It's finally ready -- the open house for the new addition at the Fulton County Hospital will be held July 20 from 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. and area residents will get a first-hand look at the impressive changes that have taken place.

Even before you pull into the parking area at the hospital you notice the changes. There's no doubt that this is a modern hospital. Its well-lit exterior guides those who need it directly to the emergency entrance. The expanded heliport is waiting if air transport is needed to another facility and the covered entrance takes you directly to the admission area.

Once inside this modern facility you will find a comfortable waiting area. Gone is the small enclosed area of the old entrance with the closed double doors leading into a hallway with no direction. Now when you walk through the sliding glass doors, you're walking into an open, well-designed entry with emergency help only steps away.

This addition is not just a cosmetic change, this addition is a redesign and update which allows all of us to receive a higher level of healthcare. It is impressive and you're just going to have to see it to understand the services this area now has.

You're going to notice another change at the hospital -- it's not something you're going to see but you will certainly feel it -- the overall atmosphere is different. You can feel the pride the staff has in this new facility as well as the professionalism and caring each person employed by the Fulton County Hospital exhibits.

There's something you can get at this hospital you won't find at a larger healthcare facility -- friends and neighbors who care about you and are ready to take care of you when you need it the most. If you've ever been in a big city hospital where the only thing anyone knows about you is what they read in your chart, you will understand just how special FCH, its staff and the doctors are.

It may have been a few men with a dream for a local hospital who got the ball rolling 45+ years ago, but it was the people of this area who built the Fulton County Hospital and who have kept the doors open in the good times and bad. Many times the people have stepped forward and shouldered the burden of added taxes or gave of their time to raise funds for needed items. Several generations of families have relied on FCH in an emergency or when an illness called for a hospital stay. These generations are the reason we can say with confidence that we have today, "Good Care Close To Home."

Whether you live in Fulton County, Sharp County, northern Izard County, eastern Baxter County, or Oregon or south Howell counties in Missouri, FCH is your hospital. Come visit during the open house and see the changes taking place at this great little hospital. After you do, the next time you need a test, procedure, physical therapy, lab work, need to speak to a dietitian, have a pulmonary function test, a 24-hour Holter monitor, a Treadmill Stress Test or even an overnight sleep study done, you're going to think first of FCH and you'll be glad you did.

I hope the community comes out in huge numbers to view the changes taking place at their local hospital. Whether you live in Oxford, Brockwell, Violet Hill, Franklin, Morriston, Ozark Acres, Horseshoe Bend, Glencoe, Agnos, Heart, Saddle, Ash Flat, Highland, Hardy, Cherokee Village, Wirth, Mammoth Spring, Thayer, Alton, Myrtle, Lanton, Moody, Moko, Sturkie, Gepp, Elizabeth, Viola, Bexar, Union, Camp, Salem or all areas in between, FCH is your hospital and you're invited to see what all it has to offer you.

The Administration, the Board of Governors and all the employees and staff at Fulton County Hospital invite you to this special open house July 20 to view the changes already made and hear about new services planned for the future.

Fulton County Hospital is on its way back to the top with healthcare services and caring people who are second to none.