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BEACONA R K A N S A S M E T H O D I S T M E D I C A L C E N T E R

SUMMER

2015

GOOD ASGOLD

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A

BEACONM A G A Z I N E

© 2015 • Arkansas Methodist Medical Center.

A M M C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

President & Chief Executive OfficerBARRY DAVIS

Vice President & Chief Financial OfficerBRAD BLOEMER

Chief Nursing OfficerLANA WILLIAMS

Director of Human ResourcesKEVIN THIELEMIER

AssistantLEIGH ANN JONES

AssistantTERESA ERVIN

A M M C E X E C U T I V E B O A R D

ChairmanMIKE GASKILL

Vice ChairmanDAVID DUDLEY

TreasurerBILL FISHER

SecretaryDR. JON COLLIER

Past ChairmanRHONDA DAVIS

Medical Staff RepresentativeDR. BARRY HENDRIX

Chief of StaffDR. JOHN HINES

JANNIE DISTRETTI

REV. JOHN FLEMING

PAUL HILL

BOB HODGE

TOM KIRK

DAVID NEIGHBORS

DR. FRANK SCHEFANO

PAT QUINN

DR. DWIGHT WILLIAMS

E D I T O R I A L T E A M

SHAY WILLISDirector of Marketing & Public Relations

shay.willis@arkansasmethodist.org870.239.8031

TERESA VANGILDERAdministrative Assistant

teresa.vangilder@arkansasmethodist.org870.239.7077

TERRY AUSTINDirector of The Foundation

terry.austin@arkansasmethodist.org870.239.7305

As I read through this edition of The Beacon, I noticed a common thread running through many of the news items and stories. I think it’s worth men-tioning, because it illustrates something we try to both remember and convey here at AMMC.

When you read the story about Dr. L.L. Shedd’s 50 years of service, be sure to note where he grew up. It’s the same small town in Mississippi County that was home to the late R.L. Rickard, whose life story is a large part of yet another feature in this issue.

And then there’s Sammi Henry, the fireballer from a small community in Greene County who’s well on her way back from a freak accident that ended her softball team’s state title hopes.

Glance across this page and read about Terry Shultz, a Clay County native who works in our Human Resources department and has been an integral part of our hospital family for years.

Are you seeing a theme developing yet?Especially through the Arkansas Delta and even up into Crowley’s Ridge

territory, there’s a real concern about the future of small communities. Schools have merged or consolidated, family farms have been bought out by larger operations, and bright young people are leaving for college and then to urban opportunities their hometowns can’t offer.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The rest of this story resides in people like the ones featured in our magazine. Amazing people come from these small communities, and their accomplishments are significant.

I’m afraid that if we’re not careful, we fall into the trap of believ-ing that bigger always means better. That’s simply not true. For example, our hospital’s quality measures are routinely higher than those of hospitals twice our size located in communities much larger than Paragould.

Small towns have a huge impact. And as I weigh any deci-sion that impacts the scope of our care, I assure you I always consider the potential outcome for the residents of the smaller communities we serve. A life in Paragould is no more or less impor-tant than a life in Lafe, Knobel, Rector or Arbyrd.

Everyone has an important role to play in the ongoing stories of our communities and our community hospital. I appreciate your loyalty to AMMC, and I thank you for making us part of your story.

BORN IN A SMALL TOWNRural communities have a big impact

BARRY DAVIS, PRESIDENT & CEO

/ArkansasMethodist @AMMCParagould

LIKE. FOLLOW. SHARE. ENJOY.

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TTAKING CARE OF THE CARETAKERS

[people are her priority]

Terry Shultz is a longtime member of the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center family. And while her job doesn’t involve hands-on healthcare, it definitely involves “peoplecare.”

Come to think of it, peoplecare is a pretty solid descriptor for the field of Human Resources, and Shultz has been taking care of AMMC employees for almost 34 years.

The lifelong Rector resident joined AMMC in 1977 and worked at the hospital until 1993. She returned in 1997 and went to work in the Payroll/HR office. In 2001, those departments were separated by their distinct functions, and Shultz was among the HR department’s very first employees.

Every new hire at AMMC starts with a visit to HR. Shultz and her co-workers, Debbie Niemeier and HR Director Kevin Thielemier, get each employee off to a solid start at the medical center. And from that point forward, Shultz’s work on behalf of employees only grows. From enrolling employees in AMMC benefits to keeping track of changes in status, if it involves an employee, it also involves Shultz.

