Six awardees devoted to patients
American staff
The St. Louis American Foundation and the Mound City Medical Forum will again honor 12 outstanding local health care providers as “Excellence in Health Care” awardees during the Salute to Excellence in Health Care luncheon on May 13 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. Minority disparities in diabetes is the event’s dominant theme.
Last week, the American introduced six of the winners. The additional awardees honored this year for “Excellence in Health Care” are:
Dr. Danita Lynn Cole, an internal medicine specialist with Barnes-Jewish Healthcare.
Dr. Delani Mann-Johnson, a physician serving People’s Health Centers.
Dr. Christy Richardson, an endocrinologist at Christian Hospital.
Krista Simmons, an ICU nurse at DePaul Health Center.
Bernice Thompson, a therapist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Dr. Carmel Boykin-Wright, a physician with Euclid Primary Care.
Danita Lynn Cole, MD, has a private practice, Cole Internal Medicine, and has served her patients since 1994. An internal medicine specialist with BJC, she attended medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed both her medical internship and residency at The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis.
Says one of her patients, “Knowing that diabetes has strong roots in my family, Dr. Cole is always on top of my blood glucose levels, eating habits and activities.”
She is a volunteer for the American Diabetes Association.
Delani Mann-Johnson, MD, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Atlanta. She completed her residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., and is board-certified in internal medicine.
She joined the staff at People’s Health Centers in 2001, handling primary health care for adults. She is a member of the Mound City Medical Forum and the National Medical Association and participates in community health fairs. Dr. Mann-Johnson also works on the staffs at Forest Park Hospital and St. Mary’s Health Center.
Christy Richardson, MD, is dedicated to diabetes screening and care at Christian Hospital Northeast. She is part of the hospital’s Diabetes Institute and undertakes educational efforts to address the diabetes epidemic in the African-American community.
Dr. Richardson is board-certified in internal medicine, endocrinology,
diabetes and metabolism. She completed her internship, residency and
fellowship work in internal medicine and endocrinology at Emory
University Hospitals in Atlanta.
Krista Simmons joined DePaul Health Center in June 2005. She works as a registered nurse in the ICU step-down unit. She received a degree in business from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 2002. Simmons received a scholarship from Lutheran School of Nursing in 2005, graduating at the top of her class. The St. Louis native is a graduate of Hazelwood East. Simmons was inspired to pursue a career in nursing by her mother, Sharon McGlorn, who is a nurse at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Bernice Thompson has dedicated her career to the field of social work. She currently serves as a social work therapist in the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Chemical Dependency Service unit and as an instructor at both the George Warren Brown School of Social Work in St. Louis and at the Saint Louis University School of Social Work. From 1979 to 1997 she was the executive director of the King-Fanon Community Mental Health Center in St. Louis.
A graduate of Vashon High, Thompson has also served as director of institutional staff development at St. Louis’ Malcolm Bliss Mental Health Center and as a staff consultant for the Department of Mental Health, Regional Advisory Board and Council for Psychiatric Services in St. Louis.
Dr. Carmel Boykin-Wright practices internal medicine at Euclid Primary Care, 625 N. Euclid, Suite 215.
One of her patients calls her “a very good and thorough doctor.”
“She helps so many patients in the black community and treats all patients the same, whether they have money or insurance for their visits or not. She gives back to the black community.”
The sixth annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon, presented by the St. Louis American Foundation and Mound City Medical Forum, is set for noon Saturday, May 13, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis. A reception begins at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $40, $50 and $75. For tickets and information, call the St. Louis American at (314) 533-8000, ext. 305.