January 31, 2005

MHA NewsWeekly Electronic Edition
January 31, 2005,
Vol. 23, No. 4

Quote of the Week
“One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick.”
~ Harold Kushner

In this week's edition...
1. CDC Announces New Strategies to Promote Flu Vaccination
2. Improve Workplace Communication To Reduce Medical Errors
3. USM to host 10th annual conference on dyslexia
4. Feb. 1 deadline set for JA scholarship forms
5. JCAHO releases draft 2006 patient safety goals for review
6. CMS to sponsor teleconferences on HIPAA security rule
7. OIG issues additional guidance on hospital compliance programs
8. Most Wired survey and benchmarking study now available
9. CDC releases hospital infection rate statistics
10. New guidelines on quality measurement
11. AHA, HFMA report helps hospitals revise financial policies for uninsured, underinsured
12. National Patient Safety Awareness Week scheduled for March
13. STS releases new guidelines to improve bypass outcomes in women
14. FCC decision on medical telemetry heeds AHA concerns for patient safety
15. Hospitals are encouraged to participate in claims attachment survey
16. Positions Available
17. People in the News
18. News Around the State
19. MHA Education Calendar
20. Calendar of Events

1. CDC Announces New Strategies to Promote Flu Vaccination  
   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 27 announced two unprecedented strategies for use this season to help health care providers continue efforts to vaccinate individuals at risk for the serious complications of influenza. In addition, in areas where there are ample supplies of influenza vaccine, CDC endorsed the efforts of state and local health officials to broaden the groups of people recommended to receive vaccine.
   “Too many people who are at high risk for the serious complications of influenza are not vaccinated and quite frankly that is just tragic,” said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. “Influenza season has not peaked and people can still benefit from vaccination. We’re pulling out all the stops and doing everything we can to see that those who need vaccine most get it.”
   First, CDC is immediately making available the remaining 3.1 million doses of influenza vaccine in the federal government’s emergency reserve to sanofi pasteur (formerly Aventis Pasteur), which, in turn will market and sell the vaccine to public and private providers. This strategy would allow providers to order vaccine directly from sanofi pasteur or a vaccine distributor, rather than working through state or local health departments. Doses purchased in this way may be used in any person. A key feature of this strategy is a vaccine “return policy,” under which providers will be allowed to return unused vaccine for a credit and will have financial responsibility for return shipping costs only
   Second, CDC is taking steps for the remainder of this flu season to make limited amounts of Vaccines for Children program (VFC) influenza vaccine that currently exists within states available to state health departments for non-VFC use where the demand for influenza vaccine among VFC eligible children has already been met. Typically, use of vaccine purchased under the VFC program is limited to children 18 years of age and under that are Medicaid eligible, uninsured (i.e., have no health insurance)  or are American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   The two strategies only apply to the current influenza season and this year’s influenza vaccine.
   In states where there is ample supply of influenza vaccine, CDC supports those jurisdictions who wish to expand vaccination beyond groups routinely recommended to receive vaccine. “While we continue to stress the importance of high priority groups receiving vaccine, we certainly don't want vaccine to go unused,” Dr. Gerberding said. “The return policy enables providers to continue their influenza vaccination efforts without having to worry about being responsible for the cost of unused vaccine.”
   Influenza activity in the United States had remained relatively low into December but has been steadily increasing since mid-December. As of mid-January, 24 states were reporting widespread or regional flu activity.
   For more information on the 2004-2005 influenza season, visit www.cdc.gov.

