News Around the State

Haynes joins UMC

Dr. Demondes Haynes of Jackson recently joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center as assistant professor of medicine and associate program director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine.

A native of Louisville, Haynes earned his BA in biology at the University of Mississippi in 1995 and the MD at UMMC in 1999. He completed residency training in internal medicine at UMMC in 2003 where he was chief resident. In 2006, he completed his fellowship at UMMC*s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine.

Baptist Golden Triangle selected as 5 Million Lives campaign mentoring hospital

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has been named a mentor organization for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit organization that works to enhance hospital care for patients, as part of its Protecting 5 Million Lives from Harm campaign.

Baptist Golden Triangle is the first hospital in Mississippi to receive the designation by the Institute. The campaign is developing a network of mentor hospitals to field requests for advice and dialogue from other hospitals. Baptist Golden Triangle qualified because it has not had a VAP in three and half years.

The 5 Million Lives Campaign promotes the adoption of 12 enhancements in health care, one of which is implementing protocols to prevent VAP.

“Everyone is very proud of this, and we take great pride in being a national leader for care,” said Sherry Elmore, manager of the critical care unit for Baptist Golden Triangle. “Our staff is exceptional, and hospital leadership has been supportive. Becoming a mentor hospital is the result of the staff’s efforts and leadership support.”

Arthur C. “Sonny” Kelly Recognized as Grassroots Champion

The American Hospital Association (AHA), in partnership with the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA), recently honored Arthur C. “Sonny” Kelly, administrator and chief executive officer of Oktibbeha County Hospital, with the Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award. As a 2008 Grassroots Champion Kelly is being recognized for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission.

The Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award was created to recognize those hospital leaders who most effectively educate elected officials on how major issues affect the hospital’s vital role in the community, who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital, and is a tireless advocate for the hospital and its patients.

“Your leadership and dedication to advancing the mission of America’s hospitals has made a difference for the patients and communities we serve,” said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president and CEO. “This special recognition acknowledges the compassion and hard work you have demonstrated as an advocate for better health and better health care in America.”

Kelly has served as an exemplary grassroots champion for health care in Mississippi. He has been actively involved in promoting the health care advocacy agenda and has enthusiastically participated in the Mississippi Hospital Association's (MHA) legislative efforts. He is a successful advocate who is able to rally his colleagues and employees to help protect health care interests on local, state and federal levels. He has provided over 30 years of service to his hospital and community, which makes him an accomplished and truly deserving leader in our industry.

He currently serves as past chairman of the MHA Board of Governors, member of the MHA Board of Directors, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Board of Directors, VHA Gulf States and Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives. Outside of work involvement, Kelly is also a member of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport Board of Commissioners, board member of the Greater Starkville Area Partnership, Roterian, Auxiliary Deputy Sheriff and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office. In 1965, he graduated from Delta State University. Following graduation, Kelly decided to further his education at the University of Birmingham where he studied in Hospital Administration.

Kelly and his wife, Gail, have three children, Davis Kelly, Ann Marie Neave and Zak Kelly. Son, Davis, and daughter, Kelly, have also blessed them with four grandchildren.

The award is presented annually to one individual from each state. Winners are chosen by the state association and were recognized at a special Breakfast of Grassroots Champions at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting. Kelly is one of 51 individuals honored this year.

“Changing the Face of Medicine” recognizes local legends

Dr. Tenley Albright, second from left, director of Collaborative Initiatives at MIT, stands with the Mississippi Legends - Women in Medicine recipients including, from left, Dr. Helen Barnes of Jackson, professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Nell Ryan of Vicksburg, first female graduate of the School of Medicine, Dr. Helen Turner of Jackson, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Dr. Jeanette Pullen of Jackson, professor emeritus of pediatrics.Dr. Lessa Phillips of Madison, the fifth honoree, was unable to attend.

The contributions of women to the profession of medicine served as the backdrop for the grand opening of the Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians exhibit, and Mississippi’s five “local legends” were the stars of the program.

The Mississippi female physicians honored had no idea that they would become more than spectators at the March 6 opening, but before a crowd of about 150 people at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, Dr. Helen Barnes of Jackson, Dr. Jeanette Pullen of Jackson, Dr. Nell Ryan of Vicksburg, and Dr. Helen Turner of Jackson walked to the podium to receive the accolade. Dr. Lessa Phillips of Madison, the fifth honoree, was unable to attend.

