Information for Referring Providers

At Decatur County Hospital, our mission is to deliver exceptional care, close to home. We believe that patients in our region should have the opportunity for specialty care without the hassle of travel or long wait times for an appointment. Over the last five (5) years, we have significantly increased the availability of specialty care in southern Iowa. Beginning in December, we’re proud to add yet another service not readily available elsewhere in our region: spine surgery.

Dr. Rebecca Kuo, MD, JD, FAAOS, a board-certified spine surgeon, will be on-site monthly to provide care for patients with issues related to the spine. Her first visit will be December 6, 2024, and beginning in January 2025 she will be on-site two (2) days each month.

Dr. Kuo believes in treating the whole patient. In the DCH Outpatient Clinic, she will diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate for a variety of health concerns stemming from issues with the spine. She believes that compassionate patient-focused care is key for the best recovery experience possible. She believes in tailoring patient treatment to the life they have as well as the lifestyle they wish to attain. Patients want to live life pain free, and she pledges to do what she can to help.

With close to two decades of Orthopedic Spine Surgery experience, Dr. Kuo specializes in every facet of spinal conditions. Her expertise in spine health began at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where she completed her spine surgery fellowship at one of the country’s top hospitals. She then went on to complete a secondary fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, and University of Texas at Houston. Her unique experience and training allows her to treat every manner of spine condition, including unique deformities, scoliosis, and pediatric cases.

Dr. Kuo is highly experienced with the newest minimally-invasive spine surgery techniques, as well as the more traditional open techniques to tailor a treatment plan for your patients. Our state-of-the-art surgical suites and competent surgical team stands ready to assist patients with pain relief when deemed the best course of action. In addition to traditional spine and neck surgical procedures, Dr. Kuo also performs spinal cord stimulator installations that may help patients who have exhausted all other options or who have previously had a poor outcome from a spinal surgery. Her goal is to help every patient resume their life and activities as quickly and comfortably as possible after a diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Kuo specifically specializes in:

• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Cervical decompression
• Cervical fusion (anterior and exterior)
• Lumbar decompression
• Lumbar fusion
• Spinal stenosis
• Sciatica
• Back pain, neck pain, arm pain
• Spinal cord issues
• Spinal deformity
• Pediatric & adult scoliosis
• Spinal trauma
• Nerve pain in arms & legs

To ensure the best course of action for your patients, Dr. Kuo has a suite of diagnostic tools available right here at Decatur County Hospital. This includes:

• In-house MRI. Our in-house, permanent GE SIGNA™ 1.5T MRI machine is equipped with the latest in MRI technology, and designed to increase efficiency, improve productivity, and maximize diagnostic potential while keeping your patient’s experience and comfort in mind.
• In-house CT. Our permanent CT machine, with the capability of scanning at up to 128-slices, has a multitude of benefits including clearer images with a higher resolution, better recognition of metal artifacts in the body, faster set up to allow faster scans, customized scan settings for complex cardiac procedures, specialized stroke assessment, and expanded reporting. This scanner is on the cutting edge of CT technology. It is one of the most advanced scanners in our region, and allows providers like you to request more advanced scans to ensure you get the best tools possible to guide your patient’s diagnosis and treatment.
• In-house XRay. Our brand new XRay room is equipped with the latest technology to reduce exposure to radiation while ensuring that providers have access to quality images that pinpoint the part of the body in pain.
• Nerve conduction studies / EMG. These diagnostic test are performed by a board-certified neurologist to pinpoint pain.

If you would like any marketing materials to display in your office, or to distribute to your patients and staff, please visit www.decaturcountyhospital.org/refer to fill out an informational form, or contact Shannon Erb, Chief HR and Marketing Officer, at 641-446-2345 or serb@d-c-h.org.

Thank you for your service to provide health care services in our rural area.