Grand ROunds December on Mississippi Medical News

Grand ROunds December

Baptist Announces New Additions to its Medical Staff

Kimberly D. Cornelius, M.D. has joined Baptist Medical Clinic – Clinton. She earned her medical degree at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed residencies at Baptist Medical Center – Princeton in Birmingham, Ala. and Medical Center East at St. Vincents Health Systems in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Cornelius completed her residency at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Baptist Cardiovascular Clinic announces the addition of Nisheeth Goel, M.D., to its practice. Board certified in Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiology Disease and Internal Medicine, Dr. Goel earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He then earned his medical degree at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where he also served as chief Resident. He then completed Fellowships in both Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX and served as the Chief Interventional Fellow. Dr. Goel is a member of the American College of Cardiology and has given presentations at numerous national medical conferences.

Ashley Pullen, MD has joined Baptist Medical Clinic – Madison. She graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed her residency at UMC as well.

HubHealth of South Mississippi names chief executive officer

Hattiesburg — HubHealth of South Mississippi announced recently the appointment of Mechelle Duckworth as chief executive officer of their 180-member independent physician association, which serves the greater Pinebelt area.

Duckworth, a native of Collins, Ms, most recently served as vice president of physician practices at Wesley Medical Center. She also worked as assistant controller at the hospital and then as chief financial officer of Wesley Physician Services. Duckworth began her career in health care at The Women's Clinic of McComb and McComb OB-GYN Associates.

Duckworth received her Bachelor of Science in accounting from the School of Business at William Carey University. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in accounting and business operations.

Jackson Physician Among 409 in Mississippi on New List

JACKSON — Mississippi ophthalmologist Connie McCaa, M.D., Ph.D., is ranked as one of the Best Doctors in America â by her peers for a 12th consecutive year.

The recognition was announced by Best Doctors, which sets the standard for medical peer review and is the most widely known organization of its kind. Physicians are voted onto the list by other physicians as the best in their field.

"We have 45,000 doctors in the U.S., so it is exceptional for Dr. McCaa to achieve such long recognition from her peers," said Beverly Jackson, media and communications liaison for Best Doctors Inc.

Jackson said Mississippi ranks 31 among the 50 U.S. states for having the most best doctors.

"It's always an honor to be included among the Best Doctors," McCaa said. "I know the patients are very aware of that list.

"I am especially honored that other physicians chose me," added McCaa, who has an ophthalmology clinic at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson as well as the LASIK Laser Eye Center in Flowood. To contact the clinics, call 601-713-0038 or go to www.ConnieMcCaa.com.

McCaa has been listed as a Best Doctor every round since she first appeared on the 1998 list, Jackson said. The list now is released biennially, so the new list covers 2009-2010.

Jackson said the states with the most Best Doctors are: 1) California, 2) New York and 3) Texas.

River Oaks Hospital Again Receives National Quality Awards For Orthopedic And Spine Care

Jackson — Orthopedic services including joint replacements and Spine Surgery services at River Oaks Hospital have once again been ranked among the top five percent in the nation and the best in Mississippi by a new study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The HealthGrades study evaluates objective patient outcomes in the nation's 5,000 hospitals. River Oaks Hospital is proud to be recognized as a quality leader for these specialties not only in the Jackson market, but throughout the country.

River Oaks Hospital was also rated 5-star for total knee replacement, total hip replacement, back and neck surgery without spinal fusion, and spinal fusion surgeries. River Oaks Hospital is the only hospital in Mississippi to be a repeat-recipient of HealthGrades Specialty Excellence Awards™ for:

Spine Surgery Excellence Award™ - three consecutive years
Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ - two consecutive years
Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ - two consecutive years

In January 2008, River Oaks Hospital put into practice its "Process for Perfection" quality improvement program which included, among other things, continuing education for employees and physicians, the implementation of best demonstrated practices for Emergency Room and Inpatient processes, the implementation of evidence based protocols for the appropriate quality indicators, more timely monthly internal reporting analyses and monthly operational reviews, and the assignment of authority, accountability and responsibility for improvement for all quality indicators.

HealthGrades' hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates. HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.

For 28 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues star ratings that reflect the mortality and complication rates for each category of care. Hospitals receiving a 5-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree. A 3-star rating means the hospital performs as expected. One-star ratings indicate the hospital's mortality or complication rates in that procedure or treatment are statistically higher than average. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons.

McCallister Receives State HR Service Award

COLUMBUS — Bob McCallister, human resources director at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, has received the annual Distinguished Service Award from the Mississippi Hospital Association Society for Human Resources Administration.

The award, which was presented Oct. 9 at the society's annual meeting in Biloxi, Miss., recognizes outstanding contributions to health care human resource administration. Criteria include professional growth and development, promotion of the society's goals, and support for the growth of human resource professionalism both in a health care setting and in the community.

Candidates also must have actively worked in health care human resource administration for a minimum of five years and be a member of the society.

