Grand Rounds June


Regional Hospital to Expand

For the first time in 17 years, Regional Hospital of Jackson is expanding to increase its outpatient surgery and obstetrics facilities.

The 22,250-square-foot expansion will add 12 surgery beds to its Same-Day Surgery Center and seven labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum (LDRP) rooms to its Family Birth Center at a total cost of $8.6 million. The project also includes an expanded nursery and another nursing station.

The additional nurse’s station will bring the coordination of patient care by the medical staff and nurses closer to our patients and their rooms, said Stephen J. Grubbs, the hospital’s CEO.

Regional broke ground for the expansion on May 2, exactly 17 years from the date it admitted its first patient at its new location on the U.S. 45 Bypass. Helping with the groundbreaking were children holding colorful plastic shovels; all had been born at the hospital.

“This expansion project makes the first expansion to the hospital since the hospital was opened in 1991,” Grubbs said. He explained that the need for the expansion is the result of more surgeons on the hospital’s medical staff, the trend for more outpatient surgeries and the hospital’s growth in deliveries in its Family Birth Center.

Regional Hospital of Jackson is licensed for 154 acute care beds. It currently has nine LDPR rooms. From 2006 to 2007, the number of births at the hospital increased 24 percent and outpatient surgeries increased 14.2 percent.


Dignity Closets

During the month of June, West Tennessee Healthcare is collecting garments for the Dignity Closets located throughout its system (specifically in its Emergency Departments and the Pediatric Unit at Ayers Children’s Medical Center).

The Dignity closet provides garments for victims of sexual and domestic abuse as well as patients who are in need of clothing before they leave the hospital. Specific items needed are tee-shirts, shorts, socks, and light weight pants (such as scrub pants, pajamas, jogging pants).

Sizes needed range from toddler through larger adult sizes. Collection boxes will be set up during June at West Tennessee Healthcare affiliate locations including Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. For more information, call 731-541-6448. This is sponsored by the Women’s Health Advisory Council of West Tennessee Healthcare.


Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine Receives Ultrasound Accreditation

The Ultrasound Practice Council of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine has announced that Mid-south Maternal Fetal Medicine has been granted accreditation in the area of obstetric ultrasound.

According to AIUM’s Director of Accreditation Paula Woletz, “Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine has achieved accreditation in recognition that the practice has met voluntary standards set by the diagnostic ultrasound profession.  The entire practice was reviewed, including the practice’s personnel, physical facilities, record-keeping practices, quality assurance standards, and how the practice meets the AIUM standards.”

 Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine is a consultative practice which specializes in the treatment of high-risk pregnancies.  Patients of MSMFM are referred by their primary obstetrician due to one or more high risk factors, and are followed for monitoring of both mother and unborn child.  Services provided during this process include routine and high-resolution ultrasounds, fetal Doppler flow studies, fetal echocardiography, umbilical blood sampling, and amniocentesis.


Dr. Giancarlo Mari Named Division Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Veronica T. Mallett, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), and Steve J. Schwab, MD, executive dean of the College of Medicine for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), have announced the appointment of Giancarlo Mari, MD, as chief of the division of Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) and director of the Maternal Fetal Institute in the UTHSC College of Medicine and the UT Medical Group, Inc. (UTMG).  Dr. Mari has also accepted the role as professor and vice-chair of OB/GYN.


ACHE Announces Officers and Board

The Amercian College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), is pleased to announce the election of its officers and board for the 2008-2009 program year.

Chapter officers are:

PRESIDENT - Kevin Barron, FACHE, vice president of physician services at West Tennessee Healthcare in Jackson, TN;
VICE PRESIDENT - Michael McCormack, director of reimbursement planning at Medtronic Sofamor Danek in Memphis, TN; SECRETARY - CAPT Thomas Petrilak, FACHE, senior healthcare assignment officer at Navy Personnel Command in Millington, TN;
TREASURER - Daniel Stanton, FACHE, administrator, transplant institute of Methodist Healthcare in Memphis, TN;
PAST PRESIDENT - Susan D. Kitsinger, manager of payer contracting at Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation in Memphis, TN.

Board Members include:

Program Chair - Jane Raymond of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital;
Membership Chair - Linda Forbess of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation;
At-large - Victor Perini, FACHE of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare;
At-Large - Alisa Firehock, FACHE of UT Medical Group;
At-Large & Jackson Local Program Council chair - Sheila Deadmon of West Tennessee Healthcare;
MHA Student Representative - Britttany Pegues of the University of Memphis Healthcare Administration Program.


