Business Notebook: Record taxable spending in Cape County during 2020; job fair to seek entry-level health care workers

Despite the nationwide economic turmoil brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers spent more than $1.5 billion on taxable goods in Cape Girardeau County over the most recent 12-month period, based on the county's sales-tax receipts.

The county received its 12th and final monthly 2020 sales-tax payment from the Missouri Department of Revenue last week, adding to a record-setting total for the year.

Cape Girardeau County's half-cent sales tax added $717,564.02 to the county treasury this month. That amount represented a 12.32% increase over sales-tax revenue received in December 2019.

For the year, Cape County's sales tax generated a record $7,791,131.24. That was $414,742.18 more than the previous record of $7,376,389.06 set last year, an increase of just over 5.6%.

In recent years, the county's sales-tax revenue has increased from one year to the next, but typically by less than 0.4%, with the exception of 2017 when the county received almost 2.9% more in sales-tax receipts than it did in 2016.

Meanwhile, the county's half-cent Proposition One tax generated just over $7.8 million this year, according to a report last week from the Cape County Treasurer Roger Hudson. That's about $400,000 more than 2019's Prop One revenue and represented the largest one-year increase in that fund's revenue in more than a decade.

The county's recently adopted half-cent law enforcement sales tax, which businesses began collecting in October, generated a total of $574,841.22 as of last week's report from the county treasurer's office.

The addition of the law enforcement sales tax effectively increased the county's use tax, the tax on out-of-state purchases and internet sales, from 1% to 1.5%, equal to the sales tax, Proposition One tax and law enforcement tax rates.

For 2020, the county's use-tax revenue was slightly more than $1.8 million ($1,801,717.30, to be exact), which was 38.9% more than last year's previous high of $1,297,196.93. The increase is because of, in large part, additional online sales during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the use tax went into effect in 2015, Cape Girardeau County's use tax has generated $7,768,121.02.

Virtual job fair to focus on entry-level health care positions

The Missouri Office of Workforce Development (OWD) will host a virtual job fair next week for job seekers looking for entry-level clinical and nonclinical positions in the health care field.

The job fair is in partnership with the Missouri Hospital Association and will take place online from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dec. 22.

Job seekers will be able to search job listings, meet with potential employers, receive tips for resume writing and job interviews, and learn more about Missouri Job Center services and training opportunities.

"Over the course of the last few months, virtual job fairs have proved to be a great way for employers and job seekers to connect in a way that is both meaningful and safe," said Mardy Leathers, director of workforce development. "The Missouri Hospital Association has been an exceptional advocate for the state's health care sector, and we are excited to help fill much needed positions at heath care facilities throughout the state."

"Hospitals are hiring," said Jill Williams, MHA's vice president of workforce initiatives. "A virtual job fair is a safe and effective way to reach workers during COVID-19 and to ensure hospitals have the workforce needed to deliver and support care, now and in the future."

Among the featured jobs at the job fair will be positions in dietary and food preparation, environmental services, housekeeping, phlebotomy, patient care (nurse assistants, medical assistants and technicians) and office/clerical support positions.

Health care organizations interested in having a "virtual booth" at the fair must submit a registration form online through the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development website by Wednesday.

Job seekers may register for the Dec. 22 job fair or any other OWD virtual job fair at www.returnstrongmo.easyvirtualfair.com.

Dine out for downtown Cape

Minglewood Brewery, 121 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, is donating 10% of its sales Dec. 21 to support Old Town Cape as part of the organization's "Dine Out for Downtown" campaign.

Old Town Cape is a not-for-profit organization that works toward revitalizing downtown Cape by utilizing the "Four Point Main Street" approach to preserve, promote, revitalize and enrich the district's historic, cultural and economic landscapes.

People on the Move

Sunil Mungee

HAYTI, Mo. — Sunil Mungee has been named president and chief executive officer of Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems. He will replace interim CEO Patrick Geschwind effective Dec. 21.

Mungee has a background in hospital management and operations, physician relations and recruitment, new business development, and physician practice acquisitions.

Prior to his appointment at Pemiscot Memorial, Mungee served as an executive director at SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, where he worked to develop narrow network health plans for local employers, resulting in 78 groups and approximately 36,000 covered lives.

Before that, he served as director of physician practices at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. While at Saint Francis, he was named "Best Employee of the Year 2014" for his work in a cost-savings strategy that saved $1.25 million under LEAN management principles.

Mungee holds a master's degree in business administration from Aspen University in Denver and a Master of Arts in accounting. He is a member of the Medical Group Management Associating (MGMA) and was nominated for a Press Gainey administration award for his improvement initiatives in patient access and patient satisfaction scores.

Awards & Recognitions

For the fifth consecutive rating period, Saint Francis Medical Center has been awarded an "A" rating in The Leapfrog Group's fall 2020 hospital safety grading program.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety and updates letter grades for all general hospitals every six months. Hospital are rated on various factors such as medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

The safety rating program was developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, is peer reviewed and transparent. Complete rating details, along with patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, are available at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

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Saint Francis Healthcare System cancer services director Lisa Newcomer, left, with Saint Francis president and CEO Maryann Reese.Submitted

Lisa Newcomer, cancer services director at Saint Francis Healthcare System, has been recognized by the Missouri chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (MO-ACHE) as one of four recipients of its annual President's Award.

Each year, MO-ACHE recognizes health care leaders in the state whose actions provide value to the chapter and other health care executives at the local level. The recognition program is designed to acknowledge accomplishments of its members.

Saint Francis president and CEO Maryann Reese said Newcomer has been instrumental in the organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newcomer and other President's Award recipients were recognized during MO-ACHE's annual business meeting and will be highlighted in the chapter's next newsletter.

Chamber Notes

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will host its final business breakfast of 2020 in a "virtual" format this week.

The chamber's December membership breakfast is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday and will be viewable online on the chamber's Facebook page via Facebook Live.

Business license applications

Jordan Bullock of Gulfport, Mississippi, has filed a business license application with the City of Cape Girardeau to operate Cape Nutrition LLC at 229 S. Plaza Way. The business, which will offer meal replacement shakes and energy drinks, has a projected opening date of Jan. 6.

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Paula Barber of Cape Girardeau has submitted a business license application to operate Boxdrop Mattress at 345 S. Kingshighway, Suite B, in Cape Girardeau. The mattress business is relocating from 4014 Nash Road to the Kingshighway location. The target date for the move is Feb. 1, according to the license application.

Commercial building permits

The City of Cape Girardeau issued two commercial building permits last week, one for interior renovations of retail space at 127 Siemers Drive, Suite 105, with an estimated construction cost of $87,000, and the other for remodeling of existing commercial space at 837 N. Kingshighway, which, according to the construction permit application, has an estimated project cost of $40,000.

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