Clint Karnes, Vice President of the <strong>SoutheastHEALTH</strong> Foundation Board of Directors, <strong>and</strong> Debbie Linnes, Southeast- HEALTH President <strong>and</strong> CEO, recognize O.D. Niswonger, Foundation Board Member <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong>mer Hospital Administrator, <strong>for</strong> 50 years of service to Southeast. O.D. NiswONger recOgNizeD <strong>for</strong> 50 Years of Service to <strong>SoutheastHEALTH</strong> O.D. (Dave) Niswonger, <strong>for</strong>mer Southeast Hospital Administrator, was recognized <strong>for</strong> 50 years of service to Southeast during the January meeting of the <strong>SoutheastHEALTH</strong> 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 s<strong>our</strong>ce of pride was opening of the Hospital’s Regional Cancer Center in 1981. “This was a wonderful accomplishment <strong>for</strong> us—it’s such a great service. I am so happy to see how the Cancer Center has evolved <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed to what it is today. The beautiful, new Southeast Cancer Center is just fantastic.” He also recalls implementation of downstate Miss<strong>our</strong>i’s first open heart surgery program in 1984. “At first we didn’t realize how many of <strong>our</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>for</strong> <strong>our</strong> room on earth.” ~Wilferd Grenfell International Iris Honors His work as a hybridizer has earned Dave international recognition including two Dykes Medals, which, <strong>for</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> over 30 varieties of daffodils. He also works with grafting nut trees. Despite spending countless h<strong>our</strong>s in his gardens, Dave still finds time to be actively involved with <strong>SoutheastHEALTH</strong> Foundation fundraising campaigns <strong>and</strong> serves as Chaplain <strong>for</strong> the Foundation Board of Directors. During his 50 years of service, Dave has had a profound <strong>and</strong> lasting influence on the character <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>and</strong> development of facilities, services <strong>and</strong> technology, has greatly enhanced the quality of healthcare in <strong>our</strong> region. Dave Niswonger continues to be a goodwill ambassador <strong>for</strong> Southeast <strong>and</strong> remains passionate in his support of <strong>SoutheastHEALTH</strong>. His legacy will live on at Southeast <strong>for</strong> many more decades to come.
financials Diabetes $31,961 Hospice $63,821 OB/Pediatrics $27,575 How Y<strong>our</strong> Support Helped in 2010 Annual Donors 22% Special Events 26% Alzheimer’s $19,905 Scholarships $19,000 2010 Income Bequests 5% Investments 2% Employee Assistance $9,034 Grants 40% Cardiac $1,500 Healthcare Education $218,805 Other 2% 9
Change language