West Tennesse Healthcare Board Approves Creation Of West Tennessee Neurosciences

JACKSON — At their monthly meeting, the West Tennessee Healthcare Board of Trustees voted to acquire   assets of the local Semmes Murphey Clinic office, the nation’s leading neuroscience practice based in Memphis, TN with a strong local presence in Jackson.

Joining West Tennessee Healthcare under the new name of West Tennessee Neurosciences will be neurologists, Dr. Mike Brueggeman, Dr. Tom Head, Dr. Karl Misulis, Dr. Sumathira Sathanadan, as well as neurosurgeon, Dr. Joe Rowland and neuropsychologist, Dr. Michael Anton.  In addition, Dr. Chris Mitchell and Dr. Eric Potts, neurologists, will join the group in the summer.  Remaining with Semmes Murphey Clinic to anchor its continued local presence in Jackson will be Dr. Glenn Barnett, neurosurgeon.  Both practices, West Tennessee Neurosciences and Semmes-Murphey Clinic will co-locate at the current Semmes Murphey location.


Dr. Mathew Ninan Named Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology in the College of Medicine, Memphis, UTHSC Campus

Timothy C. Fabian, MD, Harwell Wilson Alumni Professor and chairman of the department of surgery for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), announces the formation of a new division of surgical oncology within the department of surgery and the newly appointed division chief, Mathew Ninan, MD, in the College of Medicine.

Dr. Ninan received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the Jawharlal Nehru Medical College of Belgaum, India. He completed his residency in cardiothoracic surgery with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

He also completed an advanced fellowship in thoracic surgery and transplantation with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals, United Kingdom. He was then appointed assistant professor of thoracic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for six years, where he served as the director of the Lung Transplant and Lung Failure Program, as well as thoracic surgical oncologist to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.  He also completed a master’s degree in clinical investigation from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Ninan is a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon and currently serves as the attending thoracic surgeon for Baptist Memorial Healthcare System in Memphis.




Women’s Health Specialists Physicians Included in Best Doctors in America

Women’s Health Specialists is proud to announce that Frank W. Ling, MD, Thomas G. Stovall, MD, Robert L. Summitt, Jr.,MD and Val Y. Vogt, MD, all founding partners for Women’s Health Specialists, have been selected by their peers to be included in the 2007-2008 Best Doctors in America.  This honor is announced every two years and includes only 5 percent of U.S. doctors.  The Best Doctors in America list is an exhaustive peer-review survey by thousands of highly respected doctors and only those doctors who excel in their specialty and earn the consensus support of their peers are included.

 Best Doctors in America is the preeminent listing of its kind.  It has been featured on national television shows including 60 Minutes, The Today Show, and CNN Headline News as well as in major print media including USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.


Mickey Bernstein, DDS Installed as 2008-2009 President of the  Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

Mickey Bernstein, DDS was installed as the 2008-2009 President of the  Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry on May 9th at the AACD’s 24th Annual  Scientific Session in New Orleans. The Annual Scientific Session was held  from May 6th - May 10th, with world-renowned educators teaching modern  clinical techniques in cosmetic dentistry via lectures and in-depth hands-on  workshops.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Dr. Bernstein has practiced cosmetic dentistry for 30 years in Germantown,  Tennessee.

Dr. Bernstein became an Accredited Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in 2000 — an honor that only five other dentists in  Tennessee and a few hundred worldwide share. He is a Fellow in the Academy  of General Dentistry and an Alumnus of the L. D. Pankey Institute. Dr. Bernstein also enjoys sharing his dental experiences through lecturing and  writing on esthetic practice development and cosmetic design. understanding patients’ needs.


Memphis Heart Clinic Welcomes Dr. Brent Addington

Memphis Heart Clinic is pleased to welcome M. Brent Addington, MD, FACC to its team of cardiologists. A native Memphian, Dr. Addington has been in private practice for over 20 years in the Memphis community.

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Addington specializes in consultative and interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions as well as IVC filter placement. He will see patients at the clinic’s Memphis location.

Dr. Addington received his Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University. He went on to complete his medical degree at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. After earning his medical degree, Dr. Addington completed his Surgery Internship at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston, MA and his Medicine Internship and Residency at the University of Tennessee and City of Memphis Hospitals. Subsequently, Dr. Addington completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of Tennessee (Bowld) Hospital.


