Familiar faces honored at 2013 Salute to Nurses

Nine people affiliated with CoxHealth were honored recently during the annual Salute to Nurses event sponsored by the Springfield News-Leader.

Fifteen people in total were recognized at the event that salutes nurses and nurse educators for their service and dedication to the community. Nursing students are also recognized. 

Several people from CoxHealth attended along with several senior leaders, including: Steve Edwards, CoxHealth president and CEO; Karen Kramer, VP, Chief Nursing Officer; William Mahoney, Cox Branson CEO; and Genny Maroc, VP, president of Cox Monett. 

Congratulations to the following winners: 

Student Award: 

Cheryl Mefferd, Cox College 

Honorable Mentions: 

Dawn Allen, CoxHealth Regional Perinatal Center 

Pam Drake, Diabetes Services 

Adene Smith, SNSI 

Finalists: 

Cozi Bagley, Cox College – Nurse Educator of the Year 

Patty Fielding, CoxHealth Women’s Center – Lifetime of Compassion Award 

Shawna Harmon, 500 West Oncology – Inspiration Award 

Glenda Miller, Cardiovascular Services – Community Outreach Award 

Suni Shaefer, Oxford HealthCare – Advancement of Nursing Award

Images courtesy of the Springfield News-Leader

Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital celebration Saturday

CoxHealth was recently recognized by CareChex, a division of Comparion, as Missouri’s best hospital for major orthopedic surgery. That’s something to celebrate! Join us Saturday, April 27, 10 – 11:30 a.m. at Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital. We’ll gather outside the National Ave. entrance to hear from experts in physical medicine, orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation.

Some patients you may recognize from CoxHealth TV commercials will share what they’re doing to stay active now. Then we’ll support patients who are “back in motion” with a short parade and live music, followed by refreshments in the Ozark Room. For details, visit coxhealth.com.

Monitor or agitator? Ed Keeth delivers a daily dose of orneriness

The bit about the badge is classic Ed Keeth.

“Did you see my badge?” One of the nurses over here at Wheeler made it for me.”

The badge reads: “Official CoxHealth Hall Monitor.”

“One of them came by later and said this word was wrong.” Keeth points to the word “monitor.” “She said it should be the Official CoxHealth Hall Agitator. And everybody I talk to believes that. I don’t know why.”

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of passing by Ed Keeth in the skywalk at Cox South, near Foster Auditorium or at the North Entrance to the Springfield hospital, you’ll quickly learn why he has earned that title.

From a distance, he appears to be waiting for someone or just people watching as he leans against the wall, or stands at attention, sometimes with his hands behind his back, looking up and down the hall.

As you get into speaking range, get ready. Unless he’s talking to someone else, he will engage you. From patients to the CEO – everyone is fair game. At first it’s nice pleasantries: hello, how are you. He has a knack of knowing when to play it straight, offering just a quick hello and a nod of the head to some who pass by. But if he recognizes you and if he thinks you’ll play along, the fun begins.

In the few seconds it takes to walk by, you’re likely to get hit with one of his many witty, clever, and sometimes puzzling one-liners – quips and zingers that will fly, even if you’re not meeting his eye or if you’re walking in a group.

Looking at one person and pointing to another he might say, “You better watch out. Being seen with her will ruin your reputation.” Perfectly timed lines delivered in good fun, and he always gets a laugh, or at least a smile. If he’s lucky, he’ll get a quick remark right back, like the “hall agitator” comeback.

Although many people don’t know his name, for the past 10 years Keeth has been a favorite fixture at Cox South. Every day, except for Thursdays and every other weekend, Keeth comes to the hospital to drop his wife, Beth, off for work in Food Services. At noon, he comes back just to hang out at one of his three special spots.


Then at 12:30 he meets his wife in the cafeteria for her break. Afterwards he spends another 30 minutes hall monitoring until it’s time to take her home for the day.

For Keeth, it’s an interesting way to spend his time and it’s just as much fun for everyone else.


“I normally get here…” Keeth is interrupted when someone spots him down the hall and warns, “You better watch out for that one!”

He continues, “I enjoy working with people. I enjoy ‘bullyragging’ people, carrying on, giving people a hard time. I learned quite a while ago it’s not what you say to a person, it’s how you say it in most cases. There are exceptions to that. If someone takes offense to it, I just quit.

