News Around the State

Three new physicians join staff at Baptist Golden Triangle

Three new physicians have joined the medical staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle within the past month: Michael Berry, M.D., a general surgeon; Richard L. Johnston, M.D., a gastroenterologist; and Christina Collins, M.D., specializing in internal medicine and pediatrics.

Originally from Columbus, Berry is a cum laude graduate of Mississippi University for Women with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center earlier this year. His practice is located in Suite 307 of the Baptist Outpatient Pavilion at 255 Baptist Blvd., Columbus. Berry and his wife, Harriet, have two children, Blayze and Swayze.

Johnston is a Vicksburg native and received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he was chief resident. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Miami /Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami. Johnston is board certified in internal medicine. He has joined Gastroenterology Associates, located at 600 Leigh Dr. in Columbus.

Collins is a summa cum laude graduate of Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. She received her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, where she also completed her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics. Collins is married and has two children, Ethyn and Kaitltn.

“We are extremely pleased to have these three fine physicians join our already outstanding medical staff. We look forward to working with them for many years to come,” said Baptist Administrator and CEO Paul Cade.

Baptist Golden Triangle donates ‘CPR Anytime’ kits to community

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is making a major donation of self-directed CPR learning modules to all city, county and private schools in Lowndes County as well as to some larger industries in the area. The hospital’s Auxiliary recently purchased and donated 100 of the American Heart Association’s “Family and Friends CPR Anytime” kits to the hospital for distribution totaling almost $3,000.

Through the donation, the hospital is encouraging the community to help get as many people as possible trained in the lifesaving skills of CPR.

Each take-home kit is a video-based, self-directed learning program that teaches the core skills of CPR in less than 30 minutes. It involves the ‘practice-while-watching’ technique and can be used in a group setting or in a private, at-home setting, said Amy Williams, coordinator of occupational health at Baptist. Each kit includes a personal manikin, an instructional DVD and other learning materials.

“A bystander is the person most likely to call 911 when someone has a heart attack, and someone with any previous CPR training is more likely to use it in an with no training,” Williams said. And, she pointed out, a person who receives CPR early by a bystander has more than double the chance for survival than someone who does not.

About 80 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home, not in public places where trained first responders might be located, according to the American Heart Association.

‘Family and Friends CPR Anytime’ is effective in training people who normally wouldn’t or couldn’t attend or don’t feel comfortable attending a traditional class-based CPR course. It also allows a business or industry the flexibility for self-paced training of employees and reduces the need to send them off-site for training,” Williams added.

Auxiliary parliamentarian and executive board member Bettye Jones said the group is excited about the enthusiasm the project is generating in the community.

“The Volunteer Auxiliary’s mission is to help make a difference in our hospital and our community. I feel that by educating our citizens, we are one step further along in achieving this goal,” she said.

Baptist Golden Triangle named Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in mammography

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has been certified as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in Mammography by the American College of Radiology.

“This designation, administered by the ACR’s Commission on Quality and Safety and the Commission on Breast Imaging, recognizes our dedication to improving women’s health by participating in rigorous quality assurance programs,” said Kevin Aultman, director of imaging services at Baptist Golden Triangle.

To earn accreditation, facilities must complete onsite testing and send the tests to the ACR Board-certified physicians and medical physicists, who are experts in the field of mammography, evaluate the submitted information and award accreditation to the facilities they believe achieve high practice standards.

Baptist Golden Triangle’s new digital mammography system was evaluated in such areas as image quality, radiation dosage, image resolution, printer quality and qualification of personnel, said Aultman.

The $315,000 digital mammography unit was added to the hospital’s imaging department in January 2009, expanding the hospital’s women’s health and wellness services. Baptist Golden Triangle is the only facility in Columbus that offers full digital mammography and the only facility in the area using the MammoPad technology – a foam cushion that adheres to the compression plates of the mammography unit. These FDA approved pads greatly reduce the discomfort associated with mammography exams, according to Aultman.

With 328 beds, Baptist Golden Triangle is the largest regional hospital affiliated with the Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care system. More than 100 physicians and surgeons, who represent almost every medical specialty, practice at the hospital, which offers a full range of comprehensive medical care to patients of all ages.

The hospital offers a variety of services to the community, including the Baptist Centers for Cancer Care, hospice for the terminally ill, Baptist Behavioral Health Care – Willowbrook for those with behavioral and mental health problems, an emergency room with 24-hour ambulance service, an extensive rehabilitation department, and educational programs. Baptist Golden Triangle employs more than 1,000 health care professionals.

For more information, please call 662-244-1000 or visit http://goldentriangle.baptistonline.org.  

New Urologist joins Baptist Golden Triangle medical staff

 

Kevin Bond, M.D., a urologist, has joined the staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. He began his duties on May 4, and his is practice is located with Columbus Urology Group.

Originally from Columbus, Bond is a 1989 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical School where he received awards in anatomy and pathology, the Upjohn Book Award, the Department of Medicine Prize, the Department of Surgery Prize, the Walter Leathers Award and was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.

