OCH News Archive
Conquer Allergy Season
Conquer Allergy Season: Tips and Tricks for Year-Round ReliefDo you find yourself sniffling and sneezing all year round, plagued by allergies that just won't quit? You're not alone. We sat down with OCH’s very own Dr. Robert McDonald, to learn some helpful tips and...
Black History Month
As Black History Month ends, we want to share how Ozarks Community Hospital is listening to the voices of our patients and staff to make our hospital and clinics a place of equity for all.EQUALITY means each individual or group is given the same resources or...
OCH Provider Spotlight: Tiffany Kirk, FNP
Tiffany Kirk, FNP receives recognition from the Webster County Health Department! At Ozarks Community Hospital, we’re thrilled when our providers are recognized within the communities that they serve. It shows how dedicated they are to their work and to the people...
OCH Celebrates 2022 Doctors’ Day
March 30 is National Doctors’ Day. Let’s thank a doctor today! On this day each year, the nation celebrates physicians and the incredible work that they do for patients every single day. These past few years have heightened the awareness of the astonishing work that...
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)
#EveryoneIncluded International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is a United Nations day that is celebrated every year on December 3rd. First launched in 1992, the event is in its 29th year of celebration, marking nearly three decades of meaningful change for...
A Message from our CEO, Paul Taylor
Thanksgiving 2021 I will begin with the cliché: it is time to give thanks. I speak for the OCH organization when I say we have plenty to be thankful for. Whenever I hear that phrase, I cannot help but hear Bing Crosby singing the words in the film, Holiday Inn. In the...
National Native American Heritage Month
November is designated as National Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, tradition, and histories and to acknowledge the...
What is Juneteenth?
On June 19, 1865, news of full emancipation finally reached enslaved individuals in Galveston, Texas. This is noted to be the final announcement to the enslaved following the end of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation...
Nutritionist offers FREE consults at Ozarks Community Hospital
Ozarks Community Hospital welcomes registered dietician and nutritionist specialist, Tammy Young, RDN, LD, to the OCH Specialty Clinic, located on the second floor of the hospital. You can’t control everything in life, but you can control what you put in your...
Dr. Morrison Offers FREE Hernia Screenings at OCH
In lieu of Hernia Awareness Month, Ozarks Community Hospital will be hosting FREE hernia screenings on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 from 10 am – 12 pm. Dr. Stephen Morrison, board certified general and cardiothoracic surgeon at OCH, will be performing the screenings in...
Free sports physicals offered for Gravette athletes
In preparation for the next year, the OCH Gravette Clinic is ensuring that students are prepared for a healthy season with a FREE sports physical event on May 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tammy Colvin, OCH Gravette Clinic manager, said the clinic hopes to help...
Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic in Noel
The OCH Noel Clinic is teaming up with the McDonald County Health Department and administering vaccines on Saturday, May 8th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. There will be two sites for people to receive the vaccine. The first clinic will be held at the OCH Noel Clinic...
Antibody testing available at Ozarks Community Hospital
Antibody testing available at Ozarks Community Hospital Curious if you might have covid-19 antibodies but unsure what antibodies are and how long they last? Covid-19 lgG antibody tests are now available at Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette. Tests will be given...
Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic at Ozarks Community Hospital
Ozarks Community Hospital is administering vaccines on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will be the third clinic that the hospital has held for its rural constituents. The event is open, and free of charge, to anyone who is 18 or older. The hospital...
OCH podiatrist offers FREE foot exams
April is National Foot Health Awareness Month. Ozarks Community Hospital’s podiatrist wants to spread awareness of common foot issues and help the community get prepared for the upcoming flip-flop season by offering complimentary foot screenings for all ages through...
OCH Evergreen promotes foot health education during April
April is National Foot Health Awareness Month. OCH Evergreen Clinic’s podiatrist wants to spread awareness of common foot issues and help the community get prepared for the upcoming flip-flop season. OCH’s podiatrist, Dr. Geoffrey Bricker, has over 40 years of...
OCH Lawrence County Welcomes Amanda Chapman, FNP-BC
The OCH Lawrence County Clinic would like to welcome Amanda Chapman, FNP-BC, to our Clinic! We are so glad to have her with us to continue to serve our community. “We are excited to have Amanda join our team,” Stefanie Hohensee, clinic manager, said. “She...
Free Sports Physical Clinic for McDonald County Athletes
As spring sports get underway, the OCH Pineville Medical Clinic is ensuring that students are prepared for a healthy season with a FREE sports physical event on April 17 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Scarlett Frost, OCH Pineville Medical Clinic manager, said the clinic hopes...
OCH Gravette Clinic Announces Saturday Hours
The OCH Gravette Clinic is extending its hours to include Saturday mornings! Starting on April 10th, the clinic will now be open from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of each month. The clinic hopes to provide a convenient, accessible option for...
Don’t let Covid-19 Stall your Colorectal Cancer Screening!
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Ozarks Community Hospital (OCH) reminds the community that cancer screenings should still remain a priority as it celebrates National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month during the month of March. Colorectal cancer is the...
