Harrison County Community Hospital: Critical Access Care in Bethany, MO

Harrison County Community Hospital (HCCH) is a critical access hospital located at 2600 Miller Street in Bethany, Missouri, serving the healthcare needs of rural northwest Missouri for over seven decades. Operating as the primary healthcare anchor for Harrison County and five surrounding counties, HCCH provides a comprehensive range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and specialty services to a largely rural population midway between Kansas City and Des Moines. The hospital is led by CEO Tina Gillespie, MBA, and operates under the mission of providing exceptional care to every patient, every day.

Overview and History

Harrison County Community Hospital has served as the cornerstone of healthcare in northern Missouri since the 1950s, growing from a basic community facility into a nationally recognized critical access hospital with an expanding network of rural clinics and specialty services.

HCCH holds designation as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) under the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, a federal designation reserved for rural hospitals that provide essential services to geographically isolated communities. The hospital received national recognition from the National Rural Health Resource Center for its innovative approach to post-acute care, specifically its Transitions of Care program launched in April 2019. This interdisciplinary program was designed to reduce 30-day hospital readmissions through structured post-discharge follow-up, care coordination, and patient education conducted within 72 hours of discharge.

CEO Tina Gillespie was selected to the Missouri Hospital Association Board of Trustees in recognition of her leadership in rural hospital administration and finance. HCCH also operates two rural health clinics in Bethany and Eagleville, a convenient care clinic, and a medical clinic in Pattonsburg, extending the hospital’s reach across the region. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, critical access hospitals play an irreplaceable role in maintaining access to care in rural communities where distance to the nearest alternative facility can exceed 35 miles.

Location, Contact, and Clinics

HCCH operates from its main campus in Bethany and extends its services through three rural clinic locations across northern Missouri.

The main hospital is reached by phone at (660) 425-2211. Patients can access the patient portal, pay bills online, and request medical records through the hospital website at hcchospital.org. A courtesy van service is available to assist patients with transportation needs, a particularly important resource in a rural county where many residents lack reliable access to personal vehicles.

For other rural and community hospital profiles in the Midwest, see the Carle Richland Memorial Hospital article and the Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center overview.

Medical Services

Harrison County Community Hospital offers a broad spectrum of clinical services across emergency care, inpatient care, outpatient specialty clinics, rehabilitation, imaging, laboratory, pharmacy, and several niche community health programs.

Emergency and Inpatient Care

HCCH’s Emergency Department provides 24-hour emergency services to Harrison County and surrounding communities. The emergency team includes physicians Russell Allen DO, Danny Bartlett MD, Hesamodin Borhani MD, David Fox MD, Vincent Robert Hamo DO, Bret Heileson MD, Ariahnt Jain MD, Jeanette Dilan-Koetje DO, Madhuresh Kumar MD, Wyatt Pickering DO, John Rayburn MD, Paul Rosenthal DO, Aaron Rowland DO, Brian Spinks MD, Stephen Terrill MD, Jeremiah Yerton MD, and David Whitmer DO, providing robust emergency physician coverage for a rural critical access facility.

Full Service Directory

• Emergency Care: 24/7 emergency department with multi-physician coverage
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Structured recovery programs for cardiac patients
• Cardiopulmonary: Respiratory therapy and pulmonary function services; Dr. Gayln Perry MD
• Cardiology: Outpatient specialty clinics with Dr. Nina Assefa DO, Dr. Tapas “Joey” Ghose MD FACC FAHA, Dr. Brian Roe DO, and Dr. Dwarak Soundarraj MD
• Convenient Care: Walk-in care for non-emergency conditions
• Imaging: Radiology, ultrasound, and mammography services
• In-Home Services: Home health and in-home care coordination
• Laboratory: Full clinical laboratory services
• Pediatrics: Inpatient and outpatient pediatric care
• Pediatric Autism Wellness Services (PAWS): Specialized autism support including a Mobile Sensory Trailer for community outreach
• Pharmacy: On-site hospital and retail pharmacy services
• Primary Care: Dr. Kimberly Baker MD, Dr. Gregory A. Dean MD, Ashley Harding FNP-C CEN, Kelly Clark APRN FNP-C, Kenneth Chad Lambert DO, Cephas Paniamogan FNP-C, Madeline Schulte FNP-C
• Sleep Medicine: Diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders; Dr. Gayln Perry MD
• Senior Life Solutions: Intensive outpatient behavioral health program for older adults; Dr. Subbu Sarma MD
• Swing Bed Program: Skilled nursing transitional care following acute hospital stays
• Therapy Services: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology
• Women’s Health: Gynecology with Dr. Beena Green MD
• Wound Care: Advanced wound management services

