Ellett Memorial Hospital

03/18/2026

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, a global initiative dedicated to raising recognition of a chronic disease affecting roughly 1 in 10 women (about 200 million) worldwide. The goal of this initiative is to encourage early diagnosis, reduce stigma, and improve access to care.

There is no known cause of endometriosis and no cure, though it is treatable. Because of the lack of education, pain or other symptoms are often dismissed as “part of being a woman” or misdiagnosed. This often causes a delay of a decade or more in receiving the proper diagnosis of endometriosis. Unfortunately, many patients are misdiagnosed, often multiple times, leading to unnecessary and inappropriate treatment. This is why it is crucial to spread further awareness of the disease and support research and funding.

Symptoms of endometriosis include: abnormal and painful periods, painful in*******se, GI distress, neuropathy, inferility, and fatigue. While imaging tests, pelvic exams, and rectovaginal exams can help indicate suspicion of endometriosis, they cannot confirm it. The only way to verify pelvic endometriosis is a diagnostic laparoscopy with pathology confirmation of biopsy specimens. Imaging testing is helpful but not definitive, as clear evidence of endometriosis is not visible through CT, MRI, or ultrasounds. Nevertheless, it is common practice to obtain a pelvic ultrasound and MRI before undergoing laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis, as these can help plan the surgical approach.

What should I do if I think I have endometriosis? The first step is to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider or gynecologist and share your concerns. If you are in need of a new provider for your women's health needs, call our Outpatient Specialty Clinic to schedule an appointment with OBGYN, Dr. Sarah Kallberg. The EMH Outpatient Specialty Clinic hosts monthly OBGYN Clinics with Dr. Kallberg, usually on the first Thursday of each month. For questions or to schedule, please call at 660.476.2111

03/17/2026

Just a wee bit o’ St. Patrick’s Day fun at EMH today!

EMH staff were challenged to try their luck at potato bowling. All players received a token gift for playing and the top scoring players’ names were thrown in a drawing to win a prize. As an extra sprinkle of fun, all staff who were wearing green could toss their name into a jar for the chance to win a green-themed basket!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all EMH Staff! For each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way: Good health, good luck, and happiness, for today and every day.

03/17/2026

03/17/2026

February Patient 5 Star Comments!!

In February two sentiments were repeatedly found in our patient reviews:
-EMH staff is friendly/courteous.
-EMH staff is professional.

While we're glad that those two sentiments are shining through in our patient reviews, we want you to know that that's not all there is to our staff. We're also...

-Compassionate
-Empathetic
-Skillful
-Attentive
- AND MORE!

03/16/2026

Happy Healthcare HR Week to EMH Director of Human Resources, Kayla Orear!

Healthcare is an industry with inherent challenges in the hiring, retaining, and developing of employees. As such, the importance of the Kayla's work in HR can’t be overstated!

Healthcare Human Resources professionals handle all the responsibilities of their peers in other industries in addition to dealing with many that are specific to healthcare. These additional responsibilities can include managing high turnover rates, providing support for employees' mental and physical health, and monitoring certification compliance. As a Healthcare HR professional, Kayla helps EMH maintain a well-functioning workforce by managing recruitment, training, compliance, compensation/benefits, employee relations, and retention. Kayla handles all of this with aplomb.

Happy Healthcare HR Week Kayla! We're appreciate everything you do!

03/13/2026

It's time to spring into action for better health! Want to know a great way to start? Attend an upcoming informational class on hypertension!

When: Wednesday, March 25th at 10:15
Where: EMH Conference Room
Presented by: St. Clair County Health Center Public Health Nurse, Corey Dobbs.
Information to be covered: Overview of hypertension, risk factors, lab tests, prevention, and MORE.
Who the class is for: EVERYONE

This class is the start of a collaboration between EMH and the St. Clair Co Health Center to provide the community with monthly classes over various health topics. Classes will be hosted by EMH and presented by Public Health Nurse, Corey Dobbs. New topics will be covered each month.

In addition to these FREE information classes, the St. Clair County Health Center also offers:
-Birth & Death Certificates
-Well Water Testing
-Car Seats (for parents who can't afford one)
-Car Seat Checks
-Narcan (free)
-Safe Crib Program (gives free pack and play with bassinet to those who qualify)
-Discounts on self-pay labs (with provider's order)
-Blood Pressure Checks (free)
-Health Education (diabetes, diet, blood pressure, smoking cessation, and others)
-Vaccines for Children
-Health Screening (free, lead, A1C, weight, height, hemoglobin, blood pressure)

03/12/2026

March is Autoimmune Awareness Month — a time to lift up the stories, struggles, and strength of the 50+ million Americans living with autoimmune disease.

