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Compiled by Lauri Johnson.
CANCER CENTER AT ALTON MEMORIAL READY FOR BUSINESS
 New Cancer Care Center CT Scanner at Alton Memorial Hospital |
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Holland Construction Services has completed construction of the new Cancer Care Center at Alton Memorial Hospital. The center is the first in the area to offer intensity-modulated radiation therapy
technology, a sophisticated form of radiation treatment that delivers precise doses of radiation to tumors, according to Holland Construction. Alton Memorial is investing a total of $3.6 million to build and equip the center, which is located next to the hospital’s medical office building.
BUTLER’S PANTRY WINS AWARDS FROM SPECIAL EVENTS SOCIETY
The Butler’s Pantry, a St. Louis-based
hospitality company, received five Louie awards from the St. Louis chapter of the International Special Events Society at the 5th annual Louie Awards gala. The company won in the categories of Best Food Presentation, Best Off-Premise Catered Event (budget under $200 per person), Best Off-Premise Catered Event (budget $200 per person and over), Best Event Produced for a Private Individual (budget under $200 per person) and Best Event Produced for a Corporation (budget over $150,001). The International Special Events Society’s mission is to enhance the level of education and professionalism in the events community.
BJC HOSPITAL, ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL NAMED
BEST WORKPLACES FOR COMMUTERS
| Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital have been selected for the St. Louis Region’s Best Workplaces for Commuters. |
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital for the
St. Louis Region’s Best Workplaces for Commuters list for 2005. The hospitals’ employee transit program, which includes BJC HealthCare’s corporate staff at the medical center campus, provides a new $20 transit subsidy toward a monthly Metro transit pass that costs $50 per month. Since the subsidy program started in January 2005, sales of transit passes at the hospitals have increased by more than 900 percent and nearly 800 employees are receiving monthly transit passes.
In an effort to cut traffic congestion and traffic-related air pollution, the Best Workplaces for Commuters program recognizes employers that provide environmentally-friendly commuter benefits to encourage employees to choose mass transit or carpooling options. The program is a joint effort by the EPA, Citizens for Modern Transit, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership.
Employers who would like to become eligible for the program can contact Citizens for Modern Transit at (314) 231-7272 or visit www.cmt-stl.org for more information.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS HOSTS 14TH ANNUAL
NATIONAL BORN TO LEARN CONFERENCE
Parents as Teachers National Center hosted the 14th annual National Born to Learn Conference, during which several panelists addressed the roles of fatherhood, obesity, and verbal skills in the early development of young children.
Panelist Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, addressed the importance of fathers in the lives of young children, noting that fathers who are involved with their young children can help increase cognitive development as well as their child’s internal health. Fathers also learn and teach differently than mothers, and young children benefit from exposure to people who negotiate the world differently.
The panel also discussed the national trend of childhood obesity and the importance of establishing healthy eating habits from a young age. More than nine million children living in the United States are obese, and Parents as Teachers has partnered with Saint Louis University’s Obesity Prevention Center to teach parents practical ways to reverse this trend. They have developed a dietary change program, called High 5 Low Fat, to show parents the benefits of healthy eating.
When it comes to verbal development, children who grow up in a verbal-rich environment fare substantially better in language development than children who are exposed only to basic communication skills, according to panelist Harriet Shaklee, Extension family development specialist.
“Verbal skills are essential to preparing children for literacy and school,” Shaklee said. “And children learn words from parents.”
ST. ANTHONY’S MEDICAL CENTER NOW PERFORMS
BONE DENSITY TESTS ON CHILDREN
| Rosie Hideg, supervisor of St. Anthony’s Medical Center’s Imaging Center, shows Rachel Richter, 7, how the Center’s new pediatric bone density test is done. Rachel is the daughter of Chris Richter, a registrar at the Imaging Center. |
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Thanks to new specialized software,
St. Anthony’s Medical Center now can perform bone density tests on children as young as five years old. Previously, the medical
center could only measure bone density on patients age 20 and older.
“Cardinal Glennon and other pediatricians have asked us in the past if we had bone
density screening
for children,” states Rosie Hideg, supervisor of St. Anthony’s Imaging Center in Medical Plaza. “In order to better serve area physicians and the community, we decided to invest in this software.”
Bone density testing is particularly important for children and teenagers diagnosed with eating disorders, growth disorders, metabolic diseases or general physical wasting usually associated with chronic disease. It is also helpful in monitoring the bone health of children who are being treated with steroids for such things as respiratory problems.
