“Although working in the health care field was not my goal as I began to study marketing at Northwestern, I enjoy it very much and I’ve realized how important rural health care is,” Victoria Hubbard Knighten, Winn Parish native and currently marketing liaison for Winn Parish Medical Center, told Winnfield’s Rotarians at their meeting on May 22. Victoria spoke at the request of Rotarian of the Day, Bo Walker.
Victoria is herself a member of Rotary. She became marketing liaison for the local hospital as a sophomore at NSU and is soon to complete her degree. As liaison, she spends her time coordinating marketing of the medical center’s various health care providers and gets to do what she calls the “fun marketing,” such as promoting events on behalf of the hospital as well as being the hospital’s representative as a member of local civic clubs.
As Ms. Knighten informed Rotary of services offered by WPMC, she encourages everyone to use Winnfield-based services as much as possible to maintain those services locally.
The hospital’s lab is integrated with most healthcare providers within a 60-mile radius from Winnfield, so Winn Parish patients may have their labwork done at home and results may be sent directly to the doctor. The lab has a team on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Likewise, diagnostic imaging may be done at home and sent to the healthcare provider via a barcode, although doctors who prefer to receive a compact disc containing the images may still do so. Radiology services available at WPMC now include MRIs, CT scans, ultrasound, echocardiogram, lung cancer screening, and mammograms. Mammograms are currently done only certain days of each month, but the hospital is considering offering full-time mammography later this year. The hospital now has a bariatric CT machine for patients up to 650 pounds, which draws patients from other areas here.
A general surgeon from Alexandria, Phillip Cole, M. D., has come on board in Dr. James Lee’s office to perform procedures here on Fridays, or every other Friday as needed.
Two nephrologists have also signed on, each of whom will see patients in Winnfield one a month.
The hospital also has a foot doctor it shares with other facilities.
Winn Wellness Clinic has two MD’s, three nurse practitioners and two physician’s assistants. It provides weekend care on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Nurse Practitioner Kay Shepherd is a woundcare specialist in the Clinic on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The Physical Therapy clinic provides therapy for injuries, post-surgical therapy and strengthening therapy.
The hospital has a hospitalist on the floor or on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the emergency room is staffed by Drs. Hart, Hayes, Iglesias, and one of the Winn Wellness doctors, Dr. Citarella.