Forrest General Hospital’s NICU Celebrates its 30th Birthday
Forrest General Hospital opened the doors to its first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a unit designed to support three babies needing specialized care after birth. Thirty years later, the NICU has grown from a three-bed unit supported by pediatricians to a sizeable, neonatologist-supported department that includes a total of 20 beds divided between an intensive care unit and an intermediate care nursery. Beyond the dedicated neonatologists, today’s neonatal team consists of a nurse practitioner along with numerous nurses, respiratory therapists, acute care techs, advanced care techs, a delivery tech, and secretaries. “Over the past 30 years, the commitment and dedication of our neonatal team has been unwavering,” said Tangela Boutwell, Director of Women and Children’s Services at Forrest General. “Every day, each member of the neonatal team provides the highest quality of care to our smallest patients at Forrest General — and because of them, miracles happen.” According to Lynn Johnson, Patient Care Coordinator of Neonatal Services and a 14 year NICU employee at Forrest General, “Working in Forrest General’s NICU is a ‘calling.’” Every baby is forever an important part of our NICU family. We love and cherish the visits we receive even after discharge, watching former patients grow from infancy through adolescence.”
The dedication of Forrest General and the neonatal family goes far beyond the boundaries of the nurseries within the hospital. Although Forrest General’s Neonatal Services predominantly serves Forrest General’s 17-county area, the department is pleased to boast one of Mississippi ’s few neonatal transport teams that transports critical infants to the most appropriate level of care, whether it be to or from Forrest General. “The Neonatal Transport Team provides an important service that is a huge component of our unit. The team consists of nine registered nurses and five respiratory therapists that are trained in advanced skills specifically for neonatal transport,” said Johnson.
In addition to providing superior direct patient care to hospitalized neonates, Forrest General is also proud to be the only hospital in Mississippi to offer the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP). A partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute for Disability Studies, NIDCAP is an internationally-known program that includes the direct observation of preterm infants to provide comprehensive care that is developmentally supportive and individualized to the baby’s goals and level of stability while providing support and recommendations.
While the community and staff reflect upon the incredible growth of the unit as they prepare to celebrate the unit’s 30th birthday, “It remains evident that Forrest General’s Neonatal Services will continue to innovatively advance as an industry leader whose effects extend further around the country and even the globe,” said Logan Brenner, Women and Children’s Operations Manager. “As we take time to reminisce and appreciate the many blessings bestowed upon us over the past 30 years, we look forward to a bright future that includes the upcoming construction of a new, state-of-the-art nursery to serve the area’s most precious yet fragile patients in a family-centered environment. With the numerous successes and miracles over the past 30 years, one can only marvel the future with utmost optimism,” said Kerry Stewart, MD, Forrest General neonatologist.
KDMC Joins Million Lives Campaign to Improve Patient Care
King’s Daughters Medical Center has recently joined the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 5 Million Lives Campaign, a national campaign to dramatically reduce incidents of medical harm in U.S. hospitals.
The 5 Million Lives Campaign asks hospitals to improve the care they provide in order to protect patients from five million incidents of medical harm over a 24-month period, ending Dec. 9, 2008. It represents a continuation of the largest improvement effort undertaken in recent history by the health care industry.
The campaign was formally unveiled on Dec. 12, 2006 and has been endorsed by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission.
The 5 Million Lives Campaign builds upon the success of the 100,000 Lives Campaign in which 3,100 participating facilities (representing 75 percent of U.S. hospital beds,) avoided unnecessary deaths by implementing six evidence-based interventions, along with other worthy improvement initiatives. The new campaign promotes the adoption of up to 12 improvements in care that can save lives and reduce patient injuries, and it aims to enroll even more hospitals than participated in the first campaign.
King’s Daughters previously took part in the 100,000 Lives Campaign, focusing especially on prevention of hospital-acquired infections and ventilator-associated pneumonias and deploying rapid response team interventions.
King’s Daughters Medical Center plans to implement and continue working on the following interventions as part of its participation in the 5 Million Lives Campaign:
- Reduce harm from high-alert medications starting with a focus on anticoagulants, sedatives, narcotics, and insulin.
- Reduce surgical complications by reliably implementing the changes in care recommended by the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP).
- Get Boards on board by defining and spreading new and leveraged processes for hospital Boards of Directors, so they can become far more effective in accelerating the improvement of care.
