The American salutes eight excellence awardees in health care

The St. Louis American Foundation will honor eight area health care professionals as 2014 Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awardees on Friday, April 25 at the Frontenac Hilton.

Kimberly Brown, MPPA, LNHA, is the administrator of Doorways’ Cooper House. For more than 20 years, Brown has worked on behalf of persons affected by HIV/AIDS at the organization in several positions: office manager, housing coordinator, housing subsidy manager.

In 2003, Brown became the administrator of its 36-bed residential care facility, now known as Cooper House, which opened in 1997 as Doorways’ Supportive Housing Facility. Cooper House serves people who are unable to live independently due to HIV/AIDS.

Taking an overall approach to well-being, Cooper House staff focus on providing physical and medical support for HIV/AIDS and co-occurring afflictions, resources to address mental illness and addiction, and guidance for increasing clients’ financial and overall stability.

Richelle Clark, BSN, MHA, MBA, joined the Center for Community and Health Partnerships at Washington University a year ago as its co-director, after spending more than a decade leading health services for St. Louis Public Schools.

Clark’s role at the center, which is part of the Institute for Public Health, is to collaboratively partner with community organizations to pursue common goals and find ways the university can support them in delivering evidence-based health care.

Clark’s 42-year career has been in public health: as a nurse, in patient care and in health administration for the St. Louis Department of Health, St. Louis Regional Hospital, St. Louis ConnectCare and SLPS.

Jameca Falconer, PhD is a counseling psychologist for Logan University- College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield. Recognizing the need for mental health services among older African Americans, Falconer launched her private psychotherapy practice, Diverse Ventures, LLC in 2006, with a focus on geriatric mental health.

Falconer currently serves as adjunct faculty at Maryville and Webster universities. At Webster, she serves as an intercultural research consultant.

In previous positions, Falconer served as an assistant professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and in teaching positions at Illinois State University, St. Louis Community College and University of Missouri-Columbia.

Louis Gary, MD, is the medical director of emergency medicine and is an internistat Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, Illinois and medical director for Unity Hospice of Greater St. Louis.

He has served at Unity for more than a decade. At Touchette, Dr. Gary is also director of the hospital’s medical stabilization substance abuse program, known as “New Vision.” In addition to serving patients at Touchette, Dr. Gary makes rounds to several nursing homes throughout the Metro East.

His career spans more than 30 years. Early in his career, Dr. Gary opened a private family practice in Staunton, Illinois.

Taressa Hockaday is director of Youth Services – Behavioral Health at SSM Health Care. Hockaday manages youth counseling and social services, case management and transportation.

Her team works in collaboration with SSM’s entire patient care team, she said, to ensure patients are treated with dignity and respect and receive necessary care and treatment. And upon discharge, she said, to enable the patients to have the ability to successfully integrate with their family, school and community.

Last year, Hockaday was promoted to her current position, where she develops and implements evidence-based therapeutic treatment and programming for youth. She began her SSM career as an emergency room lead assessor of behavioral health.

Valencia M. McLaurin, LCSW is the lead social worker at SSM St. Mary’s Behavioral Health Services. In addition to supervising a team of social workers, case managers and recreation therapists, McLaurin is responsible for psychosocial assessments, treatment and discharge plans in coordination with overall treatment objectives of patients and their families.

McLaurin works with the facility’s leadership team to establish departmental goals and initiatives and maintains relationships with community-based providers who provide additional services that are of benefit to behavioral health patients.

McLaurin’s career spans more than 15 years in helping clients manage mental health issues and navigate the social service system in order to get resources to lead productive lives.

CoKeisha Van Hook, RN, OCN, is a nurse navigator/clinician in the oncology department at Christian Hospital, located in St. Louis County.  As a nurse navigator, she advocates for patients by helping to break down barriers to care and ensuring that patients receive the support and knowledge needed to navigate the health care system. Her support extends from diagnosis to survival and to the end of life.

Van Hook was the first nurse navigator at Christian to work with all cancer patients. She also coordinates a monthly Beyond Breast Cancer Support Group.

Van Hook has worked in the BJC health system for 14 years, as a patient care assistant, clerical associate, team leader and nursing supervisor. 

Kel Wardserves as manager of community relations at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a position he has held since 2009. Ward is responsible for building community partnerships throughout Missouri and Illinois that will improve patient care for children.

He promotes services Children’s offers outside of its walls, such as health screenings, education, medical and dental treatment at schools, churches and community organizations.

He is also the manager of community engagement for BJC Healthcare, where Ward has been a key player in the creation of “Raising St. Louis,” a program targeted at low-income families in St. Louis to provide support for pregnant women and their children through third grade.

Tickets for the 14th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 25 at the Frontenac Hilton are $750 per table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.