Hometown Clinic Has New Name
A hometown clinic may have a new name on the door, but the same familiar faces and friendly service dwell inside.
Four local rural health clinics were recently purchased by Ozarks Community Hospital: Dr. Robert Hill’s locations in Southwest City, Anderson, Goodman and another facility in Jay, Okla.
The OCH Health System is a healthcare provider headquartered in Gravette, Ark., that serves both urban and rural communities in the tri-state area. OCH locations can accept Medicaid, Medicare, UHC Military and other insurance.
On Jan. 24, healthcare providers and patients alike gathered at the Southwest City Community Clinic to celebrate the new direction with a ribbon-cutting.
Dr. Hill’s clinical career began in Southwest City, so it seemed only fitting to hold a ceremony at the maiden location.
“When Megan and I opened this establishment 36 years ago, we were looking for a small, rural community that was not facing rapid social, economic and political change,” Hill said. “We wanted a stable place to raise our family and live the good life. And we did.”
After forming a community clinic in Southwest City, the Hills grew to add three more locations — Noel, Anderson and Goodman. Within two decades these rural clinics would come to be the sole healthcare providers in these towns.
Unfortunately, Hill said, the economic model that these clinics ran on are no longer workable. Upon seeing this shift, he chose to join a company with a different model. OCH has a different economic basis of government reimbursement that will allow the clinic to continue helping and healing.
“What they have begun, we hope to continue,” said OCH CEO Paul Taylor. “We want rural health care to be a center of excellency.”
“What they have begun, we hope to continue. We want rural health care to be a center of excellency.”
Paul Taylor
CEO of OCH Health System