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When Kathy began experiencing pain and issues with her eye, she was referred to a specialist in Arkansas. She was diagnosed with Graves’ eye disease, an autoimmune condition that attacks the tissues behind the eye, causing pain and inflammation. Kathy’s case was severe enough that she was losing her vision. When the specialist told her that she needed infusions to treat the condition and that it needed to be done in Arkansas, Kathy advocated for herself and spoke with her primary care provider, Teresa Reed, FNP-C. Ms. Reed worked with Pharmacy Director, Jodee Mashek, Pharm.D. to ensure that Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) could purchase and infuse the needed medication.
Kathy is the 1st patient with Graves’ and thyroid eye disease to receive the Tepezza infusion treatment here at NRMC. She will receive the infusion every 3 weeks, for a total of 8 infusions. Kathy has received 2 infusions thus far and has already noticed a great improvement. She has been able to discontinue some pain medication and notes the treatments have stabilized her vision. Without the infusions, she would most likely lose her eyesight.
Kathy works in the Specialty Clinic at NRMC processing incoming physician referrals and takes great pride in getting patients in quickly and advocating for patient care. She stated “I love NRMC & have had nothing but great experiences here in my healthcare journey. I encourage other patients to ask questions of their care providers when care is needed to see what options are available in order to stay close to home.”
To learn more about the infusion services offered at NRMC, call 417-448-3693. A provider referral is required.
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About Nevada Regional Medical Center
NRMC is a 71-bed acute, intensive and skilled care hospital providing comprehensive health care services. Staff represent more than a dozen medical specialties including ear, nose & throat, family practice, general surgery, gynecology, internal medicine, orthopedics, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry and wound care services. Additionally, consultation clinics are held regularly by specialists in cardiology, dermatology, neurology, podiatry, pulmonology and urology.
NRMC is centrally located between Kansas City and Joplin along the I-49 corridor.