SAINT LOUIS ZOO OFFERS NEW “ANIMALS ALWAYS” WRISTBANDS TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION EFFORTS
The Saint Louis Zoo has a new “Animals Always” wristband for sale that will benefit the Zoo WildCare Institute’s efforts to sustain wildlife and wild places in 12 areas around the world. The wristbands are made from silicone with black-and-white zebra stripes and cost $1 each. They are available at Saint Louis Zoo gift shops and at participating Schnucks
markets. They are also available online at www.stlzoo.org with a minimum order of five wristbands, plus shipping and handling.
ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY SHOWS FALTERING HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
IN SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS
The healthcare industry in southwestern Illinois is a significant economic force in the region, but it needs immediate attention to address major shortcomings and reach its full potential, according to a study completed by Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville for the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois.
The study reveals that healthcare and social assistance are the area’s largest employment sector, with more than 27,000 workers and an annual payroll that tops $760 million. However, the industry’s growth in Madison and St. Clair counties lags behind the St. Louis region and other areas of the country.
“It’s clear that the loss of physicians translates into a direct lack of access to key areas of specialized medicine, and that’s reason enough for concern,” states Jim Pennekamp, executive director of the Leadership Council. “When one realizes what an individual
doctor’s office contributes to our region’s economy, or examines the impact of an
individual hospital, we begin to see what may be at stake for our region’s economy if southwestern Illinois continues to lose doctors and related healthcare jobs.”
Here are some key statistics produced by the study:
Area hospitals that participated in the study experienced a net loss of 136 physicians between 2002 and 2004, a 15 percent drop. The number of specialists lost included 100 percent of neurologists, 67 percent of
anesthesiologists, 24 percent of pediatricians and 19 percent of OB/GYNs.
The average hospital employs 848 full-time-equivalent workers, has a payroll of approximately $34 million and generates a total economic impact of more than $168 million per year. The average physician’s office employs about 10 workers, has a payroll of $572,000 and generates a total economic impact of approximately $1.6 million per year.
From 1998 to 2002, the real payroll in the healthcare industry increased by more than 14 percent at the national level but grew by only 7.7 percent in Madison and St. Clair counties. St. Louis County and St. Charles County grew nearly 17 percent and 20.7 percent, respectively, during the same time period.
In 2002, there were 1,630 people for each physician’s office in Madison and St. Clair counties, compared to 1,495 people nationally and 1,162 people in St. Louis City and County for each physician’s office. The ratios may be even higher due to the region’s loss of doctors since 2002.
VERIZON WIRELESS EXPANDS TO SOUTHTOWN CENTRE
Verizon Wireless has expanded its presence in the city of St. Louis with a new communications store in Southtown Centre at 4647 Chippewa St. The company celebrated the opening of its first St. Louis city store by donating $1,500 to Lydia’s House, a local organization that provides transitional
housing for abused women and children.
“We are excited to open our company’s
first Communications Store in the City of
St. Louis,” states Mark Crumpton, president, Kansas/Missouri region, at Verizon Wireless. “South City residents and businesses now will have convenient access to a state-of-the-art store in their own neighborhood.”
The new store offers a variety of wireless products and services, as well as a HopeLine phone collection bin where anyone may donate no-longer-used wireless phones and accessories.
COMPUTER SALES
INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES HARD DRIVE DISPOSAL
SERVICE FOR ALL
LEASED PRODUCTS
In response to a growing concern over maintaining personal privacy when disposing of computer hard drives, Computer Sales International Inc. now offers data sanitization services at no additional cost to customers who lease its computer products.
“We introduced this service to solve a real problem for our customers,” states Ken Steinback, the company’s chairman and CEO. “It gives them the protection they need while eliminating a huge step in the disposal process.”
Computer Sales International Inc. notes that several laws now require many businesses to take costly steps to erase personal information from hard drives. The company handles all of its data disposal efforts through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Executive Personal Computers.
