American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge® will Provide Home Away from Home in Memphis
MEMPHIS — If you are a cancer patient fighting for your life, the last thing you should have to worry about is where you’re going to stay when receiving treatment and how you’re going to pay for it.
Thanks to a generous $2 million gift from the Harrah’s Foundation, the American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge will soon be available to help lessen the financial burden on adult patients traveling to Memphis for cancer treatment. The donation is the largest one-time donation by Harrah’s Entertainment to a charity in the Mid-South region as well as the largest one-time donation received by the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society. The Harrah’s Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Harrah’s Entertainment, parent company of Horseshoe, Sheraton and Grand Casino Tunica, as well as the Harrah’s Memphis Corporate Office.
“We have a tremendous void in this community for adults who must come to Memphis for cancer treatment,” said Peter Pettit, a member of the capital campaign committee, past president of the American Cancer Society board, and a two-time cancer survivor.
“This much-needed facility will enable us to serve thousands of cancer patients and their families for many years to come,” Pettit said. “Until there is a cure, we will strive to diminish the financial, emotional and physical burdens related to cancer and its treatment. The American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge will be a compassionate extension of the Society’s efforts, and this generous gift will make that vision a reality.”
Many patients require daily treatment for multiple weeks, and staying in a hotel for that long would be expensive. The American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge will allow patients and a caregiver to stay at no cost and be with others going through the very same thing. That supportive environment can be invaluable.
The American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge will be built in the 700 block of Union Avenue, between Sun Studio and Manassas Street, on a no-cost lease of land from the University of Tennessee. The facility will include 40 guest rooms, each with a private bath and sleeping accommodations for two. There will be community dining, kitchen and recreational areas, and each floor will have a day room and guest laundry with 24 hour access.
To make a donation to the American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge or for more information, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.
West Tennessee Healthcare Names Three Vice Presidents
JACKSON — Richard Parks, president and CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare, announced the appointment of three vice presidents.
Currie Sanders is now the Vice President/General Counsel. She has served as legal counsel for West Tennessee Healthcare since 2000. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Amy Griffin has become the Vice President/Compliance Officer and has been with the system for 10 years. She served as the Corporate Compliance Officer since 2003. She received her Bachelor of Science and masters degrees in business administration from Union University. Griffin holds an Executive Juris Doctor degree with an emphasis in Health Law. She is also certified in Health Care Compliance and is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in Tennessee.
Kevin Barron, FACHE, FHFMC has been named Vice President of Physician Services. He has been with West Tennessee Healthcare since 1995, first serving as Director of Managed Care and then Executive Director of Physician Services and Managed Care. Barron obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and a masters degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He has earned fellow certification in both American College of Healthcare Executives and in the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
First Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse
MEMPHIS — Sharie Lewis, a registered nurse with the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, has become the first certified clinical transplant nurse (CCTN) in Tennessee. Lewis passed a rigorous exam offered through the American Board for Transplant Certification to earn her certification and this distinction.
Memphis Doctor Enhances Knowledge, Training At Prestigious National Conference
LONG BEACH — Helping patients is one of the reasons Memphis area foot and ankle surgeon Christopher Hendrix, DPM, FACFAS, became a doctor.
This week at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) 66th Annual Scientific Conference in Long Beach, Calif., Hendrix continues to strive for surgical excellence. The Conference is regarded as the nation’s premier scientific meeting for physicians who provide surgical care to the foot and ankle. It draws more than 1,000 doctors and highlights the latest surgical techniques, treatments, technologies, and advances for treating everything from Achilles tendons, bunions, diabetic foot ulcers to reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
Hendrix is a Fellow member of the ACFAS. He is board certified in foot surgery.
The Jackson Clinic Adds Infectious Disease Specialty
The Jackson Clinic has added the specialty of Infectious Disease to their Internal Medicine Department. Infectious Disease specialists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses caused by microorganisms.
The physician hired to fill the role of Infectious Disease specialist at The Jackson Clinic is Dr. Melissa Anne Appleton.
Appleton received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee where she graduated Cum Laude. She received her Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Tennessee School of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Tennessee, where she also completed an Infectious Disease Clinical Fellowship. Dr. Appleton is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with a Subspecialty in Infectious Diseases.
West Tennessee Healthcare Board Of Trustees Approves Tobacco-free Campus At All Their Facilities, Effective November 20, 2008
JACKSON — At their monthly meeting, the West Tennessee Healthcare board of trustees approved the formulation and implementation of a tobacco-free campus, including the offering of tobacco-cessation support to employees.
The target date for implementation is November 20, 2008, the Great American Smoke out. At that time, the use of tobacco products on all West Tennessee Healthcare campuses will be prohibited.
