Health care news in brief

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MHA announces scholarships|ret||ret||tab|

The Missouri Hospital Association is offering 83 two-year scholarships in 2004. According to an MHA news release, the scholarships, worth a total of $500,000, are available to students who are pursuing careers in nursing and the allied health professions. |ret||ret||tab|

Students who are studying for associate's and bachelor's degrees in nursing are eligible, as well as students in pharmacy, medical technology, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy and clinical laboratory science. |ret||ret||tab|

"Hospitals are facing shortages of qualified health care professionals. These shortages are projected to reach critical levels during the next 20 years," said Marc Smith, MHA president, in the release. |ret||ret||tab|

"MHA's scholarship program is a significant, proactive step we can take to help Missouri hospitals continue to provide quality care."|ret||ret||tab|

The scholarship program is administered by the MHA Center for Education, which has awarded 174 two-year scholarships worth a maximum of $6,000 per student, since 2002. |ret||ret||tab|

The scholarships are limited to students who are within two years of completing their professional education. One year of work repayment in an MHA-member hospital in one of six geographic regions of the state is required in return for each year of tuition support. |ret||ret||tab|

"Hospitals are facing an aging baby boomer population that increasingly will place more demands on the heath care system, an aging work force and a reduced pool of young people entering the work force," Smith said. |ret||ret||tab|

"It will require all of us working together, as we've done with the MHA scholarship program, to address these critical issues." |ret||ret||tab|

Scholarship applications, which are available online at www.mhanet.com, must be received by 4 p.m. May 27 in the MHA office.|ret||ret||tab|

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St. John's opens eye clinic in Lebanon|ret||ret||tab|

St. John's Clinic-Eye Specialists has opened a fourth location in the Lebanon Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Building at 331 Hospital Drive in Lebanon. According to a St. John's news release, the clinic offers ophthalmology and optometry services, and it also has an optical shop. Cylinda Butler, OD, provides optometric services and Dr. James Gessler provides ophthalmology services at the new clinic. |ret||ret||tab|

"Dr. Gessler has provided eye care services one day a week out of an independent optometry office in Lebanon for several years," said Administrator Eric Fuhr, in the release.|ret||ret||tab|

"Due, in part, to our managed care contracts, there has been increased demand for eye care services along the northeast I-44 corridor, and this allows us an opportunity to better serve the patients, employers and physicians in that particular region."|ret||ret||tab|

Gessler offers his services at the new clinic on Wednesdays. The optical shop is open Monday through Friday.|ret||ret||tab|

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Missourians want to quit smoking, survey says|ret||ret||tab|

A recently survey by Missouri health officials has uncovered reasons why Missourians have a hard time giving up smoking. |ret||ret||tab|

The survey "Missouri County-level Study, 2003" is the largest special survey undertaken by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. It was conducted by the state's Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Section. Surveyors interviewed 15,000 Missourians and found, among other things, that: |ret||ret||tab|

more than 90 percent of those surveyed believe smoking is physically addictive, but 8.4 percent of current and former smokers used over-the-counter cessation aids such as nicotine patches, gum or prescription medication the last time they tried to quit;|ret||ret||tab|

49.5 percent of Missouri smokers had tried to quit in the past, with 61.6 percent wanting to quit in the next several months; and|ret||ret||tab|

many of those surveyed indicated that they know that smoking causes many life-threatening conditions including heart attacks and strokes.|ret||ret||tab|

"We know tobacco is highly addictive, which is a big reason it is so hard to quit smoking," said Janet Wilson, manager of the department's Tobacco Prevention Program, said in a news release. "But some of the numbers from this new survey indicate that Missourians aren't taking advantage of help that is available to them if they really want to stop smoking."|ret||ret||tab|

She added that the department wants to let Missourians know that there is help readily available to them, including personalized telephone assistance available from the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237. |ret||ret||tab|

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Cancer Research for Ozarks gets $3.5 million grant|ret||ret||tab|

The National Cancer Institute has awarded Cancer Research for the Ozarks a joint program of St. John's Health System and CoxHealth a $3.5 million grant to continue its research toward the prevention and cure of cancer.|ret||ret||tab|

According to a CRO news release, St. John's and Cox have operated the research program together since 1987, allowing cancer physicians and the specialized CRO staff to make the latest clinical cancer research trials available to local patients. Together with affiliate research teams in Joplin, Rolla and West Plains, CRO serves Ozarks patients from 37 counties. |ret||ret||tab|

Evangel students offer health services in Belize|ret||ret||tab|

Nine pre-med students from Evangel University traveled to Belize on May 8-16 to participate in Evangel University's third annual medical missions trip. |ret||ret||tab|

The team offered medical, optical and dental services. Team members also worked with Assemblies of God missionaries Don and Janice Scheske to offer spiritual counseling. The trip is cosponsored by Evangel University's science and technology department and HealthCare Ministries of the Assemblies of God. |ret||ret||tab|

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Ground-breaking held for Ferrell-Duncan building|ret||ret||tab|

Ferrell-Duncan Clinic officials held a ground-breaking ceremony April 29 for the clinic's orthopedic/specialty building at 3555 S. National Ave. Physician members of Ferrell-Duncan Building Company II are owners of the five-story, 110,000-square-foot building. The general contractor for the project is Walton Construction, and the mechanical contractor is SECO. The architect is Sam A. Winn & Associates PC. The Signature Bank is lender for the approximately $11 million project. The new structure will enable relocation and expansion of Ferrell-Duncan's orthopedic, rheumatology and plastic-surgery departments. Southwest Physical Medicine will relocate its practice to the new location, which has an estimated completion date of June 2005. |ret||ret||tab|

The building includes a full-service imaging department and phlebotomy services. Patients will have direct access to The Meyer Wellness Center's rehabilitation center and to Cox Walnut Lawn. |ret||ret||tab|

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Memory' exhibit to open at Discovery Center|ret||ret||tab|

Discovery Center of Springfield will present "Memory," as it stops in Springfield May 21-Aug. 8 on tour from The Exploratorium. |ret||ret||tab|

The exhibit focuses on the biological, cognitive, personal and cultural perspectives of memory and the brain. The exhibit includes 38 elements that are organized into eight sections: the senses, remembering what is meaningful, forgetting, faces, remembering without thinking, the brain, personal memory and shared memory. |ret||ret||tab|

Interactive activities with the exhibit include shooting a basketball wearing prism glasses and reconstructing a face after seeing its photo. |ret||ret||tab|

Additional information about the exhibit is available online at www.discov erycenter.org. |ret||ret||tab|

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