Thomas S. Reed |
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Greetings
Greetings
You are holding the first edition of the West Tennessee Medical News. It is part of a family of 11 Medical Newspapers ranging across the Southeast in places like Memphis, Nashville, East Tennessee, Tampa, Orlando, Charlotte, Birmingham, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
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Dr. Mike Ibach explains a procedure to a patient at the Skyline Endoscopy Center. |
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Skyline Endoscopy Center Offering More Intimate Level of Patient Care
The new Skyline Endoscopy Center (SEC) in Jackson, housed in Medical Specialty Clinic’s building, offers patients the convenience of providing colonoscopy and other endoscopic procedures outside of the hospital setting.
Drs. Charles Hertz, Robert Hollis, Michael Ibach and Dan Kayal --are performing procedures at the new center.
MARY REED |
The Southeast Liver Clinic and Regional Research Institute was destroyed by the tornado. Dr. Mark Swaim has moved his clinic and research department down the street to temporary space at TransSouth Healthcare. |
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Clinics Emerge from Recent Tornado Destruction
The physicians at West Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic (WTBJC) were finishing up a board meeting in the early evening of Feb.5 when tornado sirens alerted them to approaching bad weather. They quickly headed for home.
Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Koerner, his wife and two children decided to ride out the approaching storm in the heavily protected MRI room at the Cancer Care Clinic of Jackson where he is a radiologist. Both clinics are in a medical area behind Regional Hospital in north Jackson.
MARY REED |
Novel Procedure Provides Targeted Radiation to Challenging Spinal Tumors
Treating tumors and inoperable growths in the spine is a delicate task that requires comprehensive planning. Typically the location of these lesions is in close proximity to vital organs and the risks from surgery or radiation tend to nullify the benefits. Fortunately, a novel technique known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is providing clinicians a way to deliver powerful radiation to tumors that are not amenable to traditional methods.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Memphis Bioworks Foundation Progresses Bioscience Industry Through Education and Business
When the Memphis Bioworks® Foundation (MBF) first formed in 2001, president and CEO Steve Bares and the foundation board mapped out an ambitious yet achievable strategy to nourish the local bioscience industry. Connectivity in research, education, job training and commerce is central to the Foundation’s mission to distinguish Memphis as an internationally recognized center for the development and commercialization of biomedical technology.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
UT Cancer Institute Evolves Research Capabilities
Memphis is increasingly becoming a hotbed of basic science research and with foundations in orthopedics, pediatric cancer and neurology, administrators at University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) understand the valuable opportunities available in cancer research that correlate to the strengths of the local medical industry.
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Dr. Paul Gray, center, reviews a medical chart with his nurses, Susan Wimberley and Gail Stedham. |
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Physician Spotlight: Dr. Paul Gray
Hands on, family-oriented, and compassionate are perfect ways to describe Dr. Paul Gray, both professionally and personally. He is so committed to family that he chose obstetrics and gynecology as his medical practice.
Gray’s approach to life became evident early on, when he was a boy growing up in south Louisiana. One of five children, he learned the art of woodworking from his father.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Ave Maria's New Green House® Project Rethinks Nursing Care
When Frank Gattuso strides through Ave Maria, a nursing home in Bartlett, he sees not what is — but what is to come.
Since the mid-1950s, this spacious, well-tended facility has provided round-the-clock care for the elderly and disabled. The average age of nursing home residents here is 90 and women outnumber men by roughly 8 to 1. Patient rooms are spacious and clean, the staff attentive, but as the nonprofit's executive director, Gattuso recognizes their shortcomings as well...
Ave Maria's New Green House® Project Rethinks Nursing Care |
BCBST Rolls Out Quality and Cost Transparency Initiative
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is set to make available this month to its commercial members quality and cost information on nearly 4,000 Tennessee physicians. The giant insurer originally planned to unveil the transparency initiative on April 1, but outcries from physicians and advocacy groups such as the Tennessee Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Group Management Association prompted BlueCross to make some changes before the program was finalized...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Economic Woes Can Make Fund-raising a Challenge
When the nation's economy begins to falter, the Church Health Center is one place that feels the ripple effects. The center provides affordable healthcare to the self-employed and workers whose companies don't offer health insurance. Public relations director Marvin Stockwell said over the past several months, they've seen a 170 percent jump at their new patient orientations...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Even Small Practices Need Security Measures in Place
New York's tony Upper East Side was in shock last February after Kathryn Faughey, a 56-year-old psychiatrist, was slashed to death with a meat cleaver while at work in her office. Charged with the crime is a former patient of Faughey's partner in the practice, Kent Shinbach, 70, who was seriously injured trying to save Faughey.
Simple Internet searches reveal a growing number of physician assaults across the country: a Chicago dermatologist stabbed to death by a patient whose acne treatment caused impotence, and a pain-management doctor in Port St. Lucie, Fla., who was beaten by a patient wielding a walking cane...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Dr. Don McKnight, a urologist at Jackson Urological Associates, enters information into a patient’s electronic medical record. |
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Health Information Technology in the Physician Office
Across West Tennessee, the use of health information technology in the physician office is as varied as the types of practices. Clinics use health information technology for a variety of reasons, including billing, electronic medical records (EMRs) and e-prescribing.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Nurse practitioner Regina Perry examines a child on the mobile health unit. |
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Le Bonheur’s Mobile Health Initiative Brings Medical Home to Underserved Children and Families
The first two weeks of April, inside a mobile health unit assigned to the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (MAHS), an inner city middle school partnered with Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center’s community outreach, nurse practitioner Regina Perry gave physicals to more than 150 students. Some of them hadn’t had a health check up in five years.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Locking Horns
BlueCross Launches Transparency Ratings Amid Provider ConcernsAs BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's quality and cost information on physicians was revealed online last month, the giant insurer and many doctors and administrators in its network remained locked in a philosophical struggle over the transparency initiative's purpose and accuracy...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Plan Taxes Now for Year-End Savings
As the holiday season begins to unfold, few of us want to start thinking about tax preparations, especially when the economic forecast is so gloomy. But for doctors, particularly those who own their medical practice, it's always wise to get a year-end update from a reputable CPA on the latest tax code changes...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Screening Moms During Well Child Visits Uncovers Postnatal Depression
After giving birth, a woman experiences numerous and sometimes overwhelming changes, both physically and emotionally. The rapid drop in estrogen and progesterone that occurs can exacerbate anxiety and fatigue, leaving mothers vulnerable to postnatal depression, a distressing disorder that affects about 10 percent of women...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Sick Babies to Benefit from Mommy's Medicine Program
Several times a week, the rhythmic thumping of a helicopter overhead announces the arrival of a sick child to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. The patients are often just hours old, babies born prematurely who are then airlifted to Le Bonheur from regional hospitals around the Mid-South. Theay are typically the sickest of the sick, starting out life in desperate need of surgery or intensive care. While parents can feel helpless at such critical times, there is hope...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
State Grant Encourages Physicians to Utilize eRx
A national push toward health information technology (HIT) inspired Tennessee legislators to strengthen the capabilities of e-health in the state. The state network, TNII (Tennessee Information Infrastructure) established a place where physicians and colleagues can share patient data via a broadband internet network, regardless of the location of a practice, within all 95 counties.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Statewide Project Seeks Physician Volunteers to Help Reduce Kidney Failure
In August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began their Chronic Kidney Disease Project across the U.S. to address the burden of the disease on the healthcare system. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 11 percent of the U.S. population over age 65. CKD is the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the healthcare costs to Medicare are vast...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
The Oral-Physical Health Connection
If the eyes are the window to the soul, could the mouth be the window to the body?
