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During a retirement reception June 27 for Dr. James Hughes, right, professor of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, Dr. Robert McGuire, center, orthopedics chair, and Dr. James Keeton, left, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, presented a framed collage of UMMC history depicting Hughes' 34-year tenure. Hughes, a Flowood resident, was the first chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UMMC in 1987.
Drs. Kathleen and Michael Mansour at the installation ceremony at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans, LA.
Michael Mansour, MD, FACC recently assumed the role of Mississippi Governor to the American College of Cardiology. In addition, Dr. Mansour will concurrently serve a three year term as the President of the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He represents the interests of Mississippi cardiologists and their patients at National Forums on Cardiovascular Medicine and Policy and facilitates implementation of national healthcare initiatives that serve to advance the practice of cardiology with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
Dr. Mansour is a graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical School and received his post graduate training at the Ochsner Clinic, the University of Florida and Harvard Medical School. He served as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University. In 1998 Dr. Mansour returned to the Mississippi Delta to join an outstanding team of cardiovascular physicians, nurses, and support personnel.
Dr. Mansour is married to Kathleen Mansour, MD, FACC. Since relocating to Greenville in 1998, they have been committed to improving the well-being and health of the community through support of many organizations including the American Heart Association, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and Delta Center Stage among others. They have been the presenting sponsor of the YMCA’s Cotton Classic since 2007. With over 700 participants in this year’s Cotton Classic, Drs. Michael and Kathleen Mansour hope to promote the Greenville community and simultaneously promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging participation in activities like the 5K walk, 10K run, and 1 mile fun run for children.
The health care challenges in Mississippi and the Delta are not unique, but they are more pervasive than elsewhere in the country. In the last decade, Mississippi and the Delta have seen a nearly 35% decrease in cardiovascular death. This exceeds the national trend of approximately 26% decrease and is a tribute to the cardiovascular professionals and heart programs in Mississippi and especially here in the Delta. This success is particularly remarkable in an area so desperately underserved in health care services.
Pine Grove staff members gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the new Pine Grove Evaluation Center at Lincoln Center. Pictured, from left, are: Ed Anderson, PhD; Tony Calabrese, PhD; Allison Sutton, Debbie Sanford, Greg White, Robert Adams, PhD; Philip Hemphill, PhD and Craig Paterson, PhD.
Pine Grove staff gathered on June 28 for a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the brand-new Pine Grove Evaluation Center, located at Lincoln Center. The new center will offer a location for comprehensive evaluations for addiction, vocational and behavioral issues on an outpatient or residential basis.
At the center, patients can receive four different types of evaluation – Comprehensive Evaluation, Addiction Evaluation, Psycho-Sexual Evaluation and Neuropsychological Testing. Comprehensive Evaluation is a 3-day multidisciplinary outpatient evaluation for individuals who display behavior that interferes with smooth functioning of an organization, problems with professional ethics, decreased workplace functioning or other concerns. Addiction Evaluation and Psycho-Sexual Evaluation are residential programs that last 3 or 5 days, respectively, and include overnight accommodations and meals at Pine Grove. These evaluation programs offer help for individuals who have addiction or psycho-sexual issues. The Neuropsychological Testing program includes 6-8 hours of testing by a highly trained neuropsychologist for individuals who may have cognitive impairment or symptoms of adult ADHD.
"Pine Grove has offered addiction and vocational evaluations for more than nine years to clients from 43 U.S. states,” said Debbie Sanford, Forrest General Chief Behavioral Health Services Officer. “We are pleased to expand this service by dedicating staff and a new home at the Lincoln Center specifically for our Evaluation Center.”
For each of these evaluation programs, the cost of evaluation is applied toward the cost of any treatment program the patient chooses to complete at Pine Grove.
Glen Patterson (left) receives award from Society President Robert Huffman
Glenn Patterson, Plant Services Director for King's Daughters Hospital in Yazoo City, has been named as the 2011 Dennis Cagle Emerging Leader by the MHA Society for Healthcare Engineers and Facility Managers. The award was presented to him on Monday, June 27, during the Society’s annual meeting. Robert Huffman, Society President, made the presentation.
In his role as Plant Services Director at King’s Daughters Hospital Yazoo City, Glenn Patterson continuously works to enhance the efficiency of hospital operations and safety for staff and community and actively promotes collaboration with the hospital’s supporting city and county resources including public works, emergency management, fire and police staff as well as CSX Railroad Emergency Preparedness personnel.
