News Release Archive

Selected CoxHealth News Releases, 2008-2015

Public to get first look at inside of Cox South Expansion

June 23, 2015

In May of 2013, CoxHealth broke ground on the expansion of Cox Medical Center South. For the past two years the community has watched in awe as the 10-story building sprouted into the sky. In just a few short days, before patients are placed in the new space, the doors will open to the public for viewing.

The best time to tour the new west tower at Cox South is Saturday June 27, during an open house celebration and Kids Health and Safety Fair, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. with tours to follow.

CoxHealth President and CEO, Steve Edwards said the expansion is designed to meet the area’s health care needs now and into the future. “This is an exciting time for CoxHealth and the community it serves. The opening of the patient tower marks the culmination of many years of planning. Looking forward, we know that to continue to provide the absolute best patient care and meet the needs of our growing and aging population, we must have facilities designed for the highest standards of care and efficiency. This expansion places us securely at the forefront of health care in the Midwest.”

Following the open house, departments will begin moving into their respective space inside the 343,000 square-foot, $130 million addition to Cox South. The first floors, making up the Dee Ann White Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be moved in first. Then the upper floors, making up the Jared Neurosciences Center will begin moving in July. Work will continue on the exterior of the original hospital, including upgrades and new design elements to match the new construction.

Events taking place during the open house on June 27 include a ribbon cutting ceremony, tours of the new building, free stroke risk assessment with a stroke nurse, and a Kids Health and Safety Fair in the parking lot west of Ferrell Duncan Clinic at 1001 E. Primrose.

The free stroke risk assessment includes an evaluation by a stroke nurse for risk of stroke. In addition, a pharmacist will be present to answer any questions on medications. The screening is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is necessary, but participants can pre-register by calling 417-269-INFO.

The Kids Health and Safety Fair will benefit all ages, and will focus on prevention safety for children. CoxHealth Pediatric Trauma Coordinator, Lana Martin explained that the summer season is also trauma season. “With children out of school and more outdoor activities that are often associated with injuries, every emergency room across the country sees an increase in younger patients. The most common types of injuries, which are also preventable, include motor vehicle crashes, water-related incidents, pedestrian accidents, falls, dog bites and bicycle, skateboard and rollerblade incidents.”

More than 30 agencies will be represented, helping children and their parents have a happier summer by learning how to prevent injury and avoid hazards.

One of the many interactive stations will concentrate on bicycle helmet safety. “We will have a helmet sizing station,” said Martin. “Just bring your bicycle helmet with you and we’ll make sure it fits appropriately. You can also make your helmet personal by stopping by our helmet decorating station.”

While at the Kids Health and Safety Fair, parents can pick up an ID kit for their child. Just a few of the activities the kids won’t want to miss out on include fun exercises with KOHL’s CARDIAC Kids, the Teddy Bear Clinic where children can have their teddy bear or doll checked out and bandaged up. Plus, there will be plenty of fun photo opportunities with the Cox Air Care helicopter; Sparky, the American Red Cross dancing fire hydrant; Springfield Batman; and Ronald McDonald.

Dr. Darren Bass named president of Cox Monett Hospital

Dr. Bass has been with Cox Monett Hospital for 15 years. He began as a physical therapist at Cox Monett Rehab and Sports Medicine. For the last three years, Dr. Bass has served on the hospital’s senior leader team, and last year was named executive director. He completed his Master of Science in Physical Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.

“I would like to thank Genny Maroc, VP, Clinical Services at CoxHealth, for her leadership and dedication to Cox Monett Hospital over the last four years, said Dr. Bass. “Under her leadership, Cox Monett was named as the Healthcare Organization of the Month by The Studer Group, achieved Level IV Stroke Center designation and was involved with the expansion and renovation of the emergency room.”

Genny Maroc has served as president of Cox Monett since coming to CoxHealth in 2011. In 2013, she was named vice president of Clinical Services which added responsibilities for several clinical units in Springfield. Genny also serves as administrator of Cox North hospital and Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as leading the patient experience initiative across the system. Until now, she had retained her responsibilities as president of Cox Monett. This transition will allow her to focus her time in Springfield and her system responsibilities.

