Saint Francis notes fund-raising efforts, achievements

More than 950 Saint Francis Medical Center employees, administrators and guests came to the Show Me Center to review the past year at the center's annual dinner meeting Tuesday evening. Highlighting the festivities was a special recognition of Bob Basler.

Basler is the chairman of the center's Little Reasons campaign to expand the care and equipment needed for critically ill newborns. Since the campaign started three years ago, Basler has helped raise $2 million for the expansion of the Saint Francis Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, exceeding the initial goal of $1.8 million. To commemorate his achievements, Basler was presented with a framed copy of the center's Weekly Health Page that features the Little Reasons campaign.

In addition to recognizing Little Reasons, chairman John A. Layton of the Saint Francis Foundation Board also told the gathering that overall, the center received a record amount in annual giving. This includes $120,000 generated by the Saint Francis Auxiliary and a $1 million gift from the estate of James I. Bowman, who served as Saint Francis Foundation president from 1987 to 1990. A significant portion of that gift has been used to establish the James I. Bowman Endowment for the Level III NICU.

The night was capped off by a speech from Saint Francis president and CEO Steve Bjelich. In his speech, Bjelich listed the many accomplishments the center has made over the past year. These included achieving its highest ever patient satisfaction rating, being ranked "Best in Southern Missouri Region" for stroke treatment by health-care outcome measurement firm HealthGrades, the Gene E. Huckstep Emergency Center receiving designation as the only Level III Trauma Center in Southeast Missouri and recent completion of the center's most successful United Way campaign to date, in which nearly 1,000 employees pledged a total of $131,497.

Bjelich also heralded the opening of Saint Francis' Health and Wellness Center as a confirmation of their commitment to the advancement of health and wellness in the community.

trehagen@semissourian.com

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