Parkwest Named Top 100
KNOXVILLE —Parkwest Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s Top 100 Heart Hospitals for 2007.
The 2007 winners were announced in the November 19th edition of Modern Healthcare magazine. Parkwest is the only Knoxville hospital included on the list. The award marks the eighth time Parkwest has been recognized as a Top 100 Heart Hospital.
UT Medical Center Radiographer Earns Accreditation
KNOXVILLE — Rhonda Campbell, a registered mammographer at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, earned Breast Sonography accreditation from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Campbell is one of just six technicians in the state of Tennessee to achieve this accreditation.
“We are extremely proud of Rhonda’s accomplishment, as we are of all of our advanced registered technologists,” said Vanessa Bramble, director of Radiology at UT Medical Center. “Their dedication to learning helps provide superior care for our patients at UT Medical Center.”
Campbell, a resident of Alcoa, had to complete 200 supervised breast sonography examinations before she could apply for the registry. Currently, there is no specific program that specializes in breast sonography; in order to be ready to sit for the exam Campbell spent a year and a half in an independent study program.
Nurse Manager Receives Excellence in Nursing Award
KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee College of Nursing recently recognized Karen Pryor, a nurse manager at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, with the Excellence in Nursing Administration award at its annual Alumni of the Year Awards dinner.
Pryor, who serves as nurse manager of the Surgical Critical Care Unit at UT Medical Center, earned both of her degrees, a bachelor’s in Nursing in 1994 and a master’s in Nursing Administration in 2002, from the UT College of Nursing.
Pryor, a West Knoxville resident who started her career at UT Medical Center in 1988 as a phlebotomist, moved to a nursing position with the medical center’s Post-Trauma Surgical Unit after earning her bachelor’s degree. She served as nurse manager of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit before moving to her current role of nurse manager of Surgical Critical Care, a 32-bed unit at the medical center.
“I’m very honored to receive this award,” Pryor said. “I’ve enjoyed my years here at the medical center tremendously. They’ve given me the ability to grow here and have many exciting experiences and educational and training opportunities. The education and experience I received through the UT College of Nursing has been outstanding and helped prepare me for the many rigorous and rewarding aspects of nursing.”
Gray Joins UT Medical Center
KNOXVILLE — Surgical oncologist Dr. Keith Gray recently joined The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Gray, who completed his surgical oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, also will serve as assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine.
Gray’s honors and awards are numerous. During his graduate and post-graduate work, he earned membership with the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, received the “Complete Physician” award and earned multiple scholarships and research awards.
“The University of Tennessee Medical Center is the ideal place to start my surgical career,” Gray said. “I am thankful for the opportunity to practice evidence-based medicine, collaborate with talented colleagues as well as serve genuine people in such a picturesque part of the country. My wife and I look forward to integrating into the East Tennessee community and growing old here.”
Gray graduated Cum Laude from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s in Health and Sports Science and earned a medical degree from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his residency and surgical research fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before receiving his fellowship training at MD Anderson. Dr. Gray is particularly interested in the surgical management of gastrointestinal malignancies, especially advanced colorectal cancer.
Appointments at Baptist
KNOXVILLE — Sheila Borges, RN, MHA, has been named as the Director of Acute Care Services at Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee. She was previously at Baptist Memorial Hospital of Memphis.
Debbie Holt, RN, has been named the Director of Nursing at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County. With Baptist for the past 28 years, Debbie has served as a staff nurse at BHCC, the resident services manager at the Baptist Convalescent Center and as the Quality Risk Manager for BHCC.
Patti Ketterman, DNSc, RN, was recently appointed Administrator of Baptist Hospital of Cocke County, a role she has served in an interim capacity since October 2006. Prior to that, she was the Director of Nursing at BHCC. Patti has a total of 31 years of experience in healthcare with 29 years at BHCC.
Brenda Nicholson, MD, recently received a three-year appointment as Cancer Liaison Physician for the cancer program at Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee (BHET). She is among a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer physicians who are responsible for providing leadership and direction to establish, maintain and support their facilities’ cancer program. Dr. Nicholson, who has a significant interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases, is a member of the multidisciplinary cancer committee at BHET.
Dana Teagarden, DO, has joined Baptist Hospital for Women. She specializes in certain high-risk obstetrics, post-menopausal symptoms, adolescent gynecology, office-based sterilization and endometrial ablation techniques. Dr. Teagarden previously practiced in Crossville, Tenn.
Sudha Nair, MD, has joined East Tennessee Women’s Specialists at Baptist Hospital for Women. She specializes in obstetric and gynecologic services including infertility evaluations and treatment, laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, hysteroscopies, endometrial ablations and urologic procedures.