Even though HR work is a challenge because of near-constant change in federal laws governing insurance, family leave, and employee classification, Shultz says she’s happy to be part of the effort.

“AMMC is a caring facility for both employees and patients,” she said. And Shultz is a very important part of that care.

GAME FACE ......................................... 14An errant throw brought an abrupt end to Sammi Henry’s season with the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds softball team. But with great care from Dr. Joel Epperson, this ace of diamonds is back in the game.

FIFTY YEARS STRONG ......................... 16Dr. L.L. Shedd has seen a lot of changes in 50 years spent prac-ticing medicine in Paragould. And he’s still going strong, work-ing as a hospitalist at AMMC. The good doctor reflects on a lifetime of medical practice.

REMEMBERING ....................................11Bobby Rickard’s father died from complications stemming from Al-zheimer’s Disease. Each summer, Bobby rides his bike on a trek to bring awareness to the disease.

CEO’S NOTE ............................................2

NEW BOARD MEMBERS .......................4

AMMC NEWS...........................................5

GLOW RUN .............................................6

FOUNDATION FIESTA ..........................7

EMPLOYEE AWARDS ............................8

CORNING AMBULANCE ....................18

TASTE OF HOME ..................................20

SUMMERS U M M E R 2 0 1 5

TERRY SHULTZ: HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR

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2015 women’s Health FairRecipe for Health & Wellness

NEW FACES & PLACES AMMC promotions and new hires

Four new members have been named to the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center Board of Directors.

Dr. Frank Schefano provides anesthesi-ology services at Arkansas Methodist Medi-cal Center. He completed his undergradu-ate degree at the University of Alabama, his Medical Degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and his residency in An-esthesiology from Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Arkansas Society of An-esthesiologists, the Arkansas Medical Society and is Board Certified in Anesthesiology. He is the medical center’s immediate past Chief of Staff. He and his wife, Mary Dell, have three daughters.

Robert E. Hodge, II, PharmD, is a Phar-macist and the owner of Corner Drug. The business has been in operation since 1981. He

received his Bachelor of Science from Arkan-sas State University, his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Louisi-ana Monroe and his Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Bob is married to Debbie, and they have two children.

David Neighbors is the Plant Manager for Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company. He has worked in the transportation indus-try his entire career and has been involved in four plant start-ups including the Paragould, AR and Enterprise, AL factories operated by Utility Trailer.

He attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he studied Account-ing and Vanderbilt University where he took specialized courses in Materials Management.

He has served as a Board Member of the Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce

and is an active supporter of the Greene County Community Fund.

David is married to Sarah, and they have four children.

Dr. Barry Hendrix owns and operates Hendrix Medical Clinic. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville; his Medical Degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci-ences in Little Rock and completed his resi-dency in Family Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center in Texarkana.

He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Southern Medical Association, the Arkansas Medical Society and the American Association of Physician Specialists. He is serving as the Medical Staff Representative to the Board of Directors. He and his wife, Dr. Lisa Hendrix, have four chil-dren.

AMMC NAMES FOUR TO EXECUTIVE BOARD

Dr. Barry HendrixRobert Hodge II, PharmD David NeighborsDr. Frank Schefano

Free glucose &cholesterol screenings

Information onheart health, stroke,smoking cessation,diabetes, and more

Thursday, October 16:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

ammc Professional officebuilding auditorium

For more information, contact ammc education at (870) 239-7016

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Pathologist Dr. Terri Green joined the staff of medical professionals at the hospital in April. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Law from Baylor University; studied Biology/Pre-Med at the University of Texas at Arlington and completed her Medical Degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She completed her residency at Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, TX. She is Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology.

She serves as the medical center’s Pathologist and Laboratory Medical Director and oversees two of more than 7,600 labs accredited by The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP). CAP accreditation is the industry standard for quality. Patients can be assured that their local labs uphold the same quality standards as any major hospital lab in the country.

Natasha Cline recently completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Degree at Arkansas State Uni-versity in Jonesboro. She was one of our four students who participated in a 3-year program, a first of its kind at ASU. Natasha had to take five extra classes in the same amount of time as the other students, because unlike them, she was ultimately finishing her Masters and her Doctorate at the same time. She completed the program with a 4.0 GPA. She received her Bachelor of Science in PT from ASU in 1999.

Natasha has worked at AMMC as a Physical Thera-pist in Acute Care for eight years. She is also a creden-tialed clinical instructor and has students work with her during their clinical rotations. Natasha says, “I enjoy my

job. I chose a career I like and I enjoy working with people. I also like the small, hometown feel you find at AMMC.”

