The grand opening celebration began with a parade around the hospital's campus. Roscoe Orman and Sonia Manzano, better known as Gordon and Maria from Sesame Street, narrated the event. More than 320 children, families, donors, volunteers, construction workers, doctors and nurses marched in the parade. Three patients, selected by the public through Facebook, served as the parade's Grand Marshals. Olivia Jones, Chance Futrell and Reese Wagner rode in a horse drawn carriage. Complete with floats, stilt walkers, the Memphis Mounted Patrol Unit and the Memphis Unicycle Club, the parade celebrated the many individuals and groups that make Le Bonheur special.

 

A ceremony on the new hospital lawn followed the parade with messages from Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford and a video greeting from Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

 

After the ceremony, visitors toured portions of the new hospital, which will officially open for patients in late September. Le Bonheur will host a community open house on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. when more of the hospital will be open for tours.

 

The new 255-bed hospital nearly doubles Le Bonheur's current space for patient care, research and teaching. Featuring the latest advancements in technology and comforts for families, the hospital is designed to provide each child and family with exceptional care. The new Le Bonheur will allow the hospital to continue to be a resource for families; to recruit and retain top talent from around the country; and expand pediatric medicine for decades to come.

 

More than $103 million of the $340-million construction costs were donated by the Memphis and Mid-South community, making it the largest fundraising campaign in the city's history. Gifts from 4,970 individuals, foundations, organizations and corporations ensure that Le Bonheur will care for generations of children.

 

Le Bonheur Children's Hospital opened on June 15, 1952 thanks to the generosity of Le Bonheur Club. The Club released balloons with the hospital keys attached with the intention that the doors of the hospital would always be open to children in need.

 

Edward Rafalski has been named Senior Vice President of Planning and Marketing at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Previously he was Vice President of Marketing at Alexian Brothers Health System in Arlington Heights, Il. He also served in several positions of increasing responsibility at Sinai Health System in Chicago for several years, most recently as Vice president of Planning, Marketing and Public Relations

 

Rafalski holds a doctorate in public health sciences from the University of Illinois School of Public Health and a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University School of Medicine. He also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago.

 

As clinical assistant professor, he taught at the University of Illinois School of Public Health.

 

He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has authored articles in numerous publications.

 

Memphis  – The West Clinic, a center of excellence in oncology, hematology, radiology and other advanced medical care, announced today that it is one of only 10 community oncology practices nationwide to receive an honor from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and The ASCO Cancer Foundation for efforts to improve care of people with cancer through participation in clinical trials. ASCO's 2010 Clinical Trials Participation Award (CTPA) was presented to The West Clinic on June 6, 2010 during ASCO's 46th Annual Meeting in Chicago.

 

The West Clinic was nominated by ACORN Research for this award. Edward J. Stepanski, PhD, COO of ACORN Research said they conduct clinical trials with many oncology research sites around the country and are consistently impressed with the commitment to the research mission they've observed at The West Clinic.

 

The Clinical Trials Participation Awards, supported by a grant from the Coalition of Cooperative Groups, enable ASCO to recognize 10 practices based on several factors including patient accrual rates, accrual of minority and underrepresented populations, and innovative techniques in overcoming barriers to participation in clinical trials.

 

In addition, The West Clinic announced that it has been named among the first community oncology practices in the U.S. to receive the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) Certification, achieving rigorous standards for high-quality cancer care.

 

West Clinic is committed to providing the highest quality cancer care and continues to be a demonstrated leader in the quality movement in oncology according to Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, medical director. He said that ASCO's QOPI certification represents a new standard of excellence in cancer care and that payors, employers, and patients are looking for meaningful indicators that an oncology practice is delivering high quality care.

 

QOPI participation is the first step to achieving QOPI Certification. It is a voluntary, self-assessment program to enable hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices to assess the quality of care they provide. Quality metrics are assessed in a broad array of areas including documentation; communication; delivery of chemotherapy; appropriateness of drug selection; and attention to supportive care, patient-related outcomes, survivorship, and end of life issues. Practices participating in the fall 2009 were the first practices eligible to receive certification in 2010. The certification process included meeting a further set of structural quality standards and included a site-visit to the practice to confirm that best practices were being used.

 

The Saint Francis Joint & Spine Center will be opening soon at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis. The hospital currently performs more total joint replacement surgeries than any other Memphis hospital.

 

Design of the center is focused on the patient experience. Patient rooms are actually suites, similar to a hotel in environmental structure and amenities. The intent is to help patients and their "coaches" relax by taking away the feel of a hospital. The suites will include a connecting separate room with a pull-out sofa for the "coach", usually a friend or family member committed to helping the patient through the surgery and later recovery at home. A team of professional caregivers recruited especially for their joint and spine clinical expertise and customer service spirit will provide care. Collegiality between physicians and staff will further enhance the program. Along with advanced equipment, the high standard of care will be supported by best practices for reducing risks associated with joint and spine surgeries, such as complications from blood clots and infections.

