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Oakes
Community Hospital has partnered with Coast-To-Coast
Healthcare Services since October 2009 to provide
comprehensive healthcare services for our patients.
Coast-To-Coast works exclusively with Critical Access
Hospitals across the country and understands and meets the
needs of rural hospitals by providing ER, inpatient, clinic
and nursing home coverage by dependable, quality physicians.
OCH has had the privilege of having five Coast-To-Coast
physicians as part of our healthcare team over the past
year: Dr. Mark Bolton, Dr. Robert Hicks, Dr. William
Collier, Dr. John Pabers and Dr. Sean Stiltner. OCH was
recently highlighted in the Coast-To-Coast November
newsletter and below are some excerpts from the article.
"Hospital Spotlight: Oakes Community Hospital" by Bob Hicks,
MD, C.O.O. Coast-To-Coast Healthcare Services. "Nestled in
the hardy Midwestern town of Oakes, North Dakota lies Oakes
Community Hospital. This well designed modern facility
stands as a testament to its town's commitment to
maintaining excellent health care in the |
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Bob Hicks, MD
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region. Rarely
have I seen a community as interested in and supportive of,
its hospital, and it shows. It has long been my opinion that
a hospital is molded by its citizens, and therefore it is a
reflection of that community, so much so, that an
experienced eye can tell quite a lot about a town by
visiting the local hospital.
To my eyes, Oakes is a wonderful place for raising a family.
It's the kind of town where folks wave to you as they drive
by, even if you're a stranger. It's a place where people are
involved in their schools, churches and hospital. A place
where they still insist on carrying your groceries to the
car. I've found the population to be honest, hardy, and
friendly, likely from a combination of hard winters,
commitment to faith and family, and no doubt from a strong
Scandinavian heritage.
In my 18 year career, I've worked at dozens of hospitals.
Oakes Community Hospital is about the best run facility that
I've had the privilege to be part of. The nursing staff is
helpful and talented. Administration, led by hospital
Administrator Lee Boyles and Director of Nursing Kim
Ketterling, manage with a gentle hand on the reins.
Ancillary services are hard working and universally
dedicated to the successful functioning of the hospital.
There is a family atmosphere, a 'let's pitch in and get it
done' attitude. OCH does things the way they should be done.
It is not unusual to walk into a patient room and find one
of the Sisters doing the hair of an elderly patient, or
having a quiet conversation with another. Christian values
are deeply ingrained in the staff. On the occasion of a
patient passing away, the staff spontaneously breaks into
prayer, then sit with the family and spend time listening to
stories about the patient's life and giving solace as best
they can. The staff does this so naturally that I don't
believe they understand how rare and valuable this is.
The town itself is small. I've only counted one stop light
so far. Despite its size, Oakes has a full downtown area
with several interesting shops and places to eat. I've
worked regularly at OCH for nearly a year, and always look
forward to returning. Oakes Community Hospital and its staff
repeated remind me of why I originally thought going into
the medical field was a good idea."
We wanted to share these comments with our patients, staff
and friends in the community as this is not only a testament
of the quality healthcare provided at Oakes Community
Hospital but tribute to the wonderful community we serve. |