According to Jon Tripod, Director of Physical Thera-py at Arkansas Methodist, “Natasha is an invaluable part of the therapy team at AMMC.  Her caring attitude and thoroughness help give our acute care patients the very best in rehabilitative services.”

Natasha resides in Monette. She has three daughters. Her oldest is a registered nurse at AMMC; her middle is going to the University of Central Arkansas in Con-way with a major in nursing and her daughter who is a sophomore in high school aspires to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

Dr. Terri Green

AMMC WELCOMES NEW PATHOLOGIST

Natasha Cline

Cline completes doctorate in physical therapy

Arkansas Methodist Medi-cal Center is pleased to offers its patients the services of a Patient Portal. As part of the federal government’s Meaningful Use (MU) Initiative, all hospitals will soon be required to provide patients, and/or a patient autho-rized user, access to their medi-cal record, electronically. Access to AMMC’s Patient Portal is given to a patient through their personal, secure email address and allows the user the ability to review information including, but not limited to, medical procedures com-pleted, medical history, medications adminis-tered and taken, allergies, existing or develop-ing medical conditions etc.

According to Mardy Holmes, Chief In-

formation Officer at AMMC, “The portal engages the patient by providing quicker access to their medical record in a modern world where people want access on their own terms. All it takes is a computer, smart phone

AMMC UNVEILS ‘PATIENT PORTAL’ FOR MEDICAL RECORDSor other electronic device, a web browser and your login creden-tials.” Prior to the implementa-tion of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), accessing a medi-cal record came in the form of printed copies of paper records. Holmes goes on to say, “With Patient Portals, power and con-venience is given to the patient and an actual visit to a provider is eliminated.”

The website for the AMMC Patient Portal is www.mymedi-calencounters.com. If you have

questions or concerns regarding the AMMC Patient Portal, call 870-239-8062 or for more information about Meaningful Use, contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Ser-vices at cms.gov.

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The 2015 Arkansas Methodist Medical Center 4,000 Steps GLOW RUN for Diabetes took place Friday, June 5 at Greene County Tech High School on West Kingshighway. Participants ran or walked the “Eagle Mile” course. There were 339 registered participants and despite the stormy weather, 211 individuals participated in and completed the course. More than $3,500 was raised and proceeds will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Founda-tion and the American Diabetes Association.

Glow Run

Pictured left to right are Corey Rowe, Jake Smith, Garrett Youngblood and Susan Youngblood.

Pictured left to right are Edna Johnson, Jamie Hatfield, Sidney Wilkins, Ashley Shepard, Emily Draper, Jessica Carlile and Jamie Green.

Annual diabetes awareness event draws record crowd

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foundationfiesta

The AMMC Ambassadors hosted the first ever AMMC Foundation Fiesta in May. The Cinco de Mayo-themed evening raised nearly $29,000 for The Foundation.

Dr. L.L. Shedd won a trip to Cancun ($3,000 value) provided by Mary Ellen & Bob Warner and International Tours. Kelly Roswell (below) won Konstantino jewelry ($1,200 value) provided by Sissy’s Log Cabin.

8AMMC EMPLOYEE AWARD WINNERS

Tonya Roberts was recognized as the Beacon of Light of the Year. Tonya works as part of the En-vironmental Services Department at AMMC and often is responsible for cleaning in the area of the Emergency Department. While working one day, Tonya saw a patient with a need and answered the call. A patient who had come into the Emergency Department at AMMC was being discharged home but had no way to get there, so Tonya called and made arrangements for the patient. When one of the ER employees who works as a hostess made her call backs following the patient’s visit, the patient stated, “It was a blessing. I’ll never forget how she helped me.” Tonya’s efforts reflect the true meaning of a Beacon of Light… an outstand-ing performance that included going above and beyond what is expected of her.

2014 Beacon of Light Award Winner

Tonya RobertsEnvironmental Services

At Arkansas Methodist Medical Center’s 49th Annual Employee Service Awards Banquet, 56 employees were recognized for a combined 665 years of service. The medical center also be-stowed four awards at the banquet, and the winners of those awards are featured on the following pages.

