Southwest Missouri News

Tri-Lakes Eye offers new vision correction

Tom Morrison, MD, and Greg Witkop, MD, eye surgeons with Tri-Lakes Eye Center of Branson, have made available to their patients KeraVision Intacs, a new, non-laser approach for correcting nearsightedness.

According to Morrison, Intacs are the first FDA-approved option to eyeglasses and contact lenses that may permanently correct vision, but doesn't require a permanent treatment. Intacs reshape the cornea mechanically by adding material to the eye instead of cutting or removing tissue as other vision-correction procedures do. Once in place, the material is designed to flatten the cornea of a myopic eye so that light rays are correctly focused on the retina. The treatment takes about 15 minutes and is usually performed under a topical eye-drop anesthetic.

In conjunction with Laser Vision Centers Inc., Tri-Lakes Eye Center has also announced that it will be the first in southwest Missouri to provide access to the Visx excimer laser. It is the only laser approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

New treatment for heart attacks studied

Branson Heart Center and Skaggs Community Health Center have joined to participate in an international study of a medical regimen to treat heart attacks. Cardiologist Narin Arunakul, MD, of Branson Heart Center is the principal investigator in Branson. In the study, a medication to dissolve clots (Retavase) will be combined with an agent that inhibits further clot formation in coronary arteries (ReoPro). Skaggs has been recognized for its clot-busting medication in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Arunakul, working in the new heart catheterization laboratory at Skaggs, helped develop protocols that allow participation in the study which involves a limited number of centers in the United States and Europe.

Udell opens OB/GYN practice

Kimberly Udell, DO, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, has opened a practice in Branson. Called Skaggs OB/GYN, the office is located on North Business Highway 65 across from Skaggs Community Health Center. Udell comes from Cooper Oaks Women's Healthcare in Blue Springs, a suburb of Kansas City, where she practiced for three years. She also has worked as a supervising obstetrics/gynecology resident at hospitals in Detroit and Pontiac, Mich.

New $37 million budget up $1.2 million

The Branson Board of Aldermen have approved a new budget of $37 million to start the city's new fiscal year Oct. 1. Up $1.2 million from last year, the budget includes capital improvements such as additional renovations to the city campground, more lighting and athletic fields in city parks, and improvements at major intersections.

New construction valued at $39.7 million

New construction values in Branson through August total $39.7 million, compared to $43.8 million for all of 1998. According to the city of Branson, newly permitted projects within the city limits are a new K-12 school, a multiplex movie theater in Branson Meadows and a Red Lobster restaurant on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. So far in 1999 more than $6 million has gone into construction of time-share condominium units.

The city is also conducting a housing study through Southwest Missouri Association Council of Governments. The survey will research available housing, possible trends, location of housing and types of housing. The study will take about three months.

Jones picked as new Table Rock manager

Marilyn Jones has been selected as lake manager for Table Rock Lake according to Table Rock Operations Project Manager Ken Foersterling. Jones, who started in August, is responsible for overseeing the recreation, resource, operations and maintenance programs, including shoreline management, at Table Rock. She comes from Cooper Dam and Jim Chapman Lake near Cooper and Sulphur Springs, Texas.

Hicks chosen Nobel's driver of the year

Donald Hicks was recently chosen the 1999 Driver of the Year by Dyno Nobel Transportation Inc. Hicks, of Webb City, has been with the company since 1991.

St. John's honored by Lions for donations

St. John's Regional Medical Center has been honored by the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation and area Lions for support of the Missouri Lions eye donation program in 1998.

In 1998, St. John's obtained consent for 82 donors. This was the fourth highest in the Lions procurement area of more than 200 hospitals. As a result of these donations, the Missouri Lions Eye Bank helped 61 individuals with corneal transplants[[In-content Ad]]