- Expand Deployment of Rapid Response Teams at the first sign of patient decline — and before a catastrophic cardiac or respiratory event occurs in any portion of the hospital.
- Prevent adverse drug events by reconciling patient medications at every transition point in care.
There is no cost for hospitals to join the 5 Million Lives Campaign, but there is an obligation to adopt at least one intervention and an expectation of regularly reporting hospital profile and mortality data throughout the Campaign.
KDMC Patients, Visitors can Access Internet from Rooms and Lobby Areas
Patients and their family members can now access the internet from their personal laptop computers inside rooms and lobby areas at King’s Daughters Medical Center.
The hospital has been equipped with Wi-Fi wireless internet, which enables access to the worldwide web from personal computers. The hospital’s Information Systems department completed the project over the past several months after making sure a safe system would be in place.
The introduction of wireless internet service for patients, families and other visitors was meant to provide additional convenience and comfort in an otherwise foreign and anxious environment. Many times the patient’s length of stay is unpredictable and can last for several days — in some cases without much notice.
The WiFi capability will later become available in the newly-constructed ER and ICU areas when the project is completed.
Dr. Harris Joins Medical Staff at CMMC
Central Mississippi Medical Center is pleased to announce that Carol D. Harris, MD, has joined its medical staff and is affiliated with Advanced Diagnostic Pain Center in Jackson, MS. Dr. Harris is board certified in Pain Management and Anesthesiology.
She received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. After receiving her medical degree, Dr. Harris completed an internship as well as a residency in anesthesiology at Loyola University in Maywood, IL. Dr. Harris completed a pain fellowship at Texas Tech University Health Sciences at Lubbock, TX.
Dr. Harris treats acute, chronic cancer and post-operative pain patients. Pain disorders treated at Advanced Diagnostic Pain Center include: acute chronic low back and neck pain; post-surgical failed back syndrome; spinal disc, facet and nerve root-pain; “whiplash” — cervical neck pain’ complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS); reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD); headache; diabetic neuropathy; pelvic pain; post-herpetic neuralgia and other pain conditions resulting from disease and injury.
Vein Viewer Technology Introduced at OSH
Imagine being able to see through the skin and view all of the veins in your hands or your arms. Sounds futuristic, right? Maybe so, but at Ocean Springs Hospital, nurses and physicians are able to do just that with the help of new technology called a VeinViewer.
The Luminetx VeinViewer is revolutionary technology that allows medical professionals to clearly see the veins beneath the skin’s surface, avoiding repeated needle sticks when trying to find difficult-to-see veins. This new equipment makes patients more comfortable and ultimately improves patient satisfaction.
VeinViewer uses an infrared light source to image the hemoglobin in the red blood cells, allowing a video camera to capture images of the vein’s location. The video images are processed through a computer and projected onto the patient’s skin using an easy-to-see green light.
“We have already found this new equipment to be very helpful on several of our nursing units, and it makes our patients more comfortable,” said Dr. Kathleen Lee, Chief Nursing Officer at Ocean Springs Hospital. “With the VeinViewer, we are reducing the number of sticks for a patient, and at the same time improving patient satisfaction while reducing pain and stress. It is our hope to acquire more of these machines to assists our nurses and physicians in patient care.”
The VeinViewer is on wheels, so it can be easily transported to any needed area in the hospital. It can accurately map a patient’s veins, regardless of age, gender, body type or skin tone. However, it cannot see through scar tissue or tattooed skin.
Biloxi Regional Medical Center Donates AEDs to Local High Schools
Biloxi Regional Medical Center recently donated Automatic External Defibrillators to four local high schools including St. Patrick High School, Biloxi High School, DíIberville High School and St. Martin High School to be used for their school athletic programs.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone at any time without warning. And school aged children are not immune. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 children die from SCA each year without exhibiting prior symptoms, some of them on school grounds.
For the greatest chance of survival from the most common cause of SCA, a shock from a defibrillator must be delivered within the first few minutes of collapse. Schools across the country are placing portable defibrillators in nurses offices, athletic departments and other central location on school grounds.
Biloxi Regional Medical Center is proud to be able to provide this life saving device to our high schools.
Physicians Say 2004 Tort Reforms Lowered 2008 Insurance Rates
The president of the state’s largest physician association said recent cuts in medical liability insurance costs are a direct result of tort reforms passed by the Mississippi State Legislature in 2004.