“Sometimes I say something to them and they start laughing. They’ll ask me how I am and I’ll say I’m fine as a frog’s hair. To me it comes natural. My mom and dad were like that. My dad ‘picked on’ my mom just like I pick on Beth. They’d carry on and I guess that’s where I learned it. Normally I speak to everyone. It makes me feel good and maybe I’m changing somebody’s attitude in the day.”

The hall starts to get busy. He goes into action as people walk by.

“What do you say, ornery?” The passerby responds, “Good, how are you?” Ed comes back with a common topic, “Where’s my lunch?” “Well, I’m sorry they ran out.”

Keeth continues. “A lot of them start giving me a hard time. Now Dr. Duff, we go back and forth all the time. The CEO – I was in the skywalk here and the next time he came by I was a little farther down and he noticed. He asked me, ‘Are you looking for a job?’ And I said I’m thinking about a job. He said. ‘What job do you want?’ And I said ‘CEO – would you be my reference?’” Keeth stops to chuckle. “Then he said, ‘Yeah I guess so.’”

A transporter walks by with a patient. “Oh, not you again,” Keeth says. “They finally took your license away didn’t they?”

Keeth continues when there’s a lull in the activity. “To other transporters, I’ve said to the patient, ‘Ma’am, you’re taking a big chance. She lost her license last week!’

“Usually, patients are either concerned or scared; they don’t want to see someone with a long face. They want to see someone that’s outgoing, friendly and smiling, which keeps them a little more comfortable.”

To another passerby: “Look, I’ve seen you enough.” The response: “All right, I’ll have to bring my lunch the rest of the week.” The person passes and Ed says with a smile, “There you go. As you can see, I say whatever comes to my mind at the time.”

“You’re running late again,” he says to a staff member walking past. Another walker says, “There you are, in your spot.” “That’s me, that’s me,” Keeth responds until he recognizes the person. “Oh, no, not you!”

He turns back, “Anyway, what was I saying?

Someone says hello to Keeth. He asks, “Are you staying out of trouble?” The person answers yes and Ed says, “Why is it I don’t believe that?” The woman can be heard laughing down the hall.

As his 30 minutes wind down, someone throws the first line before Keeth sees it coming: “Are you going to start the New Year off nicer?” Ed turns and replies, “I’m always nice, you know that?”

Pam Kenworthy’s response: “Your nose is growing!”

“I think he’s funny and just the nicest guy in the world,” says Kenworthy, who works in Wheeler Hospital Services. “He tells me the only time I can stay in the cafeteria for lunch is when my mother is with me, because she makes me mind.”

About Keeth’s exchanges, she says, “It’s wonderful. I miss him when I don’t see him. His teasing is how I know he likes me.”

Keeth notices the time. “Oops, I gotta go. It’s 12:30,” he says as he turns to leave, adding, “Stay out of trouble now.”

If you missed him this time, don’t worry. You’ll be able to catch one of Ed Keeth’s repeat performances at Cox South – same time, same place. Don’t forget to ask him how it feels to be a Connection celebrity.

“Here comes trouble,” Ed Keeth declares with a grin as Radiology’s Dr. Tracy Roberts approaches on the skywalk. Most days, Keeth can be found delivering good-natured ribbing over the lunch hour during his wife’s shifts in Food Services. Over the last several years, his outgoing nature has made him a popular fixture at Cox South. “I enjoy working with people. I enjoy carrying on, giving people a hard time.”

CoxHealth’s Vicki Good named one of the top patient safety experts in the U.S.

Becker's Hospital Review has named Vicki Good, CoxHealth administrative director of patient safety, to its "50 Experts Leading the Field of Patient Safety," list. The list includes professionals from hospitals, universities and organizations across the U.S. who are working to improve patient safety throughout the industry.

At CoxHealth, Good oversees the patient safety, medication safety and infection prevention work of the organization. In addition, she serves as president-elect of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The AACN is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world with more than 100,000 members. 

To view the list, visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/50-experts-leading-the-field-of-patient-safety.html.

CoxHealth announces latest DAISY Award winners

Each quarter, CoxHealth recognizes nominated nurses with DAISY Awards. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is presented in medical facilities throughout the United States to recognize the education, training, skill and compassionate care nurses provide. Patients, their friends and families, co-workers, physicians and volunteers may nominate a nurse for the award.