Scott joins UT Medical Center
KNOXVILLE —The University of Tennessee Medical Center is pleased to announce that Dr. John Scott, a general surgeon practicing with the Tennessee Weight Loss and Surgery Center and University Surgeons Associates, recently joined the medical center. Scott, who specializes in the areas of laparoscopic and bariatric surgery, also serves as an assistant professor with the UT Graduate School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery.
“Dr. Scott’s expertise and fellowship training in laparoscopic surgery greatly enhances our minimally invasive and bariatric surgery capabilities at UT Medical Center,” said Dr. Greg Mancini, medical director of the Tennessee Weight Loss and Surgery Center at UT Medical Center.
Scott earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. A member of the American College of Surgeons, Scott earned a bachelor’s in biology from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a master’s in biology from the University of Memphis.
Brown President of TN Nurses Association
KNOXVILLE — Laura Beth Brown, MSN, RN, was recently installed as President of the Tennessee Nurses Association during the 2007 TNA Annual Convention held in Knoxville.
Brown will serve a two-year term as President of the organization whose mission is to promote and protect the registered nurse and to advance the practice of nursing in order to assure a healthier Tennessee.
As President, Brown will serve as the official representative of the Tennessee Nurses Association and the nursing profession throughout the state and on the national level. She will be very involved in legislative issues, policy development, and other areas of interest to the nursing profession. She will serve as the TNA spokesperson on matters of association policy and positions.
Brown holds a bachelor’s of science in nursing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1989; and a master’s in health systems management from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, 2004.
Shared Health Wins National IT Award
CHATTANOOGA — Tennessee-based Shared Health, Inc., the largest public/private health information exchange (HIE) in the nation, received national honors at eHealth Initiative’s (eHI) inaugural Improving Healthcare Quality through Information and Information Technology Awards in Washington, D.C. The award was given in recognition of Shared Health’s work in “Transforming Care Delivery at the Point of Care.” In partnership with the Tennessee Medicaid program (TennCare), BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and two large self insured employers, Shared Health’s exchange touches one third of the state’s population.
eHI, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to driving improvements in healthcare quality, safety and efficiency through information and information technology, honors organizations showing leadership in four key areas: engaging consumers, aligning financial and other incentives, transforming care delivery at the point of care and improving population health. Shared Health was one of eight organizations nationwide to be recognized for its initiative.
“Shared Health’s efforts toward transforming care delivery at the point of care are very much attributed to the state playing a leadership role in adopting Health Information Technology (HIT) as well as a hands on field outreach program designed to train and educate clinicians on how to best utilize the exchange,” said Jim Bureau, vice president of Shared Health, who accepted the award on behalf of the company.
Working in direct collaboration with clinicians around the state, Shared Health has been able to focus on the critical aspects of a health information exchange that are important to the clinician community. In addition, Shared Health’s dedicated Clinical Outreach Team ensures that clinicians, understand the details of the HIE so that it becomes an invaluable tool. Open and consistent communications about security, privacy, benefits, user access, and the opt-out process of Shared Health has been critical to the success of the program. This knowledge is gained through a proactive communications process, whereby Shared Health and their customers coordinate efforts, according to a focused strategy, to inform beneficiaries, providers, and all other stakeholders of the advantages of an HIE.
The Shared Health Clinical Health Record® (CHR) is a secure, electronic health record that maintains a comprehensive view of a patient’s specific medical history. The Shared Health CHR and Shared Health ePrescribe® allow multiple clinicians treating the same patient to view that patient’s clinical history and prescribe medications via a secure Web portal, enabling more informed clinical decisions at the point of care.
“The eHI award winners exemplify the principles and strategies identified in eHI’s Blueprint: Building Consensus for Common Action, said Janet Marchibroda, CEO of eHI. “These organizations are models for how the use of health IT and health information exchange can support improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare.”
St. Barnabas Employee Honored
CHATTANOOGA — A St. Barnabas Senior Living Services employee received the Caring Hearts Award from the Southeast Tennessee Alzheimer’s Association at today’s Caring and Coping Conference.
Lisa Bruce, a certified nursing assistant, was recognized for her outstanding service to residents of St. Barnabas as a front-line caregiver. She was nominated for the award by the St. Barnabas clinical management team.
“When Lisa sees a need, she takes the initiative to meet it,” said Donna Rutherford, director of nursing. “She gives 110% to the residents.”
