Plans for a new hospital in Waynesville or St. Robert may not be in the immediate future, but medical care in the area is improving, a St. John’s hospital president told Chamber of Commerce members Wednesday.
“Is a new medical facility coming to this area? The short answer is probably not in the next five years. Still, there is growth,” said Mike Gillen, St. John’s Hospital of Lebanon president.
“For primary care, we’re seeing the need for less travel. It’s taken time to ramp that up. And someday, will there be a hospital here? Probably,” Gillen told the about 50 members of the Chamber of Commerce who attended the luncheon, this month at Aussie Jack’s.
Gillen said he’s seen the numbers of St. John’s doctors at the St. Robert St. John’s Clinic grow many times over.
“What was probably two docs here at one time is up to seven physicians. In many cases we’ve doubled or even tripled the number of physicians at our clinic. And, these are good, stable doctors,” Gillen said.
As Gillen spoke, Waynesville resident Ray Cordry said there is a hospital for Soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood, but not for civilians. “There is no hospital here for the common person,” Cordry said. “There needs to be something here for everyone.”
Responding to Cordry’s comment, Gillen said the current health-care system is much maligned.
“The health-care system is broke. Access to it does not work well,” Gillen said.
“You tell us you want more emergency care. That the kind of thing we’re looking at,” he said.
Contacted Thursday, Gillen said St. John’s is increasing its partnership with Tricare, the medical service provider with the military.
Asked whether St. John’s would consider a partnership where it ran a medical facility at General Leonard Wood Hospital, and Gillen said relations with the Fort are improving.
“There was a time when we back away from Tricare, but in (about the last 15 months) we’re seeing a better partnership there.
“Tricare patients are being seen in both Rolla and Lebanon, and it’s kind of split, perhaps more toward Rolla,” Gillen said.
“As we grow, there is a need to work together with the military. Scheduling and billing are better, so there is hope. There may need to be a study done,” he said.
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