Pullen said she was extremely appreciative of the recognition. She said she always wanted to help accomplish goals in medicine for her home state of Mississippi and for the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC).

“I’ve been most fortunate to have had a wonderful team of people with whom to work in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UMMC and in the whole interdisciplinary Children’s Cancer Program – physicians, nurses, lab techs, pharmacists, clinical research associates, secretaries, social workers, chaplains, child life specialists and, for sure, our community supporters and volunteers,” Pullen said. “This recognition is for the entire Medical Center team who take care of children with cancer and other blood diseases.”

The National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit will be at the Jackson Medical Mall through April 8. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of only seven academic health science centers in the nation with a Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and one of 61 library sites across the country to host the exhibit.

Dr. Tenley Albright, a general surgeon and director of Collaborative Initiatives at the MIT, said the exhibit has done a wonderful job of enabling people to get together and discover more about the women who have influenced and enhanced the practice of medicine. She said there’s no way to honor all the women who have contributed over the years, but the exhibit’s goal is to provide a snapshot of their work, particularly contributions in each state.

“I’d like to think women have brought a lot to medicine, and we’ll continue to do it. It is an exciting time for medicine,” said Albright, one of five women in the class of 1964 at Harvard Medical School and an Olympic gold and silver medalist in figure skating.

One component of the UMMC’s application to host this exhibit was the intention to develop a scholarly history and archive collection in the Rowland Medical Library dedicated to the state’s women health professionals. At the grand opening, Dr. Dan Jones, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC, announced the establishment of the collection, “Mississippi Women in the Health Professions, 1888-1977.”

Although still in the initial stages of development, this collection contains information about 350 of the state’s health professional women.

“The criteria for the collection include women who were either born in Mississippi or spent much of their professional career in our state,” he said.

Two large displays will be featured for the six-week period of exhibit, which will highlight 50 women of the 64 first physicians from this collection.

The following Mississippi local legends’ names will be added to a national list of women physicians:

• Barnes, earned the MD in 1958 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her commitment to improving health care for the economically disadvantaged and for women was the hallmark of her career. She was on the faculty of the University of Mississippi Medical Center from 1969-2003.
• Phillips, the first female chair of a department in the School of Medicine at UMMC, earned the MD in 1973 at Tulane University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine internship and family medicine residency at UMMC, where she led the Department of Family Medicine from 1987-2006.
• Pullen, professor emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics at UMMC, earned the MD at Tulane in 1961 and completed pediatric residency training in the Tulane Department of Pediatrics at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She later completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. She joined the UMMC faculty in 1969 and was instrumental in the creation of Mississippi’s Children’s Cancer Clinic.
• Ryan, the first woman to graduate from Mississippi’s new four-year School of Medicine in 1957, completed an internship in pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, a pediatrics residency at the Medical Center, a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric cardiology in Oklahoma and a residency in pediatric neurology at the UMMC, where she served in leadership roles during her time on the faculty from 1961-1983. She then served on the faculty at Louisiana State University, where she was named professor emeritus of pediatrics at LSU at Shreveport.
• Turner, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and senior associate dean for academic affairs at UMMC, is professor of medicine and on staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She was the second faculty member at UMMC to be named president of the Mississippi State Medical Association. She earned the PhD in microbiology at UMMC in 1975 and the MD in 1979. She took her internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in infectious diseases at UMMC.

Turner said she was surprised and humbled by the recognition. “I graduated from medical school at a time when there were few women faculty members. Several of these physicians were my role models and teachers in medical school, and I am grateful to them for their leading the way,” she said.

The honorees are still blazing trails. On April 17, Barnes will be the first woman physician to deliver the Guyton History of Medicine lecture sponsored by the Friends of the Rowland Medical Library.

Friends of MSH to host charity golf event

Friends of Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) Inc. is seeking golfers to participate in the 7th annual Farmer Jim Neal Golf Event scheduled for Friday, April 18, at Whisper Lake Country Club in Madison, Miss. Proceeds from the charity event will help Friends of MSH, a not-for-profit organization, fund and subsidize enrichment programs and activities for MSH patients, Jaquith Nursing Home (JNH) residents and individuals served in the hospital’s Community Services Program.

