The Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment was presented with a Missouri Community Action Network (CAN) Award at the Missouri CAN Annual Conference May 15 at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

The Autism Center received the award for the southeast region of the state and was recognized for its outstanding community service and outreach in providing screenings and diagnostic evaluations for children suspected of having Autism and other developmental delays in the Delta region. Autism Center staff regularly visits these communities at Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC) Head Start sites in Kennett, Sikeston, New Madrid, Hayti and Bell City, Missouri.

The Delta region of the Missouri Community Action Network nominated the Autism Center for the award. Awards were presented to organizations in communities that contribute to uplifting families in poverty. Eighteen community regional network organizations in Missouri nominated honorees.

Renee Patrick, clinical psychologist at the Autism Center and incoming Center director, accepted the award on behalf of the Center’s staff.

“We’re really committed to meeting the needs of people who live in the Bootheel,” she said. “One of the ways we have worked to reach people is through collaboration with Head Start. We believe early intervention helps people grow to their potential.”

Never Forgotten

What makes a hero? I ponder that question while sitting in a SALT meeting recently. SALT stands for Seniors and Lawmen Together. SALT is an organization that was established to bring seniors and law enforcement together to address unmet safety needs in Cape Girardeau County. SALT hosts several events throughout the year to actively bring seniors and the law enforcement community together. On May 24 they host the most touching and solemn event of the year the Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony.

The Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony is very special to me. My husband is a Deputy Sheriff and has been for over 12 years, prior to that he was in the military. He doesn’t ever ask or want to be the center of attention, but he is one of my heroes and always will be. There have been countless times over the last 15 years that he has had to miss school functions and family events, sometimes at the last minute. Many times he has been in dangerous situations or heartbreaking ones and never complains or shares the details of what happened, he just does his job.  Many heroes just do their job, sometimes they get recognition but most times they do not.

In my way of thinking, a hero is the person who puts themselves in front of you to protect you from danger. The person who runs headlong into danger knowing the risks involved, knowing that they make a choice to confront what most people run from. Knowing that by just doing their job, they may not get to go home to their family.

The SALT Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will recognize 49 fallen heroes who died in the line of duty. 49 heroes who were not able to go home to their families. 49 heroes who made a choice to run toward danger. 49 heroes who do not deserve to be forgotten. On May 24 at 6:00 at Cape Bible Chapel, 2911 Kage Rd, Cape Girardeau, Mo we get a chance to remember with respect, gratitude and honor these 49 men who made a difference in their communities and paid the ultimate price. We also get the chance to honor their families and make sure they know that we appreciate the sacrifices made. SALT honors those from the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne.

The Law Officer Memorial Ceremony is open to all and I encourage you to attend. The evening includes essay winners from local schools who write about “Police-Our Heroes”; scheduled key note speaker is Gov. Eric Greitens and the “Final Call” a recitation of the 49 heroes we are honoring. This ceremony makes me cry every year and I am so grateful to be able to bring my children to such a meaningful event. 

SALT also sponsored the Law Officer Memorial located at Cape County Park North. This memorial has all 49 names engraved and stands as a lasting tribute to their sacrifice. I encourage you to stop by and visit and take a moment to say thank you to these 49 heroes so they are never forgotten.

If you are unable to make the event May 13-19 is Police Week. Please take the time to thank these men and women who give so much of their time to keep us all safe.

Charleston, Missouri -  Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to welcome nurse practitioner Amy Watkins, MSN, RN, FNP-C, to Charleston Family Care. She joins Robert Robbins, DO. 

Watkins earned her Master of Science in nursing from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She brings more than 15 years of nursing experience with her to Charleston. 

Nurse practitioners are nurses who have undergone advanced training and are able to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, order lab work and imaging tests, and write prescriptions.  They can manage many health conditions, teach health promotion and help patients with disease prevention.

For more information about Charleston Family Care, please call 573-683-3739 or visit www. sfmc.net. 

Saint Francis Medical Center is a 308-bed facility serving more than 713,000 people throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. Guided by its mission to provide a ministry of healing and wellness inspired by its Christian philosophy and values, the Medical Center has become a progressive, innovative regional tertiary care referral center. Saint Francis’ major service lines, which have received national recognition, include the Neurosciences Institute; Orthopedic Institute; Family BirthPlace, featuring the region’s first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Heart Hospital; Emergency and Level III Trauma Center; Cancer Institute; and Fitness Plus.

Dexter, Missouri - On Tuesday, April 3 the Children’s Division’s 35th Circuit hosted a banquet to honor and thank foster parents in Stoddard County and Dunklin County for their hard work and dedication to caring for our children in foster care. 

JoDawn Miller, an adoptive parent from Puxico, was the featured guest speaker for the evening. She shared her family’s inspirational adoption journey, offering valuable advice and words of encouragement to the foster families who help support Missouri’s most vulnerable children each day.  

Foster families provide safe and caring temporary homes for children whose families are currently unable to care for them. When asked about their experience with opening their homes to children in need, many describe it as rewarding. 

“A lot of people ask me how I can be a foster parent,” says Catherine Houtz. “But I say how can I not? I know I can’t take them all into my home, as much as I would love to, but I know it means the world to the children I can help.”  

The Children’s Division would like to thank the First Baptist Church of Dexter for offering their space for the banquet, the Gas Mart in Puxico for the food donation and their help and support, and all of the local businesses that donated door prizes for our foster parents. 

The Children’s Division would also like to thank JoDawn Miller for volunteering her time to share her adoption story. We are extremely proud of the amazing foster families in this area who are making a difference in the life of a child in foster care and our tremendous community partners who support the needs of these children and their foster families.  

The Children’s Division encourages all families who are willing to open their homes to assist children in need to learn more about foster care in Missouri. If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent, have questions or just want more information about foster care and other ways you can help, please contact the Stoddard County Children’s Division 573-568-2111 for help. 

Saint Francis Adds Cardiologist

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to introduce Joshua Donis, MD, FACC, as a Medical Partner and cardiologist at Cape Cardiology Group. He joins Joseph Dwyer, MD, FACC; Steven Joggerst, MD; William Lafoe, MD, FACC, FSCAI; Sandra McCearley, MD; Duc Nguyen, DO; William Nienaber, MD; Rebecca Smith, MD, FACC, FASE; Clifford Talbert Jr. MD, FACC; Jennifer Cotner, RN, AGACNP-BC; Megan Collier, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC; Laura Morrow, MSN, APRN, FNP BC; Angela Selzer, RN, AGACNP-BC; and Lacie Wilkins, RN, FNP-C. 

Dr. Donis earned his medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine in Stony Brook, New York, and completed his residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in cardiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. He comes to Cape Cardiology Group from Scottsdale Cardiovascular Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

For more information about Cape Cardiology Group, please call 573-331-3333 or visit www.sfmc.net. 

Saint Francis Healthcare System is guided by our mission to provide a ministry of healing, wellness, quality and love inspired by our faith in Jesus Christ. Founded by Franciscan Sisters in 1875, our priority remains the same: serve all who enter with dignity, compassion and joy. Serving nearly 713,000 people across Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas, our focus is on patients' outcomes, experience and value.

Anchored by Saint Francis Medical Center, a 308-bed tertiary hospital, and supported by nearly 2,800 employees and more than 250 providers in 11 communities, the Healthcare System is a driving economic force in the region. Major services include Cancer Institute, Emergency and Level III Trauma Center, Family BirthPlace and the region's first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Heart Hospital, Neurosciences and Orthopedics.