9AMMC EMPLOYEE AWARD WINNERS

He oversees the Acute Care and Outpatient Physical Therapy Departments and the Sports Medicine Program at Arkansas Methodist Medi-cal Center but he also treats patients daily. Jon Tripod, PT, is constantly looking for ways to improve his department through revenue enhance-ments and cost reductions and although he is always looking for ways to save, his department generates more than $1 million annually toward the hospital’s bottom line. For more than 15 years, Jon has volunteered his time as a committee mem-ber for the AMMC Foundation golf tournament. His fellow managers voted to recognize him for his hard work and dedication and Jon was named the 2014 Manager of the Year.

Jon Tripod, PTDirector of Acute Care and Outpatient Physical TherapyDirector of Sports Medicine

2014 Manager of the Year

10AMMC EMPLOYEE AWARD WINNERS

She says, “They’ll probably carry me out of here boots first!” That statement alone describes Arkansas Methodist Medical Center’s 2014 Employee of the Year perfectly. Jo Shutt, RN, Nursing Supervisor has been committed to AMMC since a young age. She volunteered as a Candy Striper. She then went on to have both of her children at the hospital and has worked at the medical center for 17 years. “I love my job and I feel as though this has always been my home,” she states. She was the Employee of the Month in February 2014 and her peers went on to vote her as the facility’s Employee of the Year.

2014 Employee of the Year

Jo Shutt, RNNursing Supervisor

11AMMC EMPLOYEE AWARD WINNERS

2014 Foundation GEM Award Winner

Mary Ann Stallcup, RNNursing Supervisor

Mary Ann Stallcup (pictured above, left, with her daughter Alexia Stallcup Robb, who also works at AMMC) suffered unspeakable pain when her son, Dr. Tory Lee Stallcup, died unexpectedly in 2012. Mary Ann worked with The AMMC Foundation to establish a memorial scholarship endowment fund to honor her son’s commitment to his community and his profession. Because of Mary Ann’s tireless championing of this cause, medical school students who grew up in this area and who commit to returning to the region to practice medicine will be eligible to receive schol-arship support. The Foundation’s GEM award is an acronym for Going the Extra Mile, and Mary Ann Stallcup has certainly done exactly that.

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A Rideto Remember

Paragould native son Bobby Rickard’stwo-wheeled trip down memory lane

R.L. Rickard spent 27 years traveling the world with the United States Navy, enlisting just after World War II, serving in the Korean conflict, and then com-pleting his enlisted duty in the San Francisco Bay Area.

During a 30-day leave in 1952, he met a 16-year-old girl in Paragould and married her two weeks later. R.L. and Gloria spent more than 50 years together, raising three children and enjoying grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He served the White House as Captain of the Presidential Yacht (his official title was Chief Boatswain’s Mate), spending seven years on constant call to pilot Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy at a moment’s notice.

In 1971, he retired to Paragould and went to work at L.A. Darling before retir-ing a second time in 1996.

And in the final years of his adventure-filled life, R.L. Rickard couldn’t remem-ber any of it.

Those memories are secured in the mind of R.L.’s son, Bobby Rickard, who lost his father in 2011 to complications stemming from Alzheimer’s Disease. In June of this year, Bobby passed through his former hometown of Paragould on his second Ride to End Alzheimer’s, a one-man, 700-mile bicycle trek to raise funding and awareness to combat the disease that robbed his father’s mind long before it took his life.

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Continued on Page 19

And as Bobby rode into Paragould early Saturday morning on Father’s Day weekend, the memories of his dad washed over him. Climbing into his dad’s lap to watch “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.” Family meals. The imprinting, through quiet example, of values like integrity, work ethic, and kindness. A col-lection of the seeming trivialities of family life that in hindsight prove to be anything but.

“When I was a kid, Honeysuckle Road was gravel and there were maybe four houses on it, and we lived down at the end,” he said. “My brother and I would walk up to the top of the road and wait for Dad to come home from work in the afternoon. He would pick us up and drive us back down to the house.”

The memories that would come later, the ones Bobby’s refer-ring to when he talks about having to “purge the tough stuff” – “I don’t want my memories of him to be just from the late years of his life,” Bobby said – are what led him to combine his passion for cycling with his advocacy for Alzheimer’s awareness.

R.L. Rickard was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in January 2008. The doctor told Bobby his father might not live another month. So Bobby and his wife, Sherry (Wilcox) Rickard, took R.L. to live with them and their three children in Northwest Arkansas.

“I told her, ‘We’ll make it through this, but I don’t know what we’ll look like on the other side of it,’” Bobby said.

They expected the arrangement to last only a few weeks or perhaps even months. They converted their dining room into a bedroom for R.L., and for the first month or so, Bobby slept on the floor beside his father’s bed.

