The American Red Cross recently launched the Team Red Cross App, which allows people to sign up to help and receive notifications about Red Cross disaster volunteer opportunities. When the Red Cross has a need for volunteers, the Team Red Cross App will notify users based on their location, and potential volunteers can instantly accept or decline the volunteer opportunity. To download, search for American Red Cross on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, or visit redcross.org/mobileapps.

Capital Region Physicians announced the addition of Dr. Nikki Albin to Capital Region Physicians – Edgewood. Albin earned her medical degree at the University of Missouri and completed her first year of residency at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She then returned to MU, where she completed her final years of residency. To schedule an appointment with Albin, call 573-644-6999.

Jefferson City Medical Group welcomes Dr. Ameer Shams. Shams is a board-certified family medicine physician with more than five years of private practice experience and has personal ties to central Missouri. He was born and raised in California and completed a family medicine residency at Forbes Regional Hospital in Pittsburgh. Shams welcomes families and new patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment, call JCMG Family Medicine at 573-635-JCMG (5264).

JCMG Pediatrics announced extended hours beginning Oct. 1. The clinic will offer extended hours Monday through Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, a pediatric provider will co-staff the JCMG Extended Care Clinic from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dr. Sarah Gordon, JCMG pediatrician, will transition from her role as a general practitioner to staff the Pediatric Extended Care Clinic Monday through Thursday. She will alternate weekends with several of the pediatric nurse practitioners.

Boyce and Bynum Pathology Laboratories announced that Michael Gray, the lab’s general manager since 1968, began a half-time retirement track on July 1. By the end of this year, Gray’s executive management responsibilities for the laboratory and physicians’ professional practice will transition to Richard Cotten, BBPL’s newly appointed chief operating officer and general manager. Cotten, a Texas native and Texas A&M University alum, brings with him 26 years of executive laboratory management experience.

Providence Bank announced the acquisition of Allied Mortgage Group Inc.; the opening of a new mortgage center at 700 Cherry St., Suite L in Columbia; and the expansion of the bank’s residential lending division statewide. The new office will be the headquarters for the bank’s expanded residential lending division.

Concurrent with the opening of the mortgage center, the bank is announcing the establishment of an expanded residential lending team, including Chris Sanders, SVP, director of residential lending sales; Rory Dunham, AVP of operations; John Brison and Josh Smith, residential bankers for the Columbia market; Carrie Ward, residential banker for the Jefferson City and Columbia market; William “Bill” Wehrend, VP, regional market manager and residential banker for the St. Louis market; and mortgage processors Sandy Coleman and Shelli Laurie. Providence Bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

Central Bank has named Amy Veasman as vice president. Veasman assumed the role of branch manager at the Tuscumbia, Mo., facility on July 1. Previously, Veasman served Central Bank for 10 years in various roles including that of real estate loan officer. For the past eight years, she has been in community bank lending. Veasman earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a minor in accounting from Lincoln University.

For the second time this summer, William Woods University has earned a place on a list of top Missouri colleges for return on investment. AffordableCollegesOnline.org recently launched a new ranking, AC Online: Highest Return on Investment Colleges in Missouri, which analyzed 222 Missouri colleges and identified the 27 colleges where degrees pay off the most. WWU ranked No. 20.

Riders and horses from William Woods University earned 18 World Champion and Reserve World Champion titles, in addition to high point awards, at the 2013 Pinto World Championships in Tulsa, Okla., this summer. WWU competitors included Danielle Heerdt, Katie Bigge, Emily Triesch and Jennifer Petterson.

Pediatrician Dr. Emily George will join the group at JCMG Pediatrics in September. She is currently completing her pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, which is the pediatric hospital for Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. To schedule an appointment, call 573-556-7704. JC