Michelle Ducre named human resources director for city of Joplin

(From the City of Joplin)

The City of Joplin has selected Michelle Ducre as its next Human Resources Director, City Manager Nick Edwards announced today.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Ducre currently serves as Human Resources Director for the City of Pittsburg, Kansas. Her 20-year career has included human resources and community service in the private and public sectors.

Prior to her work in Pittsburg, she served the Joplin area in many ways, including as a Major Gifts Officer for Missouri Southern State University and a Regional Development Director for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks – Joplin. 

In her capacity with the Community Foundation, Ducre assisted with the Joplin tornado recovery efforts by partnering with the City of Joplin, Joplin Public Schools, area nonprofits and other businesses to lead a long-term recovery by collaborating with regional and national corporate, family, and community foundations to secure over $10 million in donations, grant funding and volunteer labor to help rebuild the community. Prior to that role, Ducre served as Executive Director of the Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri in Joplin.

In 2012, she earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Pittsburg State University and in 1992 earned a Bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University (LSU) in General Studies with a Criminal Justice emphasis. Ducre served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 1987-1991 as MOS 75D Personnel Records Specialist.

“Michelle possesses exceptional interpersonal skills and a passion for serving the public,” said Edwards. “She understands organizational development, is skilled in developing employees, and has an impressive record of serving the community. She will be a great addition to the City’s management team."

Regarding this opportunity, Ducre stated, “Joplin feels like home, and I look forward to working with our team and community partners to build a successful workforce” .

Ducre was selected following a nationwide search that considered 15 candidates generated by the executive recruitment firm of Baker Tilly in Kansas City. She begins her career with the City of Joplin on October 4. This position became open upon the retirement of Dave Allgood in February of this year.

Remembering Don Johnston

It is no tribute to my character that 20 years after I graduated from East Newton High School, I could describe the principal's office in exact detail. The passage of another 27 years has dimmed that recollection somewhat, but the lessons I learned in that room, though it took some of them years to sink in, are indelibly etched in my memory.

It was in that room in the early fall of 1970 that I was introduced to Don Johnston and in a freshman year that had my parents frequently asking about requirements for the witness protection program, I was reintroduced to Mr. Johnston numerous times.

On one occasion, it was the underground newspaper I published detailing what I imagined was deep corruption in the East Newton R-6 School District (even then I had problems with superintendents), another time it was the questionable (actually offensive) lyrics I substituted for some Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins songs while sitting in the back of the bus.

Each time I was summoned, I waited for several long minutes that seemed to stretch into hours before I was called into the office to face my executioner.

It wasn't just his title as principal- Don Johnston was an imposing man, standing well over six feet tall and he had a deep, commanding voice that struck fear into those of us who occasionally crossed over to the dark side.

After I sat down, he usually just glared at me, his face reddening and I expected him to begin shouting at me and perhaps administer the beating that I so richly deserved.

What he did was even worse.

He took me through each detail of the crime and by the time he was finished I was invariably surprised that he knew more about what I had done than I did.

On more than one occasion, he concluded the session by letting me know that I was under an in-school suspension. Essentially, I had to continue attending all of my classes and stay out of trouble. For the next several days, I went to each class believing that all of my teachers were keeping an eye on me waiting for me to make that one move that would get me expelled.

I settled down after my freshman year and my next walk on the wild side took place when I was a junior. By this time, I was serving as vice president of the Student Council and without telling the sponsor, art teacher Gary Broadaway, Student Council President Teddy Johnson and I launched an illegal bingo game.

We called the game Corny, so that no one would think we were playing bingo and each day we posted the Corny numbers on the Student Council bulletin board. Someone had to sell the Corny cards, all of which were traditional bingo cards, and I had what I thought was a great idea.

I had a study hall during fourth hour, so I told my teacher I was going to be working on a project in another teacher's classroom for several days. Instead of reporting to my class, I sold Corny cards during all three lunch shifts for six weeks.

