Meeting community health needs through teamwork
By Jay Eckersley
President and CEO

This definition may not capture the entire spirit, but it does highlight the main idea behind the way we operate at St. John’s. Our hospitals, clinics and health plans, encompassing nearly 500 physicians and 8,000 co-workers, are united in our mission to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

I have always enjoyed watching sports teams reach their potential through team work. Team work is critical to success on the field and in all group initiatives.

St. John’s is pleased to team with members of the community to improve the health of those we serve. We join the Ozarks in welcoming the Springfield Cardinals and are proud to provide sports medicine and emergency medical services to the Springfield Cardinals. We look forward to working with the Cardinals and SMSU baseball Bears throughout the season.

We are happy to provide a number of examples of team work at St. John’s in this issue of Healthy People.
Our physicians believe in working as one to improve care for all. St. John’s Clinic has recently been selected to participate in the first pay-for-performance initiative for physicians under the national Medicare program. The project gives physician groups an opportunity to demonstrate that improving care in a proactive and coordinated manner also reduces costs.

By linking health care events and enabling patients to care for themselves better between these events, we encourage a team relationship between the physician and the patient, which leads to improved health care outcomes.

In February, St. John’s was ranked No. 14 among the top 100 integrated health systems in the country by Verispan. St. John's Clinic’s patient satisfaction scores recently ranked highest in the nation among large clinics evaluated by Press Ganey.

Please join us from 1-5 PM Saturday, May 14 at 940 W. Mount Vernon in Nixa for an open house to celebrate the grand opening of Christian County’s newest multi-specialty clinic, St. John’s Clinic – Nixa. The facility will house a variety of specialties, including family medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics and physical therapy, to serve the residents of Christian County.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Healthy People magazine. This magazine is yet another example of team work among our physicians, co-workers and community members. For a free subscription, please call 888-8888 or 800-909-8326.