What is an autoimmune disease? An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages healthy body tissue and cells, rather than protecting the body as it was designed to do. The exact cause of autoimmune diseases is not fully understood, but they are thought to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

There are more than 140 known autimmune diseases and 50 million Americans living with them. About 80% of autoimmune diagnoses are in female patients. Autoimmune disease tends to cluster in families. Meaning, if one person in your family has an autoimmune disease, it’s likely that someone else does, too — although they might not have the same disease.

Autoimmunity is now one of the most common disease categories, ahead of cancer and heart disease. Despite this, diagnosis is still slow and complex: People on average see 6 doctors over a period of 4 years before they get a diagnosis.

Living with an autoimmune disease presents unique struggles. Patients often endure symptoms such as severe fatigue, joint pain, skin issues, sleep disturbances, and more. Symptoms can cause significant disruptions to daily routines and the ability to work or maintain a social life. Patients also often face skepticism and judgement from friends, family, and coworkers. This can all lead to high rates of depression and anxiety. Autoimmune diseases are lifelong, often invisible, and too often misunderstood. This month, let’s change that together. Learn more at autoimmune.org and share this post to help spread awareness.

If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease such as: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Sjögren's Syndrome or Scleroderma and are in search of a rheumatologist, give our Outpatient Specialty Clinic a call. We hold monthly Rheumatology Clinics with Rheumatologist, Dr. David John. For questions about the Rheumatology Clinic call us at 660.476.2111.

03/09/2026

Please join us for our second annual Easter Egg Hunt. A little bunny might have told us that the Easter Bunny plans to swing by!

When: Sunday, March 29th
Time: 2:00
Where: Ellett Memorial Hospital Front Lawn

We will set up Easter Egg Hunts for 4 separate age groups:
-0-3
-4-6
-7-9
-10+

As always, one special egg in each age group will earn it's finder a special prize!

03/08/2026

This first week of Daylight Savings Time is Sleep Awareness Week! Sleep Awareness Week is an annual campaign created by the National Sleep Foundation to emphasize the critical link between sleep, health, and well-being. Which brings us to the point....are you getting enough sleep?

According to the National Sleep Foundation data almost 9 in 10 adults with good sleep satisfaction are flourishing, while less than 1/2 of people with low sleep satisfaction are flourishing. Specifically, people with poor sleep health were:
2X more likely not to be productive at home
2.5X more likely not to be productive at work
3X more likely not to achieve their goals
4X more likely not to be happy

Even more concerning, chronic lack of sleep has been shown to effect health. Long-term lack of sleep raises your risk of obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

What can YOU do to optimize sleep?
-Set a Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
-Optimize Environment: Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
-Limit Electronics: Turn off devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
-Watch Intake: Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the afternoon or evening.

Have you tried all the above and still consistently wake up exhausted? It might be time to speak with your provider about a sleep study. Sleep studies are a diagnostic tool that can help detect and diagnose disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

Ellett Memorial Hospital offers both in-house sleep studies and home sleep studies through our accredited Sleep Lab. What's the difference between in-house and home sleep studies?

-In-House testing
An in house test is more extensive and is performed overnight in the facility with a sleep technologist present to monitor/record and apply CPAP or oxygen if indicated. The data is interpreted by a Sleep Medicine specialist. We partner with Rural Sleep Solutions, which has an extensive staff of qualified sleep technologists and Sleep Medicine Specialists.

Home Sleep Test (HST)
The HST is a simpler test in which the patient receives a demonstration of how the simplified test equipment is to be applied, and then takes the equipment home to apply before bedtime. The patient then brings the used equipment back the next morning for our staff to download the data for interpretation by a qualified Sleep Medicine Specialist.

03/06/2026

According to the national weather service there will be two rounds of storms affecting western Missouri today and into the overnight hours. The first round is projected for this afternoon and evening west of Highway 65. The second round will be late this evening into the overnight hours across the entire area.
Severe storms will be capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes with both rounds. Our immediate area is listed as a level 3 (enhanced) risk for this severe weather.

Persons in our area should be prepared to shelter in a safe place in the event of a tornado warning. If you do not have a safe place to seek shelter, please see the attached St. Clair Co Storm Shelters.

For information from the national weather service on how to prepare for severe weather, click the link below:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/thunderstorm-prepare

03/06/2026

Pictures from our Employee Appreciation Day celebration this morning. The Employee Engagement Committee treated EMH and AC Clinic staff to made-to-order omelettes and waffles. While they waited on their orders, staff could try their hand at a St. Patrick’s themed game. Everyone who played received a chapstick and chapstick holder of their choice. Successful game players were entered into a chance to win the larger items in the basket. Special thanks to Linda Roush, Bryan Wade, and Tamilee Moran for their work to put on this celebration!

03/06/2026

Happy Employee Appreciation Day to our tremendous EMH staff! You are what makes us EMH. Thank you for all you do!