Cape Girardeau, MO - As most of you have probably heard already, orders for standard/disposable masks are in limited supply. To help with this shortage, we are asking those in our community who can sew, to get crafty and help us as we continue to prepare for COVID-19.
Here’s how it works:
• Start by watching the following video below to learn how to make a face mask >> http://ow.ly/4S9y50yT5ji
• Use the supplied mask pattern, courtesy of The Turban Project >> http://ow.ly/U8ui50yT5jg
• Use tightly-woven cotton fabric on both sides.
• Please remember that both women and men in a variety of roles may wear these masks.
• When your masks are complete, please drop off at 1849 Broadway in Cape. There will be a collection bin by the front door.
• Collected masks will be immediately sent to laundry/processing to be sterilized and prepared for use.
SoutheastHEALTH has announced that effective Monday, March 23, elective surgeries at Southeast Hospital will be postponed. We are taking this action under the advisement and recommendations of state and federal reporting entities.
We will continue to accept urgent cases as they come to us. This precautionary measure, while unprecedented for SoutheastHEALTH, is to help us preserve critical personal protective equipment (PPE) while keeping bedside clinicians in our hospital and our community constituents as safe as possible.
Southeast’s current supply level is good. However, the situation evolves daily. If we experience a critical need, we will follow the protocol for reporting to the Southeast Region’s Non-Urban Healthcare Coalition.
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.
SoutheastHEALTH is committed to putting patient, family, volunteer, staff and community safety at the forefront of all we do. We are taking the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic very seriously and are adopting a comprehensive approach to managing the situation as it develops.
We have set up a COVID-19 Resource Center and are taking the proper precautions as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Over the course of the last several weeks we have taken specific actions based on CDC/DHSS recommendations and guidelines. Today, we are taking the following actions at Southeast Hospital and the SoutheastHEALTH system of care:
Southeast Hospital
We are suspending Volunteer Services in an effort to keep these valued stakeholders well.
Beginning Monday, March 16, volunteers will no longer be on campus until further notice.
The Ruby Room gift shop will remain open to serve patients and visitors. It is staffed by paid employees.
Our shuttle service on the main hospital campus will continue to operate until further notice. This service provides transportation from parking lots to the main Lobby entrance.
Our valet service provided for Southeast Cancer Center patients will continue to operate until further notice in effort to make visits to the Cancer Center as stress-free as possible for our most vulnerable patients.
We are limiting visitors until further notice.
Only TWO visitors will be allowed per patient.
No visitor under the age of 12 will be permitted.
In some instances, visitation may be adjusted to meet the patient’s needs.
Visitors and patients will be screened upon entry and at all outpatient clinics, Convenient Care and the Cancer Center.
We are limiting vendors. Only vendors essential to operations will be permitted.
We are ensuring all individuals who enter the hospital have access to hand sanitizers and CDC informational brochures
Main Lobby entrance
Patient, Visitor, Employee entrance from parking garage to main lobby.
Emergency Services entrance
We have taken the initiative to cancel/postpone sponsored events to limit group congregation in tight spaces, including the following:
Volunteer Recruitment Luncheon scheduled on March 25
Senior Super scheduled for March 26
Patient Experience Extravaganza scheduled for April 22
Ambulatory Clinics
An attendant will be stationed at the entrance of each SoutheastHEALTH clinic on the West Campus, Cancer Center, Broadway Campus and Doctors Park in Cape Girardeau, Southeast Primary Care and Southeast Convenient Care in Jackson.
Patients will be asked about travel out of the country and if they are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath.
If the patient answers “yes” to these questions, they will be provided a mask and taken to a designated waiting area, segregated from other patients.
Patients with family members will be allowed one individual to assist. That individual will follow the same screening protocol as the patient. All others who may accompany the patient will be asked to wait outside the building.
Exams will be conducted in a designated exam room and clinical staff will don appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) prior to entering the exam room.
Once the patient has been examined, medically advised and discharged, an attendant will escort them to the nearest exit if they are discharged to home.
The exam room will be decontaminated using “terminal cleaning” (deep cleaning) procedures.
Southeast Home Health and Hospice is screening all patients via phone.
COVID-19 Testing
Patients who report to Emergency Services or ambulatory clinics with COVID-19 symptoms will, if they meet CDC guidelines:
First be assessed by the provider.
Then if determined necessary, have a flu and/or strep swab based on symptoms.
Then if deemed appropriate, a respiratory panel.
Upon a negative test result, the patient will be screened and tested for COVID-19 based on specific criteria set by the CDC and DHSS.
If criteria is met, a specimen will be sent to the Missouri State Lab in Jefferson City for processing.
If a patient’s symptoms are severe and warrant immediate hospitalization, they will be placed in isolation with a dedicated care team in a dedicated room.
If symptoms do not warrant hospitalization, patients will be sent home with instructions to self-isolate.
As we have from the outset of this emerging medical situation, we are following protocols as set forth by the CDC and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. These precautionary measures are meant to help keep everyone in our community as safe as possible. For more information about COVID-19 and measures to help protect you, visit SEhealth.org/COVID19. We will share regular updates as we continue to monitor this rapidly-evolving situation. We appreciate your cooperation. Any questions relative to our services and response to COVID-19 can be directed to SoutheastHEALTH’s Public Relations team at 573-519-4908.
Cape Girardeau, MO - SoutheastHEALTH is committed to putting the public’s safety at the forefront of all we do. We take the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously and are following guidelines as set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These include eliminating group gatherings to help halt spread of the virus.