“The vision of CoxHealth is ‘to be the best for those who need us,’ and I will work to make sure we uphold that promise and continue to be the best place for patients to receive care,” said Dr. Bass. “I’m excited and honored for this opportunity and I look forward to many years of continued success at Cox Monett.”

Dr. Bass lives in Monett with his wife Kari, and their two children, Tyler, a junior engineering major at the University of Missouri in Columbia, and Lauren, a senior at Monett High School.

Cox Medical Center Branson designated a Level II Stroke Center

May 12, 2015

Cox Medical Center Branson has been designated a Level II Stroke Center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Bureau of Hospital Standards.

Earlier this spring, DHSS announced the new four-level Stroke Center designation, which is part of the statewide Time Critical Diagnosis System. The Time Critical Diagnosis System brings together the 911 response system, ambulance services and hospitals in a coordinated way to provide stroke patients the right care at the right facility in the right amount of time.

Stroke Center designation is a voluntary program and hospitals apply for the designation. To achieve this designation, Cox Branson underwent a rigorous application process that included an on-site review by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Time Critical Diagnosis staff.

“Receiving Level II Stroke Center designation from DHSS affirms our commitment to providing the best care for those who need us,” explains Sheila Russell, RN, stroke coordinator. “As a Level II Stroke Center, we will provide primary stroke and intensive care here in Branson, allowing stroke patients to remain close to home where they can be surrounded by their family and friends as they recover. For patients who require more specialty services, such as a mechanical retrieval of a cerebral blood clot or surgical repair of a ruptured aneurysm, we’ll be able to seamlessly transfer those patients to Cox Medical Center South, the only Level I Stroke Center in southwest Missouri.”

Cox Branson is one of only 25 Level II Stroke Centers in the state currently.

To receive the Level II designation, Cox Branson showed evidence during the review of being compliant with all regulations pertaining to the care of stroke patients at Level II Stroke Centers. Regulation topics include continuing medical education for emergency room physicians, nursing staff credentialing and core competencies, and continuous quality improvement processes. The on-site review encompassed all departments that provide care for stroke patients, including pre-hospital, emergency room, radiology, laboratory, critical care, step-down, acute care therapies, clinical and nursing education and clinical excellence.

Cox Monett is a designated Level IV Stroke Center. The designations are valid for four years.

CoxHealth named a Level I Missouri Stroke Center

March 23, 2015

Today Cox Medical Center South was designated a Level I Stroke Center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Hospital Standards. Cox South is one of only 10 Level I Stroke Centers in the state and the only Level I Stroke Center in southwest Missouri.

There are four levels, with Level I Centers functioning as resource centers within a region, for maintaining specialized resources for the most complex patients.

“To achieve this status, CoxHealth underwent a rigorous application process along with a comprehensive and scrutinizing on-site review,” says Richard Jung, MD, Medical Director of CoxHealth Stroke Center. “As the only Level I Stroke Center in southwest Missouri, we provide the highest level of stroke care in the region. Patients and their families can be confident that our staff, from pre-hospital to administration, is dedicated to improving the outcomes of stroke victims and minimizing the debilitating effects of stroke.”

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced its list of designated stroke centers today online.

The release of the list comes on the same day the Bureau of EMS will begin enforcement of a Missouri statute that requires all stroke patients to be transported to a designated stroke center.

Cox Monett is a designated Level IV Stroke Center. Cox Medical Center Branson has applied for Level II designation and is awaiting review.

Open house set to celebrate completion of new emergency department

March 23, 2015

The public is invited for a behind-the-scenes look before final phase of ED opens to patients

After a year-and-a-half of construction, the final phase of Cox Medical Center Branson’s new emergency department is now entering completion. Before we open the newly remodeled area to patients, the public is invited to an open house event from 7-11 a.m. Friday, March 27, to help celebrate the completion of the new emergency department.