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2. Improve Workplace Communication To Reduce Medical Errors    
   According to findings from a study released Jan. 26 in a national briefing of health care stakeholders, the prevalent culture of poor communication and collaboration among health professionals relates significantly to continued medical errors and staff turnover. Additionally, a lack of adequate support systems, skills and personal accountability results in communication gaps that can cause harm to patients.
   A national study of more than 1,700 nurses, physicians, clinical-care staff and administrators found that fewer than 10 percent address behavior by colleagues that routinely includes trouble following directions, poor clinical judgment or taking dangerous shortcuts. In all, the study pinpoints seven categories of problems that are frequently encountered, yet rarely addressed. The study was co-sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and VitalSmarts, a company specializing in leadership training and organizational performance.
   “This research validates what our 100,000 constituents have communicated to us as the number one barrier hindering optimal care for patients,” said Kathy McCauley, RN, PhD, BC, FAAN, FAHA, president, AACN. “Too often, improving workplace communication is seen as a ‘soft’ issue – the truth is we must build environments that support and demand greater candor among staff if we are to make a demonstrable impact on patient safety.”
   To drive the cultural transformation needed to improve communication in hospitals, AACN unveiled a set of national standards to promote skilled communication and collaboration among nurses and other caregivers. The AACN standards and VitalSmarts recommendations emphasize the urgent need for hospitals to implement initiatives, especially communication training and education, to ensure that health care professionals deliver safe, high quality care to their patients.
   AACN and VitalSmarts combined their resources to better understand communication problems in hospitals through the survey Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare. Among the study’s key findings:
• 84 percent of physicians and 62 percent of nurses and other clinical care providers have seen coworkers taking shortcuts that could be dangerous to patients.
• 88 percent of physicians and 48 percent of nurses and other providers work with people who show poor clinical judgment.
• Fewer than 10 percent of physicians, nurses and other clinical staff directly confront their colleagues about their concerns, and one in five physicians said they have seen harm come to patients as a result.
• The 10 percent of health care workers who raise these crucial concerns observe better patient outcomes, work harder, are more satisfied and are more committed to staying in their jobs.
   According to panelist Dennis S. O’Leary, MD, president of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), communication is a top contributor to medical errors in healthcare facilities. “The standards and recommendations put forth today make an important contribution to beginning to solve the identified communication problems,” said Dr. O’Leary. Panelist Karlene Kerfoot, RN, PhD, CNAA, FAAN, senior vice president for patient care services and chief nurse executive at Clarian Health Partners in Indianapolis, explained that by focusing on workplace communication improvements, Clarian has experienced greater recruitment and retention success and improved safety overall.
   To download the full report and the standards, visit www.rxforbettercare.org. A live Webcast of the event is also available on the Web site.
   To receive daily updates on patient safety issues, join the Patient Safety Community at MyMHA.

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3. USM to host 10th annual conference on dyslexia
   The University of Southern Mississippi's DuBard School for Language Disorders will host the Dubard School Symposium on Feb. 3 and 4 at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. The symposium centers on "Dyslexic Children: Requirements for Success." For more information, click here or call (601) 266-5223.

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4. Feb. 1 deadline set for JA scholarship forms
   The National Association of Junior Auxiliaries is accepting applications through Feb. 1 for its graduate scholarship program. Applicants must be pursuing graduate-level studies for a year that address the special needs of children in areas that include counseling, psychology, mental retardation, speech pathology, exceptional children, hearing impaired, gifted and talented. Awards are not given to those working toward degrees in administration or general education.

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5. JCAHO releases draft 2006 patient safety goals for review
   The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations last week released for review a list of draft goals and “requirements” from which its 2006 national patient safety goals will be chosen. JCAHO introduced the goals and suggested steps for meeting them in 2003, and reviews and updates them annually based on recommendations from its Sentinel Event Advisory Group, which includes patient safety experts, nurses, physicians and other health care professionals. For hospitals, the group proposes some new goals for 2006 as well as adopting some goals from other accreditation programs. Comments are due by Feb. 25. For more, see the JCAHO press release.
   To receive daily updates on JCAHO issues, join the Accreditation Community at MyMHA.

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6. CMS to sponsor teleconferences on HIPAA security rule
   The Southern Healthcare Administrative Regional Process, a public-private partnership working to help health care providers in 12 southern states comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s administrative simplification provisions, will present free teleconferences on the HIPAA security rule on Feb. 9 and 23. The Feb. 9 event will focus on contingency planning and what to include in a contingency plan. The Feb. 23 event will focus on documentation, and identify policies, procedures and plans outlined in the security rule. Slides from a Jan. 26 teleconference on the rule’s physical security procedures also are available here.
   To receive daily updates on HIPAA issues, join the Compliance Community at MyMHA.