Beginning at 10 p.m. today, March 18, HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be closed until further notice. HealthPoint Rehab at both the Cape and Jackson locations will remain open. Patients entering the facilities will continue to be verbally screened.
This precautionary closing is meant to help keep everyone in our community as safe as possible.
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.
Cape Girardeau, MO - I have to admit, that I haven't always been super impressed with some doctors. I believe that when it come to your health, that you have to be proactive and really push certain issues sometimes. I think, especially in an orthopedic setting, that doctors become accustomed to what they do that they can become complacent. That's what happened to me in the beginning of this 2-year knee issue. I did my due diligence after my first knee surgery in June of 2018, and found a great surgeon with a wonderful bedside manner and truly cares about getting you back to "normal" again.
So I have to give some credit here to Dr. Anthony McPherron, Orthopedic Surgeon, at SoutheastHealth in Cape Girardeau, his office staff and surgical team, who have been with me thru my Total Knee Replacement journey since last year when I first made my appointment for a 2nd opinion. Let me tell you he did an amazing job on my TKR and his office staff, especially Laura, who worked with me through all the agonizing pain and insurance phone calls. You see my body does not do well with pain medicine. They just don't seem to work at all so when you can't get ahead of the pain you don't do well in physical therapy in the beginning.
Then I had other complications as the knee and my walking gait had caused my back to herniate at L4-L5-S1 area over the year it took me to get the knee replacement, which had then calcified into a hard mass requiring a little more surgery right after the TKR. So within one month I had two surgerys, two back injections, and one ankle injection and lots of nerve issues and not one pain medication took the pain away.
Dr. McPherron worked with my neurosurgeon and pain management doctors to help me get to the point I am now, a total of 8 months of doctor visits and testing. Though nerve damage may be permanent (takes a long long time to regenerate the nerves, 1 mm per day) it was not related to the knee surgery, but the back herniation surgery. I have no feeling on the outside of my left leg and then my foot is constantly pins and needles and that's what makes it difficult to walk. I have to take Gabapentin to keep my leg from jerking and foot from curling at night and to give me some relief to sleep. I may be on this for the rest of my life.
My body also makes a lot of scar tissue. Many do not know, but I had two surgeries in 2019 not related to the knee or back. My ovary decided to do its own thing and my fallopian tube had wrapped around my intestine. Once they were removed (the Wednesday before Christmas and Bloomfield BB Tournament) I had to have an oblation. Many did not know while I sat on the stage writing articles and taking photos that I had just had surgery. Scar tissue formed there as well. So then scar tissue grew around the new mechanism in my knee causing me not to get a good bend so I can walk properly.
I also can't have gas anesthetic so Dr. Park has to use his own cocktail of drugs to keep me under and it is dangerous, but he is always my anesthesiologist and has never failed me or I wouldn't be here today. I don't know how many people are in surgery with me, but I would guess at least 10. And through all six surgeries I have had in the last year or so I have had some of the greatest people to help me before, during and after surgery. Especially when you know them by name and they know me. Even Hope at the intake desk knows me by name!!
Dr. McPherron performed surgery on Thursday, February 27th and cleaned all that out and then did a manipulation of my knee. I can tell you I have gone from 85 degree bend to 105 degree bend this morning and using my CPM Machine. Yes I cried getting to that bend has been a long and grueling process. I am sure he got more under anesthetic, but I do have pain today........My goal is 120 degrees at least if not more. So I have a few more weeks of physical therapy and then we will see what to do about the back/nerve issues. People want to quickly blame a doctor, but sometimes it's just your body being difficult and stubborn. My daddy always said I was stubborn when I was a kid...LOL
I just wanted to give a shoutout to his team and let you know what a great doctor we have here in southeast Missouri. There is always a learning curve when you have a condition foreign to your knowledge. I have learned a great amount about Total Knee Replacements, nerves, back herniations, and medications. Be diligent and communicate with your doctor. It makes a world of difference in your healing and I want to thank Dr. McPherron and his team on dealing with this difficult patient!!!!
Here is some information from SoutheastHEALTH's website about Dr. McPherron. He is a sports guy for sure, but he is also a compassionate doctor who really does want you to get back to 100%. When I walked into his office I told him what I did for a living and though I am fluffy I do need to get up and down that football field, basketball court, and I have to be able to move it!!! I know I still have more weeks of pain and physical therapy and home exercises, but I am persistent and I am getting better thank to some great local doctors!
"Dr. Anthony McPherron is passionate about helping patients get back to enjoying life and doing the things they’ve always loved to do. He believes that when someone has an orthopedic problem it impacts more than just “my knee hurts or my shoulder hurts.” It affects a person’s life, and he finds it fulfilling to help people get back to that life."
"As Medical Director of Orthopedic Services and Sports Medicine Services, Dr. McPherron recognizes the immense need for orthopedic care in southeast Missouri and looks forward to bringing new, world-class and innovative techniques to patients that have not existed here before."
"An avid outdoor enthusiast, Dr. McPherron enjoys spending time with his children, hiking, sports activities and all that the outdoors has to offer. Indoors, he likes to settle in with a good book."
Services
Orthopedics, Surgery
Specialties
Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine
Departments
Orthopedics
Credentials
Certifications
Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery, AOBOS
Former Certified Athletic Trainer
Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine, AOAO
BLS/ACLS, American Heart Association
Education
1990, Indiana State University, BS
1994, Ohio University, DO
2006, Purdue University, MBA
2020, Swineburne University, MSc
Residency
1999, Orthopedic Surgery, St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center
Professional Affiliations
American Osteopathic Association
American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
Indiana Osteopathic Association
Adult Reconstruction Section, AOAO
Sports Medicine Section, AOAO
