CoxHealth has been awarded a spot on the Fortune list of America’s Most Innovative Companies 2025. This prestigious award is presented by Fortune and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. In recent years, CoxHealth has introduced a variety of innovative initiatives to enhance patient care and employee retention, such as groundbreaking collaboration to expand pediatric care, development of a virtual care team, the Alliance for Healthcare Education, and annual Innovation Accelerator. “From enhancing our services by adding the latest in health care technology to pursuing collaborations to advance pediatric care for southwest Missouri, CoxHealth is always eager to push beyond our comfort zone to serve our community,” says Max Buetow, CoxHealth President and CEO. “We have worked hard to reinforce an innovative mindset across our organization, and we are glad to see those efforts recognized on the America’s Most Innovative Companies list.”
Increased access to specialized pediatric care moved one step closer to becoming a reality as CoxHealth and St. Louis Children's Hospital announced an agreement to expand pediatric care in southwest Missouri. Along with the expertise of WashU Medicine Physicians’ pediatric specialists, we will work collaboratively to bring advanced care to children in southwest Missouri, reducing the need to travel long distances for specialty care. Initial efforts focus on expanding pediatric inpatient care and the construction of a comprehensive outpatient center that will include ambulatory surgery, pediatric specialty care clinics, imaging, laboratory services, and infusion. “St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine are national leaders in pediatric care,” said Max Buetow, CoxHealth President and CEO. “We are excited to work together to expand access to pediatric specialty care for hundreds of thousands of children who live in this region. It is equally gratifying that our collective vision aligns with our community’s desire for us to deliver care locally and make Springfield a medical hub in this region.”
When choosing an employer, the opportunity to perform at the highest level is a major factor. At CoxHealth, we aim to attract top talent through our commitment to excellence in care. We’re proud to announce that our Emergency & Trauma Center at Cox South has earned Level I Trauma Center redesignation from both the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Arkansas Departments of Health. This designation is valid for the next three years. The Level I redesignation — the highest of three levels — follows a two-day, on-campus evaluation of CoxHealth's trauma program. Areas assessed include quality improvement, injury prevention, research, trauma registry, education and outreach, ensuring that Cox South continues to meet the highest standards of trauma care. "This achievement is a testament to the countless hours of dedication and hard work put in by the members of our trauma program," says Norrie Bradley, Trauma Program Manager. "Trauma care extends far beyond a single area of the hospital and this redesignation is a clear recognition of the exceptional work being done by the trauma program and the vital support of ancillary departments at CoxHealth."
It was just a small, intimate dinner party for about 1400 guests. Last week, CoxHealth hosted its annual employee banquet. Employees reaching milestone anniversaries were honored for their service and the impact they have made. Jeff Houghton, Emmy award-winning host of The Mystery Hour, returned to emcee the event. Throughout the evening, attendees were entertained by videos featuring Houghton as he played various trivia games with CoxHealth employees. During the meal, attendees were treated to special music featuring Claire Herzog. Following dinner, thirteen individuals received a Lester award, named in honor of CoxHealth’s founder, Lester E. Cox. The award highlights employees who go above and beyond to demonstrate respect, compassion and care to those in their care. These individuals were honored for coming together to help make a patient’s end of life request a reality. At CoxHealth, our people are what make us a great organization. An evening filled with so many employees who have dedicated large parts of their careers to CoxHealth is the perfect reminder that we wouldn’t be where we are without the tireless work that each of them contributes.
We have some exciting news to share! Recently, Cox Medical Center Branson became the only hospital in Missouri to earn a five-star quality rating from CMS and an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group! This means that when you visit Cox Branson, you can be assured that you are receiving top-quality care from incredible team members. We are so proud of our Branson team and these accomplishments! Read more about it on our website.
Are you a current or future nurse looking for ways to grow your career? Join us for our Nursing Open House event on Wednesday, March 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the West Tower Lobby of Cox South! Here, you will learn about career opportunities, our nursing retention initiatives and assistance programs. Visit the event page for more information: https://fb.me/e/3rWFYf3la
When you operate within a region for 100+ years, it’s common to hear people say they feel like they “grew up” with CoxHealth. But it’s special to have kids who had close family members or friends work at CoxHealth grow up to become colleagues. Abby Patton was one of those kids, and her CoxHealth journey shows the career opportunities are there for the taking, if you’re open to them. Abby knew from a young age that she wanted to work in health care. Her mom manages Communications for Cox Monett and Cox Barton County, one aunt is a nurse, and another aunt works in Surgery at Cox Monett. "I have been around hospitals as long as I can remember, and health care is definitely in my blood. In high school, I participated in a variety of programs, including the GO CAPS Healthcare Strand and the Occupations Program, and I believe enrolling in these programs early solidified my career choice,” Abby states. Recently, she began Graduate Nurse Residency Program, which is the only accredited residency of its kind in the region that is designed to enhance and develop the skills of new nurses, and she works as an operating room nurse at Cox South. “If you’re thinking about a career in health care, CoxHealth has so many opportunities – from high school to any age – you can figure out what is best for you,” shares Abby. If you want to learn more about these opportunities, visit coxhealth.com/careers.