A growing stack of research tells us that at the very least, the mouth gives dental professionals warning signs of larger, systemic health issues and can provide valuable clues to physicians willing to make the connection.
CINDY SANDERS |
Therapists Work to Keep the Youngest Athletes Healthy
With the school year underway, pediatricians and orthopedists are already experiencing an influx of sports-related injuries. Adolescent athletes are injured at nearly the same rates as college and pro athletes, but the types of injuries are quite different. The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness states that overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout among child and adolescent athletes are a growing problem in the United States. Even though inactivity and obesity are on the rise, the number of children and adolescents who participate in athletics has grown significantly over the last 20 years...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Dr. Arthur Townsend conducts the “Hello Me” workshop with local teens. |
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Outreach Program Aimed at Teen Girls a Worthwhile Effort
On a pleasant Saturday morning in April, 10 teenage girls met at the offices of Associates: Obstetrics and Gynecology to learn more about themselves and their bodies. With information packets, diagrams and demonstration tools, a doctor and nurse spent the next few hours discussing feminine health and hygiene. After the teens took a tour of the exam rooms and learned about a gynecological office visit, the clinicians spent time answering important questions.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
State Legislature Approves Long Awaited Medical Liability Reform Bill
For years, legislators and the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) have fought for medical liability reform (MLR), and last month the long-debated amendment passed both the state Senate and House of Representatives. The bill is on its way to Gov. Phil Bredesen for his expected signature.
“We were really close last year,” said Russ Miller, senior vice president of TMA. “It’s amazing how a year will change things...
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Vanessa Patrick, center, and Cheri Spencer, who work in the Physician Services department at West Tennessee Healthcare, discuss physician recruitment with Will Pitt, office manager for Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Jackson. |
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West TN Physician Recruitment Focuses on the Family
Physician recruitment in West Tennessee and across the nation is more than finding a physician; it also requires fitting the physician, his or her family, and lifestyle into the practice and community, as well as keeping them there. Many trends in the healthcare market affect recruitment, from the national shortage of physicians to the fact that the number of retiring physicians and medical graduates is nearly equal each year. As the pool of candidates from which to draw is reduced, retention has become a natural aspect of the job.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Covering the Uninsured
Caring for the uninsured is not a profitable business. If it was, more clinics would do it. But if this underserved patient base is ignored, beyond even the moral implications, it can cripple the medical economy. In Shelby County alone, 10 percent of the population is uninsured, as data reported in 2005. Equate that to the 2006 population of more than 900,000 and that’s 90,000 or more people without any form of healthcare coverage.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Permanent Birth Control a Real Option for Women
For women who have conscientiously made the decision to permanently prevent future pregnancies, a novel procedure being offered in clinics across Memphis will allow them to eliminate the uncertainty of birth control or traditional tubal litigation. The Essure™ System is a sterilization procedure that can be performed in the office, non-invasively, in about 10 to 12 minutes with or without local anesthesia, and typically with minimal discomfort.
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Recruiting Doctors To Tennessee No Easy Task
What do the issues of crime, physician reimbursement, student debt, and medical malpractice have in common? They represent the challenges practice administrators face when recruiting doctors to the Mid-South.
“It’s more challenging today than ever before to recruit cardiologists,” said administrator Charles Locke, who hires one to two doctors every two years for the Sutherland Cardiology Clinic. “Because of the aging baby boomers, many...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Life After the Women’s Health Initiative
Confusion over HT Remains
When the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial of estrogen plus progestin was halted based on findings that the combination carried significant health risks that outweighed its benefits, women and healthcare providers around the country were left to navigate menopausal symptom management in a strange new world.
CINDY SANDERS |
Physician Recruiters Offer Tips to Docs on the Market
If you’re a physician looking for a job and a recruiting firm asks for money to help you secure employment, walk the other way. That’s the first word of advice to doctors from two physician recruiters who collectively boast more than five decades of experience in the profession.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Using a Commercial Real Estate Professional Saves Time and Money
Most people are smart enough to seek their doctor’s expertise when they are not feeling well. However, not all doctors or medical groups will utilize the skills of a commercial realtor when they need to find suitable space for a new clinic or relocation of an existing physician practice. This decision can prove to be expensive.
BILL APPLING |
Community Research Opens Doors for Patients at West Clinic
Dedication to patient care is the cornerstone of any oncology practice with research a vital factor in the planning of treatment and prevention. In keeping with their mission to improve cancer research in the community setting, the West Clinic’s research company, the Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network (ACORN), which facilitates initiatives at the local and national level...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Attendees pack the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville for the annual Tennessee Nurses Association Legislative Summit in April. |
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Tennessee Nurses Take Issues to Capitol Hill
“Tennessee’s nurses have always had a strong voice — not only for your profession, but for your patients as well. As caregivers and advocates, you are influential forces in the healthcare landscape in Tennessee. You are all here to make those voices heard on issues that affect the nursing profession … today is the day to make your priorities known.”
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Gov. Phil Bredesen at a recent Long-Term Healthcare Roundtable. |
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Bredesen Pushes for Long-Term Care Reform for TennCare Recipients
In a tight budget year, Gov. Phil Bredesen has declared the need to set priorities. For Tennessee’s chief executive, his 2008 streamlined agenda places heavy emphasis on continuing education initiatives and implementing fundamental change to the state’s long-term care system.
