Health Notes

The Groves offers diabetes and vision class for community
A class on “Diabetes and Your Vision,” will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the White Oak Living Center, at The Groves, 1515 West White Oak, in Independence. The event is open to the public.
For information, call 816-254-3500, ext. 469.

Orthopedic surgeons appoint practice administrator
Gary A. Brown, of Lee’s Summit, has recently joined Orthopedic Surgeons, Inc., as the group's practice administrator.
OSI is an orthopedic surgery practice with offices located on the campuses of North Kansas City Hospital, 2790 Clay Edwards Drive, Suite 650, and St. Mary's Medical Center of Blue Springs, 203 NW R.D. Mize Road, Suite 250.
In his new role, Brown will be responsible for managing the practice's day-to-day operations, including staff development, budgeting and revenue stream management.
Brown has extensive experience in health care management in the Kansas City area. Most recently, he served as the practice manager for Midwest Cardiology Associates from 2000 to 2008. He also has held positions with Trinity Lutheran Hospital, Baptist Medical Center, Research Medical Center, Lakeside Hospital and Excelsior Springs Hospital.
The OSI Group is an orthopedic surgery practice that includes Peter I. Vilkins, D.O., Gregory L. Barnhill, D.O., Michael A. Clemente, D.O., Charles Orth, D.O., Robert Paul, D.O., David Paul, D.O., and Jonathan Blake, D.O. 
Its seven physicians provide orthopedic care to patients at North Kansas City Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center of Blue Springs. Services are also provided at Cameron Community Hospital, Ray County Memorial Hospital, and Carroll County Memorial Hospital.

Centerpoint Medical Center supports child abuse prevention
The Child Abuse Prevention Association received a gift in the amount of $5,000 from Centerpoint Medical Center to support its mission to prevent and treat all forms of child abuse. 
Each year in the Kansas City metropolitan area, CAPA helps more than 11,000 children and families and provides more than 21,000 hours of service. In the last 12 years alone, CAPA has provided more 206,800 hours of help to 127,300 people who wanted to heal from and prevent child abuse.
CAPA, 503 E. 23rd St., in Independence, was founded in 1975 with a grant from the Independence Junior Service League in response to concerns about child abuse. Its mission is to prevent and treat all forms of child abuse by creating changes in individuals, families and society that strengthen relationships and promote healing.

Medicine Cabinet expands emergency medical assistance
Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet, a program of Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation, has added new intake sites and the addition of Price Chopper Pharmacies as a provider-partner to increase access to emergency medical assistance for some of Kansas City's most vulnerable citizens. 
The program helps the uninsured and underserved people in the Kansas City area who are unable to pay for short-term emergency medical needs. The program provides dental care, diabetic supplies, durable medical equipment, optical care and prescription assistance.  At 70%, prescriptions make up the largest amount of assistance provided.  Not included:  Emergency room visits, hospitalization, routine doctor's visits and prescriptions for controlled substances.
The Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation provides support for Kansas City's Medicine Cabinet, a program delivering crisis-related emergency medical assistance for those in need. 
Interested clients must call to make an appointment at any of the following social service agencies and meet intake requirements. Requirements include having an income of 200 percent of the Federal poverty level or lower; Social Security card; picture ID; proof of income and proof of address for past 30 days. In Independence, visit the Community Services League, 300 W. Maple (816-254-4100). In the eastern part of Kansas City, visit the Bishop Sullivan Center, 6435 Truman Rd. (816-231-0984) or the Community Assistance Council, 10901 Blue Ridge Blvd. (816-763-3277).
Price Chopper Pharmacies participating in the program will accept vouchers for prescriptions, applicable durable medical equipment and diabetic supplies.

Truman Medical Center’s golf fundraiser raises $65,000
 Truman Medical Center’s second annual Golf Baby Golf tournament benefiting the TMC Lakewood Birthing Center raised over $65,000 during the one day tournament on Friday, May 9 at WinterStone Golf Course in Independence, Missouri.
On hole two, a 198 yard par three, golfer Kyle Sinclair, North American Savings Bank team, hit a hole-in-one to win a brand new Cadillac from Broome Cadillac of Independence. Sinclair also took home a new set of Ping iron clubs from Don Kahan Chevrolet. This was the first hole-in-one ever shot at WinterStone Golf Course and the first for the Golf Baby Golf Tournament.
Proceeds from the second annual Golf Baby Golf tournament go toward the construction of a new Mother Baby  Center at TMC Lakewood. The nearly $90,000 raised in the last two years will also go toward purchasing equipment for the special care unit nursery within the Mother Baby Center.
For more information about the TMC Golf Baby Golf tournament or to sign up for next year’s tournament on June 5, 2009 please visit www.golfbabygolf.com.

