Health briefs

LEWIS EARNS DIABETES EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Kathryn Lewis, nurse coordinator of the Parkland Health Center Diabetic Care Center, completed the requirements to become a Certified Diabetes Educator as outlined by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators. All three educators in Parkland's Diabetic Care Center are now Certified Diabetes Educators. To become certified, educators must have a professional license or registration, a minimum of two years of practice as a diabetes educator and 1,000 hours instructing diabetes self-management education. Upon meeting those requirements, applicants must make a passing score on the examination and complete 15 certified diabetes education units per year.

MDMC PARTNERS WITH PROVIDER PLUS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Missouri Delta Medical Center announced a partnership with Provider Plus Inc., a full-service medical equipment company. On Sept. 1, Provider Plus officially became the supplier of respiratory equipment, durable medical equipment and supplies for Missouri Delta Medical Center Equipment and its patients. Provider Plus is now located at 102 Smith St., next to Continu-Care Home Health Services, and includes a retail showroom. Missouri Delta Medical Equipment has a team of customer service representatives managing the central intake process and located at 1008 N. Main St.

HEALTHPOINT STAFF COMPLETES LES MILLS TRAINING

Five members of the HealthPoint Cape fitness staff attended the Les Mills Mega Quarterly conference Aug. 28 in Atlanta. More than 1,000 fitness professionals attended the conference and were trained in the latest versions of Les Mills programs. Mills is a retired athlete who represented New Zealand in track and field and weightlifting events at the Olympic Games. Amy Sutherlin, fitness manager at HealthPoint Cape, said the group participated in all eight programs at the conference, including the four currently offered at HealthPoint: BodyPump, BodyStep, BodyFlow and RPM. Sutherlin also took part in an RPM intensive program that lasted more than nine hours. HealthPoint launched the latest versions of these programs Sept. 24.

EBERLY IS STAR OF THE MONTH

MINER, Mo. -- Tina Eberly was Star of the Month at Miner Nursing Center. She has worked in the laundry department for 15 years.

TANZ JOINS SOUTHEAST HOSPITAL

Michelle Tanz

Michele Tanz joined Gastroenterology Services of Southeast Missouri Hospital as a nurse practitioner. She has worked as a clinical instructor of nursing and been recognized by Southeast Missouri State University nursing faculty for nursing care.

SMITH LEAVES SAINT FRANCIS FOR SOUTHEAST

Wayne Smith

Wayne Smith, a vice president at Saint Francis Medical Center, has joined Southeast Missouri Hospital in a similar role. Southeast Missouri Hospital CEO Debbie Linnes announced Sept. 21 that Smith has been appointed vice president of development and administrative services. Smith held the position of vice president of human resources and development at Saint Francis since 2008. In his new position at Southeast, Smith will be responsible for human resources and the hospital's foundation. Smith previously worked at Southeast Missouri State University as vice president for university advancement and as executive director of the university foundation.

SAINT FRANCIS NAMED A BEST PLACE TO WORK IN HEALTH CARE

Saint Francis Medical Center has been named by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the top 100 "Best Places to Work in Healthcare" for the third consecutive year, an honor no other employer in Missouri has achieved. The program, sponsored by Modern Healthcare magazine, is open to health care companies with at least 25 employees. To earn membership, Saint Francis' policies, practices, benefits and demographics were reviewed. In addition, 350 employees were asked in-depth questions about eight core areas: leadership and planning, culture and communications, role satisfaction, working environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits, and overall satisfaction. Modern Healthcare will reveal the specific ranking of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare on Oct. 18 at an awards gala in Dallas. It will post the results Oct. 19 on www.modernhealthcare.com and publish them in a supplement to Modern Healthcare magazine Oct. 25.

DECKER NAMED FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Linda Decker

Linda Decker was named executive director of the Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation. Decker's position is a newly created one at the hospital. The position of vice president of development and administrative services, held until recently by Wayne Smith, was responsible for the foundation's leadership. That position was eliminated after Smith resigned to take a position at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Smith's other responsibilities have been assigned to other members of the Saint Francis executive team, according to a hospital news release. Decker joined the foundation in June 2009 as a senior development officer. Her new responsibilities include management of the hospital's development team, building relationships with both the foundation and The Friends of Saint Francis Board of Directors, increasing the foundation's donor base and broadening grant efforts.