CINDY SANDERS |
Knoxville Professional Driver Medical Depot |
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Knoxville Company Establishes Clinics for Truckers on the Road
America’s independent truck drivers usually pull into a travel center for a fill-up, a quick meal, a hot shower and a lot of coffee. Thanks to a company based in Knoxville, Tenn., healthcare is something else truckers can get on the road.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Ben Vereen Shines a Spotlight on Diabetes
Iconic Entertainer Launches National Awareness CampaignBen Vereen, star of stage and screen, was just another frightened patient a year ago.
According to the Tony Award-winning actor, "I was feeling off for quite awhile. I was tired all the time. I couldn't focus. I was thirsty all the time. … everything was off … my whole system was off."
Hospitalized at the end of 2007, the lab report on his blood work uncovered a reason for his growing malaise. Like someone every 30 seconds around the country, Ben Vereen was diagnosed diabetic...
CINDY SANDERS |
Center for Good Grief Provides Whole Family Comfort and Counseling
When Angela Hamblen, clinical director of the Baptist Trinity Center for Good Grief, sits down with a child who has just lost a loved one, she is often surprised to see the different ways in which grief is experienced. She recalled a particular encounter with a 6-year-old girl whose mother had recently died. As they began the counseling process, Hamblen helped the child understand that her mother was never coming back. She didn't break down in tears, but was particularly concerned about one thing...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Common Table Update
Healthy Memphis Common Table's (HMCT) Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) Initiative with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is well under way to help Memphis physicians improve quality of care for the people they serve. This month we address the benefits of instituting "all-payer" healthcare quality reporting...
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Cone Beam CT X-Ray Takes Guesswork Out of Dentistry
A new technology is changing the way a general dentist or specialist looks at patients - literally.
No longer do they need to rely only on two dimensional x-rays for diagnosis, treatment planning and patient education. X-rays now come in three and even four dimensions, including manipulation of those images with new programs.
BARBARA MCCONNELL |
Drug Trial for Relief of Side Effects of ADT Moves Forward at GTx
For the more than 800,000 men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, managing the side effects of ADT is nearly parallel to managing the disease. The most common treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer, ADT includes a variety of therapeutic methods that manipulate vital hormones to decelerate the disease.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Gary Shorb, President and CEO of Methodist Healthcare Corporation
Memphis Medical News has launched, "Leaders in Healthcare," a series that provides leaders, from hospital CEOs to practice managers to department heads, a forum to express their strategy and vision for evolving with the industry now and into the future.
Overseeing the a citywide hospital system is no simple task, but it's one Gary Shorb, CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, meets eagerly...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Getting Ahead of the Tax Man
The air and the apples are crisp, and football is in full swing. What time is it? Time for some serious tax planning before the end of the calendar year, according to CPA Keith Kamperschroer, immediate past president of Nashville-based HCAA, the National CPA Health Care Advisors Association...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Going for Equity
More Physicians Own their Office SpaceRemember when you were finally out on your own, renting your first apartment? Remember your parents’ admonishments to, as quickly as possible, buy your first home and stop "throwing your money down the drain" by renting? According to some commercial real estate experts, if you’re a physician leasing office space, that admonishment still applies...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Local Organization Helps Thousands
Nationwide Raise Funds for Transplants
In 1990, Sherree Hughes was experiencing acute renal failure. A juvenile diabetic, over the years her kidneys had slowly deteriorated until her only option was transplantation. She was on the waiting list for 18 months before receiving a new kidney and pancreas. At press time, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reported there were 99,274 people on the transplant waiting list. For anyone who's had to face an organ transplant, the reality of waiting, and the gravity of paying for it, is a massive burden to bear. With only about 27,000 transplants performed annually, and 18 people on the lists passing away each day, organ procurement and financing are precious resources...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Mental Health Parity Becomes a Reality
Although all the attention was focused on the financial ramifications of October's Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (HR 1424), mental health providers across the country rejoiced that patients were receiving a bailout of their own in terms of breaking down barriers to much-needed care...
CINDY SANDERS |
Patient Benefits of Medicare
Medicare has always been a topic that generates a great deal of interest and concern among Americans. With the recent veto and veto override in legislation concerning Medicare, it has become an even hotter topic. Putting politics aside, Medicare, the nation’s largest health insurance program, does benefit the patients it was created to serve.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Sports Medicine Update with the AOSSM
A Conversation with President Freddie H. Fu, MD
Founded in 1972, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is an association of orthopaedic surgeons dedicated to helping everyone who is active, from the professional athlete to the weekend warrior. In addition to research into the biomechanics of injury and honing techniques for repair, the membership is very focused on preventing sports injuries through educating the public –– including young athletes, parents and coaches –– about the best ways to keep healthy and stay in the game...
CINDY SANDERS |
Alan S. Bean
Gideon & Wiseman |
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Tennessee Supreme Court Weighs in on Notice of Physicians as Hospital Contractors
When the Tennessee Supreme Court in May reversed two appeals court decisions regarding the notice given patients that physicians in hospitals may be independent contractors, it left hospitals with a big question: Just what is sufficient and meaningful notice that doctors and other providers may not be hospital employees?
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
The Growing Value of a Practice Administrator
For practice administrators, a fair assessment of their jobs may include "jack of all trades" since their job descriptions can include a wide range of responsibilities. Duties range from accounting, information technology and clinical operations to negotiator, human resources, marketing and finance. The larger the practice, the more support the administrator may have whereas in a practice with only a few physicians, the administrator may have to perform all of those jobs.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Students at Harwood Center participate in structured playtime where they learn how to play appropriately by sharing and taking turns. |
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Linking Pieces of the Autism Puzzle
In 1943, Leo Kanner, MD, classified a group of children who were withdrawn from human contact as having early infantile autism. Today the definition of autism is expanded to include a range of pervasive developmental disabilities known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The spectrum ranges from classic autism (non-verbal and withdrawn) to higher functioning forms characterized by distinctive social skills and play such as Asperger syndrome.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
A student at Harwood Center for Developmental Disabilities undergoes Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) |
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New Program Provides More ABA Therapists
Hearing the words “your child is autistic” can be devastating news for parents. But once that diagnosis is made, the often bigger challenge is finding therapists who can help treat their child’s symptoms.
