News Articles

August 21, 2019

Kidd and Younghouse Join Saint Francis Board of Directors

Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes two new members to the Saint Francis Healthcare System Board of Directors. Adam Kidd and Laura Younghouse joined the Board. Adam Kidd is the president of Kidd Oil Co. He has served on the Saint Francis Health Development Board since 2015....

August 12, 2019

Family Nurse Practitioner Shirk Joins Saint Francis Hospitalists

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to announce that Family Nurse Practitioner Christina L. Shirk, FNP-BC has joined Saint Francis Hospitalists. Shirk earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Roseman University in Henderson, Nev. in 2011. She graduated from the Family Nurse Practitioner program at...

August 5, 2019

Small Joins Cape ENT Group

Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes Luke T. Small, MD to Cape ENT Group. Dr. Small specializes in otolaryngology which focuses on the anatomy, function, and diseases of the ear, nose and throat. He received his medical education from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2014....

August 2, 2019

Ronca Joins Saint Francis Healthcare System

Richard D. Ronca, MD, PhD joins Saint Francis Healthcare System as a Neurohospitalist. Dr. Ronca will rotate inpatient coverage with Dr. Aleksey Androsov who is also a Neurohospitalist. A Neurohospitalist is a physician whose subspecialty interest is in the management of inpatients with neurologic disorders. Dr. Ronca...

July 30, 2019

Saint Francis’ Ogburn Achieves FACHE Credential

Vice President of Saint Francis Medical Partners, Alex Ogburn, MBA, FACHE, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, (FACHE) the nation's leading professional society for healthcare leaders. FACHE is a premier board certification in healthcare management and formally recognizes Ogburn's high competency,...

July 19, 2019

Saint Francis Awards 22 Scholarships

Saint Francis Foundation and the Saint Francis Auxiliary awarded healthcare scholarships to twenty-two local students in July. Each student received $2,000 in scholarships toward a degree in a healthcare-related profession. The Saint Francis Healthcare Scholarship Program was established in 1980. Saint Francis Foundation and the Saint...

July 3, 2019

Family Nurse Practitioner Amber D. Towe Joins Ferguson Medical Group in Sikeston

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to announce that Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Amber D. Towe, APRN, PMHNP-BC has joined Behavioral Health at Ferguson Medical Group in Sikeston, Mo. Towe is a board certified Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner through the American...

July 3, 2019

Colonoscopies Provided at Saint Francis Clinic Poplar Bluff

Colonoscopies are provided at Saint Francis Clinic Poplar Bluff by Matthew J. Riffle, MD. A colonoscopy screens for abnormalities in the large intestine and rectum. A tiny video camera allows the doctor to view the inside of the colon. The American Cancer Society recommends people at...

June 24, 2019

Saint Francis First in Region to Offer Immediate CT Results

Saint Francis Healthcare System's Computed Tomography (CT) machine has undergone a software update enabling it to be the first in the region to offer rapid results on perfusion of the head with results available immediately. CT Perfusion imaging shows which areas of the brain are adequately...

June 14, 2019

Saint Francis Healthcare System Tackles Serious Health Needs Identified in Study

Saint Francis Healthcare System has completed a months-long study of community health needs in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard counties. While health need priorities have changed over the years, many major health issues have not. In its 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), Saint Francis...

June 4, 2019

Palmer Joins Saint Francis Clinic Kingshighway

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to announce that Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Bobbi J. Palmer, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC has joined Saint Francis Clinic Kingshighway. Palmer earned her Bachelor of Science – Nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 1987. She...

May 23, 2019

Newcomer Achieves FACHE Credential

Lisa Newcomer, RRT, MBA, FACHE, Service Line Director of Cancer Services, Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine at Saint Francis Healthcare System, has achieved Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). This significant professional achievement is a gold standard board certification as a healthcare executive and...

May 17, 2019

Saint Francis First in Region to Offer TMVR for Mitral Regurgitation

Saint Francis Healthcare System now offers transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) with the MitraClip procedure for those experiencing mitral regurgitation (MR). The Structural Heart Team of Saint Francis Healthcare System performed its first MitraClip procedure this week. Mitral regurgitation is the leakage of blood backward through...

April 26, 2019

Ashley Carter Named Hospital Coding Manager

Ashley Carter has been named the Hospital Coding Manager for Health Information Management at Saint Francis Healthcare System. Carter is a Certified Coding Specialist. Her responsibilities include educating physicians on any hospital coding concerns, working directly with the clinical documentation improvement team regarding any coding/quality documentation...

April 23, 2019

Saint Francis Honors Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

Saint Francis Healthcare System celebrated National Volunteer Week from April 7-13 with the annual Auxiliary and Volunteer Luncheon on April 15 to honor the more than 100 volunteers who serve Saint Francis Healthcare and its patients. Around 130 attended the luncheon held at the Drury Plaza...

April 4, 2019

Ogburn Named Vice President of Saint Francis Medical Partners

Alex Ogburn, MBA, FACHE has been named the new Vice President of Saint Francis Medical Partners. He will focus on Saint Francis Healthcare System's Clinically Integrated Network, Accountable Care Organization and continue his work with the provider network, Saint Francis Medical Partners. "This new role will shift...

March 27, 2019

Genetic Counselor Melanie Baxter Joins Saint Francis Healthcare

Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes Certified Genetic Counselor Melanie Baxter, ScM, CGC to the Saint Francis Cancer Institute. Genetic counselors are knowledgeable and up-to-date on the constantly changing field of genetics. They are trained to tailor, translate and communicate complex genetic information into practical, understandable decision-making...

March 14, 2019

Nurse Practitioner Lindsay McVey Joins Saint Francis Clinic Poplar Bluff

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to announce that Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in pediatrics Lindsay McVey has transitioned from Saint Francis Clinic Dexter to Saint Francis Clinic Poplar Bluff. McVey earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arkansas State University in 2005 and Master...