Mississippi State Medical Association President Dwalia S. South, MD said the largest insurer of doctors in the state has cut costs five times since the 2004 tort reforms were enacted.
“A modest medical liability reform bill that was passed in 2002 was a start, but not until after the 2004 tort reforms did doctors actually begin to see reductions in their malpractice insurance costs,” Dr. South said.
A history of liability premiums for physicians covered by Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi (MACM) shows that the company increased premiums by 12.5 percent in 2000, 11.1 percent in 2001, 10 percent in 2002, 54 percent in 2003 and 19.4 percent in January of 2004. Governor Barbour signed the 2004 tort reform legislation in June applying to all claims filed after September 1, 2004. Although MACM insured physicians did not see a change in premium that year, 15 percent of their 2005 premium was refunded, 2006rates were cut 5 percent, and an additional 20 percent of 2006 premiums paid were refunded. Since then rates were cut by 10 percent in 2007 and the company just announced a 15.5 percentrate cut for 2008.
Joint Commission Accreditation Continued
The Board of Trustees and staff of Magnolia Regional Health Center, the City of Corinth, Mississippi and Alcorn County, Mississippi are proud to announce that by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety, Magnolia Regional Health Center continues to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation’s health care through voluntary accreditation. The Joint Commission’s on-site survey of Magnolia Regional Health Center occurred in February.
Rick Napper, CEO of Magnolia Regional Health Center spoke of his pride in a staff whose members ask what needs to be done to be accredited by The Joint Commission. “In addition, they appreciate the education aspect of the survey and the opportunity to interact with the team surveyors.”
Madison Medical Imaging Doctors Bring it Home
These days many companies are taking a closer look at Madison. Now, a group owned in part by several local Madison County residents is getting the real picture of the Madison community in astonishing ways that give new meaning to “ a closer look”.
For 30 years, Lakeland Radiologists has partnered with St. Dominic’s in offering state-of-the-art radiology services to patients throughout Mississippi and beyond. Now they are expanding their diagnostic imaging services to Madison County through a new partnership with St. Dominic Madison Health Services known as Madison Medical Imaging.
Madison Medical Imaging is a technically advanced diagnostic imaging center offering the highest quality imaging services to patients in the North Jackson and Madison area. According to Dr. Bryan Lantrip, Director of Madison Medical Imaging. The center offers comprehensive radiology services including MRI, CT (including Neuro, Body and Cardiac CTA), Ultrasound, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, Nuclear Medicine, and Mammography.
Madison Medical Imaging is located in the newly constructed Highland Medical Arts Building at 106 Highland Way in Madison.
Open House of the Magnolia Regional Health Center Expansion Project and New Open Heart Facility
The Board of Trustees and staff of Magnolia Regional Health Center, the City of Corinth, Mississippi and Alcorn County, Mississippi were proud to announce the opening of our new Heart and Vascular Center and Expansion project on Thursday, October 11th. Magnolia Regional Health Center is dedicated to our community and strives to create the ultimate healthcare experience for our patients. The demand for advanced cardiovascular services has increased as Heart Disease continues to be one of the top two health problems in our community.
Over a year ago MRHC started the long process of constructing a new patient tower, a new Heart and Vascular Center, as well as a new Medical Office Building. The new additions to our facility include: all private patient rooms in 3 patient floors, 24 beds each for a total of 72 beds; 12 surgical intensive care rooms; 16 private short stay surgery rooms; 8 private pre and post heart cath lab rooms; 10 surgery recovery positions; 3 operating rooms for open heart, vascular, orthopedic, etc. surgeries; new waiting areas for surgery, cath lab, short stay, and surgical intensive care units; new cardiac rehabilitation area and 6 medical office suites.
Biloxi Regional Medical Center Volunteers Purchase Vein Viewer for Hospital
Biloxi Regional Medical Center has discovered a new way to reduce the stress and discomfort of multiple needle sticks for patients, thanks to a donation by the Biloxi Regional Auxiliary. This is an innovative device that was just introduced last year that the volunteers have purchased. The VeinViewer is a device that uses the combination of infrared light and projection technologies to locate veins and reproduce an exact image that is projected onto the patient, making the process of inserting needles and catheters more efficient and much less traumatic for both patient and clinician.
The VeinViewer, developed by Memphis-based Luminetx Corporation, uses a combination of near-infrared light and patented technologies to image vascular structures, which allows physicians, nurses and other healthcare professional to clearly locate subcutaneous veins directly on the skin, thereby eradicating the possibility of numerous needle sticks.
