Dr. Scott Avery Announced as New Medical Director at Good Shepherd

Dr. Scott Avery was introduced as the new Medical Director at Good Shepherd Hospice during the 9-11 Veterans commemoration at Passion Church last Thursday, and co-sponsored by Cameron Christian Academy teachers and staff.

Avery, introduced by Good Shepherd’s Marian Templeton, served a long and distinguished career in the Air Force and Missouri Air National Guard, serving as a KC-135 Tanker pilot and eventually as an Air Force Flight Surgeon at Whiteman Air Force Base in Sedalia.

Avery’s background in Geriatrics is particularly important in the mission of Good Shepherd whio assist families and family members within the home, or when the familuy member has moved to a nursing home or assisted living.

Templeton says that Good Shepherd is there “for the entire family” providing encouragement, support and connections to resources.

“Hospice is not a death sentence.” Templeton said. “We help usher patients back and forth between home, the hospital, and/or hospice when it becomes necessary, but our focus is on dignity and helping a person maintain their quality of life for as long as possible.”

Avery says that his mission is to help patients identify medical conditions and plan interventions for that, but a focus of his is on the prescriptions that patients are on, re-evaluating them, assessing side affects of the mingling of medicines and making some changes.

“All medicines are in effect, poison with desireable side effects. “Avery said. “and many of the symptoms patients present are affected by this.”

Avery says to help decrease medications where it is medically feasible can go a long way to finding a better quality of life.

Good Shepherd provides the following services to patients and their families:

• Medical Directors working in concert with primary physicians.
• Registered nurses who provide services in the office or in the home, and build relationships with patients and families.
• On-Call Nursing, with staff available 24-7.
• Home Health Aides/Homemakers who provide personal services to patients in the home, can do light housekeeping, and add to the patient’s comfort.
• Social Work services including counseling to patients and family members.
• Bereavement support
• Trained volunteers who provide support and companionship to patients.
• 24-hour continuous care, if needed
• In-Patient Care
• Respite Care, provided to family members as a “break” when serving the patient in the home.
• Specialized Therapies---diet, speech or occupational as needed

The organization has a Cameron office that can be reached at (816) 589-2191 or by fax at 1-877-926-8111.