Fitzgibbon Hospital Observes National Hospital Week

May 14, 2024

            Each year, 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and others observe National Hospital Week to celebrate the life-affirming work of healthcare professionals across the United States. In Marshall, Fitzgibbon Hospital has provided this care for more than 101 years, through wartime and peace, floods, other natural disasters, and through a worldwide pandemic that shut most business operations down. The presence of your local hospital may be forgotten until the time you need it.  Then its presence reminds you of just how important it is to your community.

            “As a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 hospital that is completely independent of other organizations, we truly are a hospital that is fully invested in Marshall and our surrounding communities,” said Angy Littrell, President and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital. “We do not receive funds from a local tax levy, and we do not have a corporate body overseeing us from outside our local board. We also are not propped up financially by a larger system. This means we can be 100% focused on our mission of improving the health of our community, just as our founder, John Fitzgibbon, envisioned.”

            Fitzgibbon Hospital operates a 24/hour Emergency Department staffed with physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and more to respond in times of emergency. In addition, seven primary care clinics in communities as far east as Pilot Grove provide ongoing care of chronic disease, as well as helping to improve the overall health of the communities they serve. In all, the Fitzgibbon Hospital organization employs more than 450 staff that provide care from prenatal and obstetrics with Marshall Women’s Care, to end-of-life compassionate are through the operation of Fitzgibbon Home Health and Hospice.

            A state-of-the-art cancer center provides oncology care with a personal touch, treating patients without having to leave the community. This cancer center includes expert physician care from the doctors of Missouri Cancer Associates, while more than 30 other specialists across the hospital provide care for pain management, hard-to-heal wounds, podiatry, nephrology, urology, cardiology, sleep and more.

            Fitzgibbon Hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient mental health services, with psychiatry as well as mental health nurse practitioners and a licensed professional counselor.  A Grief Recovery program is also provided, without cost to participants, but with a board-certified chaplain, thanks to memorial contributions to Fitzgibbon Home Health and Hospice.

            Rehabilitation services provide access to fully-licensed physical, speech and occupational therapists who help people recover from injury or illness. The physical therapy area includes a state-of-the-art therapy pool not available in most communities.  And, thanks to a significant grant many years ago, the Buckner Wellness Center serves as a fully-equipped cardiac rehabilitation center for those recovering from heart attack or stroke.

            Fitzgibbon Hospital also provides access to a certified athletic trainer via Diane Schlesselman, ATC, who is based at Marshall High School. Kylie Clemons, DC, provides chiropractic care in both Marshall and Slater and frequently provides athlete physicals for students who need to be medically cleared before playing in school athletics.

            Fitzgibbon Hospital continues to focus on its primary mission of improving the health of the communities it serves, even while hospitals across the nation struggle with a wide-range of financial pressures from increased cost of care, lower reimbursement by payers and cyber security threats.  Since 2014, 20 Missouri hospitals have closed leaving 50 rural counties without a hospital.

            “We have an amazing community in Marshall that understands the importance of access to healthcare.  We save lives, we make our community more attractive to businesses looking for a place to establish, we employ hundreds of people, and we are a vital part of the quality of life for our residents,” said Littrell.