Health care newsmakers

Family Medical Walk-In Clinics Inc. announced the addition of three family nurse practitioners to its staff: Jeanene Kennett, Kim Chapman and Pat Noland.

Dr. Sailesh Nayar joined the nephrology department of Ferrell-Duncan Clinic. He completed his medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Nayar completed an internal medicine residency and a nephrology fellowship at Georgetown University in the Washington Hospital Center.

Dr. Steven Quinn of Springfield Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group Ltd. was a featured speaker at the Tunica Extravaganza Dental Conference in Tunica, Miss., where he addressed the latest developments in dental implant surgery to dentists from throughout the Midwest. Quinn has 15 years of surgical experience in dental implants and is board-certified by both the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Shelley Sutton recently achieved board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, following successful completion of oral and written examinations. She has practiced for two years with Freeman Health System’s Ozark Health Center in Joplin.

Rep. Allen Icet, R-Mo., was appointed to serve as a member of the Missouri Medicaid Reform Commission for the remainder of the 93rd General Assembly. Icet replaces former Rep. Jodi Stefanick, who accepted a health care adviser position with Gov. Matt Blunt’s administration. The Medicaid Reform Commission was established during the 2005 legislative session to develop a framework for the transformation of the Missouri Medicaid system. The commission is to submit a report to the governor, the Senate president pro-tem and the speaker of the House by Jan. 1.

Springfield ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Prater of Mattax Neu Prater recently returned from a three-week trip to the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga, where he donated his time and skills to perform cataract surgery for islanders. His wife, Kimberley, a radiologist with CoxHealth, and daughters Allie and Bryn also assisted. Prater volunteered his services through Surgical Eye Expeditions, a nonprofit organization, working with Dr. John Corboy of the Hawaiian Eye Foundation. Prater removed cataracts from 35 eyes, including those of two children ages 2 years and 12 years.

Pregnancy Care Center received a $34,000 grant from the Children’s Trust Fund for its A Baby on the Way program. Pregnancy Care Center, in conjunction with St. John’s Hospital, is implementing A Baby on the Way, which is complemented by St. John’s Teddy Bear Club. The program is a series of classes and discussions to prepare families for the birth of a child. Each class includes information about child-abuse and neglect prevention.

Ann Catlin, a certified massage therapist and national director of Compassionate Touch, a private practice focused on the benefits of geriatric massage, completed a series of seven seminars titled “Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: Benefits and Effects of Compassionate Touch,” presented for the Missouri League for Nursing. The training presentations were held in Joplin, Springfield, Poplar Bluff, West Plains, Columbia and Kansas City.

Dr. Gerard J. Stanley joined the medical staff of Skaggs Community Health Center, and is seeing patients at Skaggs Family Health Center in Branson and Branson West Medical Care in Branson West. Stanley earned his medical degree from Autonoma University in Guadalajara, Mexico, and completed a three-year family practice residency at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colo. Prior to relocating to Branson, Stanley maintained a private practice for 16 years in Onawa, Iowa.

Skaggs Community Health Center Patient Volunteers recently installed officers for 2005-06. Officers are: Jim Friesz, president; Garnes Meyers, president elect; Lou Meyers, vice president; Irene Manning, secretary; Mary Capstick, placement; and Joyce Brohammer, membership. Formerly known as the American Red Cross Uniformed Volunteers, Skaggs’ patient volunteers provides volunteer services such as meal delivery and maintaining a lending library for patients and their families at Skaggs Community Health Center.

Andrea Croley, RHU, REBC, of Croley Insurance and Financial attended the 2005 America’s Health Insurance Plans Institute in Las Vegas, with brokers and executives from throughout the United States. Issues discussed during the event included health savings accounts, prescription drugs and health plan directives. President Clinton was among the speakers at the event.

Andrea and Trevor Croley of Croley Insurance and Financial were recognized among the top Blue Cross Blue Shield producers at the WellPoint conference held in Las Vegas.

Michele Schaefer joined St. John’s as St. John’s Health System senior vice president and St. John’s Hospital chief operating officer. She will begin Sept. 26. Schaefer replaces Jon Swope, who became executive officer of Mercy Health System of Kansas. Schaefer has 18 years experience in health care and most recently served as chief executive officer at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Kansas City.

McKesson Provider Technologies, part of San Francisco-based McKesson Corp., announced that Bellevue, Wash.-based PeaceHealth has signed an agreement to use McKesson’s Horizon Homecare to automate its paper-based home care and hospice operations. McKesson’s home care software division has its headquarters in Springfield. Horizon Homecare provides a consolidated clinical and financial system for intake, personnel scheduling, point-of-care, revenue cycle management, Internet-based physician access and telehealth.

Skaggs Community Health Center’s mammography facility received a perfect score during a recent state inspection in compliance with the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992. It is the second consecutive year that Skaggs’ mammography facility achieved a perfect score.

The Jeff Julian ALS Foundation presented a $16,000 donation to the Skaggs Foundation as a step toward a comprehensive program of care and services for ALS patients at Skaggs Community Health Center, which earlier this year opened its new 13-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation unit.

Delta Dental of Missouri was selected by the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan to provide dental benefits for all eligible state employees. Through an agreement with Delta Dental, approximately 65,000 eligible employees and their families will be able to take advantage of a voluntary dental benefits plan using the Delta Dental Premier network.

Five individuals were recently elected to serve on the Skaggs Community Health Center Board of Trustees. With nearly 100 members, the board is the governing body of Skaggs Community Health Center. The new trustees are: Brian Burney, pharmacist and owner of Branson Drug and Branson Drug Medical Plaza; Glen Cameron, district executive for the Boy Scouts of America; Paulette Combs, secondary special education teacher at Bradleyville R-I Schools; Jack King, retiree after nearly 38 years of senior management experience in utilities; and Brad Thomas, vice president and general manager of Silver Dollar City.

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