M.D.: CCMH saves many lives

Editor:

To whom it may concern:

The purpose of this letter is to express my sincere support for Cedar County Memorial Hospital and its employee community. I would strongly encourage all the citizens of the county to support their local hospital and vote” YES” on June 2 for the hospital tax levy.

Since I have been a member of the medical community at Cedar County Memorial Hospital, I have known it to be an essential part of this community where many lives have been saved. As an emergency room physician at Cedar County Memorial Hospital, I am fully aware and understand the necessity of this hospital as there are many critical/time sensitive diagnoses that can be cared for at this facility. For instance, it is not in the patient’s best interest to be driven to a hospital that is at least 30 minutes to 45 minutes away. As examples, people experiencing an acute ischemic stroke have a limited amount of time to receive life-saving medication to minimize residual neurological deficits; or a patient suffering from a heart attack can be given clot breaking medications to minimize damage to their heart muscle. While these patients may eventually be transferred directly from the Cedar County Memorial Hospital ER to a specialty unit at another hospital, the prompt initiation of emergency room treatment can spare them from long-term deficits or a fatal outcome.

Cedar County Memorial Hospital has many services that are often not available in many small community hospitals. For instance, the emergency department is staffed by physicians that have been trained in emergency medicine. Most physicians in the ER are board certified in emergency medicine and have many years of experience working in hospitals that have higher volumes and higher acuity with many having worked in major trauma centers. Aside from emergency medicine, CCMH offers specialty clinics in cardiology, general surgery, podiatry, ophthalmology, rheumatology and neurology. Having all these specialties available in the local community saves many patients a lot of time by not having to drive to bigger towns to access specialty care.

It is my hope that everyone will realize the tremendous value of CCMH and will support the tax initiative for CCMH with a “YES” vote on June 2.

Respectfully

Roberto A. Moran-Bojorquez M.D. Board Certified Emergency Physician

Cedar County Memorial Hospital 1401 S. Park El Dorado Springs, MO 64744 (417) 876-2511