Health briefs

Express Care welcomes new employees

SIKESTON, Mo. — Angie Menz, MSN, FNP-C, has joined Express Care as a family nurse practitioner, and Muhammad Salmanullah, MD, will practice internal medicine at the clinic.

The Express Care walk-in clinic is located at the rear of Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. To schedule an appointment with Menz or Salmanullah, call (573) 472-6001. Hours are 9 a.m.-10 p.m. seven day a week.

Health Dept. honors Wirtz

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Butler County Health Department announces that Matthew Mirtz from Butler County has been named Homemaker of the Month for November by the Butler County Health Department.

Wirtz has been working for the health department since September 2007. He also works with the Consumer Directed Services as a client attendant.

Saint Francis partners with Cape Girardeau Physician Associates

Saint Francis Medical Center has announced a new partnership with Cape Girardeau Physician Associates, a generations-trusted practice staffed with 12 skilled primary care physicians. Physician offices are located in the Healing Arts Center at Saint Francis, 3250 Gordonville Road, Suite 301 in Cape Girardeau.

CGPA joins the Saint Francis Family as the first primary care partnership affiliated with the Medical Center. The CGPA doctors are Sarah A. Aydt, MD, FAAP, FACP; Beverly L. Brown, MD, FAAP; Janna R. Crosnoe, MD; Heather K. Dodson, MD, FAAP; Robert W. Dodson, MD; James E. Hoffman, DO, FAAP; Michael T. Jedlinski, MD, FACP; Deborah D. Price, DO, FACOI; Amjad Roumany, MD; Matthew B. Schumer, MD; Philip W. Taylor, MD, FACP; and Michael C. Wulfers, MD, FAAFP.

Caring for children and adults of all ages, CGPA provides prevention-focused services and expert care in four specialties: family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics and rheumatology.

Crown Hospice opens Sikeston satellite

SIKESTON, Mo. — Crown Hospice has opened a satellite office in Sikeston, thanks to the continued growth of business in Scott, New Madrid and Mississippi counties.

"We really felt like we needed to have a more local office to better serve the families of these counties," said Candy Wilfong and Shelly Huckstep, Crown Hospice program directors. The office in Sikeston is located at 102 S. Interstate Drive, Suite 21.

A medically directed program, hospice is designed to improve a patient's quality of life, helping to alleviate the family's distress by providing loving care, eliminating pain and easing the overall emotional, spiritual, social and economic stress associated with the end of life. The program's interdisciplinary team of professionals and volunteers work closely with the family during illness and through the bereavement period, which could be up to a year.

For more information, call the Cape Girardeau office at (573) 335-4800 or go to www.crownhospice.com.

Saint Francis ranked in top 10 percent for patient experience

Saint Francis Medical Center is ranked among the nation's top 10 percent for patient experience, according to HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Saint Francis is the recipient of the HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience

Award for 2009 and is only one of six Missouri hospitals and the only one in Southeast Missouri in the top 10 percent.

"Patient satisfaction is a top priority for Saint Francis," says Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Francis. "We work very hard to ensure every patient is treated as an individual and with dignity and respect. To be recognized by the people we serve is truly an honor."

The designation is based on patient survey data collected as part of the federal government's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS. The initiative gathers patient responses to 27 survey questions related to physician and nurse communication, speed of responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, medication information and post-discharge care instructions. Survey results from more than 2,500 hospitals nationwide were analyzed, and each hospital had to meet certain thresholds to be considered for the award. The award is the first HealthGrades distinction based on patients' perceptions of hospital care.

Southeast Missouri Hospital welcomes new staff

Roberto F. Martinez, MD, and Celia L. Chan, M.D., have joined Cape Girardeau's Southeast Missouri Hospital as hematologist-oncologists. They are affiliated with Hematology-Oncology Associates of Southeast Missouri Hospital and are accepting new patients by physician referral. Call (573) 331-7970 to schedule an appointment.

Robert Kimmel Jr., MD, has also joined the hospital as an endocrinologist. He is affiliated with Endocrinology Associates at Southeast Missouri Hospital and is accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, call (573) 334-6169.

New program provides care for vet families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Gov. Matt Blunt announced that the Department of Mental Health has initiated Help for the Home Front, a program that focuses on helping those who live with a veteran who has served in the Global War on Terror. The department received $650,000 from the legislature and Gov. Blunt in the 2009 fiscal year budget to develop the program.

The primary goal of is to assist family members of veterans during their return from deployment. Veterans themselves are served by the Veterans Administration, but will be able to participate in any family or marital therapy through the new program.

Additionally, services will be offered to family members of killed or wounded veterans, and families experiencing transition issues once the veteran returns from deployment. Traditional services, such as individual or group counseling, will be provided to family members where appropriate.

For more information and a complete list of participating locations, visit www.dmh.missouri.gov/cps/org/county.htm or contact Dr. Joe Parks of the Department of Mental Health at (573) 751-2794.

Saint Francis staff completes oncology certification

Saint Francis Medical Center announces that all full- and part-time registered nurses at the Outpatient Care Center and Cape Medical Oncology have earned status as certified oncology nurses. Each of the nurses has passed his or her certification exam and met all eligibility requirements as a certified oncology nurse by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation.

As cancer treatments become more complex, patients require increasingly specialized care. Oncology certified nurses have both the knowledge and experience to deliver that care effectively. "With staff at the Outpatient Care Center and Cape Oncology possessing this distinction, patients can be assured that whatever nurse cares for them, he or she is certified in cancer care," stated Dennis Van Asche, administrative director – Cancer Services for Saint Francis Medical Center.

