Le Bonheur Surgeons Successfully Separate Rare Conjoined Twins

Doctors at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital successfully separated conjoined twins, Joshua and Jacob Spates, on Monday, Aug. 29. The Spates family is from Memphis. Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies do not fully separate in utero. A rare phenomenon, conjoined twins occurs in approximately one in 100,000 births.

Joshua and Jacob are pygopagus twins, which is a rare form of twins joined back to back at the pelvis and lower spine, each with separate hearts, heads and limbs. This type represents only 15 percent of conjoined twins.

Born joined at the lumbar sacral spine and sharing a rectum, muscle and nerves, the twins are one of only six documented cases in Memphis history. The Spates boys were diagnosed prenatally via ultrasound at 25 weeks gestation and then referred to Le Bonheur’s Fetal Center. Dr. Giancarlo Mari, medical director of the Fetal Center, developed a plan of care and delivered the boys at 34 weeks gestation on Jan. 24 via Caesarean section at The Regional Medical Center. Seven hours later, Pedi-Flite transferred the boys to Le Bonheur’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  Two days later, pediatric surgeons performed a colostomy and inserted a gastrostomy tube to assist with nutrition and waste elimination. 

For the following seven months, Le Bonheur specialists cared for and prepared to separate the boys. Born with multiple congenital anomalies, Joshua (Baby A) was diagnosed with complications of situs inversus totalis, calcifications in the spleen, a single kidney and a heart defect. Jacob (Baby B) was diagnosed with Dandy-Walker syndrome, hydrocephalus, two-vessel umbilical cord and a heart defect. Their care team included pediatric experts from multiple specialties including anesthesia, child life, critical care, general surgery, neonatology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, nursing, plastic surgery, rehabilitation therapy and social work.

During the 13-hour separation surgery, surgeons separated the spinal column, spinal cord and muscles and completed gastrointestinal repairs.

Christ Community Starts New Residency Track, Opens University Family Medicine Center

Christ Community Health Services recently announced its new Underserved and International Residency Track, a collaboration among Christ Community, Methodist University Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center/Saint Francis Family Medicine Program.

The residency track, with financial support from Methodist University Hospital, joined the UTHSC/Saint Francis family medicine residency in July with four residents, and Christ Community leadership hopes to recruit more residents each year.

The three-year program will teach residents about serving patients with various obstacles for good health, from lack of funds or lack of family support to a lack of understanding about their condition. In addition to working in several teaching hospitals in Memphis, residents will receive their practical training at a new health center being opened by Christ Community Health Services − the University Family Medicine Center at 1211 Union Ave.

This year, the Christ Community residents have come from four different universities across the United States: The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, The University of Toledo College of Medicine, the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University.

UT Medical Group Names Directors of Operation

UT Medical Group, Inc. announces two new additions to the management team.

 Myra Sullivan has been named director of operations for the department of medicine. Jamie Patterson has been named director of operations for the department of surgery, transplant institute, and adult cardiovascular institute.

UT Medical Group is the private group practice affiliated with the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine faculty. A not-for-profit, non-tax-supported group practice, UTMG is dedicated to quality patient care, medical education, and medical research. For more information, visit www.utmedicalgroup.com

New Physician Practices at Methodist

McClatchy Medical Center and Midtown Internal Medicine have joined the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare family.  The arrangement became official the end of August.

McClatchy Medical is located at 7235 Hacks Cross Road in Olive Branch, Miss., the practice includes Dr. William McClatchy and Deborah Martin, Family Nurse Practitioner and 15 employees. The clinic name will not change, and patients and referring physicians can expect a seamless transition.

Until recently, the Midtown Internal Medicine practice at 48 S. Prescott, included Drs. Shawn Hayden, J.O. Patterson and Oakley Jordan and 12 employees. Drs Hayden and Patterson will remain with Midtown Internal Medicine and move the practice to a new location at 1533 Union Avenue beginning October 12.  Dr. Jordan is forming his own practice in early September, Jordan Internal.

Additional physician practices now part of Methodist includes: Foundation Medical Group, Lakeland Family Medicine, McGee General Surgery Clinic, Penn Marc Internal Medicine, Sutherland Cardiology Clinic, The CardioVascular Center, Kr.

Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Human Resources Complete Senior Executive Team at Regional Medical Center

Regional Medical Center at Memphis has completed its senior executive team with the addition of Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

 Carl Getto, M.D., joined Regional Medical Center in August in the position of Chief Medical Officer.  Dr. Getto comes to Regional Medical Center from the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics, where he served as the Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs since 2001.  Dr. Getto graduated from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, and he completed his residencies at the University of Colorado Medical Center. He earned a Masters in Management at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University.

