JOPLIN, Mo. – Newton County residents’ access to pulmonology specialist care has been significantly enhanced thanks to Neosho-based clinic visits by Freeman pulmonologist Dr. Philip Slocum.

“By expanding services into Neosho, we hope to do the exact same thing there as we’re doing right here in Joplin,” Dr. Slocum said. “Freeman’s Dr. Grant Pierson is already doing outreach throughout Southeast Kansas and even over into Nevada, so we thought we could move down to Neosho. It’s an easy way to expand.”

Since May, Dr. Slocum has seen his Newton County-based patients from the Freeman Neosho Physician Group building, located across the street from Freeman Neosho Hospital at 336 S. Jefferson Street.

“Currently we are there on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month,” Dr. Slocum said. “As we fill up, we will certainly open up more Wednesdays.”

Why Neosho?

“It’s partly because of the lack of services there and partly because so many of my patients from that area tend to be older and a difficulty obtaining transportation,” Dr. Slocum said. “This affords them much easier access to our services.”

Instead of a 20-minute drive from Neosho to Joplin, it’s a five-minute drive from across town. Even for Dr. Slocum’s patients who live in Grove, Oklahoma, Monett, Cassville or down in Northwest Arkansas, travel times are cut by at least a third when traveling to Neosho rather than Joplin.

“When you’re an 80-year-old patient you may rely on a relative to drive you to Joplin, and that relative must take time off work to drive them there. Instead of spending, say, two hours on the road, they’re now spending less than 30 minutes on the road. That makes a huge difference,” he said.

He will see patients suffering from the “big three” lung-rated problems.

“We’ll primarily see chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a high number of people with asthmas and occupational lung diseases, and then a whole group of people with interstitial lung disease,” Dr. Slocum said.

The feedback from his Neosho-based patients has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We’ve received a lot of thank-yous,” he said. “They are great people down there. Our team has been very impressed.”

Freeman pulmonologist Dr. Phil Slocum is now serving patients at the Freeman Neosho Physician Group, bringing leading-edge care to the residents in Neosho. For more information, call 417.455.4200 or visit https://freemanhealth.com/lung.