By Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hosputal
STE. GENEVIEVE, MO. Every February the whole country focuses on the heart for American Heart Month, and it’s a great time to shine a light on our Cardiac Care department. What’s more important is that we take care of our hearts year round and we have more providers to help.
Morgan Ritter, FNP-C, has been a nurse for over 10 years and a nurse practitioner for nearly two years. She transitioned into cardiology last year and has found her niche.
“It’s exciting to focus on the care of such an important part of someone’s health,” she said. “The cardiovascular system is essential to our overall health and well-being. It’s an honor to help patients with their current needs and prevent future cardiac disease as well. I really enjoy focusing on this specialty and working with Dr. Bosner to care for our community.”
Morgan Ritter and Dr. Matthew Bosner
A short list of the many cardiac services offered at SGCMH includes CT heart scores, stress tests, echocardiograms, heart monitoring, cardiac rehab, outpatient/inpatient cardiovascular consultation, and device follow-up for pacemakers and defibrillators.
“We’re kept pretty busy,” Morgan said. “I can certainly see why Dr. Bosner could use extra help to keep up with all of this. It’s been a great experience to get to learn from his many years of practice and dive into this specialty area. To know that our patients can receive these services so close to home is a real plus.”
Morgan said when she started her nursing career, she always had in the back of her mind that she’d like to be a nurse practitioner.
“Having the ability to provide direct care in a more advanced practice role is very rewarding,” she said. “Practicing in this community where I was born and raised was a big goal of mine. I’m thankful to be in this position and provide these services to our community.”
Morgan’s top heart health tips include:
–Have routine examinations with your provider.
–Stay on top of routine screenings.
–Don’t ignore any symptoms like chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or dizziness, as these can be symptoms of something more significant going on.
–Stay physically active.
–Take medications as prescribed.
–Control blood pressure and cholesterol
–Maintain a healthy weight through a heart-healthy diet.
–Mange stress.
–If you smoke-stop.
Talk to your primary care provider to see if you need to follow-up a cardiac care specialist. Morgan works with Dr. Bosner at the Pine Drive Medical Centre located at 575 Pine Drive in Ste. Genevieve, MO. For more information call 573-883-7474.
Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit county owned community hospital that works to continue to improve the health and well-being of the community. Our professional staff uses advanced technology and medicine to provide excellent, personalized, and compassionate healthcare.
For more information on Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, visit www.stegenevievehospital.org