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The heart undergoes natural changes during pregnancy to support a growing life. Heart complications can appear as the mother’s body undergoes the stress of pregnancy. Cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of pregnancy complications, so it is important to stay on top of heart-healthy habits for the benefit of the mother and the child.…

Valentine’s Day is extra sweet this year in the Hillcrest Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Parents of several NICU babies received special Valentine’s Day cards today featuring their newborns. The cards also include their foot prints shaped like hearts and a message that says, “I love you from the bottom of my heart…

Hillcrest South has constructed a new CT suite around the patient experience. The suite includes a new CT machine, which uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technology to scan patients more accurately and quickly. The result for the patients is a more accurate image and a faster scan experience at South. There are also ultrasound machines…

Feb. 5 – 11, 2023 is burn awareness week, and this year, providers are bringing special attention to scald burns. According to the American Burn Association, only 14% of non-fire thermal burns involving ranges or ovens were due to fire or flame. The rest were due to hot liquids, objects or surfaces.   Kara Hall, RN,…

For the second time in 2022, the Leapfrog Group recognized Hillcrest Medical Center as a top-performing hospital in patient safety across the country. HMC received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2022, the nation’s most prestigious honor for patient safety. The hospital also received an “A” for spring 2022.  The Leapfrog Group, an…

For Sammie Wikel, a 29-year-old first-grade teacher at Osage Elementary School in Pryor, life was good. She lived on the family farm with her husband Derek and his 6-year-old daughter, surrounded by four generations. As they raised horses, cows, goats and even a couple of tortoises on the farm, Wikel also wanted to raise a…

After being dismissed by other doctors about her health concerns, Casey Chitwood just wanted to be heard. It was not until she arrived at Hillcrest Medical Center (HMC) that the Collinsville resident finally felt she had a voice.  “I had been to other hospitals, and they were not listening to me,” Chitwood said. “The Hillcrest…

Our Hillcrest Medical Center NICU nursing team dressed up these tiny turkeys for the Thanksgiving holiday! These photoshoots are a team effort. The NICU staff starts planning these months in advance and spends about 10 to 15 minutes with each baby during their photo shoot. Our nurses work to get the babies dressed, posed and photographed.   Every tutu…