Awards and achievements for July 2023

The Center for Plastic Surgery earns Center of Excellence accreditation

The Center for Plastic Surgery has received the Center of Excellence accreditation from the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). The team passed the on-site survey in early July with no findings.

The Plastic Surgery clinic joins a premier group of organizations to have received the designation. This is an international accreditation that signifies meeting rigorous program requirements for a high concentration of expertise in plastic surgery, delivering excellent care and the best patient outcomes possible.

CoxHealth Director honored by DOD for Extraordinary Support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves

Alan Butler, director of System Security at CoxHealth, was awarded the “Patriot Award” from the Department of Defense. The award represents his extraordinary support for his employees and family members of those in the National Guard and Reserves.

Butler was nominated for the prestigious award by one of his employees in the Navy Reserve, Chief Petty Officer, John Goulbourne. Nearly 100 people attended the event hosted by the Missouri National Guard. The special ceremony was conducted as a joint venture of the Employer support of the guard and reserve (ESGR), Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and the Ozark Empire Military Officers Association of America. The guests were given the opportunity to ride in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and tour the facility.

Tom Krahenbuhl, State Chair of the Missouri Committee, ESGR, presented the award and retired Col. Steve Vanderhoof, Missouri ESGR Area 4 Chair, gave remarks during the ceremony explaining the importance of supporting National Guard and Reserve members.

“The most important part is the nominator recognizing their supervisor that they are going above and beyond what the law requires, that employers can allow service members to pursue their military duties as well as their personal without workforce conflict,” says Vanderhoof.

CoxHealth is proud to honor our leaders who support veterans and the members who have served or are currently serving in the National Guard and Reserves.

2023 Springfield Clinical Campus Awards:

The University of Missouri School of Medicine honored Springfield area physicians on March 21. Our physicians honored have volunteered their time to mentor and teach the 28 MU medical students who move to Springfield every June to start their third year of medical school.

The MU School of Medicine Springfield Clinical Campus Faculty Appreciation Dinner provided an opportunity for administrators and students to thank the volunteer faculty members for their time and dedication to training the next generation of physicians. Read more about the event here. CoxHealth’s physicians that were honored are:

Family Medicine Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Mark Ellis – “Dr. Mark Ellis cares so deeply about his patients and about teaching. He excels at almost every aspect of being a physician to learn from: he exhibits clear and empathetic communication in clinic and exemplifies how to develop rapport with patients. Dr. Ellis's fellowship in medical education really shows by the way he identifies good educational opportunities with patients and gives guidance as to where students can most improve. He is an excellent mentor, a thoughtful clinician, and cares deeply about student’s growth and well-being.”

Internal Medicine Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Arijit Chowdhury – “Dr. Chowdhury does a phenomenal job engaging with students. Although very busy, he somehow finds a way to balance his schedule with time for teaching and engaging with students on his service. He allows students independence in seeing the patients and formulating plans, and then spent time going over each assessment and plan in depth. He truly understands the level we are at as medical students, meets us there, and then pushes and challenges us to improve in big ways. These high expectations allow for student growth and building confidence in the hospital setting. In addition to teaching us medicine, he spends time sharing general advice about life as a physician and how to approach some of the big decisions we have to make in the coming years.”

Psychiatry Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Rex Taber – “Dr. Taber is an amazing physician to learn from. He treats students like a valuable part of the team and makes an effort to be very approachable and answer all questions. He often focuses on topics that he knows are of a student’s particular interest or topics in psychiatry that apply to a student’s chosen field. He guides students through his expectations and offers thoughtful feedback along the way. He is an incredible, positive person and is a role model for meeting patients where they are. His patients are often struggling at their lowest point and live in the margins of society, but he doesn’t judge them. Rather, he sees them for all of their potential and treats them incredible kindness.”

Surgery Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Tessa Woods – “Dr. Woods has a strong passion for education and involves students at every turn. She readily welcomes students on her team and encourages them to maximally participate in patient care. She allows them to participate in procedures both in the operating room and on the floor. She challenges students to develop assessments and plans for critically ill patients and then takes her time to explain all relevant pathology and address any questions. She is a role model to students as she demonstrates the fantastic patient care that she expects from her students.”

Obstetrics and Gynecology Preceptor of the Year: Dr. Molly Greenwade – “Dr. Molly Greenwade is an amazing teacher and an all-around incredible and inspiring person. Her passion for education and hands-on learning coupled with breaking down surgical techniques to a level that medical students understand fosters an exceptionally fruitful learning experience. Her enthusiasm for the work she does is infectious and witnessing her care for her patients is like watching two old friends interact, as she truly exemplifies patient centered care with a remarkable bedside manner. She walks with patients as they battle cancer, and she shows them such genuine compassion in her care and her ability to have difficult conversations with such grace and understanding. She embodies kindness to patients, staff, and students alike, and gives of herself so freely. She is a powerhouse of women’s health, is a wonderful role model and mentor.”

Subspecialty in Cardiothoracic Surgery Preceptor of the Year: Dr. David Zolfaghari – “Dr. Zolfaghari is a pleasure to work with and learn from. His energy and enthusiasm for cardiothoracic surgery is infectious. He goes out of his way to make sure that students experience various things in the operating room and allows for a lot of hands-on learning. He is very approachable and creates a relaxed environment where students feel comfortable asking questions. Dr. Z takes time to talk with students about leading a team and how to cultivate a positive culture in that team.”

EMS nationally recognized for quality care in Southwest Missouri

CoxHealth EMS recently received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) ‘Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold’ achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes.

“CoxHealth is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our EMS teams’ dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” says Mark Alexander, director of CoxHealth’s emergency medical services. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts our proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, giving our patients the best chance of survival.”

Mission: Lifeline EMS is the national initiative from AHA to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states. The program helps reduce barriers that delay treatment, beginning when the 911 call is made, to EMS transport and the continuation of care through hospital treatment, then to their discharge.

Five stars at Cox Monett and Cox Barton County

Two CoxHealth rural hospitals, Cox Barton County and Cox Monett, received recognition from Becker's Hospital Review, a national publication in the health care industry, for their excellence in nurse communication.

Using information from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Becker's created a list of the hospitals that received five stars for nurse communication.

“Cox Barton and Cox Monett are shining examples of five-star quality in a rural hospital setting,” says William Mahoney, vice-president of CoxHealth’s Community Hospital Group. "Effective nurse communication ensures that information is conveyed to help keep our patients safe and is essential in creating a positive patient experience.”

CMS shares 10 HCAHPS star ratings based on publicly reported Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System (HCAHPS) measures. The nurse communication star rating combines data from three HCAHPS survey questions and summarizes how well patients feel that their nurses explained things clearly, listened carefully to the patient, and treated the patient with courtesy and respect.

Click here to see a list of the 364 hospitals that received five stars for nurse communication in every state.