About Us
Meet our dedicated team and find out what makes Rural Wellness Anadarko such a special place for our community and our patients.
About Rural Wellness Leadership
Dr. Elizabeth J. Pusey, Rural Wellness Founder and President
A practicing radiologist with decades of experience, Dr. Elizabeth Pusey founded Rural Wellness, Inc. when her passion for accessible rural healthcare brought her to purchase a struggling critical access hospital in Fairfax, OK. Inspired by the dedication of the staff and community who had worked together to keep the hospital’s doors open, Dr. Pusey invested in many advancements and expansions to turn the hospital around.
Since then, Rural Wellness has acquired further hospitals, including The Physicians’ Hospital in Anadarko, with the mission of bringing top-quality healthcare to the communities that need it. Dr. Pusey works alongside AVEM Healthcare, an Oklahoma City-based hospital management group, to lead operations.
At home in California, Dr. Pusey spends her time managing her radiology practice with a focus on women’s health, playing board games with her three children, and reading fiction.
Mr. Travis A. Villani, SVP of Operations, Interim RWA CEO/Administrator
Mr. Travis A. Villani joined the hospital as CEO in November 2015 when Rural Wellness Anadarko was still The Physicians’ Hospital in Anadarko, bringing a vast knowledge of hospital operations including patient-centered care, process improvements and optimization, and technical knowledge in virtual healthcare systems and communication. Before joining Rural Wellness Anadarko, Mr. Villani served in a high-level leadership position within a 192-operating bed, tertiary care facility located in Oklahoma City serving forty-eight Oklahoma Counties and two counties in North Central Texas.
Travis Villani holds a Master’s of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a Bachelor’s in Health Scienes from the University of Oklahoma. In 2007, Mr. Villani received a Hospital Administrative Fellowship from the OKCVAHCS where he also acquired a number of honors including Employee of the Year, Coaching and Mentoring Resident Mentor, LEAN Green Belt certification, and recipient of the Pinnacle Award for VHA. Mr. Villani is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE) and an Eagle Scout.
As interim CEO at Rural Wellness Anadarko and as SVP of Operations at Avem Health Partners, Mr. Villani is committed to improving hospital operations and providing top quality care at all Rural Wellness Hospitals.
About Our Governing Board
Rural Wellness Anadarko is proud to have board members committed to investing in the future success and growth of our community for generations to come. All of our board members are active civic leaders in the Rural Wellness Anadarko service area, and they challenge us every day to think of better solutions and bring the highest quality care to our local community. Thank you to our board members Dr. Donald Haslam, David Scott, Justina Prairiechief, David Rhoades, Shawn Freie, and Alicia White for your service to the hospital and community.
Our Healthcare Team
Our staff includes physicians and providers representing a range of medical training and experience, as well as caring and experienced physicians assistants, nurses, and support staff that are equipped and ready to serve the Anadarko community. All of our healthcare team members work tirelessly to ensure your experience at Rural Wellness Anadarko is a happy one.
Dr. Donald Haslam, Medical Director
Dr. Don Haslam began working at Rural Wellness Anadarko in 2002 as Director of Emergency Services. Dr. Haslam has over 35 years of medical experience including emergency care, pediatrics, and family medicine.
Dr. Haslam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts, a Master’s degree in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. He received his M.D. from the University of Oklahoma in 1980.
Dr. Haslam is a member of the Grady County Medical Society, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, The American Medical Association, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and the Society of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society. He is committed to providing exceptional medical care and improving hospital operations at Rural Wellness Anadarko.
Rachel Stephens, Chief Nursing Officer
Rachel Stephens, BSN, RN is a registered nurse with 26 years of clinical nursing experience and 12 years of clinical leadership experience. She is also working towards her Master of Science in Nursing Administration degree at The University of Oklahoma. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University, an Associates of Applied Science degree from Pueblo Community College, and her Certificate of Completion as a Licensed Practical Nurse from San Juan Basin Vocational and Technical school in Cortez, Colorado. Rachel has a variety of hospital nursing experience in Medical-Surgical, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Newborn Nursing.
As the Chief Nursing Officer at Rural Wellness Anadarko, her responsibilities include leadership and function of the clinical departments, improving quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of patient-centered care, serving our caregivers, patients, and community. She also maintains uniform standards of care, developing hospital-wide patient care programs, policies, and procedures. She values and fosters clinical education, multidisciplinary research, succession planning and a professional practice environment. Rachel brings empathy, an easy-going communication style, and a sweet sense of humor making it easy for her to talk to patients and family members. She proactively develops positive employee relations by promoting teamwork, mutual respect, and effective communication.
Rachel Stephens is certified in Basic Life Support (BLS), Adult Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). She is a member of the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) council on Quality and Patient Safety, a member of the Oklahoma Organization for Nurse Executives (OONE), and the Oklahoma Nursing Association Academic Nurse Partnership. Above all, she is dedicated to the delivery of quality healthcare for the community, through clinical excellence, attentive, and professional service.
About Rural Wellness Anadarko
At Rural Wellness Anadarko, we pride ourselves on our low 4:1 patient to nurse ratio, our high tech equipment including cat scans and ventilators, and most of all our caring staff. We are known for our compassionate team members who work tirelessly to provide the community with the best care possible. If it’s not good enough for our family, then it’s not good enough for yours.
Experience Rural Wellness Anadarko
Hospitals can be intimidating. Watch below to find out exactly what you can expect when you or your loved one receives care from our compassionate team. From our top-of-the-line smart beds in every room to our nutritional meals in the cafeteria, we are constantly working to ensure the best possible patient experience.
Better Health Care is Our Mission
Every day brings a chance to do things a little better than the day before.
At Rural Wellness Anadarko, we are working hard to meet the needs of our community. You'll see it in improvements, both large and small. You'll feel it with the addition of new staff and enhanced services. And you'll know it from quality and safety of patient care.
Today and everyday, we are here for you.