During the open house, guests will have an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at innovative new patient care areas. Hospital employees will be stationed throughout the self-guided tour to explain how the state-of-the-art project will allow Cox Branson to meet the growing need for emergency medicine in the Ozarks.

“Our vision is to be the best for those who need us and constructing the largest and most comprehensive emergency department ever in Branson is one more way we are fulfilling that vision,” said Cox Medical Center Branson President William Mahoney.

The emergency department will now consist of 26 private exam rooms, eight private clinical decision rooms, five rapid treatment rooms and two trauma rooms. The two-phase construction and renovation project began in the fall of 2013. In September 2014, the first phase of the project, which consisted solely of new construction, opened 14 private exam rooms to patients. Since that time, the former emergency department and critical care unit have been undergoing extensive renovation in order to double our space. We anticipate the new critical care unit rooms to open in late April.

Emergency Services and Critical Care Director Misty Denevan, RN, BSN, CEN, anticipates the additional patient care rooms, coupled with optimized patient flow, will decrease wait time while providing a comfortable, caring atmosphere.

“When we designed our new emergency department and critical care unit, we had one goal in mind – to create an environment where we can provide the best care for those who need us,” says Denevan. “I’m thrilled to be able to share with the community a chance to see all of the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes to accomplish that goal and have the community celebrate with us the completion of this project.”

The open house will be a come-and-go event from 7-11 a.m. Friday, March 27. Tours will begin in the new emergency department, which is located just west of the main hospital entrance. Refreshments will be served.

Medical-Legal Partnership helps patients

March 17, 2015

CoxHealth and Legal Services of Southern Missouri have partnered to create a Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP), the first of its kind in southwest Missouri.

Through a four-year grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health, CoxHealth MLP brings health care and legal professionals together to provide free legal services to patients who meet income guidelines.

The goal is to break the cycle of frequent hospitalizations as a result of social issues that can harm a patients’ health, such as domestic violence, poor housing conditions, eviction, homelessness and the loss of food or insurance benefits.

Physicians, nurses and social workers at CoxHealth learn about patients’ struggles and work to connect them with community resources, but once the patient is out of the hospital, it is difficult to be sure they get the support they need.

“When faced with these challenges, some patients put their health father down their list of concerns,” says Dr. Mark Entrup, hospitalist and medical director of Case Management at Cox Medical Center South. “They get well and leave the hospital but return to the same environment and the next thing you know they are back with us again.”

“This partnership has the potential to impact the community as a whole as we begin to remove those economic and social barriers to health for people living in poverty,” says Sharon Alexander, Legal Services of Southern Missouri.

Caregivers are trained to screen patients for social factors of health that may have legal remedies.

They listen for issues listed in the acronym, IHELP:

• Income maintenance and food insecurity.
• Housing such as evictions, utilities and foreclosures.
• Ensuring safety through orders of protection, divorce and custody for victims of domestic violence.
• Legal help with simple estate planning and health care directives.
• Powers of attorney and guardianship.

“A patient might say they have a hard time making it to the end of the month, they can’t pay their bills, their utilities were cut off, or they don’t have enough food,” says Andrea Long, Legal Services Attorney. “The caregiver can make a referral and we can talk to the patient.”

“This is the next piece of the puzzle in the transition of care,” says Bobby Davis, Case Management supervisor. “This will help us close the gap in getting patients connected to the services they need.”

A Legal Services attorney is available to come to a patient’s bedside to address legal needs even before they leave the hospital. MLP staff will follow the patient after discharge from the hospital if needed to resolve the issue. Nearly 100 people have been helped by the partnership since it began in September 2014.

CoxHealth breaks ground on new patient tower at Cox Medical Center South

May 15, 2013

Today, CoxHealth broke ground on a new 310,000-square-foot addition to Cox Medical Center South. This new patient tower, scheduled to be completed in 18-24 months, will house a Women’s and Children’s Hospital, a Neuroscience Center, and will include room for expansion.

