Health briefs

__CEO SEARCH ON HOLD__ SoutheastHEALTH still hasn't started its search for a new chief executive, more than three months after CEO Debbie Linnes resigned. A search timetable has not been set and no search planning is in progress, said spokeswoman Sally Owen in an emailed statement to the Southeast Missourian. Wayne Smith was named interim CEO by the board of trustees upon Linnes' resignation in June. He joined Southeast in September 2010 as vice president of human resources and development. He previously worked in a similar capacity at Saint Francis Medical Center after working as Southeast Missouri State University's vice president of advancement. Some have speculated the hospital may be sold, but Owen deflected the rumors. "The hospital has never been involved in any discussions concerning a possible acquisition with any other organization," she said.

Dr. Jamie Dost Harrison

__HARRISON JOINS SOUTHEAST__ Dr. Jamie Dost Harrison, a family medicine physician, joined the staff at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She is affiliated with Southeast Primary Care on the hospital's main campus. She completed a residency with the University of Missouri Department of Family and Community Medicine.

__BUSH JOINS TWIN RIVERS__ KENNETT, Mo. -- General surgeon Dr. Stephen Bush joined Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center. He is available to perform all types of surgery at Kennett Surgery Associates. Bush previously had a private practice in Poplar Bluff, Mo., at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

__BJC ADDS THREE DOCTORS__ FARMINGTON, Mo. -- BJC Medical Group recently added three physicians to its Medical Arts Clinic in Farmington. They include internal medicine physician Dr. Ramon G. Esteban Jr., family medicine physician Dr. Chaitanya Kotagiri and pediatrician Dr. Karin L. Clauss.

Greg Pursley

__CHIROPRACTORS RE-BRAND PRACTICE__ Drs. Greg Pursley and Seth Hudson of Pursley Chiropractic in Cape Girardeau re-branded their company to PC Wellness Centers in an effort to better reflect the services they provide. In addition to chiropractic care, they offer massage therapy and weight loss therapy, among other services. They marked the change with a ribbon cutting Sept. 20.

Seth Hudson

__PARKLAND HONORS EMPLOYEES__ FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Dawn Royer was Star Service Employee for July at Parkland Health Center, and Carol Froidl received the honor for August. Royer has been a unit secretary in Parkland's medical records department for eight years. Froidl has been a nurse in the obstetrics department for more than 33 years.

__NAJJAR JOINS MDMC__ SIKESTON, Mo. -- Dr. Husam Najjar joined Missouri Delta Medical Center, specializing in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary disease, particularly COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, sarcoidosis, cough and interstitial lung disease, as well as allergy diagnosis and treatment. His office is in the Barton-Jolly Physician Services Building on North Main Street.

__HUNTER JOINS SFMC__ Dr. Heidi J. Hunter is the new medical director of inpatient rehabilitation at Saint Francis Medical Center. Her key clinical interests include rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke patients. Her team also treats patients in need of rehabilitation following trauma, cancer, amputation, burn, orthopedic injury and neurological conditions.

__HOOVER IS EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH__ Becky Hoover, certified nursing assistant at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, was the Department of Public Safety's employee of the month for September. She was honored at a reception in Jefferson City, Mo.

__SFMC BUYS MAJORITY OWNERSHIP OF SURGERY CENTER__ Saint Francis Healthcare System has partnered with the Physicians Alliance Surgery Center in Cape Girardeau. Saint Francis will own a 51 percent interest in the limited liability company, with the remaining 49 percent interest shared among the individual physicians within the alliance group. The surgery center at 3241 Percy Drive off Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau provides ambulatory surgical services in ear, nose and throat; general surgery; gynecology; ophthalmology; orthopedics; and retinal specialties.

Dr. Richard Martin

__MARTIN OPENS ENT CLINIC__ Dr. Richard A. Martin opened a new clinic for the practice of otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery at 37 Doctors' Park, Suite 1 in Cape Girardeau.

__VA CLINIC EXPANSION COMPLETE__ FARMINGTON, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting was held Sept. 17 to celebrate an expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic on Columbia Street in Farmington. The Robert Silvey Outpatient Clinic, run by the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., is more than 6,000 square feet, twice the size of its previous facility, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal. The clinic now offers a tele-retinal eye clinic, tele-dermatology, a women's clinic, on-site psychology and psychiatry, a portable X-ray room and health classes. The clinic has also added a licensed clinical social worker to its staff.

__NEW CLINIC TO OPEN IN BLOOMSDALE__ BLOOMSDALE, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Sept. 21 for the Bloomsdale Women's Health and Primary Care Center, expected to open in late 2012, reported the Ste. Genevieve Herald. Archimages of St. Louis is the architect for the project, and McGrath and Associates, also of St. Louis, is the general contractor. The two-story facility, to be built at a cost of $4 million to $5 million, will house a women's wellness center and expanded family clinic, said Tom Keim, CEO of Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. The women's health center will have mammography, ultrasound, bone density and other imaging equipment, and two small procedure rooms. Dr. Joe Sharlow, general surgeon, and Dr. Tony Lam, obstetrician/gynecologist, are among the specialists who will rotate at the facility during the week. In the future, the center may include exercise classes and a specialty clinic for cardiology, dermatology, urology or other services. The primary care facility, including the family practice clinic of Dr. Donald Balacuit, will offer more services than currently available at the Bloomsdale clinic. The facility is also expected to have expanded pharmacy services.