Scientists don’t yet understand what causes autism, a complex neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Since it is considered a spectrum disorder, it can vary widely in its severity and symptoms, though most autistic children have a strong need for routine and predictability, according to Kathryn McVicar, MD, a pediatric neurologist and associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Photo courtesy of Harwood Center for Developmental Disabilities |
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Researchers Work to Unravel Autism on Multiple Fronts
If you don’t believe the current economic downturn is real, just ask a scientist. Researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) are finding grant funding is in short supply this summer. Kathryn McVicar, MD, a pediatric neurologist with UTHSC, said she knows of several projects that are awaiting funding but money from federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health has been hard to come by. “We’re hoping that changes within the next six months because money is scarce,” said McVicar.
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Helping Tennessee’s Tiniest Residents
Statewide Effort Launched to Improve NICU Standards
When the annual KIDS COUNT survey measuring more than 100 indicators of child wellbeing came out in July, no one in the state was particularly surprised to find Tennessee near the bottom of the list.
The state has routinely been among the nation’s worst performers, particularly in areas such as low birth weight and infant mortality. Coming in at 42nd actually represents a one-place increase from last year and a five-place increase from 2000/2001, when Tennessee made its worst showing at 47th.
CINDY SANDERS |
Solid 3D models of a tibia (l-r: normal tibia, nailed, tibia with IM nail removed) acquired from CT scan during finite element analysis. |
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Applying Engineering Technology to Orthopedic Research
When a tibia is fractured, the standard for securing the bone is to perform intermedullary nailing through the anterior knee. While it is the most structurally sound method, the common complaint from patients is anterior knee pain. For years the nail has been blamed as the obvious source of pain; with the solution simply being to remove the nail.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Autistic Brain: Taking a Look Under the Hood
Pediatric neurologists at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center follow about 200 children in a tri-state area evaluated for epilepsy and autism. Pediatric neurologist and epileptologist, Fred Perkins, MD, looks for the physiological differences between children with autism and those who are normally developed, as well as the variable differences across the spectrum.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Common Table Update
Healthy Memphis Common Table's (HMCT) Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) Initiative with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is well under way to help Memphis physicians improve the quality of care for the people they serve – across all settings. The AF4Q Leadership Team, composed of Memphis area physician, nurse, consumer and hospital leaders, recognizes that coordination of care is essential to this endeavor. They have adopted the patient-centered medical home model as a central strategy to help Memphis physicians improve their patient care infrastructure and to serve their patients better...
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Day One: University of Memphis Program Prepares Students for Life in Healthcare Field
During the course of a workweek, Worth Saunders wears many hats: negotiator, salesman, financier, mediator, regulatory guru, IT guy, and occasionally, cat herder.
Saunders is the chief administrative officer of Mid-South Imaging and Therapeutics, where, as the group practice administrator, the demands of his job are broad...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
Joined at the Hip – Diabetes and Hypertension
Last November, Memphis Medical News reported on a local UT study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine the biological triggers that push people from normal glucose to pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a health condition known as impaired glucose tolerance, representing a score on the blood glucose test that is in between normal and diabetes...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Local Physicians Create iPosture Device to Promote Healthy Posture
Posture says a lot about a person. It can convey confidence or insecurity; happiness or depression. Good posture not only keeps the spine healthy and back muscles strong, it can improve appearance and the way people interact. For those reasons neurologist Moacir Schnapp, MD of Mays and Schnapp Pain Clinic and his wife Elma Schnapp, MD developed an electronic device to help people improve their posture. The patented iPosture is meant be worn as a pendant, clipped to clothing or adhered directly through the skin and it vibrates intermittently when the user slouches...
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Medical Real Estate…Location Counts
A Conversation with Local Real Estate AgentsReal estate for a medical office or clinic is not a new concept, nor one that may be related to retail real estate, but some real estate experts believe it may be time to rethink the correlation between the two.
Although medical office complexes still exist and thrive in the West Tennessee market, real estate agents and developers are noticing a new trend, especially among primary care physicians, toward following the crowd rather than a "if you build it, they will come" attitude.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Shared Health Chalks Up Successes after First Three Years
Three years ago this month, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced a health information technology initiative with the state of Tennessee that was, in many ways, unlike any other in the country.
Called Shared Health, the idea was to create a health record for patients across multiple providers, thus reducing medical errors, avoiding duplicate services and even detecting fraud and abuse.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Stephen C. Reynolds, President and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation
Today’s healthcare leaders have an increasing responsibility to adjust and be more efficient in the rapidly changing world of healthcare delivery. Memphis Medical News is beginning a “Leaders in Healthcare” series to give leaders, from hospital CEOs to practice managers to department heads, a forum to express their strategy and vision for evolving with the industry now and into the future...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Tennessee Hospitals Handling the Economy with Caution, Not Panic
In today's challenging economy, Tennessee hospitals are tightening their belts and slowing capital investments, but operations are holding steady.
"Hospitals are starting to hold onto cash a whole lot more than they were before, and I think they're just waiting," said Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
THA Focuses on Quality to Combat HAIs
Through the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety, more than 100 Tennessee hospitals have formed a collaborative effort to reduce healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).
In June, the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA) outlined the state’s plans in a letter to Congress in response to a request by the U.S.
CINDY SANDERS |
A Multifaceted Approach to Diabetes Education
Spreading the word about how to combat an American epidemic calls for methods as diverse as the nation itself.
In the case of diabetes, national health promotion efforts are targeting not only the broad U.S. population but also its most at-risk ethnic minorities, each with its own nuances of culture, language and community life...
LUCY SCHULTZE |
Hospitals Adjust to Medicare Cut on Hospital Acquired Conditions
In October, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued stringent guidelines on exclusion of reimbursement for eight hospital acquired conditions (HAC) that were not present at the time of admission, and added five more to the list December 1. These conditions include foreign objects retained after surgery, air embolism, blood incompatibility, pressure ulcers, falls and trauma, catheter associated UTI, vascular catheter associated infections, and infections after coronary artery bypass grafts...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
InMotion's New RSA Lab Opening Door for Hip Implant Research
Total hip replacement surgery is a highly common procedure today, with nearly 200,000 Americans receiving implants annually. Vital to understanding the breadth of implant ability is being able to accurately evaluate wear and tear. The longer an implant can be sustained, the greater the success, and with more people receiving implants at younger ages, the orthopedics industry is working to advance implants to a lifetime capacity...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Medical Liability Reform Legislation Should Help Stem Tide of Meritless Lawsuits
After legislation aimed at reducing the number of frivolous malpractice lawsuits sailed through the Tennessee General Assembly near the end of this year’s session, Gov. Phil Bredesen signed it into law effective Oct. 1.
