PMC adds services

MEEKER I “Our goal is to maximize all of our resources to provide the best healthcare at our Meeker campus,” Ken Harman, Pioneers Medical Center (PMC) CEO said. “We are excited to announce the arrival of several new and expanded services to help us accomplish our goal.”
The Meeker campus will now have a general surgeon on staff, since Dr. James Jex joined the PMC medical staff June 1.
“I’m excited to be here,” said Jex, who moved to Meeker with his wife, Kellie, and daughter, Barbara.
Dr. Jex has more than 26 years of experience. He attended George Washington University and completed his residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Ohio. Dr. Jex is a U.S. Navy veteran and has practiced medicine in Colorado and New Mexico.
“I trained in a Level I trauma center, where it was real busy and was a general surgeon in the Navy,” Dr. Jex said. “Since then I go to smaller and smaller towns each time and that’s big, because small hospitals give the best care. We have a good staff here and I want to help them give our patients better care.”
Dr. Jex will be able to perform many types of surgery, including endoscopy, colonoscopy, laparoscopy, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, hernia repair, tonsillectomy, biopsies and more.
PMC has also hired Brandon Aven, a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Aven has a master of science in nursing from Arkansas State University and a master of science in healthcare administration, as well as his bachelor’s degree in nursing. Aven joined the PMC staff in May to provide anesthesia services.
“I’m excited about the potential and being part of growing surgical services here,” Aven said.
Aven moved here with his wife, Ady, who is also a registered nurse. She is currently raising their sons, Austin (4) and Spencer (2). The couple will celebrate their ninth anniversary this summer.
“We wanted to live in a smaller town with good schools and this was a no-brainer for us,” Aven said of his decision to move to Meeker.
Meeker has not had a general surgeon on staff for more than five years, although visiting surgeons like Dr. Sisk, Dr. Tomasso and Dr. Griffin have and will continue to use PMC’s operating room and now Aven’s services.
Aven will also apply his experience in critical care to PMC.
In addition to surgery, Dr. Jex will see patients in the clinic and provide emergency department coverage.
“I’ve been in a rural setting the last 15 years, this is where I fit,” Dr. Jex said.
PMC has partnered with Rangely District Hospital to offer on-site MRI tests, available twice per month (every other Monday) in both towns, with appointments in Rangely in the morning and Meeker in the afternoon.
“This is a great additional service,” said Dr. Albert Krueger, PMC chief of staff. “We are able to offer this diagnostic service at a great price and because it is digital, we will have radiologist interpretations back to use very quickly.”
PMC has also invested in a new piece of laboratory equipment, which will expand the number of tests PMC offers and the ability to get results to the doctors, and ultimately to the patients, faster.