Newsmakers in Health Care

Struble holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas, and he earned his dental degree from Baylor College of Dentistry at Texas A&M Health Sciences Center. He has been in private practice in Ozark since 1985. Since 2001, Struble has completed more than 160 hours of continuing education from The Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Study.

Dr. J.P. Simanis, a physician with Parkview Primary Care, Sports and Occupational Medicine Clinic and Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar, passed his board-certification exam. Simanis attended Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va.

He completed a residency at Carilion Roanoke Family Practice Residency Program in Roanoke, Va., and a fellowship at University of Missouri Sports Medicine Fellowship Program in Columbia. Simanis provides primary care for all ages, including the treatment of sports injuries and occupational therapy.

The School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography at CoxHealth was accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs under the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Accreditation is awarded to schools that provide top-quality education and programs to students. The CoxHealth school is one of two programs in Missouri and 25 in the nation to be accredited in general sonography, vascular sonography and cardiac sonography.

Dr. Michael Koban joined Harshman Chiropractic Clinic. A St. Charles native, Koban is a second-generation chiropractor who was in private practice in Sacramento, Calif., before relocating to Springfield, where he began work Nov. 26. Koban is a graduate of California State University, and he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1993 from Palmer Chiropractic College.

CoxHealth received the American Stroke Association’s Bronze Performance Achievement Award for guidelines related to the treatment of strokes.

To receive the award, CoxHealth followed the treatment guidelines listed in the program for 90 days. Guidelines included aggressive use of medications like TPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, deep-vein thrombosis prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs and smoking cessation.

The 90-day evaluation period is the first in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain the award.

Four new members were named to CoxHealth’s board of directors during its annual meeting. They are: Grant Haden, attorney and managing partner of Haden, Cowherd and Bullock LLC; Gil Trout, chairman and CEO for UMB Bank’s south-central region; Robert C. Fulp, president of BancorpSouth’s Springfield region; and Joseph W. Turner, president and CEO of Great Southern Bank.

Ash Grove Healthcare Facility, a part of Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar, received the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living Step I Quality Award. AGHF is one of three Missouri facilities chosen for the award.

Criteria for recognition include improvements in residential care, health care innovations, business practice and employee recruitment/retention.

The Missouri Foundation for Health distributed $13.1 million in funding to 84 county health departments throughout the state. The grants are intended for infrastructure improvements and will aid in delivery of health services.

The following five Springfield-area health departments were included: Christian County Health Department received $191,259 to renovate the health department’s facility in Ozark. Dallas County Health Department received $84,518 to renovate the department’s facility in Buffalo. Polk County Health Center received $110,673 to renovate the center’s facility in Bolivar. Springfield-Greene County Health Department received $576,646 for building renovations and upgrades to information technology equipment. Webster County Health Unit received $122,965. The grant will be used for renovations and to purchase equipment and computers.

The CoxHealth Foundation received a $15,000 grant from the Jeff Julian ALS Foundation. The money will go toward the purchase of specialized medical equipment to provide care for ALS patients. Julian, a professional golfer on the PGA tour, was treated at Cox South during the last year of his life.

Dr. Michael Murrell, a psychologist, recently completed a three-day workshop on advanced psychological evaluations in St. Louis. The workshop was presented by the American Academy of Forensic Psychologists.