Area residents raise $275,000 to help fight multiple sclerosis
The Mid America Chapter hosted the 20th annual Walk MS in 19 locations throughout eastern Kansas and western Missouri.  The events raised a combined total of more than $275,000.  
Money raised from Walk MS 2008 will fund both national research into the cause of and cure for multiple sclerosis. It will also support local client programs, which help the 25,000 eastern Kansas and western Missouri residents affected by MS every day.  Walk MS sponsors included Chick-fil-A, EMD Serono, KSHB, Teva Neuroscience, Radio Disney and more. 
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving.  Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.
The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease.  MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
The National MS Society helps each person address the challenges of living with MS through our 50 state network of chapters.  We fund more MS research, provide more services to people with MS, offer more professional education and further more advocacy efforts than any other MS organization in the world.  The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. 
We are people who want to do something about MS now.  Join the movement at nationalmssociety.org.

St. Joseph Medical Center gets award from Snowmass Institute
St. Joseph Medical Center has received the Special Recognition Award from the Snowmass Institute for its Healthy Beginnings Program. 
Healthy Beginnings helps at-risk mothers care for themselves and their unborn baby. Participating members receive up to four, one-on-one visits with a registered nurse for support and education.
Participants also receive a number of complimentary services including childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes and a manual breast pump, infant car seat with installation education, prenatal education based on the mother’s personal needs, referral to community resources, infant and maternal clothing and pregnancy and baby related books and literature.
Programs such as Healthy Beginnings result in babies being born with healthy birth weights, decreases in premature deliveries and decreases in pregnancy related complications.
Established in 1975, the Snowmass Institute provides professional conferences, on-site workshops and consulting services for health systems, colleges and universities.
 
St. Mary’s Medical Center recognized for excellence
St. Mary’s Medical Center has been recognized with the Excellence with Insight award for overall patient satisfaction in the medium hospital category by HealthStream Research.
This award recognizes hospitals that excel in their ability to gain insight into patients, employees, physicians and the community through research and use that information to build excellence within their organization.
More than 1,100 hospitals and healthcare organizations have chosen HealthStream Research as their partner to help them understand where they are, where they need to be and how to get there.
They do this by conducting research that helps build patient loyalty, improve employee and physician satisfaction and engagement, and create a leading brand in service areas.
Winners will be recognized during an award ceremony in September in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
Hausheer receives KC Dietetic Association award
Peggy Hausheer has received a Special Recognition Award from The Kansas City Dietetic Association for her long commitment to nutrition education. 
Peggy is a home economist and the executive director and founder of Nutra-Net, a nonprofit education organization. As a volunteer for 23 years, she has provided unique and effective nutrition education to children and families in many greater Kansas City schools and communities. 
Her creative approach through short education sessions, paired with hands-on cooking activities using pictorial recipes, has been Nutra-Net's niche for many years.

Frazier to be honored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
 Robert Frazier, executive vice president of Mission and Community Services for Carondelet Health, is one of three recipients of this year’s Generosity of Joseph Honors presented by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 
 Frazier has been associated with St. Joseph Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center of Blue Springs for over 22 years, serving as a board member, consultant and vice president of support services for all of Carondelet Health. During the merger that formed Carondelet Health, he was especially successful in preserving the integrity and the mission of each of the hospitals.
He served in Catholic education for over 20 years at Bishop Miege High School as president/principal, vice principal, athletic director, teacher and coach. He also played a significant role in building the foundation of Catholic Charities of Kansas City.
 
Dobies Healthcare Group names new senior account manager
Randee Gannon has been appointed senior account manager by Dobies Healthcare Group, a marketing and advertising agency serving the health care industry.
Gannon will develop and implement marketing communications strategies for a variety of clients, in addition to providing corporate communications services for American Board of Pediatrics and account supervision for Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
Gannon brings with her over 18 years of experience in local, regional and national marketing, public relations and advertising. Formerly, she served as a freelance communications consultant for Dobies Healthcare Group. She has won numerous industry awards for her work in health care communications, including corporate event planning, national media relations and various design and writing projects.