Colby Smith, D.O.

Colby Smith, D.O. Rural Family Medicine Physician serving the community of Nevada, Missouri

08/08/2026

I will be out of office next week, but this (busy) week was a great reminder of why I love family medicine.

Over the course of this past week, my team and I:

• Performed a knee aspiration for a painful joint effusion and sent the fluid to the lab for analysis.
• Diagnosed an MCL tear based on physical exam and helped get an MRI and orthopedic referral arranged quickly.
• Evaluated a patient with hepatitis C and started treatment.
• Managed thyrotoxicosis due to an overactive thyroid.
• Helped a patient through kratom withdrawal- it has been taken off the shelves.
• Got a patient with resistant hypertension under control so they could get back to work without needing appointments out of town.
• Helped some patients STOP smoking! And told quite a few I’m here to be their cheerleader.
• Had lots of conversations about weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes, emphasizing that medications are a tool, but diet and exercise remain essential.
• Completed plenty of sports physicals as everyone gets ready for school.
• Saw a lot of my older patients and helped manage their chronic medical conditions and stopped riskier medications.
• Saw so many different rashes.
• Hugs, handshakes, fist bumps, high fives and handed out suckers and stickers.
• Performed preoperative evaluations to help patients safely prepare for surgery.
• Helped patients and their families navigate difficult medical decisions and plan for the future with compassion and honesty.
• And yes… there was plenty of paperwork and portal messages too.

Some days I’m draining a knee. Other days I’m helping a teenager get cleared for football. There are days where I’m just chatting and catching up with my patients. Sometimes I’m adjusting blood pressure medications, and sometimes I’m helping a family through one of the hardest conversations they’ll ever have.

That’s what I love about family medicine. Every day is different, and it’s a privilege to be trusted with so many different parts of people’s lives.

Thank you, Nevada, for letting me be your family doctor, wish me luck fishing and traveling!

03/13/2026

A snapshot of a day in the life of a rural family medicine doctor:

• Admit a patient to the hospital for breathing trouble from my clinic
• Checked in on residents at one of the nursing homes
• Removed a skin lesion that may be skin cancer
• Evaluated a fearless kid who loves jumping off things (and bruising himself)
• Coordinated care with specialists from Children’s Mercy
• Had an important conversation with a patient about hospice care
• Wellness visits with a husband and wife pair

No two days look the same in rural medicine, and that’s one of the things I love about it. Proud to take care of this community.

02/25/2026

Join us on 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 for our first Lunch & Learn session of 2026!

Dr. Colby Smith will provide important screening information for several types of cancers, affecting both men & women.

Attendance is 𝐹𝑅𝐸𝐸 - but please call to reserve a seat! 417-448-3710
Lunch is available for $5 or feel free to bring your own.

02/22/2026

I have seen several cases of whooping cough in our community over the past few weeks and wanted to share some information about what it is, its signs and symptoms, and how we can help prevent it.

Whooping cough is caused by a highly contagious bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. It is spread by respiratory droplets. It's an interesting disease with multiple stages. The first stage is very similar to the common cold and lasts for about 2 weeks. The second stage is where we see the "whooping" breathing - coughing fits followed by a long breath (which sounds like "whoop"). We also see vomiting after these coughing fits. This stage lasts weeks to months.

The final stage is where we see gradual improvement of symptoms, which also typically lasts weeks to months. The best prevention for this is the Tdap vaccine for children over the age of 10 and adults. This vaccine is commonly called a tetanus shot. DTaP is recommended for children to help prevent the disease.

We care about this because infants have a high chance of requiring hospitalization and an increased risk of developing pneumonia, seizures, and, unfortunately, death. And frankly, no one wants to cough for weeks to months.

Reach out to your local health department, pharmacy or your primary care office if you are interested in seeing if your vaccine is up to date, have been in contact with someone with whooping cough, or have symptoms that are consistent with whooping cough.

ChatGPT did a surprisingly good job blending my work with one of my favorite hobbies, it even figured out my normal work...
02/05/2026

ChatGPT did a surprisingly good job blending my work with one of my favorite hobbies, it even figured out my normal work outfit!

Address

900 S. Adams Street
Nevada, MO
64772

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14176676015

Website

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