Methodist Healthcare Announces Plans to Close Methodist Fayette Hospital
Methodist Healthcare announced a difficult decision the hospital system has had to make that involves closing its hospital in Somerville, Tennessee, Methodist Fayette Hospital. The tentative closing date for the hospital is Friday, March 27. Methodist officials have sent a letter to State HSDA and licensure officials to advise them of the hospital’s plans.
Gary Shorb, CEO for Methodist Healthcare said that over the last few years, inpatient volume has declined significantly, and the hospital has been averaging a daily inpatient census of approximately one patient, which is not sustainable.
Methodist Recruitment will work with Associates at Fayette to pursue other opportunities within the Methodist system and to support external job searches as needed.
Other Methodist Healthcare operations are not affected by this move, other than to prepare for small increases in volume from Fayette County residents seeking care at one of our other facilities.
During this transition, hospital officials are coordinating with ambulance services and other first responders to be sure there is a plan in place for quick access to care as needed.
Methodist will continue to fulfill its mission at its seven other hospitals, surgery centers, diagnostic centers, physician practices and related programs.
Bolivar General Hospital Offers New Services
Bolivar General Hospital now offers gastroenterology services. Dr. Sufiyan Chaudhry, is a board certified gastroenterologist affiliated with West Tennessee Gastro in Jackson. Dr. Chaudhry is seeing patients and performing procedures in the Outpatient Clinic at Bolivar General Hospital. He specializes in the treatment of the digestive system and its disorders and is specially trained in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures.
Dr. Chaudhry did his Gastroenterology/Hepatology Fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis as well as his internship and residency. He graduated from Medical School at the King Edward Medical University in Pakistan.
New services also include a sleep laboratory at Bolivar General Hospital for the diagnosis of sleep apnea and other sleep-related disorders.
The sleep lab monitors patients as they sleep at normal bedtimes in sleep study beds. A team of board-certified sleep specialists review the study results and give them to primary care physicians who will meet with patients to discuss the results and explain treatment options. For more information or to make an appointment call 731-658-3100.
Sports Plus Rehab Centers Receive FOTO Outcomes Excellence Certificate
Three Sports Plus Rehab Centers have been awarded an Outcomes Excellence Certificate from Focus On Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc. (FOTO), a nationwide outcomes data base and reporting service for healthcare providers. Sports Plus Dyersburg, Sports Plus Trenton at Trenton Medical Center and Work Plus Rehab Center have all received this high honor. These certificates are presented to a select group of providers across the country to recognize the excellence achieved in effectiveness of treatment during the past twelve months. Sports Plus has demonstrated a greater increase in function for their patients than the national aggregate average.
FOTO has provided outcome data to healthcare providers since 1994. More than 1,000 organizations have contributed to the FOTO data base.
FOTO outcomes data are beneficial because they provide a benchmark measure for overall quality and value of the services offered by an organization. FOTO has the first Functional Health Status Measure approved for physical rehabilitation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s list of approved quality measures in the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC), a public repository for evidence-based quality measures sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Jackson-Madison County General Promotes Yellow Dot Program
The Yellow Dot Program is a nationwide program designed to provide crucial medical information to emergency responders in the event of a vehicle incident. In Tennessee the program is a product of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Immediately following a car crash, first responders have what is known as “the golden hour,” which is the time when medical care can mean the difference between life and death. All too often, victims cannot communicate important information. Upon seeing the “Yellow Dot” sticker on the participant’s vehicle, first responders have been trained to go immediately to the glove compartment of the vehicle to obtain vital information and a photo provided inside the Yellow Dot folder.
The Yellow Dot program is aimed toward senior drivers in the state of Tennessee. In 2012, Tennessee had 1,613,749 licensed drivers ages 55+. Nationally, by 2020 there will be more than 40 million licensed older drivers.
The Senior Services Department and the Medical Center EMS department at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital have partnered together to promote the Yellow Dot program in the senior adult community of West Tennessee. They have presented the program to many church and civic groups, the MAC Club, and the SWAAAD Senior Expo. They have served well over 300 people since beginning the program 6 months ago.
Regional Hospital of Jackson and BlueCross Sign Agreement
Regional Hospital of Jackson and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee have finalized a multi-year agreement. Effective immediately, the agreement provides BlueCross members in-network access to services at Regional Hospital of Jackson and its employed physician practices, whether elective or emergency. The change applies to the health plan’s Blue Network PSM and Blue Network SSM as well as its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid products.
Last year, the quality of care provided at Regional Hospital of Jackson was recognized with recertification as an Accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The hospital also became the first in Jackson/Madison County to receive gold seals from The Joint Commission in Joint Replacement – Knee and Joint Replacement – Hip and is one of 1,099 hospitals earning The Joint Commission distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in the following measures: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Care.
West Tennessee Healthcare To Construct New Medical Center
Construction will soon begin on a beautiful, new 12,855 square foot Medical Center in Trenton. The West Tennessee Healthcare Board of Trustees passed a resolution to build the new facility at its January 27 meeting.
The new facility, to be located at 2017 South College Street, will consolidate the current Trenton Medical Center and Sports Plus Rehab Center in a spacious, easily accessed location on 2.83 acres in Trenton already owned by West Tennessee Healthcare.
The new Trenton Medical Center will offer primary care services by Dr. Jim Williams and the staff of Christian Family Medicine, post discharge follow up care, disease management, rotating specialty clinics, X-ray and lab services, in addition to expanded and improved physical therapy services at Sports Plus Rehab Center. A pharmacy with walk-in and drive-thru access will also be offered.
Residents from around the region can look forward to convenient patient drop off and access from both Highway 45 by-pass and South College Street with ample parking. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2015.
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