Health care in St. Joseph often involves Heartland Health. The Regional Medical Center is the city's largest employer while serving much of surrounding Missouri and Kansas.

Heartland Health is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that includes not only Heartland Regional Medical Center, but also an insurance company and a foundation. As part of Heartland Health, Heartland Regional Medical Center provides a full array of acute care and services in open-heart surgery, neurosurgery and oncology.

Heartland is currently conducting a $75-million expansion project, scheduled for completion in 2005. One step of the project includes a three-level parking garage that opened in late 2002. A new, five-story acute-care and rehabilitation tower is scheduled to open by December 2003. On the south end of the campus, construction on the Mental Health/Urgent Care facility began in early 2003.

Also in St. Joseph, the Benedictine Health System is a Catholic sponsored health organization providing a full continuum of care, including acute care, skilled nursing, assisted living and retirement communities.

The Surgery Center, a HealthSouth surgery center, is an outpatient surgery facility that hosts surgeons from various specialties, including orthopedics, general, oral, urology, plastics, gynecology and podiatry.

St. Joseph offers several modern behavioral health care facilities. Family Guidance Center for Behavioral Healthcare is a community mental health center providing a comprehensive array of behavioral and reproductive health care in a nine county area in Northwest Missouri. Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center is a 120-bed public psychiatric hospital that serves children and adolescents with acute psychiatric disorders, and adults who require long-term psychiatric care

Several hospice, long-term care and licensed care facilities operate in St. Joseph. Because of its location and size, the city is home to a wide range of health care professionals who serve patients throughout northwest Missouri and adjoining Kansas communities.

© 2003 by Show-Me Publishing, Inc. with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use in any manner of editorial or
graphic content without permission is prohibited. | Destination Saint Joseph is a supplement to Ingram's Magazine