Healthy People Magazine - SCA names St. John's 2003 Developer of the Year

Winter 2004

SCA names St. John’s 2003 Developer of the Year

St. John’s Health System has been named the 2003 Springfield Contractors Association Developer of the Year for the second time in the award’s 20-year history.
The SCA award committee cited the health system’s nearly $100 million in construction during the past two years and commitment to utilizing local contractors, tradespeople and products. As many as 270 local tradespeople have worked on St. John’s various construction projects at a given time. St. John’s in 2001 broke ground for a $300-plus million multi-year renewal plan for its main campus in Springfield as well as other facilities across St. John’s service region. The plan is St. Johns’ largest construction project to date and includes renovations and new facilities for the main St. John’s campus, Smith-Glynn-Callaway Medical Building and the fitness center. Funding for the renewal project is primarily financed by St. John’s reserves and operating surpluses during construction. The remaining portion will be financed by debt issued at preferred rates by the Sisters of Mercy, St. Johns’ parent company.
Bill Syler, St. John’s vice president of facilities, accepted the award, which the health system also received in 1988.

FedMed signs five-year contract with St. John’s

St. John’s has recently been awarded a five-year exclusive contract to provide medical services for the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisons (FedMed).
St. John’s has had a longstanding relationship with the federal medical center. Pulmonologist and St. John’s Hospital Chief of Staff Donald Wantuck, M.D., has served as a consulting pulmonologist for the center for more than 30 years. Other St. John’s physicians have provided on-site expertise at the federal medical center for many years. More recently, St. John’s Cardiovascular Services has paved the way for FedMed to explore the possibility of setting up a “vascular center of excellence.” If FedMed moves forward with a vascular center of excellence at the facility, St. John’s physicians would provide procedural services at FedMed for inmates who would be transferred to FedMed from Bureau of Prisons facilities throughout the country in order to obtain specialized vascular services.
“FedMed already provides a multitude of vascular services. The prison houses about 180 dialysis patients. FedMed is exploring the vascular center of excellence possibility because it would optimize safety and security through the provision of on-site services. This would involve the center upgrading and acquiring new equipment,” says Lance Luria, M.D., St. John’s Health Plans associate medical director. Luria served as FedMed’s chief of health services before joining St. John’s.
FedMed opened in 1933 with 55 inmates. The medical center cares for medical, surgical and mental health patients and has 46 medical/surgical beds, 145 psychiatric beds, approximately 100 forensic and diagnostic/observation beds, 32 Axis II beds, 140 chronic dialysis beds and 250 beds for other inmates whose physical condition precludes their return to a regular institution. The medical center is the only Federal Bureau of Prisons medical center capable of handling male offenders with a variety of security levels. The center is accredited by the American Correctional Association, the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the College of American Pathologists.

Cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation programs recognized

St. John’s Cardiac Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs have been awarded certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Certification recognizes those programs rigorously reviewed by a national board and found to meet essential requirements for standards of care.
Cardiac rehab programs are designed to limit the physiological and psychological effects of cardiac illness; reduce further risk, improve the patient’s condition and enhance the patient’s quality of life. Pulmonary rehab programs involve a multidimensional continuum of services by multiple specialists, directed to people with pulmonary disease and their families.
St. John’s began cardiac rehab in 1981 and has treated nearly 10,000 patients in southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas. St. John’s began offering pulmonary rehab in 1986 and has served approximately 4,000 patients. In 1986, St. John’s opened the doors to St. John’s Hammons Heart Institute, a state-of-the-art cardiac and pulmonary rehab facility on the St. John’s Springfield campus. Since then, rehab facilities have been added in north Springfield, Branson, St. Robert, Cassville, Aurora, Monett, Mountain View and Berryville, Ark.

St. John’s breaks ground for new Nixa multispecialty clinic

St. John’s broke ground for a three-story, 65,000-square-foot multispecialty clinic Oct. 31, 2003 on an 18-acre tract of land at Gregg Road and Highway 14, near Espy Elementary School in Nixa. The facility will house a variety of specialties to serve the residents of Christian County. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.
“It is important for St. John’s Clinic to expand services in Christian County because the county is one of the fastest-growing parts of our region,” says Donn Sorensen, senior vice president and chief operating officer for St. John’s Clinic. “The new clinic will focus on the changing demographics of Christian County - new families and seniors.”
The clinic will offer primary care, including internal medicine, family practice and pediatrics; as well as OB/GYN and other select specialty services such as imaging, lab, mammography, pharmacy, optical shop, physical therapy and rehab and urgent care.

Third annual Totally Healthy Woman Retreat educates women

After another Totally Healthy Woman Retreat at Chateau on the Lake in Branson Nov. 7-9, 2003, plans are already under way for the 2004 retreat. More than 530 women attended this year's retreat, "Attitudes of the Heart." The 2004 retreat is planned for Nov. 12-14.
At this year's retreat, five attendees, Drieda Booth, Rita Campbell, Pat Many, Donna Hull and Laurie Bowling, were chosen for makeovers and were given a $100 shopping spree, facials and a hair and makeup session.
The five women also had dinner with KYTV anchor Lisa Rose, who co-hosted the event and showed off their new looks during a fashion show for retreat attendees.