“It’s funny -- when I was a kid, I would sleep in the floor of Mom and Dad’s room because I was scared,” he said. “And here I was sleeping on the floor of his room again, but this time because Dad was scared.”

The Rickards quickly learned to move at R.L’s pace. Getting his father ready to attend church services each Sunday required two hours of preparation. Over time, Bobby learned to let go of schedule-driven stress.

“The time spent getting him ready or helping him bathe be-came some of the best times for us to talk,” he said. “It might take two or three hours, but I knew that going in, so I just re-laxed and we had some of the best conversations.”

In May 2010, R.L. suffered a debilitating stroke, and his care became too demanding for the family. A Manila native, R.L. had always indicated a desire to be close to home when the time came for him to die, so the family moved him to a nursing home in his hometown. He died there in January 2011.

Over the years, Bobby has made it his mission to learn as much as possible about Alzheimer’s, including its toll on its vic-tims and caregivers alike.

“For every person afflicted with Alzheimer’s, there are three caregivers impacted by it,” he said.

Bobby Rickard rides westward toward Paragould along Highway 412 early Saturday morning, June 20.

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M

Game FaceA freak accident broke Sammi Henry’s jaw andshattered her dream of a state championship. Butit couldn’t make a dent in her determination..492 batting average

.636 on-base percentage

105 strikeouts; 22 walks106 innings pitched21 wins, 3 losses14-0 in conference

Many softball games turn on one pitch, but very rarely do entire seasons spin on an errant warmup throw. Yet that’s exactly what happened to the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds last spring.

Heading into the Class 2A state softball tournament, the Lady Greyhounds were considered a favorite to bring home the championship. The team was 22-2 and was playing its best ball of the year at the end of the regular season. Sammi Henry, the team’s sophomore ace pitcher, was a key element of that success.

The team arrived early on the day of its first state tournament game in Norphlett, and settled into the bleachers to scout a team they might face later in the tournament. It was a hot day, and there wasn’t much shade, so after a few innings, Henry and some teammates left the bleachers and walked down the right-field line to find some shade. As they walked, the 16-year-old and a handful of teammates ambled past the Magnet Cove team, which was going through pre-game warmup drills. Henry had just stopped and turned to sit beside Lisa Bridges – the parent of a teammate, and also an RN and the infection control director at AMMC – when she heard someone shout the words that always grab your attention at a ballgame: HEADS UP!

It was too late.“I woke up to Lisa Bridges telling me to spit the blood out,” Henry recalls. The errant warmup throw had hit Henry flush in

the jaw, knocking her unconscious, shattering two molars and breaking her jawbone both on the side of the impact and on the opposite side of her face.

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All ConferenceAll State

Best Under the Sun

Henry knew the injury was serious. She could feel fragments of her teeth inside her mouth, and she couldn’t completely close her mouth. School officials and other adults scrambled to get Henry the medical attention she needed, and to notify Henry’s mother, Crysty, who had opted to stay at an area hotel until closer to Marmaduke’s game time. But Henry had other things on her mind.

“The hardest thing for me was I felt like I had let my team down,” she said. “As a pitcher, your team counts on you.”

That’s especially true of a pitcher of Henry’s caliber. In the regular season, she held opposing batters to 40 runs over 106 innings pitched, striking out 105 while only walking 22. She racked up a 21-2 record and was undefeated in 14 conference games.

She also excelled at the plate, hitting .492 with an on-base percentage of .636, and was second on the team with 26 runs batted in.

But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The severity of Henry’s injury not only knocked her out of the tournament, it took the wind out of her team’s sails. Distracted and a little demoralized, the Lady Greyhounds bowed out of the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Magazine. And Henry could only watch from the dugout.

“The other girls were just really upset about what happened to Sammi,” Marmad-uke Coach Steve Richey said. “She’s such a great kid, and she is really well thought of by her teammates and coaches. It was hard for our team to see such a great kid go through that.”

With hopes of a state championship dashed, Henry had to deal with the treat-ment and healing process of her injuries. Her family dentist took care of the two shattered teeth, and he also recommended that Henry see plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Joel Epperson at AMMC, and they were able to get in just a few days after the accident. After getting the relieving news that she wouldn’t need plates in her jaw, Henry had to answer a tough question from the doctor.

