Located in north central Oklahoma near the Kansas border in the heart of Oklahoma’s wheat country, INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital has grown from its inception in a two-story red brick building to a 53-bed hospital. Its service area reaches outside of Blackwell in Kay County to include the communities of Nardin, Tonkawa, Lamont, Medford, Deer Creek, and South Haven, Kan.

For more than 50 years INTEGRIS Blackwell has brought the best in medical services to the community, as advancements in technology have provided better avenues of care. The hospital has consecutively won the VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence and is accredited by the Health Care Financing Administration as a Medicare provider, as well as the Joint Commission. INTEGRIS Blackwell is a member of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. 
 
INTEGRIS Blackwell Hosts Free MRSA Lunch and Learn

More than 70 local citizens attended the free Lunch and Learn hosted by INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital and Blackwell Family Medicine in January. The luncheon featured Dr. Jeffrey Shuart in a discussion about MRSA infection prevention, testing and treatment. INTEGRIS Blackwell has joined efforts with a number of health care organizations across the country to stop the spread of the MRSA infection.

Working to Combat Viruses in Our Community

INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital donated more than 2,000 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to Blackwell Public Schools in an effort to help combat MRSA, the influenza virus and RSV. “It is important for our hospital to provide an additional way for Blackwell schools to keep our children healthy and fight the flu virus and MRSA,” says Rex Van Meter, president of INTEGRIS Blackwell. “It is the mission of INTEGRIS Health to improve the health of the community, and this is a great way to fulfill that mission.”

Community Health Fair Hosts More Than 200

The annual free Community Health Fair was held in April; more than 200 local residents attended and more than 150 received reduced price blood testing. The event is sponsored by INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital and the Blackwell Chamber of Commerce as a collaborative effort to educate the community about local health resources and healthier lifestyles. INTEGRIS Blackwell President Rex Van Meter says, “The Community Health Fair is a great way to provide a wide range of information in one location.” Information about diabetes, chiropractic care, nutrition, acupuncture, physical therapy, organ donation, heart disease, home health, foot care and hospice is also available, as well as free tetanus shots and blood pressure checks. Representatives from health care services are present to answer questions from local citizens.

CoolZone Offers Tips on How Athletes Can Beat Heat

High temperatures and humidity in July and August preceded the high school football season again this year, and INTEGRIS Health was ready with the second year of its CoolZone program. CoolZone makes visits to Oklahoma high schools to assist them in minimizing the possibility of heat-related injuries to student athletes. The INTEGRIS CoolZone program donates supplies including sports drinks, water and water jugs to the team while providing valuable knowledge to Blackwell’s football players. During the CoolZone two-day visit, players are weighed before and after each practice, monitored for sweat rates and asked questions that estimate individual risk of dehydration. After the first day, students are given an individual game plan that outlines weights, sweat rates, fluid intake and fluid need. Students’ weight should be about the same at the beginning and end of practice if they’re drinking enough fluids to replenish what they’ve lost. Dehydration of just 1 to 2 percent of body weight (only 1.5-3 lb. for a 150-lb. athlete) can negatively influence performance, while dehydration of greater than 3 percent of body weight increases an athlete’s risk of heat illness (heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke). 
 

Additional Programs:

• Blackwell Chamber of Commerce Hamburger Fry
• Blackwell Middle School Leadership Class
• Third Grade Health Education Tours
• Blackwell Public School Foundation
• Blackwell FOP Fingerprint Program
• Multiple Sclerosis Association
• Hospice Grief Support Group
• Diabetes Support Group
• Blackwell United Way
• American Red Cross
• Teachers Breakfast
• Birthing Classes
• Relay For Life
• Campfire USA
• VFW Ladies Auxiliary
• Blackwell Show Choir
• Kay County Shrine Club
• Pioneer Technology Center
• Community Halloween Carnival
• Children’s Make a Wish Foundation
• Family Traditions Book Sponsorship
• Home Health Blood Pressure Checks
• Blackwell Public School Red Ribbon Program
• Contemporary Concepts Grief/Remembrance Program