Corny was a huge success until Ronnie Brown won the game two straight times and the rumors circulated that the game was fixed. It didn't help that after several weeks of successfully skipping classes to sell Corny cards (and make a few hundred dollars for Student Council), someone caught on to what I was doing and I was called into Mr. Johnston's office.

I acknowledged skipping class, while carefully avoiding telling him why I was doing it. For once, I had information that the principal did not have.

Mr. Johnston gave me an in-school suspension.

Not long after that, with sales down, and no one to make any more sales, the game ended.

It took me longer than it should have to realize the impact Don Johnston had on my life and on the lives of those who attended or taught at East Newton High School. I did not fully realize it until I started teaching at Diamond Middle School and realized just how much a principal has to do to maintain effective discipline and provide an atmosphere that gives each student a chance to succeed.

I finally understood that I had never been given a legitimate in-school suspension. Mr. Johnston knew that the fear of further punishment was enough to deter me from any of my shenanigans, at least for a while, and he wanted to keep me in the classroom.

I realized that he took the time to know his students and knew exactly what he needed to do to keep nearly all of them headed on the right path.

Several months ago, I was talking with another of Mr. Johnston's former students, Mark Knight, who said he had recently had the pleasure of talking with him and said my name had come up in the conversation. 

Mark told me a couple of things that I immediately thought of when I heard the news this week that Mr. Johnston had died at age 87. 

He said Mr. Johnston had said he bet that I was a good teacher. That meant a lot to me, as I am sure that it did when he complimented other EN graduates who entered the teaching field, some of them at East Newton High School.

Mark also said I should stop by and see Mr. Johnston and that he loved to hear from his former students.

I fully intended to do that and tell him in person how much the lessons he taught me had enriched my life. I hope he knew. I hope it was just another one of those situations where he seemed to intuitively know things he had no way of knowing.

As I thought about that, I remembered another bit of information I had never volunteered to Mr. Johnston.

Years after I left the halls of East Newton for the final time, I heard a story about a conversation between Mr. Johnston and former EN Student Council President Teddy Johnson.

"Whatever happened to that bingo game you were running?" Mr. Johnston asked. "You were doing pretty well with that."

It was hard to slip anything past Mr. Johnston.

Lamar First Christian Church members receive Missouri Public Safety Medals for heroic actions

 
(From Gov. Mike Parson)

This morning, Governor Mike Parson awarded Missouri Public Safety Medals to a total of 15 first responders and 7 civilians for heroic and live-saving actions during 2020.

The awards are Missouri’s highest recognition for first responders acting during critical incidents.

 
The civilians, who include a 12-year-old boy who performed a life-saving rescue at age 11, were honored for taking on harrowing risks during emergencies to save lives and support first responders.

 

“This ceremony is an annual reminder of our heroic first responders who bravely serve the citizens of Missouri at great risk to themselves each day,” Governor Parson said. “We are inspired by the actions of these 22 outstanding Missourians. They acted selflessly, putting the safety of others and protecting the public good above concern for their own wellbeing. We appreciate and honor these first responders and civilians for their courageous actions that ended threats and saved lives during extremely challenging emergencies."

Family members and colleagues were in attendance for the awards presentation during the Jefferson City ceremony.

Among those receiving medals were Lendon J. Blanchard, Evan G. Clements and Christopher A. Runion, who were nominated by the Lamar Police Department for their heroics following a shooting the evening of August 1 in a Carthage hotel.

A gunman had killed one victim and shot another before stealing a car at knifepoint and fleeing the area. There was an extensive search.

Just before 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, Lamar Police Officer John Simpson responded to a call for a suspicious person in the First Christian Church of Lamar. A man meeting the description of the killer was inside the church.

Officer Simpson attempted to detain the man, giving the command to place his hands behind his back and turn around. Instead, the suspected murderer responded, “I’m not going back, I can’t go back.”

He then reached inside the waistband of his pants and pulled out a knife.

Officer Simpson tried to restrain the man, and they crashed into a bookshelf and then to the floor where they continued to struggle. Simpson sustained a cut to his hand.

