PRINTWhere to go for care
An abbreviated guide to Columbia’s hospitals
December 18, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
In a city with six hospitals and a number of health care clinics, how do you know where to go for different medical needs? Where do you go when you get a hernia from lifting that new plasma screen you bought as a Christmas gift for your dad? Where do you take your child or younger sibling who needs stitches after a fall at school? And what about grandpa when he’s having unexplained chest pains? Because it’s likely that Columbians will need to turn to at least one of these facilities, learning what these hospitals have to offer and their areas of expertise could save a life very dear to you, or maybe even your own.
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University Hospital
The University of Missouri Health Care System includes University Hospital, Columbia Regional Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and Children’s Hospital, with University Hospital acting as the flagship location. The system employs more than 5,000 medical professionals and encompasses hospitals, clinics and academic affiliates — along with other hospitals that are within Missouri Health Care throughout mid-Missouri.
University Hospital specializes in treating patients with the most severe illnesses at facilities such as the Frank L. Mitchell Jr. Trauma Center, which provides round-the-clock trauma care for serious injuries, and the George David Peak Memorial Burn and Wound Center, the only intensive care burn unit in central Missouri.
Columbia Regional Hospital
Columbia Regional is a full-service acute-care facility, which offers care for short-term medical treatment for patients with illnesses, injuries or recovering from surgery. The hospital prides itself on delivering what it refers to on its Web site as the highest level of care available in its Family Birthing Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Level III Unit. The hospital broke its birthing record in December 2007 when it delivered 176 babies, totaling 1,700 for the year. Columbia Regional is also known for orthopedic care and offers a rehabilitation unit, a sleep diagnostic center, stroke response team and a drive-through retail pharmacy.
Currently, the hospital is undergoing a $12 million renovation that will consolidate all branches of Children’s Hospital.
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center is the only hospital in Missouri that focuses solely on cancer care. In 2002, the inpatient services moved to University Hospital. As Jeffrey Hoelscher, media relations coordinator for University of Missouri Health Care, explains, “We created an inpatient wing for Ellis Fischel in University Hospital in an area where we are already taking care of ICU patients.” With the current Missouri Health Care system renovations, Ellis Fischel will soon have one centralized location and a tower on the north side of University Hospital that will offer both inpatient and outpatient care.
The new patient care tower, scheduled to open in late 2011, will house radiation oncology, expanded radiology and imaging capabilities as well as chemotherapy treatment and examination rooms. The Margaret Proctor Mulligan Breast Center is mid-Missouri’s only center for lymphedema, a condition causing swelling in arms and legs, and offers a variety of cancer-survivor and quality-of-life services.
Children’s Hospital
For years Children’s Hospital has acted as a virtual hospital with services offered at several separate locations. That collective identity will soon fade. Following renovations set to be completed in spring 2010, all children’s services will move to Columbia Regional Hospital. “Moving all Children’s Hospital services to one location will provide our patients and their families with a newly updated, kid-friendly environment and one-stop children’s services,” Hoelscher says.
Boone Hospital Center
Boone Hospital Center prides itself on offering full-service, progressive health care yet considers itself a specialty center for oncology, neurology, cardiology, surgical and obstetrical services. Boone is an affiliate of Barnes Jewish/Christian Health Care centers.
A technologically innovative spine center opened in Boone in February 2008. It is 14,784 square feet and includes 20 private rooms. Other amenities are a satellite gym for rehabilitation therapy, a family activity room, a redesigned nurse station and a classroom for pre-operation classes.
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital is designated as a general medical and surgical tertiary teaching hospital because of the affiliation with the MU School of Medicine. Medical school students work and learn at the VA Hospital as part of their education. The VA Hospital is involved in physicians’ residencies and currently pays 81 stipends for MU resident physicians.
The hospital is known for its expertise in cardiothoracic surgery and is the only hospital in the VA Heartland Network that provides in-house open-heart surgery. “We want to serve U.S. military veterans eligible for that health care benefit,” says Stephen Gaither, public affairs officer.
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this story blows
Posted by Charlie Button on Dec 18, 2008 at 10:03 p.m. (Report Comment)