Cox Barton County Hospital adds full-time general surgeon

Dr. David “Michael” Steele, general surgeon, has joined the health care team at Cox Barton County Hospital.

Steele started seeing patients on March 8 inside Cox Barton’s Medical One Specialty Clinic.

Becoming a physician is a tradition which started with Steele’s father. Out of five boys in the family, four decided to follow the same path as their dad to become physicians.

“I was extremely fascinated with the inside of the body during my first surgery as a student,” he said. “I never thought I would end up in this field, but I’m so glad I chose surgery as my specialty.”

For nearly 30 years, Steele has worked exclusively in rural settings. He said the decision to join CoxHealth was an easy one because it’s a strong health system with great leadership.

“I find working in rural hospitals rewarding because I am able to perform a variety of surgeries and I get to spend more time with my patients,” he said.

Steele’s areas of expertise includes endoscopy, general surgery and wound care.

“We are excited Dr. Steele chose Cox Barton to continue his focus on rural medicine,” said Chris Wyatt, president of Cox Barton County Hospital. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our local team of experts. It’s rare to find so many quality, certified specialty providers in a small community, but we have them.”

In his spare time, he enjoys reading and watching his children participate in sporting events.

The Medical One Specialty Clinic is located inside Cox Barton County Hospital, NW 1st Lane. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 417-681-5284.