Church members Lendon Blanchard, Evan Clements, and Christopher Runion all immediately went to the officer’s aid. All three assisted the officer as he struggled with the suspected killer, grabbing the assailant’s arms to prevent further injury to the officer.

Despite the risks to themselves, Blanchard, Clements, and Runion bravely and selflessly came to the aid of Officer Simpson and prevented further injury to the officer. With their assistance, Officer Simpson was able to take the murder suspect into custody.

Crowder College, Missouri State bring teacher education program to Webb City campus

(From Crowder College)

Crowder College and Missouri State University announce expansion of their current partnership to include offering MSU’s Teacher Education program at Crowder College – Webb City.

“Crowder College strives to develop partnerships and opportunities for all of our students to continue their academic journey beyond graduation” said Keith Zoromski, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. 

“This expansion provides an opportunity for Crowder College graduates to pursue Teacher Education credentials from Missouri State University without relocating to Springfield. As a result, after graduation, they are more likely to teach in classrooms across our nine-county service area in southwest Missouri.”

The partnership began in 2007 providing Crowder College graduates as well as community members the opportunity to take classes working towards a bachelor degree in education, business, agriculture. The program has continued to expand to provide options in social work, nursing and various online options.

“MSU has had a tremendous partnership with Crowder for the last fourteen years, helping Crowder students earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education entirely at their local Crowder location. Not only has this program changed many students' lives, but it has grown quality teachers who wish to stay in their communities and strengthen our local schools. We couldn't be more thrilled that this opportunity is now available to Crowder students on the Webb City campus,” stated Larry Nichols, MSU Regional Outreach Administrator for the Southwest Region.

 

Crowder Board to discuss presidential search process

 

(From Crowder College)

A G E N D A

CROWDER COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Crowder College Campus
Newton Hall Conference Room
Friday, September 3, 2021
10:00 A.M.

I. Call to Order

II. Discussion of search process, and discussion and approval of presidential profile.

III. Adjournment

Virtual hearing schedule set for Liberty Utilities rate increase proposal

 

(From the Missouri Public Service Commission)

The Missouri Public Service Commission will hold public hearings in November to receive customer comment in an electric rate case filed by The Empire District Electric Company d/b/a Liberty. These public hearings will be conducted virtually by WebEx and telephone conference. They will also be streamed live on the Commission’s website (psc.mo.gov).

To attend the virtual public hearing by telephone, at the time of the hearing, call toll-free 1-855-718-6621, listen to the prompt and enter the meeting number (access code) set out below, followed by # (pound/hashtag symbol). If prompted for a password, enter 0312.

To participate by video/Internet, visit the website www.webex.com . You can also download the Cisco WebEx meetings application on your mobile device, laptop, desktop or tablet prior to the hearing and join the meeting at the hearing time by entering the corresponding access code and password listed below.

To facilitate an orderly presentation that can be preserved for the record, members of the public who wish to provide statements in the virtual public hearing, should sign-up by sending their first and last name, phone number, email address and the hearing that they wish to attend to pscinfo@psc.mo.gov or by calling 1-800-392-4211 by 5 pm the day before the hearing.

A PSC Staff conducted question and answer session will be held at the beginning of each virtual public hearing. The formal virtual public hearing will begin at the conclusion of the question and answer session. The virtual public hearing schedule appears below.

 

November 15                         Noon            Access Code: 1778 21 4312         Password: 0312

November 17                         6 pm            Access Code: 1776 00 3784          Password: 0312

November 18                         6 pm            Access Code: 1776 48 0348          Password: 0312

 

Any person needing special accommodations to participate in the virtual public hearings as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the Missouri Public Service Commission at least 10 days prior to the virtual public hearing at one of the following numbers: Consumer Services Hotline 1-800-392-4211 or TDD Hotline 1-800-829-7541.

Individuals wishing to mail comments should send them to the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102. They can also be sent electronically using the Commission’s electronic filing system at https://psc.mo.gov/General/Submit_Comments. When submitting comments, please refer to File No. ER-2021-0312.

