Newsmakers in Health Care

Mercy Health Foundation kicked off it’s annual Sunshine run Oct. 12 with a $41,916 grant from Kohl’s Department Store to fund the Kohl’s Rock Your Seat Belt campaign, a project of Mercy’s Injury Prevention Center designed to educate teenagers on the importance of seat belt use. Since 2006, Kohl’s has donated more than $425,000 to Mercy Health Foundation to support the program.

The National MS Society-Springfield has selected its 2014 board: David Doran, of David Doran Law Offices, chairman; Brian Inman, of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, vice chairman; Timothy Clegg II, of SnoBiz and Hurts Donut Co.; Darla Marler, of Phoenix Home Healthcare; and Monique James, community volunteer.

Staff members at DermaHealth Laser & Skin Care Clinic LLC attended two seminars related to treatment of bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. John Abraham, and registered nurses Marcy Mayes, Ginnie Grimm and Piper Fearn attended the Worldlink Medical Seminar: Mastering the Protocols for Optimization of Hormone Replacement Therapy, Level 3, while Dr. Thomas Briggs attended the Age Management Medicine Group meeting on Preventative Medicine and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement. 

Mercy Hospital Springfield’s Dennis Martin received the Partnership Award from the Missouri Community College Association. Martin helps prepare students for work in the health services and health sciences industries through a partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College.

Cox Medical Center Branson donated $10,000 to the Jesus Was Homeless job training program, Jobs for Life. Volunteer mentors, teachers and business representatives work with individuals on various topics to assist in obtaining employment, including preparing for interviews, customer satisfaction, conflict resolution and succeeding through adversity. The hospital is a guaranteed interview site.

CoxHealth Springfield was recognized by CareChex as the top hospital in the nation for spinal fusion and second in the nation for spinal surgery, in the group’s 2014 America’s Top Quality Hospitals medical excellence ratings. CoxHealth also was recognized as the top hospital in Missouri in multiple categories – for medical excellence: general surgery, neurological care and major neurosurgery; and for patient safety: heart attack treatment, major neurosurgery, pneumonia care, pulmonary care, spinal fusion and spinal surgery.

Dr. Numthip Chitravas joined Ferrell-Duncan Clinic Neurology. Chitravas attended medical school at Ramathibodi Hospital, at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, and completed her residency and fellowship with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Mercy Hospital Springfield won its 10th National Research Corp. Consumer Choice Award. NRC surveyed more than 270,000 households in the contiguous 48 states asking patients about the hospitals they felt had the highest quality health care, best image and reputation, best doctors and best nurses.

CoxHealth Vice President of Regional Services David Taylor was named to the Medical Group Management Association board of directors. Taylor will serve as immediate past co-chair of the group and as a member of the MGMA executive committee, an association for medical practice executives and leaders, providing networking, education, advocacy, tools and resources to build practices.

Integrity Home Care promoted Susan Randolph to home health regional administrator for its Springfield and Joplin offices. Randolph began working at Integrity Home Care in 2003, serving most recently as director of nursing for the Springfield and Osage Beach offices in 2007.

Gerry Catapang shared a lecture, Detecting The Cause Of Pain: An Eclectic Approach Between Medical Doctors and Doctors Of Physical Therapy, during the Greene County Medical Society monthly meeting. Catapang is the founder of Physical Therapy Care Orthopedic and Sports PT in Springfield.