The event, which is the Friends organization’s largest fundraiser, is named in honor of Farmer Jim Neal, who for decades was a popular radio personality in Jackson. Neal, who died in November 2006, dedicated his life to community service, volunteerism and charity. A member of the Mississippi Legislature for 20 years, Neal was an avid supporter of Friends of MSH, and cared deeply for the hospital’s patients and nursing home residents.

BankPlus is the title sponsor of the tournament.

“BankPlus is again honored to sponsor the Farmer Jim Neal Golf Event,” said Joel C. Ross, president of the Rankin County division of BankPlus. “This is one way that we give back to the community and to organizations that serve our community like the Friends of MSH. Because of our sponsorship, we know that MSH can continue to serve the needs of the people of Mississippi.”

Tee times for the tournament are 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The individual player’s fee is $125 and all players will receive breakfast, lunch, dinner, a goody bag and a tournament cap. The following sponsorships are available:

• Tee Sponsor – a contribution of $250. Sponsor receives a tee sign at the tee box.
• Par Sponsor – a contribution of $650. Sponsor receives one team (four players)/2 mulligans per member; a tee sign at the tee box; and recognition at the tournament and in the program. • Birdie Sponsor – a contribution of $2,000 (minimum of $1,500 cash and $500 in-kind services/products). Sponsor receives two teams (eight players); a booth display; a tee sign at the tee box; and recognition at the tournament and in the program.
• Eagle Sponsor – a contribution of $3,500 (minimum of $3,000 cash and $500 in-kind services/products). Sponsor receives two teams (eight players); a booth display; recognition in an anti-stigma campaign booklet with a circulation of 5,000; a company/individual vinyl banner, and recognition at the tournament and in the program.

Winners will be recognized and awarded special prizes during an awards ceremony at the end of the day. Also, prizes will be awarded to winners of several contests throughout the day, including Longest Drive, Longest Putt, Closest-to-the-Hole, and various others. In addition, one person will receive the chance to shoot for $1 million.

“We encourage everyone to participate in this very worthwhile event,” said Sheila Shows, who manages the Friends office. “Not only will they get to enjoy a great day of golf and lots of good food, but they will also help Friends in our efforts to fund activities for our patients and residents.”

Friends dedicates 100 percent of its funds to support a variety of programs and activities that cannot be funded with state dollars. The organization sponsors such activities as the annual patient fishing rodeo, watermelon cutting, and Independence Day celebration. The Friends organization also funds patient outings to local restaurants, retail stores and ballgames, and sponsors MSH employee recognition programs.

For more information or to sign up for the tournament, call Shows at (601) 351-8377.

Forrest General’s Rehab Unit Presents “The Art of Recovery”

Forrest General Hospital’s Rehabilitation Unit and the Mississippi Brain Injury Association (MS BIA) will co-host this years’ Brain Injury “Art of Recovery Expo” showing April 7 through April 11. The art work will be on display in the glass foyer of Forrester’s Dining Room in Forrest General Hospital.

Joely Corban, a recovery artist herself, first suggested this project to Dana Pierce, Director of MS BIA, in 2006 about promoting artwork created by survivors of brain injuries. The program underscores the therapeutic value of creating art, and demonstrates an enriched life by providing an outlet for creative expression. The non-verbal aspect of their creations enables patients to communicate thoughts and emotion they might not otherwise convey or discuss.

Survivors who participate in the “Art of Recovery Expo” have suffered from brain injuries that include brain trauma, damage or traumatic impact which constitutes a substantial handicap to the individual that results in attention, cognition, language and/or memory impairment, and conduct and/or motor disorder.

Art creates a sense of freedom. It allows these patients and recovery patients to express themselves artistically. Art provides these survivors with a positive focus on being able to contribute to their recovery. Many survivors discovered through art their capabilities to accomplish a physical product. “Forrest General Rehab is proud to present this program because it allows a different method of releasing creativity and brain function for our patients,” said Garry Roberts, Forrest General Rehab Program Director. “We’ve been looking at this type of program for quite some time and hope to have something similar put into place here. Forrest General is on the leading edge of health care and is always looking to bringing new techniques or methods to improve patient care. Art therapy shows another aspect of the recovery process to not only challenge the body but to challenge mind,” said Roberts.

The “Art of Recovery Expo” paintings have been displayed in a variety of locations including the Rotunda of the Mississippi State Capital. The artwork covers such styles as: abstract, geometric, baroque, classic, impressionistic, naturalistic, realistic, and representational.

This years’ Artist collection will be auctioned off at MS BIA’s Annual Banquet Gala. Interested parties can contact the MS BIA office at 601-981-1021.

