ST. FRANCIS RECEIVS $75,000 IN DONATIONS

St. Francis Medical Center Auxiliary and Friends of St. Francis have made annual donations totaling $75,000 to the medical center, it was announced Tuesday night at the center's annual banquet at the Show Me Center.

Nearly 700 people attended the dinner and program, which was used to introduce the physicians and staff of The Heart Institute at St. Francis.

St. Francis President John J. Keusenkothen said of the institute: "This service complements and completes the many other comprehensive heart services that we have had in place since the early '80s, and allows much greater utilization of our cardiodiagnostic services, surgical services and critical-care facilities."

Keusenkothen spoke of the development of the institute at St. Francis and its connection with Dr. V. Glenn Crosby of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association in Memphis, Tenn.

He said: "When our board of directors began the final stage of planning for an open-heart program, it was determined that it should be affiliated with a premier open-heart program that was already recognized by many people in this community. The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association of Memphis came to mind."

He said Crosby and his surgical group were instrumental in developing the protocols now in place at St. Francis. Crosby also worked with the medical center to bring to Cape Girardeau cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Louis Ostrow, director of the institute, and his wife, vascular surgeon, Dr. Bridget Ostrow, director of the St. Francis Peripheral Vascular Laboratory.

"I feel we are extremely fortunate in having these two excellent physicians heading The Heart Institute," he said of the Ostrows.

Some of the equipment used by the institute has been funded by this year's donation from the Friends of St. Francis.