Business notebook: Tourist riverboats return to downtown Cape

The flooded Mississippi River relented enough last week to allow floating tourist cruisers direct access to downtown Cape Girardeau.

Two touring riverboats, the Queen of the Mississippi and the American Queen, were able to dock at the Themis Street floodgate late last week after missing several earlier scheduled stops. High water on the river had prevented the riverboats from stopping and letting off hundreds of passengers in downtown. Five dockings had been missed this summer before the floodgates reopened Tuesday.

The stops by the American Queen and other riverboats in Cape Girardeau often feature tours for passengers of attractions such as area museums and historical sites that benefit from set fees the riverboat companies arrange to pay for the visits.

Three cruisers, including a new sister ship for the Queen of the Mississippi called the American Eagle, are on the docking schedule for Cape Girardeau this year. By 2017, Viking Cruises is expected to add its own touring riverboat to the Mississippi River, potentially stopping at Cape Girardeau.

Multiday river cruises on the Mississippi River, along with river cruises in the western part of the United States and Europe, have grown in popularity, resulting in more companies and riverboats in the business, according to current tourism industry reports.

Perryville hospital to expand, renovate

Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Missouri, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today to begin an expansion and renovation project.

The project will feature 4,400 square feet for Prescriptions Plus Pharmacy, doubling its size, and the addition of a two-car drive-through service port and new robotic prescription-filling equipment.

Also included in the project will be 2,800 square feet of newly built space for a dedicated medical oncology and infusion clinic and renovation of approximately 11,000 square feet of other medical office space, according to a news release from the hospital.

The completed project will connect two existing medical offices on a lower level with interior pharmacy access.

Robinson Construction of Perryville is under contract with the hospital as the construction manager, and Christner Incorporated of St. Louis serves as the architect.

Other firms, including Baer Engineering of Perryville and KJWW Engineering of St. Louis, have contributed to the planning, the release stated.

The project is expected to cover three phases and may take 16 to 18 months to complete.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be between Medical Office Buildings A & B at 4:30 p.m. today.

Southeast Hospital recognized

U.S. News & World Report recently gave Southeast Hospital a high rating for its treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

A study by U.S. News & World Report credited the hospital with "success in preventing unplanned returns of COPD patients to the hospital for causes related to COPD within 30 days of discharge," according to a news release.

U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals in the study; only about 10 percent of hospitals were rated as high performers, the release stated.

Southeast Hospital pulmonologists Dr. Khalid Khan and Dr. Aravind Pothineni emphasized the importance of proper treatment for COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation in the release.

Southeast Hospital is part of the SoutheastHEALTH system.

Online programs get high marks

Two Southeast Missouri State University degree programs, an online RN to BSN program and online Master of Business Administration, or MBA, with an option in sport management, recently received high rankings.

The online nursing degree program was ranked by GreatValueColleges.net as the top program in Missouri and 23rd in the country among RN to BSN online degree programs, according to a news release from the university,

The online program for an MBA with an option in sport management was selected by The Best Schools as 17th in the nation and was the only program in Missouri ranked in the top 25, according to a release.

Audiology practice moves, plans events

Audiology Associates of Missouri will open in a new office today at 3117 Blattner Drive in Cape Girardeau.

The practice, which specializes in diagnosis and treatment of inner-ear disorders and hearing loss and operates a hearing-aid center, is led by Sarah Hickey, doctor of audiology.

The office formerly was on Independence Street. The office is keeping its phone number, 651-4650, but has added a new business line, 332-7000.

Operations manager Darin Hickey said the new office will give the practice more space and a better facility.

A ribbon-cutting is planned for 4:30 p.m. Aug. 20, and will be followed by an open house until 7 p.m.

SERVPRO honored for revenue performance

SERVPRO of Cape Girardeau & Scott Counties, which offers disaster cleanup, restoration and remediation services, recently earned a franchise award for outstanding revenue performance.

The local franchise, owned by Sandy and Richard Hastings, received a MILLIONAIRE'S Bronze award at the SERVPRO Franchise System's annual convention last month in Chicago, according to a news release.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3632