“He said, ‘Can I trust you not to eat a piece of pizza for three weeks?’ and I said no,” she said. Her honest answer meant she would spend the next three weeks – “actually three weeks and a day,” said Henry, who was certainly keeping track of the calendar – with her jaw wired shut. She underwent two pro-cedures at AMMC, one lasting 90 minutes

and the other 40 minutes.“Dr. Epperson kept us posted on what

was going on,” said Crysty Henry. “The office, the hospital staff – everybody was just excellent.”

From May 19 until June 27, Henry was on a strict nutrition plan that wouldn’t tax the healing process. Finally, after the 27th, she was allowed to begin eating regular foods again.

And as you can see from her photos, Henry’s natural beauty survived the damage from the accident. On June 27, the softball star was crowned first alternate in Marmad-uke’s annual Miss Liberty Bell pageant.

“I’m very pleased by the results (of Dr. Epperson’s work),” she said. “When this hap-pened, I thought my smile would never be the same. But it’s better than ever.”

Henry was sitting in Dr. Epperson’s wait-ing room when she spoke those words. She admitted to having a little anxiety, because she was hoping the doctor would release her that day to resume all normal activities. Just a few minutes later, he did just that, and Henry was elated. She had already packed for church camp, and there was one more activity she was ready to resume.

“I’ve already been throwing a little,” she confessed. Yes, the fireballer was cleared to start playing softball again. She’ll likely play weekend tournaments through the fall, and then next spring, the junior will lead the Lady Greyhounds on a march toward the championship that eluded them last year.

Given all this young lady has already over-come, you might not want to bet against her.

First AlternateMiss Liberty Bell

Sammi Henry andDr. Joel Epperson

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SShannon Freeman was having a little fun.The Paragould native and lead singer of

local band Everyday Life asked the crowd at last spring’s AMMC Foundation Fiesta for a show of hands: How many of them had been delivered by Dr. L.L. Shedd?

“I think he’s delivered half of Paragould,” Freeman joked.

That’s hyperbole, but not by as much as one might think. Over 49 years of family practice in Paragould, Shedd has delivered more bun-dles of joy than a mustering of storks. When his practice was at its busiest, he delivered over a couple hundred babies annually. And even though he’s intentionally slowed his schedule a bit in recent years – Shedd now serves as a hospitalist a few days each month – the physician’s passion for his work still burns as strong as ever. He has practiced at AMMC

for 49 years – longer than any other physician affiliated with the hospital.

“I have enjoyed practicing medicine,” he said. “It’s fun, challenging, rewarding, and keeps my mind sharp. I hear talk about ‘burn-out’ – I don’t know what that means. I tried to retire a few years ago, and I was extremely bored.”

Shedd knew early in his teen years that he wanted to be a physician. A basketball stand-out for his hometown Manila Lions, Shedd was selected to the 1957-58 Arkansas All-Star team. He accepted a scholarship to play for legendary basketball coach Abe Lemons at Oklahoma City University, but after a year, he transferred to Ole Miss because it provided a more direct academic path to his goal of be-coming a doctor. From there, he attended the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

(UAMS) in Little Rock and completed a ro-tating internship at St. Vincent’s Infirmary.

After graduating, Shedd and his young bride, Marcia, traveled the state to find a community where they could settle down, raise a family and build a practice.

“The hospital is why I came here,” he said. “We started looking for a place to move to, and we found that Paragould had the best hospital compared to all the cities of similar size that we visited.”

Shedd was impressed that the hospital (then called Community Methodist Hospi-tal) staffed both a radiologist and a patholo-gist, both of whom lived in Paragould. To Shedd, this indicated a strong commitment to its patients and physicians.

“The hospital board has always been very responsive to get what the doctors need,”

FIFTY YEARSOF SERVICE

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Shedd said. “If we identify something that would enhance patient care, they will get it.”

When Shedd arrived, the hospital was barely 16 years old, and the physician has been a close witness to its growth across the years. While each department has made steady improvement over those years, there are a couple of factors that have consistently helped AMMC remain strong.

“I’ve always thought we have one of the best nursing staffs in the area,” Shedd said. “They are genuinely interested in patient care. Our nurses are one of our greatest assets.”

Along with nursing care, Shedd cited the consistent cleanliness of the facility as a point in AMMC’s favor. Even after five decades walking the hospital hallways, the doctor still keeps close tabs on this issue.

“If your facility doesn’t look clean, pa-tients will not want to stay,” he said. “But this hospital has historically been very clean, and people notice.”

While Shedd may be best known for thou-sands of birthdays – “When you deliver a baby, everybody’s happy,” he said – his family practice covered a great deal more than that.

“There was no such thing as a family prac-tice residency when I was in school,” he said.

