University of Missouri Health Care

Over the past year, our teams have navigated a lot of changes — between new clinics, new systems and new workflows. But in the middle of it all was Miriam Denton, a nurse supervisor in our pre-op clinic. She became the steady presence her team could rely on — rebuilding case schedules, learning new processes and jumping in to help in whatever way she could. Despite how busy things felt, she always showed up with a positive attitude. Her DAISY Award nomination read: “Miriam’s genuine, down-to-earth nature and her unwavering commitment to prioritizing her team’s well-being truly set her apart. She’s the kind of leader who makes you grateful to come to work.” Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Miriam. Thank you for everything you do and for creating a supportive space your team to save and improve lives.

Join us in welcoming our newest family nurse practitioner, Lacey Stockton, to MU Health Care! She is passionate about providing high-quality, compassionate care to rural communities and is now seeing new patients at our Family Medicine Clinic in Owensville. See her full profile: https://brnw.ch/21wY7G5

Kenny Araiza always saw himself becoming a teacher of some kind one day, but he never imagined he would end up teaching in the operating room. It wasn't until he talked with his brother, who had gone through a surgical technologist program, that he realized this career was even an option. Now, after nearly a decade as a surgical tech, Kenny leads our Surgical Technologist Trainee Program. He teaches students everything from instruments to how to stay calm in high-pressure moments and also prepares them for the emotional weight of the job. Each scenario he runs is meant to help his students think ahead and support the surgical team when things change quickly. “I want them to be ready not just for the textbook steps, but for the moments that catch you off guard.” For Kenny, the program is more than training. It’s an opportunity to prepare future surgical technologists to help save and improve lives. “This isn’t just a pipeline,” he said. “It is a proving ground. We are shaping surgical techs who are prepared, sharp and absolutely capable, and I am proud to be part of it.” Thank you for your hard work, passion and dedication to teaching these important skills, Kenny! We appreciate all that you do.

For 15 years, Jennifer lived with only one functioning eye after a traumatic injury damaged nearly all of her iris. She avoided eye contact and dealt with frequent headaches and discomfort from bright lights. Wearing sunglasses became part of her everyday life, both indoors and out. But during an eye appointment in Kansas City in 2023, Jennifer’s optometrist told her about a procedure that had emerged years after her injury: an artificial iris transplant that one of our very own ophthalmologists, Dr. James Landreneau, could perform. Jennifer turned out to be the perfect candidate and became the first patient in Missouri and at MU Health Care to receive an artificial iris transplant. With experience performing this surgery before, he walked Jennifer through each step and made it possible for her to get this specialized care close to home, helping her start to see comfortably again. “Her improvement has really been remarkable. It gives me chills thinking about how much this has helped her. It’s been one of the most rewarding cases of my entire career.”

Join us in welcoming Dr. Aditi More to MU Health Care! As a primary care physician, Dr. More specializes in chronic disease management, such as hypertension, diabetes and COPD. She's passionate about building lasting relationships with her patients and helping them navigate their health journey. She is now seeing new patients in Jefferson City. See her full profile to learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wXYWU

Today and every day, we’re thankful for our patients, employees and the entire mid-Missouri community. Caring for you, celebrating your milestones and hearing your stories reminds us why we do what we do. From all of us at MU Health Care, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

We’re incredibly proud of our OB/GYN team for recently presenting their work at the 92nd Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (CAOG) conference! Our experts, residents and medical students shared research focused on improving women’s health, from early cancer detection to safer C-sections to better heart care during pregnancy. Their work not only makes a difference for our patients here in mid-Missouri, but also across the country. We could not be more proud of them for the difference they're making in women's health care!

Join us in welcoming Dr. Samantha Herretes, our new ophthalmologist, to MU Health Care! Dr. Herretes specializes in corneal transplants, cataracts and vision-correction procedures. She is also a native Spanish speaker and is proud to provide bilingual care. See her full profile to learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wXDsL

We already knew our orthopaedics team is outstanding, but now it’s official! 🎉 Our team earned a spot on the Becker's Hospital Review list of 100 outstanding orthopedic programs in the country. This recognition highlights the innovation, research and minimally invasive procedures that are helping our patients get back to doing what they love faster. We couldn’t be more proud of them. Congratulations on a well-deserved recognition!

This UNICORN may not sparkle, but it does do something pretty extraordinary: it helps keep blood flowing during heart valve replacement. Dr. Chirag Bavishi breaks down how this weird medical term is used during a TAVR, a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery.