The 0 of the Plains


NEW EXPANSION SIGNALS START OF A BOLD NEW CHAPTER BY DWAIN HEBDA


PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MASTERS AND OZARKS HEALTHCARE T


he first thing that happens as you walk through the front doors of Ozark Healthcare’s sparkling new expansion is


the feel of your gaze pulled upward. Taking in the soaring reception area awash in light, your gaze meets the hyp- notic hanging sculpture undulating above you. The abstract representation of the mountains and rivers for which the area is known sways gently by its tethers, recre- ating magically the mountain breeze and gentle water. But there’s something else that this


impressive work of art brings to mind. Made up as it is of many smaller pieces, the mid-air mosaic also gives a subtle nod to the thousands of physicians, ad- ministrators, medical providers and staff who have worked, practiced and led the


10 | OZARKS HEALTHCARE | SUMMER 2022


health system through the years. Not to mention the generations of people who, looking to the hospital as a center point of civic pride, offered countless volunteer hours and millions in donations, dream- ing of a time when a building such as the 100,000-square-foot expansion would be- come a reality. “We wanted the atrium to reflect sym- bolically what we feel like our place is in the Ozarks,” said Josh Reeves, Ozark Healthcare’s Vice President of Development. “The sculpture in the lob- by shows what we feel as the healthcare provider of South-Central Missouri. It was very important for us to be able to produce this building in service to the community. Every time people walk in here, we want them to know it’s a special place.” “Special” doesn’t begin to describe


Pride


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