Outpatient Specialty Clinics

HCCH hosts visiting specialists in a rotating monthly outpatient clinic schedule, bringing specialty expertise directly to Bethany and eliminating long-distance travel for patients. Specialties covered include cardiology, dermatology (Dr. Amy Horner PA and Dr. Melody Stone MD FAAD), endocrinology (Dr. Michelle L Orr MD, Dr. Junping Yang MD, Dr. Sherry Zhou MD), endoscopy (Dr. Kenneth Shewell MD), general surgery (Dr. Ly T. Phan MD FACS), nephrology (Dr. Jiny Olickal MD), neurology (Dr. Muhammad A. Shoaib MD), ophthalmology and cataracts (Dr. Michelle Boyce MD), orthopedics (Dr. Alan D. Cornett DO and Dr. David W Dugan DO), pain management (Dr. Karl Haake MD and Dr. Dwayne E. Jones MD), podiatry (Dr. Caleb Pace DPM and Dr. Robert A. Shemwell DPM), and urology (Dr. Mike Aberger MD and Dr. Susan Sweat MD).

New Hospital Expansion

HCCH is currently constructing a state-of-the-art replacement hospital at 514 North 39th Street in Bethany, funded through a $57 million USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan, with opening expected following a two-year construction timeline begun in April 2024.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility took place on April 4, 2024, with MW Builders of Lenexa, Kansas, contracted to lead construction. As of early 2026, the project has advanced significantly, with ceiling tiles, countertops, and flooring installed across multiple areas, exterior metal panels and roof caps in place, and kitchen equipment and millwork underway. A community first-look event was held in April 2026 to showcase the facility’s progress.

The new hospital will feature private patient rooms, expanded surgical areas, and a dedicated space for outpatient specialty clinics, addressing longstanding capacity limitations at the current 2600 Miller Street facility. USDA Missouri Rural Development State Director Ben Baker noted the project as a model for rural healthcare investment, with the low fixed interest rate of the Community Facilities Direct Loan providing HCCH with financial stability while delivering lasting benefits to Harrison County. The expansion is projected to add 20 to 30 new jobs at HCCH and expand preventive care access across six counties. According to the USDA Rural Development office, rural hospitals that expand capacity through modern facilities consistently achieve improvements in patient outcomes, staff retention, and community economic vitality.

Community Programs and Patient Resources

HCCH provides a range of patient support services including social services, medical records access, language assistance, a courtesy van, and an active foundation and auxiliary supporting community health investments.

The hospital’s Transitions of Care program remains one of its most nationally recognized initiatives, providing structured post-discharge follow-up within 72 hours for all inpatient discharges. The interdisciplinary team includes a care coordinator, nursing staff, ancillary departments, home health, primary care clinics, and a local pharmacy working in coordination to prevent unnecessary readmissions. The PAWS (Pediatric Autism Wellness Services) program and its Mobile Sensory Trailer extend specialized support for children with autism spectrum disorder directly into the community, reaching families who might not otherwise access therapeutic services. Senior Life Solutions provides intensive outpatient behavioral health care for older adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, a program particularly meaningful in a rural area where mental health resources are limited. Patients can reach HCCH for appointments, billing, medical records, and social services at (660) 425-2211 or through the patient portal at hcchospital.org.