Southeast Hospital, flagship of the SoutheastHEALTH system of care, has received Comprehensive Cardiac Center (CCC) Certification, earned by the Joint Commission’s Accreditation and Certification program and in collaboration with the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check process. The certification recognizes Southeast’s heart program for its comprehensive approach to care and commitment to excellence.
The certification is granted through a rigorous, in-depth evaluation of patient-centered care. Southeast Hospital is one of only 15 hospitals in the nation and the smallest community hospital to achieve this recognition to date.
Dr. Maria Sudak, Chief Operating Officer for SoutheastHEALTH said in order to obtain CCC Certification, the organization was required to show excellence and exceed quality measurements in at least seven of the following areas:
*Coronary Artery Bypass
*Heart Failure
*Cardiac Arrest/Resuscitation
*Cardiac Rehabilitation
*Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Procedure
*Valve Replacement/Repair
*Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
*Arrhythmia Management
*Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack).
“To be singled out as one of the nation’s top centers for cardiac care required a spirit of commitment and teamwork across the entire staff,” Sudak said. “Earning this honor required a great deal of work, commitment and expertise on our part, and it was the right thing to do for our patients. They expect, and deserve, exceptional care.”
Sudak added that Southeast’s commitment to quality is of the utmost importance. “We strive to provide high quality care as we serve our communities. We monitor our quality and measure outcomes, and we work continuously to improve.”
“The Joint Commission’s Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend SoutheastHEALTH for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for cardiac patients.”
“We congratulate SoutheastHEALTH for this outstanding achievement,” says Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for cardiac patients.”
Southeast Hospital has a long history of commitment to providing excellent cardiac care. Southeast established the first open heart surgery program in downstate Missouri in 1983. Since then, Southeast has been a pioneer in bringing new cardiac lifesaving technologies and procedures to the region. These patient-centered investments recently included a new, hybrid operating suite with technology to advance treatment options for our region’s critically ill heart patients, a new Heart and Vascular Pavilion designed for patient and family comfort and introducing to the region transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive approach to replacement of a narrowed aortic valve, and transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) procedure which allows mitral regurgitation patients to be treated without invasive open heart surgery.
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 13 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
The SoutheastHEALTH Foundation will host its Fourth Annual Journey Gala on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at the Drury Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau. Guests will enjoy an elegant “Soriee en Paris” theme, along with a gourmet dinner, charity auctions, celebrity guest speaker journalist and women’s health and wellness advocate Joan Lunden and dancing to live music by Vote 4 Pedro. The cocktail attire, black tie optional event begins at 6 p.m.
The gala benefits the SoutheastHEALTH Cancer Care Fund, which makes the cancer journey less stressful for those in need of urgent assistance during the course of their treatment. SoutheastHEALTH Foundation President Patti Ranzini said funds raised from the gala provide free mammograms, nutritional supplements, medications, transportation service and so much more that would not be available without community support of the gala.
“We have been so humbled by the overwhelming support the community has shown for the Journey Gala over the last few years,” Ranzini noted. “We are grateful to everyone who attends this very worthy event, knowing that they are helping support those living with cancer right here at home.” Last year’s gala raised $250,000. Since the event began in 1917, over $600,000 has been raised. “We hope this year’s gala will be the most successful ever,” Ranzini said. “It’s going to be an amazing evening of entertainment and a wonderful celebration of life.”
Jennifer Icaza-Gast and Anita Drury are once again serving as co-chairs for the gala. “Most of us know the heartbreak and feeling of desperation that comes with a cancer diagnosis,” Icaza-Gast said. “Everyone involved with the Journey Gala is dedicated to doing whatever we can to help patients and families during what is a very difficult and challenging time.”
Gala Welcomes Joan Lunden
An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, and women's health & wellness advocate, Joan Lunden has been a trusted voice in American homes for more than 30 years. For nearly two decades, Lunden greeted viewers each morning on Good Morning America bringing insight to the day’s top stories. As the longest running female host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 5 presidents, 5 Olympics, and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families, and their health.
Today, Lunden continues to be one of America’s most recognized and trusted personalities. Lunden is a sought-after speaker and event host throughout the country, the host of the CBS series Your Health, and recently, served as a special correspondent on the TODAY Show.
As a part of the sandwich generation, Lunden’s demographic is far-reaching. She is a mother of seven including two sets of teenager twins. Like many Boomers in America she has juggled being a working mom while caring for an aging parent, and brings this experience to her role as the spokesperson for the nation’s leading senior referral service, A Place for Mom, a company helping caregivers and families find the right care and resources for their loved one.
