Surgeon’s Peters Township vein center earns elite status
A surgeon should be on the cutting edge of his profession. But John L. Happel is there literally and figuratively.
He is the founder of Happel Laser & Vein Center in Peters Township, which treats a number of patients with varicose vein issues. His facility recently achieved elite status in its field – accreditation in superficial venous treatment and management from the Intersoecietal Accreditation Commission.
Happel said his vein center – on Washington Road near the Sesame Inn restaurant – is only the fourth in the nation and first in Pennsylvania to be so accredited.
To be eligible, a center must allow a group of experts to review its operations – i.e., whether instruments are sterilized properly, medicine injected into veins is Food and Drug Administration-approved, and whether a physician is properly trained.
Happel is board certified in vascular and general surgery.
For more information, visit intersocietal.org/vein/main/patients.htm.
Ten days before spring, three businesses have sprung or are preparing to spring forth at Tanger Outlets.
• Yankee Candle was in full glow Friday when it opened its 2,000-square-foot store.
• Janie & Jack will debut up the hill Wednesday. It specializes in children’s clothing and accessories, in sizes Preemie to 6 in stores and Preemie to 12 online. Gymboree Corp., which has a Gymboree store in Tanger, owns Janie & Jack.
• H&M, an apparel and accessories shop for all ages and genders, will occupy the largest space of the newbies – 18,000 square feet, the combined footage of the former Reebok, Rockport and Adidas stores. (Adidas moved elsewhere in the outlets and the other two closed.) Tanger General Manager Jodi Dague said H&M will open in mid-March, with the exact date to be announced.
Happy 60th, St. Clair Hospital. And congratulations on another national ranking.
For the second time in three years, and third time overall, the acute care facility in Mt. Lebanon is among the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, according to Truven Health Analytics. Truven, a former division of Thomson Reuters, does an annual study of hospitals based on clinical outcomes, patient safety and satisfaction, and clinical efficiency.
St. Clair, an independent health-care center, was among 3,000 hospitals that were evaluated. It also was a Top 100 selection in 2001.
Michael J. Flanagan, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in a news release: “St. Clair Hospital is honored. . . . This award is a reflection of the dedicated work and commitment to excellence shared by our medical staff, employees and volunteers. And to again be recognized as a 100 Top Hospital during St. Clair’s 60th anniversary year makes it extra special.”
St. Clair, which has 2,000 employees, has a presence at two sites besides the hospital on Bower Hill Road. It opened St. Clair Outpatient Center in Peters Township on June 3 and has an outpatient facility on Oxford Drive, Bethel Park.
Professionally, Doug Sten is on the move in Michigan.
Sten, a Washington native, is a machine safety consultant for Pilz Automation Safety LP. He works out of the corporate office in Canton, Mich., with industrial clients from the U.S. and Canada.
Sten, a PhD, is a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia University and Warren National University (Cheyenne, Wyo.)