about vital mental health crisis services for Love County adults of all ages.
All are offered...
Telemetry Monitor Attached to Heart Patients
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Mindray Telemetry Monitoring System
Wilkins Estate Buys Ultrasound for Hospital
Friday, May 22nd, 2015
Philips HDI 5000 Ultrasound System
X-Rays Diagnose Pneumonia, Broken Bones
Friday, May 8th, 2015
Del Medical Stationary X-Ray; Mobile Art Plus Portable X-Ray
20 Years Later, Deadly Tornado Remembered
Thursday, May 7th, 2015
Photo by Don Sessions
Path of Destruction: The view of damage from above 13 Cimarron
Circle looking northeast toward Masters Drive and the front nine of
the golf course at Falconhead Resort, the community that suffered
the most residential property damage in the May 7, 1995 tornado.
Photo by Barbara Sessions
Storm Reminder: A Sears Craftsman circular sawblade embedded...
CT Scanner More Detailed Than Plain X-Rays
Friday, May 1st, 2015
GT Lightspeed Plus 4-Slice CT Scanner
Lab Technology - Chemistry System
Friday, April 24th, 2015
Lab Testing Machine Handles Up to 400 Samples Per Hour
Lab Technology - Blood Microtyping System
Friday, April 17th, 2015
Testing Equipment Readies Patients for Blood Transfusion
With 25 Years, Barker is State's Dean of Administrators
Friday, April 3rd, 2015
25 Years as Hospital Administrator: Richard Barker (center),
FACHE, holds a 25th anniversary gift card signed by
coworkers. Barker has been hospital administrator since
March 1, 1990. His employment dates to 1973.
25th Anniversary Recognized
After its regular business meeting on March 26, the Love County Health Center Board of Control recognized Richard Barker, FACHE, on his 25th anniversary as hospital administrator.
Board president Dr. Jack Testerman presented a plaque of...
You've Met Us in Print - Now Meet Us in Person!
Friday, April 3rd, 2015
ADC's Personal Counselor Serves Whole Community
Friday, March 27th, 2015
Counselor Staffs the Family Services Side of Adult Day Center
Mercy Love County Adult Day Center and Family Services, one block south of the hospital, celebrated its first anniversary on January 12, 2015. ADC is owned and operated by the hospital.
The mission is to provide a day out for adults who are not as active as they once were and would enjoy the opportunity to socialize in a setting that is safe, fun, professionally run, and can meet their physical challenges.
The center is...
Adult Day Center Adds to Health of Homebound
Friday, March 20th, 2015
Mercy Love County Adult Day Center
and Family Services
The center, one block south of the hospital, offers non-residential day services. That means that participants are still living at home.
They utilize the center on weekdays to leave their house for a few hours for recreation, hobbies, socializing, and meals.
ADC's Registered Nurse Paulette Manning explains, "It's stimulating and energizing and good for your health to come here and be around other people."
The concept is called...
New Sign Up Window Opens for Health Care Law
Thursday, March 19th, 2015
Love County residents who have been hit with a federal fine for going without health insurance in 2014 have a second chance to sign up for a health insurance policy.
The enrollment window reopened as of March 15 so the uninsured will not face ever higher fines in 2015.
The new sign-up opportunity runs through April 30 at the marketplace website, www.heatlhcare.gov.
Local enrollment assistance is available at Big 5 Community Services at 276-3154. Pearman Insurance and State Farm Insurance...
Day Center A Refreshing Break for Homebound Adults
Friday, March 13th, 2015
Mercy Love County Adult Day Center and Family Services
Mercy Love County Adult Day Center and Family Services opened at 200 Wanda St., Marietta, in January 2014 as a service of the hospital.
A few hours at the center is a refreshing and enjoyable break for adults of any age who would otherwise be homebound or require another adult at home with them to help with their daily needs.
ADC provides meals, activities, and clinical support. Transportation is available from Love, Marshall, and...
Sparkling New Emergency Department Opens
Friday, March 6th, 2015
Tad Hall, PA,emergency department manager; Judy Sanchez-
Fernandez, patient registrar; Megan Yow, RN, emergency
room nurse; and Richard Barker, FACHE, hospital administrator,
are pictured at the patient registration station of the hospital's
sparkling new emergency room addition. At 3,350 square feet
of space, the new wing is three times the size of the existing
emergency room, which dates to 1972.
Judy Sanchez-Fernandez, patient registrar, and Megan
Yow, RN, move a patient from the spacious new
Hall Manges ER and Love County EMS/Fire Brigade
Thursday, March 5th, 2015
Emergency Department and Love County EMS/Fire Brigade
Tad Hall, PA
Emergency Room Manager
EMS/Fire Brigade Manager
Tad Hall thought he wanted a career as a lab technician, but Marietta physicians Tom O'Connor and Vergil Smith encouraged him to become a physician assistant instead.
