Small Street Journal: September 18, 2015

Monica Frederick has joined Royal Construction as vice president of business development. In her new role, Frederick will focus on building relationships with clients, consultants, industry stakeholders and supporting the organization’s business development and marketing strategy. Frederick earned her bachelor’s in political science – legal studies from UW-Eau Claire. She spent the last five years as a marketing and event specialist at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital and has also worked in business development and marketing at RW Scobie and the Eau Claire YMCA.   

Jim Geary has joined EO Johnson Business Technologies as director of business development. In this new role for EO Johnson, Geary will work extensively in EO Johnson’s existing and new markets to support increased sales, work closely with EO Johnson vendors/manufacturers, and work with EO Johnson’s Marketing department to further EO Johnson’s brand. Geary brings to his new position a wealth of experience within the office solutions industry. He has spent the last 29 years in technology leadership, and for the majority of that time focused on leading award-winning teams that implemented IT, print, and software integration to help customers with information workflow.

HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital’s Hearing & Balance Center has been certified as a Dementia-Friendly Community Business by the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Eau Claire County. The Hearing & Balance Center colleagues have been trained in approaching and interacting with persons with dementia and their caregivers. A recent study by Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., at Johns Hopkins University indicates that hearing loss can be linked to the risk of dementia. “According to the study, those over 60 years of age with hearing loss are at a significantly higher risk or developing dementia,” said Shawna Lee, audiologist.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recently recognized Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire as a statewide leader in worksite wellness with a Gold Level award from the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health. The award recognizes employers that promote a work environment that encourages and enables their employees to improve their health and well-being. Locally groups who have implemented health promotion programs with Group Health Cooperative have experienced lower health care costs compared to other groups, and have seen dramatic improvement in health statistics.  

Pawan Karanam, M.D., an oncologist and hematologist, recently joined the Albert J. and Judith A. Dunlap Cancer Center at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. Karanam earned his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. He completed a residency in radiation oncology and practiced clinical oncology for 10 years at MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Center in Hyderabad, India. After moving to the United States, Karanam completed a residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Then, he completed hematology/oncology fellowship at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse before joining Mayo Clinic Health System. He is board-certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in medical oncology/hematology. Medical oncology specializes in treating cancer with chemotherapy. Hematology includes diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the blood.