“We rotated through all areas, so I had ex-perience with general surgery, OB and family medicine.”

The development of such specialized train-ing is just one of many developments in healthcare over Shedd’s 50 years of practice. For instance, in his early years of practice, he routinely made house calls. “But as time went by,” he said, “I very seldom was asked to make them. I think the expansion of emergency de-partment programs at hospitals is the primary reason for that.”

Shedd said he never minded the after-hours calls he received from worried patients, parents or caregivers.

“Most people realized you work hard, and they don’t want to bother you,” he said. “The overwhelming number of calls I received were from people who really needed help. Private practice is not a nine-to-five job. You’re avail-able 24 hours a day.”

Such accessibility could eat into family time, and the Shedd family eventually grew to include four children: Jane Lea, Steven, Cary Lea, and Omer. But as the family grew, so did the doctor’s determination not to sacrifice his roles as a father and husband to fulfill his job as a doctor.

“I worked hard and saw a lot of people,” he said. “But I spent a lot of time with my chil-dren, too. You can juggle things to do what you want to do.”

The Shedds now juggle their schedules to include visits to see their children, who live in Texas, California, Oregon and North Caro-lina, and their 17 grandchildren.

Shedd also stays busy in professional as-sociations and committees. He served for 12 years on the board of the Arkansas Founda-tion for Medical Care, including the last two as its chairman. He also served five years as speaker of the house of delegates for the Ar-kansas Medical Society. He remains actively involved at AMMC – “I’ve been on every committee of the hospital at some point in time,” he said with a laugh – and has been a longtime member and chairman of its creden-tials committee, which determines whether to recommend granting privileges to applicants.

All in all, it’s been a fast-paced and fun 50 years for one of Paragould’s best-known doc-tors.

“It seems like I just got here yesterday,” he said. “Time flies by when you’re doing some-thing you like. When some 30- or 40-year-old stops you and says, ‘You delivered me,’ that’s enjoyable.”

Dr. L.L. and Marcia Shedd (third and fourth from right, respectively) with friends at this year’s Foundation Fiesta. Others pictured include (from left): Charles and Donna Brazil; Anne and Bill Fisher; and (far right) Moud and Sharon Gazaway.

Dr. Shedd in an undated photo from the AMMC archives.

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From left: Arkansas Methodist Medical Center (AMMC) Ambulance Service paramedic John Weatherford, Corning Cares campaigner Brigitte McDonald, AMMC Foundation Director Terry Austin, Corning Cares campaigner Amanda Wiedeman and EMT Jonathan Birdsong of AMMC. Not pictured is Patty Watson-Scheer.

Photo submitted by Jim McIntosh; Clay County Courier

Written by Jim McIntoshOriginally published in the Clay County Courier

Reprinted with permission

A brand new ambulance was delivered to the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center Am-bulance Service in Corning on Monday, Aug. 3. The $72,000 E450 is a 2015 model with a Ford chassis and remounted box.

Local volunteers from Corning Cares Cam-paign, led by Corning 1st Choice Healthcare CEO Brigitte McDonald, Administrative As-sistant Amanda Wiedeman and Watson Oil Co. President Patty Watson-Scheer, helped orchestrate the raising of about $40,000 for the cause, and did so in record time.

“We were amazed at how quickly the funds were raised and how much money was raised,” said Terry Austin, director of the AMMC Foundation. “This will be the only ambulance operating out of Corning. And this isn’t the first time these ladies, and the community as a whole, have raised money for

an ambulance.”Indeed, it was the second fundraiser of its

kind. A similar fundraiser was held in 2011. Ambulances are usually replaced after the 250,000 miles plateau – or about three to four years of service. It was time for an up-date.

“We set a goal of $25,000 and they raised $40,000 in a matter of months,” Austin ex-plained.

Along with those funds, a USDA grant and AMMC Foundation funds were used to purchase the new ambulance, Austin said.

Taylor Made Ambulance of Newport custom-built the emergency vehicle to exact specifications to serve the needs of this area including specialized equipment to allow ambulance personnel to communicate with hospital emergency rooms and provide im-portant information about the patient prior to their arrival. The rig includes state-of-the-art technology of GPS laptop Garmin naviga-

tion, 12-lead EKG machine, EQIO, Quick-clot and CPAP. It includes snow chains for inclement winter weather and chevron safety graphics on the rear for higher visibility.

The gasoline-powered vehicle will spend its existence with the ambulance crew in Corn-ing.

