Ozarks Healthcare Foundation helps fund Portable Ultrasound for Surgery, OPS/GI Lab, and Cancer Treatment Center

Thanks to generous community support, the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation has funded the purchase of a new portable ultrasound machine to benefit Ozarks Healthcare’s Surgery, OPS/GI Lab departments, and Cancer Treatment Center.

This equipment - particularly valuable for point-of-care ultrasound - provides real-time imaging to guide surgical and gastrointestinal (GI) procedures with greater accuracy and efficiency. In addition to enhancing patient care, the new device helps reduce radiation exposure compared to traditional imaging techniques. The portable ultrasound will be especially beneficial for cancer patients who may have difficulty with vein access, a common challenge during infusion treatments.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the donations that made this possible,” Josh Reeves, Vice President of Development at Ozarks Healthcare, said. “This technology is another example of how community giving directly improves patient outcomes at Ozarks Healthcare.”

The Ozarks Healthcare Foundation has served as the philanthropic arm of Ozarks Healthcare for more than 20 years, working to advance local healthcare through fundraising, donor engagement, and community partnerships. The Foundation’s mission is to support the healthcare needs of the region by funding innovative equipment, patient support services, and facility improvements that directly benefit local patients and families.

The Foundation is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors who help steer fundraising efforts and community engagement. Current board members include:

• Ken Joplin, Chairman
• Shawn Marhefka
• Nancy Shaw
• Robin Morgan
• Bob Eckman
• Brian White
• Emily Gibson
• Josh Reeves, Vice President of Development and Advocacy, Ozarks Healthcare

Overseeing the Foundation’s work is Josh Reeves, a Mountain View native who has served at Ozarks Healthcare for the past seven years. In his current role as Vice President of Development and Advocacy, Josh plays a key role in building relationships with individuals, businesses, and organizations who want to give back to their community through healthcare support. With a background rooted in service and a heart for philanthropy, Josh is passionate about what he calls the “people business,” ensuring that every contribution to the Foundation translates into meaningful impact for local patients.

To learn more about how donations to the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation make a difference—or to give—please visit: https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/support-us/foundation.

Ozarks Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system that serves more than 160,000 residents across south-central Missouri and northern Arkansas. With its main campus residing in West Plains, Missouri, the health system offers a full spectrum of healthcare for all ages through its 114-bed hospital, behavioral health, therapies, pharmacies, rehabilitation, and home care services, along with specialty and family medicine clinics. Ozarks Healthcare has rural locations across an eight-county service area and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

Staff from Ozarks Healthcare are pictured with Ozarks Healthcare Foundation Board Members after the presentation of a new portable ultrasound machine.