Health briefs

__MUND HONORED AT PARKLAND HEALTH__

PARK HILLS, Mo. — Bill Mund was Star Service Team Member for August at Parkland Health Center. He is a housekeeper and has worked at Parkland and one of its predecessors, Mineral Area Regional Medical Center, for a total of 41 years.

__BECKMANN PROMOTED AT PARKLAND__

PARK HILLS, Mo. — Lauren Beckmann accepted the position of chief nursing officer and assistant administrator at Parkland Health Center, effective Aug. 15. She replaces Barbi Berrong, who served in that position for nearly five years, the Park Hills Daily Journal reported. Beckmann has worked for the BJC HealthCare system for 10 years and in several capacities, including human resources director, part of an internal consulting team, and director of patient safety and clinical performance improvement at Parkland. She has more than 25 years of experience in health-care operations, consulting and leadership.

__ERNST NAMED CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR MEDICAL, CRITICAL CARE SERVICES__

Saint Francis Healthcare System appointed Denise Ernst as the clinical director for medical and critical care services at Saint Francis. Her responsibilities include planning and directing the administrative and clinical activities of the intensive care units: medical, progressive care and wound care therapy. This position reports directly to the vice president of patient care. Ernst has been patient care manager for the cardiac intensive care and progressive care at Saint Francis since 2011. She became manager of progressive care earlier this year. Before coming to Saint Francis, she worked in the intensive care unit at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University.

__SUGGS NAMED PATIENT CARE MANAGER OF SURGICAL AND ORTHOPEDICS__

Saint Francis Healthcare System appointed Clayton Suggs as patient care manager of orthopedics and surgical at Saint Francis. He is responsible for the delivery of care, development of policies and procedures, standards of care and protocols in accordance with the Saint Francis policies, procedures, philosophy and objectives. He has worked at Saint Francis since 2008, when he started as a staff nurse on orthopedics. In 2015, he became assistant patient care manager for medical. He obtained an associate of applied science in nursing from Shawnee Community College in 2008 and completed his Bachelor of Science in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2015.

__SOUTHEAST RECOGNIZED FOR CARDIAC CARE__

Southeast Hospital received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR ACTION Registry — Get With The Guidelines Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2016. Southeast is one of 223 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor, according to a news release. The award recognizes Southeast’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and treating patients in accordance with standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, the release stated.

__SAINT FRANCIS ADDS PAIN MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST__

Dr. Robert Bowers joined Saint Francis Healthcare System as a pain management specialist at the Pain Management Center. Bowers earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed an anesthesiology residency and a pain management fellowship at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. His primary clinical interests include chronic pain and interventional procedures, including low back and neck pain and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

__PODIATRY CLINIC OPENS IN KENNETT__

KENNETT, Mo. — Dr. William Steely opened a podiatry clinic at 900 State Highway VV in Kennett. The clinic provides routine nail care, diabetic foot care, treatment of corns, warts and ingrown nails, and surgery of the foot.

__MISSOURI DELTA HOME HEALTH HONORED__

SIKESTON, Mo. — The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Five-Star Quality Rating System recently recognized Missouri Delta Home Health with a four-star rating in quality and a four-star rating in patient satisfaction, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. The ratings were released by CMS in July. The system ranks home health providers based on timeliness, drug education, flu immunization, ambulation, bed transferring, bathing, pain interference, breathing improvements and acute care hospitalization. Missouri Delta Home Health is part of LHC Group Inc., a national provider of post-acute care services operating more than 350 locations in 25 states. About 15 employees work at the Sikeston location, where they offer nurses, occupational therapy and other skilled care. Sophia Buchanan is director of nursing at the local facility.

__ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITY BEING BUILT IN JACKSON__

Villas of Jackson, a 58-bed assisted-living facility, is under construction at 670 Broadridge in Jackson. Janice Unger, spokeswoman and consultant for Villas of Jackson, said the facility will be the only one of its kind in Jackson, as there is not currently an assisted-living facility in the community. The building will have a large therapy room, Unger said, with third-party therapists providing care. A registered nurse will be on staff five days a week, and a staff dietitian will oversee menus. The facility also will offer short-term rehabilitation services. The facility, designed by Kansas-based architects Jeff Kazmaier and Associates, is phase one of the Villas of Jackson empire. To follow will be a collection of duplexes that will offer a call system to the nursing home, one meal a day and activities for the residents. The first phase of Villas of Jackson is expected to be completed in January. Applications for residency and employment will be announced later this year. Many key staff members already are in place, Unger said, but more will be needed before the facility opens.