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7. OIG issues additional guidance on hospital compliance programs
   HHS’ Office of Inspector General on Jan. 27 issued guidance on voluntary hospital compliance programs to supplement guidance issued in 1998 that addresses the fundamentals of establishing an effective compliance program. OIG said the new guidance “focuses on measuring and improving the effectiveness of existing compliance efforts, and identifies additional fraud and abuse risk areas for hospitals.” Risk areas discussed in the supplement include: billing under the outpatient prospective payment system, the physician self-referral law, the federal anti-kickback statute, relationships between hospitals and physicians, relationships between hospitals and other providers, joint ventures, practitioner recruitment, and the furnishing of substandard care. The guidance also identifies practical measures hospitals can use to gauge the effectiveness of t heir compliance programs.
   To receive daily updates on compliance issues, join the Compliance Community at MyMHA.

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8. Most Wired survey and benchmarking study now available
   Hospital executives now can access the survey used to determine the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems in the U.S., AHA’s Hospitals & Health Networks magazine announced. The 2005 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study measures hospital information technology activity in five key areas, including business processes, customer service, and safety and quality. The survey, which H&HN has conducted each year since 1998, also is used to name the Most Improved, Most Wireless and Most Wired Small and Rural hospitals and health systems, and recognize “innovators” with unique IT projects. This year, the survey will explore the state of the electronic health record more fully, survey developers said. March 15 marks the deadline for submissions, and the Most Wired hospitals will be profiled in the July Issue of H&HN. Every hospital that submits a survey receives a customized benchmarking analysis.

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9. CDC releases hospital infection rate statistics
   Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a number of trends in hospital infection rates, including an increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus incidents.
   The CDC’s National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system also reports a drop in device-associated urinary and bloodstream infections in intensive care units from January 1992 to June 2004 compared to previous NNIS data. In addition, cases of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci also saw a decline.
   To read the NNIS report, click here.
   To receive daily updates on infection control issues, join the Patient Safety & Quality Community at MyMHA.

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10. New guidelines on quality measurement
   The Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project has issued a set of guidelines aimed at promoting a uniform approach to measuring the quality of hospital and physician performance. The American Hospital Association and other organizations have endorsed the guidelines.

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11. AHA, HFMA report helps hospitals revise financial policies for uninsured, underinsured
   The AHA and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) on Jan. 26 released "Hospitals Share Insights to Improve Financial Policies for Uninsured and Underinsured Patients," a report that is part of the joint AHA-HFMA Patient Friendly Billing Project. The report focuses on sharing insights from various hospitals on possible alternatives for reviewing and improving hospital financial policies for uninsured and underinsured patients. It notes that no single approach or set of solutions will apply to all hospitals. HFMA President Richard Clarke and AHA President Dick Davidson said that, "Hospitals need to continue to work with policy makers and others to develop solutions to the underlying issues of increasing numbers of uninsured and underinsured patients." The report will be sent to all hospitals soon.

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12. National Patient Safety Awareness Week scheduled for March
   National Patient Safety Awareness Week will be held from March 6-12, 2005. This year's theme is "Effective communication: The patient safety tool of choice."
   The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) encourages hospitals and health care organizations to participate actively in patient safety activities during this week. National Patient Safety Awareness Week is an awareness-building campaign to improve patient safety at the local level.
   For resources and ideas for getting involved, visit the NPSF at www.npsf.org.
   To receive daily updates on patient safety issues, join the Patient Safety Community at MyMHA.

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13. STS releases new guidelines to improve bypass outcomes in women
   The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) released a gender-specific practice guideline to provide surgeons with ways to improve outcomes for women who undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery, according to Newswise.
   "As clinical data become more accessible, physicians discover that what we know to do and what we actually do are suprisingly different," said Fred Edwards, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Florida, Shands Jacksonville, and chair of the society's workforce on national databases. "If we follow the recommendations of this guideline, then almost certainly female operative mortality would decrease."