On May 28, 2021, Liberty filed an electric rate case with the Missouri Public Service Commission seeking to increase gross annual electric revenues by approximately $79.9 million.

Liberty serves approximately 155,400 electric customers in the Missouri counties of Barry, Barton, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Polk, St. Clair, Stone and Taney.

Nancy Hughes: Fix it, God!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Teaching my four-year old grandson to tie his shoes was quite a challenge. He struggled for several minutes but eventually was able to get “one rabbit in the hole” before his attention turned to “Max and Ruby” on television and the lesson ended. But it brought back memories of another shoe tying experience as school nurse many years ago.

I was in my office when a mom of one of our first graders came in, obviously frustrated. She looked at me and demanded “Nurse Nancy, I have a problem and YOU need to fix it now.” Notice that she was the one with the problem but I was the one she had decided needed to fix it. 

So I said “Well, Mrs. Smith, what’s the problem?” And she said “It’s my daughter Megan. She refuses to learn to tie her shoes.”

When I asked what she had done to help her daughter so far, she replied “Well, I show her how to do it but she screams and refuses to even try. She throws her shoes at me and crosses her arms and yells at me to get out.” I couldn’t resist asking: “And what do you do then?” She seemed surprised at my question. “I get out, of course!” she replied.

To me the problem could be fixed within about 10 minutes, I told her. She was very excited and said “How? Tell me how!” (Can I mention that it was the middle of January and we were having some pretty nasty weather?) I continued “I would put Megan’s shoes on the front porch and put Megan on the front porch. Then I would tell her she can come in when she ties her shoes as I shut and locked the door.”

Honestly, does that not make sense to you? Made sense to me. But Mrs. Smith obviously didn’t think so because she began yelling “I can’t believe you would ever suggest anything like that! YOU don’t have a heart!” I thought to myself: “And YOU don’t have a brain.” (Yes, it was a thought for which I later repented.)

How many times am I faced with a tough situation and immediately pray “Fix it, God!” without seeking His will from His Word? And then, when I finally do seek His will and He answers me, I don’t like what He speaks to my heart. Maybe He whispers “You can do it, Nancy” or “Wait, Nancy” or “Keep on doing what you are doing and be patient, Nancy” but that’s not what I want to hear. Too often, I know what God wants me to do . . . I just don’t want to do it.

Instead, I want HIM to instantly get rid of the trial by either removing or solving the situation or changing the person that I have a conflict with or . . . you get the picture?

We must learn to seek His face first, in any and all situations. And when we do that, we have to be willing to listen to His answer . . . and to obey. Oh the lessons I have learned when trials have come and I have focused on the Lord and listened to His voice.

Resist the urge to cry “Fix it!” to God and instead trust Him to guide in His Word through whatever situation you may be facing . . . including shoes that refuse to be tied!

Father, so many times I ask you to fix a situation or problem in my life instead of seeking your will or direction. Please guide and direct me through each trial so that I may grow and mature as a follower of Christ. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

What is your immediate reaction when faced with a trial?

Do you want it “fixed” instantly or do you ask God to show you His will?

Apply

When a trial confronts you, meet it head on with a short prayer of “Your will, your way, Father.”

Journal a list of all the previous trials you have had and how God answered your prayers each time. Then praise Him for His faithfulness.

Power

James 1:2-4 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Psalm 55:22 (NIV) “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.) 

Paul Richardson: No ironing needed

If you can recall the late Paul Harvey and his broadcast “The Rest of The Story," then this meandering would fall into the rest of the story category. 

Join me in a short travel in time going back a couple weeks ago. If you recall the writing was titled “Fat Boys Don’t Fold Well” and recounted my day of struggles with everything from medical appointments to our choice in breakfast locations. Now, here is the rest of the story.

The title line, “Fat Boys Don’t Fold Well”, has been around for several years. That was the script on the front of some shirts that we sold, and that particular shirt was our most popular item. 