"They met me in 1978 while I was working weekends in the hospital laboratory, finishing my degree from Midwestern University. I did go on to PA school at OU, interned under their guidance, and was hired fulltime...
Residents Favored for Paramedic, EMT Academies
Friday, February 27th, 2015
EMS Training Center Instructors
The 8th Love County EMS Paramedic Academy got underway at the EMS Training Center in February. Students reported for their 16-month education, which will yield the next batch of Paramedics for Love County EMS and other area ambulance services. College credit hours are awarded by Oklahoma State University.
Paramedic students must already hold emergency medical technician-basic status. The Training Center also produces EMT-Basics. That is a five-month training...
EMS Training Instructor Sold on Emergency Medicine
Friday, February 20th, 2015
EMS TRAINING CENTER INSTRUCTORS
Strengthening the "Chain of Survival" in our community is a primary purpose of the Love County EMS Training Center and its instructors.
"Chain of Survival" refers to treatment that trained members of the public and medics give to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. These patients have only minutes to live unless someone helps restart their breathing (gives CPR) and heartbeat (uses an AED device) and summons an ambulance for higher-level care.
The treatment is...
EMS Training Coordinator Serves Public, Profession
Friday, February 13th, 2015
EMS TRAINING COORDINATOR
Natasha West, Paramedic
EMS Training Coordinator
Certificates on the wall of her office reveal much about Natasha West's career here since 2008.
"Coworker of the Year for Mercy Health/Love County," reads an award from 2009. "Outstanding Service and Excellence in EMS Education," reads another, from 2012.
West, a Paramedic, is fulltime Training Coordinator for Love County EMS. Her students range from the general public to hospital clinical staff and current and...
Fire Training Officer Marks 20th Year As a Firefighter
Friday, February 6th, 2015
Fire Training Officer
Lieutenant Dustin Michael, Fire Training Officer
Dustin "Dusty" Michael is celebrating his 20th year as a certified frefighter, but that's not all. Since graduating from OSU Fire Service Training in 1995, he has
- Joined the OSU Fire Service Training program as an adjunct instructor;
- Volunteered continuously with the Marietta Fire Department, rising to Chief of the Department in 2012;
- Become a fulltime professional with Love County EMS/Fire Brigade, which he helped...
Meet 2 More First Aid Attendants at Riverwind Casino
Friday, January 30th, 2015
Emergency Medical Service and Fire Brigade
First Aid Attendants are supplied with bandages, splints, blood pressure cuffs, testing equipment for diabetics, heart defibrillation kits, oxygen administration kits, and more. They take vital signs, ask about possible contagion exposure, and learn the patient's medications and allergies. They provide first aid or summon an ambulance, as needed. Below, meet two of our valued First Aid Attendants at Riverwind Casino.
Buddy Cooper, First Aid...
Riverwind Casino First Aid Attendants on Roster
Friday, January 23rd, 2015
Emrgency Medical Service/Fire Brigade
Under a contractual arrangement with the Chickasaw Nation, Love County EMS/Fire Brigade employs First Aid Attendants at Riverwind Casino. They provide 24-hour emergency medical support to the many patrons and employees. Below, meet three of our valued First Aid Attendants at Riverwind Casino.
Amber Pate, EMT, First Aid Attendant,
Riverwind Casino
Pate's interst in emergency response
extends to law enforcement. She has
completed EMT training and is a...
Adult Day Center Reports on Year 1
Friday, January 16th, 2015
New Agencies Meeting Special Needs of Seniors, Women
First-Year Reports: Bruce Hammond spoke about Mercy Love County Adult
Day Center and Judy Cavnar and Shannon Hall spoke about Destiny Recovery
Center ot the January meeting of the Love County Community Coalition.
The dynamic leaders of two new helping facilities in the area gave progress reports on their first year of operation as guest speakers of the Love County Community Coalition on January 5.
Bruce Hammond, director, reported on the...
First Aid Attendants Handle Many Medical Calls
Wednesday, January 14th, 2015
Emergency Medical Service and Fire Brigade
From their duty stations inside winStar Casino, the Love County EMS/Fire Brigade First Aid Attendants respond to a wide variety of medical calls involving patrons and employees. Sometimes the cause is excitement. "One man passed out from the exctement of winning $50,000," said Kenzie Bryant, EMT. Below, meet three of our valued First Aid Attendants at WinStar Casino.
Kenzie Bryant, EMT,
First Aid Attendant,
WinStar Casino
On the night shift since...
Insurance Enrollment Event Set for Tuesday
Friday, January 9th, 2015
Enrollment Event for Uninsured Residents Set for Tuesday
The Love County Community Coalition will sponsor an event for uninsured residents to sign up to begin receiving health insurance coverage from 2 pm. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, January 13, at Mercy Health/Love County Hospital's Therapy Building in Marietta.
Representativs of Medicaid, Insure Oklahma, and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Health Insurance Marketplace plans will be present to screen resients and provide enrollment...