OCH Newton County Clinic Now Offers DOT physicals
Neosho, MO – James Patton, PA-C, known by patients as ‘Jim’, will now offer DOT physicals to members of the Neosho community on-site at the OCH Newton County Clinic. During the DOT physical, Jim will examine patient’s vision, hearing, blood pressure, blood sugar, and...
Cardiologist Baldasare Joins Ozarks Community Hospital
GRAVETTE -- Ozarks Community Hospital welcomed Maria Baldasare, M.D., FACC, one of two female cardiologists in Northwest Arkansas, to the Gravette community. An industry leader in interventional cardiology, Baldasare recently completed her 100th successful...
OCH Pineville Medical Clinic Announces Saturday Clinic Hours
PINEVILLE -- The OCH Pineville Medical Clinic is ringing in the New Year by extending its hours to include Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., starting on Saturday, Jan. 9. The clinic looks forward to expanding its access in the community by offering weekend...
OCH Now Offers Telehealth
OCH is proud to offer Telehealth visits at all of our OCH Clinics. No matter where you are, you can now get safe, socially-distanced treatment today. Telehealth appointments are available during normal clinic hours. Please call your local OCH clinic to schedule a...
New Clinic Opens in Rural Benton County to Serve Thousands
The clinic will serve more than 38,000 people within a 10-mile radius from the clinic AVOCA, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Thousands of people will now have more convenient access to health care in Benton County. Ozarks Community Hospital announced the opening of the OCH Benton...
Ozarks Community Hospital opens new Benton County Clinic
AVOCA -- Ozarks Community Hospital has announced the opening of the OCH Benton County Clinic, located at 102 Russell Road in Rogers. The clinic will bring healthcare to Avoca, a rural community located on the outskirts of the Rogers area. The clinic is run by three...
Ozarks Community Hospital Responds to Flu Season Amidst Covid-19
GRAVETTE -- Concerns are rising as covid-19 overlaps with the annual flu season. Ozarks Community Hospital recommends that community members should receive their flu shots in order to lessen their chances of catching the flu or both viruses at the same time. "There is...
Ozarks Community Hospital Welcomes New Oral Surgeon Matt McShane
Matt McShane, D.D.S., oral surgeon, is a new addition to the staff at Ozarks Community Hospital. A Russellville, Ark., native, McShane will see patients at the dental office at the OCH Gravette Clinic. His focus is on dental extractions, facial trauma and...
The “Book Nurse” Prescribes Reading
NOEL — Children around McDonald County call her “The Book Nurse.” Since starting as a family nurse practitioner at Ozarks Community Hospital’s clinic in Noel four months ago, Karen Madsen has earned that title. Nearly half of the clinic’s patients are under 18, and...
OCH Offers Free Skin Cancer Screenings
GRAVETTE — In recognition of National Healthy Skin Month, Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette is offering free skin cancer screenings on Thursday, Nov. 21. Dr. Hilton McDonald, who specializes in identifying and treating skin cancer, will be performing the...
Media Inquiries
All media inquiries should be directed to:
Natalie Taylor-Moore
Director of Business Development
E-mail: [email protected]
Scott Taylor
Hospital Administrator
E-mail: [email protected]
Please review the Media Policies for Ozarks Community Hospital. Take a look at our OCH Media Kit, and be sure to check out our Facebook page, or read our latest blog entry. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.
Media Policies
As a healthcare organization, it is our first priority to protect our patient’s health, legal rights and welfare. Our hospital cannot release any patient information to the media unless the patient has consented. OCH Health System requires all patients to sign a consent form before being interviewed or photographed by the news media or an in-house video/photographer. To request an interview, please contact Amanda Gittlein, Marketing and Communication Manager.
Media Guidelines
On-duty reporters/photographers are not permitted in the hospital without the permission of the OCH Health System Communications Department. Upon entering, media representatives must immediately report to Admissions or Administration and ask for Amanda Gittlein, Marketing and Communication Manager. Reporters and photographers are expected to wear proper identification including an “OCH Health System Media Badge”while at Ozarks Community Hospital. Reporters and photographers not accompanied by a member of the OCH Health System Communications Department will be immediately escorted from the building.
Videotaping and interviewing without the department’s involvement is only permitted off the hospital campus (outside the hospital buildings and beyond hospital property from the street). Reporters/photographers will be asked to leave the premises if found to be interfering with patients and hospital business.
News vehicles may not park in fire lanes or block hospital driveways.
Patient Condition
Under HIPAA law, the OCH Health System Communication Department may only release a one-word patient condition without signed consent (granted the reporter/photographer already has the patient’s first and last name and the patient’s family has consented). Below are the hospital conditions as listed by HIPAA:
Undetermined – Patient awaiting physician and/or assessment.
Good – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
Satisfactory – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
Serious – Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
Critical – Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
Additional Restrictions
The law prohibits the Communication Department from releasing any information regarding patients listed as “protective status.” In addition, information will not be provided in instances where the safety and security of a patient and/or hospital staff may be jeopardized.
No information relating to psychiatric conditions, substances abuse or sensitive circumstances will be released.
Ozarks Community Hospital may provide identifying information in relation to a deceased patient after next-of-kin has been notified, unless the patient previously opted out of this release.