AMMC Ambulance serves more than 1,000 patients annually, transporting them from the Corning area to hospitals nearly 30 miles in any direction. Each year those ambu-lances travel more than 50,000 miles in their duties.

Corning Mayor Rob Young praised those involved in the fundraising for their hard work and dedication.

The AMMC Foundation works to support and strengthen efforts in the areas of financial development, the quality delivery of health-care and greater public awareness through education and community relations.

CORNING COMMUNITY INVESTS IN NEW AMBULANCE

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According to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org), Alzheimer’s is the sixth-lead-ing cause of death in the U.S., and the only one among the top ten that cannot be pre-vented, cured, or slowed.

This year alone, the U.S. will spend $226 billion in treatment of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, with that cost projected to rise as high as $1.1 trillion by 2050. One in three senior Americans will die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and nearly two-thirds of the nation’s Alzheimer’s patients are women.

Bobby planned his 2015 Ride to End Al-zheimer’s in conjunction with the Alzheim-er’s Association’s “The Longest Day” aware-ness event, which happens annually on the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. Participants are encouraged to spend the en-tire day engaged in one activity – walking, playing bridge, etc. – to bring attention to the disease.

“Every day is the longest day for an Al-zheimer’s patient and his caregivers,” he noted.

His ride’s 700-mile course started in Pa-ducah, Ky., and passed through seven states. An equipment problem in Central Arkansas brought an early end to the ride, but Bobby plans to complete the final leg of the event later in the fall. And in 2016, he plans to ride the perimeter of the state of Arkansas, a 1,200 mile trek.

“Without fail, every person I talked to on this year’s ride had a connection to Alzheim-er’s,” Bobby said. “In Little Rock, I asked a guy pumping gas for some directions, and he asked why I was doing this. It turned out his grandmother had died from Alzheimer’s.”

Everywhere he turned – hotels, restau-rants, stores – it seemed everyone had a story related to the disease.

“There’s still a stigma attached to it,” he

A Ride to Remember CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

said. “It is a mental deficiency, but the per-ception is, ‘They’re crazy, they’re out of their mind.’ It’s much more debilitating. It’s a cog-nitive impairment that impacts memory and language, but also attacks specific organ func-tions, like respiration.”

And so Bobby Rickard rides on, continu-ing a tireless quest to educate the people of Arkansas how to spot the warning signs of Al-zheimer’s, how to care for someone diagnosed with the disease, and how to support those who exhaust themselves providing that care.

---On September 26, the Alzheimer’s Associa-

tion of Arkansas will host its annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s on the Jonesboro campus of Arkansas State University. More information on the walk can be found at www.alz.org or by calling the state’s office at (479) 273-5559 or (800) 272-3900.

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center was honored to host 16 junior and senior high school students in this summer’s M*A*S*H Program. Pictured left to right, back row, are Ashley Shepard, Ian Hatton, Jamie Hatfield, Sidney Wilkins, Jessica Carlile, Emily Draper and Chad Johnson; middle row; Mitchell Epperson, Sydney Adams, Ashley Ward, Kendall Sheppard, Ashlyn Crawford and Jamie Green and front row; Edna Johnson, Emily Gerrish and Brittany Banning.

The M*A*S*H (Medical Application of Science for Health) Program is a two-week camp that jallows students interested in the medical field the opportunity to explore the inside world of healthcare.

AMMC HOSTS M*A*S*H PROGRAM

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Tuesday, December 8 • ASU Convocation Center • Tickets: $15 • www.astate.edu/tickets

The Taste of Home Cooking School is coming to Jonesboro, and Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and the AMMC Foundation have opportunities for you to be part of it.

The cooking school will feature Culinary Specialist Jamie Dunn, and is being sponsored by MOR Media, First National Bank, Gilmore’s Custom Kitchens and Baths, and AMMC.

The AMMC Foundation is selling Taste of Home cookbooks, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting The Foundation’s work in support of AMMC. Books will be for sale at the upcoming Women’s Health

Fair (Thursday, Oct. 1, see page 4), other hospital events, and at the Taste of Home Cooking School. You can also buy books by calling The Foundation office at (870) 239-7077.

AMMC will also sponsor a $500 giveaway at the cooking school for all who donated food items for Mission Outreach of Northeast Arkan-sas. The medical center will sponsor a food drive on Thursday, Nov. 19, and will also collect food items at the Convocation Center on the evening of the Cooking School.

For tickets to the Cooking School, visit www.astate.edu/tickets.