News Around the State

University Physicians-Grants Ferry to debut in Flowood

University Physicians, a part of University of Mississippi Health Care, is preparing to branch out by opening a $14 million satellite clinic in Rankin County.

A June 30 groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for University Physicians-Grants Ferry, located at the corner of Lakeland Place and Plaza Drive in Flowood. The new 50,575 square-foot medical office building is slated for completion the second quarter of 2010 and will house primary care and specialty services, such as family medicine, internal medicine, orthopedics, urology, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, otolaryngology, dermatology, audiology, rheumatology, and allergy.

The mission is simple: Take the expertise of faculty physicians off campus to serve the needs of the community where patients live.

Various factors led to the historic move, but the goal is to attract more patients in a time of increasing demands brought on by growth of the education programs.

Dr. Scott Stringer, president of University Physicians and associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, said the Medical Center's growth has outpaced state funding, and to fulfill the institution's missions of educating tomorrow's health professionals and caring for the medically underserved, an expansion of community services was necessary.

"The strategy that's been identified by both outside consultants, the leadership here and institutions around the country is that you have to improve your number of insured patients," Stringer said.

"The Medical Center has been expected to be able to provide much of its financial support. We have a $1.1 billion budget and we get roughly $200 million from the state. The other $900 million comes from somewhere, and that's generally through research grants and clinical care."

Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN, the construction company for the project, has broken ground on the 6.85 acres in Flowood. Parent company, Cogdell Spencer Inc., will own the clinic and University Physicians will master lease 100 percent of the facility. University Hospitals and Health System will provide additional medical support services.

"We are pleased to be working with University Physicians to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities for Flowood and the surrounding communities," said Susan Dorr, president of Cogdell Spencer's southeast region.

Stringer said Flowood is a rapidly growing area with fewer services for health care than other areas, which influenced the decision to locate a satellite clinic there. He said Rankin County residents can expect rapid, convenient service at the Grants Ferry clinic with the added confidence of knowing that they have access to the UMMC main campus for health issues that require more complex care.

Faculty physicians will see the patients, but residents and medical students will shadow and work in tandem with them. Stringer said that's a common model for many academic medical centers, such as the renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

"Everybody thinks that when you go there you're going to see a faculty physician, and you do, but you also see residents and medical students. We're moving to a model of combined care rather than resident-driven care," he said.

With the expansion of the medical school class, additional faculty must be hired to teach. A shortage of doctors nationwide also impacts academic medical centers' bottom lines because they must compete with private hospitals and clinics to recruit faculty.

"To have those teachers, you have to pay them competitive salaries. "If we can't practice medicine we don't have patients for teaching, and we can't pay for the teachers" he said.

Stringer said opening satellite clinics in other areas of the state will be considered in the future. "It's our mission to provide health care to those who need our services in the state of Mississippi and we need to be located wherever we can best meet that mission," he said.

Still, Stringer said that UMMC will never stray from its core mission of education.

"We're here for education, No. 1, and everything we do should support the educational mission. That's the motivation," he said.

Dr. Shivangi Named to Board of Mental Health

 
Pictured are (l to r) Ed LeGrand, DMH Executive Director; Dr. Sampat Shivangi; Diana Mikula, Director of the Bureau of Mental Health; Thad Williams, Mental Health Program Planner/Evaluator; and Cary Walt, Coordinator Workforce Training and Development.

In May, a Board of Mental Health Confirmation Hearing was held at the State Capitol for Sampat Shivangi, M.D. of Jackson who will begin serving on the Board in July representing the medical physician category.

“We appreciate the Governor appointing such a talented and upstanding individual to the Board. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge,” said DMH Executive Director Ed LeGrand."

In 2005, Dr. Shivangi was nominated the Advisor to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. He was also asked to serve on the National Advisory Council. He previously served on the Mississippi State Board of Health.

Bonner honored for years of service at MSH

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) recently honored employees with June anniversary dates for their years of service. Linda Glass Bonner of Canton was recognized for providing 25 years of service. Bonner, a Canton native, serves as a recreation therapist.

Service Awards are given to employees in the month of their date of hire, beginning with five years and every fifth year following. Employees receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a Service Award Pin. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Willis honored for 25 years of service at MSH

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) recently honored employees with June anniversary dates for their years of service. Allean Willis of Florence was recognized for providing 25 years of service. Willis is a pantry coordinator/inventory control coordinator for MSH’s Whitfield Medical Surgical Hospital.

Service Awards are given to employees in the month of their date of hire, beginning with five years and every fifth year following. Employees receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a Service Award Pin. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Miner honored for 25 years of service at MSH

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) recently honored employees with June anniversary dates for their years of service. Jennie Miner of Jackson was recognized for providing 25 years of service. Miner, a Bolton native, is a supervisor in MSH’s Environmental Services Department.

Service Awards are given to employees in the month of their date of hire, beginning with five years and every fifth year following. Employees receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a Service Award Pin. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Employees honored for years of service at MSH

MSH June service award recipients include: (first row, l-r) Jozette Hubbard of Jackson, 10 years; Linda Glass Bonner of Canton, 25 years; Jennie Miner of Jackson, 10 years; (second row, l-r) Linda Armour of Florence, 15 years; Robbie Robbins of Pelahatchie, 15 years; and Allean Willis of Florence, 25 years.

