care of thousands of patients.” Back home, they were equally pas-
sionate about volunteering in various capacities. “We’ve been volunteering with Whetstone
Boys Ranch now for 10 years,” Stephen said. “It’s a religious ranch designed to turn young boys around. Now, we’re not talking about hardened criminals here; we’re talking about anger management, family problems, they don’t get along with their parents, they don’t do well in school. We try to teach them some of the basics of gardening. That’s been very satisfying. “The Boy Scouts has been very satisfy-
ing as well. I was a High Adventure pro- gram manager for quite a few years. We took the Boy Scouts all throughout the United States and Canada. Those were al- ways great adventures.” Betty and Stephen, now 79 and 82 re-
spectively, today live the life of retirees, tending fruit trees on their acreage and rev- eling in their children and grandchildren. The hospital they served is flourishing, and the town they love is better for their being here — especially after they spearheaded the effort to get a full-time fire department established. It’s all gone so fast, yet every day brings the same measure of joy. “My biggest pride is all the patients I’ve
taken care of who have done well,” Stephen said. “I have people come up to me who show me their scars. We were donating our time to give COVID shots a while back and a woman comes up to me, pulls up her blouse and shows me this big scar from her gall bladder surgery I did back in the early ’70s. She said, ‘You remember that?’ I said, ‘No, not really.’” They share a laugh, then Betty gets the
last word. “I’ve been very proud of this community
and our hospital,” she said. “The hospital has always been very friendly and knowl- edgeable and devoted extra pride in the care they give their patients. West Plains is a phenomenal place to live with all the work that’s been done in our community by our boards, our teaching staff, all those who volunteer and administer to our cit- izens here. It gives you such a wonderful feeling to see all that. When people ask us where we’re from, we’re proud to say, ‘We’re from West Plains.’”
• 24 | OZARKS HEALTHCARE | SUMMER 2022
Marge Slayton; Dr. Stephen Coats; Bety Coats; and Tom Keller, President and CEO
at the dedication of the Coats Lounge and Conference Room in 2016 where Dr. Stephen Coats was honored for his service to Ozarks Healthcare. He served on the active medical staff from 1975 to 2010.
“Dr. and Mrs. Coats’ generosity has made our new
physicians’ lounge and conference room possible. This much-needed space will allow physicians to have a
place to collaborate, grab a bite to eat, work on charts, and more. The large conference room will be used for physician leadership and committee meetings.” - Tom Keller -
“ “We are so very proud of this space and appreciative of
their thoughtful gesture in giving back to provide a much needed space for our physicians.” - Marge Slayton -
“Dr. Coats always did what needed to be done,
he took care of the people in our community and has a great big heart.” - Dr. Rob Martin -
“It really is an honor and a pleasure to have been a part of this hospital. I hope that all the doctors know how
lucky they are to be a part of this hospital, administration and staff. My wife and I enjoyed raising our family here in West Plains. It is our pleasure to give something back.” - Dr. Coats -
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