Numerous activities will take place to inform the public about the policy. Assistance will be given to employees who choose to become tobacco-free.
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Recognizes Associates
MEMPHIS — Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare recognizes outstanding associates with its quarterly Miracles in Motion awards and annual Inspiration awards. These employees were chosen because they consistently exemplify the caring spirit Methodist prides itself on and go above and beyond their everyday roles to help others. The fourth quarter 2007 Miracles in Motion award was given to Ruth Ashcraft-Munday, lactation consultant, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. The annual Inspiration award was awarded to Loreatha Crumpton, lab services technician, Methodist North, and Kathryn Renea Brooks, patient care assistant, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, earned both the Miracles in Motion and Inspiration award.
University of Tennessee College of Medicine Gains Emergency Medicine Residency
MEMPHIS — David Seaberg, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, Chattanooga campus at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) announced today that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and its Emergency Medicine Residency Review committee have approved the addition of an Emergency Medicine Residency program. This is the first Emergency Medicine Residency program on any of the three UTHSC College of Medicine (COM) campuses, located in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
The three-year program, which begins in July, will accept six residents each year, a total of 18 residents a year when the program reaches its maturity. The program will be based at the Erlanger Baroness campus in Chattanooga and will be led by James Creel, MD, program director and chief of emergency medicine at Erlanger.
“This approval is another step in the growth of our academic medical center and will help improve the care of our patients in the Chattanooga area,” Dean Seaberg added.
“This new training program is a real plus for UT and serves to spotlight the achievement of the Chattanooga campus,” UTHSC Executive Dean Steve Schwab observed. All three UTHSC College of Medicine campuses report to Dr. Schwab in his capacity as executive dean.
Methodist University Hospital names Chief Nursing Officer
MEMPHIS — Delores Marshall has been named chief nursing officer for Methodist University Hospital. Marshall has served as interim CNO since August 2007. She has more than 25 years experience as an interim nursing leader and healthcare professional. As a member of the interim management placement company B.E. Smith, Marshall has worked in interim leadership roles in both small and large hospitals and medical centers. She earned a master of arts in business administration/management of human resources and organizational development from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Arizona.
New Providers Named at MedSouth Medical Center
DYERSBURG — West Tennessee Healthcare announced recently that new medical providers have joined MedSouth Medical Center. MedSouth, located in Dyersburg, Newbern, and Halls officially became part of West Tennessee Healthcare March 1, 2008.
Dr. Melissa Avery received a biochemistry degree at Rhodes College in Memphis in 1992 and her medical degree from UT College of Medicine in Memphis in 1996. She received her family medicine certificate at Greenville Hospital System in Greenville, SC in 1999. Additionally, she became board-certified in family medicine from the American Board of Family Medicine and will matriculate in May from Tulane University with a master’s degree in medical management.
Jeff Hampton has worked as a Nurse in many capacities since 1996, working four years in Intensive Care Unit at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital while pursuing his Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at St. Louis University Graduate School of Nursing. He had previously worked at Dyersburg Regional and Methodist Healthcare, Dyersburg in Intensive Care/ER/Pre-Op and Recovery.
Tammy Holcomb, FNP, lives in Newbern, TN, and is looking forward to the opportunity to continue to serve in her hometown area. She graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as a Nurse Practitioner in 2005. Since that time she has provided quality healthcare to many people in the Dyer County area both in Newbern and Dyersburg. She joined MedSouth in the Newbern clinic in March.
Miguel Selected To Represent Tennessee at Leadership Conference
MEMPHIS — Francine Miguel, human resources director at Methodist North Hospital, has been selected to represent the state of Tennessee at the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration’s (ASHHRA) leadership conference this April in Chicago.
Miguel was also written up in the publication HR Pulse Points, the official publication of ASHHRA, for her gift that will help another HR professional attend a future ASHHRA conference. During the ASHHRA conference last fall, she won a monetary prize to be donated to the charity of her choice from Certiphi Screening, a company that provides applicant screening services. Miguel donated her winnings to the ASHHRA
UT Medical Group Expands Glaucoma Services with Addition of Third Specialist
MEMPHIS — Dr. Sarwat Salim has joined the department of ophthalmology at UT Medical Group, Inc. as a specialist in glaucoma.
Salim comes to Memphis from Yale University, where she was assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology and visual science. She is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and has an interest in novel medical and surgical therapies for early detection and treatment of glaucoma.
She graduated summa cum laude from the accelerated combined B.A./M.D. program of the City and State University of New York and completed her residency in ophthalmology at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, where she was selected by her peers and the faculty to be the administrative chief resident. She later completed a glaucoma fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine. Salim has served on the faculty at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and Yale University School of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and American Glaucoma Society. Currently, she serves as an assistant professor of ophthalmology on the UT Health Science Center (UTHSC) faculty.