 Dr. Getto has held several teaching and dean positions at medical schools in Colorado, Wisconsin and Illinois. Dr. Getto has been published in more than 40 journals, chapters and abstracts. His medical specialty is psychiatry.

Fred Boyd, SPHR, has been named Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Boyd joined Regional Medical Center in 2010 and has served in his current role on an interim basis since then. Boyd has worked with corporations in all aspects of human resources, including employee relations, performance management and organizational effectiveness management. Prior to joining Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Boyd provided employment counsel as a consultant and excelled in a lengthy career in employee relations in the banking industry. Boyd earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee. He is certified as a Senior Professional Human Resources and a member of the Society for Human Resources Management.  

New Rehab Director for Memphis Jewish Home & Rehabilitation Center

 Paul Evans has been named rehabilitation director at Memphis Jewish Home & Rehabilitation Center (MJHRC).  Evans received his Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree both from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  His past experience includes as a staff physical therapist, lead physical therapist and clinical director at facilities here in Memphis, Tupelo, Southaven, North Miami, FL and Santa Rosa, CA.  Evans has extensive experience working with seniors and in skilled nursing facilities such as MJHRC.

Ram Mahato of UTHSC Receives $67,858 Grant

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is pleased to announce that Ram I. Mahato, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy has received a grant for $67,858 from the Herb Kosten Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.  The award, which will be distributed over a one-year period, will fund his study titled “Combination Therapy with EGFR and Hedgehog Inhibitor for Treating Pancreatic Cancer.”  Dr. Mahato’s research team includes Stephen Behrman, MD, UTHSC associate professor of Surgery and director of the collaboration between the Herb Kosten Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and UTHSC.

The researchers in Dr. Mahato’s laboratory have significant expertise in delivering genes and small molecular drugs to different disease targets, including in cancer, diabetes and liver fibrosis.  In this project, they aim not only to reduce tumor growth, but also to attack drug-resistant stem cells to prevent a relapse.  The use of nanomedicines will help reduce toxic side effects which remain a major limitation of current chemotherapy.  Dr. Mahato’s team not only applies pharmaceutical principles to do this, but also applies drug and gene delivery systems with non-toxic novel biomaterials, molecular biology and stem cell biology.  The proposed utilization of human pancreatic cancer tissue for the study will mimic as closely as possible the environment that exists in humans.  The research team hopes that their research will improve the clinical outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.

BMHCC Acquires Memphis Lung Physicians

Baptist Memorial Medical Group announced recently the formation of Memphis Lung Physicians Foundation, the result of the recent acquisition of Memphis Lung Physicians.

Memphis Lung Physicians is a practice specializing in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, founded in 1978 with office locations in Memphis, DeSoto County and Collierville. In addition to critical care, the group focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory distress, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, obstructive sleep apnea and other pulmonary diseases and conditions.

Memphis Lung has a strong history of working with Baptist and has played major roles in developing nationally recognized intensive care services at Baptist Memorial hospitals and developing sleep medicine services offered by Baptist. Physicians at Memphis Lung have worked to improve the outcomes of patients in Baptist Memorial hospitals’ intensive care units by decreasing hospital acquired infections common to intensive care patients.

In May 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized 37 hospital and health care facilities for their efforts to prevent – and eventually eliminate – health care-associated infections. The physicians at Memphis Lung helped Baptist Memphis receive the HHS Sustained Improvement Award – an honor earned by only six hospitals in the country – for reduction of these health care-associated infections.

Memphis Heart Clinic’s Nuclear Lab Receives National Accreditation by ICANL for Outstanding Quality

Memphis Heart Clinic announced today that its nuclear laboratory has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in Nuclear Cardiology by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL).  In 2008, Memphis Heart Clinic was one of the first nuclear cardiology laboratories in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico to receive ICANL accreditation for its dedication to high quality patient care and provision to high quality diagnostic testing.

Accreditation by the ICANL means that Memphis Heart Clinic has undergone a thorough review of its nuclear laboratory’s operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The ICANL grants accreditation only to those facilities found to provide quality patient care in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review. The program evaluates the quality of myocardial perfusion imaging (nuclear cardiology testing) and other critical elements of a nuclear cardiology laboratory. 

According to Bashar Shala, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FASE, FASNC, Director of Nuclear Cardiology, “We consider our ICNAL accreditation as a testament to our commitment to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism in Nuclear Cardiology.  We are proud of our staff that lives by those standards.”

ICANL accreditation is a ‘seal of approval’ that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of nuclear medicine.

Memphis Heart Clinic physicians have also been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Physician Recognition Program for Heart/Stroke Care, a 3-year recognition awarded for excellence in cardiac care.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare announces design and construction team, groundbreaking date for Olive Branch Hospital

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has chosen the design and construction team for its new Olive Branch Hospital and set the  groundbreaking for 3 p.m. on October 19. Gresham, Smith and Partners (GS&P), Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) and Turner Construction Company have been selected as an integrated project delivery (IPD) team for the design and construction of the new hospital.