For the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA), which has fought for five years for medical liability reform, it wasn’t everything, but it was certainly something.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Methodist North Uses Technology to Improve Sepsis Intervention
Sepsis kills more people every year than heart attack or stroke, yet it is a commonly misunderstood and under-recognized condition. The reasons for that are numerous and complex, but the most basic reason is there still is not an industry-wide accepted definition of sepsis or the standard of care for it. There is no simple blood test that identifies sepsis and physicians often have a challenging time recognizing it since the initial symptoms – fever, rapid pulse and respiratory difficulty – can be attributed to many conditions, leading to a late or missed diagnosis. Moreover, with this lack of awareness about sepsis, many stereotypes persist...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
TennCare Wrestling with Resources
The Dichotomy of Expanding Home Care while Reducing Private-Duty Nursing at HomeWhen it comes to providing home- and community-based services to TennCare's elderly and disabled, the state is walking a tightrope … working to expand such services when clinically appropriate and cost-effective while simultaneously reducing at-home, private-duty nursing benefits for some patients...
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Atrial Fibrillation: A Symptom of Living Longer
Just about every publication and media outlet is using the term "aging population," a perpetual reminder that the majority of the people in the United States are getting older. Moreover, they are living longer. While healthcare innovations have made it possible to prolong life, the downside for many people is that living longer in our modern hectic American lifestyle is a recipe for chronic health conditions...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
SeeMore, a communication robot purchased by MECA Eye and Laser Center prepares for his spot on “Live at 9” at the Peabody Place Mall. |
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Communication Robot Brings the Future to Memphis
What’s tall and metal and green all over? No, it’s not a comic book villain; it’s the newest member of the team at Memphis Eye & Cataract Associates (MECA), a robot named SeeMore. In June, MECA president, ophthalmologist Dr. Jerre Freeman, introduced a communication robot specially designed for human communication. SeeMore was manufactured by International Robotics, Inc., (IRI) a technology company pioneering the field of technology-to-people behavioral psychology.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Connect-the-Dots
State’s eHealth Network Will Connect All 95 Counties
By Executive Order 35 on April 6, 2006, Governor Phil Bredesen created the eHealth Advisory Council to oversee the state’s efforts to allow providers to securely share information in an attempt to reduce medical errors, quickly transfer important medical data in an emergency situation, extend the reach of healthcare to rural areas through telemedicine, limit duplicative diagnostics by providing all partners with access to results from previous tests...
CINDY SANDERS |
Doctors Dodge a Bullet, Private Plans Take Hit In New Medicare Legislation
Last month, I reported on expected passage by the U. S. Congress of a new Medicare law which had been described as a "doctor fix" law because its primary purpose was to block scheduled cuts in payments to doctors.
The law did, in fact, pass after intense lobbying from the American Medical Association, the AARP and many others. But, it was necessary for the Senate to overturn a veto by President Bush...
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Grand Rounds July
Harris Cohen, MD, Named Medical Director of Pediatric Radiology Department at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center
Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital Breaks Ground On New Women’s and Children’s Pavilion
Unity Hospice Care Announces Staff Additions
Schultz Named Baptist College’s New Dean of General Studies
Dr. Stacy C. Smith Welcomed to Memphis Heart Clinic
The Board of Shelby County Healthcare Corporation (The MED) Seeks Proposals
Matthew Ennis Chosen to Lead Anatomy & Neurobiology at University of Tennessee Health Science
orthomemphis Announces Two Doctors Certified To Perform Partial-Knee Replacement Surgery
Baptist Weight Loss Center to Offer Free Seminars in July
Dr. Barrett Haik Receives Freeman Award
Dr. Ronald I. Weiner Moving His Medical Practice
Physician joins Medical Specialty Clinic
Songfest to Benefit Ayers Children’s Medical Center
Anesthesia Associates Adds Two Physicians
Tasting and Dinner for West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation
Dr. Terri Henson Opens Dermatology Office
Baptist DeSoto is the First to Offer New Technology
Methodist Opens Facilities in Olive Branch
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Grand Rounds West TN September
John W. Neblett, M.D., Joins West Tennessee Neurosciences
Family Nurse Practitioner Joins MedSouth Medical Center in Dyersburg
Beech Bluff Bluebird Dash Benefits Cancer Camp
West Forest Family Medical Center Opens
West Tennessee OB/GYN Services Welcomes New Additions
West TN Bone & Joint Clinic Joins Physicians Surgery Center
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Dr. Barrett G. Haik examines a patient in Panama. |
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Hamilton Eye Institute Expands Reach of Telemedicine
A child in Central America with retinoblastoma used to have little hope for a positive outcome. Fortunately through the mission of the Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) telehealth program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), physicians and surgeons in developing nations have the ability to provide specialized treatment for these complex cases.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Charles Farmer |
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Healthcare Changes Likely Regardless of the President
Whether Barack Obama can or whether John McCain will, it is likely that major legislation affecting medicare will be enacted by the next Congress.
Surprising action by Congress during the last week of June signals the coming changes, as well as giving cause for optimism that there may be uncommon bipartisanship as the changes are implemented.
Charles Farmer |
Ophthalmologist performing eye surgery in new HEI surgery center |
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HEI Surgery Center Provides Specialized Care Under One Roof
When Lonnie Utley realized his right eye was losing vision due to a cataract, he knew it was time to come to Memphis. A commercial airline pilot in Dallas,
Utley, 55, is required to maintain 20/20 vision in order to continue flying.
Growing up in Memphis, Utley was familiar with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and as a third generation patient of Dr. Ralph Hamilton, he wished to continue his eye care at UT.
Holli W. Haynie |
HIT Reforms Healthcare
The business of healthcare at the physician/patient level is 10 to 20 years behind in technology. All patient records are recorded on paper. Comparing lab results and the diagnosis of your physician is a manual operation that takes several days to process. The insurance company charging premiums gets a claim that has been handled by not less than four pairs of hands who each stake a claim to the financial outcome of your office visit.
MARK TUMBLIN |
In-Office Dispensing of Prescriptions
Adding Increased Customer Service & Revenue to Your PracticeFrom patient convenience to increased practice profits to lower medication costs and even improved accuracy and compliance benefits, adding in-office medication dispensing can enhance your practice. Although physician dispensing is a convenience for the patient and can be a major ancillary profit center, it does require planning, investment, space, inventory and staff that are trained to handle transactions and educate patients about their medications.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Jim King, MD
Who would have thought that being a family practice physician from Selmer, Tenn., would take you to Spearfish, S. D., or Bangor, Maine, and even land you a celebrity flight with the famous U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Flight Squadron? For Jim King, MD, it did just that and much more...