SAINT FRANCIS TO EXPAND WOMEN'S FACILITY

Saint Francis Medical Center is investing $2.1 million to upgrade its women's health services, hospital President and CEO Steven C. Bjelich announced Sept. 30. A total of 1,855 square feet will be added to the existing women's health area on the first floor of the Healing Arts Center building. The expansion, scheduled for completion this May, will add five exam rooms, a procedure room, a nurses station and expanded waiting room. Womancare will also have a full-time radiologist to provide real-time mammography results and immediate retesting. The Womancare Center expansion announcement kicked off the hospital's Pink Up Cape campaign, a monthlong effort to increase breast cancer awareness.

EBERLY IS STAR OF THE MONTH

MINER, Mo. -- Tina Eberly was Star of the Month at Miner Nursing Center. She has worked in the laundry department for 15 years.

COTTONWOOD HONORS TOP EMPLOYEE

Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center recognized Angie Pikes as 2010 Employee of the Year during its annual Employee Relations Day. Pikes is a psychiatric aide who has been with the program for 12 years, working in direct care and in the classrooms. Her co-workers cited her positive and professional attitude, respect for others and outstanding work with children as qualities that contributed to her selection. Cottonwood, on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, is a Department of Mental Health facility that provides residential treatment to children with emotional and behavioral problems.

HEALTHPOINT STAFF COMPLETES LES MILLS TRAINING

Five members of the HealthPoint Cape fitness staff attended the Les Mills Mega Quarterly conference Aug. 28 in Atlanta. More than 1,000 fitness professionals attended the conference and were trained in the latest versions of Les Mills programs. Mills is a retired athlete who represented New Zealand in track and field and weightlifting events at the Olympic Games. Amy Sutherlin, fitness manager at HealthPoint Cape, said the group participated in all eight programs at the conference, including the four currently offered at HealthPoint: BodyPump, BodyStep, BodyFlow and RPM. Sutherlin also took part in an RPM intensive program that lasted more than nine hours. HealthPoint launched the latest versions of these programs Sept. 24.

FERGUSON PRESENTS AT SYMPOSIUM

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Kathy Ferguson, emergency department manager at Parkland Health Center, will present at the second annual Heart LifeLine Alliance Symposium Oct. 22 in St. Louis. The symposium is geared toward emergency physicians, EMS staff, nurses, medical directors, nursing administrators and hospital administrators. Ferguson taught a session titled "STEMI Care from the Rural Perspective."

LIPSTEIN NAMED TO FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Steven H. Lipstein, president and CEO of BJC HealthCare, was appointed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to serve as vice chairman of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Board of Governors. Lipstein is one of 21 board members who will lead PCORI, a federal not-for-profit organization established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The group will conduct research to provide quality, evidence-based findings on how diseases and health conditions can be effectively prevented, diagnosed, treated and managed. The group will then consolidate and make the findings available to health care decision-makers at all levels of government and private industry. The goal is to help patients, clinicians, purchasers and policymakers m

ake informed decisions.

CROSS TRAILS OPENS IN ADVANCE

ADVANCE, Mo. -- The new Advance Cross Trails Medical/Dental Center opened to patients on Oct. 11, one year and two months after the groundbreaking. The dental and medical departments share a common reception office, opening out on two sides to accommodate the medical waiting room on the west side and the dental on the east, as patients enter from the front Gabriel Street entrance.

HOFF JOINS IMMEDIATE CONVENIENT CARE

Dr. Jesse Hoff joined Saint Francis Medical Center's team at Immediate Convenient Care. Specializing in primary care, Hoff has experience in family practice, convenient care and occupational medicine. Hoff served as a family practice clinical instructor at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, as well as the assistant director at St. Mary's Family Practice in Evansville, Ind. Before joining Saint Francis, Hoff operated his own primary care clinic.