YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
by Ann Bucy
SBJ Contributing Writer
This fall and winter, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring forums about a variety of health care topics.
There are two forums coming up in September. The Sept. 15 program is "Avoiding Managed Care Pitfalls." The Sept. 18 program, cosponsored by the chamber and Lakeland Hospital, is titled "Aggression in Children and Adolescents."
In October is the Salute to Health Care. This is the 14th year for this celebration, which honors health care professionals for their service to the medical field and their work in the community.
Every year honorees nominated by their peers are given the Salute to Health Care Award.
A panel discussion called "Hey Boss: What About My Stress?!" is planned for Nov. 10. The discussion, focusing on stress management, will be led by Dr. Jim Davis a professor at Southwest Missouri State University in the industrial psychology department.
Panelists include Dr. Paul Thomlinson, from Burrell Behavioral Health; Dr. Kathy Farmer, from The Headache Clinic; and Perry Epperly, the human resources director at Springfield ReManufacturing Company. It all takes place at 7:30 a.m. in the Fountain Room at Cox North Hospital.
Toward the end of the year, Scott Mars, a lobbyist for the city of Springfield, will give his perspective in a Dec. 8 program, "A Roadmap to the Future: A Lobbyist's Perspective." The discussion will take place at 7:30 a.m. in the Bill Foster Room at Cox Medical Center South.
"The chamber has had a health care committee for years, " said Brad Bodenhausen, the chamber's senior vice president of public affairs, in recognition of the industry's role in the local economy and the community.
"Our focus is to serve as a forum for businesspeople, health care providers and insurance representatives to help them be able to discuss their ideas," said Steve Pope, chairman of the executive committee, an offshoot of the larger health care committee.
"The chamber's focus is on businesses," he said. "But with the health committee, health care providers and those using their services can talk about providing high quality services at reasonable costs."
Pope, vice president of human
resources for O'Reilly Automotive, has been chairman of the executive committee for two years.
The executive committee includes representatives from the two major hospitals, a hospice organization, local insurance representatives, long-term care providers and the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, among others, Pope said.
Even though the health care committee, all 120 members of it, only meets once a year, there are subcommittees that get together much more often.
Subcommittees are comprised of people who discuss relevant topics including educational issues, legislative issues, business issues and planning for the Salute to Health Care.
For details on times, locations and costs for chamber programs, contact the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce at 862-5567.
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