News

Ozarks Healthcare, in partnership with the West Plains R-7 School District, is broadening the patient population served at the Ozarks Healthcare Zizzer Clinic to better support community members, while continuing to provide convenient, timely care for students during the school day.

On August 30, 2025, Samantha Smith spent a normal day out and about before heading home that evening. She ate half a sandwich, sat on her back porch, and lit a cigarette - something she had done for 45 years. Then something felt wrong. “I just felt numb. Something felt off,” Samantha said. “I walked around a little bit and told my husband, ‘I think I need to go to the hospital.’ I don’t know how I knew - I just knew.”

with Dr. Ryan Vaisler, Ozarks Healthcare Family Medicine West Plains

Brad Hensley, 51, a safety coordinator at Perennial Energy, was having a normal morning at work when he noticed something wasn’t right. His right arm began to tingle and feel heavy, and soon after, the right side of his face went numb. At first, he tried to brush it off - but when he struggled to speak, he knew he needed help.

Ozarks Healthcare will host an EMS Stroke Education Event on Friday, March 6, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Willard Hunter Classroom, located at 1211 Porter Wagoner Blvd. in West Plains.

Ozarks Healthcare is making preventive care more accessible in 2026 by offering low-cost lab screenings and bringing its Mobile Mammography Unit to communities across the region throughout the year. According to Ozarks Healthcare’s latest Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), chronic disease management and cancer prevention are the top two health priorities in the region - making early detection and accessible screenings more important than ever.

Ozarks Healthcare is partnering with the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO) to host the return of the 56-Day Blood Donation Challenge in 2026, giving community members the opportunity to save lives while earning chances to win exciting prizes.

In recognition of American Heart Month, Ozarks Healthcare is offering a series of free educational events and heart health screenings throughout February to help raise awareness about heart disease and empower community members to take charge of their heart health.