Health Care

BRANSON, Mo -- More than three-quarters of employers now offer wellness programs. While exercise and healthy eating are important, there is also an added financial benefit. The Wellness Council of America estimates that, for each $1 invested in a wellness program, employers can save as much as $3 in health care and productivity costs.  As health care costs continue to rise, a little wellness can go a long way. Every Monday, a transformation happens at Connell Insurance in Branson.

Oklahoma City, OK, -- Hobby Lobby may have found a loophole to avoid millions of dollars in fines it faces for choosing not to comply with a piece of the new health care law.  The penalty was set to go into effect on the same the company's new health care plan went into effect. Leaders for the Christian-based chain, though, say they plan to shift the effective date of the plan and postpone potential fines for several months.      The law requires employer-provided health care plans to make all FDA approved contraception and sterilization procedures available to female employees.       Company officials say they will not pay for what what they call abortion-inducing drugs. 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon announced community colleges all across the state will be sharing a $20 million grant aimed at improving training programs in the health care field.  Educators say they are thrilled to get these funds because it will boost their training programs.  Nixon says the best way to bring stable jobs is to invest in affordable education. Joshua Hardesty is a student at OTC and plans to go into nursing. "There's two to three hospitals here in Springfield.

CASSVILLE, Mo -- There are nearly 500,000 small businesses in the state of Missouri. With rising gas prices, health care costs and a lackluster economy, owning a small business can be taxing. One group of businesses in the Ozarks are coming together to help one another and cut costs. Small businesses employ more than a million people in the Show-Me State. It's no secret--the past few years have been tough. Instead of trying to weather the storm by themselves, businesses in Barry County are joining forces.

HERMITAGE, Mo.-- The country doctor is long gone in most of Missouri's small towns.  But medical care for Hickory County is getting a big boost from Uncle Sam.  Hermitage is one of only three places in Missouri to benefit from a just-announced injection of federal funds. Staff at the CMH Hermitage Family Medical Center got the good news this week that $650,000 will help expand health care services here in Hickory County.  "It's extremely exciting.  It's exciting for us on the ground floor of this huge endeavor, and it's great for the community," said Cheryle Rash, office manager at the Hermitage Family Medical Center.  The clinic has two nurse practitioners and one doctor.  "Yesterday, he was the only one working here.  I think he worked in 12 or 13 people on top of his regular load," said Rash.

CASSVILLE, Mo -- The future of health care coming to a rural community near you. St. John's was recently awarded a half a million dollar grant to help bring doctors straight into the homes of patients without anyone ever having to step outside. Cassville and Mountain View and a few places in Arkansas are going to benefit from the telemedicine grant. It provides technology that allows doctors to monitor their patients miles away. The program will soon be up and running and for those that have quite a drive to get to their doctor it's a bit of relief.

Health care is now at your fingertips.  St. John's of Springfield , and its parent company, Sisters of Mercy Health System , unveiled a new system that allows patients access to their personal medical information online.  MyMercy aims to end the game of phone tag between doctors and patients, and so much more. ---- PLEASANT HOPE, Mo. -- With two kids, mom Stacy Allen of Pleasant Hope has a busy life.  It's too busy to play phone tag with her doctors over a minor medical issue.

BRANSON, Mo. -- The Skaggs Regional Medical Center board signaled Tuesday that it might be willing to sell its hospital and related enterprises to a larger health care company.  The company issued a news release and held a news conference. Skaggs Hospital opened in January 1950 after a couple of years of construction.  It's named for the founders of the Safeway grocery chain, who donated money to build the hospital just north of downtown Branson.  Here's more on those early years and the company's history.

CLEVER, Mo  -  The Family Pharmacy Clever opened a walk-in clinic last week. It's the first time Clever residents have had access to health care in about a half century. Since 1951 residents would have to drive to Republic or Springfield. Now Clever has a Family Nurse Practitioner, and patients can get their primary or acute care right there in Clever. "Their access is immediate; it's local and immediate. A lot of times when you're acutely ill, you wake up, you have a fever, you have a sore throat, you have aches and pains; you don't want to drive five to fifteen miles to receive care," says family nurse practitioner Stephane Counts.

