Hospital Headlines

Chris Jones Announced as Next COO of Boone Health

Chris Jones has accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) with Boone Health. His first day with Boone was on Monday, April 29.

Jones brings 35 years of health care experience to Boone Health, which began in the US Army Reserves where he served as an orthopedic technician. Jones has 20 years of experience in hospital leadership roles, having served as both COO and CEO at various facilities, most recently as COO and Interim CEO at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Enid, Oklahoma. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Jones is a native of central Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Health Science in Radiology/Computed Tomography and William Woods University with his MBA and MHA. Chris also spent four years as CEO of Moberly Regional Medical Center.

“I am excited to come home,” says Jones. “Having been born and raised in the Columbia area, I am very familiar with Boone Health and its outstanding reputation for quality care. I look forward to joining the team and lending my experience and leadership to the hospital’s operations.”

Drew Wilkinson Promoted to Boone Health’s Next Vice President, Provider and Ambulatory Operations

Drew Wilkinson has accepted the position of Vice President, Provider and Ambulatory Operations for Boone Health, encompassing 155 providers across 11 specialty clinics, 11 primary care clinics and 2 convenient care clinics. His first day in his new role was on April 8.

Wilkinson has been with Boone Health since 2006, beginning his career in the Nutrition and Food Services department before transitioning to the Laboratory. Most recently, Wilkinson expanded his role and served as the Director of Laboratory Services and Emergency Services. Wilkinson was recognized as the Boone Health Leader of Year by his peers in 2020. Wilkinson currently serves on the Boone Hospital Foundation Board.

Wilkinson is a native of Columbia. He received his Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Missouri and his MBA from Columbia College.

“I am excited for this opportunity,” says Wilkinson. “Our provider and ambulatory service platforms continue to expand, and I look forward to helping foster that growth while maintaining the high standard of care that Boone is known for.”

Boone Health Opens Vascular Surgery Clinic

Boone Health recently opened Boone Health Vascular Surgery. The clinic includes providers Erica Salinas, MD, Sarah Severance, MD, and Jamie Markway, FNP-BC.

Dr. Salinas is Board Certified in Vascular Surgery and has practiced in mid-Missouri since 2014. She specializes in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, carotid interventions, including carotid stenting, peripheral vascular disease interventions and venous interventions.

Dr. Severance is Board Certified in Vascular Surgery and has practiced in mid-Missouri since 2022. She specializes in vascular surgery, treatment of aneurysms, and diseases of the arteries.

Jamie Markway graduated from the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri and earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Maryville University. Jamie currently works at the Boone Health Heart Surgery clinic and is excited to join the Boone Health Vascular Surgery team.

Healthgrades Names Boone Hospital Center One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals

Boone Hospital Center is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for 2024, according to new research released by Healthgrades, a leading resource for finding a hospital or doctor. This is the second year in a row for Boone Hospital to receive this ranking and this year it is the only hospital in the state of Missouri make the list. The achievement puts Boone Hospital in the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance and reflects Boone’s commitment to exceptional patient care.

“Our people make the difference,” says Brady Dubois, Boone Health CEO. “Our medical staff, nurses, environmental services, food and nutrition, and everyone in-between. To be in the top 2%, it takes everyone working together with a singular focus of taking care of our patients.”

To determine the top hospitals for 2024, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide. The 2024 Healthgrades analysis revealed significant variation in hospital performance, making it increasingly important to seek care at top-rated programs. Healthgrades research reports that in 20202022, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to America’s 100 Best Hospitals, 180,413 lives could have been saved.*

“Healthgrades commends Boone Hospital Center for their leadership and continued dedication to high quality care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “As one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals, Boone Hospital Center is elevating the standard for quality care nationwide and ensuring superior outcomes for the patients in their community.”

Consumers can visit Healthgrades.com to learn more about Healthgrades.

In addition to being a Top 100 Hospital overall, Boone ranked in the Top 100 for Joint Replacement in 2023 and 2024, and received the Patient Safety Excellence Award in 2023 and 2024.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.