CoxHealth’s president and CEO Steve Edwards said the new tower is designed to meet the area’s health care needs now and in the future. “Our existing tower was designed 30 years ago. It has served us and the community well. But we know the population we serve is growing and aging, and looking forward we determined that now was the time to expand to meet those needs.”

The $130 million project is financed in part by an April bond issuance. Two major gifts in support of the project were also announced at today’s groundbreaking. Donors include:

• The Jared Family: Linda and Jerry Jared, Curtis and Jade Jared, Roger, Andrew and Cindy Jared, and Brian and Michelle Jared, in support of the now-named Jared Neuroscience Center.
  
• Arthur and Ruth Ann White, in support of the now-named Dee Ann White Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
  

"As Springfield’s only locally owned non-profit health system, CoxHealth depends on the generosity of our friends and neighbors,” said Lisa Alexander, CoxHealth Foundation president. “We’re thankful to those who have committed to this project, and we look forward to working with community members at all levels of donation who want to help CoxHealth meet the needs of those around them.”

Once completed, the Dee Ann White Women’s and Children’s Hospital will occupy the Ground – 2nd floors of the project and include a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit and Post-Partum Unit with easy access to Cox South’s existing Labor and Delivery area and women’s and children’s physician offices. The Jared Neuroscience Center will occupy floors 7 – 9 and include inpatient care units, plus clinic space for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute physicians and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic neurologists.

CoxHealth leaders say that even though there is uncertainty in the health care industry, historically low interest rates in the bond market made now the time to make this investment. The organization’s analysis shows that if current interest rates were to increase by only 1.5 percentage points, the cost of the bond offering would have increased by $43 million.

About CoxHealth: CoxHealth is the only locally owned, not-for-profit health system based in Springfield, Mo. It is accredited by The Joint Commission, distinguished as one of the nation’s Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Systems (2006-2012), recognized as a U.S. News & World Report Best Regional Hospital, and committed to caring for the community. CoxHealth provides more than $122 million annually in community benefit to serve the unmet needs of its friends and neighbors.

Established in 1906, the organization serves more than 900,000 people in a 25-county service area in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, offering a comprehensive array of primary and specialty care including five hospitals and more than 84 clinics in 24 communities. The health system includes Cox Medical Center South, Cox Medical Center Branson, Cox North Hospital, Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, Cox Monett Hospital, Oxford HealthCare (the nation’s second largest hospital-based home health agency), Home Parenteral Services (home infusion therapy), CoxHealth Foundation, Cox College, Cox HealthPlans and more.

CoxHealth plans new patient tower at Cox Medical Center South

April 3, 2013

Today, CoxHealth announced plans to construct a 310,000 square-foot addition to Cox Medical Center South, the health system’s flagship hospital in south Springfield. This new patient tower will connect to Cox South’s existing tower and will house a Women’s and Children’s Hospital, a Neuroscience Hospital, and will include room for future expansion.

“We are planning for the future, to meet the area’s health care needs for the next 20-30 years,” said Steve Edwards, CoxHealth president and CEO. “Our main hospital tower was designed in 1983, and it has served us – and the people of Southwest Missouri – quite well. But looking forward, we know that to continue to provide the absolute best patient care and meet the needs of our growing and aging population, we must have facilities designed for the highest standards of care and efficiency. This new patient tower places us securely at the forefront of health care in the Midwest.”

The new tower will feature all private patient rooms, and once complete will allow CoxHealth to convert all of the existing rooms in Cox South to private rooms as well. Should a medical disaster occur, these existing rooms can be converted back to semi-private rooms in mere hours, giving the health system unprecedented flexibility to meet patient demands.

“Patients want private rooms, and health care providers know private rooms provide a quiet, healing environment,” said Edwards.

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital will utilize three floors of the nine floor addition and will include a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit and Post-Partum Unit, with easy access to CoxHealth’s existing Labor and Delivery area and women’s and children’s physician offices.