Ms. Rutherford said Ms. Bruce’s dedicated service, no absences, and willingness to work extra days as needed was noteworthy. Ms. Bruce also showed an interest and aptitude in cross-training in as many different areas as possible.
“I love working with the residents,” said Ms. Bruce of her three years at St. Barnabas. “I just keep thinking, ‘This could be my mom.’”
Ms. Bruce plans to build on her twenty years’ experience in geriatric care by pursuing a nursing degree at Chattanooga State Technical Community College.
The awards ceremony took place at Concord Baptist Church as part of the organization’s annual educational conference.
Memorial’s Brinkley Accepts New Executive Post in Catholic Healthcare
CHATTANOOGA — Ruth W. Brinkley, the president and chief executive officer of Memorial Health Care System, will become chief executive of Carondelet Health Network, a four-hospital system in southern Arizona.
Since February 2002 Mrs. Brinkley has been a well-known civic leader, launching Memorial’s multi-million dollar expansion project while helping to guide the city’s only faith-based healthcare system to national recognition.
Brinkley officially takes over December 31st in the dual roles at Carondelet and Ascension. Carondelet, based in Tucson, is southern Arizona’s oldest and largest nonprofit healthcare provider, and includes 402-bed Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital; 309-bed Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital; 60-bed Tucson Heart Hospital; and 31-bed Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales.
Deb Moore, Memorial’s chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO. Details of the national search process will be announced in the near future, according to CHI officials, who said a solid succession plan makes it likely that there will be several strong candidates within the CHI organization.
Erlanger First Hospital in Tennessee to Use New Vascular Closure Device
CHATTANOOGA — Erlanger Health System is the first healthcare facility in Tennessee and one of the first in the United States to use the Mynx™ Vascular Closure Device, designed to safely and painlessly close the puncture site left behind following endovascular procedures.
Erlanger’s first procedure using the Mynx was performed on November 12, 2007, in the Erlanger Catheterization Laboratory by R. Curtis McKoy, MD, a local interventional cardiologist who practices with Consultants in Cardiac & Vascular Disease and is medical director of the lab. Earlier this year in California, Dr. McKoy received training regarding the new device.
Excited to bring this new technology to Chattanooga and very pleased with the results of first procedures using the device, Dr. McKoy stated, “In the past we have seen some complications such as inflammation, abnormal bleeding and soreness at the puncture site where the catheter is introduced into the femoral artery. While usually minor, these complications can result in more discomfort for the patient, more time spent in the hospital and in extreme cases, even a trip to the OR. The Mynx is proving effective in minimizing or eliminating such complications and maximizing the ease of cardiac catheterization procedures.”
St. Barnabas Presents at State Healthcare Association
CHATTANOOGA — Responding to an invitation from QSource, Tennessee’s Medicare quality improvement organization, a local nursing home administrator described to more than 200 state healthcare leaders how her facility maintains a zero-restraints policy and zero in-house acquired skin wounds.
Brigetta Nethery, administrator of St. Barnabas Senior Living Services in downtown Chattanooga, was an expert speaker at the annual Tennessee Health Care Association (THCA) Government Update November 28 in Knoxville.
“The incidence of physical restraints and pressure ulcers are of great concern in Tennessee,” says Nethery. Last year, Tennessee ranked near the top nationally in terms of the number of restraints used in its 325 nursing homes.
Nethery says most professionals in the field consider lower restraint use almost impossible to achieve. However, St. Barnabas has used no restraints for nearly two years, with the exception of a mitten for a patient whose movements would dislodge his tracheotomy cord.
In addition, St. Barnabas is known as a wound care center for its successful treatment of existing skin wounds and prevention of new ones, resulting in a zero in-house acquired wounds.
Ms. Nethery, together with Donna Rutherford, St. Barnabas director of nursing, explained to conference attendees how consistent staffing is critical to the facility’s achievement, especially of front-line caregivers such as the certified nursing assistant (CNA). CNAs rely on their personal knowledge of the residents in their care, and inconsistent staffing greatly affects the quality of care residents receive.
“Many nursing homes use agencies to staff their facilities,” said Ms. Rutherford. “When CNAs don’t stay long enough to really know their residents, it’s nearly impossible to control quality outcomes.”
Even during the upheaval of normal operations in July with the fourteen-block move of the skilled nursing facility to its new home, St. Barnabas has used no agency staffing.
“Consistent assignments are the basis of all our quality interventions,” says Nethery, who has 25 years in the nursing profession. “We are determined to maintain our quality standards, despite setbacks in re-training our existing and new CNAs, who’ve had to learn and/or maintain our clinical interventions in a brand new environment.”