This quarter’s winners are: 
· Ashley Adams, Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit, Cox South 
· Cindy Coffman, 300 East, Cox South 
· Hannah Thompson, Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit, Cox South. 

To learn more about the DAISY Award, visit http://daisyfoundation.org/. To nominate a CoxHealth nurse for the award, visit http://www.coxhealth.com/workfiles/forms/daisy-award-nomination.pdf.

Certified tobacco treatment specialist to lead cessation class in Branson

Cox Medical Center Branson has a new tobacco cessation program. It will be led by Jim Brawner, Community Educator, Cox Branson. Brawner is a Mayo Clinic certified tobacco treatment specialist and is certified through the American Lung Association (ALA) as a Freedom from Smoking Facilitator.  

“Certification ensures the class has access to the latest nicotine replacement treatment strategies, research and professionals to help build an individual plan,” says Brawner. “In addition, many insurance companies will reimburse for tobacco cessation services provided by a certified tobacco treatment specialist.” 

CMCB is proud to work with Skaggs Foundation to provide this needed program. The Taney County Health Department’s Health Needs Assessment in 2012 identified tobacco use as a top health risk with more than 30-percent of Taney County residents admitting to lighting up. 

“Smoking cessation classes help smokers and nonsmokers,” explains Brawner. “Secondhand smoke kills 53,000 nonsmoking Americans yearly by causing disease and cancer. By helping smokers kick the habit, we’re helping everyone in the community.” 

The program is possible thanks to a $493,000 grant from Missouri Foundation for Health that will be distributed over the next five years. A portion of the grant will provide for scholarships and financial assistance to offset the cost of the seven-week cessation class and nicotine replacement therapy. 

For more information about the smoking cessation class, visit CoxHealth.com/Branson and click on Wellness. To register for the program, call 417/335-7733, option 1.

CoxHealth advances cardiac care with hybrid OR

Just last week, CoxHealth physicians and staff conducted the first procedures in the health system’s new hybrid operating room – a specially constructed OR with all the traditional operating room capabilities, plus the advanced imaging equipment found in a cardiac catheterization lab. By combining these resources, CoxHealth physicians are able to perform a range of life-saving procedures in a state-of-the-art environment that’s setting the industry standard for patient care.

“A hybrid OR is ideal for complex vascular cases, including traumas,” said Becky Watts, administrative director of CoxHealth Cardiovascular Services. “Trauma patients can go directly to the hybrid OR where our enhanced imaging capabilities can diagnose vascular issues and then treatment can begin immediately in the same room,” she said. Cox Medical Center South, where the hybrid OR is located, is a Level I Trauma Center. 

In addition to trauma care, physicians are using the hybrid OR to perform a variety of vascular procedures, and on May 15 are scheduled to do the health system’s first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). TAVR allows surgeons to replace a patient’s aortic valve via catheter, rather than through the traditional open heart surgery method. This minimally invasive method offers a number of benefits to patients, including shorter recovery time and less post-procedure pain. According to Watts, the greatest benefit is that patients who are not candidates for an open procedure to repair or replace their valves now have an option for treatment. 

The hybrid OR also supports CoxHealth’s new Acute Aortic Treatment Center, the first in the area. The center brings together emergency department physicians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and the surgical team to quickly identify patients with ruptured aortic aneurysms, a life-threatening condition that can quickly lead to death if prompt treatment is not received. The Acute Aortic Treatment Center and the capabilities of the new hybrid OR allow CoxHealth caregivers to rapidly diagnose a ruptured aneurysm and provide the quick treatment these patients need. 

The new OR is more than 1,000 square feet in size, and features imaging equipment on ceiling-mounted booms that allow for superior movement and flexibility. Watts said this allows physicians and staff to capture images from a variety of angles, providing a superior view of the patient and their condition. The hybrid operating room also includes nearly a dozen large, flat screen panels that can display a patient’s previous imaging results with images currently being captured in the OR, the patient’s vital signs and even their medical record. 

“We’ve designed this room so that no matter where you are standing, you can see the information you need to care for the patient,” said Watts. “It really is state-of-the-art patient care.”

