__SAINT FRANCIS ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES__

Saint Francis Healthcare System announced several administrative changes in its organizational structure. The changes came Oct. 5 from Steven C. Bjelich, president and CEO. Teri Kreitzer, director of human resources, accepted a new role as vice president -- human resources and administrative services, Bjelich said. In addition to human resources for the 2,700 medical center employees, Kreitzer will be responsible for human resources for the system's ambulatory practices and other holdings. She also will be responsible for the employee health, training and development, security and food and nutrition services departments. Kreitzer worked at Saint Francis for 25 years. Dr. Thomas S. Diemer will continue his role as vice president -- quality and patient safety and will now be responsible for performance improvement, the hospitalists, the medical directors for all service lines and the medical staff office. Diemer has been a member of the administrative staff at Saint Francis since 2008, which followed his 17 years as an internist. Pastoral care, the auxiliary and volunteer services will now report to Jimmy Wilferth, executive director, Saint Francis Foundation. Dr. James A. Schell II resigned from the health-care system and his role as vice president -- medical affairs.

__YIBIRIN JOINS BJC MEDICAL__

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- BJC Medical Group added Dr. Edmundo Yibirin to the Medical Arts Clinic, where he is serving patients as an obstetrician and gynecologist. Yibirin is board certified in family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. He received his medical degree from Universidad Central de Venezuela in 1995 and was trained in a variety of disciplines, including general surgery and primary care. For the past seven years, Yibirin has focused on gynecology and obstetrics by completing a fellowship in family medicine obstetrics and a residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Memphis, Tennessee.

__EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN JOINS SAINT FRANCIS__

Saint Francis Medical Center added Dr. Sara Elizabeth Nowicki as a medical partner and emergency medicine physician. She joins 14 other emergency medicine physicians at Saint Francis' Emergency and Trauma Center. Nowicki earned her medical degree from A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. She then completed her emergency medicine residency at Grandview Medical Center OUCOM in Dayton, Ohio.

__PREFERRED HOSPICE ADDS SOCIAL WORKER__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Laurie Black joined Preferred Hospice of Farmington as a social worker in September. She has a master's degree in social work and has worked as a licensed clinical social worker since 2010.

__NEWCOMER NAMED DIRECTOR OF CANCER SERVICES__

Saint Francis Medical Center named Lisa Newcomer as service line director for cancer services. In this role, she is responsible for the daily operations and strategic oversight of multiple departments and contracts, including financial, quality and customer service, according to a news release from Saint Francis. She will remain the service line director of pulmonary and sleep medicine. Newcomer joined Saint Francis in 1989 and has served as manager of respiratory care services and director of home medical equipment and Sleep Disorder Center. She is a registered respiratory therapist and a certified pulmonary function technician through the National Board for Respiratory Care.

__SEED JOINS PC WELLNESS CENTERS__

Dr. Benjamin Seed joined PC Wellness Centers in Cape Girardeau. He has been a chiropractor since 2009 and previously owned Family Health and Wellness Chiropractic in Carbondale, Illinois. He is certified in pediatric chiropractic, digestive enzyme therapy and active release technique, according to a news release.

__SIKESTON FACILITY TO UNVEIL NEW EQUIPMENT__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston Radiation Oncology, a Saint Francis Medical Partners practice, will unveil a new linear accelerator in February. The Elekra Synergy linear accelerator uses 3-D imaging to guide cancer-patient setup before radiation therapy begins, according to a news release from Saint Francis. The feature allows the patient to be more comfortable, saves time and ensures the therapy is accurate. While the Sikeston, Missouri, office is being renovated to accommodate the accelerator, patients will receive radiation treatments at Cape Radiation Oncology, the release stated.

__PERRY COUNTY HOSPITAL HONORED__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville was honored as a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital in America by the National Rural Healthcare Association. The top-performing critical access hospitals deliver significantly higher-quality care than their peers, generally serve a healthier population and expend fewer costs per individual, deliver lower-cost care than their peers, capture a larger portion of their market share than other critical access hospitals and deliver better patient health outcomes, according to a news release from the hospital.

__SCHMEDEMANN IS MATERNAL AND CHILD SERVICES DIRECTOR__

Saint Francis Medical Center appointed Isabel Schmedemann as director of maternal and child health services. She will oversee the full continuum of obstetric care offered by Saint Francis, including high-risk prenatal care provided by Cape Perinatology Services, labor and delivery within the Family BirthPlace and Cape Care for Women, specialized neonatal care for premature and critically ill newborns in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and follow-up pediatric care at the Children's Center. Schmedemann previously was chief operating and chief nursing officer at Goodall Hospital in Sanford, Maine; associate vice president of nursing at Southern Maine Health Care; chief nursing officer at McKee Medical Center in Colorado; vice president of patient care services at Hutchinson Hospital Corporation in Kansas; and maternal-child nursing director at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Kansas. She earned her MBA from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, and a BSN from the University of Kansas School of Nursing.

__PFEIFER NAMED VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES__

SoutheastHEALTH on Oct. 29 announced the appointment of Erin Pfeifer as vice president of human resources. She succeeds Lincoln Scott, senior vice president, who will retire Jan. 1. Pfeifer, a native of Cape Girardeau, joined SoutheastHEALTH in May 2011 and currently is director of compensation and benefits for the health system.

__LUNDY, HAYDEN PUBLISHED FOR THERAPY WORK__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Janice Lundy, director of social work and geriatric care management at Perry County Memorial Hospital, and Deborah Hayden, director of occupational therapy, recently were published in several professional publications regarding their work with cognitive stimulation therapy, according to a news release from the hospital. Lundy and Hayden were featured in the October publication of ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners and in the September publication of JAMDA: The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. They also were featured in a publication from the Saint Louis University School of Social Work and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. CST is a group treatment program offered at PCMH for patients facing mild to moderate dementia. It has shown to greatly improve memory, concentration, communication, mood, confidence and, at times, behavior.

__SIKESTON PHARMACY HAS GRAND REOPENING__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston MediCenter Pharmacy, 507 N. Main St. in Sikeston, celebrated its grand reopening on Oct. 29. The pharmacy has added several new elements, such as a computer system that can text or email patients when prescriptions are ready, vaccination services, online refills and an app, according to a news release from MediCenter. The pharmacy also has partnered with Health Mart to be able to accept major health insurance plans at the same copays as national chains and competitive pricing, though it remains independent and locally owned, the release stated.

__MCMULLIN HONORED FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE__

John McMullin of John's Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau was recognized in September for his 50 years of pharmacy service. After graduating from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1965, McMullin worked as a pharmacist in St. Louis and Sikeston, Missouri, before moving to Cape Girardeau in 1972. He owns and operates John's Pharmacy and John's RX.