Two Sports Plus Staffers are Certified in Orthopedic Manual Therapy

JACKSON — Sports Plus Rehab Centers is proud to announce that Miki Martin, PT, COMT and Ben Harper, PT, COMT have received certification as orthopedic manual therapists (COMT).

Martin and Harper are two of only 14 graduates of the Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy concept in the state of Tennessee. The Maitland Approach is a world-renowned highly effective, gentle approach to the management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. This concept of assessment and treatment for spinal and peripheral conditions is recognized worldwide as an efficient, safe and gentle way to alleviate pain, restore movement, and maximize function in orthopedic patients.

Martin, PT, COMT is a 1993 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Memphis physical therapy program She has 15 years experience treating orthopedic patients in the outpatient setting and is a physical therapist and program manager at Sports Plus Rehab Centers North in Jackson, Tennessee.

Harper, PT, COMT is a 1996 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Memphis physical therapy program. He has 12 years experience treating orthopedic patients in the outpatient setting and is a physical therapist at Sports Plus Rehab Centers North in Jackson, Tennessee.

Sports Plus Rehab Centers is an affiliate of West Tennessee Healthcare and has locations in Dyersburg, Henderson, Lexington, and four locations in Jackson.



Christ Community Programs Recognized Nationally

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recognized Christ Community’s Memphis Healthy Churches on its Innovations Exchange Web site. The program, which launched in 1998, provides training and resources to more than 144 volunteers in 82 African-American churches in the Memphis community. The volunteers provide health screenings and ongoing education about important health issues facing the African-American population, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Christ Community’s CHOICES program was one of seven abstinence education programs, out of more than 130 nationwide, cited by the Administration for Children and Families as best practices in its publication, Promising Practices for Providing Abstinence Education to High-Risk Youth, a how-to for creating abstinence education programs.



Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Offers New Technology to Treat Chronic Sinus Infections

JACKSON — A new, minimally invasive technology for treating chronic sinus inflammation is now available at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. The Balloon Sinuplasty™ system uses a small catheter and balloon to quickly open and expand blocked sinuses.

Until recently, sinusitis patients were limited to two treatment options—medical therapy (like antibiotics and topical nasal steroids) or conventional sinus surgery such as Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS). Medical therapy can help alleviate symptoms for 75-80 percent of patients but is inadequate for the rest. For them, sinus surgery is often the best option. FESS is a conventional surgery that requires bone and tissue removal to open blocked sinus passages. Often, many people choose to live with painful sinus conditions instead of seeking a desired treatment.

“With this new Balloon Sinuplasty™, we hope patients will talk to their doctors about this less invasive procedure. Because of the way it works, it is much easier on the patients and their recovery time is much less than conventional surgery,” said Surgical Services Director Rene Hampton at General Hospital.


Avanti Skin Center Opens in Collierville

Kate Gassaway, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, formerly a nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a Nurse Practitioner at OB/GYN Specialists, PC, has recently opened Avanti Skin Center in Collierville, TN. Also a certified Laser and Skin Specialist, Kate and her qualified staff offer various treatments including scar reduction treatments, permanent laser hair removal for all skin types, including tan skin, rosacea and acne treatments, Titan (skin tightening for all areas of the body), facial and leg vein treatments, birthmarks, melasma, port wine stains, and more.




Hongbo Chi receives the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award

Hongbo Chi, Ph.D., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Department of Immunology assistant member, has been awarded research funding from The Hartwell Foundation, following a competitive process that involved 35 other nominees from nine institutions. Chi, one of 12 recipients of a Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award, will receive $300,000 in direct costs for three years to support his research on how the immune system distinguishes foreign antigens from self tissues at the molecular level.



Tennessee Association of Medical Interpreters and Translators (TAMIT)

Local healthcare interpreters association serves as a catalyst in preparing professionals to function as language and cultural brokers between providers and limited English proficient patients.

 The Tennessee Association of Medical Interpreters and Translators (TAMIT) was founded in 2007 by a  professor, interpreters and individuals with high expectations to better assist limited-English proficient (LEP) individuals in healthcare settings.  TAMIT mission is to improve the quality and availability of qualified healthcare interpreters as well as to increase their number within the Memphis community and throughout the Mid-South area.

For more information about the new Memphis chapter of TAMIT, call Espi Ralston, President Elect at 901 218 4691.




Dr. Tulio Bertorini releases “Neuromuscular Case Studies”

In this unique book, Dr. Bertorini includes 100 cases that demonstrate the diagnosis and management of a wide range of common and rare neuromuscular disorders. Each case study reviews the etiologies, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and management of a particular disorder.



June 2008