Treatment Center recognized by state

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The Southeast Missouri Community Treatment Center was recently recognized for 16 years of work in the community by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Owens named Auxilian of the Year at Saint Francis

Nearly 200 Saint Francis Auxilians and volunteers were recently recognized for the support they provide for Saint Francis Medical Center. Each year, the Auxilians and volunteers supply a work force of more than 300 people who donate 67,000 hours and generate an additional $165,000 for the Medical Center. Saint Francis Auxiliary president Jean Ratliff presented Bob Owens with the 2008 Auxilian of the Year award at the annual volunteer breakfast. Owens became a volunteer and joined the Auxiliary in 2001. He has donated more than 1,000 hours since then.

Mississippi County Health Department earns accreditation

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In December 2008, the Mississippi County Health Department earned designation as one of only 12 accredited health departments in the state.

Mississippi County Health Department, with locations in Charleston and East Prairie, earned primary accreditation through the Missouri Institute for Community Health, which accredits health departments.

According to Melanie Glaus, director of the Mississippi County Health Department, the department met 215 standards in addition to meeting employee credential standards such as employees having bachelor's or master's degrees. The process took about a year to plan and get through documentation before applying for accreditation. Three reviewers from Kansas City and St. Louis visited the health department to make sure staff received credentials and met those standards. Only 12 of the state's 115 health departments are accredited, and Mississippi County earned the state's first perfect score in the primary accreditation category. Besides Butler County, Mississippi County is the only accredited health department within the surrounding region.

Sikeston VA clinic to open within a year

SIKESTON, Mo. — A primary care clinic for military veterans should be up and running in less than a year. In early December, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans to open three new clinics in Missouri, with Sikeston being one of the sites.

"The clinic will offer primary care and mental health care, and it's all going to be on an outpatient basis," said Chuck Hayden, public affairs officer and compliance officer at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff.

The Sikeston clinic will be similar to the VA community-based outpatient clinic in Cape Girardeau, Hayden said, but will be designed for veterans in Pemiscot, Dunklin, Mississippi, Stoddard, Scott and New Madrid counties.

The VA-operated and owned clinic will be staffed with 10 employees, including medical doctors, nurse practitioners, mental health providers and clerical staff. It's expected to be operational before Oct. 1, 2009. The location of the clinic has not yet been determined.

SFMC Pain Management Center welcomes new physiatrist

Saint Francis Medical Center is pleased to announce Southeast Missouri residents now have another powerful resource in managing acute and chronic pain. Pain physiatrist Im Sun Hong, MD, joins other specialists at the Saint Francis Pain Management Center in providing comprehensive services to control and minimize pain.

Hong is board certified and has more than 20 years of experience in pain management. He received his medical degree from the Federal University of Sao Paulo Paulista School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and also completed orthopaedic surgery and general surgery residencies at the Paulista School of Medicine.

Joplin moves chiropractic office

Dr. Timothy S. Joplin has moved his chiropractic office from the old location at 226 Albert St. in Cape Girardeau to 307 N. Frederick St., across from the post office. He said the new location provides a great central location with convenient parking at the front door. The insurance electronic filing system and phone number, (573) 335-9229, haven't changed.

Southeast Mo. Hospital names volunteer services director

Charlie Pavlovsky has been named new volunteer services director at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He succeeds Marge Sullivan, who retired in late November. Pavlovsky, of Perryville, Mo., most recently served as vice president at Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Pavlovsky holds a master's degree in health care administration from Webster University in St. Louis and a bachelor of arts degree in liberal arts from the University of Houston. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Diabetes educator renews certification status

Ashley Lipke, certified diabetes educator at Cross Trails Medical Center, has renewed her Certified Diabetes Educator status by successfully completing the continuing education renewal option process. She has been employed with Cross Trails for eight years. Lipke works in all three Cross Trails Medical Center clinic sites in Cape Girardeau, Advance, Mo., and Marble Hill, Mo.

Migrant Whole Health to train interpreters

KENNETT, Mo. — Migrant Whole Health Outreach is looking to train 20 interpreters to facilitate competent interpretation involving clients medical and health related services. Luz C. Bravo, a certified Bridging The Gap Trainer, will teach the course from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 9-13.

MWHO's mission is to establish effective communication between the patient and the provider, facilitate cross cultural understanding, create trust and rapport, increase the quality of care; enhance satisfaction, and excellence in providing bilingual bicultural interpretation. Funding for this two-year project is provided in whole by the Missouri Foundation for Health.

Bilingual Individuals wishing to enhance their skills may register by visiting the Migrant Whole Health Outreach office, 1513 St. Francis, Kennett, Mo., (573) 888-9044. Enrollment is limited to 20 people.

Moody receives nutrition services award

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. — Ste. Genevieve Nutrition Center Administrator Enola Moody received a 2008 Star Award for Outstanding Nutrition Services at the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging's Fifth Annual Star Awards Banquet and Christmas Party Dec. 9 in Cape Girardeau.

"Enola is a master of promoting the senior center. She is an enthusiastic jokester who thrives on making a difference in the lives of others," a SEMO AAA spokesperson said. "She has empowered the seniors to take charge of their center."

Moody served on Congressman Richard Gephardt's Senior Advisory Committee for the Southeast Service Area for over two years. The committee's mission was to identify senior needs and present recommendations. She also serves on the Ste. Genevieve Community Forum, with a mission to create a resource director for the county and the Ste. Genevieve Association for Retarded Citizens. In addition, she is a member of the Southeast Missouri Transportation System's advisory committee, the Eagles Auxiliary and a past committee member of the East Missouri Action Agency's Head Start committee.