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14. FCC decision on medical telemetry heeds AHA concerns for patient safety
   The Federal Communications Commission on Jan. 24 announced it will delay plans to lift power restrictions on Airport Terminal Use frequencies operating in the 460-470 MHz band of Private Land Mobile Radio Services, based on American Hospital Association concerns that relaxing current power limits could lead to harmful interference with wireless medical telemetry equipment. “We will continue to take steps to protect medical telemetry from interference because it is used to protect safety of life,” the agency said.
   The FCC in October 2002 proposed lifting the restrictions to improve communications at large airports. In a report and order released on the 24th, the agency said it agreed with the AHA Task Force on Medical Telemetry's contention that allowing higher-powered ATU frequencies into the 460-470 MHz band would have a “negative impact” on wireless medical equipment operating in the band. It said it will delay lifting the restrictions until Jan. 30, 2006, 30 days after an FCC freeze on high-powered users in the 460-470 MHz band expires. The FCC last year extended the freeze on high-powered users in the 460-470 MHz band, as requested by AHA and its American Society for Healthcare Engineering, to allow hospitals sufficient time to migrate into the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service bands set aside for medical telemetry equipment.
   To receive daily updates on patient safety issues, join the Patient Safety Community at MyMHA.

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15. Hospitals are encouraged to participate in claims attachment survey
   The AHA is encouraging hospitals to complete a survey regarding their use of health care claims attachments, which are expected to be the next transaction standard adopted under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange and three other organizations that promote health care electronic standards and data interchange are conducting the online survey through March 7 to better understand current practices and ensure the standards take into account the needs of health care providers and other HIPAA covered entities.

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16. Positions Available
   North Mississippi State Hospital is currently accepting applications for registered nurses for the Tupelo campus and the Crisis Intervention Centers in Corinth and Batesville. Must be licensed in the state of MS. For an application or information, call (662) 690-4200.
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   Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital is seeking a purchasing director. Must have two years of college or purchasing experience. You may apply at the hospital in Winona or fax your resume to (662) 283-4640.
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   Mississippi State Hospital is seeking a qualified professional to lead the Public Relations Department. Must have experience in PR, fund-raising and event planning. A master’s degree and six years of experience or a bachelor’s degree and seven years of experience are required. E-mail or fax resumes to Kay Harrell, Personnel Dept., at harresk@msh.state.ms.us or (601) 351-8222.
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   South Mississippi State Hospital is accepting applications for a social worker (must have LMSW and 3-5 yrs experience) and an RN for inpatient care in a psychiatric setting (openings for night position in Purvis and evening position in Laurel). Fax resumes to (601) 794-0210.
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   St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital has an immediate opening for a B-Mechanic, full time at 32 hours per week with benefits. Two years of hospital experience or trade school certification required. Position may be upgraded to 40 hours in the future. For more information, contact Stephen Chamblee at (601) 200-6990 or schamblee@stdom.com.
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    Forrest General Hospital is seeking candidates for the following positions: respiratory therapist, physical therapist, reimbursement supervisor, pharmacist and medical transcriber. Interested candidates can print an application from www.forrestgeneral.com and mail to address on application or fax to (601) 288-1201. Candidates may also apply in person at the Human Resources Office. For more information, contact Erecka Magee at (601) 288-1205 or emagee@forrestgeneral.com.
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   Winston  Medical Center has an immediate opening for a Business Office Director. Previous experience and Degree in Business Administration preferred. Send resumes by mail to Winston Medical Center, Attn: Michelle Nowell, P. O. Box 967,  Louisville MS 39339 or via e-mail to mnowell@winstonmedcial.org.
    For a listing of additional hospital jobs available in Mississippi and to post your confidential resume for health care recruiters to view, visit www.mshealthjobs.com.