It didn’t make any difference whether Sane City Limits or the Trade Company was represented on the back, people that purchased that shirt bought if for one reason, the front script. Many automatically assumed that the statement was tied to the Harley-Davidson soft tail model that bore a similar name of Fatboy. It did not have anything to do with that motorcycle, in fact, this is how the phrase came about: I was assigned to the project office at Carthage at the time. 

One day while in conversation with Rick Lemasters, who was the supervisor next door at the maintenance facility, we began discussing the boots that we would buy for the upcoming year.

For years I had worn a pull-on classic two-buckle engineer with the Harley-Davidson logo. This style of boot was causing me some problems and hurting my feet. Rick was having a similar problem and our discussion had determined that it was time to return to a lace-up boot. That was not a problem as the boot truck had in its inventory a buckle-over-lace, paratrooper style, Harley-Davidson boot. 

I stated that the only problem was when I bent over to tie the boots, I felt like I was going to pass out. Rick responded with, “That’s because fat boys don’t fold well.” Thus, the words were said, and the statement was born.

The shirts were produced and became so popular that the female customers were constantly asking for their own special shirt. This seemed like a very dangerous path to travel and no matter what I did, it was not going to turn out well. I was successful in putting the ladies off for a couple of years, but eventually the pressure resumed, and I knew that there was no escape.

Late one night, my muse finally arrived with a line that I knew was risky but was the golden moment. There were a couple of caveats. 1. Skinny girls would not be permitted to buy this shirt. 2. Men, husbands or boyfriends would not be permitted to buy this shirt. In fact, the girls that did purchase the shirt were required to present a photo id and sign a disclaimer stating that they would not return and cause me physical harm.

I am just going to rip off the band-aid and reveal this script where there was no middle ground, no gray areas, just love or hate: No Ironing Needed, Fat Girls Don’t Wrinkle!

I got substantial feedback on the previous article and some readers reminded me that the story didn’t end there.

Ash Grove Republican joins Seventh District Congressional race

By Jason Hancock

Missouri Independent

State Sen. Mike Moon has jumped into what promises to be a crowded race for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Billy Long.

Moon, a former state representative elected to the Senate last year, unsuccessfully ran against Long in 2010 and 2012.

Long is leaving Congress to run for the U.S. Senate seat of Roy Blunt, who is retiring.

In a web ad announcing his candidacy, Moon touts his conservative legislative record and vows to fight for former President Donald Trump’s legacy.

“That means fighting for life and finally defunding Planned Parenthood so they can never kill again,” Moon says in the ad.

Opposition to abortion has been a cornerstone of Moon’s legislative career. This year, he sponsored a bill that would have redefined a fertilized egg as a person with all the constitutional rights of any other citizen and required police and the courts to “affirmatively enforce” the Missouri constitution’s due process clause which guarantees legal rights to people, effectively turning any attempt to terminate a pregnancy into murder.

He introduced a bill to create an abortion exhibit at the Missouri state museum, one that would be required to be shown alongside exhibits on slavery. And he has regularly drawn comparisons between abortion and the Holocaust.

In addition to abortion, Moon vows in his ad to take on issues like critical race theory and election fraud, and promises to “punish the Chinese communists and Fauci for their lies about COVID.”

“I’m a rancher who believes in Jesus Christ, the Constitution and a government so small you can’t see it,” Moon said.

Long’s departure from the race, and the heavily Republican tilt of the southwest Missouri district, is expected to inspire a crowded GOP primary next year.

Sam Alexander, a doctor from Springfield, joined the primary earlier this month.

State Sen. Eric Burlison, former Blunt aide Joelle Cannon and former state Sen. Jay Wasson are openly considering joining the race as well.

Missouri awards $30 million no-bid contract to Texas company for COVID healthcare staffing, alternative sites

By  Tessa Weinberg

Missouri Independent

A Texas-based company stands to earn upwards of $30 million in Missouri through a no-bid emergency contract to provide healthcare staffing, antibody treatment centers and alternative care sites.

