December 14, 2009

Two from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine have recently received national honors.

Kathryn Mahaffey, chief operating officer for SIU HealthCare, was elected to the board of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) at their annual conference in Denver in October.  The mission of MGMA is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent.

Mahaffey earned her master’s at Indiana University (1981) and her bachelor’s at Knox College (1978).  She joined the SIU staff in 1989.  She is married to Roger Muncy and they have two children.

Elizabeth Tate, a nurse practitioner and instructor in neurology, was selected as one of three models of excellence in the health care profession for 2009 by Exceptional Parent magazine, a family and professional journal for the special needs community.   This national award was established in 2008 and recognizes health care professionals who have gone above and beyond the care of those with special health care needs and disabilities.

Tate joined the School in 2001 and serves as the clinical director of the National Pediatric Myoclonus Center, based at SIU School of Medicine.  She earned her master’s in nursing and nurse practitioner certificate from the University of California at Los Angeles and her bachelor’s in nursing from George Mason University School of Nursing.  She is nationally certified as a nurse practitioner by the American Credentialing Nurse Center.

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