Grateful for our caring and generous neighbors - SoutheastHEALTH

Clint Karnes, Vice
President of the
SoutheastHEALTH
Foundation Board of
Directors, and Debbie
Linnes, Southeast-
HEALTH President
and CEO, recognize
O.D. Niswonger,
Foundation Board
Member and former
Hospital Administrator,
for 50 years of
service to Southeast.
O.D. NiswONger recOgNizeD
for 50 Years of Service to SoutheastHEALTH
O.D. (Dave) Niswonger, former Southeast
Hospital Administrator, was recognized for
50 years of service to Southeast during the January
meeting of the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation
Board of Directors. Dave was employed at Southeast
from 1961 through 1990, with 14 of those years
spent as Southeast’s Administrator. He has continued
his service to Southeast throughout his
retirement as a member of the Foundation Board of
Directors.
When recalling his past five decades of service, Dave
notes that there have been many highlights. A great
source of pride was opening of the Hospital’s Regional
Cancer Center in 1981. “This was a wonderful
accomplishment for us—it’s such a great service. I am
so happy to see how the Cancer Center has evolved
and expanded to what it is today. The beautiful, new
Southeast Cancer Center is just fantastic.”
He also recalls implementation of downstate Missouri’s
first open heart surgery program in 1984. “At
first we didn’t realize how many of our departments
would be involved in this program,” he says. “But every
department we asked to take on this new
program pitched in without hesitation. Everyone
from the Medical Staff to Nursing to Anesthesiology,
Lab and numerous other departments jumped right
in to make it happen.”
Although Dave retired as Hospital Administrator
more than 20 years ago, he feels as though he never
really stopped working. “Gardening was always my
‘Stress Unit,’” he said. “And when I retired as Administrator,
I had so many things I wanted to
accomplish with iris hybridizing.”
8
“The service we render others is the rent we pay for our room on earth.”
~Wilferd Grenfell
International Iris Honors
His work as a hybridizer has earned Dave international
recognition including two Dykes Medals,
which, for iris hybridizers, is equivalent to winning
the Super Bowl. Awarded annually by the American
Iris Society, this honor has been given to only one
iris per year since 1927. A specialist with spurea irises,
Dave has introduced over 250 new iris varieties,
around 50 new daylilies and over 30 varieties of daffodils.
He also works with grafting nut trees.
Despite spending countless hours in his gardens,
Dave still finds time to be actively involved with
SoutheastHEALTH Foundation fundraising campaigns
and serves as Chaplain for the Foundation
Board of Directors.
During his 50 years of service, Dave has had a profound
and lasting influence on the character and
spirit of Southeast. That spirit is perpetuated
through the O.D. Niswonger Spirit of Southeast
Award. The award, which recognizes employees
who demonstrate the character and spirit that
Dave displayed throughout his career, was established
in 1991 as a tribute to him. That spirit,
along with his deep personal commitment to quality
patient care and development of facilities,
services and technology, has greatly enhanced the
quality of healthcare in our region. Dave Niswonger
continues to be a goodwill ambassador for
Southeast and remains passionate in his support
of SoutheastHEALTH. His legacy will live on at
Southeast for many more decades to come.