Girard Medical Center adds vision care services

Sunday, June 10, 2007

HeraldTribune

GIRARD, Kan. -- Girard Medical Center is proud to announce the inclusion of emergency vision care to their emergency services at the main hospital campus. Each year, nearly two million Americans seek emergency services for eye injuries, primarily in hospital emergency rooms, across the country. With no emergency vision care services currently available in Crawford County, the administration at Girard Medical Center saw a need in the community to be filled.

"We wanted to provide an extra layer of service to the community," Girard Medical Center CEO Kenny Boyd said. "With the help of our medical staff, we identified the need for opthalmology services in Southeast Kansas, and we went to work to make those services available."

Dr. Shane Kannarr, an optometrist, will be available immediately in an on-call capacity to the emergency room physicians and staff at Girard Medical Center. He will treat patients with eye injuries who arrive at Girard Medical Center and then offer followup care through the Grene Vision Office in Pittsburg.

Further strengthening the vision care services at Girard Medical Center will be Dr. Brian Strange, an ophthalmologist also with the Grene Vision Group. He will begin offering surgical services through Girard Medical Center in July, to the patients Kannarr and other physicians refer and also in conjunction with emergency room referrals. Kannarr will then do post-operative care through his office in Pittsburg.

"With these services in place, our patients have one more reason to seek medical care close to home," Boyd said. "We found the perfect partnership in Dr. Kannarr, Dr. Strange and the Grene Vision Group. This will further our mission to provide our patients with excellence in healthcare." For additional information about the Girard Medical Center's Vision Care Services contact Karen Wenzelburger. administrative assistant, Girard Medical Center 302 North Hospital Drive Girard, KS66743, phone her at (620) 724-5165, or send and e-mail to kwenz@ girardmedicalcen-ter. com