Fitzgibbon Hospital

03/30/2026

Fitzgibbon Hospital joins communities across the nation in celebrating National Doctor’s Day on March 30, a time set aside each year to recognize the physicians who provide life-saving and lifechanging care close to home.

For 103 years, Fitzgibbon Hospital has worked to ensure that Saline County and the surrounding region have access to high-quality medical care without leaving the community. Today, that commitment is reflected in an expanding team of physicians and advanced practice providers across hospital-based services and affiliated clinics in Marshall, Slater and Pilot Grove. From the Emergency Department and hospitalist program to primary care, oncology, orthopedics, women’s health, behavioral medicine and many other specialties, these clinicians stand on the front lines of community health every day.

Many local residents first meet a Fitzgibbon provider in one of the hospital’s primary care clinics, such as Marshall Family Practice, Missouri Valley Physicians or Mid-Missouri Family Health at Fitzgibbon. These practices focus on preventive care, chronic disease management and same-day access for acute Fitzgibbon Hospital recognizes Local Physicians for National Doctor's Day
needs, all with the goal of keeping patients healthier and out of the hospital whenever possible. When hospitalization is necessary, Fitzgibbon’s dedicated hospitalists coordinate care around the clock, working side by side with nurses, therapists and other professionals to guide patients from admission through discharge.

Specialists affiliated with Fitzgibbon Hospital extend that continuum of care even further, providing services such as gastroenterology, pain management, surgical care and cancer treatment at the Fitzgibbon Community Cancer Center and other on-campus clinics. Their work shortens wait times for important procedures and reduces the burden of travel for patients who might otherwise need to seek care in larger cities.

On National Doctor’s Day, Fitzgibbon Hospital encourages community members to take a moment to thank the physicians and advanced practice providers who choose to live and practice
here, often balancing long hours, emergencies and family life to meet patients’ needs. Whether through a note, a kind word or simply following medical advice to improve personal health, that
appreciation means a great deal to those who have dedicated their lives to caring for others.

As Fitzgibbon Hospital continues its mission of “Improving the Health of Our Community,” it does so in partnership with the doctors who have made that mission their own.

03/25/2026

Time to pre-register for the health fair this year! www.fitzgibbon.org/fair

03/23/2026

03/20/2026

Please share for any who may benefit. It is always a challenge when the summer months hit and kids lose the progress they have made in speech therapy. But it doesn't have to be that way. There is opportunity to continue the progress through the summer.

03/17/2026

Carol Wolfe, Melissa Rayl and Phyllis Moore are just 3 of the many who turned aside on St. Patrick's Day to donate blood for the Community Blood Drive at Fitzgibbon Hospital today. Community Blood Center will be here until 3 p.m. in the classroom suite at Fitzgibbon Hospital.

03/13/2026

02/23/2026

Fitzgibbon Hospital’s Annual Health Fair Scheduled for Friday, April 24

The annual Health Fair at Fitzgibbon Hospital will be held from 7 to 10 a.m., Friday, April 24, in the hospital’s atrium. This event provides easy access to numerous health screenings to help people “know their numbers” and is part of the hospital’s mission of “Improving the Health of our Community.”
“We have provided the Fitzgibbon Health Fair for many years, and the evaluations from those participating always demonstrate how important this event is for them,” said Richard DeFord, Manager of Marketing and Spiritual Care at Fitzgibbon Hospital. “Common themes from these evaluations are ‘thank you for having this,’ while others have shared that results from the Health Fair were one of the primary ways they monitor their overall health.
Each year the Fitzgibbon Hospital Health Fair provides an opportunity for members of the community to receive low-cost blood tests and health screenings. This year’s fair will allow attendees to receive a package of laboratory tests, including blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, electrolytes and fluid balance, kidney and liver function, cholesterol, thyroid stimulating hormone and anemia. These tests are available as a package for just $30. Additionally, individuals can receive a Vitamin D test for just $20. Low Vitamin D can cause low energy levels, poor sleep, chronic pain and depression.
Several providers will be on hand to visit with individuals about challenges they may have in their health. Jacob Elfrink, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Fitzgibbon Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, will talk about orthopedic needs, while Wallace Ralston, DNP/CRNA, pain specialist will be available to visit with patients about quality-of-life and management of pain. Miles Romney, orthopedic PA, also will visit with individuals at risk for osteoporosis. Romney started an osteoporosis clinic last year inside Marshall Family Practice. Post-menopausal women and women over age 65 should receive regular evaluation for osteoporosis and, in prescribed, a DEXA bone density test.
Boone Hospital will be on premises this year to screen individuals for skin cancer and other skin conditions which will be especially important for those engaged in farming and other outdoor activities.
Men attending the Health Fair also can receive a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test for just $10. The PSA test is an early screening aimed at detecting possible prostate cancer. In addition to these low-cost screenings, there will be several free screenings provided as well. Individuals will be able to have their blood pressure checked, along with their body mass index and respiratory function evaluated.
“We have really streamlined our registration process through the years with the availability of online pre-registration,” said DeFord. “To pre-register, individuals should go to www.fitzgibbon.org/preregister and fill out the online form, on or before April 19. Then on the morning of the Health Fair, those who have pre-registered have a different line. They then pay for their tests and move on to the screenings. It’s simple, and it’s a real time-saver.”
Anyone receiving the blood tests at the event must have fasted for 12 hours, to ensure test accuracy. That is the primary reason why the event is held in the morning - so individuals can come before breakfast. A light breakfast is served for free to all of those having their blood drawn.
For more information about the event, call DeFord at (660) 831-3235. The Health Fair is sponsored annually by Fitzgibbon Hospital in collaboration with The Marshall Democrat-News and KMMO radio, news outlets which assist in publicizing the event. To pre-register for this year’s Health Fair, visit www.fitzgibbon.org/preregister.