by Bobby Anderson,
Staff Writer
When St. Anthony Healthplex Mustang opened up its newest facility in Mustang more than a year ago nurses and staff didn’t have to worry about getting plugged into the community.
That’s because the vast majority of staff were already Mustang residents.
And more than a year later that’s translated into a wealth of services offered to Mustang residents at no charge.
And ask the nurses and they’ll tell you it’s just a matter of taking care of their own.
Tabitha Spiegel, RN, RNP lives in the Mustang area and is one of those nurses.
Now in her 13th year of nursing, Spiegel heard the news a couple years back St. Anthony would be coming to Mustang.
“I knew I wanted to work in the same community that I lived,” Spiegel said. “I was recruited by multiple St. Anthony nurses who told me how amazing St. Anthony was. When that opportunity came it was just the whole package.”
“I met with someone from St. Anthony and I will never work for another institution ever again.”
Spiegel is the manager for the emergency room and has been with St. Anthony for six years. She began as an ER nurse and then moved to charge nurse at the south Healthplex campus.
“I would say 75 percent of the nurses employed at this facility live within Mustang or the surrounding area,” said Spiegel. “They already were familiar with the different churches, community center and just different opportunities here.
“Being here they’re able to represent St. Anthony by continuing to participate in the community.”
Spiegel said it was the nurses who insisted they would bring health and wellness to the community.
Nurses are working on the Mustang Makeover Challenge which provides a host of services to community residents.
Free blood pressure checks are routinely given. Nurses also offer their knowledge at various nutrition classes relating to different medical diagnoses.
“The nurses decided when we first opened here … with Mustang being a very small, family-oriented community they felt people didn’t know what we had to offer,” Spiegel said. “(The nurses) know how great we are and how amazing the services we have here at this facility are they felt like their neighbors were unaware what we could offer them.
“We all had a meeting and they came to me with the ideas of how they could interact with the community to make the community more aware of the opportunities here. They take it upon themselves to see if there are different events they can participate in.”
That includes the various Mustang city events as well as smaller events.
“It’s amazing. It’s what a nurse is designed to do,” Spiegel said. “We’re not just here for when you need us but we care about the health of our community and we care about preventing persons from having to come to the emergency room.
“We want them to know we’re here if they need us but we’re really big on preventative care and education and this gives them the opportunity to do this in their nursing role.”
The Critical Care Transport team at St. Anthony also goes out into the community.
St. Anthony brings an ambulance to local daycares to answer questions, let the kids look inside the rig and teach them what a career in healthcare entails.
Residents can also come to the St. Anthony Healthplex every Thursday for free blood pressure checks.
In Spiegel’s mind it’s just another instance of St. Anthony nurses fulfilling their calling each and every day.