She joins a strong glaucoma team headed by internationally-known glaucoma specialist Dr. Peter A. Netland. The team also includes Dr. Elliott M. Kanner, who joined UTMG last year after completing a fellowship under the Netland’s direction.
“The recruitment of Dr. Kanner, and more recently, Dr. Salim, to the Glaucoma Service expands and strengthens our ability to care for glaucoma patients in Memphis and the Mid-South,” says Netland. “We are also able to increase our efforts in both teaching and research, which will benefit other physicians caring for patients with glaucoma.”
Salim, Netland, and Kanner care for patients at UTMG offices at the Hamilton Eye Institute.
Aelion Receives Tennessee Rheumatology Society’s President’s Award
JACKSON — Dr. Jacob Aelion, who practices at the Arthritis Clinic in Jackson, received the Tennessee Rheumatology Society’s President’s Award at its February annual meeting in Nashville.
The rheumatology society’s top award is given for “invaluable contribution to rheumatology in Tennessee.”
Aelion, a board-certified rheumatologist, was the founding president of the Tennessee Rheumatology Society five years ago. After being on the society’s board since then, Aelion rotates off the board this year.
He considers the award not only an honor for himself, but for the practice of rheumatology in Jackson, Tennessee. “It gives Jackson name recognition among rheumatologists across the state,” he explained.
Aelion, who has been practicing rheumatology for 24 years, is a staff physician and consultant in rheumatology and metabolic bone disease and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Aelion received his medical degree from the Sackler School of Medicine at the University of Tel-Aviv in Israel. After an internship and residency in Israel, he had his clinical fellowship in rheumatology at UT in Memphis.
Le Bonheur Pediatric Cardiology Fellow wins Young Investigator Award
Dr. Kenneth Knecht, second-year pediatric cardiology fellow at Le Bonheur Children’s, recently received the 2008 Society for Pediatric Research Young Investigator Award for his research on Korotkoff sounds in blood pressure measurement for infants and children.
Knecht was selected for the award from a field of three finalists. A graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dr. Knecht completed his pediatrics residency at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., followed by three years practicing general pediatrics on active duty in the Navy. Knecht has been serving as a pediatric cardiology fellow at Le Bonheur Children’s since August 2006.
Partnering with Dr. Bruce Alpert, Knecht conducted an innovative study on the validity of using Korotkoff sounds to measure blood pressure in children under the age of three.
Mid-South eHealth Alliance Gaining Momentum with Increased Membership
BY HOLLI W. HAYNIE
In March, members of the Mid-South eHealth Alliance (MSeHA) converged to evaluate the local impact of participating in the sharing of electronic health information across the Mid-South. Established in 2004, MSeHA is the result of grants form the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the State of Tennessee to establish a Health Information Exchange (HIE) in Memphis. According to information from the MSeHA, grants totaling $12.5 million were awarded to demonstrate: data sharing, interoperability, documentation of lessons learned, and evaluation of the MSeHA on patient care and treatment.
The original intent was inspired by the need to help former TennCare patients, who were utilizing emergency rooms as primary care, find a medical home. The Regional Medical Center at Memphis was the first hospital to join and subsequently Baptist Memorial Health Care, St. Francis Hospital-Memphis and Methodist Healthcare have joined the exchange.
In this HIE, health data is collected from emergency rooms and outpatient care facilities and made available to all members in the MSeHA network. Physicians can enter the system and determine a patient’s past diagnosis, what tests were performed and the lab results, which prevents the repeating of tests, an issue that costs the medical industry tremendously.
While ERs illustrate where the exchange started, in the past four months, momentum has surged with the inclusion of all 15 Health Loop clinics and the four Christ Community Clinics, and more ambulatory centers are in line to join.
“Now when a patient goes to the MED and the next day shows up at a Christ Community clinic, the doctor can see exactly what the patient was there for, which medications were given and what tests were (administered),” explained MSeHA executive director, Thomas Duarte.
Since 2004, the MSeHA has continued to grow and gain support, which is a sign that the Memphis medical community is moving toward greater connectivity and communication for the betterment of citizen health.
“We’re one of the very few health information exchanges that is (actually) sharing and is successful,” added Duarte.