Patterson has leveraged thousands of dollars in federal grant funds to improve the technological capacity of his hospital to prepare for and respond to disasters. He developed a rural hospital amateur radio communications model that has been shared statewide. He also established a HAM Radio club in his hospital which has been applauded by local, state and federal emergency response agencies for their critical communications linking during local disasters including the devastating killer tornado that wreaked havoc on his city in April of 2010.
Patterson is the first Mississippian to be awarded the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Challenge Coin for his readiness and advocacy. Under his leadership, the King’s Daughters Yazoo City Amateur Radio Club has established a mentoring scholarship program to assist local teams in achieving Federal Communications Commission amateur radio licensing and to purchase their first radio equipment.
He is instrumental in supporting the training of other hospital staff to achieve advanced certifications and training to further their personal and professional development, and he has completed National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800 Training.
River Oaks Hospital and Woman’s Hospital recognized associates for their years of service during a special luncheon held in their honor where they each received a service award lapel pin.
Five years of service (L-R): William Morrison, Belinda Martin, Lisa Norton and Denny Bruns, CEO.
The following associates were recognized during the second quarter of 2011 for their service to River Oaks Hospital: Five years of service – Lindsay Evans, Joe Jones Jr., Belinda Martin, William Morrison, Lisa Norton and Amanda Weltens.
Ten years of service (L-R): Becky Harrell, Stephanie Williamson, Edna Dent and Denny Bruns, CEO.
Ten years of service – Rodney Biggs, Betty Brumfield, Cynthia Bryan, Lisa Coble, Vicki Dantone, Edna Dent, Alicia Ferguson, Tammy Field, Becky Harrell, Donna Herrington, Lakesha Jordan, Clarence Lewis, Amy Lott, Carrie Muhammad, Lynda Robinette, Patricia Wallace, Stephanie Williamson and Angelia Yelverton.
Fifteen years of service (L-R): Harry Crosby, John Booth, Denny Bruns, CEO and Ladine Blaylock.
Fifteen years of service – Ladine Blaylock, John Booth, Harry Crosby, Christy Henderson and Yolanda Miller-Scott.
Twenty years of service (L-R): Melvina McGowan, Denny Bruns, CEO
Twenty years of service – William Harris, Vickie Huff and Melvina McGowan.
Jonathan Prince (5 years), Jean Conn (25 years), Sherry Pitts, CEO, Angela Kilpatrick (5 years), Bridgette Kimbrell (5 years)
The following associates were recognized during the second quarter of 2011 for their service to Woman’s Hospital: Five years of service – Paula Baglione, Sandra Henderson, Bridgette Kimbrell, Jonathan Prince and Bobbie White. Ten years of service – Kristy Austin, Joyce Harris, Angela Kilpatrick, Shauntell Kline and Shirley Mitchell. Fifteen years of service – Julie Cockayne and Dianne Danforth. Twenty years of service – Myra Penn. Twenty-five years of service – Jean Conn. Thirty years of service - Debra Smith.
Crossgates River Oaks Hospital has recently created a new position, the Customer Service Coordinator, in order to help meet and even exceed patients’ expectations for their healthcare needs in a kind, compassionate, and respectful manner.
Roscoe Greene, long time resident of Rankin County, will be filling the role of the new Customer Service Coordinator. The Customer Service Coordinator will be visiting patients to assure that their stay at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. The addition of the Customer Service Coordinator will enable the hospital to continue to provide the services and top quality care that Crossgates dedicates to provide.
“It’s my pleasure to be able to visit with patients and their families each day in order to ensure that we give the best quality care available,” Greene stated one afternoon after visiting a number of patients during his first week of work.
Allen Tyra, Chief Executive Officer of Crossgates River Oaks Hospital, is also excited about the new addition to the hospital.
“Here at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital, we are dedicated to provide the highest quality care available,” said Tyra. “We are excited and fortunate to have Mr. Roscoe Greene here at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital working alongside associates and patients, and we are all excited for the bright future for the hospital.”
The Customer Service Coordinator is at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital to assist each and every patient. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like more information please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Roscoe Greene, Customer Service Coordinator, at 601.824.8456.
Singing River Health System has honored Retha Gunter, Belynda Bosarge, and Rachel Thorne as the Employees of the Month for May.
Retha Gunter, RN, is the patient care coordinator of the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. She was born and raised in Whynot, Miss. She attended Southeast Lauderdale High School, and Meridian Community College, where she earned her associates degree in Nursing. She worked for Rush Meridian Hospital, Depoo Hospital, and Methodist Hospital, before she began working with Singing River Hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit in 1991. She now works in NICU.
Gunter currently lives in Lucedale with her husband, Mike, owner of The Business Consultant. They have one child named Jayne. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Retha enjoys working for SRHS because of the people she works with and the advantage of working for a state of the art health system. “I help to improve patient satisfaction by maintaining a positive attitude and assisting visitors and family members with all their needs and/or concerns.”