S.M. WILSON AND LOCAL SUBCONTRACTORS PROVIDE
PRO-BONO CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
| Left to right: Kevin Drollinger, Jay Manzo, Jeff Bunge, Chris Jarrell, Irv Hill, Sherry Bourque, David Sliney, Steve Adams, Barbara Adams, Bill Bourque and Amy Berg. |
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S.M. Wilson and numerous area subcontractors teamed up to
provide more than $300,000 in pro-bono construction services
to Epworth Children & Family Services. S.M. Wilson provided construction management for the project, which included updated rooftops, carpentry, HVAC systems and flooring. In exchange for the construction companies’ contributions, Epworth provided a special tax credit through the
federally funded Neighborhood Assistance Program, a tax credit program of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
PARIC OPENS NEW OFFICE DOWNTOWN
| Paric is currently working on three downtown projects, one is the Paul Brown Building
shown here. |
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Paric Corp. has opened a new branch office at 900 Olive St. in downtown St. Louis to support its urban revitalization projects.
With over a decade of center city development experience, the firm has renovated more than 1.3 million square feet of space in more than 15 downtown buildings over the past 10 years. Paric is currently working on three downtown renovation projects that will convert the Paul Brown Building, the Spool Thread Building and the A.D. Brown Building into 322 loft-style apartments and condominiums.
AMERISTAR DONATES $286,300 TO SSM REHAB
Employees from Ameristar Casino
St. Charles presented a check for $286,300 to SSM Rehab of St. Louis to assist adults and children with
traumatic injuries, illnesses and
disabilities. The gift represents the
single largest contribution that SSM Rehab has ever received from a
corporation, according to the company.
“Our goal is to help patients through the important rehabilitation process and prepare them for the next chapter after they are discharged,” states Steve Johnson, president of SSM Rehab. “Ameristar’s incredible generosity will help us go a long way in
giving our patients the quality of life they deserve, enhancing both the rehabilitation we provide and their return to the community.”
Ameristar team members raised $152,510.99 through the Ameristar Cares workplace giving campaign. Those funds were matched dollar-for-dollar by Ameristar and supplemented by a donation from the private foundation of Craig Neilsen, Ameristar’s chairman and CEO. Collectively, they raised $433,801.75 for five St. Louis-area charities: SSM Rehab, Operation Food Search, Community Health Charities, United Way and Ameristar Cares Sunshine Fund.
THE SAINT LOUIS AMBASSADORS CELEBRATE 40 YEARS
By Brian R. Hook
Ralph Turney, president, and Keith Savage, executive vice president,
both of the Saint Louis Ambassadors |
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The Saint Louis Ambassadors, a civic organization dedicated to promoting
St. Louis, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by reaching out to the entire St. Louis region.
“Our idea is to promote St. Louis and the region,” says Ralph Turney, president of the Ambassadors. He says one of the organization’s goals is to reach out and “grab people that have not had the opportunity to really participate in different events” across
the region.
Some of these events include a holiday toy drive, golf tournaments, luncheons and other social events. The Ambassadors also sell
beverages at the Forest Park Balloon Race each year. Plus, the group recently
organized a blood drive. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive
Charlie Dooley, honorary chairmen of the Ambassador’s board, took part.
“This is not a city group and this is not a county group,” says Stuart Lindley, vice president of the Ambassadors. He was president of the St. Louis Counts, the county version of the Ambassadors, when the two groups merged in 2000. “This is a regional group. We are able to bring the political part of the county and city together with the business
people,” he says.
The Ambassadors got its start on April 22, 1965 after St. Louis Mayor Alfonso Cervantes brought together a small group of people. Nancy Hobson, who is writing a book about the history of the Ambassadors, says that one of the group’s first acts was to host mayors from across the country who were in town for an annual mayor’s conference. “That was one of their official functions, to greet people who came into the city and it was a wild success,” she says.
This is still one of the group’s functions. The Ambassadors distribute small replicas of the St. Louis Gateway Arch to dignitaries who come to town. “It just blows your mind what these people have done over the years,” Hobson says. “And the whole point of it was, if you live here, like it. Sell the city to yourself and then sell it to your neighbor and take it wherever you go.”
This year also marks 130th anniversary of Cabanne House, the home of the Ambassadors since 1980. This historic home, on a wooded site near the Union Ave. entrance to Forest Park, is available to the community for private parties and meetings. Turney says that renovation plans, to further preserve the historic nature of the Cabanne House, are in the works.
The Ambassadors have about 150 members, who must be recommended by another member and pay a $95 fee to join. The membership fee is down from $400 a few years ago. Turney says that the group decided to cut the fee following the economic slowdown earlier this decade. He says the group is now doing more fundraising events to offset expenditures.
The Ambassadors is an all-volunteer group with only one paid, part-time administrative assistant.
