St. Joseph Medical Center Announces Chief Executive Officer
Carondelet Health President and Chief Executive Officer, Fleury Yelvington announced that Scott J. Kashman, MHA, FACHE has accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph Medical Center. He will begin his duties Tuesday, May 27.

Kashman currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Mercy Hospital Anderson (MHA) in Cincinnati, Ohio, a health ministry of Mercy Health Partners and a subsidiary of Catholic Healthcare Partners. MHA is a 226-bed, full-service acute care facility that has been named by Solucient as one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation for the past seven years and one of the Top 100 in patient safety in 2008.

In addition to his experience at MHA, Kashman has served in various health care roles throughout his career. Prior to his current position, he served as vice president of St. Mary’s of Michigan Medical Center. He has previous strategic and operational experience with outpatient services, inpatient services (including emphasis on critical care), therapy and rehabilitation services, psychiatric hospitals and surgery centers.

Kashman holds a Master of Health Administration degree from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Fellow (FACHE) and Leadership Mentor in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

“I worked with Scott at St. Mary’s of Michigan and he has a solid background in operations, a focus on physician relationships and an energetic, inclusive leadership style,” shares Yelvington. “He brings a great deal of talent to our healthcare team.”

“St. Joseph Medical Center has an illustrious history as a faith-based healthcare ministry in Kansas City and I am delighted to now be a part of that tradition. I plan to hit the ground running and becoming acquainted with the employees, physicians, volunteers and community St. Joseph serves,” says Kashman, “My wife, Jenny, and I and our children look forward to settling into our new home in Kansas City.”

Carondelet Health Diabetes Education Program Merits ADA Recognition
The Carondelet Health diabetes self-management education program at St. Joseph Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association. This program offers high-quality education services to the patients it serves.

The ADA Education Recognition effort, begun in the fall of 1986, is a voluntary process which assures that approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.

Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. The participant in an ADA recognized program will be taught self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen. Through the support of the health care team and increased knowledge and awareness of diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his/her diabetes management. Decreasing risks for developing complications of diabetes and decreasing hospitalizations related to poor diabetes management are two goals of self-management education.

“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services they provide, and it helps consumers identify these quality programs,” commented Catherine Parkhurst, RN, MSN, CDE, and program coordinator.

For more information, contact Catherine Parkhurst, RN, MSN, CDE or Nancy Mack, RN, CDE at St. Joseph at 816-943-2489 or Diane Warren, RN, MSN, CDE at St. Mary’s at 816-655-5244.

St. Mary’s Medical Center Opens Amina Center
Addiction Treatment Program for Healthcare Professionals

St. Mary’s Medical Center opens the Amina Center—a partial day addiction treatment program designed specifically for healthcare professionals on Tuesday, February 5th. It is one of only a handful of treatment programs providing exclusive services to healthcare workers.

“Addiction happens in people in all walks of life,” says Foss McKay, program manager of the Amina Center. “Statistics show the addiction rate for health care workers is the same as in the general population—about 10 percent. But while health care workers are experts at taking care of others, they sometimes don’t do what they must to take care of themselves. It is our responsibility to provide services to help them maintain or regain their lives. And, research shows healthcare professionals have higher success rates when treated among their peers.”

Stephen Jarvis, MD, specializing in behavioral health including addictions, is the center’s medical director. All clients receive a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, subsequent follow up visits and group sessions with a physician. Additionally, a complete compliment of psychological testing will be available for clients who require further assessment. An advanced registered nurse practitioner, also specializing in treating addictions, is on-site providing direct care, during all hours of the program. All groups are led by master’s level therapists, registered nurses and others including dieticians and occupational therapists. The Amina Center believes in treating mind, body and spirit, and has specialized staff to address the spiritual aspects of recovery.

The Amina Center provides intense, individualized treatment one would expect from an inpatient program, with the comfort and convenience of an outpatient program. Treatment is seven hours a day, five days a week. All clients will attend an initial two-week assessment and treatment period, and most clients continue in treatment for four to six weeks until a foundation for sobriety is established.

For more information about the Amina Center, call 816-655-5740.

Find out more about the Amina Center by clicking here.