Newman Healthcare Associates

04/01/2026

We are aware of an article published by the Ellis County Star suggesting that Newman Memorial Hospital has been acquired.

This information is false.

Newman Memorial Hospital remains independent, locally governed, and fully operational, with no changes to our ownership, leadership, or services.

While the article references an April Fools’ theme, the manner in which it was presented is misleading, in poor taste, and has created unnecessary confusion among our patients, staff, and community. Publishing inaccurate information about a healthcare organization carries real consequences for public trust and operations, particularly in the current environment.

We are reviewing this matter closely and evaluating all appropriate responses.

Newman Memorial Hospital remains focused on what matters most: providing safe, high-quality care and serving our communities across northwest Oklahoma.

If you have questions, please contact our administration directly.

- Newman Memorial Hospital

03/30/2026

“I was injured during a high school football game, and everything just stopped. I had to get back to playing as soon as possible.”

“Knee degeneration has kept me from playing with my grandkids the way I love to. It was time to make a change.”

These are more than stories. They are the reasons we do what we do.

Whether recovering from an injury, preparing for surgery, or healing after a procedure, Jeremy Cheatwood, PA-C is here to guide you every step of the way. From evaluation to recovery, he is committed to helping you move better, feel stronger, and return to the life you enjoy.

Jeremy is seeing patients in Woodward and Shattuck for a full range of orthopedic care including joint pain, sports injuries, fracture care, and pre & post-operative evaluations.

If pain or injury is holding you back, it may be time to take the next step toward getting back to what you love.

03/26/2026

Help Newman Healthcare Associates win this year's Woodward News Best of the Best for Woodward!

Vote today for your favorite Physician, Family Nurse Practitioner, or Women's Health Provider!

Get ready folks!
Nomination period for Woodward's Best of the Best is now live!
Nominate here!
https://www.woodwardnews.net/bestofww

03/25/2026

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒

Graduating high school seniors who plan to pursue a career in healthcare are encouraged to apply. Six scholarships in the amount of 1000 dollars each will be awarded to eligible students from Arnett, Shattuck, Fargo-Gage, Laverne, Woodward, and Mooreland.

Application deadline is Friday, April 24, 2026. Scholarship recipients will be announced on Monday, May 3, 2026.

Students can apply online at https://forms.gle/HzHR3Lv1bpeZqVnm6 or contact their school counselor for more information.

Take the next step toward your future in healthcare and apply today.

03/23/2026

𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡’𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

This recognition highlights what makes rural healthcare powerful: "people, culture, and commitment" and what’s possible when excellence is embedded, not episodic.

A special acknowledgment to Shane Clem, our Facilities Director, whose leadership and relentless focus on proactive maintenance and safety helped drive this recognition. His philosophy says it best:

“Compliance is not episodic - it’s embedded into our culture."- Shane Clem, Facilities Director

At Newman, we’ve built a system where Joint Commission standards aren’t something we prepare for; they’re how we operate every day.

While others prepare for surveys, we operate ready.
While others react, we prevent.
While others see limitations in rural healthcare, we see opportunity.

From expanding clinics across Northwest Oklahoma to maintaining enterprise-wide accreditation, our team continues to prove what’s possible in rural healthcare.

This recognition belongs to every team member who shows up each day committed to excellence and to the communities we serve.

📖 Read more here:https://newmanmemorialhospital.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/April-Joint-Commission-Article2026.pdf

03/17/2026

Welcome, Dr. Gillis!

𝐀𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞

Newman Memorial Hospital is proud to announce the addition of Dr. Brian Gillis, D.O., board-certified physician and surgeon, further expanding specialty and surgical services across Northwest Oklahoma.

Born and raised in Arnett, Oklahoma, Dr. Gillis returns to the region where his journey in medicine first began. A graduate of Arnett High School, he also attended the Shattuck and Ellis County Vocational Technical Program, now known as High Plains Technology Center in Woodward, where he trained in several departments at Newman Memorial Hospital as a student. Those early experiences helped ignite his lifelong passion for medicine and patient care.

