Our Town Snyder: Hospital reflected in family’s legacy

SNYDER, Texas (KJTV) - Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder is the town’s flagship hospital. However, doctors and nurses work hard to ensure their level of care is on par with the best hospitals in the country.

Offering quality care, close to home. That’s the mission of Cogdell Memorial Hospital.

“I tell my nurses all the time that we’re going to give the same care that can be available anywhere else,” said Kathy Goodwin, chief nursing officer at Cogdell Memorial Hospital. “Just because we’re in a small town doesn’t mean our standard of care is any less. So, we’re going to give the best care within our capability always.”

“We’ve been able to augment our own services by bringing in specialists as well that come in and do a clinic here, and also provide some of the surgical services as well,” said David Kerr, who is a third-generation physician in Snyder, where his father Tom practices as well.

David compares his journey with his late grandfather Archibald.

“It’s funny how the perspective has changed over time. I remember in medical school I was complaining about all the drugs we had to learn about, and he gave me the perspective that when he started, he had almost zero drugs, and so as each new treatment option came along, it gave him a way of treating something that he had no way of fixing before, and so there’s just a difference of perspective in generations I’ve always enjoyed,” he joked.

Snyder is centered around families. In this community, that family connection extends into healthcare.

“They treat people from ‘cradle to grave’, and it’s a very important concept. And, that continuity of care can really lead to patients being better-taken care of,” Goodwin says. “When you segment care, and you only know this part about the person, and you don’t even know the medications they may be taking, or whatever plans are medically-speaking, it’s a fragmented way to provide care.”

“The people caring for the patient truly care for them as people. It’s not just a job. It’s their mission,” she said.

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