Ozarks Healthcare holds Street Dedication in honor of Ken Joplin 

Ozarks Healthcare hosted a special street dedication this week in honor of Ken Joplin, long-time board member and advocate for the health system.

Joplin has given 39 years of continuous service to Ozarks Healthcare and the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation. He served on Ozarks Healthcare’s Board of Directors for 30 years before retiring in April of 2014, 12 of which he spent as Board Chairman. Always having a strong passion for healthcare and service to the community, Joplin also has served on the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation Board as Board Chairman over the past few years.  

“The support, advice, and guidance Ken has generously given to Ozarks Healthcare over the course of his life are treasured greatly,” Josh Reeves, Vice President of Development and Advocacy at Ozarks Healthcare, said. “Most importantly, the time Ken has spent devoting his compassion to supporting our health system has helped many patients and their families. Because of him and his family’s scope of care, we have been able to grow our services across our community.”

Joplin has been heavily involved in several fundraising campaigns through the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation, most recently that of purchasing a mobile mammography unit for the health system.

Joplin was surprised by family members, staff from Ozarks Healthcare, and the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation in front of Ozarks Healthcare’s main entrance at the street dedication. Staff presented Ken Joplin Dr. as the street name of the stretch of roadway connecting the roundabout on Kentucky Dr. to Hwy. 63. 

Ozarks Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system that serves more than 160,000 residents across south-central Missouri and northern Arkansas. With its main campus residing in West Plains, Missouri, the health system offers a full spectrum of healthcare for all ages through its 114-bed hospital, behavioral health, therapies, pharmacies, rehabilitation, and home care services, along with specialty and family medicine clinics. Ozarks Healthcare has rural locations across an eight-county service area and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

Ken Joplin, pictured with his wife, Sandy, and sons, (left to right, front) Chris, BJ, and Sam, on Ken Joplin Dr. in front of Ozarks Healthcare

Ken Joplin and Josh Reeves, Vice President of Development and Advocacy at Ozarks Healthcare

Ken Joplin and Tom Keller, Ozarks Healthcare President and CEO