The move comes after some states spent millions over the course of the pandemic on private companies to bolster their healthcare infrastructure, but found by the time field hospitals were constructed many weren’t needed as COVID-19 hospitalizations declined. That includes Missouri, which the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported spent $1.9 million last year to convert and operate an emergency field hospital that ultimately only treated 28 COVID patients.

In fact, the company awarded the emergency contract in Missouri earlier this month made headlines in New York and Texas for projects it was involved in that ran up tens of millions in costs but ultimately benefited few COVID patients — or in one instance none at all.

Last week, Gov. Mike Parson’s office announced the state health department entered into a contract with SLSCO, a Galveston, Texas-based company most widely known for its work constructing portions of a border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The company will supply the state with temporary healthcare personnel, supplies and equipment for monoclonal antibody treatment sites — an effort to reduce the risk of hospitalization and severe COVID cases as the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units hovers at an all-time high in Missouri.

SLSCO will also be tasked with boosting healthcare capacity through temporary staffing at hospitals, state-run facilities and long-term care facilities and is contracted to operate 24/7 alternate care sites to treat COVID-19 positive patients, according to a copy of the company’s contract provided to The Independent.

Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) officials had originally sought an emergency contract with SLSCO to establish an alternate care site in Springfield, according to emails provided by the Office of Administration (OA), the agency that oversees state bidding and procurement.

But a day after OA’s Division of Purchasing authorized DHSS to move forward with the contract, Springfield officials withdrew their request to the state for an alternate care site.

 
Past work

When the pandemic struck and hospitals became overwhelmed, SLSCO — founded in 1995 by brothers Todd, John and William Sullivan — began winning contracts to build alternative care sites for COVID patients.

SLSCO, which stands for Sullivan Land Services Co., was among the contractors Florida brought on to operate and staff a temporary hospital for COVID patients. The initial purchase order that would have ​​paid SLSCO $42 million a month was canceled as the need for hospital space declined, but then later revived, the Miami Herald reported.

The company was also paid more than $72 million to operate two temporary field hospitals in New York City.

One, at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, cost more than $52 million and served only 79 patients, according to The New York Times, which noted the final bill may exceed $100 million.

Healthcare staff at the facility told The New York Times that in the early days they were bogged down by paperwork and training, with miscommunication and disagreements between hospital and city officials resulting in few transfers.

Similarly, another temporary hospital at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal was constructed by SLSCO for $20.8 million under a no-bid emergency contract. It was shuttered without seeing a single patient, THE CITY reported.

Last August in Texas, local officials said a 96-bed treatment facility in the Rio Grande Valley lacked patients because SLSCO had not obtained a waiver to transfer them. State officials disputed that claim, saying the facility was not operational because a contract was still being negotiated, according to the Border Report.

From August to October 2020, the Texas center treated a total of 56 patients before it stopped accepting new ones.

SLSCO also lists on its website the Austin Convention Center alternate care site as another project it was contracted to work on. Similarly, that site was first constructed in July 2020, took on no patients for months until January 2021, and eventually treated 215 patients, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

CBS Austin reported in August 2020 that the lease, beds and equipment cost $1.3 million.

Securing emergency authorization

Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for DHSS, said the state was interested in securing a contractor that was capable of multiple functions.

Emergency procurements that exceed $50,000 must receive prior approval from the Office of Administration’s Division of Purchasing. Chris Moreland, a spokesman for OA, confirmed that the agency had approved the request and instructed DHSS “to obtain as much competition as is practicable under the circumstances.”

According to emails provided to The Independent by OA, Paula Nickelson, the administrator of the Office of Emergency Coordination within DHSS’ Division of Community and Public Health, said she spoke with both Texas and California officials who had utilized SLSCO and had “superlative” references “with no barriers or concerns noted.”

After Springfield officials had withdrawn their request for an alternate care site, Nickelson outlined in a July 31 email the quickly evolving process and inquired if an additional emergency authorization was needed to expand the services contracted with SLSCO.