The new Neuroscience Hospital will also utilize three floors of space and will include inpatient care units, plus clinic space for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute physicians and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic neurologists.

Says Edwards: “Our neuroscience and women’s and children’s teams are an absolute strength of this organization. We deliver more than 3,000 babies a year, and our neuroscience team has been rated number one in the nation for spinal fusion by CareChex. We are proud of the care we provide, and we are happy that our professionals will soon be able to provide this outstanding care in the area’s best facility, bar none.”

The project has a $130 million budget, financed in part by an April bond issuance. While the health care industry faces uncertainty as it deals with health care reform and the question of Medicaid expansion, one certainty remains – more and more patients will need care, and mission-driven hospitals such as CoxHealth are trusted to provide it. Given the historically low interest rates in the bond market, investing in a new patient tower now means CoxHealth can provide that care at a significantly lower cost than if it waited to pursue the project. The organization’s analysis shows that if current interest rates were to increase by only 1.5 percentage points, the cost of the bond offering would increase by $43 million.

“We have thought about building a new tower for a long time,” says Dr. John Duff, senior vice president and chief hospital officer. “We know we need to grow to serve our community and if we wait, it will be more costly for us to do so.”

Money from this approximately $200 million bond issuance will also be used to fund projects and refinance debt associated with Cox Medical Center Branson.

Groundbreaking for the new tower at Cox South is scheduled for May, with an 18-24 month construction period.

Skaggs Regional Medical Center signs letter of intent with CoxHealth

June 28, 2012

Today, the Skaggs Regional Medical Center Board of Directors and CoxHealth took the next step in the evolution of healthcare in the Tri-Lakes region by signing a letter of intent to form a strategic partnership. The letter is an agreement that offers a framework to bring the organizations together to build on the legacy of community-based care that is a hallmark of both hospitals.

Today’s action is a significant advancement of the process started in late January, when Skaggs’ Board of Directors issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a partner to ensure Skaggs will maintain jobs and continue to provide high quality care in Branson.

The letter of intent will allow the organizations to work closely together to explore the details of one another’s business practices. After this period called due diligence, the Skaggs Board of Directors will recommend a definitive agreement to the Skaggs Board of Trustees for approval, likely in the early fall.

“On behalf of the Skaggs Board of Directors and in support of the highest quality of care for our community, we had two very good potential partners. While the decision was difficult, we are pleased to announce our intent to move forward with CoxHealth,” says David Smith, chairman of the Skaggs Board of Directors. “We have all put hundreds of hours toward this effort and believe that we have found the partner that best meets our operational objectives and the needs of the Branson community. We also believe that CoxHealth provides the best fit for us, sharing our commitments to maintaining jobs and providing the highest quality of care. The Branson community is very familiar with the excellent services provided by CoxHealth and the board thanks the community, physicians and staff for their input throughout the process.”

“We are delighted and honored to have been selected by the Skaggs board, and as the Springfield area’s only locally-governed, not-for-profit health system, we’re pleased that Skaggs shares our values,” says Steve Edwards, CoxHealth president and CEO. “For more than a century CoxHealth has been dedicated to being the best for those who need us. We believe this partnership will allow us to combine our traditions of caring for the community, providing high-quality healthcare and investing in the health of our fellow Ozarkers in the Tri-Lakes region.”

Once a final agreement has been reached, various government agencies must also give approval, and the Missouri Attorney General will conduct a thorough review. This process could take several months.

The finalized partnership will provide significant independence to Skaggs while allowing the organizations to act as one entity for purchasing, contracting and other business-related matters. Skaggs will become a subsidiary of CoxHealth, but retain its board, current employees, management and medical staff. Skaggs will also retain its long-standing name.

“CoxHealth will keep Skaggs’ governance and dollars local, and the investment that we are making with this partnership will allow us to bolster the services available to the Branson Tri-Lakes region,” says Edwards. “We will expand services, facilities and the talent pool with a focus on ever improving the level of quality care provided.”