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In Memoriam
   Dr. Richard Riley of Meridian, a retired surgeon and co-chairman of the community foundation that bears his name, died Jan. 10 at Riley Hospital after battling pneumonia for two weeks.
   Riley graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1948. He served an internship in surgery at the University of Virginia Hospital before serving as a medical officer in the U.S. Army during World War II. After leaving the military, he resumed his residency at the University of Virginia before returning to Meridian in the early 1950s.
   In the early 1950s, Riley and his brother, Dr. Billy Riley, took over the hospital their father founded in 1930 - Riley Hospital. The brothers sold the hospital in 1998 and used $70 million to establish the Riley Foundation. The brothers were named Citizens of the Year in 1999 by The Meridian Star.

17. People in the News
   Frank Neal was recently named the Employee of the Month for December at Garden Park Medical Center in Gulfport. He is a physical therapist and also received this honor in October.
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   Teresa Criswell was named the Employee of the Month for November at Garden Park Medical Center. She is the nursing supervisor at the Family Birth Center.
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   Thomas Bland, administrator at Montfort Jones Hospital in Kosciusko for over 30 years, retired on Jan. 28. A public retirement reception was held last week at the hospital in his honor.
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   Dr. William Sistrunk, longtime Jackson pediatrician and associate professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, was recently honored by former patients who contributed a patient room on his behalf at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. The contribution was made by Elizabeth Arnold, Mary Kelly and Carolyn Arnold.
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   Jeff Bedford has been selected as the Chief Financial Officer of the Year by Health Management Associates, Inc. Bedford has served as CFO of River Oaks Health Systems since March of 2004. He graduated from the University of Mobile with a B.S. in accounting and has over 13 years of experience in the health care field. He has been with the HMA system for five years.
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   Greg Nail has been appointed director of the newly formed Inpatient Services Division in Clinical Services at Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield. He has been employed with MSH since 1989 and previously served as director of the Outcome Division. He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Mississippi.
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   Jarrod Ravencraft has been named director of the new Human Resources Division at Mississippi State Hospital. This Division will encompass Personnel (formerly Human Resources), Public Relations and Staff Education and Training Services departments. Employed with MSH since September 2000, he previously served as director of the Public Relations Division. He holds a master’s degree in communication from Mississippi College.
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   Paula Kleeb has been named director of the Service Outcome Division at Mississippi State Hospital. Previously, she served as director of the Accreditation and Licensure Department. She has been with MSH since April 1994 and is recognized as a Certified Mental Health Therapist. Kleeb has a master’s degree in health science from Mississippi College.
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    Dr. David Powe has been named the head of the Division of Administrative Affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Previously, he served as associate vice chancellor for institutional affairs. He has been with UMC since 2003 after retiring from NASA’s Stennis Space Center as the director of the Earth Science Applications Directorate. He earned his BA and MS at Mississippi State University and his EdD at the University of Southern Mississippi.
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    Dr. Rob Rockhold, professor of pharmacy and toxicology at UMC, has been named assistant vice chancellor for student outreach. He already had responsibility for UMC’s professional portal program and Base Pair. Now the new Health Careers Development Program will also report to him. A member of the faculty since 1983, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis. He did a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Universitat Heidelberg in West Germany and another at UT. He was named to membership in the Norman C. Nelson Order for medical student teaching excellence in 2004.
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   Woman's Hospital in Flowood recently named their Employees of the Quarter for the 4th quarter of 2004. The winners were: Lillie Browns, Admissions, Outstanding Employee; Oliver Nelson, Environmental Services, Outstanding Department Manager and Joe Ann Vaught, RN, Relief Supervisor, Same Day Surgery, Nursing Excellence of the Quarter.
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    Woman's Hospital recently named Silver Oak Leaf Award winners. Employees of River Oaks Health System may nominate other employees to receive an Extra Mile. Those employees who obtain 15 Extra Miles receive their Silver Oak Leaf pin, and employees receiving 25 Extra Miles are given a Gold Oak Leaf pin. Recent winners were George Winstead, Emily Lutz and Dorothy Jackson.