Registration open for annual CoxHealth Medical Mile and 5K Run/Walk

Registration is now open for the 22nd annual CoxHealth Medical Mile and 5K Run/Walk. The mile starts at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 7:45 a.m., Saturday, June 1, rain or shine. All proceeds from the race benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals of CoxHealth.

Participants can choose to compete in the Medical Mile or 5K Run/Walk, walk for fun in the Mile Madness event, or take part in all three events. The morning’s activities will also include: 

· an awards ceremony with KY3’s Ned Reynolds at 8:30 a.m. 
· refreshments for participants courtesy of Subway beginning at 6:30 a.m. 
· CARE Mobile Tours 
· Inflatables for the kids, plus interactive booths and games 
· Pet Therapy of the Ozarks 
· Louie, the Springfield Cardinals mascot, and other characters. 

Pre-registration is available now at any CoxHealth Fitness Centers location or you can register online at www.coxhealth.com/medmile. Participants can pick up their packets in Conference Room A at The Meyer Center, 3545 S. National, from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday, May 31. 

New this year, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration Walk will highlight the lives of those who have been helped by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. If you know someone who has been helped by the services of CMN Hospitals, get a team together to celebrate them. Each team can have a “poster person” they are walking for. Wear shirts, carry signs and decorate your team to show your spirit for the lives changed by this wonderful organization. Each team with 10 or more members will receive $2 off each race registration. To register your team, contact Justin Bess at 269-1831 or Justin.Bess@coxhealth.com. 

Pre-registration fees begin at $10 for children 14 and younger, $20 for adults and $50 for families. All registrants receive a tech shirt. Please see www.coxhealth.com/medmile or call 269-3282 for more information on race day registration, entry fees and more. 

This year’s CoxHealth Medical Mile is sponsored by Cox HealthPlans, CoxHealth Auxiliary, Oxford Healthcare, Subway and Fitness Resource Group.

Congratulations to the Drury Panthers!

Congratulations to the Drury Men's Basketball team on winning the NCAA Division II National Championship title! CoxHealth is the official sports medicine physicians provider for the Panthers, and we are proud to be the team behind the team. Dr. Shannon Woods, medical director for CoxHealth Sports Medicine (below), was on hand for the championship game Sunday. We proudly salute these outstanding athletes and their coaches for an excellent year!

Ribbons cut on expanded facilities at Ferrell-Duncan Clinic

Leaders formally kicked off the new Convenient Care Pharmacy and Atrium Express Deli in the Ferrell-Duncan Clinic lobby with a ribbon cutting on Friday (above). The event was part of a day of open houses that also featured the expanded FDC Allergy and Immunology department and the Parkinson's Clinic of the Ozarks. Thanks to all who joined in the celebration!

Thinking of trying a triathlon? Let CoxHealth help you prepare

Have you been thinking about trying a triathlon? The CoxHealth Total Performance Running Team is holding a free workshop Saturday, April 13, to help you learn the ins-and-outs of triathlon participation.

This lecture and interactive lab will be held 8:30-11:15 a.m. in Conference Room B at the CoxHealth Meyer Center, 3545 S. National. Topics will include: race day rules, transitions and beginner/intermediate level training; swimming strategies and techniques; cycling strategies, technique, and proper bike fit; and running. Topics will be presented by CoxHealth experts, including certified personal trainer Dave Nokes; swimming instructor, Ironman competitor and former collegiate swimmer Ellen Fredericksen; USA certified cycling coach Sheryl Deboer; and two-time Olympic middle-distance runner Jason Pyrah. 

Other CoxHealth experts in fitness, athletic training and physical therapy will be on-hand; local cycling and running stores will have gear and equipment on display; and free trials of the state-of-the-art AlterG anti-gravity treadmill will also be available at the conclusion of the event. To register, please visit www.coxhealth.com/sportsmedicine or call 417-269-INFO. Space is limited. 

The CoxHealth Total Performance Running team consists of sport medicine physicians, running specialists from CoxHealth Fitness Centers, athletic trainers from CoxHealth Athletic Advantage and outpatient physical therapists.

CoxHealth plans new patient tower at Cox Medical Center South

Today, CoxHealth announced plans to construct a 310,000 square-foot addition to Cox Medical Center South, the health system’s flagship hospital in south Springfield. This new patient tower will connect to Cox South’s existing tower and will house a Women’s and Children’s Hospital, a Neuroscience Hospital, and will include room for future expansion.