“Changes in healthcare are moving quickly and it is important we as physicians have the resources to provide our patients with the highest quality of care,” explains Dr. Robert Blackshear, Skaggs Chief of Staff. “We believe our partnership with CoxHealth will help us accomplish this mission as well as position us as the provider of choice in the Branson Tri-Lakes area. In addition we feel our CoxHealth partnership will help attract highly trained medical personnel to our area as well as provide needed equipment to deliver advanced medical care to our patients.”

CoxHealth’s proposal also includes a significant investment in Skaggs and the Branson Tri-Lakes community. Capital investments could include operating room and emergency department improvements, general refurbishment of facilities, technology upgrades and more. While these items will be a focus, it is a constant goal of all health care institutions to continuously improve care. This partnership will bring the breadth of CoxHealth’s resources to bear in Skaggs’s continuing pursuit of quality patient care.

“We believe our combined expertise and resources will make both of us stronger and better able to serve the Ozarks and adjust to the changing healthcare landscape,” says Edwards. “A partnership with Skaggs reflects our absolute commitment to the region and will provide a stable continuum of care for the people of the Branson Tri-Lakes region and throughout southwest Missouri.”

Despite the ruling by the Supreme Court today, Skaggs remains committed to providing quality healthcare to the area. “Regardless of the Supreme Court’s ruling today, important changes are underway in healthcare that have a profound impact on how hospitals operate,” explains William K. Mahoney, Skaggs CEO and President. “Like other community hospitals, we are developing new relationships to enhance how we operate and what we offer to the community. This partnership with CoxHealth allows us to maintain jobs and continue providing high quality care in Branson. As this next period of due diligence begins, we will continue to provide updates and Skaggs’ Board, management, employees and medical staff will continue to serve our patients every day with the same dedication and quality as we have for the past 62 years.”

CoxHealth board of directors names Chief Executive Officer

Sept. 6, 2011

Steven D. Edwards, 45, (photo) will assume the position of president and chief executive officer of CoxHealth following the December 2011 retirement of Robert H. Bezanson, CoxHealth's board of directors announced today. Edwards' appointment is consistent with the Board's succession plan.

Edwards, who joined CoxHealth in 1992, has served as CoxHealth's executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2007. Previous positions with CoxHealth include vice president of clinical services, senior vice president of Regional Services and senior vice president and administrator of Cox Hospitals. Prior to joining CoxHealth, Edwards was assistant to the chief operating officer at Baylor University Medical Center and evening administrator at Barnes Hospital (BJC) in St. Louis.

"Steve has clearly demonstrated his integrity and leadership as part of the executive management team at CoxHealth," said Larry W. Lipscomb, board chairman. "His compassion for our patients and commitment to the health of our community will provide the leadership and vision required for the future."

Edwards attained his Bachelor of Science from Drury University, and his Masters of Health Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed his post graduate fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

"Thousands of people before me have made CoxHealth their life's work," said Edwards. "I am determined to serve this tremendous heritage with every fiber of my being. There is no place on earth I would rather be than Springfield, Missouri, and no organization I would rather serve than CoxHealth. I am overcome with a sense of duty and humility."

CoxHealth is a top 100 integrated health care system, six years running, and the only locally governed not-for-profit health care system based in Springfield, Mo.

CoxHealth and Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute join forces

Dec. 15, 2010

CoxHealth and Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute, LLC (SNSI) have agreed to an exclusive partnership promising to expand access and services for patients throughout the region. This agreement will become effective Jan. 1, 2011. SNSI is the largest private practice neurosurgery group in Missouri and has gained regional and national prominence for excellence in clinical care and outcomes research. The 12 subspecialty physicians at SNSI specialize in the treatment of brain, spinal and peripheral nerve disorders.