AURORA, Mo -- (Edited Press Release) To hear firsthand from community members about the pressing issues in rural health care delivery, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited the St. Johns Hospital in Aurora. After touring the award-winning hospital, the Secretary participated in a listening session with local providers and health care leaders. "As a former Governor of a Heartland state, I know firsthand the health care challenges facing rural populations," Secretary Sebelius said.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - One hundred residents of a care facility are back in their rooms and safe after a small fire broke out Tuesday night. Christian Health Care East on Cherokee Street was evacuated after smoke filled an area near the kitchen and laundry room. Overhead sprinklers put out the flames, but firefighters responded as a precaution. There's no word yet on what started the fire.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- The late John Q. Hammons not only built hotels across the country and landmarks all over Springfield; He also made an impact on healthcare in the Ozarks.   Hammons donated an undisclosed amount of money to Mercy's Hammons Heart Institute, and bought the hospital's first twin-turbine rescue helicopter, named Hammons Life Line. David and Debra Clemmons remember the day nine years ago like yesterday.  "They kept saying, the one paramedic said to the other, oh my God it's a laceration four on a pediatric," says Debra Clemmons.

YELLVILLE, Ark. -- A growing number of schools are sending food with their needy students to get them through the weekend.  In Arkansas, a handful of districts have started providing health care for young people.  One of those is Yellville-Summit. Yellville-Summit School leaders want their students to eat healthier, so they grow their own produce in a garden and a greenhouse.  Its wellness coordinator predicts overall student health will be even better because the district will soon be remodeling unused offices.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- When it comes to getting shots at the doctor, children don't usually look forward to the occasion.  But for parents it should be a no brainer. April 20 - 27 is National Infant Immunization Week. It's an annual observance to highlight the important of protecting infants from vaccine -preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities in Missouri and throughout the U.S. Sadly, Missouri's report card on this subject isn't great.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- CoxHealth plans to build a second tower at Cox South Hospital.  The health care company announced the 310,000-square-foot expansion at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon. The cost of the expansion will be $130 million.  CoxHealth President and CEO Steve Edwards says the expansion is moving forward right now because of the current financial climate. "There is no better time than right now to go to the bond market for hospitals," Edwards said at a public announcement in the lobby of the hospital Wednesday afternoon.  "There may never be a better time in the course of my career.

BRANSON, Mo. - City leaders are excited about Mercy's major expansion plans for the Branson area- including a new “super-clinic” "It really is the continued growth and health care needs with the baby boomers aging and needing  health care more and more," stated John Swope, president and CEO of Mercy Springfield. Not quite a full-scale hospital, the new 62,000 square foot facility will go up where the old Branson Inn now stands.  It'll have doctor's offices, urgent care, surgery center- and pharmacy "It is smarter for us to take our services to the patient than expect everyone to drive to Springfield," explained Swope.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A lot of kids had the day off on Thursday thanks to Mother Nature.  Some businesses even closed their doors, but certainly not everyone.  For many, it was business almost as usual. If you are a health care worker or part of the police force or fire department, the winter storm didn't stop you from clocking in on Thursday.   A good number of places closed up shop, but there were still some businesses happy to welcome you inside. Winter Storm Q isn't a clever band name.  It's not a blockbuster movie nor a video game title, but it is a reason a lot of people didn't go into work Thursday.

The search is on for Missouri's outstanding senior volunteer. The Salute to Senior Service program, sponsored by Home Instead, Inc ., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network, honors the contributions of adults age 65 and older who give at least 15 hours a month of volunteer service to their favorite causes. Nominations for outstanding senior volunteers will be accepted until March 31, 2013.  State winners will be selected by popular vote at SalutetoSeniorService.com . Online voting will take place from April 15 to April 30, 2013.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Students pursuing health care careers at Ozarks Technical College have a new way to put their skills to the test. The community college has opened a new facility that simulates a hospital environment, including an intensive care unit and emergency room, a birthing suite and a surgical room. OTC says the simulation center will give its more than 600 health care students the chance to hone their skills in a hands-on environment. OTC says grants and donations from the community helped make the clinical simulation center possible.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The boards of directors for Forest Institute and Burrell Behavioral Health approved this week a decision to merge the two Springfield-based organizations. Founded in 1977, Burrell is a non-profit behavioral health care organization with nearly 900 staff, operating from 27 locations in a 17-county service area in Southwest and Central Missouri.  They provide comprehensive clinical, educational, and consultative services to about 30,000 clients each year.  Forest, established in 1979, is an accredited not-for profit independent graduate school with a staff of 56 and a body of 281 masters and doctoral students training to be psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and applied behavior analysts.  Through its Robert J. Murney Clinic, Forest provides over 10,000 client contact hours annually, many of which are to underserved or indigent populations.