VILLE PLATTE ROTARY CLUB MEETING

APRIL 1, 2014

    The Ville Platte Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from  Scott Smith, new CEO of Mercy Regional Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center. Smith  is a native of Cleveland, Mississippi. He introduced Sandy Morein, Chief Nursing Officer who attended the meeting. In a special report to Rotarians, Smith stated that the hospitals provided $3.5 million dollars in charity and uncompensated care in 2012. The medical facilities also paid $1.8 million dollars in taxes in 2012.

    Smith said plans call for expansion and improvements in their imaging department, expand and grow their cardiology departments, grow the orthopedic services, expand women’s services and physician recruitment. He reported that the area’s first female OB/GYN, Dr. Kayla Fontenot will be coming to Acadian Medical Center in Eunice  in the near future.

    The Acadian Medical Center campus was recently certified as a Safe Sleep Hospital to fight sudden infant death syndrome. Smith was the special guest or Rotarian Janice Helmer.

    In other rotary club news:

--received news that the city wide garage sale is planned for Saturday at the Allen Ortego downtown park;

--the club presented Emily Claire Soileau, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joey Soileau as the Rotary District 6200 Roteract Student of the Year and gave her a trophy;

--was notified that the Ville Platte Rotary club was awarded the membership award for the greatest increase in members at last weekend’s convention;