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   River Oaks Health System recently recognized its 2004 Service Award recipients. This award is represented to employees with 20 years of exemplary service to River Oaks Hospital and Woman's Hospital. Honored for 20 years of service were Cindy Dishong, Betty Jackson, Anita Chambers, Tracy Horner, Robert McCornell and Mary Collins.
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   River Oaks Health System recently honored their most outstanding employees for the exemplary job performance in the fourth quarter of 2004. The following were named: Outstanding Employee, Kathy McDill, executive assistant, Administration; Outstanding Department Manager, Kathy Shields, director of laboratory; Nursing Excellence of the Quarter, Brenda Seymour, RN, LDRP.
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   Ollie Heidelberg is the November winner of the Teamwork-Pass It On award at Woman's Hospital. Heidelberg, an RN in the NICU, received a $50 savings bond, a trophy and a designated parking space for one month.
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    Mary Walden, RN, MSN, CWOCN, of Gilmore Memorial Hospital has been elected secretary of the Mississippi Nursing Association Board of Directors. She is the Wound Care Center director and also serves as president of the National Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board.
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    Woman's Hospital recently honored their most outstanding employees for exemplary job performance in 2004. Each winner received an engraved plaque and $500. Those honored included: Betty Fortenberry, United Secretary, LDRP, Woman's Hospital, Outstanding Employee; Misty Vance, RN, Surgery, Woman's Hospital; and Oliver Nelson, Supervisor of Environmental Services, Woman's Hospital.
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   River Oaks Health System recently recognized its 2004 Service Award recipients. The following employees were honored for five years of service: Holly McCreary, Wayne Patrick, Belinda McLain, Ellen Gardner, Madonna Batte, Susie Tarr, Tanya Foster, Patrice Bailey, Billie Roberts, Felisa Hall, Wanda McMurry, Noel So, Sandra Ainsworth, Leigh Ann Acremont, Chris Ard, Linda Beeson, Patricia Bryan, George Anne Denney, Christina Dreher, Kim Guillory, Marilyn Keeton, James Lott, Rhonda Marsh, Sherry Neely, Mabel Nolden, Michelle Perritt, Belinda Powe, Krista Searcy, Lee Shutze, Karen Simon, Cassandra Stedman, Kelly Tanner, Ossie Taylor, Mona Lisa Williams and Wanda Wince.
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   River Oaks Health System recently recognized its 2004 Service Award recipients. The following employees were honored for 10 years of service: Denice Bailey, Sherna Robinson, Lillie Brown, Betty Watson, Trina Taylor, Lisa Beech, Vicki Brown, Jimmy Burch, Jill Covington, Aleatha McCluskey, Cortney McDonald, Sue Nash, Cynthia Primer, Penny Sistrunk and Joe Ann Vaught.
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   River Oaks Health System recently recognized its 2004 Service Award recipients. The following employees were honored for 15 years of service: Loretta Cleveland, Lola Webb, Renae Crawford, Helen Russell, Angie Clark, Virginia Carroll, Lavondria Evans, Mona Martin, Teresa Turner and Dwight Walton.
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18. News Around the State
   Baptist Cancer Services, a division of Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, has acquired the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System System, the only such system approved by the FDA for tumor treatment anywhere in the body. Treatments began last week. Baptist has the only system of this kind in the four-state area of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
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    Widespread community involvement has contributed to the Jackson Heart Study attracting 97 percent of its participation goal. Of the 6,913 African-Americans initially interviewed for the study, 5,307 of the 5,500 desired completed the required clinical visit, said Dr. Herman Taylor, JHS director and principal investigator. He reported his findings at the 4th annual JHS Community Monitoring Board “State of the Study” and Community Summit on Dec. 15.
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    Baptist Volunteer Services, a division of Mississippi Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The group celebrated with a luncheon in honor of the many hospital volunteers who dedicate their time to serve the patients and employees of Baptist.
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    Biloxi Regional Medical Center in Biloxi is working with the University of Southern Mississippi to offer advanced education courses for nurses. BRMC hopes to attract and keep excellent nurses through the opportunity to advance beyond associate’s degrees. BRMC’s board of directors donated $70,000, which will be used to fund a faculty position and buy supplies, to USM’s School of Nursing.
