Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 26, 1992 Page: 42 of 60
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PAGE 10D - THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, SUNDAY JANUARY 24,1992
Health center finds eager response
LIVINGSTON
Last November the Polk County
Regional Health Center opened in
Livingston, providing area women
and children with greater access to
health care services, but the
demand in this region for the agen-
cy’s services have been so great
that they have far exceeded projec-
tions, according to '■linic director
Susan Duhon and manager Dell
Johnson.
The center’s building on East
Church Street had housed Region 7
of the Texas Department of Health
offices since March 1989, but the
addition of the center made the
facility a complete Regional Mater-
nal/Child Health Center, operated
by UTMB’s Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology and the
Texas Department of Health.
The UTMB facility is designed
to provide maternity care for low
income women in Polk, San Jacinto
and Tyler ebunties and portions of
Angelina and Houston counties.
However, in addition to the desig-
nated cou.ities, they . also get
patients from Walker and
Montgomery counties who come
here for delivery.
UTMB provides high and low-
risk prenatal care, hospital nurse-
midwifery delivery, educational
classes and cervical and breast can-
cer screening. Services provided by
the Texas Department of Health in-
clude immunizations, family plan-
ning, well-child visits and diabetes
and cholesterol screening.
UTMB has had a clinic in Polk
County since 1987 for high risk
pregnancies, but last March they
assumed the care of low risk preg-
nancy patients. They moved into
the.TDH building in May and for a
time operated in a small office on
Houston Street until their present
facilities were ready for them.
With the new Livingston facility
providing prenatal-care and the
nearby Polk County Memorial
Hospital handling delivery, the
combination provides complete
maternity care in one location.
The facility is also linked with
John Sealy Hospital in Galveston to
provide care and delivery in high-
risk pregnancy cases. The local
program utilizes a nurse/midwife
program and also has two local
physicians on staff: Dr. Jerry Wood
and Raymond Luna.
In efforts to obtain the location
of UTMB, the County of Polk
renovated a 3,378-square-foot por-
tion in the southeast comer of the
health center to house the doctor’
offices, examination rooms,
laboratory, restrooms and waiting
room which comprise the UTMB
facility. The agency also brought
with it several hundred thousand
dollars in equipment and signed a
10-year lease with the county at a
token $1 a year. UTMB is respon-
sible for maintenance and utilities
in its portion of the building.
UTMB was projected to handle
200 births a year that would gener-
ate approximately $1 to 2 million in
revenue for the local hospital.
Duhon said that use of the clinic
has accelerated rapidly. In July the
clinic handled seven deliveries
through the local hospital, but since
then the number has increased to an
average of about one a day.
Officials underestimated the
demand here, said Duhon. Due to
the need and the reputation they
have developed here, the clinic has
been contacted by the Health
Department officials in Liberty
County, who have offered to
provide transportation if the clinic
here will accept their patients.
The clinic employs 11 persons
who have relocated from
throughout the U.S. and many have
bought homes here. The payroll is
from $350,000 to $400,000, which
is funded mostly by the state and
through various grants and through
Medicaid and privately funded
New salon in business at Natasha Plaza
patients. Some 85-90% of their
work is paid by Medicaid. The
clinic also generates revenue, and
much of this comes from outside
the county.
Duhon said that UTMB is the
primary source of revenue for Polk
County Memorial Hospital.
The location of the facility in
Polk County was due to joint ef-
forts of county officers and the
Polk County Chamber of Com-
merce. At the dedication of the
facility last November, former Polk
County Judge Wayne Baker was
recognized as one of those in-
strumental in making the project a
success.
The clinic fills an important need
for health care in this area, but
Duhon pointed out that clientele are
not limited to indigent persons.
Duhon said that they feel they
have become well accepted in the
community, although there is a lot
of mis-information about mid-
wives. One woman mentioned to
her that during the past holiday
season, a woman was talking to a
friend in a local department store
— the friend was playing as a San-
ta at that moment — and she told
him about a recent delivery by a
midwife. The Santa commented
that it’s terrible the way just about
anybody is allowed to deliver
babies these days.
“Those kind of comments are
really upsetting,” said Duhon.
These certified nurse-midwives, all
well educated, go to school and be-
come highly trained professionals,
and then they’re put downUJ Santa
Claus!”
206 N. Houston
(Across From Sears)
Livingston
Agent For
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Monday - Friday
9 AM - 5 PM
327-6684
PACE FUNERAL HOME
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PRE-ARRANGED FUNERALS
RESTLAND MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY
STANDARD SECURITY UFE INSURANCE COMPANY
PACE MONUMENT WORKS
INSURANCE OFFICE,
403 N. Washington
327-4545
FUNERAL HOME &
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411 E. Abbey, Livingston, Tx.
327-8710
NEW HAIR CARE BUSINESS — Gay Ion Rushing is the proprietor of G. Rushing Hair Co. in
Natasha Plaza, a new business in Livingston for the past year. Seen with him is hairdresser
Georgia Hickman.
Gaylon Rushing opened G.
Rushing Hair Co. the first of last
August. After graduating from
Livingston High School, he worked
for the Lemon Tree for six years.
Then for a while he worked for a
beauty shop in Lufkin but got tired
of commuting from Livingston. He
moved back a year ago and last
year bought out an existing busi-
ness in Natasha Plaza. He has since
completely remodeled the facilities
and redesigned the layout, adding
more lighting and a very comfort-
able waiting room.
Two other hairdressers who
serve customers at G. Rushing Hair
Co. are Georgia Hickman (who
spent 10 years as the proprietor of
Cutaway) and Ted Adams, who
owns a shop in Lufkin, who comes
in one day a week, on Thursdays.
Rushing offers full service
hairdressing and hair cutting to
both sexes by both appointment
and walk-ins. He is open six days a
week, Monday through Saturday.
So far, said Rushing, business
has been excellent (especially since
the new local phone book came
out).
mm LAKE PROPERTIES
409 / 646-5253
1-800-234-4131
PATSY JOHNSON
Associate
Let Us Take Care
Of Your Real
Estate Needs
And Be Your
4
Neighbors And
Your Friends
KAY SWANN
Owner!Broker
Pineywood Acres
398-2584
✓ Licensed for 90 bed capacity.
✓ Intermediate Care.
✓ 24 hour Nursing Care, LVN Charge Nurses around the
dock and Certified Nursing Assistants.
✓ Registered Dietitian.
✓ Pharmacy Consultant.
✓ Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy available.
✓ Certified Activity Director.
✓ On-Site Beauty Salon.
✓ Whirlpool Baths for circulation, stimulation and muscle
relaxation.
✓ An active volunteer program.
✓ Respite Care for family caregivers who need short term
breaks from their responsibilities of providing care.
Tarri Singletary • Administrator
Brenda Harris, LVN - Director Ot Nursing
300 Hospital SL Corrigan
HARDWARE • TV & MAJOR APPLIANCES • LAWN & GARDEN SUPPLIES
JACKSON H AR D WAR E
LIVINGSTON'S HARDWARE STORE SINCE 1943
LOCATED IN JACKSON SQUARE - YOUR ONE STOP SHOPPING CENTER
SkSON^
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We Now Have
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Sunday 8:30-4:00
We Sell and Cut-
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Copper & Plastic Tubing - Screen
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1201 W. CHURCH, LIVINGSTON
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 8, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 26, 1992, newspaper, January 26, 1992; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth781390/m1/42/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.