Lindley admits that times have been tough in the past few years. But he says, “we are in a great rebound right now. We are working very hard to bring in new members and expand the programs that we have.“
Turney, who says the Ambassadors are launching a drive to boost membership this year, says: “We believe in the bull market. We’re going forward.” He stresses that membership is available to all interested parties within the St. Louis region. To learn more, contact The Saint Louis Ambassadors at
(314) 454-1488 or visit the group’s Web site
at www.stlouisamb.org.
| See St. Louis from an open top English double-decker bus. The bus runs April 30 through October from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. With two routes you can choose either Downtown that covers all the sights from The Gateway Arch to Union Station to the City Museum and more. Or try the Forest Park Route
for everything from Anheuser-Busch Brewery to the Botanical Garden and Forest Park including the Zoo and The Loop.
Travel for 2-1/2 hours or hop off at any of the 33 stops along the way. Tickets can be purchased online or from the staff onboard the buses and are valid two days for unlimited rides. The main stop is the Gateway Arch at the Riverfront. www.citysightseeing-usa.com |
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SIOR URGES REGIONAL
CONSOLIDATION
AT METRO MARKET FORECAST
The St. Louis chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS called
for a consolidation of metro-area
governments at the 21st Annual SIOR
St. Louis Metro Market Forecast.
David M. Zeigler,
managing principal,
Lee & Associates |
Glenn B. Guenther,
principal,
Discovery Group LLC |
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“It is the opinion of our organization that consolidation would be a step in the right direction,” says Dennis DeSantis, senior director at Cushman & Wakefield
of Missouri Inc. “We hope that Mayor
Slay, the alderman of the city of
St. Louis, County Executive Charles Dooley and the St. Louis County Council begin discussion to bring governance of the St. Louis area to a central board.”
Presented by the SIOR St. Louis chapter, the forecast is the industry’s largest local event and attracted more than 800 people. The event featured presentations on the retail, office, industrial and investment markets by industry professionals. The industrial and investment markets in St. Louis compare well with other cities, according to presentations made by David M. Zeigler, managing principal at Lee & Associates, and David A. Kelpe, vice president at Colliers Turley
Martin Tucker.
“At 7.5 percent, the [industrial] vacancy rate is well below the national average of 10.1 percent, and we compare well to other Midwest cities,” says Zeigler.
The office market tended to stabilize in 2004, according to Glenn B. Guenther, principal at Discovery Group LLC. Vacancies decreased and office transactions increased, but construction of new office buildings was down.
GALA FORCE MOVES INTO
ST. CHARLES INCUBATOR
Colorado-based Gala Force Events & Fund Raising has opened a Missouri office at the Advanced Technology Center small business incubator in St. Charles. The business is the first of its kind in the incubator, which is operated by the Economic Development Center of
St. Charles County. Gala Force specializes in nonprofit fund raising, board development, event management, major donor fundraising and public relations.
LIBRARY RECEIVES $351,000 LEGACY
FROM RETIRED EMPLOYEE
| George Kyle, former St. Louis Public Library employee, left a considerable legacy behind. |
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George Kyle worked for more than 40 years at the St. Louis Public Library’s Carpenter branch on South Grand Avenue. When he died from cancer in November 2003 at the age of 88, he left a considerable legacy behind for his former employer: a $351,000 gift to be spent equally on books for children and books for adults.
The gift is particularly extraordinary considering that Kyle’s income reportedly never exceeded $20,000 per year. He was considered a frugal man who packed the same lunch with a bologna sandwich every day and who did not spend lavishly. During his years at the library, Kyle developed such a connection to the Carpenter branch that many people referred to him as “Mr. Carpenter.”
Each of the children’s books purchased by the gift will be inscribed in memory of Kyle’s mother, Ruth E. Kyle, and each adult book will be inscribed in memory of his father, George B. Kyle.
UMSL SIGNS PARTNERSHIPS
FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA PROGRAM
The University of Missouri-St. Louis has established international partnerships with two universities as part of its new International Master’s of Business Administration program. The university has signed with Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, and Robert Schumann University in Strasbourg, France, to allow students enrolled in the two-year graduate program to study abroad.
UMSL students enrolled in the program will spend their first two semesters studying abroad and will then spend the following summer interning in the same country. Then they will return to UMSL for two more semesters. Students from the partnering universities will attend UMSL during their second year. The multi-institute approach is designed to give students an advantage in the field of international business with experience at an international company.
Discussions are in progress to establish partnerships with institutions in India, Japan, Mexico and Germany. |
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