Annual Health Care Champions selected

Springfield Business Journal and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will recognize health care professionals in October at the fourth annual joint Salute to Health Care event.

Selected by a committee, the chamber will honor two physicians with its Salute to Health Care award; SBJ will recognize individual Health Care Champions chosen by an independent panel of judges in four categories: dietician/nutritionist, radiology technician, speech therapist and health care volunteer.

The Salute to Health Care award recipients are Mercy Clinic eye specialist Dr. Shachar Tauber and Mercy Clinic OB-GYN Dr. Darren Lehnert.

In alphabetical order and by category, the Health Care Champion honorees are:

• Dietician/nutritionist: Julie Randolph, Springfield-Greene County Health Department; Connie Rizzo, Mercy Hospital Springfield; and Donna Webb, CoxHealth.
• Radiology technician: Kerry Gallentine, Mercy Hospital Springfield; and Kylie Puckett, CoxHealth
• Speech therapist: Amy Clift, Mercy Clinic – Ear, Nose and Throat; Linda Terry, CoxHealth; and Melody Kessinger, Springfield Public Schools
• Volunteers: Betty Ann Harris, a homemaker and volunteer at CoxHealth; Sandra Owens, a retiree who volunteers at Omega Health Care of Southwest Missouri Inc.; and Stacy Twesten, of Convey Studios, who volunteers at CoxHealth.

The 13 honorees will be celebrated at the Salute to Health Care banquet at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave. Tickets are $40 apiece and can be purchased at SBJ.net/healthcare.