St. Barnabas was the first nursing home to enroll in the Advancing Excellence campaign. Voluntary participation in this coalition-based, two-year campaign was a natural outgrowth of St. Barnabas’ commitment to quality care. At the state level, THCA now includes 109 participating nursing homes. The campaign is designed to improve the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America’s nursing homes.
St. Barnabas offers aging services on two campuses in downtown Chattanooga.
Erlanger Receives Sodexho Awards
CHATTANOOGA — Five managers from Food and Nutrition Services at Erlanger’s Baroness Campus attended the Sodexho Annual Area Awards Meeting November 5-7 and received regional awards for their outstanding performance and professionalism.
Sodexho vice presidents and general and district managers from Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia attended the conference and participated in several competitions.
Lyn Price, food service manager, received the award for Innovation Enhanced Patient/Resident Experience. Lyn Price developed and implemented the Patient Services Tour to enhance the relationship between Erlanger’s nursing departments and Food and Nutrition Services and increase patient satisfaction.
Both Lyn Price and Susan Fuchs, clinical nutrition manager, were nominated for the Team of the Year - Enhances the Patient/Resident Experience Award, for adding a large service cost neutral. The service enabled current employees to perform the additional duties rather than hiring new staff and increasing the department’s budget.
Executive Chef, Jeff Cunningham, and his team competed in the Platinum Chef Competition. The Iron Chef style contest was a culinary challenge that included four other teams. The Erlanger Team received first place in the region.
Jonathan Darling, General Manager of the Food and Nutrition Services, won the Team of the Year award and accepted in on behalf of his team.
Sodexho, Inc. is contracted with Erlanger Health System to provide food and nutrition services, environmental services and management support to the hospital. It is the leading food and facilities management services company in North America with more than 120,000 employees.
Hughes Named ACNO at Parkridge East
CHATTANOOGA — Delilah Hughes has been named associate chief nursing officer at Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge. Delilah brings 28 years of experience in healthcare and over 23 years in management experience to the position.
Hughes most recently served as service line administrator for women’s services, pediatrics, ambulatory services and the bariatric surgery program at Erlanger Health System. Hughes began her career at Erlanger in 1979 as a registered nurse.
Hughes holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.
Price Joins Signal Mountain Medical Practices
CHATTANOOGA — Kelly Price, RN, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner, has joined the Signal Mountain medical practices of John D. Cranwell, MD, PLLC and Theresa Pollard, MD of Signal Mountain Internal Medicine at Alexian Village.
Price is a certified registered nurse with experience in family practice, geriatrics, pediatrics, and emergency care, and is licensed as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. She completed her Master of Science in Nursing degree in 2007 and graduated Cum Laude from Medical College of Georgia.
Archer Participates In Panel
KINGSPORT — Allen Archer, system manager of capital planning and acquisition at Wellmont Health System, recently participated in a panel discussion at a national conference in Cambridge, Mass.
The conference was sponsored by VFA, a provider of integrated software and services for facilities asset management and capital planning. The conference focused on organizational change, and Archer was part of a panel that discussed strategies for supporting enterprise agility.
Specifically, Archer’s panel examined strategies used by different types of organizations to respond to changing needs, maintain the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective capital management and ensure optimal alignment of capital assets with business goals.
Wellmont Wins TechStar Award for Wireless Communications System
KINGSPORT — Wellmont Health System was presented an award of excellence by the Northeast Tennessee Technology Council on Thursday for a new wireless communications system that improved patient convenience and enhanced patient privacy.
Wellmont won the Technology by Non-Profit Group/Agency Award given at the TechStar Awards, which were held at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center. Wellmont won the award for implementing the Vocera wireless communications system this spring at Bristol Regional Medical Center and Holston Valley Medical Center.
A multi-disciplinary team at Wellmont, including members from the information services and patient transport departments, installed a robust communications network leading to 183 wireless access points at Holston Valley and 59 at Bristol Regional. Using Vocera, employees and clinicians in several hospital departments gained the use of instant, wireless, hands-free voice communications.
Vocera led to multiple hospital improvements. The time it took to transport patients and clean patient rooms was reduced because of instant updates and real-time communication. Hospital hallways became quieter with the need for fewer pagers to contact clinicians, and the use of headsets allowed hospital leaders to more easily protect patient privacy when communicating patient information.
Holston Valley Nurse Administrator Ponders Different Outcomes for Trauma Cases
KINGSPORT — Rhonda Morgan, vice president of clinical services at Holston Valley Medical Center, examined the case of Princess Diana and other untimely deaths in a presentation she gave during “RN Rx for Success,” recently. The program, organized for nurse recruits by the Wellmont Health System nurse recruiting staff, mixed educational sessions with a bit of fun as RNs learned about career opportunities at Wellmont hospitals.
In her presentation, Morgan also examined the treatment of presidents Abraham Lincoln and James A. Garfield, assassin John Wilkes Booth and presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy, and formed conclusions around a central hypothesis: What if these people had had the benefit of quick access to today’s hospital emergency care? Would they have lived?
Morgan formerly served as Holston’s clinical director of the emergency department and Level I trauma center, which offers the sort of emergency care that Morgan uses in comparing ideal treatment with actual treatment in her look at historic trauma cases.
Diana did receive emergency care after a car crash 10 years ago in Paris, though more than an hour of her treatment was performed in the tunnel where the car crashed. She was transported to a hospital less than four miles from the crash, so would her outcome have been different if she had been transported more quickly? That question still lingers for many.
“She was treated by a doctor in the field; in today’s world she would’ve been transported to a trauma center and undergone rapid access damage control surgery,” Morgan said. “She essentially bled to death in the field.
“I think she had survivable injuries.”
Morgan’s research doesn’t always yield different potential outcomes with modern care. But the matter of life or death isn’t the only facet worth considering. In the case of Bobby Kennedy, his eventual death from the shooting by Sirhan Sirhan signaled a change in care.
“It was an end-of-life decision where the family decided to remove him from the ventilator,” Morgan said. “Twenty years earlier, there would probably not have been an end-of-life decision. Most likely, he would have languished until he couldn’t be ventilated anymore.”
There is more to consider with Kennedy: His family wasn’t asked to consider organ donation, a significant difference from today’s protocols.
Morgan remains a history buff. But with her calling in health care, she can’t help but apply her clinical knowledge in assessing history. She will continue to ask “What if?” — even if the answers are sometimes disturbing.
MSHA Receives Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy
BLOUNTVILLE — During its quarterly meeting today at Northeast State Technical Community College, the Tennessee Board of Regents presented the Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy to Mountain States Health Alliance in recognition of the system’s devotion to and generous support of East Tennessee State University.
Recipients are selected on the basis of their giving to a TBR institution and their outstanding volunteer fundraising efforts for the school. The TBR is the governing board for ETSU and five other universities, 13 two-year colleges, and 26 technology centers statewide. It is the sixth largest system of higher education in the nation.
According to a letter of nomination, MSHA’s corporate support through the ETSU Foundation now exceeds $6 million. MSHA has provided critical financial backing for the development of several educational programs, including the expansion of ETSU’s nursing program, the development of a master’s degree in social work, establishment of a physical therapy program, and the creation of the ETSU College of Pharmacy.
Mountain States Health Alliance has also provided funding for major research initiatives at ETSU in the areas of cancer and cardiovascular research as well as the Buccaneer Sports Network which showcases intercollegiate sports with media broadcasts throughout the region.
Bristol Regional Names New Coordinator for Primary Stroke Center
BRISTOL — Bristol Regional Medical Center has named Amy Hale coordinator of the hospital’s primary stroke center, adding another clinician with experience in neurological care to the region’s top stroke program.
Hale, a veteran registered nurse at Bristol Regional, most recently worked in the surgery intensive care unit, where she developed expertise in caring for the neuroscience/neurosurgical patient population.
Bristol Regional, the hub of the Appalachian Regional Stroke Center Network, is the region’s first and most experienced certified primary stroke center.
Jan Kincaid joins McLeod Cancer & Blood Center
JOHNSON CITY — McLeod Cancer & Blood Center is proud to announce the addition of Jan Kincaid, LMT,MLT/CDT Certified Lymphedema Therapist to their staff. With her addition McLeod is pleased to offer Lymphedema Therapy services to the community. You can contact them to discuss any questions you may have concerning Lymphedema or the treatment therapy they offer.
Wellmont Technical Services Director Receives Prestigious Certification
KINGSPORT — Darren Ramsey, technical services director for Wellmont Health System’s information services department, has been accredited by Cisco Systems as a Certified Internetwork Expert, one of the highest designations of expertise in the information technology industry.
Cisco reports that less than 3 percent of all Cisco-certified professionals earn CCIE classification, which certifies the honoree has an expert level of knowledge of networking across a variety of computer network interfaces.
Ramsey prepared two years before taking and passing an eight-hour lab examination to become a CCIE-certified professional. Up to 85 percent of those who take the exam never achieve CCIE certification, Cisco reports.
January 2008
Digg
Facebook
Technorati
Newsvine
Google