__BRANUM IS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR__ SIKESTON, Mo. -- Leann Branum, assistant director of nursing at the Sikeston Convalescent Center, was named District 5 employee of the year at the Missouri Health Care Association's 63rd annual convention in Branson, Mo. A panel of judges reviewed each application based upon criteria established by the Missouri Health Care Association and the American Health Care Association. District 5 includes all of Southeast Missouri's long-term care member facilities.

__LAMBERT COMPLETES COURSE__ SIKESTON, Mo. -- Melinda Lambert, a family nurser practitioner at Managed Care Inc., completed a clinical partnership program at Washington University in St. Louis. The "mini residency" is a research-based training program sponsored through the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center to increase knowledge of dementia, emphasizing early diagnosis and up-to-date treatments.

__CAIRO TO GET NEW HOSPITAL__ CAIRO, Ill. -- Community Health & Emergency Services Inc. in Cairo received $3 million from the state of Illinois Sept. 21 to build a 16-bed hospital at its Cairo Megaclinic, reported the Southeast Missourian. Funds were appropriated by the state legislature in 2009 as part of the Illinois Jobs Now plan. When the addition opens in 2013, Cairo will have 24-hour emergency medical services for the first time. Residents now have to drive at least 30 miles to Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Ky., or Sikeston, Mo., to find an emergency room. The project is expected to employ 90 people full-time; about 40 construction jobs will also be created. The Megaclinic's hospital project will be put out for bids next spring and construction is expected to start late next summer.

__POPLAR BLUFF HOSPITAL GETS TOP PERFORMER HONOR__ POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center was named one of the nation's top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. The hospital was recognized based on data about evidence-based clinical procedures that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and children's asthma. The hospital is one of only 405 U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals to earn this distinction. In addition to being included in The Joint Commission's "Improving America's Hospitals" annual report, available at jointcommission.org/annualreport, the Poplar Bluff hospital will be recognized on The Joint Commission's Quality Check website at qualitycheck.org.

__SOUTHEAST HEALTH ANNOUNCES CHANGES__ SoutheastHEALTH is implementing new initiatives to better serve the health care needs of this region, according to a statement released by hospital administration. "We are changing the delivery of wellness services to more effectively use resources for our employees and the community," administrators said.

After an evaluation of the programs offered by the Wellness Connection at West Park Mall, hospital administrators have determined it is no longer feasible to offer educational services and programs as they have in the past. Effective Oct. 1, the Wellness Connection will refocus its efforts in new ways. SoutheastHEALTH will continue to provide screening services and American Heart Association certification programs to the community, local industry and to the employees of SoutheastHEALTH. In addition, the SHOW Mobile (SoutheastHEALTH on Wheels) partnership with the College of Health and Human Services at Southeast Missouri State University will continue through the end of this year. SoutheastHEALTH is exploring how to best serve more of the rural, underserved population in the region. "We are reaching the underserved through our partnership with Ripley County to provide Ripley County residents with access to vital health care services," administrators said.

__ORTIZ APPOINTED TO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE__ Sandy Ortiz, director of the Southeast Health on Wheels (S.H.O.W.) Mobile program at Southeast Missouri State University, was selected by Gov. Jay Nixon to participate in the Delta Leadership Institute beginning in October in St. Louis. The institute is sponsored by the Delta Regional Authority at The University of Alabama. Throughout the program, institute members will meet in Little Rock, Ark., New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn. Participants will graduate from the Institute in Point Clear, Ala. The program creates opportunities for a corps of leaders to receive training in the areas of innovative leadership, change strategy, collaboration and project management. In addition to learning more about the infrastructure of the communities in the eight states they call home, leaders complete projects designed to improve some aspect of life close to home, including health care, education and communication technology. Participants are engaged in classes and teamwork for one year, but remain active as alumni and serve as mentors and resources to the participants who follow. Candidates are selected for the program based on their commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities.

__P.B. HOSPITAL BREAKS GROUND__ POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center held a groundbreaking Oct. 6 for its new $173 million hospital at the Eight Points Development in Poplar Bluff, according to the Daily American Republic. The seven-story hospital is being built on a 62-acre site at the southwest corner of Oak Grove and Shelby roads. When completed, it will have 250 private patient rooms, enhanced technology, easier accessibility and an expansion of health care services, including emergency room, cardiac care and the addition of neurosurgery.

__SOUTHEAST PARTNERS WITH CARING BRIDGE__ SoutheastHEALTH has partnered with CaringBridge, a not-for-profit organization that offers free, personal and private websites that connect people experiencing a significant health challenge to family and friends. Supporters can read journal entries, view photos and leave messages in a guest book. Patients, caregivers and their families can create their own CaringBridge sites by visiting CaringBridge.org/SEhealth or clicking the link on the SoutheastHEALTH home page.