Hospital association meets for annual dinner

More than 800 Southeast Missouri Hospital Association members and guests came to the Show Me Center to review the past year at the association's annual dinner meeting Thursday evening.

Highlighting the festivities was the presentation of four special service awards to thank those who have helped advance the quality of health services for the community. The Zimmer Radio Group and Ford Groves were two local companies receiving the honor. Also acknowledged were Dr. Joseph Tygett, who delivered more than 9,000 babies before retiring earlier this year, and auxilian Margaret Roberts, who was posthumously honored.

Also on the awards slate were recipients of the O.D. Niswonger Spirit of Southeast Award, given to Southeast employees: Debbie Bowers, Joy Frey, Hope Botwinski, Carolyn Whitmore, Colleen Jones, Jackie Nielson and Julie Schott.

In addition to the award winners, newly elected members of the hospital's board of trustees were introduced. Michael Bennett, Robert Erlbacher III, Walter Joe Ford, John Grimm, David Hahs, Christopher Hutson, Benjamin Lewis, James Limbaugh, Paul Sander and John M. Thompson will join the board.

A special guest to the dinner was Max Burgdorf, medical director of Glennon Care Pediatric Associates. He spoke briefly about the new partnership between Southeast and SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis and its benefits for children in the region.

The evening was topped off with a video administrative report from hospital president and CEO James Wente. In the video presentation, Wente discussed advances in technology and facilities that Southeast has made over the past year.