 

Another feature designed to enhance positive patient outcomes will be an exceptional patient education program. It will involve patients before their surgeries and follow through to prepare patients for their hospital experience and return home. A highly skilled care management team will also be involved in coordinating resources for rehabilitation and for resuming activities of daily living upon discharge. The goal is to give patients and their families the most positive joint replacement surgery experience possible said Don Monteith, RN, Nurse Manager.

 

Construction is under way on a six acre site on Quince Road where the Methodist Hospice Residence will become a reality next spring. The $9 million, 30-bed, free-standing hospice residence will focus on making the journey at the end of life the best experience for the patient, whether an adult or a child, and their family.

 

Sally Aldrich, administrator, CNO, Methodist Affiliated Services, Hospice-Palliative Services said that as well as providing the specialized care that people require who are facing the end-of-life, the residence will be a home where patients can spend their final days with dignity and grace, and will be a sacred place dedicated to making this final journey one of peace, discovery, and comfort.

 

The Methodist Hospice Residence will be built to look like and feel like a home.

 

The most trusted source of Mid-South data for determining employees' salaries and benefits for the past seven years is the annual Medical Office Personal Benefits and Salary Survey conducted by Watkins Uiberall PLLC. The Mid-South Medical Group Management Association, BanCorpSouth, and Watkins Uiberall Healthcare Consulting Group, formed in 2008- have joined in the corporate effort to measure various human resource data, compare them to the national and local data, and report reliable results to the regional medical community. This year, the Memphis Medical Society becomes a partner to support an even more widespread response to the survey.

 

The survey is conducted through the end of July 2010 and can be filled out confidentially on-line at www.surveymonkey.com/s/WU2010Survey or on paper questionnaire, obtained from contacting Virginia Pierce at vpierce@wucpas.com or 901-761-2720. The results will be published two months later, a complimentary copy going to every respondent practice.

 

The American Cancer Society has named Mary Ann Upchurch as state vice president for Tennessee. Upchurch brings more than 13 years of American Cancer Society experience to the position.

 

Prior to this position, Upchurch served as state vice president for Alabama. She grew up in West Tennessee, where she began her career with the American Cancer Society in 1996, first serving as a field representative, and later as a development director in both Tennessee and Alabama.

 

As state vice president, Upchurch will manage the implementation of strategic activities throughout the state to accomplish the American Cancer Society's mission to eliminate cancer. Upchurch will relocate to the Memphis area with her husband and three children.

 

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has been named the nation's top children's cancer hospital in the 2010-11 Best Children's Hospital rankings published in U.S. News & World Report. St. Jude received the best overall score summarizing quality of care. St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children and serves as an international resource to physicians and researchers.

 

As a functioning committee created within the Tennessee Regional Extension Center (tnREC) structure, the Education and Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) will work with academic institutions across the state of Tennessee to identify existing curricula which is based upon academic best-practices and research, and related to the integration of health information technology (HIT) into initial and ongoing training for the purpose of statewide healthcare workforce development.

 

This committee will serve to support the workforce development goals outlined by the Tennessee Regional Extension Center (tnREC), the State of Tennessee Office of eHealth Initiatives, and the Health Information Partnership for Tennessee (HIP-TN), and is identified within the State of Tennessee's Strategic Plan for Health Information Exchange (HIE).

 

The ETAC is chaired by Dr. David Rosenthal, a healthcare informatician, and an Associate Professor of Health Services and Systems Research at the University of Memphis' School of Public Health, and includes representatives from each of the academic institutions overseen by the Tennessee Board of Regents, the University of Tennessee system, private academic institutions, the Tennessee Health Information Management Association, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and the Tennessee Medical Group Management Association.

 

Baptist Memorial Health Care recently added new positions to the team leading Baptist Memorial Medical Group, a not-for-profit medical group foundation with physicians in West Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas and North Mississippi.

 

Jim Boswell, who serves as CEO of NEA Baptist Clinic, will serve as vice president of physician services and chief executive officer for BMMG. Headquartered in Jonesboro, Ark., NEA Baptist Clinic is a physician group practice with 106 providers and 20 clinic locations. NEA Clinic recently aligned with Baptist under the leadership of Boswell and the physician board.

 

Boswell holds a Master's of Business Administration degree from The University of Chicago and has served as CEO, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of several physician-owned group practices around the country.

 

Jeff Rogers and Bill Legier, who are new to the Baptist system, will serve as regional operations directors for BMMG. Rogers and Legier will be in charge of overseeing multiple BMMG locations in designated regional areas and directing strategic growth for their respective regions.

 

Rogers most recently served as director of physician operations at Community Health Systems in Franklin, Tenn., where he was responsible for providing operational and corporate support to employed physicians in 15 hospitals in a five-state area.

