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We are happy to announce that certified registered nurse anesthetist Jamie Garrett has joined the Surgical Care team of Amberwell Atchison as a full-time provider. Prior to joining Amberwell Health, Jamie spent several years providing anesthesia services in the gastrointestinal field. She is excited to be returning to Atchison, where she received her undergraduate degree from Benedictine College. “I have always loved the Atchison community and wanted to be a...

Your primary care provider should be your go-to resource for all of your healthcare needs. He or she helps you manage your health by taking care of common, everyday health concerns and offering preventive health services. Those who serve as primary care providers with Amberwell Health are physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. A PCP is your gateway into the healthcare system. An appointment with your PCP is often the...

We are excited to announce that family nurse practitioner Courtney Owens will join Amberwell Troy Clinic as the new full-time primary care provider starting in October. Courtney is both a native and a current resident of Doniphan County, Kansas—she grew up in Troy and attended Troy schools. She is honored to be able to serve in her hometown and its surrounding areas. Courtney’s first job in healthcare was with Amberwell...

We would like to welcome nurse practitioner Janae Nilges, FNP-C as she transitions from serving in the emergency department at Amberwell Hiawatha to providing Primary Care at Amberwell Hiawatha. Janae is a well-rounded healthcare provider with several years’ experience caring for patients in labor and delivery, inpatient and outpatient services, and emergency room settings. She enjoys serving in the close-knit community of Hiawatha and its surrounding areas.    From an early age, Janae knew that...

September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month. Newborn screening is just one of many things that will happen in the first few days after a baby is born. Newborns in Kansas are screened for thirty-four conditions within the first few days after birth. A “heel stick” provides blood drops that are collected on sterile, absorbent filter paper. Kansas screenings also include a hearing test and measure the amount of oxygen in...

The rehabilitation services staff at Amberwell Atchison provide much needed support to patients recovering from chronic disease, sudden illness, traumatic incidents, and surgical procedures. Amberwell offers a range of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac/pulmonary rehab services, speech therapy, and sports medicine. Our highly skilled therapists are not only dedicated to developing the best possible treatment plan for each patient’s individual needs, but they are...

High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease, which can cause heart attack and stroke. But what, exactly, is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver and found in many foods. It is essential for good health as it helps the body make hormones and digest fatty foods. But saturated and trans fats–like those found in certain oils and animal products...

Amberwell is excited to welcome Brian R. Duncan, MD, to our Orthopedic Care team. Dr. Duncan is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon providing orthopedic services at Amberwell Atchison and Amberwell Hiawatha. Prior to joining Amberwell Health, Dr. Duncan practiced orthopedic surgery in St. Joseph, Missouri, for ten years. He has also served as the chief of orthopedic surgery at Kansas City VA Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and was a...

Research shows that every year, 3 million Americans become persistent opioid users after surgery. By using their knowledge of opioid-sparing and opioid-free anesthesia and pain management, Amberwell anesthesia providers are working to prevent the risk for opioid addiction and dependency. Why is this important? The economic cost of the U.S. opioid epidemic in 2017 was estimated at $1,021 billion, including cost of opioid use disorder estimated at $471 billion and...

Anesthesia providers at Amberwell Atchison are working to bring attention to the need for better pain assessment and treatment. Our efforts are part of activities planned by Partners for Understanding Pain (ACPA), a consortium of more than 80 professional and consumer organizations that have an interest in pain and its effects, for September's Pain Awareness Month activities. David Hart, DNP, CRNA, NSPM-C, is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (and retired...