Newsmakers in Health Care

Citizens Memorial Health Care in Bolivar announced three staff additions. Dr. Barbara J. Yates, a certified emergency medicine physician, is seeing patients in the CMH Emergency Department. Yates received her degree from Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and completed a residency at Hillcrest Health Center in Oklahoma City. She has 20 years of experience in emergency medicine.

Dr. Michael D. Shoemaker, also a certified emergency medicine physician, joined CMH’s Emergency Department. He earned is medical degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine in 2001, and was named chief resident 2003-04 during his residency at Cox Family Practice Residency. Shoemaker has experience as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, emergency room physician and family practice physician.

Dr. Samrah Mansoor joined CMH as a hospitalist. In that role, she treats patients of all ages who are admitted to the nursing floors, telemetry or intensive care unit at the hospital. Mansoor, a graduate of Fatima Jinnah Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, completed the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination certificate program in 2002. She completed a residency through the Wesley Family Medicine Residency Program in Wichita, Kan., and has developed and implemented educational materials on autism for physicians and patients.

Melissa Yates and Diane McClaskey are CoxHealth’s first pharmacists to receive board certification in pharmacotherapy services from the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. Pharmacists certified in pharmacotherapy are responsible for ensuring the safe and appropriate use of drugs in patient care, often serving as a primary source of drug information for other health care professionals. The certification requires completion of an in-depth exam, and is endorsed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The Greene County Medical Society has installed new officers for 2007. Dr. Robert Scott, who practices at Cox Diagnostic Clinic and has been a GMCS member since 1979, is the society’s 96th president. Other new officers are Dr. John Mihalevich Jr., immediate past president; Dr. Thomas McClain, president-elect; Dr. Scott Swango, secretary; Dr. John Lilly, treasurer, and Dr. Barbara Bumberry, Dr. Frank Cornella, Dr. Bassam Hadi, Dr. William Moore, Dr. David Randall and Dr. Susan Woody, councilors.

St. John’s Stroke Center is being recognized as a national stroke quality leader by CareScience, a company that provides patient data analysis technology to help health systems measure clinical improvement, implement better treatment processes and improve patient outcomes. The CareScience database comprises about 2,600 facilities across 22 states. To be recognized, St. John’s ranked among the top 15 percent of hospitals measured on the basis of lowest mortality and highest efficiency compared with other facilities in the CareScience database.

St. John’s Clinic announces two new physicians and a new staff member. Dr. James Duff joined St. John’s Clinic-Hospitalists. He earned his medical degree and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Duff is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Care.

Dr. Christopher Fletcher joined St. John’s Clinic-Hollister. He completed his medical degree at the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn., and a family medicine residency at the University of California-Davis Sacramento Medical Center. He is board-certified in family medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Jacob Best joined St John’s Clinic as vice president of medical specialties. He has 12 years of experience in health care administration, including the previous nine as a director at Mercy Health System in Janesville, Wis. Best is a member of the American Medical Group Association, Medical Group Management Association and American College of Health Care Executives.

Clinical Psychologist Pamela Jo Pierce-Whitehead, RN, BSN, was recently certified as a legal nurse consultant by the Vicki Milazzo Institute in Atlanta. Currently in Springfield private practice, she specializes in patient advocacy and therapy for cancer patients and others with long-term illnesses. She also is a seminar speaker and workshop leader.

Harshman Chiropractic Clinic in Springfield received Integrity Management’s Five Star Quality Service Award. The clinic, operated by Dr. Kort Harschman, received the award after undergoing an examination of its

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