In an Aug. 2 email, Nickelson noted an antibody infusion center in Springfield staffed by Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team members was effectively decreasing the emergency department surge. But the team did not have the capacity to expand to other areas even though hospitals were requesting it.

She also noted hospitals, long-term care facilities and state-run congregate care facilities were all experiencing staffing shortages that SLSCO could help ease.

By Friday Aug. 6, OA’s Division of Purchasing had granted expanded authority for DHSS to contract with SLSCO for a variety of needs.

Nickelson said SLSCO was the only entity that the state identified that could provide the range of services Missouri was seeking.

In a statement, Liz Rogers, a spokeswoman for SLSCO, said the company has treated thousands of patients and provided medical staffing to many states, counties and cities since the onset of the pandemic. Rogers directed questions to DHSS.

In a news release, the governor’s office previously said the contract would be paid for with CARES Act funds. A spokeswoman for the governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

“It is our hope that these infusion centers will help relieve hospital strain and health care worker fatigue as we move forward with our efforts to get more Missourians vaccinated,” Parson said in a statement last week.

The contract

On Aug. 11, Parson announced the state would commit $30 million toward boosting healthcare capacity through staffing and antibody treatments.

Five days later, an emergency contract with SLSCO was in place. The contract notes it will end on Nov. 30.

Other state agencies, like the Department of Mental Health, Missouri Veterans Commission, Department of Corrections and Department of Social Services’ Division of Youth Services, and any skilled nursing, assisted living or residential care facilities licensed by DHSS may also utilize the contract to obtain temporary healthcare staff.

Staffing has been a critical need amid the pandemic, with state agencies spending millions on temporary employees to assist caring for patients. This month, intensive care unit beds occupied by COVID patients have been at their highest levels.

Costs for monoclonal antibody infusion stations for 30 days of operation range from $1.5 million for five stations up to $5.3 million for 20 stations, according to a pricing estimate included in the state’s contract with SLSCO.

Monoclonal antibodies mimic the body’s immune system’s ability to fight off viruses, and have been shown to reduce the risk of severe disease or hospitalization when administered shortly after COVID symptoms have appeared.

Antibody infusions have been a treatment strategy touted by the Biden administration to curb a rise in hospitalizations driven by the Delta variant, and doses have been shipped nationwide, including in Missouri.

An antibody infusion center has been operating since late July in southwest Missouri and has treated 748 COVID patients, according to the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. In a news release Wednesday, Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Katie Towns touted the resource as one that “has undoubtedly saved lives in our community.”

By Sept. 1, the state aims to have seven antibody infusion sites with locations in Kansas City, Sedalia, St. Louis City, Festus, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff. Meanwhile, an additional site is under consideration in the greater St. Louis area, Cox said. Truman Medical Centers first began offering infusions last Wednesday.

Healthcare staffing will be at a fixed rate for various positions, like $185 per hour for registered intensive care unit nurses or respiratory therapists, $250 per hour for pharmacists or $550 per hour for critical care physicians, according to the contract.

Overtime will be paid at 1.5 times the standard hourly rate, and costs to and from Missouri will be billed to the state as well, according to the contract.

Depending on a hospital’s size and its number of licensed beds, the state will also cap the costs it will cover. For example the state will cover up to $50,000 in expenses for Tier 1 hospitals that have up to 25-licensed beds and $200,000 for Tier 5 hospitals with over 400 licensed beds.

Any healthcare staffing expenses that exceed that amount will be the responsibility of the hospital, Cox said.

The contract does not outline a set limit on costs for 24/7 alternate care sites to treat COVID-positive patients. The sites will operate for a minimum of 30 days and up to 120 days.

An estimated price proposal to provide facilities and supplies for 50 patients for 30 days came out to nearly $4.9 million according to the contract. Staffing for the same period of time was estimated to cost $22.7 million. The contract also notes SLSCO shall ensure all alternate care site staff are fully vaccinated, regardless of their position or patient care responsibilities.

Cox did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether sites and locations have been determined.