Health briefs

CASE MANAGERS EARN CERTIFICATION

Cathy Ulrich and Lalita Toeniskoetter, nurses and care coordinators in SoutheastHEALTH's Case Management Department, passed the American Case Management Association certification exam and are now accredited case managers. Ulrich has worked at Southeast since 1985 and holds certification as a certified professional in utilization review. Toeniskoetter has also worked at Southeast since 1985.

CROWLEY JOINS PARKLAND

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Parkland Health Center added Richard Crowley to its senior leadership team as an experienced and certified performance improvement engineer. He came to Parkland from St. Louis Children's Hospital, where was a performance improvement engineer for three years. Crowley lives in Old Appleton, Mo.

BETHESDA CANCER CENTER JOINS SAINT FRANCIS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Bethesda Cancer Center in Sikeston became part of Saint Francis Medical Center on Jan. 2, changing its name to Sikeston Radiation Oncology. Radiation oncologists Dr. Tapan Roy, Dr. Veena D. Divecha and Dr. Emily L. Militzer will lead the Sikeston facility. Patients will not have to transfer records or update information, and the facility's location, hours and phone number will remain the same. This new ownership offers access to Saint Francis' new Cancer Institute.

MORRIS JOINS FERGUSON

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Teresa Morris is a new licensed clinical social worker at Ferguson Medical Group Counseling Services. She began seeing patients there Jan. 2.

MANOR OPENS NEW UNIT

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Manor opened a special care unit Jan. 12 that will hold 16 individuals with mental illnesses, reported the Daily American Republic. The facility is contained and includes a dining room and activity area.

SOUTHEAST ADDS THREE PRACTICES

SoutheastHEALTH has added three Cape Girardeau physician practices to its network. Cardiovascular Consultants, the largest cardiology group in Southeast Missouri with six physicians, has joined Southeast. Dr. Bryan Beck, Dr. Billy A.F. Hammond, Dr. David Law, Dr. Kenneth Retter, Dr. Gabriel Soto and Dr. Allen Spitler make up Cardiovascular Consultants at 371 S. Broadview St. in Cape Girardeau. Southeast and Cardiovascular Consultants now bring more convenience to patients with two imaging locations (Southeast Hospital and Southeast Cardiac Imaging at Cardiovascular Consultants) and outreach clinics in Dexter, Perryville, Doniphan and Sikeston, Mo. Neurologist Dr. Randall Stahly has joined Southeast Medical Group. His office will remain at its current location at 63 Doctors' Park. SoutheastHEALTH has also formed the Cozean Eye Institute. Ophthalmologist Dr. Charles H. Cozean Jr. has donated his practice to SoutheastHEALTH and is recruiting a second ophthalmologist for the practice at 56 Doctors' Park.

TODD'S WELLNESS HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- The Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Nov. 16 for Todd's Wellness Studio Center for Complimentary & Alternative Healing. Todd Borron owns the business at 203 N. E. Main St., Suite 4 in Bonne Terre.

TWIN RIVERS ADDS HELICOPTER SERVICES

KENNETT, Mo. -- Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center recently inked a deal to bring a new EMS helicopter to its facility, reported the Daily Dunklin Democrat. CEO Ken James said that through a contract agreement with Survival Flight, the hospital can now use a larger and more efficient EMS helicopter, in addition to a professionally-trained staff of three emergency response personnel members and a pilot. The Survival 2 model began providing service to the area and surrounding regions just before Jan. 1. Because of its larger size, the Survival 2 makes it possible, in most cases, for a family member or friend to accompany the patient in the helicopter. According to James, the staff and pilot who work for Survival Flight are based in the helicopter station behind the hospital. They are independently contracted for services and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

SIKESTON HOSPITAL TO GO TOBACCO-FREE

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Beginning Aug. 1, Missouri Delta Medical Center will be a tobacco-free campus, reported the Sikeston Standard Democrat. Right now, tobacco products are only allowed in a designated area. As of Aug. 1, there will be no smoking on the campus at all, including all properties owned or leased by Missouri Delta and all vehicles on the hospital's parking lots. The policy applies to all forms of smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff, and affects anyone who works on or visits hospital properties.

CARDA ELECTED MHA DISTRICT PRESIDENT

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Greg Carda, president of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, was elected to a one-year term as president of the Missouri Hospital Association's Southeast District Council. His term began Jan. 1, according to a news release from the MHA. As district council president, Carda's responsibilities include presiding over council meetings and guiding discussions on association policies and activities. One of six district council presidents, he will direct input from council members on national, state and regional health care policies to the MHA Board of Trustees. District council presidents also select recipients of MHA's Excellence in Governance awards.

DEXTER HOME HEALTH HONORED

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dexter Home Health was named to the 2011 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. The HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of agencies and further highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, process measure implementation and financial performance. The entire list of 2011 HomeCare Elite agencies is available at www.ocshomecare.com.

JALAL RECEIVES CERTIFICATION

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dr. Reza Jalal of Missouri Southern Healthcare received CMD designation by the board of directors of the American Medical Directors Certification Program. He is now a certified medical director in long-term care. Jalal is also board certified in internal medicine, hospice and palliative medicine; serves as medical director for many of the area's long-term care facilities; and cares for patients at Dexter Internal Medicine Group and Missouri Southern Healthcare.

KEITH JOINS SAINT FRANCIS

Dr. Carmen Keith is a new pain management physician at Saint Francis Medical Center's Pain Management Center. Her clinical interests and expertise include providing comprehensive pain management to increase daily function and quality of life for patients. At Saint Francis, she will focus on generalized and site-specific pain and use new techniques, such as a s smaller needle, to minimize patient discomfort.

ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES HAS NEW NAME

Orthopaedic Associates has changed its name to Advanced Orthopedic Specialists. Dr. R. August Ritter III, orthopedic surgeon at the practice, said the new name reflects the practice's ongoing commitment to subspecialized care. Advanced Orthopedic Specialists offers specialized, individual care at locations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston, Mo., as well as sports medicine care for college and high school athletes in the region.

CURRY JOINS MISSOURI DELTA

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dr. Sarah Curry, a family medicine physician, joined family nurse practitioner Amber Jones at Missouri Delta Primary Care. Their office is inside the Barton-Jolly Physician Services Building on North Main Street in Dexter.

SAINT FRANCIS ADDS ONCOLOGIST

Saint Francis Medical Center recently added Dr. Scott A. Anderson as a new medical partner and oncologist at Cape Medical Oncology. He spent 19 years in internal medicine academia before completing his oncology fellowship. Before joining Saint Francis, Anderson was president of his practicing group, Academic Medicine Inc., actively training internal medicine residents. He also served as assistant professor of internal medicine at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine for 10 years.

SOUTHEAST RANKS AMONG NATION'S BEST

Southeast Hospital ranks among the nation's Best Regional Hospitals for 2011 to 2012, according to U.S. News & World Report. Southeast is the only hospital in Southeast Missouri and one of only nine in the state to receive this national recognition. The magazine has singled out 247 nonmetropolitan hospitals for their high level of medical care. Best Regional Hospitals are high performers in at least one medical specialty; Southeast was recognized for urology care.