Now, after building an accomplished national career spanning more than 25 years in gastrointestinal health and surgical care, Dr. Gillis is returning home to serve the communities that helped shape him.

The addition of Dr. Gillis represents another step in Newman Memorial Hospital’s ongoing strategy to expand rural access to specialty and surgical care, ensuring patients across Northwest Oklahoma can receive advanced treatment close to home rather than traveling long distances to larger metropolitan health systems.

Dr. Gillis is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Proctology and the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. He is widely recognized for his expertise in anorectal pathology and physiology, with a subspecialty in defecatory disorders and pelvic floor dysfunction.

He earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1995. He completed his internship at St. Vincent Hospital Worcester and his residency at Grandview Hospital Dayton.

Throughout his career, Dr. Gillis has served in numerous leadership roles, including Chief of Surgery at Inland Hospital in Maine and Vice Chief of Staff and member of the Board of Trustees. He also currently serves on the State Medical Board in Augusta, Maine, where both Democratic and Republican leadership appointed him.

Dr. Gillis is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the American Osteopathic College of Proctology, where he served as Past President from 2007 to 2008.

His clinical expertise includes the diagnosis and treatment of complex gastrointestinal and pelvic floor conditions. Dr. Gillis also developed and operated the largest anorectal defecatory and pelvic floor laboratory in the state of Maine, serving as a referral center for patients suffering from f***l incontinence, chronic constipation, and pelvic floor dysfunction.

Beyond clinical care, Dr. Gillis has shared his expertise nationally, lecturing at leading medical institutions including Harvard, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Cincinnati, helping develop data-driven protocols for evaluating and treating pelvic floor disorders.

Despite his national recognition, Dr. Gillis’ ties to Northwest Oklahoma remain strong. His sister, Careylyn Guthrie, lives in Woodward, and his mother also resides locally. Dr. Gillis and his wife Ingrid, an occupational therapist, share three children.

“Recruiting a physician of Dr. Gillis’ caliber who was born and raised in this region is incredibly meaningful for our hospital and our communities,” said Robyn Girton, Chief Administrative Officer of Newman Memorial Hospital. “His expertise strengthens our ability to provide advanced specialty and surgical care close to home for patients across Northwest Oklahoma.”

Dr. Gillis shared that returning to the region is a meaningful milestone in his career.

“Returning to Northwest Oklahoma and to Newman Memorial Hospital is incredibly meaningful,” Dr. Gillis said. “This is where my journey in medicine began, and I look forward to serving the communities that helped shape my life and career.”

Dr. Gillis will begin seeing patients in April in both Woodward and Shattuck.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
📍𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜
𝟓𝟖𝟎-𝟐𝟓𝟔-𝟏𝟐𝟑𝟔

📍𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜
𝟓𝟖𝟎-𝟗𝟑𝟖-𝟓𝟒𝟎𝟎

03/09/2026

𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚

𝘝𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘬𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.

Newman Memorial Hospital continues its strategic expansion of healthcare services across Northwest Oklahoma with the addition of Brad Pittman, PA-C, further strengthening the hospital’s growing primary care network and improving access to care for rural communities.

Pittman brings 19 years of medical experience and will begin seeing patients in April at both the Newman Woodward Specialty Clinic and the Newman Shattuck Clinic. His addition supports Newman’s continued effort to expand local access to primary care, reduce travel burdens for patients, and strengthen coordinated healthcare delivery across the region.

Originally from May, Oklahoma, Pittman has deep ties to Northwest Oklahoma. He graduated from Fort Supply High School before completing his undergraduate studies at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. He later earned his physician associate degree from the University of Oklahoma Physician Associate Program in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades caring for patients across rural Oklahoma.

Throughout his career, Pittman has built a reputation for compassionate, patient-centered care and strong clinical expertise. He has a particular interest in endocrinology and diabetes management, helping patients better understand and manage chronic health conditions that impact many rural families.
The addition of Pittman reflects Newman Memorial Hospital’s ongoing commitment to strengthening healthcare access across the region through provider recruitment, expanded clinic services, and investment in coordinated care models designed for rural communities.

