Health briefs

__SAUPE EARNS PROFESSIONAL IN HEALTHCARE CERTIFICATION__

Laura Saupe, medical quality analyst at SoutheastHEALTH, received Professional in Healthcare Quality certification. The certification, issued by the National Association for Healthcare Quality, signifies professional and academic achievement by individuals in the field of health care quality management. To attain the certification, individuals must have substantial knowledge in quality management, quality improvement, case/care/disease/utilization management and risk management at all employment levels and in all health care settings.

__IVY, MURRAH HONORED AT BOOTHEEL COUNSELING__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Tiny Ivy of Jackson was February employee of the month at Bootheel Counseling Services & Family Medical Clinic. She has been with the agency for almost five years. Rebecca Murrah was March employee of the month. She has been with the agency since 2010.

__VNA-TIP HEALTHCARE ACQUIRED BY CELTIC HEALTHCARE__

St. Louis -- Celtic Healthcare announced the acquisition of VNA-TIP Healthcare, based in St. Louis and serving more than 50 counties in Missouri and Southern Illinois. The acquisition expands Celtic's home health and service areas from Pennsylvania and Missouri to the Midwest and strengthens VNA-TIP's existing services, adding a number of key features and services including complex care management, telehealth and Journey specialty palliative care services.

__PEDIATRICIAN JOINS SAINT FRANCIS MEDICAL PARTNERS__

Dr. Jean Diemer is a new medical partner and pediatrician at Cape Physician Associates of Saint Francis Medical Center. Diemer, who has more than 20 years of experience, joins 11 other physicians at the established practice in Cape Girardeau. She is board certified in pediatrics and has a special interest in newborns, preventive care for children and adolescents, and childhood obesity. Her husband is Dr. Thomas S. Diemer, director of medical affairs at Saint Francis.

__DUNCAN GETS MARCH HONOR FROM LEET EYECARE__

Lindley Duncan was named the March Leet EyeCare Above and Beyond Award recipient. She is a clinical technician at the 3230 Blattner Drive location in Cape Girardeau.

__MCDANIEL JOINS SAINT FRANCIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM__

Karen McDaniel now is physician and business liaison of Saint Francis Medical Center's business development team. She will work with companies in the Poplar Bluff, Mo., area, educating them on the medical services the hospital offers. McDaniel has experience working in Poplar Bluff's health care field, from clinical support in respiratory therapy, home health and osteoporosis treatment to patient advocacy and physician administrative roles.

__SIKESTON PHYSICIAN RECEIVES AWARD__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Dr. Steven Douglas II, a family practitioner at Ferguson Medical Group in Sikeston, was selected by the University of Missouri Curriculum Board as the recipient of this year's Outstanding Community Faculty Preceptor Award. He has served as a community preceptor for about 12 years with a program in which University of Missouri Medical School students can choose to do rotations in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics in a rural setting.

__WOMEN FIRST PARTNERS WITH SOUTHEAST__

Women First, an established obstetrics and gynecology practice in Cape Girardeau, partnered with Southeast Medical Group of SoutheastHEALTH, effective April 1. Joining the Southeast Medical Group from Women First are Dr. Eric Morton, Dr. Chris Rosenquist, Dr. Heather Cugini and family nurse practitioner Marianne Cook. Women First of SoutheastHEALTH will remain in its current location at 1111 N. Mount Auburn Road. The new affiliation brings the number of obstetrics/gynecology specialists in the Southeast Medical Group to six.

__SURGEON JOINS SAINT FRANCIS TRAUMA TEAM__

Saint Francis Medical Center added Dr. Richard H. Roettger as a medical partner and trauma surgeon at Cape Trauma Specialists. Roettger, who is board certified in general surgery, joins trauma surgeon Dr. Michael P. Heid at the Emergency and Trauma Center. Roettger's experience includes serving as chief of trauma/emergency surgery service at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center; medical director of the surgical intensive care and burn units at University of Louisville Hospital; and administrative chief of general surgery at Greenville Memorial Hospital, Greenville, S.C.

__SERENITY WELCOMES NEW BUSINESS MANAGER__

Julie Kruppe is the new business manager at Serenity HospiceCare. She replaces Sandy Lauser, who retired in May. Kruppe has more than 10 years of experience working with fiscal statements at Fidelity Residential Solutions and Nai Desco. She recently completed her Master's Level Certificate in Nonprofit Organization management from Washington University.

__SOUTHEAST OPENS ONCOLOGY OUTREACH IN DEXTER__

DEXTER, Mo. -- SoutheastHEALTH and the Southeast Cancer Center established an oncology outreach clinic in Dexter, according to a news release from Southeast. Dr. Andrew Moore, who is affiliated with Southeast Hematology/Oncology in Cape Girardeau, began seeing patients every Thursday as of May 1. The clinic is in Doctors' Park, Suite 6, 1300 N. One Mile Road in Dexter.

__GOODSEY BOARD CERTIFIED IN INFECTION PREVENTION, CONTROL__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Katie Godsey, director of infection prevention at Perry County Memorial Hospital, now is board certified in infection prevention and control. She earned the Certified in Infection Control credential after passing a comprehensive examination that demonstrated a mastery of infection prevention and control knowledge.

__TWO KEY OFFICERS LEAVE SOUTHEAST HEALTH__

In a news release, SoutheastHEALTH announced Hugh King, vice president and chief financial officer for the past four years, and Dr. Dennis Means, vice president and chief medical officer, both were leaving. Bruce Fairbanks, who served as CFO for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, came on as the hospital's new CFO on April 28. The hospital will replace Means internally, with Matt Shoemaker, vice president of physician services, taking on the responsibilities as chief medical officer and the administrative responsibilities for a number of hospital-based physician practices. Sly Moore, vice president and chief operating officer at Southeast Hospital, will assume administrative responsibility for emergency physicians and quality management; and Judy Aslin, chief nursing officer at Southeast Hospital, will assume administrative responsibility for psychiatry services.

__BJELICH RECOGNIZED WITH NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD__

Becker's Hospital Review named Steven C. Bjelich, president and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare System, a recipient of the 2014 Leadership Awards. The awards recognize leaders nationwide who demonstrate an commitment to better their organizations and solve health care's broader challenges. Recipients were recognized at the Becker's Hospital Review Annual Meeting May 15 to 17 in Chicago.

__GIBSON RECOVERY AWARDED CARF ACCREDITATION__

CARF International announced that Gibson Recovery Center Inc., based in Cape Girardeau, was accredited for three years for its integrated alcohol and other drug and mental health residential and outpatient treatment, detoxification, community housing and case management/service coordination programs. The accreditation is the third consecutive three-year accreditation that CARF has awarded to Gibson Recovery Center. The accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization's substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving three-year accreditation has completed a rigorous peer review process.

__SOUTHEAST AUXILIARY TO HELP FUND NICU RENOVATION__

SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary pledged $50,000 to help fund a major renovation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Southeast Hospital, including installation of the NICVIEW webcam system, according to a news release from Southeast. The eight-bed renovation will consist of single family stations, creating private areas for families to bond with their babies. The newborn nursery and family waiting area also are being renovated as part of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in late June. The webcam system will provide a secure video link for parents, siblings and grandparents to keep an eye on their infants in the NICU. As part of its pledge, the auxiliary has already donated $30,000 to the project through the group's fundraising efforts and contributions of individual auxiliary members. In November, a new auxiliary fundraising event, The Festival of Trees, will help complete funding for the project.

__BUTLER COUNTY AMBULANCE OPENS SECOND LOCATION__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to officially open a second location of Butler County EMS Ambulance Service at 843 W. Pine St.