Health briefs

FLOYD JOINS SAINT FRANCIS

Dr. Justin D. Floyd joined Cape Medical Oncology at Saint Francis Medical Center. He is a skilled oncology and hematology specialist who is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine. He also serves as an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

AMERICARE BREAKS GROUND IN SIKESTON

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Americare broke ground on a new independent and assisted living community, La Bonne Maison, at the corner of Plaza Drive and Salcedo, just east of Missouri Delta Medical Center, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. Once open, Americare also plans to convert Westridge Place to an Arbors memory care assisted living community. Both the new assisted living center and Arbors conversion will be complete by fall 2013.

P.B., KENNETT HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED BY JOINT COMMISSION

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 for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and children's asthma. This is the second year in a row that the hospital is being recognized as a top performer. Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Mo., another Health Management Associates hospital, also earned the distinction.

Brian Norman

NORMAN OPENS EYECARE OFFICE IN CAPE

Dr. Brian Norman opened Norman Professional Eyecare at 21 Doctors' Park, Suite B in Cape Girardeau. Norman provides optometric care, including detecting and treating sight-threatening diseases, eye exams and corrective lenses. Norman previously worked for Sears Optical for 13 years.

SIKESTON DOCTOR ATTAINS RECERTIFICATION

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Dr. Muhannad Al-Kilani was recertified as a certified clinical densitometrist by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Al-Kilani practices at Missouri Delta Medical Center's Diabetes and Endocrine Center.

DR. WILLIAMS HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

Dr. Stan Williams held a ribbon cutting Oct. 11 for his office at 2502 William St. in Cape Girardeau.

TWIN RIVERS HONORS EMPLOYEES

KENNETT, Mo. -- Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center announced its August employees of the month. The award is presented to a nurse, support associate and clinical associate each month. Nominations are received from peers and chosen by the administrative team. Those honored were Autumn Goodman, registered nurse in the surgery department, Nurse of the Month and also for the third quarter; Charolette Clayton, certified nurse's aid on the rehabilitation floor, Clinical Non-Nurse of the Month; and Cindy McKuin, payroll clerk, Support Associate of the Month. Additionally, Shane Wilson, nursing administrative assistant, was Associate of the Quarter, and Geraldine Looney, risk management, was Manager of the Quarter.

Jeff Long

LONG JOINS CHATEAU GIRARDEAU

Chateau Girardeau added Jeff Long as assistant director of marketing and administrator for the Chateau Girardeau Foundation. Long recently retired as pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

SHEPPARD GETS CERTIFICATION

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Tracy Sheppard, medical director of health information management at Black River Medical Center, received the nationally recognized designation of certified provider credentialing specialist awarded by the Certification Commission of the National Association Medical Staff Services.

SOUTHEAST HONORED FOR STROKE SERVICES

Southeast Hospital, nationally certified as a primary stroke center, received the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The award recognizes Southeast's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines. The Get With the Guidelines program provides hospitals with a web-based patient management tool, best practice discharge protocols and standing orders, along with a robust registry and real-time benchmarking capabilities to track performance.

SOUTHEAST GETS SODEXO HONOR

SoutheastHEALTH received a Certificate of Achievement from Sodexo, a leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services, in recognition of the successful implementation of "Fresh Inspirations" dining improvements at Southeast Hospital's Shining Star Cafe.

PULMONOLOGIST JOINS P.B. CLINIC

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Dr. Anand Gottumukkala joined the medical staff at Poplar Bluff Pulmonology and Sleep. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in pulmonary disease and sleep medicine.

LEWIS NAMED EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Daniel Lewis of Marble Hill was employee of the month for October at Woodland Hills. He has been a certified nurse's assistant at the center for more than a year.

SAINT FRANCIS ADDS GENETIC COUNSELING PROGRAM

Saint Francis Medical Center launched a genetic counseling program, the first in the region. The program focuses primarily on genetics and cancer and will be led by Melanie Baxter, a board certified genetic counselor. Genetic counseling enhances clinical practice by providing specialized patient education, care and support. Genetic counselors partner with physicians to identify individuals and families with a high risk of developing cancer, promote early detection through appropriate screening, explain complex genetic information, coordinate genetic testing and guide patients through the decision-making process.

MEDICAL CENTER HOLDS GRAND OPENING

BLOOMSDALE, Mo. -- A grand opening was held Oct. 28 at Bloomsdale Medical Centre, the Ste. Genevieve Herald reported. The family health care clinic, an expansion of Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, began seeing patients Nov. 5. The 20,000-square-foot building is just off Interstate 55 in Bloomsdale, Mo. The family health care clinic, relocated from Highway 61, has six exam rooms, lab draw and X-ray services. The women's health center will include five examination rooms, digital mammography, ultrasound, bone density, stereotactic breast biopsy, private consultation rooms and massage services as well as meeting and education rooms. That part of the facility is slated for a Dec. 3 opening. The building will include a pharmacy at a later date.

PULLOUT OR SIDEBAR

SAINT FRANCIS HEALTHGRADES HONORS ANNOUNCED

Orthopedic Services at Saint Francis Medical Center is in the top 5 percent in the nation and was named one of "America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery," according to a new report from Healthgrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital.

The report, American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, evaluates the performance of approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide on risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for nearly 30 of the most common conditions treated and procedures performed from 2009 through 2011.