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) recently honored employees with June anniversary dates for their years of service. Service awards are given to employees in the month of their date of hire, beginning with five years and every fifth year following. Employees receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a Service Award Pin. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Garden Park names Thelma Miner Volunteer of the Year

Thelma Miner was named Volunteer of the Year at the recent awards luncheon for the Garden Park Medical Center Auxiliary.

Thelma has been a staple in the gift shop for the past two years. In addition to her regular shift, she also volunteers to fill in for anyone as needed in the gift shop. Last year she decided that it would be worthwhile to open the gift shop on Saturdays and Sundays and has been coming in on weekends to “make some sales” as she likes to say. Thelma is always excited when she has a good sales day and knows that her efforts will help someone down the road. The volunteers regularly donate the proceeds from their gift shop to local organizations.

Unfortunately for Garden Park and the volunteers, Thelma moved to North Carolina at the end of May to live with her daughter. However, she already has a volunteer job lined up at a hospital in Murphy, North Carolina, where she will work in the gift shop. “I enjoyed every year I’ve worked at Garden Park,” Thelma said. “It really helped me get over the loss of my husband, and I love everyone I work with. I am going to miss Garden Park very much.”

Members of the Auxiliary echo Thelma’s sentiments and will have a tough time filling her shoes. They know, however, that the hospital in Murphy, North Carolina, will have a great asset on their hands when Thelma joins their ranks—and will likely have an increase in gift shop sales.

Larry Travis named Employee of the Month at MSH

Larry Travis of Madison County has been named Mississippi State Hospital’s (MSH) June 2009 Employee of the Month for Licensed Clinical Services.

Travis, a native of the Tougaloo community, is a social worker/mental health therapist in MSH’s Community Services Program. He has been employed at MSH for 15 years.

The MSH Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who have made outstanding contributions to the hospital through their work. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Peter Soileau named Employee of the Month at MSH

Peter Soileau of Brandon has been named Mississippi State Hospital’s (MSH) June 2009 Employee of the Month for Support Services.

Soileau, a native of Mamou, La., is a staff development instructor and has been employed at MSH for 11 years.

The MSH Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who have made outstanding contributions to the hospital through their work. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Linda Adams named Employee of the Month at MSH

Linda Adams of Terry has been named Mississippi State Hospital’s (MSH) June 2009 Employee of the Month for Direct Care Services.

Adams, a Terry native, is a direct care worker and has been employed at MSH for one year.

The MSH Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who have made outstanding contributions to the hospital through their work. The program is sponsored by Friends of Mississippi State Hospital Inc.

Hardy Named Director of Rehabilitation Services at St. Dominic Hospital

Maureen Hardy PT, MS, CHT has been named the Director of Rehabilitation Services at St. Dominic Hospital. In this role, she is responsible for services for all Rehab areas which include: Inpatient Rehab, Outpatient Rehab, The Hand Management Center, St. Catherine’s Rehab, the Lymphedema Clinic at the Cancer Center and a Hand Therapy satellite clinic.

Maureen has been employed as the Director of the Hand Management Center since 1988 and has over 37 years experience as a clinician and manager in various settings. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, her Master’s Degree from the Medical College of Virginia and her board-certification in Hand Therapy in 1991.

Maureen was awarded the Henry O. and Florence P. Kendall Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Practice in 2002. This award is given by the American Physical Therapy Association to one clinical physical therapist that embodies professionalism, clinical excellence and patient care within the profession.

FGH receives recognition from Georgia National Guard for soldiers’ care

Forrest General Hospital and Forrest General’s Rehabilitation Department recently received certificates of appreciation from the officers and soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team “Task Force Warrior” of the Georgia Army National Guard. Forrest General was recognized for caring for the Soldiers of the Warrior Battalion during their time in Hattiesburg in April and June, and Forrest General’s Rehab Department was recognized for their care of a soldier, Specialist Timothy Pearson, during his rehabilitation at Forrest General in April and May. Pictured with the hospital’s certificates of appreciation are, from left, Ora Shaheed, Forrest General Vice President of Clinical Operations; Staff Sergeant Frederick Gilyard and Brenda Cain, Director of Forrest General’s Rehab Services.

Forrest General recognized by AHA for excellence in stroke care

 
Pictured are, from left: Steve Jackson; Serina Carpenter, RN; Jennifer Ginn, RN; Lisa Bailey, RN, PCC; Paul Defreese, DSA; Jan Howell, RN, PCC; Earl Coleman, M.P.H., J.D.; Cindy Gunter, RN; and Jose Fernandez, M.D.

Forrest General’s Joint Commission certified Stroke Center recently received additional recognition from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Program.

Forrest General is only the second hospital in Mississippi to receive this recognition, gained by achieving scores of 85 percent or higher on AHA/ASA stroke core quality measures, designed to assure that care given to stroke patients is in line with the latest scientific guidelines.

The award was presented to Stroke Care Center staff by Earl Coleman, Quality Improvement Initiatives Director for the AHA. Coleman indicated that this recognition acknowledges the hospital’s commitment to providing optimum care to stroke patients and obtaining good outcomes from that care, as well as showing the hospital’s initiative for enhancing their stroke care services.