My Community Hospital

For those with chronic venous ulcers, treatment can be time-consuming, costly, and inconvenient. Michael Pruett knows that cycle well. For the last couple of years, he has dealt with chronic venous ulcers – wounds on his legs that refused to heal in a timely fashion. He would travel to a hospital near his Missouri home and receive treatment, only to return within a...

“I can now hold my children, speak without much stutter, and stand up straight. If it wasn’t for my therapists, I would still be struggling, but instead I am improving each and every week!”

What does it take to survive cancer, to overcome it? Ask Gerald Tichenor, known to his friends as Gabby. In the spring of 2019, he was diagnosed with non-small cell stage III A carcinoma in one of his lungs. As soon as he received that diagnosis, a whirlwind of care began around him. His battle for survival began in the Emergency Department at Decatur County...

“What really impressed me the most was over the next two days, I had an ER nurse calling my cell at home to check on me. They reminded me that if I had any problems or complications to come back to the Emergency Room and they would take care of me.”

When she walked across the stage at her high school graduation, Natasha Struewing knew she was heading into the field of nursing because she wanted to help people. She went on to become a certified nursing assistant, working at Decatur County Memorial Hospital on the weekends while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Indianapolis. She enjoyed working...

“Here at DCMH, it is so much more personable. You are not just a number to them, but a person and friend. They are able to take care of you as a person, not just another patient coming through their office.”

“I think having the specialists that DCMH has here and the family practice doctors trusting them with their patients says a lot. It not only made Al feel more comfortable, but the whole family as well, knowing everything was close to home.”

A new perspective is often gained after facing and overcoming great challenges in life. For 43-year-old Gabriel Cruser, the great challenge was a rapidly deteriorating heart. The native of Decatur County began having health issues like high blood pressure and rapid heart rate in his late 20s and 30s. He admits he didn’t take those warning signals too seriously,...

Watching her mother go through cancer treatment in the late 1980’s made Decatur County native and Greensburg resident Paula Moore hesitant to undergo chemotherapy when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2020. But medical advancement paired with the friendly and helpful navigators and nurses at the Decatur County Memorial Hospital Cancer Care &...

“I have more energy than I have in a while. I am so much better than a year ago. I send praises to Audrey, Annie and everyone here. They push you in a sense where you want to get better. It has been a great experience all the way around.”

When I asked the emergency room doctor if I was going to die, she paused and said, ‘I don’t know.’” An honest, but harrowing answer for 24-year-old Sarah Grace Richardson. What she didn’t know was that her husband, Thomas, had received the same news with the caveat, “If she does survive, she’ll probably not ever be able to come home and resume a normal life. She...

“I just feel like I am in good hands when I come here. On top of that, it is such a convenience having this hospital in Greensburg…They can come here and receive the same amount of great care in their hometown.”

“They don’t just meet the needs of the patient, they are very good and take care of the whole family. I just can’t thank them enough for how well his care has been here. The staff and Dr. Slaughter are just awesome.”

At 30 years old, many men believe they are invincible. Don Patrick was no exception. Strong, agile, and fearless, he was making a living climbing communication towers during installation while living in Conroe, Texas, a small city north of Houston. The day ended like many others, stacking a tower on the back bed of a truck before piling in for the ride home. It had...

“I have never in my life had more caring doctors than Dr. Ferry and Dr. McCullough. They go above and beyond for their patients and then some.”

By the time a woman delivers her third child, there aren’t many surprises left. However, when Nicole Stone delivered her third baby two months ago, there were pleasant surprises all along her pregnancy journey, including in the delivery room. When Stone became the vice principal at South Decatur Elementary, it made sense to find an obstetrician closer to her work...

A self-professed “daddy’s girl,” Laura Thomas was not above using her influence when it came to her dad’s health. That’s how John Grimes, 66, was scheduled for a heart scan two years ago – that literally saved his life. A CT tech by trade who works at Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) as well as Franciscan Health in Indianapolis, Thomas took the liberty of...

Familiar faces lined the street as Greensburg native Wanda Lecher made her way home. She recognized so many of her neighbors, family and friends smiling, waving and even clapping. She says she was overcome with emotion at their kindness. And, she agreed that surviving COVID-19 was certainly worthy of a celebration. In mid-March, just seven weeks prior to her...

Amy O’Mara’s pregnancy in 2016 began like a normal pregnancy. Already the parents of two daughters, Amy and her husband, Blake, were excited to discover their third child would be a boy. But with 12 weeks remaining in her pregnancy, the joy turned to sorrow with the news that their son had Trisomy 18. According to doctors, he had numerous complications that were...

“This program is not just a saving of future healthcare dollars but a long term investment to our associates. Our women have shared with GECOM that mammograms would be put off, if not having the opportunity for us allowing appointments during work.”