For its 2013 hospital quality outcomes analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 40 million Medicare hospitalization records for services performed at short-term, acute care hospitals nationwide. Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving 5 stars had, on average, 75 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals receiving 1 star (across 18 common procedures and diagnoses, such as heart bypass surgery, stroke and pneumonia). Healthgrades also found that 235,378 lives could have been saved during 2009-2011 if all hospitals performed at a 5-star level.

Healthgrades' ratings for Saint Francis are:

* America's Best 100 Hospitals

* One of Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery for 2 Years in a Row (2012-2013)

__Cardiac__

* Ranked No. 5 in Missouri for Overall Cardiac Services in 2013

* Ranked No. 4 in Missouri for Cardiology Services in 2013

* Ranked No. 5 in Missouri for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 10 in Missouri for Overall Cardiac Services for two years in a row (2012 and 2013) (Ranked fifth in 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 5 in Missouri for Cardiology Services in 2013 (Ranked fourth in 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 5 in Missouri for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2013 (Ranked fifth in 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Bypass Surgery for three years in a row (2011 to 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Interventional Procedures in 2013

* Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure in 2013

__Orthopedic__

* Recipient of the Healthgrades Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award for four years in a row (2010 to 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 5 percent in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services for two years in a row (2012 to 2013)

* Ranked No. 2 in Missouri for Overall Orthopedic Services in 2013

* Ranked No. 7 in Missouri for Joint Replacement in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 10 in Missouri for Overall Orthopedic Services for five years in a row (2009 to 2013) (Ranked second in 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 10 in Missouri for Joint Replacement for four years in a row (2010 to 2013) (Ranked seventh in 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 10 in Missouri for Spine Surgery for two years in a row (2012 and 2013) (Ranked fifth in 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Overall Orthopedic Services for four years in a row (2010 to 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Joint Replacement for four years in a row (2010 to 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Spine Surgery for two years in a row (2012 and 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for four years in a row (2010 to 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for four years in a row (2010 to 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Back and Neck Surgery (Spinal Fusion) for two years in a row (2012 and 2013)

__Neurosciences__

* Recipient of the Healthgrades Neurosurgery Excellence Award in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 10 percent in the Nation for Neurosurgery in 2013

* Ranked No. 5 in Missouri for Spine Surgery in 2013

* Ranked No. 5 in Missouri for Neurosciences in 2013

* Ranked No. 2 in Missouri for Neurosurgery in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 5 in Missouri for Neurosciences in 2013 (Ranked fifth in 2013)

* Ranked Among the Top 5 in Missouri for Neurosurgery in 2013 (Ranked second in 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Neurosurgery in 2013

* Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Stroke in 2013

__Vascular__

* Recipient of the Healthgrades Vascular Surgery Excellence Award in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 10 percent in the Nation for Vascular Surgery in 2013

* Ranked No. 3 in Missouri for Vascular Surgery in 2013

* Ranked Among the Top 5 in Missouri for Vascular Surgery in 2013 (Ranked third in 2013)

* Five-Star Recipient for Vascular Surgery in 2013

* Five-Star Recipient for Carotid Surgery in 2013

* Five-Star Recipient for Peripheral Vascular Bypass in 2013

__Critical Care__

* Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure in 2013

Healthgrades independently measures hospitals based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being measured, and no hospital pays to be measured. Healthgrades risk adjusts for patient demographic characteristics and clinical risk factors, thereby taking into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital.

SOUTHEAST NETS HEALTHGRADE HONORS

Southeast Hospital ranks among the top 5 percent of the nation's hospitals and second in the state of Missouri in vascular care, according to Healthgrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make informed decisions about health care providers and hospitals. Southeast recently received the Healthgrades Vascular Surgery Excellence Award for 2013. The hospital ranks among the top five in Missouri for vascular surgery for the third year in a row. It is Five-Star-rated for carotid surgery for the fifth consecutive year, and vascular surgery and peripheral vascular bypass surgery for 2013. The hospital also is Five-Star-rated for treatment of stroke for 2013 for the fifth year in a row.

The recognitions for vascular care and stroke are just the latest in a long line of national awards that Southeast Hospital has received from Healthgrades. Nationwide, Southeast Hospital ranks among the top 5 percent of hospitals for patient care in 2012, according to Healthgrades. Southeast has earned the 2012 Outstanding Patient Experience Award and the 2012 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Southeast has earned the Outstanding Patient Experience Award.

The hospital has received the Patient Safety Excellence Award three of the last four years. This award ranks Southeast among the best-performing hospitals nationwide -- one of only 263 -- in terms of patient safety. Southeast is one of only two hospitals in Missouri to receive both the Patient Safety and the Outstanding Patient Experience awards this year.

Healthgrades announced its ratings earlier this month in its report, American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation. The report evaluates how approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide performed on risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for nearly 30 of the most common conditions treated and procedures performed from 2009 through 2011.

Healthgrades found that patients have a 75 percent lower risk of dying when treated at a Five-Star-rated hospital compared to a One-Star-rated facility, based on risk-adjusted mortality rates across 18 common procedures and diagnoses, such as heart bypass surgery, stroke and pneumonia. Healthgrades also found that 235,378 lives could have been saved during 2009-2011 if all hospitals performed at a Five-Star level.

For its 2013 hospital quality outcomes analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 40 million Medicare hospitalization records for services performed at short-term, acute care hospitals nationwide.

More information on the American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality.