January 26, 2004

MHA NewsWeekly Electronic Edition
Vol. 22, No. 3
January 26, 2004

Quote of the Week
“The best thing to do behind a friend’s back is pat it.”
~ Ruth Brillhard

In this week's edition...
1. President’s State of the Union Address Has Strong Health Care Focus
2. MHA Workshop To Concentrate on Revised Home Health Survey 
3. UMC Dentistry Organizes Rush to Brush for Blair E. Batson Fundraiser
4. CareLearning.com expands to include Webinars
5. Nursing leadership conference offered
6. Mississippi Hearts Against AIDS
7. CDC Public Health Grand Rounds - Influenza and Beyond: Responding to Vaccine-Preventable Disease
8. State gets final shipment of flu vaccine
9. 2004 Most Wired survey available online
10. Positions Available
11. People in the News
12. News Around the State
13. MHA Education Calendar

1. President’s State of the Union Address Has Strong Health Care Focus
 President Bush addressed the Nation on Jan. 20 and announced new initiatives to strengthen economic growth, reform education and job training and address the rising cost of health care.
 The President remarked on his successful effort in the past year to create a Prescription Drug Plan under Medicare, keeping a commitment to seniors to help them afford the medicines they need. He also outlined his plans to address the rising cost of healthcare and the need to expand health coverage to the uninsured. 
 “Our nation’s health care system, like our economy, is also in a time of change,” said the President. “Amazing medical technologies are improving and saving lives. This dramatic progress has brought its own challenge, in the rising costs of medical care and health insurance. Members of Congress, we must work together to help control those costs and extend the benefits of modern medicine throughout our country.”
 Highlights of the President’s health care initiatives include:
• A call for Congress to pass “association health plans” to enable small businesses to provide health coverage to more workers by allowing them to band together and negotiate lower insurance rates.
• Medical malpractice reform to eliminate frivolous medical lawsuits that damage the doctor-patient relationship and keep good doctors from doing their work.
• Tax-Free Health Savings Accounts, a new initiative in the Medicare prescription drug law that will allow workers to take advantage of fully portable, tax-free savings accounts that can be used to pay medical expenses. Individual contributions to the accounts are deductible, even if the taxpayer does not itemize, and contributions by an employer are not included in the individual’s taxable income. President Bush also proposed that individuals who buy catastrophic health care coverage as part of their new Health Savings Accounts be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premium from their taxes. This new deduction of health insurance premiums, which will be available to taxpayers whether or not they itemize, will make health coverage more affordable for millions of Americans who do not get coverage through their workplace.
• A call for Congress to establish refundable tax credits of up to $1,000 for individuals and $3,000 for families to help low-income workers buy health insurance coverage.
• Doubling the budget to $100 million for demonstration projects related to health information technology, which will save lives and help to reduce costs.
 MHA looks forward to working with the Administration and members of the Mississippi delegation to help control the rising costs of medical care, give more Mississippians access to affordable health insurance and address medical malpractice reform this year.

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2. MHA Workshop To Concentrate on Revised Home Health Survey 
 The Mississippi Hospital Association’s Society for Home Care & Hospice will host a workshop on the Revised Survey Process in conjunction with their annual society Business Session on February 19, 2004, at the Atrium Conference Center in Jackson. The workshop will provide participants a better understanding of the tasks or steps required to conduct the Medicare survey within a home health agency.
 Steve Egger will be the instructor for the workshop. He is the Division Director for the Title XVIII Non-Long Term Care Unit at the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Division of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification, where he has worked for over 26 years. His responsibilities include the state licensing and Medicare certification of various health care providers, including home health agencies and hospice ambulatory surgery facilities.
 Registration for the workshop will begin at 9 a.m. The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. The society will begin a working lunch and business session at noon and will adjourn at 1:30 p.m. The cost is $20 for society members and $45 for non-members. For more information about the workshop or membership in the Society for Home Health Care & Hospice, please contact Judith Forshee, director of education, at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3216 or jforshee@mhanet.org. To register for the workshop online, visit www.mhanet.org and click on “Education Opportunities” and then “Meetings/Seminars.”

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3. UMC Dentistry Organizes Rush to Brush for Blair E. Batson Fundraiser
 On February 21, the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry is organizing the McAlister’s Deli Rush to Brush to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at UMC. The race will be directed by the Mississippi Track Club. Supporting sponsors include BankPlus, Blockbuster Video, Beau Rivage and Fleet Feet Sports.
 Pick-up will begin at 8 a.m. and registration will begin at 9 a.m. on Feb. 21 at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union at UMC. The race will all take place on the UMC campus.
 Long-sleeve T-shirts are guaranteed for all pre-registered participants. Door prizes and refreshments will also be on hand. The grand prize is a weekend get-away at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, including a two-night stay and dinner for two. Other prizes include five sets of free Blockbuster movie rental coupons (each set a $100 value), gift certificates and more. Awards will be given for overall and age-group winners and Fun Run participants.
 The 5K run and walk Early Bird fee is $12 and is due before Feb. 6. Early bird entrants get two chances in the door prize drawing. The registration fee after Feb. 6 is $15 for the run or $10 for the one-mile fun run.
 Students are encouraged to get their favorite teachers/professors to sponsor their participation in the event. Each “Teacher’s Pet” sponsor will be acknowledged for their contribution and will receive a race T-shirt also. Teacher’s Pet sponsorships must be received by Feb. 6.
 For more information, visit  www.mstrackclub.com or call (601) 856-9884.

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4. CareLearning.com expands to include Webinars
  At the CareLearning.com board meeting held in December, the board endorsed the inclusion of Webinars in the CareLearning.com course offerings. Several companies are offering their Webinar courses through the CareLearning.com Web site. This offers you a one-stop shop for a variety of e-Learning education opportunities. You may visit the CareLearning.com Web site to view the courses being offered. On January 30, Clinical Case Management is being offered from 1-3 p.m. CST. If you have questions concerning this or any other CareLearning product, please contact Judith Forshee, MHA director of education, at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3216 or jforshee@mhanet.org or visit  www.carelearning.com .

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5. Nursing leadership conference offered
   The Institute of Medicine's groundbreaking report, Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses, has identified the actions required to meet the extraordinary challenges of nursing leadership--from patient safety and staffing shortages to rekindling hope and developing great nursing leaders. A two-day summit on this issue is offered for nursing leaders. "Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses" will be held Feb. 25-26 in Washington, DC. The conference will offer practical strategies, useful tools and leadership rejuvenation to successfully implement the Institute of Medicine's landmark report. For more information on the conference,  click here . Team discounts are available.
   To receive daily updates on workforce issues, join the Workforce Community under MyMHA.

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6. Mississippi Hearts Against AIDS
   The 12th annual Mississippi Hearts Against AIDS benefit - an art auction and Valentine's Day Dance - is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Hal & Mal's in Jackson.Many well-known artists donate works for the auction including Lea Barton, Anthony DiFatta, William Dunlop, Lucy Mazzaferro and H.C. Porter. This year, more than 200 artists have contributed paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry and pottery in a broad range of prices. More than 70 local restaurants cater the event, which will also feature live music before and after the auction.
  Tickets for the event are on sale at all Jackson-area BeBop stores and will be available the night of the event at the door. Admission is $30 per individual or $15 for students with a valid school ID. Mississippi Hearts Against AIDS is a non-profit volunteer organization.

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7. CDC Public Health Grand Rounds - Influenza and Beyond: Responding to Vaccine-Preventable Disease
   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the Public Health Training Network, will sponsor a Grand Rounds on Chicago’s collaborative approach to immunizing its community against influenza. This free broadcast will take place January 30, 2004, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST via satellite and webcast. For more information and to register,  click here.
   To receive daily updates on disaster and emergency preparedness, join the Disaster Preparedness Community under MyMHA.

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8. State gets final shipment of flu vaccine
   A new shipment of flu vaccine arrived in Mississippi and was available on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta shipped 3,630 doses to Mississippi. It's the last shipment of the vaccine expected this season. The state ran out of vaccine last month for those ages 4 and older.Only Delaware, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont reported widespread flu for the week ending Jan. 17--down from 20 states the week before, according to the CDC.

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9. 2004 Most Wired survey available online
   Hospitals across the nation can access and complete the 2004 Hospitals & Health Networks' Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study at  www.hhnmostwiredsurvey.com. The survey measures a range of hospital information technology including connectivity with business processes, customer services, safety and quality. Hospitals that have unique IT projects in place can also compete in the Innovator Award essay contest to be named an Innovator winner or finalist. A code and password for accessing the online survey were mailed to all hospital CEOs early this year. Hospitals encountering a problem accessing the survey should send an email with their hospital's name, city and state to mostwired@healthforum.com. The deadline for submissions is March 15. Last year, nearly 19% of U.S. hospitals participated in the online survey.

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10. Positions Available
 St. Dominic Hospital is seeking a Director of Patient Financial Services. BS degree in Accounting or Business Administration preferred. Must have supervisory experience and significant work in the area of health care collections. Apply online at www.stdom.com or fax your resume to (601) 200-6722. For information on all jobs available at St. Dominic’s, call the Jobline at (601) 200-6700.
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 Natchez Regional Medical Center has a full-time position open for a Managed Information Systems Director with a bachelor’s in Management Information Systems. Send, fax or e-mail resume to Natchez Regional, Attn: Human Resources, P.O. Box 1488, Natchez, MS, 39121; fax (601) 443-2891; or e-mail lpugh@natchezregional.com.
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 South Central Regional Medical Center is currently seeking a board certified (or eligible) WOCN. For more information or to apply, contact SCRMC by mail at P.O. Box 607, Laurel, MS 39441; by phone at (601) 399-0515; by fax at (601) 425-7535; or by e-mail at lsmith@scrmc.com.
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 Natchez Regional Medical Center has a full-time position open for a Materials Management Director. Must have experience in health care supply chain management, including materials distribution, inventory control, contract negotiations and vendor relations. Bachelor’s degree in business or management preferred. Send, fax or e-mail resume to Natchez Regional, Attn: Human Resources, P.O. Box 1488, Natchez, MS, 39121; fax (601) 443-2891; or e-mail lpugh@natchezregional.com.
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 Baptist Health Systems’ Education Resource Center is seeking an Education Coordinator/RN. Master’s degree, critical care experience and ACLS-I certification preferred. For more information or to apply, contact Brenda Castleberry at (601) 968-4175 or bcastleberry@mbhs.org.
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 North Mississippi State Hospital is currently accepting applications for the position of Registered Nurses for their Tupelo campus and for the Crisis Intervention Center in Corinth. Must be licensed as an RN in the state of Mississippi. For an application or more information, contact Human Resources at (662) 690-4200.

   For a listing of hospital jobs available in Mississippi and to post your confidential resume online for health care recruiters, visit www.mshealthjobs.com.

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11. People in the News
 Tanya J. King, MD, a pediatrician, has joined the active medical staff of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford. She will practice at the Children’s Clinic of Oxford. Dr. King, who is originally from Pontotoc, received her medical degree and completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
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 Allen Ligon, DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, has joined the active medical staff of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford. He is practicing at Oxford Maxillofacial Surgery. A native of Grenada, he received his dental degree at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in Memphis, where he also completed a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
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 Bo Marsalis, MD, PhD, has joined the active medical staff of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi and the staff at Anesthesiology Consultants of North Mississippi. He grew up in Meridian and earned his medical degree and a Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Caraway Methodist Medical Center and a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham.
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 Dr. Marshall J. Bouldin IV, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Medical Center Metabolic Clinics, has been appointed director of the institution’s new Clinical Diabetes Program. Bouldin earned an MD at Johns Hopkins University and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. 
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 Dr. H. Joseph Byrd, associate dean for clinical affairs and professor and chair of pharmacy practice at UMC, is a new fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP). Fellowship is an honor bestowed upon those who meet the highest standards in senior care pharmacy. He joined the faculty of UMC in 1972 as assistant professor of clinical pharmacy practice. He was named chair in 1978 and promoted to professor in 1985. Under his leadership, the Pharmaceutical Care Clinic at the Jackson Medical Mall was named one of six “Best Practices in America” by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists last year.
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 Tracilia Beacham, instructor in nursing and director of multicultural affairs for the School of Nursing, has been named one of “Mississippi’s Top 40 under 40 for 2004” by the Mississippi Business Journal. Beacham earned her MSN at UMC. She joined UMC in 2000 as a staff unit nurse in the labor and delivery unit. In 2001, she received the Rosie Lee Calvin Nurse Educator Award.
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Christina L. Dial, DO, has joined the active medical staff of River Oaks Health System and the practice of the Mississippi Breast Center in Jackson. Dr. Dial received her doctor of osteopathic medicine from the University of Health Science College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. She completed a surgical residency at Midwestern University in Chicago.
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 Laura Henderson has been named director of marketing at the King’s Daughters Hospital in Yazoo City. She is a 1998 graduate of Samford University where she was a journalism and communications major specializing in advertising. Previously, she worked at the Yazoo Herald.
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   The following employees were named Employees of the Fourth Quarter at River Oaks Hospital: Outstanding Employee, Debbie Byrd, Nuclear Med Tech, Imaging; Outstanding Department Manager, Tony Rucker, RN, Director of the Emergency Department; and Nursing Excellence of the Quarter, Lawson Williamson, RN, PACU.
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   The following employees were named Employees of the Fourth Quarter at Woman's Hospital: Outstanding Employee, Lorraine Morgan, OR Tech, Surgery; Outstanding Department Manager, Oliver Nelson, Supervisor, Environmental Services; and Nursing Excellence of the Quarter, Marie Renfrow, RN, PACU.
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   Joanie Bridges was recently named River Oaks Outstanding Volunteer of the Year. Volunteering since 1997, Bridges served as President of the Auxiliary from 2001-2003. She has provided over 1,800 hours of service.
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   Walter L. Willis, MD, of Neshoba General Hospital, recently became certified as a medical review officer by the American Association of Medical Review Officers.