SUZANNE BOYD |
Latest Medulloblastoma Research Closing In on Signaling Pathways as Treatment Targets
Continued discovery about brain pathways and the roles proteins play in cell growth is bringing scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Center closer to targets for the prevention and treatment of medulloblastoma tumors. A paper published in the March 15 issue of Genes and Development reports that a specific pathway which produces proteins called BMPs can actually inhibit the growth of tumors while provoking malignant cells to develop into normal neurons.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Memphis Medical Society Update
Final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2009On October 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) put on display the final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for 2009 which includes the final anti-markup rules and IDTF enrollment rules. The Final Rule is generally favorable to physicians regarding regulatory issues (at least when compared to the Proposed Rule). Some highlights of the Rule are outlined below...
DENISE BURKE |
Infant check-ups are just one of the many ways Dr. Debra Selby serves the children of Sierra Leon, Africa in the pediatric clinic. |
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Physician Spotlight: Debra S. Selby, MD
Losing her older brother to leukemia when he was eight years old sent young Debra Selby on a mission of healing and helping others. That mission has led her to make history both in her family, and to a faraway land, all while fulfilling her desire to serve others.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Dr. Jason Sullivan, center, and Renee Stewart, right, prepare to examine a patient’s eyes at the Eye Clinic, P.C. |
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Physician Spotlight: Dr. Jason Sullivan
Being raised in a family of engineers, Dr. Jason Sullivan certainly deviated from the norm when he made the decision to pursue a career in medicine. Growing up in Chattanooga influenced by a father who instilled in him a good work ethic, Sullivan extends that into both his professional and personal life.
“I went to college to pursue a degree in biology with the intent of going to medical school,” said Sullivan. “Hailing from a family with plenty of engineers in it, I just always knew engineering would be my back-up plan should I not do well enough to make it into medical school.” Sullivan earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, where he graduated magna cum laude.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Physician Spotlight: Trey Antwine, MD
To be described as fanatical about something, you must be excessively enthusiastic about it. For Harold "Trey" Antwine, MD, that something is sports, so much so one might say that he lives, eats, breathes and sleeps sports. In choosing a career in medicine, he chose orthopedics where he could specialize in sports medicine. As a father of four boys, he is active coaching them in the various sports they play. In his "down" time, he can be found supporting the University of Mississippi Rebels or on his farm hunting and fishing...
SUZANNE BOYD |
Robert A. Vegors, MD
In high school, Robert Vegors, MD, certainly was not thinking of medicine as a career. In fact, he was thinking more along the lines of wildlife biology as he spent every day working at a National Fish and Wildlife research center. He worked on the first research project to study the effects of the synthetic pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) on the thickness of sparrow hawk eggshells...
SUZANNE BOYD |
Stopping Infection Dead In Its Tracks
Several years ago, University of Memphis professor Warren Oliver Haggard attended a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, where he heard an Army representative speak of the thousands of U.S. soldiers seriously affected by infection after being wounded during combat in Iraq...
JANE SCHNEIDER |
THA, TNA Prepare for Annual Meetings
Workforce Issues, Policy on AgendasThe Tennessee Hospital Association and Tennessee Nurses Association host their annual meetings in October. Both organizations are scheduled to look at key workforce issues facing nursing, as well as health policy, public health agendas, and the development of a climate of quality and safety for patients and staff...
CINDY SANDERS |
Veldon Reedy, LSCW
Blending his interest in psychology and social issues with an innate need to serve others led Veldon 'Doc' Reedy, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), to become a counselor and start the Family Enrichment Center in Jackson, Tennessee.
SUZANNE BOYD |
View from East Rim Overlook at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. |
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The Road Less Traveled
East Tennessee is a far cry from its western counterpart. As you take the family six hours east, the flat land of the Delta slowly gives way to thickly forested mountains teeming with wildlife. Millions of visitors travel here to see the Great Smoky Mountain National Park each summer, but if you skip the towns surrounding Knoxville, you’ll miss out on the fascinating culture and beauty of this region.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Healthcare in the Election: Obama v. McCain
Are you familiar with the healthcare proposals of Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barak Obama? Are you ready to vote based on their positions on healthcare? If not, here is a point-by-point comparison of the two contrasting approaches to health care reform in this election year...
CYRIL F. CHANG |
Tennessee Rolls Out Statewide Stroke Registry
This summer, Gov. Phil Bredesen signed the Tennessee Stroke Registry Act of 2008 into law. The legislation represents a culmination of work by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Stroke Systems of Care task force, numerous providers, public health officials and legislators from both sides of the aisle.
The volunteer registry has widely been hailed as a significant step in an attempt to turn the tide on stroke … the number three killer in Tennessee and the state’s leading cause of disability...
CINDY SANDERS |
Making Roads Safer: Treating Sleep Apnea in Truckers
A truck driver waking up in a field 100 yards off the highway with a street sign attached to his grill doesn’t take long to realize he’s lucky to be alive, and even luckier he didn’t hurt anyone else. He never correlated his sleepiness, fatigue and lack of concentration as telltale signs of a serious disorder.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
A Multi-faceted Approach to Saving Kids’ Teeth
The recent standard declaring that children should see a dentist by their first birthday has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD)
Now if only there were enough dentists out there to see all those babies and toddlers.
LUCY SCHULTZE |
First author Dr. Maddalena T. Tilli, confocal microscope with digital photo of breast biopsy tissue, and Dr. Priscilla A. Furth (Professor at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown University and Dr. Tilli’s mentor) |
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Better, Safer, Faster
Experimental Technique Offers Hope for Improved Biopsy Analysis
Although it’s all too easy to become immune to claims of “latest, greatest, better, best” in today’s rapidly changing world of medical technology, the fact remains that much of what has been discovered and refined over the past couple of decades has indeed been revolutionary in terms of patient care and outcomes.
CINDY SANDERS |
Beware the HIPAA Risk that Hides in Plain Sight
Many times throughout the workday, healthcare providers and administrators unwittingly leave private patient information — protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) — lying around the office.
The source of this penalty-worthy security infraction? The ubiquitous fax machine.
