News Around the State

Eupora children are helped in the fight against obesity

In a national collaboration, the University of Mississippi Medical Center plans to target childhood obesity in north Mississippi.

The University of California, San Francisco National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health (USCF CoE) and the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Corporate Contribution Program have partnered to create “Fostering Excellence in Women’s Health” through the Academic-Community Partnerships Program.

The Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at UMC and the Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Healthy Schools formed TEAM Mississippi, which addresses obesity in Mississippi schools. TEAM stands for teachers, elementary schools, academic institutions, and mothers.

The project is designed to target obesity in girls by increasing the nutritional knowledge and physical activity levels of Eupora Elementary School students. Initial data-based measures suggest that more than 50 percent of the students are at risk for being overweight, and that female students are at an even higher risk.

According to TEAM Mississippi, proactive solutions, such as targeting unhealthy lifestyles in children and teaching parents to provide nutritious food choices may provide long-term results by decreasing future rates of obesity and ultimately creating a healthier girls and women.

The TEAM Mississippi project differs from others in the state because of its continuing focus on community involvement and collaborative efforts to combine school-based interventions with healthier home environments.

TEAM Mississippi’s theme for the project is “Family Olympics.” The team and the community will organize an olympic event each month.

Each olympic event will focus on teaching a specific topic related to health information to students and their caregivers to transform the home environment and promote healthier lifestyle choices for the entire family. Different events are scheduled each month. 

Data will be gathered at the end of the school year to determine how much of an impact TEAM Mississippi has had on objective measures such as body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, nutritional knowledge, and more.

For more information, contact Dr. Carrie Fielder, postdoctoral research fellow for the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, at (601) 815-7137 or cfielder@medicine.umsmed.edu.

Whitaker named to MHA Board of Governors

Harold Whitaker, chairman of the Webster Health Services’ Board of Directors and former administrator at North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora, has been elected to the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Board of Governors.

Whitaker retired in 2005 after serving for 33 years as administrator at North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora. He was named board chairman for Webster Health Services in early 2006.

Whitaker graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public accounting from Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University, in Starkville in 1956. He moved to Eupora in December 1972 as administrator at what was then Webster General Hospital. Under his leadership, the Eupora hospital underwent two major construction projects, including a $9.5 million expansion project in 2002. In 1979, the Eupora facility underwent a $1.36 million expansion and renovation project.

Prior to his move to Eupora, Whitaker served as supervisor of the Health Facilities Certification Unit of the Mississippi State Board of Health. In 1959, Whitaker began his career in hospital administration as assistant administrator of the Greenwood LeFlore Hospital. He served as administrator at Field Memorial Community Hospital in Centreville and Tallahatchie General Hospital in Charleston.

Whitaker and Pearl, his wife of 48 years, have two children and five grandchildren. Daughter Cathy Pendleton and her husband Robbie have 11-year-old twins-daughter Taylor Ann and son Daniel. Son Harold Whitaker Jr., and his wife Eileen have three children-daughters Claire, 7, and Katie, 4, and son Zach, 3.

Whitaker will serve a three-year term with the Board of Governors, after which he is eligible for re-election.

New doctors in Eupora

Medical clinics in Eupora have announced the association of two new physicians.

Rafael Arteta-Bulos, MD, is now associated with Eupora Medical Clinic for the practice of internal medicine. He joins David Booth, DO, and Charles Ozborn, MD, at the clinic.

Dr. Arteta-Bulos received his medical training and a master's degree in health policy in Lima, Peru. He completed his internal medicine residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich. He is an associate member of the American Medical Association and the American College of Phsyicians.

Nandor Kalli, MD, is now associated with Eupora Pediatric Clinic for the practice of pediatrics. He joins nurse practitioners Abigail Clouse and Carey McCarter at the clinic.

Dr. Kalli received his medical training in Bogota, Columbia, and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. During his internship, he completed rotations at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and The Med-Newborn Center.

The local clinics are two of the 30 medical clinics affiliated with North Mississippi Medical Clinics in Tupelo.

North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora in Eupora has begun its endowment campaign for the Harold H. Whitaker Educational Scholarship. The scholarship was created upon Whitaker’s retirement after 32 years of service as chief executive officer at NMMC-Eupora. Interest income from the $15,000 endowment’s annual earnings will be used to provide a $1,000 educational scholarship. Members of the H.H. Whitaker Endowment Fund Committee are soliciting one-time donations for the fund. Donations may be mailed to HCF, 830 S. Gloster St., Tupelo, MS 38801. Donations of over $500 will receive plaques and be recognized annually at each school’s awards banquets. For more information, call 662-258-6221. 

NMMC-Eupora names new administrator

K. Michael Bailey, Ph.D., has been named administrator of North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora.

Bailey has more than 23 years experience managing large health care organizations, systems, data programs and staff. He joined the NMMC staff on Jan. 31 and spent his first two weeks meeting key leaders throughout the health care organization before officially starting in Eupora. Bailey replaces Harold Whitaker who retired Feb. 25 after 33 years at the Eupora hospital.

Before moving to Eupora, he served as chief financial officer and director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid’s Office of Finance and Administration from March 1999-December 2004. There he was responsible for Medicaid’s divisions of accounting, budget, purchasing, payroll and business services.

From 1997-1999 Bailey served as administrator/chief executive officer at Millcreek Children’s Behavioral Health Center in Magee, a long-term behavioral health care facility with approximately 500 employees.

A native of D’Lo near Jackson, Bailey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Belhaven College. He completed the advanced respiratory therapy program at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, and is a registered respiratory therapist. He holds a diploma in health services administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Bailey, 46, earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration and is a Mississippi licensed nursing home administrator.

He is joined in Eupora by Theresa, his wife of 21 years. His daughter Brandy is a radiologic technologist in Monroe, La., and the mother of their 1-year-old grandson, Benton.

Bailey’s hobbies are Harley-Davidson motorcycle riding, watching LSU and New Orleans Saints football, and “just hanging out around the house” with Theresa.

The Baileys are currently searching for a home in the Eupora area and will be relocating from Ridgeland.

Regarding his new responsibility, Bailey states, “I am very excited and honored to have been selected for this position. NMMC is one of the most respected health care systems in the U.S., and the city of Eupora reminds me a lot of my hometown.”