The Biloxi Regional Volunteers hold various fund raisers throughout the year, as well as, operate the hospital’s gift shop. The funds they raise are always put back into the hospital by various purchases or scholarship support. “This technology is amazing, and its ability to reduce the anxiety associated with needles is particularly important for our patients. It is an extraordinary breakthrough in delivering care, and anything that helps lessen the discomfort of the patient is a gift,” said Barbara Butiro, Director of Volunteer Services at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.
Beyond Health Care: Mississippi Hospitals Serve as Vital Economic Engines
Across Mississippi, hospitals and health systems provide access to vital healthcare services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, serving millions of households each year. Less often recognized are hospitals’ contributions to the state’s economy, including the number of people hospitals employ, the impact of hospital purchases and the impact of hospital employees’ spending and tax payments.
Mississippi’s hospitals annually contribute more than $9 billion to the state’s economy. Economic impact data and other findings are in Beyond Health Care: Mississippi Hospitals as Vital Economic Engines. The report was researched by DataGen, a New York-based health care information company, on behalf of the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA).
“As Mississippi leaders continue to consider the state’s economic priorities and look for ways to create more jobs in our state, they should keep in mind the importance of hospitals and health care to the state economy,” said Sam W. Cameron, president and CEO of MHA. “This study shows that healthcare is much more to Mississippi than hospitals, clinics and doctors. The ripple effect of the healthcare sector throughout Mississippi’s economy is enormous. Hospitals are not only tied to the health of our communities, but also to the health of our state’s economy.”
The research found that hospitals across the state have:
- A $9.5 billion total impact on the state economy;
- Operating expenses of $5.2 billion per year;
- Capital expenditures of over $758 million per year;
- 50,260 full-time employees; and
- Payroll of $2.5 billion per year (over $20 million per hospital).
The average healthcare employee salary in Mississippi hospitals is $39,512, compared to a Mississippi average of $25,051.
Based on a review of hospital construction projects, total hospital physical plant investment, including expansions, renovations and new construction, exceeded over $200 million in 2006.
In addition to looking at the statewide impact of hospitals, the study breaks down much of the data by regions of the state and by individual hospitals as well. A copy of Beyond Health Care, along with supporting data, is available online at www.mhanet.org.
A Nation Divided Over Health Care? Not So Fast
CHICAGO — Americans may be sharply divided in their views on many aspects of healthcare in the United States, but they are in strong agreement when it comes to one of the most important but overlooked elements — a nationwide trauma system. According to results of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) new “On the Table” voter survey, 75 percent of voters support the establishment of a nationwide trauma system -— including strong majorities across all political parties (86 percent of Democrats; 73 percent of Independents; and 63 percent of Republicans).
According to the survey, almost half of voters (46 percent) believe their own states are prepared for an emergency situation, but half (50 percent) do not believe the nation’s trauma centers are prepared to handle large-scale medical emergencies. ACS is currently working in cooperation with other trauma experts to develop a more comprehensive set of criteria and evaluation to assess the nation’s trauma system preparedness.
New Study Spotlights Growing Role of Medicare in Propping Up Nation’s Medicaid Program
WASHINGTON — The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care recently said a new BDO Seidman study of the nation’s Medicaid program released recently draws much needed attention to a chronic and worsening problem: Medicare’s cross-subsidization of increasingly inadequate Medicaid payments for nursing home care.
The BDO Seidman study, released by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), estimates that Medicaid pays some $4.4 billion less than the actual cost of nursing home care for the nation’s seniors. This translates into $13.15 per patient per day less than the cost of care, an amount which has increased 45 percent since 1999.
SamarionSM Unveils Quality Improvement System for Long-Term Care Industry at AHCA/NACL/MECF 58th Annual Convention & Expo
BOSTON, MASS. — Samarion Inc., the long-term care industry’s technology partner, rolled out nationally SamarionSolutionSM, the market’s only Enterprise Quality Improvement System, at the AHCA/NACL/MECF 58th Annual Convention and Exposition Oct. 7-10 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass.
Making its commercial debut, the SamarionSolutionSM administers transformational technology to nursing homes through the Enterprise Quality Enhancement System, which provides unprecedented restraint-free fall prevention; wandering and elopement prevention; resident, staff and visitor safety and security management; unparalleled staff management and facility monitoring; and a family-and-friends communications system that will greatly improve the quality of the lives of nursing home residents and their loved ones.