“We are planning for the future, to meet the area’s health care needs for the next 20-30 years,” said Steve Edwards, CoxHealth president and CEO. “Our main hospital tower was designed in 1983, and it has served us – and the people of Southwest Missouri – quite well. But looking forward, we know that to continue to provide the absolute best patient care and meet the needs of our growing and aging population, we must have facilities designed for the highest standards of care and efficiency. This new patient tower places us securely at the forefront of health care in the Midwest.” 

The new tower will feature all private patient rooms, and once complete will allow CoxHealth to convert all of the existing rooms in Cox South to private rooms as well. Should a medical disaster occur, these existing rooms can be converted back to semi-private rooms in mere hours, giving the health system unprecedented flexibility to meet patient demands. 

“Patients want private rooms, and health care providers know private rooms provide a quiet, healing environment,” said Edwards. 





The Women’s and Children’s Hospital will utilize three floors of the nine floor addition and will include a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit and Post-Partum Unit, with easy access to CoxHealth’s existing Labor and Delivery area and women’s and children’s physician offices. 

The new Neuroscience Hospital will also utilize three floors of space and will include inpatient care units, plus clinic space for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute physicians and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic neurologists. 

Says Edwards: “Our neuroscience and women’s and children’s teams are an absolute strength of this organization. We deliver more than 3,000 babies a year, and our neuroscience team has been rated number one in the nation for spinal fusion by CareChex. We are proud of the care we provide, and we are happy that our professionals will soon be able to provide this outstanding care in the area’s best facility, bar none.” 

The project has a $130 million budget, financed in part by an April bond issuance. While the health care industry faces uncertainty as it deals with health care reform and the question of Medicaid expansion, one certainty remains – more and more patients will need care, and mission-driven hospitals such as CoxHealth are trusted to provide it. Given the historically low interest rates in the bond market, investing in a new patient tower now means CoxHealth can provide that care at a significantly lower cost than if it waited to pursue the project. The organization’s analysis shows that if current interest rates were to increase by only 1.5 percentage points, the cost of the bond offering would increase by $43 million. 

“We have thought about building a new tower for a long time,” says Dr. John Duff, senior vice president and chief hospital officer. “We know we need to grow to serve our community and if we wait, it will be more costly for us to do so.” 

Money from this approximately $200 million bond issuance will also be used to fund projects and refinance debt associated with Cox Medical Center Branson. 

Groundbreaking for the new tower at Cox South is scheduled for May, with an 18-24 month construction period.

Seniors learn to avoid fraud in free class

Area seniors can learn important information about preventing fraud at the “Legal Concerns for Seniors” presentation, sponsored by CoxHealth Senior Advantage. 

Ron Carrier from the Springfield office of the Missouri Attorney General, with the Consumer Fraud Task Force from Legal Services of Southern Missouri, will present this helpful information. This presentation will be held 1-2 p.m., Tuesday, April 2, in the Ozark Room of the CoxHealth Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, on the corner of National and Walnut Lawn in Springfield. 
There is no fee for this presentation. 

Please call CoxHealth Senior Advantage at 269-3616 or 1-888-354-3618 for more information.

CoxHealth holding diaper drive to benefit Newborns in Need

Every year, many local babies are born to families who cannot afford newborn necessities, including diapers. The Newborns in Need program works through local agencies and hospitals to provide these infants with the items they need, free of charge. 

April 1 – 20, CoxHealth and the CoxHealth Foundation are holding a diaper drive to benefit the Newborns in Need Diaper Bank. Disposable and cloth diapers in sizes newborn – six will be collected at all three CoxHealth Springfield Hospitals, with a goal of collecting 1,000 packages to help local children and families in need. 

Collection bins are located: 

· The Women’s Center inside the CoxHealth Turner Center, 1000 E. Primrose 
· Cox South main lobby (North Entrance), and West Pavilion entrance, 3801 S. National 
· Human Resources inside Cox North, 1423 N. Jefferson 
· Administration Office inside Cox Walnut Lawn, 1000 E. Walnut Lawn 

For more information about Newborns in Need, visit http://www.newbornsinneed.org/.