He completed his surgery internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1990 and his surgery/urology residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1995, Bond is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a member of the American Medical Association, the Mississippi Medical Association and the American Urological Association.

Bond and his wife Lisa have two sons, Christopher, 19, and Tanner, 14. They are making their home in Columbus.

“We are extremely pleased to have a physician of Dr. Bond’s caliber join our medical staff,” said Baptist Administrator and CEO Paul Cade.

Baptist Golden Triangle begins recycling program

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has begun a recycling program that not only helps the hospital lower the amount of refuse it deposits in the county’s landfill but also offers its employees and the general public a place to deposit items for recycling.

About 70 percent of the trash generated by the hospital is cardboard, according to Carl Powe, Baptist Golden Triangle director of environmental services. The hospital has contracted with Triangle Maintenance Services of Columbus to place a compactor near the facility’s loading dock. The compactor will flatten cardboard boxes to prepare them for recycling.

The hospital has already been encouraging employees to recycle unused electronics, cell phones and batteries by placing them in special containers placed in designated areas around the facility.

“Each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water,” said Powe. “If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees each year,’ he added.

Employees, as well as the general public, may also deposit plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, flattened cardboard boxes and newspapers in a recycling bin located in the slag employee parking lot on the north side of the main hospital building adjacent to the Baptist Centers for Cancer care. The bin does not accept household garbage or discarded household items, Powe added.

“We at Baptist are keenly aware that the Earth’s resources are becoming more and more limited. We want to do our part to help preserve these resources by recycling what we can and by encouraging our employees and the public to participate by providing a place for them to deposit their recyclable materials,” said Paul Cade, CEO and administrator for Baptist Golden Triangle.

For more information, please call 662-244-1000 or visit http://goldentriangle.baptistonline.org.  

Baptist Golden Triangle has new weapon against breast cancer

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has made a major expansion to its women’s health and wellness services with the addition of a new Hologic digital mammography system. The new unit provides radiologists with a more sophisticated screening tool when looking for potential areas of concern that may indicate the presence of breast cancer.

The $315,000 unit is located in the hospital’s newly-renovated mammography suite in the Baptist Outpatient Pavilion adjacent to the hospital’s main building.

Digital mammography has several advantages over the more traditional mammograms which use film to capture images of the breast, according to Kevin Aultman, Baptist director of radiology. In digital mammography, radiologists check for tumors by taking electronic images of the breast. The physician can view the images more closely, zeroing in on suspicious or areas of concern, enabling them to make immediate decisions about additional images. This eliminates the need for the patient to have to return to the imaging center for additional images, he said.

Digital mammography takes less than half the time of traditional exams, and the radiologist may review the images while the patient is still in the examination room.

In addition to this technology, the new unit also uses digital Computer-Aided Detection (CAD), which highlights characteristics commonly associated with breast cancer. When activated, it flags abnormalities to help the radiologist detect early breast cancer, Aultman explained.

“CAD is, in essence, a second set of eyes to support and enhance the radiologist’s judgment, he said. “This helps the radiologist in making an accurate diagnosis, like spell check in word processing,” he said.

Digital mammography takes an electronic image of the breast and stores it directly in a computer. These images are easily stored and transferred electronically, eliminating the dependency on one set of original films which can be misfiled or lost in transit to another hospital or physician’s office, Aultman explained. But when needed, the electronic image can also be printed on film, Aultman added.

The patient will feel no difference in digital mammography than the conventional method, although the screening time may be shorter, and there may be a reduction in the number of times women are called back for additional images, Aultman said.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health or as recommended by her physician.

Baptist Golden Triangle adds new $1.8 million MRI

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has added a new $1.8 million diagnostic tool that means shorter testing time for patients and provides more detailed information to make diagnoses for physicians. Radiologists began using the new GE Signa HDx 1.5T MRI in earlier this month.

"The addition of the new MRI complements and extends the quality diagnostic services that Baptist Golden Triangle offers,” said Paul Cade, administrator and CEO of Baptist Golden Triangle. “It provides us with a vastly improved imaging quality and speed while enhancing the excellent diagnostic services we were already providing to the community.”

Radiologists at Baptist Golden Triangle agree. “The GE 1.5 Tesla MRI is a very advanced technology that allows us to view images in more exceptional detail than previously offered,” said Mark Ellis, M.D., Baptist Golden Triangle radiologist. “This more focused imaging will enable physicians to diagnose with improved accuracy. In addition, we are now able to offer MRI of the breast and MRI breast localizations. And, patients should be more comfortable during the test with the larger opening,” he said.

MRIs can provide very early detection of many conditions so treatment can be more effective, said Dr. Ellis. The excellent quality of MRI images can also provide the best possible information if surgery is required. If there is an abnormality, MRI can show exactly where it is, its size and whether or not it has spread, he added.

Baptist Golden Triangle’s transitional care unit receives five-star rating

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle’s transitional care unit has recently received a five-star quality rating by the Mississippi Department of Health. The rating, the highest given by the Department, covers patients who require an extended stay in a skilled nursing unit or nursing home.

The unit was the only facility in Columbus and one of only 27 in the state of Mississippi to receive the rating. More than 200 facilities in Mississippi were included in the survey, which is conducted annually by the state on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The ratings range from five stars for ‘much above average’ to one star for “much below average”.

Any skilled nursing unit or nursing home that receives Medicare or Medicaid funds is inspected annually and given a rating from one to five stars in three areas: health inspections, staffing and how well they meet certain quality measures. These three ratings are then combined to reach an overall rating.

“The rating provides a ‘snapshot’ of the type of care an individual unit provides”, said Georgia Millender, administrative director for medical review services/risk management for Baptist Golden Triangle.

“For example, the health department inspection involves looking at more than 180 different items from proper management of medications to the safe storage and preparation of the patient’s food and how well the facility meets life safety code standards,” said Millender.

Inspectors also look closely at the overall number of staff compared to the number of residents and how many of the staff are trained nurses.

Baptist Golden Triangle’s 23-bed unit provides extended recovery and rehabilitation for patients following their hospital stay to prepare them for the next level of care, whether that is discharge to a nursing home or their own home. The average length of stay for a patient in the TCU is about two-weeks, said Millender.

“The five-star rating means the state recognizes the unit as being the ‘best’ in providing safe, quality and professional care to patients”, added Alicia Grant, administrative director for nursing for Baptist Golden Triangle.

With 328 beds, Baptist Golden Triangle is the largest regional hospital in the Baptist Memorial Health Care System. More than 100 physicians and surgeons represent almost every medical specialty practice at the hospital, which offers a full range of comprehensive medical care to patients of all ages. The hospital offers a variety of services to the community, including the Baptist Centers for Cancer Care, hospice for the terminally ill, Baptist Behavioral Health Care – Willowbrook for those with behavioral and mental health problems, an emergency room with

24-hour ambulance service, an extensive rehabilitation department and educational programs. Baptist Golden Triangle employs more than 1,000 health care professionals.

For more information, on the Five-Star Quality Rating System and this year's survey results, visit www.medicare.gov.  

Baptist Golden Triangle Adds Two New Hospitalists

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle recently announced the addition of Drs. Brad Brown and James Woodard, to its staff of hospitalists. Brown and Woodard both come to the staff from Internal Medicine Associates, PC of Columbus, Miss.

Brown received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson and completed his residency in internal medicine at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Brown is board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and joined Baptist Golden Triangle’s medical staff in 1987.

Woodard received his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and completed his residency in internal medicine at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. Woodard is board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Woodard joined Baptist Golden Triangle’s medical staff in 1988.

“Quality of care and patient satisfaction are of utmost importance to us at Baptist Golden Triangle,” said Paul Cade, administrator and CEO of Baptist Golden Triangle. “We believe by adding Dr. Brown and Dr. Woodard to our team of hospitalists our community will continue to receive excellent care because of their years of experience and expertise. They will relieve some of the pressure placed on physicians with office-based practices and provide additional support to our patients. Making the hospitalists available is another way Baptist is committed to providing safe, quality care to our community.”

Hospitalists are physicians who work in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because these physicians spend their entire time at Baptist Golden Triangle, they are always available for admissions and emergencies. They take care of patients in the same manner a primary care physician might, including ordering treatments, and tests and consulting with specialty physicians when needed. Once a patient is discharged, the care returns to the patient’s primary care physician or internist.

In the traditional model of care, office-based physicians generally visit hospitalized patients before or after their office hours and have to balance their inpatient and office patient needs. This new dimension to patient care will allow these physicians more time to see patients in their offices. Baptist Golden Triangle implemented the hospitalists program more than four years ago to provide hospitalized patients access to around- the- clock physician care.

Hospital-based physicians are accessible to patients and their families, and they are in contact with each patient’s primary care physician on a daily basis.

Baptist Golden Triangle's critical care unit celebrates four years without VAP incident

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle's critical care unit recently surpassed the four-year mark since the last time the hospital had a case of ventilator-acquired pneumonia. The last VAP incident at the hospital was August 20, 2004.

Because of its efforts and success in VAP prevention, Baptist Golden Triangle was designated as a mentor organization for VAP earlier this year by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit organization that works to enhance hospital care for patients. Baptist Golden Triangle is the only hospital in Mississippi to receive this distinction.

"For all of our patients, we wanted to make sure that we take care of the little things so they don't turn into bigger things" said Sherry Elmore, CCU nurse manger at Baptist Golden Triangle. "We take great pride in being a national leader for care, and we're humbled that we can provide that level of care to the community."

Elmore said that the proper maintenance of a regular monitoring schedule for CCU patients has been a huge asset in preventing further incidents.

Baptist Golden Triangle has been a part of the IHI since 2002 as part of the organization's Protecting 5 Million Lives from Harm campaign; an effort to get hospitals nationally to re-commit to enhancing patient care. As a mentoring hospital in this campaign, Baptist Golden Triangle fields requests for advice and dialogue from other hospitals.