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   Baptist Heart Services offers a new biventricular pacing device called the InSync Sentry by Medtronic. It monitors fluid status in the thoracic cavity giving the patient early warning of fluid accumulation and worsening symptoms. Thoracic fluid measurement is made possible through the device's OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring, which measures change in impedance.
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   University of Mississippi Medical Center researchers have received more than $1.3 million from the American Heart Association to conduct cardiovascular-related research. Eight AHA-funded research projects are currently being conducted at UMC.
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   The Cancer Rehab Program offered by Baptist Cancer Services, a division of Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, will help cancer patients regain independence and improve the quality of their lives while building a support system. While attending the rehab program, patients are evaluated to assess cardiopulmonary capacity, overall endurance, balance, posture and areas of residual pain. Kim Speights, a cardiovascular rehab nurse, and Renee Neblet, a cardiac rehab exercise physiologist, oversee the program.
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   The King's Daughters Hospital Auxiliary in Yazoo City recently wrapped up their 2004 major fundraiser, Lights of Love. And this year's fund-raiser proved to be the most successful effort ever. Linda Jenkins was the fund-raising chairperson and she was assisted by Auxiliary President Bennie Donaldson and other auxiliary members.
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    Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle's laboratory has been awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists, based on the results of a recent on-site inspection. Jeanie Smith serves as laboratory director.
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   The unique partnership between Coahoma Community College (CCC) and Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale is celebrating the successful recruitment of a veteran nursing faculty to staff the college's new associate nursing degree program. The program was created to relieve the Delta's critical shortage of nurses. With five master's degree nursing instructors now on board and provisional approval from Mississippi's Institution of Higher Learning (IHL), classes will begin in the fall of 2005. In 2001, CCC partnered with the hospital to establish a respiratory therapy program.
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   A local partnership between King's Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven and Mississippi State University Extension Service aims to spur a community effort to lose weight during the next few months. Brookhaven's Battle of the Bulge kicked off on Jan. 21 during KDMC's Health Fair. There is no cost for the program. KDMC is encouraging businesses to compete against each other and encouraging families to participate.
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   A proposed hospital expansion at Neshoba County General Hospital in Philadelphia would create 91 new jobs and have a $13 million impact on the local economy. Final plans for the proposed $20 million renovation and expansion were formally presented to the Board of Supervisors recently. The expansion would include pediatrics, internal medicine, OB/GYN, orthopedics and urology. A new emergency department is planned as well. The proposal calls for a new structure to be built adjacent to the existing hospital which will house a new emergency department and new patient rooms as well as a new surgery and critical care department. Renovation and expansion plans also include radiology and mammography rooms and a new laboratory. Portions of the existing ER will be renovated for a respiratory therapy center and outpatient services. Hospital officials expect construction to begin in April 2006 and all work to be completed by early 2008.
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   Jasper General Hospital in Bay Springs is expanding their care-giving facilities to include a personal care/assisted living home, Summerland Manor. The newest undertaking is under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2005. The 25-bed facility will be located on the corner of Summerland Road and Highway 18 on the hospital's property. The building for the home will be over 25,000 heated square feet, with an open courtyard in the center. The facility will employ approximately eight to 10 staff members. The Jasper County Nursing Home's activities director and staff will also work with the residents to offer activities, with expanded excursion only available to Manor residents. There is a walking trail planned for the grounds.
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   Two Singing River Hospital System physicians recently performed a new procedure for treating patients with brain tumors. Dr. Ray Wynn, radiation oncologist, and Dr. Lee Kesterson, neurosurgeon, implanted the first GliaSite Radiation Therapy System on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This technology is site-specific radiation treatment that reduces the harm that radiation can cause healthy tissue that surrounds a tumor.

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20. MHA Education Calendar

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21. Calendar of Events

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