Small Street Journal: June 23, 2015

Larson Companies announced a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 135-room Staybridge Suites in Altoona will take place on June 24, 2015 at 11 am. The ceremony will be held at 1515 Bluestem Boulevard off HWY 53 in Altoona’s Northwest Quadrant of River Prairie Development. Construction of the 90,000 square foot Staybridge Suites is expected to be completed in late spring of 2016. Staybridge Suites is owned by a group led by Larson Companies, under license agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group. The project ownership group includes Richard Larson, Thomas Larson, Tim Pabich, Tim Olson and Tom Toy. The property will be built by Royal Construction and managed by Larson Companies.

Dove Healthcare - South, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, has been recognized as a 2015 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award for its dedication to improving the lives of residents through quality care. The award is the first of three distinctions possible through the National Quality Award Program, presented by the American Health Care Association. The program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and assists providers of post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals. Trained Examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. Dove Healthcare - South will now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver - Achievement in Quality Award.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin announced nce that the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Leadership Council (NLC) recognized the Northwestern Wisconsin affiliate with a 2014 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Quality Award. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin is in its 43rd year of serving its community’s children. In 2014, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin served nearly 500 children. The affiliate expanded community-based programming into Dunn County, site-based programming into Oneida and Vilas Counties, and launched the Mentors in Motion program in both the Chippewa Valley and St. Croix Valley. Mentors in Motion is a program aimed at providing children opportunities to become more physically active and engage in learning around healthy eating habits. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin is one of 45 out of more than 300 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America agencies that was recognized for quality community programming.

John Sackett, director at Royal Credit Union, was elected by acclamation to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) board of directors. Sackett will fill the District 4, Class C board seat, which represents credit unions with at least 106,000 natural-person members in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Sackett is the first volunteer elected to the CUNA board since the 1996 Renewal Review recommendations changed the election procedures and composition of the board. His term will run through the 2016 annual general meeting.

Sheila Galbraith, M.D., recently joined Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire as a dermatologist. Galbraith earned her medical degree at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. She completed her dermatology residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She also was a fellow in pediatric dermatology at Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She is board-certified in dermatology and pediatric dermatology with the American Board of Dermatology. She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, Society for Pediatric Dermatology, Wisconsin Dermatological Society and Dermatology Foundation. Before joining Mayo Clinic Health System, Galbraith worked as an associate professor of dermatology at Medical College of Wisconsin. In 2012, Galbraith was recognized as one of the Best Doctors in Milwaukee by “M” magazine.

The Center for Sleep Medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire recently received five-year reaccreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The department was recognized for its commitment to regulations and new advancements to ensure that sleep center patients receive the highest quality of care.  The accreditation process involved detailed inspection of facilities and employees, including an evaluation of testing procedures, patient contacts and physician training. Also, department goals must be clearly stated and include plans for positively affecting the quality of care in the community. The Center for Sleep Medicine cares for patients with the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

Jeff Gau, has been named as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Upper Midwest. The winners of the award were selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. Gau joined Marco as a sales representative in 1984 and held various management positions before he became president in 2003 and CEO in 2007. In 2004, Marco was a $34 million company with 198 employees and seven locations in Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. Under Gau’s leadership, Marco has grown to a $200 million company with 900 employees at 42 locations nationally. Marco donates up to five percent of its profits to the communities they serve and pays employees to lead key volunteer efforts in the community. The EY Upper Midwest program includes companies based in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Collectively, this year’s finalists generated more than $2.1 billion in revenue and provided over 7,000 jobs by the end of 2014.