Jeffrey Blue is Ready to Serve New Patients in the Ozarks

Jeffrey Blue can adapt to any situation.

Whether he’s on an Army mission in the Middle East, providing medical care to the needy in Kazakhstan or working as a healthcare provider at a clinic in the Ozarks, Blue likes to stay busy and help wherever he can.

Blue recently left active duty in the US Army to take a position with Texas County Memorial Hospital working as a physician assistant in the TCMH clinics.  Although he’s traveled the globe, the Ozarks are home to Blue.

“I have always liked this part of the country,” Blue said.

After growing up in New Jersey, Blue came to the Ozarks in the 80’s to attend school at College of the Ozarks where he got a degree in sociology and decided that he didn’t want to return to the East Coast.

After college, Blue, who had already trained as an emergency medical technician, began pursuing interests that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

An interest in aviation led him to Tulsa, OK where he learned to fly.  An interest in the Marines led him to join the Marine Reserves, a position he held with his reserve unit for six years.

Blue completed his reserve duty in 1990, and that same year he completed his Master’s degrees in biology and sociology.

“Everything in my life was going more medical,” Blue said, adding that he was interested in transitioning from a career in counseling to a career in a medical field.

After spending a year doing space life sciences research for NASA, Blue joined Dr. Joseph Shaw, an orthopedist that specialized in the research and treatment of musculoskeletal problems.  As a member of Dr. Shaw’s team, Blue was able to see quadriplegics walk again through manual therapy techniques provided by Blue and the other physiologists on Shaw’s healthcare team.

“It was a slow process for our patients, but it was successful,” Blue said.

During his time working with Dr. Shaw, Blue began to seriously consider a career as a physician’s assistant.

Blue got his physician assistant training from Kettering Medical College in Dayton, OH, and he spent the first two years of his career as a physician’s assistant working for Carillion Health System in rural health clinics in Virginia taking care of patients from birth to the end of life.

It wasn’t long before he wanted to return to the Ozarks, and in 2002 Blue found a position working for a hospital in West Plains.

The 9-11 events in 2001 also compelled Blue to join the Missouri National Guard to offer his service as a medical corpsman, if needed.

It wasn’t long before Uncle Sam called Blue’s reserve unit into service, and after juggling active duty and a civilian job back at home, Blue decided to join the Army full-time.

Blue saw two tours of duty in the Middle East and Afghanistan working as a physician assistant.

Blue remembers being in Baghdad during the surge as “a busy time”.  Blue was the chief physician assistant with the 35^th Engineer Brigade, in charge of the medical headquarters for the brigade.

Experiences in mass casualties and in emergency management were part of Blue’s deployment experience and remain interests of his today.

Upon returning to the US, Blue continued to serve the troops and their family members at the primary care clinic operated by Fort Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital until he had the opportunity to return to reserve status in August.

“I like the rural communities served by TCMH,” Blue said.  “The people here are very down to earth, and there seems to be a need.”

Blue’s flexibility and desire to help out wherever he’s needed most has him floating between the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking and the Summersville Community Clinic.

Blue collaborates as a physician’s assistant with Dr. Jonathan Beers, internal medicine physician, at the Licking clinic and with Dr. Diana Koenig, family medicine physician, at the Summersville clinic.

Blue works two days a week in Licking and two days a week in Summersville.

“Jeff’s willingness to work in Licking and Summersville has allowed us to increase the medical services available to both communities,” Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH, said.

With the addition of a mid-level provider at the Summersville Clinic, TCMH plans to pursue “rural health clinic” status for the clinic, enabling the hospital to have the clinic open one additional day each week and increasing the level of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for patients seen at the clinic.

Blue is excited about working with Beers and Koenig, two physicians that have trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine, because he firmly believes in using therapies like manipulative medicine and physical therapy to improve health.

Still a reserve member, Blue has been assigned to the 325^th Combat Support Hospital based at St. Peters, MO.  “They are a good group,” Blue said about the members of his unit.

In his free time, Blue enjoys helping others.  Blue is a past member of the Civil Air Patrol, and he works with youth through the air cadet program.

Blue has also spent time in Kazakhstan doing medical mission trips, and he would like to go back for a future trip.  Because of his interest in Eastern Europe, the study of Russian is another hobby for Blue.

A Piper Cherokee airplane is one of Blue’s great pastimes and continues his love of aviation.

Blue’s extended family remains based on the East coast, and he’s tried to encourage them to relocate to the Ozarks that he calls home.

“I’ve found a little house in Raymondville with a big barn on the property that I hope to purchase,” Blue said.  The mini-farm got the seal of approval from Jenny, the chocolate Labrador retriever that keeps him company at home.

“It’s perfectly located between both clinics where I’ll be working,” Blue explained with a smile.

Blue is seeing patients of all ages from birth to end of life at the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking on Thursday and Friday and at the Summersville Community Clinic on Monday and Wednesday

“I’m looking forward to taking care of families of patients in the community,” Blue said, explaining that he’s eagerly anticipating the full gamut of medical care available to providers in rural health clinics.

Once again, Jeffrey Blue is ready and willing to serve.