“Access to high-quality primary care is the foundation of a strong rural healthcare system,” said Tom Vasko, CEO of Newman Memorial Hospital. “As we continue expanding services across Northwest Oklahoma, recruiting experienced providers like Brad Pittman allows us to improve access, strengthen chronic disease management, and ensure our communities can receive excellent care close to home. Brad’s rural roots and commitment to patient care make him a tremendous addition to the Newman healthcare team.”

By continuing to grow its provider network and clinic presence across the region, Newman Memorial Hospital remains focused on improving health outcomes through preventive care, chronic disease management, and value-based care initiatives that keep patients healthier while allowing them to receive care within their own communities.

Outside of medicine, Pittman enjoys spending time with his wife, Amy Pittman, and their seven children.

Appointments and Clinic Locations
Brad Pittman, PA-C will begin seeing patients in April.
📍 Woodward Specialty Clinic
580-256-1236
📍 Shattuck Clinic
580-938-5400

Patients can call either clinic location to schedule an appointment.

02/23/2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Patient Testimonial
“I had surgery with Dr. Vavricka and could not have been more satisfied… He was kind and empathetic during the whole process. I would 10/10 recommend him for anyone considering surgery!” – Susan Staggs

We’re grateful to have such a compassionate provider on staff.

📅 Now scheduling March consultations at:
📍 Woodward Specialty Clinic – 580-256-1236
📍 Shattuck Rural Health Clinic – 580-938-5400

Dr. Timothy Vavricka, MD, provides expert surgical care including gallbladder surgery, cholecystectomy, hernia repair, lipoma removal, and more.

Call today to schedule your consultation!

02/19/2026

✨ Did You Know? ✨

Joanna Elliott, APRN, Wendy Crotts, APRN, and Shandy Baggs, APRN all earned their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Graceland University!

But here’s a special connection that makes this even more meaningful…

While Shandy was finishing up her own schooling, she was helping Wendy deliver baby #3. During that time, she encouraged Wendy to consider Graceland University for her NP journey. That conversation became the driving force behind Wendy pursuing her Nurse Practitioner degree.

From supporting each other in life’s biggest moments to sharing the same educational foundation, their story reflects what makes Newman Memorial Hospital and Newman Healthcare Associates so strong; teamwork, mentorship, and a commitment to growing together.

That’s the power of connection.
That’s the strength of the Newman team. 💙💚

02/13/2026

We have some incredible people to celebrate! 💙🔬

Please join us in giving a BIG, warm welcome to Edilberto (Bert), Giann, and Cherry (who works nights!) from the Philippines, who are serving our hospital in the laboratory.

These three are truly some of the smartest people to ever walk these halls, and just as importantly, some of the kindest. Their dedication, skill, and heart for patient care make a difference every single day.

✨ Bert brings 12 years of hospital laboratory experience from Saudi Arabia.
✨ Giann spent the past 8 years working as a lab tech in the Philippines. We are so excited for him as he prepares to marry his high school sweetheart this November back home!
✨ Cherry, our night shift hero, plays a vital role behind the scenes and keeps things running smoothly while most of us are asleep.

When asked what they have loved most about Newman so far, their answer was simple. The kindness of the community and the food. Biscuits and gravy have definitely made the favorites list!

They have traveled far from home to serve our patients and community, and we are incredibly thankful they chose our little hospital. Their expertise strengthens our lab and their hearts strengthen our team.

If you see them, please help us make them feel at home and let them know how grateful we are to have them here! 💙👏

02/11/2026

🚨 NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS – MARCH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE! 🚨

Dr. Timothy Vavricka, MD is now scheduling consultation appointments for March at Newman Memorial Hospital.

If you or your patients need expert surgical care close to home, now is the time to get on the schedule!

✔ Full scope of general surgery
✔ Appointments available in Woodward & Shattuck

📞 Woodward Specialty Clinic: 580-256-1236
📞 Shattuck Clinic: 580-938-5400

02/10/2026

Pucker up for heart health! 💋❤️
Our hospital Kissing Booth is spreading the love AND the importance of prevention this February.

💕 $40 CT Calcium Scores all month
📞 Call 580-938-2551 to book yours