Health briefs

SEYER RECEIVES LEET EYECARE AWARD

Kelsey Seyer received the Leet EyeCare Above and Beyond Award for October. She is a clinical technician at the 3230 Blattner Drive location in Cape Girardeau. She was nominated for the award by her peers.

VNA MOVES POPLAR BLUFF OFFICE

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Nov. 6 for the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Missouri Inc.'s new location at 1907 N. Westwood Blvd. The VNA is a private, not-for-profit home health service provider licensed by the state of Missouri and certified by Medicare and Medicaid.

HIGGINBOTHAM DENTAL COMPLETES RENOVATIONS

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Nov. 6 for Higginbotham Family Dental, which has renovated its office at 703 First St. in Kennett.

BIRK EARNS DENTAL HYGIENIST LICENSE

Dr. John L. Sauer, DDS, and staff welcomed Logan Birk as a full-time registered dental hygienist. Birk recently attended Missouri Southern State University, where she studied and obtained her registered dental hygienist diploma. She then received her license from the State of Missouri Dental Board after vigorous studies to meet and pass the board's state-required finals. Before attending Missouri Southern, she worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Sauer while attending Southeast Missouri State University to obtain the pre-requirements for Missouri Southern's dental-hygiene program.

COUNSELING CENTER ACHIEVES THREE-YEAR ACCREDITATION

The Community Counseling Center of Cape Girardeau achieved the highest level three-year accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Services International, according to a news release. This is the fourth consecutive three-year accreditation the counseling center has been awarded. The center underwent a three day, on-site, peer-review process, the result of which verified the CCC's programs and services are "of the highest quality, measurable and accountable," the release said. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International, founded in 1966, establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.

BERT CERTIFIED FOR WHIPLASH CARE

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dr. Armon Bert of Perryville Chiropractic Center recently became certified in whiplash and brain injury traumatology through the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, a research center devoted to the investigation of motor vehicle crash injury. As part of the intensive 48-hour training program, Bert became familiar with the epidemiology of whiplash and brain injuries, the mechanical factors of motor vehicle crashes and the wide range of physical injuries and clinical conditions that can occur. The program also included an intense discussion of forensic risk analysis, which considers how the various known risk factors can increase a person's chance for injury or long-term symptoms.

SOUTHEAST HEALTH TOBACCO-FREE IN DEXTER

DEXTER, Mo. -- Effective Nov. 4, SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County in Dexter became tobacco-free, inside and outside. The policy prohibits the use of all tobacco products within all SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County-owned or leased buildings, as well as all hospital-owned or leased grounds and parking lots.

PERRY COUNTY HOSPITAL NAMED TOP PERFORMER

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perry County Memorial Hospital was named top performer on key quality measures by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, according to a news release. The hospital was recognized for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, pneumonia, surgery, children's asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism and inpatient psychiatric services, the release said. Perry County Memorial Hospital is one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. to earn the distinction of top performer for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance, according to the release.

LYDEN BEGINS DUTIES AS TWIN RIVERS CEO

KENNETT, Mo. -- Matt Lyden began his duties as CEO at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center on Nov. 11, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported. Lyden came to Kennett from Madill, Okla., where he worked as CEO of Marshall County Medical Center since June 2012.

BJELICH NAMED TO NATIONAL HOSPITAL BOARD

The Missouri Hospital Association Board of Trustees appointed Steven C. Bjelich, president and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare System, as state alternate delegate to the American Hospital Association Region 6 Policy Board. His three-year term will begin Jan. 1. The nine Regional Policy Boards provide input on public policy issues considered by the AHA's Board of Trustees, serve as ad hoc policy development committees when appropriate, and identify needs unique to a region and assist in developing programs to meet those needs. Representatives meet three times a year to foster communication between the AHA, its members and state hospital associations. As the alternate on the Regional Policy Board, Bjelich will also retain his seat on the MHA Board of Directors. He will complete a third term on that board Dec. 31.

SEMO HEALTH NETWORK ACHIEVES BRONZE STANDARD

BENTON, Mo. -- SEMO Health Network was honored by the Missouri Primary Care Association's Center for Health Care Quality for providing outstanding, high-quality health care, according to a news release. The organization was one of several Missouri Community Health Centers honored at MPCA's annual Clinical and Quality Conference held in Branson, Mo., in October. Award winners had to reach or exceed a standardized national goal percentage set by the MPCA medical director network on one of three levels: Bronze (achieving four of eight measures), Silver (five of eight measures), and Gold (six of eight measures). Clinical measures for 2012 encompassed diabetes control, hypertension control, cervical cancer screening, weight assessment and counseling for children and adolescents, adult weight screening and followup, tobacco use assessment and tobacco cessation intervention. SEMO Health Network was awarded for achieving a bronze standard.

NEW WIC OFFICE OPENS IN MALDEN

MALDEN, Mo. -- The Malden Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the new location of Malden's WIC facilities at 1108 N. Douglass St.