What the MSeHA does
The MSeHA is currently sharing medical information between hospital emergency departments and ambulatory clinics to provide better treatment and diagnostic services for patients. The Alliance is focused on:
- Improving patient care
- Decreasing emergency departments for primary care
- Reducing hospital stays
- Reducing redundant tests
- Controlling costs
The MSeHA currently exchanges data among 9 hospitals, 15 ambulatory clinics and the University of Tennessee Medical Group (UTMG) in the region. Examples of data being exchanged are:
- Patient information
- Demographics
- ICD-9 discharge codes
- Lab results
- ncounter data
- Dictated reports
Results
From May 2006 to December 2007 the MSeHA has:
- Data on 880,000 patients
- 2.1 million records
- 2.6 million diagnostic codes
- 80,000 laboratory results a day
Emergency department physicians, hospitalists and ambulatory clinicians are currently sharing patient information via the MSeHA. The success of the MSeHA is the result of:
- Support of AHRQ and the State of Tennessee
- Cooperation among health care providers
- The strength of the MSeHA Executive Board leadership
- Vanderbilt technology efforts and project management
Latest Evaluation findings:
- Successful implementation of MSeHA into emergency department and ambulatory clinics in Shelby County, Tenn.
- Significant increase in patient data available to clinicians
- Superior achievement in data sharing and interoperability
- AT&T / Tennessee initiative provides a broad framework to enable better patient care.
What’s Next
- Completing the Emergency Department rollout in the region
- Engaging more ambulatory clinics and primary care physicians
- Improving public health reporting
- Outreach to the public and consumers
- Sharing knowledge of implementation
Source: Mid-South eHealth Alliance, www.midsoutheha.org
Group Starts Foundation Fund for Children with Autism
Local families have joined together to create the Yates Foundation to benefit children with autism. A part of West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation, the Yates Foundation is named for Yates Hazlehurst and is coordinated by a local group including his mom Angela Hazlehurst and family friend Eliza Forbes. The group’s mission is to advocate on behalf and to empower those in the autism community to never give up in their search to help their loved ones reach their full potential. They plan to accomplish this mission by raising public and professional awareness of autism and related disorders; by soliciting and receiving funds in order to provide financial and educational assistance to families in need; and by assisting in the advancement of research of individuals with autism and related disorders.
The Yates Foundation has planned a Gala April 11 at 7 p.m. at the Aeneas Building. The event is entitled: Breaking the Silence.
Windsor Health Plan, Inc. Makes a Move Across Town
MEMPHIS — Windsor Health Plan, Inc. announced recently their Memphis office has relocated to the Thousand Oaks Business Center. The office was previously located in downtown Memphis.
The new location provides the Windsor staff with more space and room for expansion. As well, the staff will be in a more central location to the members and providers in both Memphis and North Mississippi.
The Memphis office staff includes Provider Network Contracting, Provider Relations, Enrollment Counselors, Member Services, Community Outreach Coordinators and a regional director that oversees operations in 18 counties in the region.
UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Names Patterson Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
MEMPHIS — Ron K. Patterson, was named assistant dean for student affairs. In this position, he will be responsible for student services, admissions and recruitment. Patterson has more than six year’s administrative experience in higher education at the UT Health Science Center and Christian Brothers University. He holds a master’s in education from Marietta College (Marietta, Ohio).
Hinton Selected as Chief Compliance Officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
MEMPHIS — Loretta Hinton has been selected as the new chief compliance officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Hinton has been with Methodist for 12 years. During her career at Methodist, she has provided specialized legal support for the Institutional Review Board, Physicians Research Network and Le Bonheur Research Committee.
Campbell Clinic Receives ACR Accreditation
MEMPHIS — Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation as a result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Annual General Medicine Conference
More than 100 physicians from across West Tennessee attended the 10th Annual General Medicine Conference at West Tennessee Healthcare in early March.
This year’s focus was on neurology, but in years past the conference has touched nearly every aspect of medicine.
The annual medical conference is organized by Dr. Jacob Aelion and Dr. Satis Odhav, who practice at the Arthritis Clinic. West Tennessee Healthcare supports the effort by getting financial sponsors, providing a location, marketing the event and doing other work to help make the conference successful.
Speakers at this year’s conference were Dr. Thomas Head, Dr. Karl Misulis and Dr. Sumathira Sathanandan of the Semmes Murphy Clinic in Jackson; Dr. Ronald Pfeiffer, a professor in the neurology department at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Dr. Ramon Cuevas, an assistant professor in neurology, pediatric division, at Vanderbilt University; and Dr. Chris Mitchell of the Wesley Neurology Clinic.
Each year, the General Medicine Conference is held on the first Saturday in March. Attendance in recent years has grown to more than 100 with a good number of the physicians and other health care providers from outside of Jackson.
The yearly topics are based on feedback from those who have attended. Conference attendees receive continuing medical education credit. For more information about the conference, call the Arthritis Clinic at 731-664-0002.
April 2008
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