Health
Three Exciting New Health Collaborations in Springfield MO
We know southwest Missourians aren’t afraid to work together, and lately, there have been exciting developments in the health community.
By Evan Greenberg
Dec 2018
Photo courtesy Shutterstock
Collaboration breeds ingenuity. Two heads are better than one. Whatever cliche you fancy, it’s true that the more people work together, the greater potential for solutions and creativity to flourish. Lately, there have been some exciting advances in DNA testing availability, efficiency in doctors’ offices and a merger that aims to streamline a sector of one of the area’s largest hospitals.
Dynamic DNA and Mama Jean's Natural Market
MaMa Jean’s Natural Market puts the health of its customers at the forefront. It advertises itself as a health market, after all. So when it comes to collaborations, a wellness-forward approach is top of mind. That is certainly the case in its partnership with Dynamic DNA, a local company that takes your DNA information and uses it to inform how you can best care for your body, skin and overall health.
There are two different tests Dynamic DNA can do—a nutrition test, which looks at 30 traits specific to nutrition, and a skin test, which looks at 25. The best part: Because DNA doesn’t change, once you take the test, the information you receive does not and will not change.
Dynamic DNA has worked with MaMa Jean’s on all levels, teaching employees about what it does and how to speak intelligently to customers who might be interested in the product. It can be a bit pricey—the total for both tests, from purchase to registration to results, runs around $300.
Command Family Medicine and Loehr Chiropractic & Acupuncture
Command Family Medicine and Loehr Chiropractic & Acupuncture have collaborated on a wellness care package. The way it works: A patient visits Dr. Steven Loehr and his team of chiropractors, who work to get them out of the acute pain phase. After, Dr. Luke Van Kirk of Command Family Medicine, whose patients have access to him 24/7, works with them in wellness care. By collaborating, Van Kirk’s patients can see him as often as they need to get preventative care and reach their health goals. The collaboration, Brittany Zachary, marketing director at Loehr Chiropractic & Acupuncture, says, was about doing something that helped get to “the root of the cause.” The package is a way to reach as many patients as possible and be there for them.
Mercy and Integrity Home Care
Reaching and caring for as many patients as possible is an inherent goal of any medical care center. Any opportunity to increase reach and radius is a welcome one, and with its upcoming partnership with Integrity Home Care, Mercy’s home care and hospice services are about to get a big boost.
Effectively folding Mercy employees into Integrity employees, the partnership allows Mercy to care for a wider range of patients. Additionally, it should, in theory, limit the amount of hospital visits a patient needs. More staff and greater location diversity mean better and a greater quantity of care. As of press time, the Ts and Is are still being crossed and dotted, but once the partnership is complete, it will produce a service better than it has ever been. “We really are going to be able to meet the needs of more patients who require home health or hospice services,” says Bruce Eady, Vice President of Patient Logistics at Mercy.