In June of 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. An eternal optimist, Lunden wanted to turn her diagnosis into an opportunity to help others. She blogged throughout her cancer treatment and wrote a memoir Had I Known, which documents her battle, and reflects on her life and career. Lunden advocates for patients on Capitol Hill, and actively communicates with the cancer community through her social media and on her website.
One of the most visible women in America, Lunden has graced the covers of more than 60 magazines and book covers. Lunden’s new book, Why Did I Come into This Room; A Candid Conversation About Aging will hit stands in March of 2020.
Tickets Available Now
Gala tickets are $175 each and may be purchased by calling the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation at 573-519-4920 or online at SEhealth.org/Gala. Corporate sponsorships are also available. Event sponsors will have the opportunity to attend a VIP meet and greet with Joan Lunden. For more information about becoming an event sponsor, call the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation.
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 13 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
Certified Nurse Practitioner Sierra Holiman, MSN, RN, APRN, FNP-BC has joined SoutheastHEALTH at its New Madrid primary care clinic. Her diversified experience includes emergency medicine, pediatrics and NICU, adult medicine and geriatrics.
Holiman holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southeast Missouri State University. She is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, National Board Certification.
Holiman notes that she is “passionate about education, prevention and disease management. My goal as a provider is to properly manage disease processes and prevent them from becoming emergency situations.”
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 12 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
Southeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has been named official medical providers for Jackson High School and Eagle Ridge Christian School. SoutheastHEALTH orthopedic physician Anthony McPherron, DO, and SoutheastHEALTH sports medicine physician Andrew Lawrence, MD, will serve as the schools’ team physicians.
Under the agreement with Jackson, a physician will provide sideline coverage for home football games alongside their team athletic trainers. At Eagle Ridge, an athletic trainer will be at all home sporting events. In addition to the medical coverage SoutheastHEALTH will offer on-site pre-participation athletic physicals at both schools.
McPherron said the Southeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team is excited to work with student athletes to “help keep them at their physical best which will also positively impact performance in their sport. Working with student athletes is very rewarding, especially when we can help them get back in the game after an injury.”
Jackson High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal John Martin said, “We met with Dr. McPherron and the athletic trainers and were impressed with what they had to offer.” He noted that this newest partnership is an extension of an already established relationship with SoutheastHEALTH, which provides wellness screenings for Jackson R-2 faculty and staff as well occupational medicine services.
At Eagle Ridge Christian School, Athletic Director Andrew Mellies said Southeast will cover all boys soccer and girls volleyball, winter boys and girls basketball, spring girls soccer and track. “We have been looking for someone to offer medical coverage for home events. Southeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine seemed like a perfect fit. They are proactive with students and coaches. We enjoy having them here.”
In August, Southeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine was named official team physicians for Southeast Missouri State University’s NCAA Division 1 student athletes. With that agreement and for the first time, medical coverage is also included for intramural and club sports student athletes and the River Campus performers.
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 13 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
Tamra Decker, a registered nurse on the Neurosciences Unit at Southeast Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. She is the first to receive this international recognition at Southeast Hospital.
The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the exceptional, compassionate nursing care that nurses provide patients and families every day. There were 39 DAISY Award nominations for the quarter ending September 30. The next DAISY Award recipient will be announced in January 2020.
Decker received two nominations for the DAISY Award. Here is what one nomination, from the patient’s wife, Dawn, noted.
“My 53-year-old husband was a patient on the Neurosciences Unit at Southeast Hospital for four months. There were many ups and downs during his stay. I have never been through an ordeal as serious as this. During this time, Tamra was always available to me. She always made sure I understood the care my husband was getting and made sure that I was able to be involved with his care because she could see that I need to help be his caregiver. She explained trach care to me and showed me how to properly turn him.”
“My husband was in a lethargic state and could not respond. Tamra always addressed him when she was caring for him. It was very important to her that she got to know him. She asked one day, ‘What was he like before he got sick?’ That meant so much to me. When one day he started to respond, Tamra cried tears of joy with me.
“Tamra was always ready to give a hug, say a prayer or even bring me a snack. Her love for patients and their families is so evident. I continue to sing her praises. You could not find another nurse that embodies all of the DAISY criteria.”
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. The award recipient is chosen by a committee at SoutheastHEALTH. Honorees receive a certificate of commendation along with a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
SoutheastHEALTH Chief Nursing Officer Gina Leath presented the award to Decker and expressed the organization’s gratitude to nurses who go above and beyond every day. Southeast President and CEO Ken Bateman added that “Tamra embodies everything we want in our nurses – exceptional care.”
Between happy tears, a surprised Tamra said, “This is amazing. Thank you so much. I’ve been here a very long time. I left for a while, but came back for one reason – the spirit here. This is home and always will be. Patients put their lives in our hands every day. We must always be mindful of that.”
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 13 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