 

Legier most recently served as administrator at Dickson Medical Associates, P.C., in Dickson, Tenn., where he was responsible for overall fiscal and operational oversight of the practice, which included 11 locations and more than 35 physicians.

 

Sutherland Cardiology Clinic (SCC) has become a part of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare effective July 1, 2010. SCC's 17 board-certified physicians and nearly 100 employees will become MLH associates.

 

SCC will continue to serve patients at their 7460 Wolf River Boulevard location and at satellite clinics throughout the region. The clinic name will not change, and patients and referring physicians can expect a seamless transition. MLH hospitals will continue to work closely with other hospitals in our service area, and, as always, SCC physicians will continue to provide quality cardiology care at other Memphis hospitals just as they always have.

 

Jackson Regional Women's Center, which specializes in obstetrics and gynecological care, is celebrating 15 years of providing medical care in Jackson.

 

The clinic was founded in 1995 by Dr. Keith Micetich. Practicing with Dr. Micetich are Dr. Sandra Boxell, Dr. Lane Williams and nurse practitioner Sandy Fronabarger.

 

The clinic's comprehensive services include full obstetrical service; routine gynecology; fertility and infertility counseling and treatment; laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery; colposcopy and cryosurgery; endometrial biopsy; incontinence treatment; family planning counseling; perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause counseling and treatment; and obstetric and gynecology ultrasounds with state-of-the-art 3D-4D equipment.

 

Dr. Micetich received his medical training from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Boxell is a graduate of the Wilford Hall Medical Center's Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program. A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Dr. Williams completed his internship and residency at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE: SEM), the parent of Select Medical Corporation, has announced the appointment of former Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, M.D., as a new independent director to serve on the Company's Board of Directors. Dr. Frist will bring significant new perspectives to the Board along with substantial experience in the medical field and health care industry.

 

Frist said that given the company's tremendous reputation in specialty hospitals and outpatient rehabilitation, it's in a strong position for robust growth, and that he is looking forward to becoming a part of the ongoing success story.

 

Frist is a board certified heart and lung transplant surgeon, and is consistently recognized among the most influential leaders in American healthcare.

 

He is currently a partner at Cressey & Company, L.P., a private investment firm focused on healthcare. He also serves on the boards for such companies as Aegis Sciences Corporation, URS Corporation and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as several other organizations, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Africare.

 

Since leaving the U.S. Senate, Dr. Frist served as the 2007-2008 Distinguished Schultz Professor of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, has presented on a variety of topics to national health care organizations and has written and contributed to numerous op-eds and articles highlighting such issues as health care reform and the global health crisis. He is currently serving as a Professor of Business and Medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

 

John DeVincenzo, MD, professor and researcher in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has proven for the first time that a totally new concept in drug design can be used to treat human disease. Dr. Devincenzo, who also serves as a children's infectious diseases specialist at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, conducted his study at the Children's Foundation Research Center, a UT Health Science Center partner located at Le Bonheur.

 

The new drug design concept is that RNA (Ribonucleic Acid*) can be easily designed on laptop computers and then synthesized into powerful disease-fighting therapies. The therapies work by shutting down disease-causing genes through a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). The discovery of this natural process of RNAi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2006.

 

Realizing the potential power of the new discovery, Dr. DeVincenzo and his team tackled the virus RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), the most common cause of hospitalization of infants and an infection with no therapy or vaccine. Healthy adults contract only rare, mild RSV infections that disappear without medical intervention. The investigator's team infected 88 healthy adults with RSV cultures that he collected and grew from his patients at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. He then administered RNAi drug therapy to half the study participants in the form of a nasal spray and a placebo to the other half. Findings from Dr. DeVincenzo's study proved that the RNAi therapy shut down a gene critical to RSV, thus preventing the virus from replicating itself. Patients who received the RNAi drug had significantly less infection than those receiving the placebo. The findings pave the way for this new type of drug therapy to treat a large variety of human diseases including cancers, genetic diseases and viral infections. In April, the study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences announcing the potential of the RNAi drug therapy.

 

DeVincenzo said they are in the midst of a clinical trial to test the RNA interference drug in lung-transplant recipients who have become naturally infected with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which can be deadly for these patients. The researcher added that the aerosol form of the RNAi drug was proven to be safe in the previous phase of study and the safety is being tested again in the current phase of the clinical trial. His long-term goal is to test RNAi drug therapies to reduce RSV infections in infants.

 

Regarding the possibility of marketing the RNAi drug treatment, Dr. DeVincenzo emphasizes that the drug's commercialization cannot be predicted, but could receive approval as an orphan drug (a treatment for rare conditions) as early as 2013 if the current phase of clinical trials proves to be very successful. Approval for using RNAi treatment on children who suffer from RSV would take longer.