OMHC team news – here for YOU!

Rich Ervin, FNP, has moved into his permanent Odessa residence, and his wife, Brenda, has also arrived. By now, many community members have met Rich and have been highly satisfied with his services. Rhonda Freeman, FNP, has been on the team since mid-June and will be seeing patients at the Odessa Clinic for the foreseeable future, as we recruit for another permanent team member. She lives in Florida, but has agreed to temporarily work with us at OMHC, while we continue to recruit.

The providers at the Odessa clinic are certified as family nurse practitioners, the same credential that Marlene Brendell held when she was working in the clinic as a provider. Nurse practitioners are able to practice independently, as distinct from a physician’s assistant (PA), who is required to be formally associated with a physician in order to practice. Advanced practice nurses receive specialized training to be family practitioners, or they can choose other specialties. At present, OMHC is recruiting certified family nurse practitioners and not physician’s assistants due to the ability of advanced practice nurses to function independently. OMHC is looking for just the right “fit,” since the local practice environment requires a variety of specialized skills not typical in other communities. Our providers must be able and willing to practice as family practitioners, but also as emergency providers, acute care providers and long-term care providers. Each of those settings is distinctly different and entails unique skills and abilities.

Another team member is Dr. Andrea (Andy) Harris, a board certified emergency physician. She has been with the medical center for more than two years in her capacity as a peer review physician. Her full-time role is caring for patients in the emergency department at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. As part of a hospital’s responsibility to ensure high-quality care, physicians review the work of other physicians and providers and give recommendations based on their findings – this is what Dr. Harris has been providing to the OMHC medical staff since the spring of 2014. In addition to her role in peer review, Dr. Harris is the chief of the medical staff in the hospital and the medical director for the rural health clinic. She will review the clinical practice of the providers and the policies and procedures of the Odessa Clinic. She is available to the nurse practitioners for consultation and comes to Odessa on a monthly basis.

OMHC also has a new medical director for the laboratory. Dr. Bruce Britton is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and has an additional board certification in cytopathology. Years ago, a family practitioner was qualified by licensure to provide laboratory oversight. Today, this specialized position can be held only by those qualified by related experience or training, which most family practitioners do not routinely receive. OMHC is excited to provide this enhanced level of oversight to ensure quality for patients, and looks forward to Dr. Britton’s membership as part of the team.

Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center continues to provide a high-quality care experience to the residents of Odessa and surrounding communities. The Odessa care team will gladly accept patients of all ages and with a variety of health concerns, from well-baby checks and immunizations to older patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Appointments with Rich Ervin, FNP or Rhonda Freeman, FNP can be made by calling the Odessa Clinic at 982-2614.