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12. News Around the State
 The University Medical Pavilion Main Laboratory recently announced it has been awarded accreditation with distinction by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists. Dr. R. Terry Jackson, associate professor of medicine, is the laboratory director and Marilyn Bray serves as laboratory manager. The pavilion laboratory has received the honor each inspection since becoming eligible.
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 Mississippi State Hospital’s Community Services Stubbs Homeless Program will present “Mindscapes,” a multimedia exhibit of artwork created by participants involved in the program, from Jan. 28 through Feb. 8 in the Hewes Room at New Stage Theatre in Jackson. Mindscapes will feature 50 pieces of art on display and for sale with proceeds going to the individual artists. The exhibit will be held in conjunction with the New Stage Theatre production of Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound. For more information, call (601) 351-8018.
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 South Mississippi Surgery Center, an outpatient surgery facility located on the campus of Wesley Medical Center, will open in February. Jeff Noblin will serve as administrator for the new center and Dr. Joe Ed Varner, a longtime general surgeon, will serve as medical director. The center is part of Wesley Medical Plaza, a 45,000-square-foot surgical and clinical facility. The centership is a partnership between Triad Hospitals, Wesley’s parent corporation, and many Hattiesburg-area physicians. The center will initially employ 21 full time staff members, including 14 clinical positions. Lisa Cooper, a veteran surgical nurse, will oversee the OR staff and operations.
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   Forrest General Hospital and the William Carey College School of Nursing have a new program offering $122,500 in scholarships to students wanting to be nurses in the Pine Belt. The hospital will fund the scholarships for qualified nursing students and also support an adjunct faculty position in the Jody and Nancy Fail School of Nursing on the Hattiesburg campus. Students who participate in the scholarship program will commit to employment for a specified period of time with Forrest General Hospital after graduation. Student nurses can work part-time at the hospital during the school year. For more information on the Forrest General Scholars Program, contact the School of Nursing at (601) 318-6147.
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   Gilmore Memorial Hospital's new Rehab Services/Sports & Wellness Complex held a grand opening on Jan. 13 for their recently expanded complex. Staff members gave tours to the public.
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   Natchez Regional Medical Center will open the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab in February when a new cardiologist arrives. Dr. Steven Silver is expected to be on the medical staff in Natchez and to teach at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The cardiology lab will perform diagnostic work and possibly expand to include interventional work in a few years.
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   Covington County Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as a result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology. Missy Lott serves as director of radiology services at the hospital.
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   Hancock Medical Center's blood bank recently received new Beckman Coulter machines to conduct blood tests. The Synchron CX-9 and Access 2 are faster and more cost effective to operate. In addition, a greater variety of complex applications can be performed on site.
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   Baptist Health System's chemical dependency program is now provided in an outpatient setting, with detoxification care provided at Baptist Medical Center. Outpatient services including partial, day and evening outpatient therapy, the family program, relapse prevention, aftercare and assessments, have moved from the Gilfoy Building to 800 Carlisle Street in Jackson. Baptist's Geropsychiatric Program has also moved from the Gilfoy Building to the fifth floor of Baptist Medical Center and will continue to operate inpatient services. 
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   Field Memorial Community Hospital has been awarded a three-year accreditation by the JCAHO. JCAHO accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality.

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13. MHA Education Calendar

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