LYNNE JETER |
Dr. David Maroney, BCBST |
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Blue Cross Gives Physicians More Time to Review Transparency Data
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) is giving its network physicians additional months to review information that the health plan intends to post on its Web site regarding doctors’ quality and prices. The decision is the result of backlash from physicians and advocacy organizations such as the Tennessee Medical Association, all concerned that the data might not adequately represent performance.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Shawn Morris, HealthSpring of Tennessee President |
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Building Partnerships
HealthSpring’s IPA, IPOD Program Balances Risks, Rewards
When most people think of an iPod, the image is inevitably linked to ear buds and hand-selected tunes. For physicians in Tennessee, HealthSpring’s IPOD and IPA programs have an entirely different meaning, but the terms are still music to the ears of some providers looking for a payer relationship outside the norm.
CINDY SANDERS |
Employment: Most Healthcare Non-Competes Are Not Okay
The healthcare industry is, more than ever, a competitive business, much like other industries. But strong public policy considerations, including the unique doctor-patient relationship, have always limited the scope of covenants not to compete. However, the application of such covenants has not been eliminated. Last year, the Legislature tried to give some clarity to this aspect of the law.
Charles Farmer |
Financial Planning for Physicians
Remember during “Star Trek” episodes when Spock would raise his hand, separate his fingers and wish his colleagues an “uneventful trip”? Physicians should set that same goal for themselves when planning their financial future.
That’s the advice of Michigan-based Paul H. Sutherland, president, founder and CIO of Financial & Investment Management Group and manager of Utopia Funds.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD |
Financial Planning Help Is the Right Prescription For Physicians’ $$ Health
A recent listing of the highest paid professions in the United States indicted that nine of the top ten spots were occupied by physicians.
There is certainly a wide-spread feeling that all doctors are, to use a common expression, “filthy rich” and, therefore, immune from the normal financial pressures faced by most people.
Charles Farmer |
Grand Rounds April
American Cancer Society’s Harrah’s Hope Lodge® will Provide Home Away from Home in Memphis
West Tennessee Healthcare Names Three Vice Presidents
First Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse
Memphis Doctor Enhances Knowledge, Training At Prestigious National Conference
The Jackson Clinic Adds Infectious Disease Specialty
West Tennessee Healthcare Board Of Trustees Approves Tobacco-free Campus At All Their Facilities, Effective November 20, 2008
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Recognizes Associates
University of Tennessee College of Medicine Gains Emergency Medicine Residency
Methodist University Hospital names Chief Nursing Officer
New Providers Named at MedSouth Medical Center
Miguel Selected To Represent Tennessee at Leadership Conference
UT Medical Group Expands Glaucoma Services with Addition of Third Specialist
Aelion Receives Tennessee Rheumatology Society’s President’s Award
Le Bonheur Pediatric Cardiology Fellow wins Young Investigator Award
Mid-South eHealth Alliance Gaining Momentum with Increased Membership
Group Starts Foundation Fund for Children with Autism
Windsor Health Plan, Inc. Makes a Move Across Town
UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Names Patterson Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Hinton Selected as Chief Compliance Officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
Campbell Clinic Receives ACR Accreditation
Annual General Medicine Conference
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Grand Rounds June
Regional Hospital to Expand
Dignity Closets
Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine Receives Ultrasound Accreditation
Dr. Giancarlo Mari Named Division Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
ACHE Announces Officers and Board
West Tennesse Healthcare Board Approves Creation Of West Tennessee Neurosciences
Dr. Mathew Ninan Named Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology in the College of Medicine, Memphis, UTHSC Campus
Women’s Health Specialists Physicians Included in Best Doctors in America
Mickey Bernstein, DDS Installed as 2008-2009 President of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Memphis Heart Clinic Welcomes Dr. Brent Addington
Two Sports Plus Staffers are Certified in Orthopedic Manual Therapy
Christ Community Programs Recognized Nationally
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Offers New Technology to Treat Chronic Sinus Infections
Avanti Skin Center Opens in Collierville
Hongbo Chi receives the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award
Tennessee Association of Medical Interpreters and Translators (TAMIT)
Dr. Tulio Bertorini releases “Neuromuscular Case Studies”
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Grand Rounds March
New Bluff City Medical Society IPA Offers Opportunity for Growth and Connectivity
AMA Foundation Honors Memphis, Tennessee Physician For Increasing Access To Health Care In The U.S.
Methodist Names Administrator
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Uses Next Generation Ultrasound Technology to Fight Heart Disease
Peter A. Netland is President-Elect of Statewide Organization
Sleep Labs of Memphis in Cordova Re-Accredited
Dr. Jerome Thompson Selected for JDRF Lay Review Committee
Nurse Camp is Coming!
Baptist Memphis ranked in top five percent in nation
Regional Hospital Of Jackson Announces New CEO
Dr. Timothy Sweo Joins Sports, Orthopedics and Spine
2007 Medical Office Personnel Salary and Benefits Survey Available
Lion’s Clubs Donate $10,000 To Disaster Recovery Services
Physician joins Apex Cardiology
NIH Appoints Dr. Lupo T. Carlota to National Council
West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Taking Donations for Disaster Relief Fund
Magnolia Regional Health Center Breaks Ground on New Cancer Center
West Clinic Named Best Oncology Practice in America by Hematology & Oncology News & Issues
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Grand Rounds May
Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine, PC Welcomes Shelia Thomas, FNP to Medical Staff
UT Announces $1 Billion Campaign; Now 70 Percent to Goal
Drs. Mutter, Reed, Willoughby To Receive TMA Outstanding Physician Awards
Drs. Grobmyer, Puckett To Receive Tma Distinguished Service Award
General Medicine Conference Celebrates Decade of Growth
Le Bonheur Expands Services to Tupelo
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Showcases Robotic Surgery For Prostate Cancer Live On The Internet
McDonald Murrmann Center For Skin, Laser And Healthy Aging Offers Fraxel® Laser
Heme-Onc Hotline Provides Answers – Immediately.
