St. Dominic Hospital is at the top of the list for overall cardiac services among all Mississippi hospitals, says HealthGrades, the nation's leading health care ratings organization that independently and objectively grades the performance of virtually every hospital in the United States.

 

HealthGrades ranked St. Dominic's as a five-star quality rating of excellence in its 2009 Hospital Quality in America study. This ranking makes St. Dominic's #1 in cardiac services in the state for the second year in a row and in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide. The hospital's outstanding team of clinicians and support staff is on an unending quest to improve the outcomes associated with cardiac patients.

 

The 2009 HealthGrades study also ranks St. Dominic's #1 in the state for treatment of stroke. In addition, St. Dominic's is the recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence AwardTM five years in a row (2005-2009) and has ranked among the top 10% nationwide for seven years in a row (2003-2009). During these years, the hospital has been 5-Star rated for stroke treatment.

 

Although a myriad of metrics exists to evaluate quality of care, the most conclusive way to recognize that the quality of care is improving is to measure outcomes. Since 1998, 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 / 5-Star; As Expected / 3-Star or Poor / 1-Star on a particular procedure or condition. Hospital ratings are based on patient outcomes, specifically, risk-adjusted mortality or complications.

 

"HealthGrades recognition simply confirms how wonderful our entire staff is," said Dr. Clay Hays, Jr., cardiologist at St. Dominic's Mississippi Heart Institute. "We couldn't have accomplished this rating without everyone--physicians, clinicians and all the support staff working together. 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. It's important for residents in our area to know that they can find the high-quality cardiac care they seek right here at St. Dominic's."

 

Dr. Debbie Minor, a pharmacist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, received the Volunteer Advocate of the Year Award from the American Heart Association.

 

The national award recognizes outstanding efforts to assist the association in advocating directly to key lawmakers on heart and stroke issues.

 

Minor, a Madison resident, was among several distinguished volunteers the AHA recognized at the April 20 "You're The Cure on the Hill* awards luncheon and "Gold Heart* awards banquet in Washington, D.C.

 

St. Dominic Hospital's Cardiovascular Non-Invasive Laboratory has been re-accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiology Laboratories (ICAEL). The laboratory is one of the first one thousand echocardiography laboratories in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico to be recognized for its commitment to high quality patient care and quality diagnostic testing.

 

Magnolia Regional Health Center announced achieving full Cycle II accreditation status from the Accreditation Review Committee of the Society of Chest Pain Centers. 

 

According to Betsy Wood, Director of Clinical Education, the primary focus was to seek out ".how we as a facility could provide the best care for our Heart Attack and Chest Pain Patients" The Chest Pain Committee decided to focus on improving the clinical outcomes for acute cardiac patients, "One Patient at a Time."

 

The process begins when the patient is first touched by either the EMS staff or the Triage Nurse, and encompasses the entire facility. Monumental progress has been seen with this model while we stress the goal of "Time is Muscle", as cardiac muscle can literally die within minutes.

 

Regina Ramazani, FACHE, chief financial officer at Garden Park Medical Center in Gulfport, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation's leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

 

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 7,500 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.

 

Ramazani is permitted to use the ACHE credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE Fellow status.

 

Ramazani has served as the CFO at Garden Park since November 1999. She currently serves on the board of United Way of South Mississippi and was the 2008 campaign chairperson. She holds a degree in accounting from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

 

Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson announces the following additions to its staff of health care professionals:

 

Dr. Zoraya Parrilla has joined the staff as director of the Brain Injury Program. She most recently served as medical director for Rehabilitation of Brain Injury and Dysfunction at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. She also was assistant professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Parrilla is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

 

Dr. Bruce Hirshman has joined the staff as an interventional pain management specialist for Methodist Pain Management in Flowood. He is board certified in anesthesiology, pain management and osteopathic manipulation. He most recently served as President and Medical Director of Spine and Pain Therapy of the Keys, an interventional pain management practice in Key West, Fla.

 

Keith Frost has joined the staff of Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics as a licensed certified prosthetist for the Hattiesburg and Meridian clinics. He has a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Mississippi College and has four years of experience in the orthotics and prosthetics field.

 

Wesley Medical Center recently received an award from Community Health Systems for the highest patient satisfaction scores in 2008 for Division 1. The scores are generated from information gathered from surveys completed by Wesley patients and families and compiled by Healthstream Research, a leading provider of research solutions for the healthcare industry. The information from these surveys was then compared to that of other CHS Division 1 hospitals. The final scores resulted in Wesley ranking number 1 in patient satisfaction over all other hospitals.

Central Mississippi Medical Center is pleased to welcome Toby A. Butler, CPA, to its Administrative team as the Chief Financial Officer. Butler has acquired over 15 years of financial management experience, seven of which are in the field of healthcare. He is returning to the Health Management Associates, Inc., where he spent six years as Controller and Chief Financial Officer of various healthcare facilities. Butler most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Vanguard Health Systems West Valley Hospital in Goodyear, AZ.

 

In 1994, Butler received a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree from Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. From July 1986- October 1989, he served as a Light Infantry squad leader in the U.S. Army.

 

Butler is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

 

LAMMICO now offers medical professional liability policies for their Louisiana and Arkansas physicians who want the option to extend their practices across state lines. All existing policyholders who practice in either state can now be covered in both Mississippi and Texas. As a policyholder-owned mutual insurance company, LAMMICO seeks physician input in every aspect of operations.