National Social Work Month celebrated in March

Forrest General social workers are advocates for patients and their families and work as a liaison between the patient and the post acute care provider. These staff members show true commitment to providing the best in patient care. Forrest General social worker Arlisa Woody pictured with patient Leo Gibson.

Forrest General Hospital would like to recognize and thank its outstanding staff in Medical Social Services during March in observance of National Social Work Month.

Forrest General’s social workers assess and identify the patient's needs to plan for the patient's discharge back home or to an alternative post acute care setting more appropriate to meet their needs. Forrest General social workers are advocates for patient's and their families and work as a liaison between the patient and the post acute care provider. A social worker is knowledgeable of community resources to make sure they are acquiring the best care for the patient throughout the continuum.

A social worker’s intervention early in the hospital stay is the key to helping patients and their families make successful plans for post discharge care. It is important that decisions and plans regarding discharge planning are made quickly and must be implemented while involving the patient and their family. “Our goal is to make sure that the patient and family leave the hospital with their physical and emotional needs clearly identified and that a plan suitable to address these needs are in place,” said Paula Hand, Forrest General’s Director of Medical Social Services.

"I appreciate their dedication and commitment for serving as a voice for our patients," said Hand.

Forrest General to Celebrate National Cancer Registrars Week April 7–11

Pictured are Forrest General’s Cancer Registrars sitting from left, Jena Hopkins, Juliet Hinton and standing, Daphne Nix.

Forrest General will join cancer registrars around the nation with local community leaders and colleagues to commemorate annual National Cancer Registrars Week, April 7–11. The 2008 theme “Cancer Registrars: More than Just Statistics” reflects the expansive role of cancer registrars and cancer registry data across the spectrum of cancer-related initiatives. As the Trust for America’s Health reported in its analysis of state cancer registries, “Information is the most vital tool for finding ways to more effectively treat and prevent the disease.”

Forrest General recognizes that Forrest General’s cancer registrars’ has a very significant role in the nation’s fight against cancer. Cancer registrars work in the complete range of cancer treatment and research settings managing a wide range of demographic and medical data on people with cancer. The information is submitted to state and national cancer registries for use in research, treatment, and prevention initiatives, enabling cancer programs to accurately determine cancer patient populations, measure outcomes of treatment and survival, and formulate plans for quality improvement. This enables Forrest General’s Cancer program to accurately determine cancer patient populations, measure outcomes of treatment and survival, and formulate plans for quality improvement.

“We are very fortunate to have an outstanding cancer registry and dedicated registrars who abstract over 1,100 new cancer patients every year and follow many thousands former patients,” said Dr. Joseph Salloum, Forrest General Cancer Center radiation oncologist and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology.

“They help us gauge our performance to national standards. The Forrest General Cancer Program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons. We received an overall rating of 1. Only 27 percent of institutions surveyed receive a rating of 1. Such a rating should be credited to our cancer registrars. On behalf of the medical staff, I want to recognize them for a job well done” said Salloum.

Quality cancer data is central to the nation’s cancer fighting efforts, and cancer registrars are the first link in capturing data on patients diagnosed with cancer. This data often results in the publication of groundbreaking research, such as the American Cancer Society’s annual cancer statistics. Key results in the study are based on data from two national registries––the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).

Employees honored for years of service at MSH & JNH

Miss. State Hospital and Jaquith Nursing Home March service award recipients include: (first row, l-r) Anita Smith of Pearl, 15 years; Evelyn Dotson of Harrisville, five years; Linda Beard of Jackson, 25 years; Ever Jean Floyd of Mendenhall, 30 years (second row, l-r) Peter Soileau of Brandon, 10 years; Marilyn Weathersby of Jackson, 10 years; Mary Myers of Brandon, five years; (third row, l-r) Jimmy Davis of Brandon, 15 years; Lydia Taylor of Raymond, five years; Eric Johnson of Pearl, five years; and Marilyn Mount of Raleigh, 15 years.

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) and Jaquith Nursing Home (JNH) recently honored employees with March 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.

Chism named Employee of the Month at MSH

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) and Jaquith Nursing Home (JNH) recently recognized March 2008 Employees of the Month. Norma Chism of Puckett received the Employee of the Month Award for Licensed Clinical Services.

Chism, a Laurel native, is a registered nurse and has been employed at JNH for eight years.

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