News Articles

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 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...

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 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 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...

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 8, 2019

Hospitalist Devika R. Nagaraj Joins Saint Francis Healthcare

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to welcome Adult/Pediatric Hospitalist Devika R. Nagaraj to Saint Francis Medical Center. Nagaraj received her medical education and completed her internship in 1991 from Bangalore Medical College at Karnatake State in India. She completed her residency in 2001 at St....

February 25, 2019

Trae R. Smith Joins Saint Francis Anesthesiology

Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Trae R. Smith to Saint Francis Medical Center. He received his Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 2012. Smith received his Master of Science in Anesthesia from Middle...

January 7, 2019

Hospitalist Alicia M. Cisne Joins Saint Francis Healthcare

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to welcome Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Alicia M. Cisne to Saint Francis Medical Center. Cisne received her board certification from the National Certification Corporation. She graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. in 2012 and Maryville University in St. Louis...

January 4, 2019

First Baby of 2019 Born at Saint Francis

Saint Francis Healthcare celebrated the delivery of its first baby of 2019. At 5:01 p.m. on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, a baby girl was welcomed into the world by proud mother Logan Wessell of Gordonville, Mo., and the caring staff at Family BirthPlace. Dr. Grant D....

January 2, 2019

Sarah Mirgaux Named Director of Pharmacy Services

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to announce that Sarah Mirgaux has been promoted to Director of Pharmacy Services. She has served as Interim Director of Pharmacy Services since October. Mirgaux began her career at Saint Francis as a staff pharmacist in May 2001 and worked...

December 26, 2018

Tammy R. Hahn-Brown Joins Cape Neurology Specialists

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to welcome Adult Nurse Practitioner Tammy R. Hahn-Brown to Cape Neurology Specialists. She received her board certification from American Nurses Credentialing Center. Hahn-Brown earned her Bachelors of Nursing in 1998 from Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo. and Masters of...

December 26, 2018

Saint Francis Adds Morgan as New Provider for Hospitalized Patients

Saint Francis Healthcare System welcomes nurse practitioner Colleen Morgan, MSN, AGACNP-BC, as a new team member with the Saint Francis Medical Center hospitalists. She joins 22 other providers who are dedicated to caring for hospitalized patients at the Medical Center. Morgan earned her Master of Science...

December 21, 2018

Smith Joins Cape Spine & Neurosurgery

Saint Francis Healthcare System is pleased to welcome Stacy Smith, RN, MSN, FNP-BC to Cape Spine & Neurosurgery. Smith earned her associates degree in nursing from Southeast College of Nursing in 2011, Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2012 and Masters...

December 14, 2018

Karen Welker Retires After Nearly 42 years as Pediatric Nurse

Karen Welker, RN CNIII, in the pediatric floor at Saint Francis Medical Center is retiring. Welker started as a Registered Nurse on March 28, 1977. She then moved to the pediatric floor when the floor opened in August 1977 and has been there ever since. "With children,...

December 10, 2018

Casper Retires After More Than 26 Years of Service

Janet Casper, RN, lead Interventional Radiology nurse, retires after 26 years of service to Saint Francis. Casper started as an ER nurse at Southeast Hospital before joining Saint Francis in 1992. She became an Interventional Radiology nurse 10 years ago and transitioned to...