CoxHealth will purchase the clinic and assets of SNSI including their imaging center. The physicians will provide services to the clinic and the hospital. The 80 individuals employed by SNSI will become employees of CoxHealth. "With this partnership, we expect to align physician and hospital incentives to improve access, expand services, reduce costs and create a seamless experience for patients. We will look back on this day and remember it as the day we began something very special for neurosciences in our region," says Robert H. Bezanson, president and CEO of CoxHealth.

Dr. Mark Crabtree, neurosurgeon and managing partner of SNSI adds: "CoxHealth and SNSI have been working on tighter clinical and financial integration since October 2003, and we believe that this partnership will better prepare us to meet the future needs of the patients and communities that we serve."

SNSI joins CoxHealth's integrated health care delivery system through its professional services agreement (PSA) along with partner Ferrell-Duncan Clinic, Inc, and the CoxHealth employed physicians of Regional Services. CoxHealth and its physician partners plan to create a comprehensive neuroscience institute that will become an integral part of the Cox South campus with a goal of rivaling the best centers in the nation.

As a top 100 health care system, CoxHealth is committed to delivering on the proven benefits of integrated health care delivery. The joining forces of SNSI and CoxHealth further this effort to improve care for patients.

New Cox South Emergency Department opens

Sept. 28, 2010

Beginning 5 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 29, CoxHealth will begin treating patients in Cox South's new Emergency Department and Trauma Center.

The ED is located in the Lipscomb Family Wing of Cox South, 3801 S. National, on the south side of the hospital facing James River Freeway. Directions to the ED are clearly marked on the Cox South campus. Parking is available in the surface lot immediately south of the new ED and in the adjacent parking garage.

Patients who arrive for care prior to the 5 a.m. switchover will continue to be cared for in the existing Emergency Department until they are discharged or admitted to the hospital.

Patients travelling northbound on National Ave. who need to access the Emergency Department are advised to drive in the far right lane as they navigate the diverging diamond interchange. Drivers will then need to make a right-hand turn onto Bradford Parkway, and then an immediate right onto the CoxHealth tunnel road. They will cross under National and emerge on the Cox South campus with the new Emergency Department entrance directly in front of them.

The new Emergency Department features some of the nation's most sophisticated MRI and CT technology, an on-site lab, state-of-the-art disaster management facilities and more. The ED has 62 patient beds, a chapel and garden area, and the latest security features for the safety of staff and patients. Construction on the new ED began in May 2009. The total cost of the project was $52.5 million, and it was fully financed by a Sept. 2008 bond issuance and donations, including a major gift from Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Cathryn Cox Lipscomb, and Mr. and Mrs. Larry and Tracy Lipscomb.

CoxHealth surgeons perform area's first robotic surgeries

Oct. 2008

This week, CoxHealth became the first hospital in southwest Missouri to perform robotic surgery wiht the health system's new da Vinci-S Surgical System.

Urologists Dr. David Anderson and Dr. Howard Follis, and their team of CoxHealth nurses, anesthesiologists and technicians performed a prostatectomy (removal of the prostate) on Tuesday, Sept. 9; and a prostatectomy and a nephroureterectomy (removal of a kidney and ureter) on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Says. Anderson: "We're pleased with the technology and the OR team did a phenomenal job adapting to the new techniques. These first few procedures with the da Vinci have been exciting."

The da Vinci-S provides surgeons with greater than twice the viewing resolution and 20 percent more viewing area, compared to traditional laparoscopic methods. This provides improved clarity and detail - critical when performing a delicate surgery. "The technology and the precision it offers is key in a delicate surgery such as a prostatectomy," said Anderson. "The magnification and resolution are so much improved, I can see things I've never seen before in an operation I've done a hundred times."

Surgeons using the da Vinci-S operate while seated at a console viewing a 3-D image of the surgical field. The surgeon's fingers grasp the master controls below the display, with hands and wrists naturally positioned relative to his or her eyes. The system seamlessly translates the surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements into precise, real-time movements of the robotic arms and of the surgical instruments inside the patient.

CoxHealth received approval from the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee to purchase the da Vinci in August, at a cost of $1.6 million.