Skaggs hospital renamed to reflect regional service

Skaggs Community Health Center has shed the "community" from its name.

The Branson hospital today announced it has changed its name to Skaggs Regional Medical Center. The new moniker "places a greater emphasis on the broad region we already serve," the hospital said in a news release.

Skaggs serves the northern Arkansas and southwest Missouri regions, with most of its patients in Stone and Taney counties, according to Skaggs Media Relations Specialist Michelle Leroux. It operates 22 satellite clinics.

Skaggs was founded in 1959 as Skaggs Community Hospital and was later renamed Skaggs Community Health Center, Leroux said. Since opening, Skaggs has added specialized centers for outpatient care, cardiac care, women's health, cancer care, orthopedic care, neurology and spinal care, as well as a health and fitness center, and urgent care and walk-in clinics, the release said.

The hospital also announced today it has been named a HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence for the fourth time. The designation means Skaggs is in the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical quality and low mortality rates.[[In-content Ad]]