The full-service, 100-bed hospital will be located on the southeast corner of U.S Highway 78 and Bethel Road and will support MLH’s commitment to sustainability by being designed to achieve United States Green Building Council (SGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The new hospital will support the facility’s mission of collaborating with patients and their families to be the leader in providing high quality, cost-effective patient and family-centered care. 

Smith Seckman Reid, Inc will be providing engineering design, medical communication system planning, Commissioning and LEED facilitation services for the project. R. Clay Seckman, PE, executive vice president of SSR said they are excited about continuing their relationship with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

 Turner Construction Company will provide construction management services for the project and serve as general contractor.

IPD requires collaboration of the entire building team including the owner, architect, engineers, contractor and subcontractors through all phases of design and construction. The delivery method helps to optimize project results, reduce waste and maximize efficiency.

 GS&P, SSR and Turner recently teamed together and utilized an IPD approach on the design and construction of a 550,000-square-foot, 286-bed replacement hospital. The team worked together from the inception of design to the completion of the facility which resulted in the project remaining successfully under budget and ahead of schedule. The facility is a model of convenient, efficient and safe healthcare for the growing region.

OrthoMemphis Surgeons Selected for a Study of a Cartilage Repair Procedure for Knees

OrthoMemphis a division of MSK, announces that Drs. Randall Holcomb and Kenneth Weiss will be the first surgeons to enroll patients in Memphis in an investigational study of a single-stage cartilage repair procedure for the knee. The study will be a randomized, prospective multi-center clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Cartilage Autograft Implantation System (CAIS™), as a surgical procedure of cartilage lesion(s) in the knee compared to a standard surgical treatment called microfracture.

“Most clinicians involved in cartilage regeneration research agree that the future lies in techniques that utilize cartilage cells on a bio-scaffold. This investigational study utilizes this type of advanced technology and we are hopeful that this technology will prove to be a valuable tool for our patients who have knee pain related to cartilage problems,” said Randy Holcomb, MD, a clinical investigator and sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at OrthoMemphis.

This is a well designed clinical trial that will generate important evidence-based data on a potential alternative to the current standard procedure in the exciting new field of cartilage  repair according to Brian Cole, MD, clinical investigator and director of the Rush Cartilage Restoration Center in Chicago, one of the testing sites.

This study will evaluate whether the CAIS technology has the potential to provide greater benefit than microfracture for the repair of cartilage defects of the knee said Kenneth Weiss, MD, a clinical investigator and sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon at OrthoMemphis. Patients between 18 and 55 years of age, who have normal symptoms of focal knee pain, such as swelling, fluid in the knee, catching, limited motion or stiffness, may be considered for the screening phase of the study. The CAIS procedure is limited to patients with a small articular cartilage defect of the knee on the femoral surfaces (end of the thigh bone); and meet all other inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study.

During the CAIS procedure, surgeons remove a sample of healthy cartilage from a non-weight or low-weight bearing area of the patient’s knee. The tissue is broken up and combined with a unique absorbable material that provides a scaffold for cell growth. This scaffold is then implanted at the site of cartilage damage. The CAIS procedure can be applied in one surgical procedure.

This multi-center clinical trial will compare CAIS to microfracture surgery to determine which procedure will better reduce pain and improve function levels of patients with damaged knee cartilage.

For more information on this trial, please call (901) 259-1600 extension 1508 or visit us at orthomemphis.com.

Watkins Uiberall Salary Survey to Begin

Watkins Uiberall, along with co-sponsors, the Mid-South MGMA, the Memphis Medical Society and BancorpSouth, would like to invite you to participate in their 2011 Medical Office Personnel Salary & Benefits Survey.  To better assist participants in making strategic business decisions, the survey has been modified to show the responses grouped by the size of the physician group.  Also new this year, each administrator who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad.  Watch for your postcard in the mail announcing the survey.  As in the past all responses will be kept strictly confidential.

Max R. Langham Jr., M.D., Elected President of Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors

Max R. Langham Jr., M.D., who was the team leader on the Le Bonheur twins separation surgery has been elected president of the Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors (APSTPD), effective October 2011.

Langham serves as a professor of Surgery; chief of the division of Pediatric Surgery and program director of the Pediatric Surgery Residency Program for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center School of Medicine. He is also medical director of Pediatric General Surgery at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

APSTPD is the group of program directors responsible for the curriculum and training of pediatric surgery residents in the United States and Canada. The association works with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Residency Review Committee (RRC) as well as the American Board of Surgery (ABS) to define standards for contemporary pediatric surgery training.

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