News Release from Ozarks Medical Center.
THAYER, Mo – After 40 years as a Family Practice Physician, Dr. Harry Kelly is set to retire May 31. A farewell reception will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29 at OMC Thayer/Mammoth Spring, 1375 Nettleton Avenue, Thayer. Refreshments will be courtesy of OMC. All friends, coworkers, and well-wishers are welcome to attend.
Dr. Kelly has spent the majority of his career with Ozarks Medical Center (OMC). During that time, he has had over 300,000 patient visits. He has seen patients in the emergency department, the rural clinic, as well as in four different nursing homes. Dr. Kelly has saved many lives, healed many wounds, both physical and mental, and cultivated many friendships.
Dr. Kelly began his career with OMC in the Emergency Department. He soon began filling in at the Mammoth Spring clinic, eventually seeing patients there full time. He says he enjoyed clinic practice and saw a real need for access to healthcare in the area.
Dr. Kelly’s coworkers have many inspiring stories of his devotion to his patients and quick action in saving several patients’ lives. “It wasn’t a normal day at the clinic if we didn’t have a packed schedule,” said Lee Davis, Clinic Manager, OMC. “Dr. Kelly was more than happy to work in extra patients due to them being very sick.”
One such patient was a teenaged boy that came in late on a Friday afternoon, even though the clinic was booked, Dr. Kelly made time to see him. The young man had meningitis and was promptly admitted to the hospital. His Mother credits Dr. Kelly with saving his life.
Another young patient who had been to Silver Dollar City with his family and was “not acting right,” according to his parents. He was having difficulty walking. It was at closing time, but Dr. Kelly said to bring him in. He ordered multiple tests and sent him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with cancer.
There are many examples of Dr. Kelly’s exemplary actions during his years of service. His coworkers have commented that Dr. Kelly is a very knowledgeable man, but he was the first to say if something was outside his scope of practice, he would refer the patient to a specialist. If you had a question and he didn’t have an immediate answer, you would receive pages with the information by the end of the day.
During his years in practice, he says that patient contact has been the favorite part of his job. Although medicine has changed a lot with increased access to different specialties right here in the area, he would advise patients to look for a primary care provider that has a genuine concern for them as a person.
In retirement, Dr. Kelly is looking forward to continuing his photography hobby and traveling with his wife. “I’ve enjoyed my time; it went by way too fast,“ said Dr. Kelly.
“Dr. Kelly was like the postal service. No matter the weather he was there, even if it meant triaging his patients. He is an amazing physician, friend, and person,” Davis said.
Board Certified Family Practice Physician, Dr. Sarah Williams, along with Nurse Practitioners, Leslie Batteron, APN, and Sheila Marler, APN, will be practicing at OMC Thayer/Mammoth Spring. All providers are welcoming new patients.
OMC Thayer/Mammoth Spring specializes in family medicine and many other services including women’s health, chronic care management, mental health services, workman’s comp, low-cost labs, x-ray, drug screens, athletic physicals, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. For more information, please contact OMC Thayer/Mammoth Spring at 417-264-7136.
Ozarks Medical Center is a system of care encompassing eight primary care and 16 specialty clinics, along with complete rehabilitation, behavioral healthcare, and home care services. While the 114-bed acute care hospital cares for more than 5,400 admissions, the entire medical system has more than 364,000 patient visits annually in South Central Missouri and Northern Arkansas. For more information about OMC, visit www.OzarksMedicalCenter.com.