MISSOURI DELTA MEDICAL CENTER (MDMC) is a 188-bed acute care medical center with over 50 physicians and a staff of over 600 healthcare professionals. MDMC is accredited by Joint Commission Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This medical center provides comprehensive health care services to individuals living in rural Southeast Missouri including  the Missouri Bootheel. Specialty units include but are not limited to the  following: 

• Dialysis Unit – MDMC offers outpatient hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis to patients of Southeast Missouri.  Because of an affiliation with Barnes Hospital, dialysis patients have the convenience of organ transplant consultation and follow-up care at Missouri Delta.
• Emergency Room – 24-hour care for the most severe cases of trauma, medical and pediatric emergencies is provided.  A physician and nursing staff with advance training are always on duty.
• Rehabilitation – Patients are taught “self-care” through short-term intensive rehabilitation services to prepare them for the transition from hospital to home.
• Senior Lifestyles – The Geropsychiatric Unit provides 24-hour-a-day intensive treat6ment for elderly patients suffering from age-related physiological disabilities. 

THE FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR THE BSW CANDIDATE:  Professional social workers at Missouri Delta Medical Center (MDMC) work from the premise that when a person is admitted to the hospital, they do not leave their problems at home. This means that patients do not leave at home their financial concerns, emotional difficulties, family or marriage concerns or any of their psychological or social problems. Patients bring all of their problems with them and often due to the illness and hospitalization, these problems intensify.

Social workers at MDMC are trained to assist patients and their families with a broad spectrum of life challenges.  Social workers are available to help patients and their families with non-medical but medically related needs of all kinds. Social workers can also assist with completing Advance Directives, obtaining needed medical equipment and arranging for care at home or out of the home after discharge from the hospital. Each patient who enters MDMC has available to him or her a “personal problem solver” – a member of the social work staff. The following services are routinely provided to MDMC patients by social services staff:

• Grief counseling
• Drug and alcohol abuse assessment and referral
• Referrals for financial and medical needs
• Adoption referral
• Mental health assessment and referral
• Crisis intervention
• Assessment and treatment planning for dialysis and physical rehabilitation
• Group work (Geriatric Psychiatric Unit and Dialysis Unit)
• Indigent drug program referrals
• Assessment and referral for victims of abuse and neglect
• Education
• Discharge planning

Field education students have the experience of working on different units within MDMC. This includes adult medical, pediatrics, obstetrics, emergency room, dialysis and geriatric psychiatric unit. The focus is on dialysis and hospital in-patients. Micro-, mezzo- and macro-practice level experience are available with emphasis on micro and mezzo. The field instructors are MSW’s and BSW’s with medical social work experience.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY:  "Missouri Delta Medical Center Dialysis Unit is a great placement. The field instructor is very knowledgeable. She provides the students with the knowledge needed to perform tasks independently. She is always available to assist with any questions. The experience gained through this placement is very helpful for a future in social work.  This placement allows you to learn specific as well as a variety of skills. The staff is very helpful and always available for any assisitance you may need as a student. The overall experience at Missouri Delta Dialysis Unit has been helpful and enjoyable. I would strongly recommend this placement as it has been a wonderful experience for me."

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"I very much enjoyed my field placement at Missouri Delta Medical Center Dialysis Unit.  I went through many different types of experiences and worked with a wonderful staff.  I learned so much from my field supervisor that will be very useful and helpful with my future career." 

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"Working at Missouri Delta Medical Center Dialysis Center has been a blessing!  I have had the opportunity to experience the true world of Social Work.  The patients have been a true inspiration in my life and I will never forget them.  The staff members are wonderful as well!  There has never been one time when I was made to feel like a "burden" to anyone.  Whenever I needed help, everyone was willing to help me.  Overall, this placement has given me the confidence I needed to become a social worker!"

For more information about Missouri Delta Medical Center, visit their Web site at:  http://www.missouridelta.com/

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