Belynda Bosarge is the department secretary for facilities support at Ocean Springs Hospital. She was born and raised in Pascagoula. She attended Pascagoula High school and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where she earned her associate degree in Business Accounting in 1983. She worked for St. Rose Dominican Hospital before she began working with OSH.
Bosarge currently lives in Pascagoula and has one child named Rachel Lapointe. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.
Bosarge enjoys working for SRHS because of the people she works with. “The Facilities Support Department is always working to improve the physical plant and thereby making the patients and their families feel as comfortable as possible.”
Rachel Thorne is a coding specialist with The Neuroscience Center. She was born in Louisiana and raised in Pascagoula. She attended Pascagoula High School and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She began working for Singing River Health System’s Neuroscience Center in 2008.
Thorne currently lives in Pascagoula and has one child named Hayden. In her free time, she enjoys boating and spending time with family and friends.
Thorne enjoys working for SRHS because of her wonderful and caring coworkers. “I love helping our patients and seeing them smile.”
Garden Park Medical Center recently announced several annual award winners:
Betty Davis, an RN in the Emergency Room, was given the Frist Humanitarian Award. This award is given annually in recognition of the humanitarian spirit and philanthropic work of the late Dr. Thomas A. Frist, Sr., a founder of HCA. The award acknowledges one employee who best exhibits the spirit of caring and concern that is HCA’s hallmark by going beyond day-to-day responsibilities in their overall service to the community.
Betty travels annually to South America with the Christian Medical Mission to give healthcare to people in need. She gathers supplies and ships them to needy villages at her own expense. She has been a home to struggling families in need.
Amos Fields was named the Volunteer of the Year. This is a special award because it is voted on by peer members of the Auxiliary. In his first year, Amos made quite a splash. Even if you don’t know him, you most certainly know who he is. He is the smiling face who always has a friendly word lighting up the hospital with positivity and happiness. He is the willing helper who is always offering to assist in any way he can.
Debra Rivers, director of quality, was named the Leader of the Year. The Leader of the Year recognizes the leader who has distinguished herself by making a special contribution through her leadership. This is a leader who has exemplified service behavior, serves as a role model and found ways to enhance Garden Park through her vision and commitment to our mission.
The Imaging Department was named the Team of the Year. This group has had more Spirit of Excellence winners than any other department...ever! This team has nearly 40 employees and still had 91% participation in the employee satisfaction survey with 93% overall satisfaction! Imaging has significantly achieved above the 85th percentile in inpatient and ED patient satisfaction, and, in addition, significantly reduced their patient wait time and improved patient throughput which has resulted in strong outpatient growth.
The Spirit of Excellence Hall of Fame winner was Esther Lott, Med Tele RN. She was nominated for “Special Act for Patient.” A patient forgot one of his medications that the hospital pharmacy did not carry, and his wife was unable to drive at night to go home to retrieve it. Esther volunteered to drive the wife home after her shift to pick up the medication so that he would not miss a dose. She is the most senior member of Garden Park at the age of 72. Her fellow teammates describe her as “always calm, cool and collected, and a role model for us all.”
The latest cardiac imaging technology has made it easier for University of Mississippi Health Care physicians to diagnose congenital heart defects in children and to establish the appropriate treatment.
Compared to echocardiograms, the imaging produced by a cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) exam provides excellent visualization of the entire heart and surrounding structures.
“It’s easy for me to understand the anatomy because the images have so much clarity. The images speak a thousand words,” said Dr. Andrew Rivard, radiologist and director of cardiac imaging at UMMC.
A standard coronary angiogram, which can help diagnose heart conditions, is the most common type of heart catheter procedure using X-rays. In contrast, a cardiac MR exam does not involve radiation from X-rays, and is an excellent exam to assess for suspected coronary artery anomalies in children.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center is believed to be one of 31 places in the world that offers MR coronary artery angiograms.
“With the advancement of this technology and its availability in UMMC, we are able to avoid cardiac catheterization in some patients and in others we are able to plan accurately for a procedure,” said Dr. Makram Ebeid, pediatric cardiologist.
Dr. Jorge Salazar, chief of congenital heart surgery, said Rivard and his team have transformed cardiac imaging for congenital heart patients and contributed to the success of the congenital heart surgery program.
“The non-invasive imaging is at a world-class level and translates into even better care for the congenital heart patients. The detailed information provided by Dr. Rivard and his team enables the best selection and timing of a congenital heart procedure, whether surgical or in the catheterization laboratory,” he said.
