Texas Tidbits_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Texas Tidbits

Valley Baptist CEO wins national award. James Springfield, president and chief executive officer of Valley Baptist Health System in Harlingen, has won the American College of Healthcare Executives 2004 Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for young healthcare executive of the year. Springfield joined Valley Baptist Health System in 2001 as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He was named president and CEO in 2003.

Baylor Medical honored. Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas recently received the Magnet Award for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The center granted the designation, achieved by fewer than 2 percent of hospitals nationwide, after Baylor Medical in Dallas met or exceeded standards in 14 areas of nursing leadership, clinical practice, education, research and quality during a weeklong on-site survey last November.

ETBU names CFO and treasurer. Controller Richard Hutsell has been named chief financial officer at East Texas Baptist University. Wanda Conder, former dean of financial services, has been appointed treasurer of the university.

Baylor posts $45 million in gifts. Baylor University received $45,489,886 in gifts during 2003–the fourth-largest amount given to the university during a calendar year. The figure does not include gifts made to the independent Baylor Alumni Association. The $45 million came from the third-largest number of donors in Baylor's history, as 16,440 individuals, foundations, companies and organizations gave to the university last year. More than 3,500 gifts came from first-time donors. Baylor posted its best year for donations in 1997, receiving $59,943,191 in gifts.

HPU guarantees tuition. Howard Payne University trustees have approved a guaranteed tuition program to be implemented in the fall semester of 2004. At that time, the block tuition rate for students will be locked in at $5,500, as long as a student is enrolled full-time for consecutive fall and spring semesters and is making satisfactory progress toward a degree.

Truett conference slated. "The Church Awake" is the theme of the Pastors-Laymans' Conference at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Feb. 16-18. Speakers include Joel Gregory, renowned preacher and former Texas Baptist pastor; Richard Jackson, evangelist and former pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church; Buckner Fanning, retired pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio; Jack MacGorman, distinguished professor emeritus of New Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and John Nguyen, vice president of the Vietnamese Baptist Theological Institute in Garland.

Baylor sets Sacred Harp sing. Baylor University will sponsor its third annual Sacred Harp sing Feb. 7 at Truett Theological Seminary. Sacred Harp singing is a 160-year-old Southern folk hymn tradition that uses shape-note notation and "fa-sol-la" syllables. The event will be preceded by a brief singing school. Lunch will be provided for the participants. For more information, contact David Music at (254) 710-2360 or David_Music@baylor.edu.

DBU sets Patriot Weekend. Dallas Baptist University has invited prospective students and their parents to visit the campus Feb. 6-7 for Patriot Weekend. DBU will provide information on financial aid options, the admissions process and campus life. Students will have the opportunity to interview for scholarships while parents meet DBU administrators. The weekend concludes with a concert by Glowing Heart. Cost for each prospective student is $25 for lodging and meals, as well as meals for parents. For more information, contact (214) 333-5360 or admiss@dbu.edu. Students who are unable to attend the weekend in February may register for the fall Patriot Weekend Nov. 12-13.