McCallister came to Baptist Golden Triangle as human resources director in 2002 after serving in that position at other Baptist Memorial Health Care facilities in Arkansas and Tennessee. He is a member of the Golden Triangle chapter the Society of Human Resources Management, where he has served as president, vice president and past president. He also is a past board member and current vice president-elect of the MHA Society for Human Resources Administration. McCallister serves on the advisory boards of East Mississippi Community College and Ability At Works, an organization that aids disadvantaged and /or displaced workers.

As a member of Baptist Golden Triangle's senior leadership team, McCallister represents the hospital in the Pilot Partner's Program, which unites Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training classes with businesses in the Columbus and Lowndes County area and surrounding communities. He will also represent the hospital in the 2010 Leadership Lowndes County class.

Medical Center Modernization Project Begins

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE — A $32.32-million infrastructure repair and energy management project began Sept. 10 to modernize Keesler Medical Center's facility systems. The project is scheduled to be completed in February 2011.

According to Capt. Matt Clugston, Air Force Medical Support Agency's project health facilities officer, the project was designed towards Silver LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) goals for the medical center. The project also addresses the remaining building damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

The captain said that the undertaking consists of replacing and upgrading the medical center heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, electrical breaker panel upgrades, installation of a more energy-efficient and hurricane-resistant roofing and installing metered utilities for the facility. In addition, the work includes upgrading two banks of elevators which will make it easier to transport patients throughout the medical center by maximizing cab space for larger beds.

Captain Clugston noted some of the components being replaced have reached or exceeded their useful life requiring excessive maintenance, while other upgrades are projected to reduce operating costs.

Medical group personnel can expect disruptions in their ventilation systems, electrical systems, along with general noise associated with this type of construction. Within the scope of this project everyone in the facility will be impacted at one time or another, and should expect advanced notice and coordination on minimizing impacts.

According to Captain Clugston, "The team's primary goal is to limit construction impacts on patient care. The key element to this project's success will be the integration of the medical staff in planning each step of the way."

Hattiesburg Clinic Names Gould Director of Corporate Planning and Development

The Hattiesburg Clinic Executive Director, Tommy Thornton, announced Mrs. Kristy Gould has been named the new director of Corporate Planning and Development. Thornton indicated that Mrs. Gould would direct the overall marketing and public relations activities for Hattiesburg Clinic physicians, ancillaries, entities and satellite operations. In addition, she will play a key role in the development of new services and product lines for the Clinic organization.

Ms. Gould is a Cum Laude graduate of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Interpersonal Communications. She received her Master of Science degree in Public Relations from The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. Ms. Gould has been with Hattiesburg Clinic since February 2009, where she previously served as a Marketing Services Coordinator. Ms. Gould's background includes management and officer positions with the Hattiesburg American, The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation, and The Ohio University Inn and Conference Center, and sales and customer service at PPG Industries, Inc.

Study Finds St. Dominic's is 5-STAR Rated for Stroke and Heart Attack

Jackson — St Dominic's has received a 5-Star rating for the quality of its stroke and heart attack care from HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The recognition is based on HealthGrades' 12th Annual Hospital Quality in America study, released today, which analyzes patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation's hospitals.

St. Dominic's is the ONLY hospital in Mississippi rated 5-Star in stroke and heart attack in 2010.

Cardiac Services:

Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack - 4 years in a row (2007 - 2010)
Only Hospital in MS 5 Star rated in Heart Attack in 2010

Stroke Care:

Recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ - 6 years in a row (2005 - 2010)
Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Treatment of Stroke - 8 years in a row (2003 - 2010)
Ranked 1 in MS for Treatment of Stroke in 2010
Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Stroke - 8 years in a row (2003 – 2010)

St. Dominic's Medical Director, Dr. Robert "Buster" Mobley, said the recognition is good news for citizens in the Central region of Mississippi and the state.

The HealthGrades study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes in nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from 5,000 hospitals over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. This year's study found:

· Across all 17 procedures and diagnoses in which mortality was studied, there was an approximate 72% lower chance of dying in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital, and a 52% lower chance of dying in a 5-star hospital compared with the national average.

· If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star rated hospital across the 17 procedures and diagnoses studied, 224,537 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved from 2006 through 2008.

Conn Discusses Latest Trends In Hip Resurfacing

Dr. Richard Conn recently participated in the Stryker Hip Champions meeting in New York City which included surgeons from the United States and United Kingdom discussing the latest trends and techniques in hip resurfacing.

Conn, a board-certified, fellowship-trained arthritic joint replacement surgeon, was the first physician in the United States to perform the Cormet Hip Resurfacing System in the United States. Cormet hip resurfacing, an alternative to total hip replacement, was approved in 2007 by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.

Conn received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed his internship/residency in orthopaedic surgery in Greenville, S.C. After a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in arthritic joint replacement surgery, Conn returned to Hattiesburg.

Conn belongs to several medical organizations including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, Southern Orthopedic Association, Southern Medical Association, American Medical Association, Mississippi Orthopaedic Society and the Society for Arthritic Joint Surgery.

Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, P.A. is a regional orthopaedic group with 15 physicians with offices in Hattiesburg, Columbia and Poplarville.

