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| Current Memphis Medical News |
UTHSC and the MED Partner in National Head Trauma Study
Each year, more than 1.6 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury. In North America, traumatic brain injury, such as that sustained in a car accident, is the most common cause of death and disability in young adults. At the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, a Level 1 trauma center, they see 4,000 to 4,500 trauma cases per year, about 500 of which are traumatic brain injuries. Based on their volume and the established clinical research, the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center at the MED is one of a select number of Level 1 trauma centers in the United States chosen to participate in a groundbreaking national clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Truth in Advertising
Doctors Help Patients Separate Fact from Fiction on Drug AdsAs a specialist in pain management, Autry Parker, MD, sees many patients who are seeking relief from fibromyalgia. Managing pain that creeps into the body's muscles and joints can be difficult, so patients often arrive at his office anxious to learn more about Lyrica, a drug advertised as a strong pain reliever. Lyrica, produced by Pfizer, has had an aggressive direct-to-consumer advertising campaign, aimed specifically at people experiencing pain from fibromyalgia. So Parker must often speak with his patients to give them a more comprehensive picture of both the benefits and risks of such advertised drugs...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
David Archer, President and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare
Saint Francis Hospital opened its doors in Memphis in 1974, becoming the first full-service hospital in East Memphis. From the onset, the mission of Saint Francis Healthcare has been to provide care inspired by the values of Catholic health traditions. Those values are to heal, support and comfort all they serve. Originally a not-for-profit hospital, the system transitioned to for-profit in 1995 by becoming part of the Tenet Healthcare Corporation. David Archer, who has been with the Tenet Healthcare Corporation since 1985, became president and CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare in 1997 and is dedicated to maintaining the Catholic directives...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Putting Theory into Application
When a paramedic rushes to the scene of an emergency, it may be the first time this provider will have to establish an airway on a real person. It's at that moment when the difference between thinking and knowing becomes crystal clear. With medical errors costing the healthcare system billions each year, the emphasis on competency and critical thinking in medical instruction has strengthened. At the Medical Education Research Institute (MERI) in Memphis, providing hands-on education and training has been their mission for the past 14 years...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
New State Cancer Control Plan Emphasizes Prevention
Childhood Cancers AddressedPreventing Tennesseans from getting cancer and helping ensure better treatment for those who do is the purpose of the Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition (TC4), which last November unveiled its Tennessee Cancer Control Plan covering 2009 to 2012. The state's first plan, published in 2005, covered three years.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Reflections & Resolutions
A Conversation with Commissioner Susan CooperAs we put the old year to rest and turn our attention to what promises to be a fiscally challenging 2009, Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN, took time to share with Memphis Medical News her reflections on current programming and resolutions for a healthier citizenry.
"We know four behavioral factors lead to chronic illness," Commissioner Cooper stated, listing tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor nutritional choices and alcohol abuse...
CINDY SANDERS |
| Health Information Technology Focus |
Stark Contrast
Is the Stark Law Still Meeting its Original Intent?When Congress passes a bill, any necessary regulations usually follow within a reasonable time. Otherwise, the law's in limbo. When it comes to the Stark Law, you might say that its evolution has been in stark contrast to conventional lawmaking, and that's only one of the reasons why the law keeps physicians and their attorneys up at night.
"This is the law that some people have jokingly referred to as The Full Employment Act for Lawyers," said Joan Krause, professor and co-director of the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
An Ounce of Prevention – Legally Speaking; Will Your Employment Policies Hold Up In Court?
The foundation of one's health is built within the home. Healthcare providers can only go so far, and often people receiving care are already sick or on their way. As people have continued to develop habits of eating more and doing less, the ideals of healthy living have steadily slipped away into an undeniable epidemic of obesity. The conditions brought on by obesity are an increasing burden not just on the healthcare system, but in business and the home. Consider this, the estimated cost of overweight and obesity in the United States – about $122.9 billion...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Endocrine Society Releases New Practice Guidelines to Prevent, Treat Childhood Obesity
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
In light of today's lifestyle choices, however, the old adage should probably be rephrased to more accurately depict 21st century America — the deep fried apple pie doesn't fall far from the fast food chain.
Considering the number of overweight and obese adults in this country, it shouldn't be surprising that the nation is raising more and more overweight and obese children. Still, this issue somehow seems to catch many parents and healthcare providers off guard.
CINDY SANDERS |
Felix Caldwell, MD
Being able to spend more quality time with each patient can often feel like an elusive wish, but for internist Felix Caldwell, MD, medical director of LIFESIGNS Memphis, it's the highlight of his job. In a comfortable space with a lobby that looks like a cozy living room, patients won't expect a long wait...
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Cancer Care: Establishing a New Normalcy
When Linda B., a 45-year-old Memphis resident, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she never dreamed how dramatically her life would change. She expected the physical challenges that come with cancer care, but she did not realize how the experience would affect every aspect of her life. Early in the treatment process she realized that she would no longer be able to retain her demanding management job. She then found out that restrictions in her insurance policy would require her to pay thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. As a result of her treatment, she experienced dramatic weight gain. This weight gain and her inability to be the attentive wife she once had been began to put a strain on her relationship with her husband...
Ellen Eisen, MSSW, LCSW, Cindy Rogers, MSN, FNP, and Kim Hardin, MSN, CFNP |
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