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Articles written by Mo Sheldon


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  • New, permanent provider at hospital, clinic

    Mo Sheldon, CEO at Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center|Updated Oct 17, 2019

    OMHC is excited to announce that Kyle Anderson, FNP-C, has joined our provider team as a permanent provider! She comes from a small community in Minnesota and looks forward to bringing her 30+ years of experience to our town. She's been a nurse since 1988 and became certified as a nurse practitioner in 2018. Her lengthy career has taken her to numerous rural communities and has allowed her also to serve in urban medical centers. Her vast experience will benefit our community....

  • EMT shortage is critical

    Mo Sheldon|Updated May 31, 2019

    Last week the nation celebrated EMS week. Unfortunately, Odessa, like many rural communities, needs more EMTs. Washington’s smallest communities are among those being hurt the most. Rural areas typically don’t have enough volume to employ full time EMTs and therefore rely heavily on community members to gain the necessary credentials and fill the need by sharing response call with others who typically have full time “day jobs”. OMHC pays each EMT a small hourly rate to be on call and a competitive wage when actually on duty... Full story

  • Raising $$ for local health-related needs

    Mo Sheldon, OMHC administrator|Updated Apr 26, 2019

    The 2019 Odessa Healthcare Foundation’s annual wine tasting, microbrew sampling and auction is rapidly approaching. We look forward to an evening of fun and celebration, all in service of advancing healthcare in Odessa. The proceeds from the 2019 auction will be used to purchase a 12-lead ECG/defibrillator/monitor for the Odessa ambulance. The ambulance currently uses an automated external defibrillator, which simply gives instruction to shock only if the patient has a shockable rhythm. By contrast, the new equipment is f...

  • Wine tasting May 4

    Mo Sheldon, CEO of Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center|Updated Apr 25, 2018

    The 27th Annual Wine Tasting, Microbrew Sampling and Auction is fast approaching. On May 4, the Odessa Healthcare Foundation will be raising funds to support a special “Eldercare Package” for Quail Court Assisted Living. Two specific needs will be met with this package: First, emergency generator support; second, a wander management system for Quail Court. It has long been a requirement for hospitals to ensure that emergency power is available to meet patient care needs in the event of a power outage. While emergency pow...

  • OMHC provider update

    Mo Sheldon, OMHC administrator|Updated Nov 2, 2017

    We are so excited to formally announce the arrival of Deborah Fogg, FNP-C. Debbie has experience as a provider in ER and Urgent Care, Long Term Care and in Cardiology. She comes to us from Louisiana and has moved with her adult daughter, Val. OMHC has been recruiting for nearly two years to find just the right set of permanent providers to meet the needs of our community. Rich Ervin, FNP-C arrived in May 2016 and has become a valued member of the OMHC family and of the community in general. Rich and Debbie will move forward...

  • Medicare benefit at Clinic

    Mo Sheldon, OMHC Administrator|Updated Sep 25, 2017

    If you are new to Medicare part B within the past 12 months, you should consider calling the Odessa Clinic and making an appointment for your “Welcome to Medicare” visit. This is not a physical exam. This is an introductory visit for your provider to review your medical and social history as it relates to your health, education and counseling about preventive services. Your visit will include: • Certain screenings, shots and referrals for other care, if needed • Height, weight and blood pressure measurements • A calculati...

  • Foundation project 2017

    Mo Sheldon, Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center administrator|Updated May 14, 2017

    The Odessa Healthcare Foundation has elected to purchase an “ER Package” consisting of a GlideScope® and a trauma stretcher. This decision was made on recommendation of the providers and in consultation with our hospital staff to best serve the needs of patients experiencing life-threatening situations. The Glidescope aids in obtaining an airway for patients that are not able to breathe on their own. This system will allow our providers to see the pathway while placing a breathing tube in adults and children. Using video visu...

  • Guest editorial

    Mo Sheldon, Administrator for Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center|Updated Jul 21, 2016

    I was asked a question last week about our ads for staff and thought it might be helpful to discuss the continuing need for OMHC employees, especially in the nursing department. The workforce shortage was even a topic of discussion at a recent rural hospital CEO round-table. The American population living today has advantages that none before us has had. We live in a time of tremendous medical advances which allow us to live longer and with a greater quality of life than ever before. In addition, the healthcare industry is...

  • Medical campus needs new phones

    Mo Sheldon, OMHC administrator|Updated Apr 10, 2016

    The Odessa Healthcare Foundation’s 25th Annual Wine Tasting, Microbrew Sampling and Auction is right around the corner. The Foundation has generously agreed to help Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center this year with the purchase of a new organization-wide telephone system, and also with the purchase of a commercial refrigerator and related plumbing specifically for Quail Court. The current telephone system is outdated and requires “used/refurbished” parts to keep it functional. New parts are no longer being manufactured for t...

  • Are critical access hospitals sustainable?

    MO SHELDON|Updated Nov 5, 2014

    The residents of Odessa face a question that is being faced by small, rural communities across country: how can we sustain local health care delivery? The fact is our local hospital, Odessa Memorial Health Care has an uncertain future. We are not unique in this uncertainty. Since early 2013, 26 rural hospitals nation-wide have closed – more closures than in the nine prior years combined. According to iVantage Health Analytics, 66 percent of the nation’s 2,300 rural hospitals are operating at a financial loss. There are lot...

  • Odessa needs more EMTs for emergencies, transports

    MO SHELDON|Updated Dec 18, 2013

    Our community is in desperate need of additional EMTs to help serve both for 911 calls and for emergency transports to other communities for advanced levels of care. Unfortunately, the need for EMTs isn’t unique to our community. Services such as ours struggle to keep quasi-volunteers due to the commitment involved in maintaining EMT certification and to the time commitment it takes. The need for maintaining the level of competence and the relevant credential is, of course, essential and necessary to provide the high q...