The term “robot surgery” may conjure up images of droids tending to humans in “Star Wars.” But robot-assisted surgery is not a fantasy a science fiction writer conjures up. It is a surgical technique growing in popularity among health professionals. Previously, Ozarks Technical Community College students could only read about robot surgery in textbooks…
To meet the demand for Certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Ozarks Technical Community College and CoxHealth are partnering to offer the community EMT apprenticeships. Students receive the instruction and training free of charge, get paid an hourly wage as CoxHealth employees during the apprenticeship, and those who satisfactorily complete the program are guaranteed employment. There…
A construction class at the OTC Table Rock Campus stepped up this morning to build a ramp for a Reeds Spring man who recently underwent an amputation. Daniel Youngblood will be released from the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Cox Medical Center Branson on Tuesday following the amputation of his lower right leg and the toes…
Luke Livgren is making a world of difference with his degrees from OTC. Since graduation, the registered nurse has traveled the globe on seven different medical missions. His first trips involved two- and three-month stints in war-torn Iraq. Most recently, he worked in New York City’s Beth Israel Hospital during the coronavirus outbreak. “After finding…
Nurses and physicians figure prominently in coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there’s another vital group of health care professionals who don’t always get the same recognition: respiratory therapists. OTC graduate Jeff Atkinson is a prime example, having treated nearly a dozen critical COVID-19 patients so far at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Jeff is…
Ozarks Technical Community College hosted a dedication ceremony for its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program Thursday, Aug. 2. The program, co-sponsored by CoxHealth and Mercy, trains students for careers as emergency medical technicians and paramedics. It also provides continuing education opportunities for individuals who currently work in the field. “Everyone wins when we partner with…
A group of OTC students put their emergency-response skills to the test at a simulation held yesterday in Battlefield, Missouri. The event, coordinated in conjunction with CoxHealth, Mercy and the Battlefield Fire Department, taught OTC paramedic and emergency medical technician students how to safely extract patients from crashed motor vehicles. “We wanted to make this…
Andrew Hedgpeth, vice president of human resources at CoxHealth, received OTC’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award at the college’s 2017 commencement, held May 18 at JQH Arena. “Andrew’s professional accomplishments serve as a testament to the college’s mission,” said OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon. “When we, as a community, invest in our students through educational…
More than 700 Ozarks Technical Community College graduates walked in the 2017 commencement held Thursday, May 18 at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus. OTC conferred 3,097 degrees and certificates to graduates this year, which includes students who have completed, or are pending completion of, their course work from the summer 2016 semester…
The future looks bright for OTC students like Jessi Thomason and Ricki Hackworth who will begin their careers as respiratory therapists this month. The duo recently earned statewide recognition at the Missouri Society for Respiratory Care conference, held April 19-21 in Osage Beach, Mo. Jessi, a Mountain View native, was one of four students selected…
A $3 million grant to the City of Springfield‘s Department of Workforce Development in partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College will provide training opportunities for individuals seeking to enter the healthcare industry. The grant funds from the U.S. Department of Labor will provide 372 individuals the opportunity for tuition-free training and certifications in health care…
Ozarks Technical Community College and CoxHealth partnered to establish an Associate of Science in Nursing program at the OTC Table Rock Campus in Hollister, Mo. Graduates of the ASN program will be eligible to sit for the exam to become registered nurses. The new ASN program will begin in the fall of 2017. It will…
The OTC Middle College has named CoxHealth its Employer of the Year. The health system was selected for its constant assistance and support in providing Middle College students internships in the fields of health services and early childhood education. “CoxHealth gives our students the opportunity to study several different careers and options available to them…