TennCare and Shared Health® Partner to Deliver ePrescribing to Rural Physicians
The West Clinic Participates in Nationwide Study
Mid-South Nursing Chapter Honored
BCBS and UnitedHealth Plan prevailing bidders for TennCare
Celebrate Better Hearing And Speech Month This May With The American Speech-language-hearing Association
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital Earns Quality Respiratory Care National Recognition
PAD Procedure at Regional Hospital of Jackson
Five UT Health Science Center Programs Rank on the U.S. News & World Report List of America’s Best Graduate Schools
Geriatric Psychiatry Specialist Joins Lakeside
Dr. Robert Kirkpatrick to be Installed as TMA’s 154th President
Drs. Arnold, Kimzey Elected to TMA Board of Trustees
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Identified RSV Risk Factors Help Categorize Susceptibility in Immunocompromised Children
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. The majority of children recover in eight to 15 days, but for children with cancer or an otherwise compromised immune system, RSV is generally more prolonged and severe with a greater potential to be fatal.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Meri Armour thanks Le Bonheur Associates who helped form a giant heart around the groundbreaking event area. |
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Le Bonheur Breaks Ground on New Hospital
A vision five years in the making is closer to fruition with the groundbreaking of Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center’s state-of-the-art, 610,000 square foot children’s hospital. When it opens in 2010, Le Bonheur will double its current space for patient care, research and teaching. Designated to open in 2010, the new 12-story hospital will include 225 beds and have dedicated units for pediatric, cardiovascular and neonatal intensive care.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Mark McManis, PhD, prepares patient for a MEG scan. |
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Le Bonheur’s Neuroscience Institute Gains International Visibility with MEG Laboratory
Surgical treatment of neurological conditions and brain tumors has typically been impeded by the inability to precisely pinpoint the sensory functions affected by a lesion. While fMRI and EEG helped associate structure and some level of activity, neurological mapping during surgery has long been the primary way to determine function, until now.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Medical Practice Embezzlement: An Ounce of Prevention…
Does your practice’s revenue seem be dwindling down from where it once was? Undoubtedly some of it is due to reduced reimbursement rates, but there may be a different reason. Your practice could be a victim of embezzlement. According to a March 2008 report from Medico Unlimited, in addition to the reality practices face with declining reimbursement, inefficient operations, and other general “practice decay,” during any five-year period,
LINDA LOGAN |
National Guard Facilitates Earthquake Scenario in Shelby County
West Tennessee is situated over a hotbed of geologic activity as part of the New Madrid seismic zone, which translates to perpetual rumblings under the earth and tremors at the surface. Known also as the Reelfoot Rift, the New Madrid fault line is a major seismic zone in the Southern and Midwestern United States and was responsible for the infamous 1812 earthquake near New Madrid, Missouri which produced a 7.9 magnitude quake
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Novel Rehabilitation Program Offers Patients the Next Step
Charles Robert Wilson had a stroke last year that affected the left side of his body. It was his second stroke and this time he required acute inpatient care. When it was time to graduate to an outpatient setting, he was grateful to learn about Baptist Rehabilitation-Germantown’s new Next Step program, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation curriculum for those who require more than one type of outpatient therapy.
HOLLIE W. HAYNIE |
(L-R): James Ross, Tina Prescott and Ron Hill, all Vice Presidents of Hospital Services for West Tennessee Healthcare, prepare to meet with service-line medical directors. |
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On the Frontline of Hospital/ Physician Relationships
In today’s healthcare environment, physicians and hospitals find themselves in many types of relationships with one another, some symbiotic and some adversarial. Those on the frontlines of healthcare management in West Tennessee, like their counterparts across the country, face this daily. Like any relationship, though, key elements can make it work.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Physician Spotlight: Dr. Clyde Smith
When aggressive medicine no longer is effective… when chemotherapy or radiation and other treatment methods cannot stop the progression of cancer, Dr. Clyde Smith gently suggests an alternative to his patients – Hospice.
MARY REED |
Dr. John Meriwether and his nurse of ten years, Montreal Bond, discuss a patient’s medications and diagnosis at the Jackson Clinic. |
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Physician Spotlight: Dr. John Meriwether
Doing things naturally is a good way to describe Dr. John Meriwether. The outdoor enthusiast loves making furniture, hunting, fishing, camping and spending time with his family. Born, raised and educated in Jackson, Tenn., it was only natural that he would choose to practice medicine here.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Dr. Tom Head, far right, plays the role of Ko-Ko in “Hot Mikado,” a musical at the University School of Jackson. With him are USJ studets Ian Charles and Mary Haynes. Head’s children attend USJ. |
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Physician Spotlight: Dr. Tom Head
As a young boy growing up in rural Alabama, where access to physicians was limited, Dr. Tom Head never got used to waiting for hours to see the doctor. When he made the decision to pursue a degree in medicine, he knew that timing would be an important part of his practice and his life.
SUZANNE BOYD |
Physicians Gear Up for the Medicare NPI Number Switch
Medicare is in the process of instituting new National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers for reimbursement that are required as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification Standard. NPI is a unique identification number for covered healthcare providers. It replaces the prior legacy provider identifiers used for many years. The deadline is May 23.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE |
Prescribers, Pharmacists Prepare for Tamper-Resistant Prescriptions
After a six-month reprieve, federal legislation is set to go into effect April 1, 2008, requiring Medicaid outpatient prescriptions to be presented to pharmacists on tamper-resistant pads containing at least one security measure.
In Tennessee, this new mandate impacts written prescriptions for TennCare patients. Exceptions to the tamper-resistant requirement include electronically transmitted prescriptions...
CINDY SANDERS |
Stark Law’s Ban On Conflicts of Physicians Enters 3rd Phase
Within the healthcare industry, no United States Congressman is better known, more frequently vilified and more capable of raising alarm than California Congressman Pete Stark.
Stark, a self-professed atheist, is said to be proud of his reputation of having uttered more outrageous comments on the House floor than any other Congressman.
Charles Farmer |
State Supreme Court Says Hospital May Be Liable For Independent Contractor; Also Addresses Interpretation of Bylaws
Tennessee courts recently issued opinions deciding two issues of significance to the health care industry.
In the first, Boren v. Weeks, the Tennessee Supreme Court, in a case of first impression, set out the circumstances under which a hospital may be held liable for the acts of an independent contractor who performs services at the hospital.
In the second, Gekas v. Seton Corp., the Court of Appeals decided, in another case of “first impression,” how strictly must a hospital comply with its bylaws.
Charles Farmer |
Time to Think Taxes
It is that time of year once again, to make a list and check it twice, only this one is to ensure that Uncle Sam doesn't find you naughty but nice. Many accountants would say that in terms of taxes, December 31 might be a more important date than April 15. Extensions can be filed to avoid the April deadline, but the end of the tax year is fixed as is your tax liability, credits, deductions, and income. Now is the time to do some tax planning by reviewing your tax situation, the recent changes in the economy and tax laws, as well as to assess what strategies may help reduce your tax liability...
SUZANNE BOYD |
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