Health and fitness | West Plains Daily Quill

The Ozarks Healthcare Women’s Health Clinic recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the opening of its relocated facility at 1115 Alaska Ave. in West Plains. The upgraded space is dedicated to providing comprehensive gynecological and obstetric care for women of all ages, offering evaluations, treatments, surgeries, breast health services and birth control. Expanded care options include the addition of certified nurse midwives Shelley Mitchell and Tabitha Young to the health system’s labor and delivery staff. Clinic providers include Drs. Tony Lam, Jose Crespo, Roxanna Torres and Kimberly West, alongside women’s health nurse practitioners Jennifer Rhoads and Mary Kate Brasier. Staff members, hospital administrators and chamber representatives joined members of the community in the ceremony. Holding the ribbon are chamber ambassadors Heather Foster, far left, and Bryan Adcock, far right, while West cuts the ribbon.

OZH women’s clinic celebrates new location

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9/30/26

How to plan for construction, inspection of a food processing facility

Planning to open or build a food processing facility? The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) can provide an informal review of facility plans before construction to help identify potential food safety concerns. more

BY CURTIS BEAULIEU ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST HOWELL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | 9/30/26

First responders and community members from across southern Missouri listen to a presentation from Ozark County Crisis Intervention Program Coordinator Chris Bryant during a 40-hour training course recently held at the Ava Area Ambulance District training center. The five-week program focused on de-escalation, mental health awareness and first responder wellness.

Regional first responders complete crisis intervention training

First responders and community members from across southern Missouri recently completed a 40-hour crisis intervention training course this month, designed to improve responses to mental health emergencies. more

9/30/26

Rep. Jason Smith honored for rural Alzheimer's advocacy

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, representing Missouri’s 8th Congressional District,was recently honored by the National Grange with a Rural Health Champion Award for his efforts to improve Alzheimer’s care and diagnostics in rural communities. more

9/30/26

September is Child Passenger Safety Awareness Month

September is Child Passenger Safety Awareness Month, a great reminder to make sure our youngest passengers are riding safely. Motor vehicle crashes are … more

Christina Parrish, LPN HOWELL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT | 9/23/26

Baxter Health expands medical staff with four new specialty providers

Baxter Health recently expanded its medical staff with the addition of four new providers across its specialty clinics in Mtn. Home, Ark., bringing new expertise in oncology, addiction medicine, gastroenterology and nephrology to the region. more

9/23/26

Nurse practitioner Lakynn Bradshaw returns to WP Family Medicine

Ozarks Healthcare has welcomed back board-certified family nurse practitioner Lakynn Bradshaw to its West Plains Family Medicine clinic, 181 Kentucky Ave. Suite 100. more

9/23/26

OZH joins Show-Me High Value Network

Ozarks Healthcare has joined 23 other independent Missouri hospitals to form the Show-Me High Value Network, a statewide collaboration designed to improve health care quality, … more

9/23/26

Virtual walk-in clinic expands access with new website option

Ozarks Healthcare is expanding access to its virtual walk-in clinic by offering patients a new way to connect with a health care provider online without needing to create or … more

9/23/26

Construction to affect access at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center

Area veterans and visitors to John J. Pershing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Poplar Bluff should expect traffic changes, temporary closures and … more

9/16/26

Healthy aging: It’s never too late

September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to celebrate the many opportunities that come with growing older and to focus on living healthier, happier, … more

By Dawn Hicks, Health Educator, Howell County Health Department | 9/16/26

Area residents get up-close look at surgical robots at chamber mixer

Ozarks Healthcare and the Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce brought local business leaders and community members together the evening of Sept. 1 for a mixer showcasing the advanced robotic technology used in local patient care. more

9/16/26

OZH offering low-cost lab screenings through September

Ozarks Healthcare is encouraging community members to prioritize preventive care this fall by offering low-cost lab screenings at several regional locations through the end of September. more

9/16/26

West Plains VA clinic to host flu shot event

The John J. Pershing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center will hold a drive-through flu vaccination event from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 at its West Plains … more

9/16/26

Students take part in Ozarks Healthcare’s 2026 M*A*S*H Camp in West Plains with Dr. Caleb Piatt, right. The Medical Academy of Science and Health Camp introduced 142 students from 27 schools to health care careers through five days of hands-on activities, simulations and interactions with local health care professionals.

M*A*S*H Camp introduces students to health care careers

Students from across the region got a hands-on look at health care careers during Ozarks Healthcare’s 2026 M*A*S*H Camp in West Plains. more

9/9/26

Quincy Riley, left, is presented with a specialized cooling vest by Sammi Radosevich of the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation. Riley, an Ozarks Healthcare Therapies patient living with a traumatic brain injury, received the vest to help regulate body temperature and allow him to spend more time outdoors safely during warm weather. The foundation supports programs, equipment and patient needs that may not otherwise be possible through traditional health care funding.

OZH Foundation provides cooling vest to patient

For Quincy Riley, spending time outdoors is one of the things he enjoys most. With a gift from the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation, he can now spend more time outside while staying safer in the summer heat. more

9/9/26

Baxter Health to host suicide prevention event

Baxter Health Behavioral Health in Mtn. Home, Ark., is hosting a free community event on Saturday focusing on suicide awareness and prevention. more

9/9/26

Hope Smith named director of OZH emergency services

Ozarks Healthcare has promoted Hope Smith to director of emergency services. Originally from West Plains, Smith brings 15 years of experience with the health system and a strong background in nursing leadership to her new role. more

9/2/26

Baxter Health adds electrophysiologist, establishes new heart rhythm program

Baxter Health has added Dr. William Spencer Grigg to the Baxter Health Cardiovascular Clinic in Mtn. Home, Ark., marking the launch of a dedicated cardiac electrophysiology … more

9/2/26

Westrock Orthodontics donating 7,000 oral hygiene kits to area schools

Westrock Orthodontics, which operates a clinic at 181 Kentucky Ave., Suite 300 in West Plains, is distributing more than 7,000 oral hygiene kits to schools and community … more

9/2/26

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