The Healthcare Foundation Of The Tri-State Delta Announces New Executive Director

Greenville — The HealthCare Foundation of the Tri-State Delta is proud to announce David Dallas as Executive Director beginning November 1st. Dallas will support and promote the Foundation's mission to assist in improving the health of the citizens in our communities through fundraising and other philanthropic efforts. The capital campaign, Partners in Tri-State Delta HealthCare, is an effort to provide our communities with a new state-of-the-art hospital. The capital campaign is the main focus for the Foundation at this time. The Foundation is also actively involved in securing grants for Delta Regional Medical Center.

Dallas is joining us from five years at Delta State University as Executive Director of the Bologna Performing Arts Center, where he was selected as "Delta Innovator" in 2008.

He has 18 years of experience, which includes developing, monitoring, and evaluating grant projects along with successful strategic leadership. Dallas, a native of Cleveland, Mississippi, holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University. After graduating from MSU, he was selected by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for a Presidential Management Fellowship and later received a Legislative Fellowship with the U.S. Senate through the Office of Mississippi Senator Trent Lott. He served six years with the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs where he administered a $40 million dollar grant program with the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union under the FREEDOM Support Act. He was selected by the Japanese Prime Minister's office as the lead U.S. Delegate on the Prime Minister's Ship for World Youth in a three-month tour of the Pacific. He then served as the Director of International Programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Air Force Medical Support Agency is managing the IREM project which is contracted through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Specpro Environmental Services, LLC, an Alaskan-owned 8(a) company out of Huntsville, Ala., is the prime contractor responsible for reroofing, building facade repairs and repainting, crawlspace restoration and electrical and mechanical system upgrades.

Baptist Medical Center's Patient Outcomes Among Highest in the Nation, According to Independent Study

Jackson, — In 2010, no hospital in Mississippi has more Five-Star Ratings than Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., as recognized by HealthGrades, America's leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Baptist is among the top 10 percent in the nation for Vascular Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery and Gastrointestinal Care, according to a comprehensive annual study released today by HealthGrades. Baptist achieved five stars in carotid surgery, treatment of bowel obstruction, gallbladder surgery, prostatectomy and total knee replacement.

Every year America's hospitals are ranked for quality of care. According to the 12th annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study, top-rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower mortality rate than the U.S. national average. And when the top-rated hospitals were compared to the poorest performers, there was an even greater difference, 72 percent lower mortality.

Baptist defines quality in a variety of ways including clinical quality of care, credentials, and patient satisfaction. Patients might see quality as the cleanliness of the facility or convenient parking. For health care organizations, quality is defined by how the organization treats illnesses and measures outcomes.

Even though many measurements exist to evaluate quality of care, the most conclusive way to recognize the quality of care is improving is to measure outcomes. Since 1999, HealthGrades has studied and measured the quality of care at the nation's approximately 5,000 hospitals and published the results of its annual research on the Web to assist consumers in choosing a hospital. HealthGrades' star rating system tells consumers whether a particular hospital's performance is "Best" with 5 Stars, "As Expected" with 3 Stars or "Poor" with 1 Star on a particular procedure or condition. Hospital ratings are based on patient outcomes, specifically, risk-adjusted mortality or complications.

"HealthGrades' recognition is good news for citizens in Mississippi. It's important for residents in our area to know they can find the high-quality care they seek right here at Baptist," said Dr. McVey.

St. Dominic's The Site Of First Implantation Of Innovative Wireless Pacemaker

A patient of cardiologist David Mulholland, MD, received a wireless pacemaker at St. Dominic's on July 21 marking the first implementation of the device in the state of Mississippi and one of the first procedures to occur in the nation.

Mulholland, a cardiologist with St. Dominic's and Jackson Heart Clinic, implanted the St. Jude Medical Accent RF pacemaker featuring radiofrequency telemetry. This advanced technology utilizes wireless communication transmitted between the pacemaker, a home transmitter used by the patient and a monitor in the physician's office.

Mulholland said the functionality of wireless communication begins when cardiologists implant the device. It is especially beneficial in the area of follow-up care, which is performed via a remote monitoring system used in the patient's home.

The pacemaker was designed in response to both physicians' and patient needs for devices that provide timely, accurate information.

Mulholland said follow-up care of those with regular pacemakers sometimes placed a burden on patients, particularly the elderly, who had trouble communicating with clinicians. Patients also were required to frequently check their pacemaker's batteries to insure the device was working properly. All of those inconveniences are a thing of the past due to the advanced technology of the wireless pacemaker, he said.

Device follow-up can be scheduled to take place automatically, with no patient interaction required, Mulholland said. Information from the device is captured by a home transmitter, and becomes available for viewing by the physician. In addition to fast access to device data, the home monitor also allows physicians to compile a more complete patient record by easily transferring cardiac device data into electronic health records.

Another important feature of the wireless pacemaker assists physicians in accurately diagnosing and managing patients with fast heart rates or other conditions that exceed a programmed value or occurs over an extended period of time. The patient's clinic is immediately informed through the home monitoring system, allowing the physician to more proactively manage patients' conditions.

Rather than checking the device a few times a year, these regular alerts allow physicians to know about important changes in a patient's condition or the pacemaker's functions so they can act more quickly in addressing any issues.