Business notebook: Two tenants move on up with Codefi at Marquette Tower

The new offices of Codefi in the Marquette Tower have two new tenants. Integrated Managed Care Systems and Health Check Inc. have signed on to move into Codefi's rapidly- filling fifth-floor space in the Tower.

The announcement denotes the success of Integrated Managed Care Systems since Lindy Duncan launched the company and began operating out of Codefi's offices less than a year ago. Duncan, a native of Chaffee, Missouri, has brought over 25 years of experience into his company.

Integrated Managed Care Systems provides software with proprietary analytics tools to health-care tech professionals and health-care providers across the U.S.

"We are a traditional software development organization for health care," Duncan said. "What we're doing is we're building systems to integrate the clinical information and the financial information."

Duncan said his company is a business collaborator.

"Our technology platform is supporting other businesses that are providing services to health-care providers," Duncan said.

One such business is Health Check Inc., which offers revenue-cycle services for hospitals throughout the country.

"Basically, we ensure that insurance companies pay hospitals, and they pay them the full amount they're owed," John Scala, president of Health Check Inc., said.

The company has offices in Mississippi and Florida. And now, thanks in part to the company's relationship with Integrated Managed Care Systems, it soon will open another in Cape Girardeau.

Scala said he has hired five new employees at the Cape Girardeau office, including Jennifer Monroe of Jackson, who will serve as the vice president of revenue. It's Scala's intent to hire 50 to 60 new employees over the next twelve months.

"Now we're at the point where we can't hire any more people until we get moved in," Monroe said.

Along with Duncan, Scala said it was people like Monroe who convinced him to expand Health Check into Cape Girardeau. Scala and his business partner travel extensively and are rarely in one place for long.

"We can't be here to run the office, and we don't have the skill set," but Monroe does, he said.

Plus, the region offers a wealth of recruitment opportunities.

"We have a university here to recruit from. We've got two health-care systems to recruit from," Scala said. "We won't have a shortage of talent."

The new employees of Health Check may find themselves with a higher- than-average income. Scala said the company offers pay above county average, plus extensive benefits. The net income of the first five employees of the Southeast Missouri branch of Health Check, Scala said, "is 50 percent above the average."

The two companies seek to move into their new offices by Sept. 1. Duncan said he was glad to have a collaborating business joining him in Cape Girardeau and expects to see more in the future.

LaunchU session set to launch July 26

The next session of LaunchU, offered through the Missouri Innovation Corp. (MIC) and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at Southeast Missouri State University begins July 26.

MIC and SBTDC have partnered with the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau to provide scholarships for participants and cash stipends for pitch-competition winners for the upcoming class.

LaunchU coaches aspiring entrepreneurs and startups through the business-planning process. Students work to determine their business' feasibility and to develop a Small Business Administration-approved business plan, pitch and financial forecast.

Scholarships from Isle Casino will be available, allowing 20 students to attend the class for $99. At the end of the six-week course, the students will participate in a pitch competition, vying to win a startup assistance package valued at more than $5,400. The package includes a cash stipend of $500 from the Isle Casino, a marketing package by BOLD Marketing and legal services from the attorneys of Osburn, Hine, Yates & Murphy LLC. There also will be a second prize of another $500 cash stipend from the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.

Advance registration is required. To enroll, visit innovationmic.org/training.

Perry County Memorial Hospital honored

For the second year in a row, Perry County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) in Perryville, Missouri, was named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the country.

Perry County Memorial Hospital and the other Critical Access hospitals on the list scored best among hospitals on iVantage Health Analytics' Hospital Strength Index overall. The rankings were announced by the National Rural Health Association, and an awards ceremony will take place during NRHA's Critical Access Hospital Conference in September in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals are those that have achieved success on a composite rating from nine indices: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, population risk, cost, charge, quality, outcomes, patient perspectives and financial stability. This group was selected from iVantage's Top 100 CAH list, released earlier this year.

Perry County Memorial Hospital was in the 91st percentile for quality, 88th percentile for outcomes and 79th percentile for patient perspectives. The hospital received third-quartile performance ratings in population risk and charge.

Perry County Memorial Hospital was ranked in the index categories of market, value and finance percentiles and received an overall index rank of 98.0.

"Perry County Memorial Hospital is proud of the efforts of its physicians and staff who have contributed to our hospital achieving this designation," Patrick Carron, president and CEO of Perry County Memorial Hospital, said in a news release. "It is quite impressive that we are receiving this award again for the second year in a row. It only solidifies the fact that Perry County has a real jewel with our state-of-the-art hospital and caring staff."

Cuba Financial attends exclusive conference

Rick and Tyler Cuba of Cuba Financial Group recently traveled to San Diego for the First Allied National Conference, which is exclusive to First Allied's 900 advisors.

There, they presented a program about effectively transitioning a financial-planning practice in a quickly changing industry.

First State Community Bank is remodeled

First State Community Bank has finished remodeling its Cape Girardeau location at 2527 William St. The new space will house employees of First State Insurance Agency, First State Financial Management and First State Community Bank.

"Our newly expanded and remodeled facility will help us serve our customers and this community for years to come," First State Community Bank president Butch Holyfield said in a news release. "We're proud of what we've been able to accomplish in Cape Girardeau." Holyfield also thanked the customers for their patience during the construction, which began in late 2015.

A ribbon cutting will be held July 29.

Local Mary Kay consultants lauded

Several consultants with the Jana Jateff unit of Mary Kay Cosmetics were honored recently during a year-end picnic to recognize its top producers.

Ron Fielder was honored as husband of the year. Jan Fielder received the Miss Go Give Award, Chanel Tucker received the Miss Enthusiasm Award, and the Miss Mary Kay Image Award went to Darla Beggs.

Joy Duprey received the Rookie of the Year Award, and LaDonia Beggs and Kay Waller were recognized as the most consistent performers.

LaDonia Beggs was named the Wholesale Court Queen, with Kay Waller, Chanel Tucker, Emily Versemann and Jan Fielder rounding out the court.

Business licenses

• ABI1, doing business as Metro PCS, 2136 William St., #196, is a wireless-phone sale and service company owned by Emad Hamouda. The anticipated opening date was July 12.
• Red Beard Contracting LLC is a home-based general contracting property-maintenance and telecommunications business. David Tingle applied for the license. The business began June 29.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3830