Continuing its national rollout, Samarion will also demonstrate SamarionSolutionSM Oct. 21-24 at the AAHSA 2007 Annual Meeting and Exposition at Convention Center South in Orlando, Fla., at Booth #5807.
Mark Rodgers and Samer N’Ser successfully collaborated on systems development, technology commercialization, large-scale national and international system deployments and the development of ground-breaking wireless products for two decades before channeling their strength and investor support to SamarionSolutionSM.
Samarion is a privately-held corporation based in Jackson, Miss., dedicated to improving the quality of elder care.
Canon U.S.A. Achieves Milestone with the Installation of its 2,000th Digital Radiography System
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Achieving a significant milestone in its illustrious history, Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently announced the installation of its 2,000th digital radiography (DR) system, also marking more than 5,000 DR system installations worldwide by the Canon family of companies. This celebrated installation took place at a large healthcare provider in Northern California.
Canon was approached with an immediate need to increase workflow productivity and enhance workplace ergonomics, while only having limited downtime. As a result of installing the Canon CXDI-40EG and CXDI-50G DR Systems, the facility was able to decrease patient wait and exam times because of the virtually instantaneous ability to view images, as well as improve workplace ergonomics for its staff by limiting lifting and reaching motions. Additionally, the office needed to shut down for only a relatively short time to install the equipment and train technologists.
The flexibility of the Canon DR solutions allows for either upgrading existing equipment with Canon DR technology or including Canon DR systems as part of a completely new system. The Canon CXDI-40EG General DR system provides a large imaging area of 17 x 17 inches, and lets users capture desired anatomical views for both large and small format X-rays in portrait or landscape orientation without having to rotate the detector unit. This system can retrofit onto almost any new or existing bucky table, upright tilting wall stand, universal or ceiling suspended multi-positioning unit.
Annual Economic Impact of Chronic Disease on U.S. Economy is $1 Trillion
WASHINGTON — In a groundbreaking study released recently by the Milken Institute, the annual economic impact on the U.S. economy of the most common chronic diseases is calculated to be more than $1 trillion, which could balloon to nearly $6 trillion by the middle of the century. Yet the news is not entirely grim because much of this cost is avoidable.
According to the study, seven chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental illness — have a total impact on the economy of $1.3 trillion annually. Of this amount, $1.1 trillion represents the cost of lost productivity.
The study is the first of its kind to estimate the avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans’ health. Assuming modest improvements in preventing and treating disease, Milken Institute researchers determined that by 2023 the nation could avoid 40 million cases of chronic disease and reduce the economic impact of chronic disease by 27 percent, or $1.1 trillion annually. They report that the most important factor is obesity, which if rates declined could lead to $60 billion less in treatment costs and $254 billion in increased productivity.
Looking even further ahead, the report measures the possible cost to future generations if escalating disease leads to lower investments in education and training. In a snowball effect, the report warns, this loss of human capital and skill building could reduce the nation’s economic output by as much as $5.7 trillion in real GDP by the year 2050.
The full report is available at http://www.milkeninstitute.org/ and http://www.pfcd.org/. An interactive Web site with complete national- and state-level data for each of the chronic diseases is available at http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/.
FDA Announces Initiative to Bolster Generic Drug Program
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently outlined a program aimed at increasing the number and variety of generic drug products available to consumers and healthcare providers. Generic drugs generally cost less than their brand-name counterparts and competition among generics has been a key factor in lowering drug prices. The Generic Initiative for Value and Efficiency, or GIVE, will help the FDA modernize and streamline its generic drug approval process.
As part of the GIVE efforts, FDA is revising the review order for certain drug applications. For example, first generic products, for which there are no blocking patents or exclusivity protections on the reference listed drug, are identified at the time of submission for expedited review. This will mean that these products, for which there are currently no generic products on the market, may reach the consumer much faster.
FDA now has about 215 full-time staff working on the review of generic drug applications. Under GIVE, FDA will hire and train new generic drug reviewers and focus on enhanced use of electronic programs for handling drug submissions and internal documents. When possible, resources from other FDA departments will be engaged in the effort. As well, FDA will increase its communications with generic drug manufacturers and provide training on proper application submission to the industry in meetings and Webcasts.
November 2007
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