News Around the State

SRHS Launches Pet Therapy Program

Man’s best friend has joined man’s health care team as a volunteer therapist at Singing River Health System (SRHS), with the launch of pet therapy in select nursing units.

Pet Assisted Wellness Services (PAWS) is an animal-assisted therapy service in which specially-trained dogs, cats or rabbits are used to improve the wellbeing of a patient. Research shows that interactions between humans and animals have positive psychological and physiological benefits for hospitalized patients. 

A visit from a therapy animal can be a good distraction from a patient’s illness or pain, and encourages activity. The program was piloted in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center (CRC) at Singing River Hospital, and has expanded to Pediatrics.

“It is amazing to watch the patient as they interact with the therapy dog,” said Cindy Carrigan, Patient Care Coordinator for the CRC. “All patients smile and a look of joy is on their face. Many times it is the first smile we see from the patient.” 

“Our stroke patients have been able to incorporate brushing the animal using their weak hand and reaching over to pet the animal to help with balance,” Carrigan continued. “One of our physicians observed a stroke patient interacting with an animal, and the smile and effort the patient put into attempting to work with the dog was fascinating. The physician said he never believed in pet therapy until he observed the session, he will be an advocate from now on.” 

PAWS only utilizes animals certified by Therapy Dogs International and Delta Society, two professional organizations committed to making sure therapy animals are properly trained and cared for. All animals must undergo extensive training and behavior testing before they are approved for service.

The therapy animals are accompanied by a certified handler who has also been trained extensively. PAWS visits occur weekly, but can also be scheduled at the request of the patient and according to the availability of the handler/pet team. Only PAWS animals and guide dogs are allowed inside the hospital.

 

SRHS honors Employees of the Month

Singing River Health System has honored Zadie Rogers, Renee’ Sadler and Casie Russell as Employees of the Month.

Singing River Hospital has honored Zadie Rogers, social worker, patient resource management, as the November Employee of the Month.

Rogers was born and raised in Marion, Ala and attended Francis Marion High School She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in social work at the University of Alabama and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern Mississippi. Before working with Singing River Health System, she retired from the Department of Human Services after 25 years as a social worker and then Regional Director. She’s worked with Singing River Hospital’s Case Management Department for over five years as a Social Worker Case Manager.

Rogers currently lives in Moss Point and is married to Steven Rogers, who works for Ingall’s Shipbuilding.  They have one daughter and one grandson.  In her free time, she enjoys gardening, volunteering at her church, and decorating her home.

Rogers enjoys working for SRHS because she’s able to help people in her community.  “It is always my desire to leave a positive reflection of this hospital.”

Ocean Springs Hospital has honored Renee’ Sadler, diversified technician, Labor and Delivery/Recovery/Nursing, as the November Employee of the Month.

Sadler was born in Independence, La. and raised in Kentwood, Ala. and St. Martin. She attended St. Martin High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College.  Before working with Singing River Health System, she worked for Hood Memorial Hospital as a nursing assistant and unit clerk. She has worked with SRHS for more than seven years and began her career with Ocean Springs Hospital on Three East. She later transferred to Labor and Delivery.

Sadler currently lives in Latimer and is married to Andy Sadler who works for Academy Sports and Outdoors as a Senior Team Leader.  She has one child. Sadler enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, watching movies, and playing with her two family dogs. 

Renee’ enjoys working for SRHS because she enjoys being part of a special moment in patient’s lives when they welcome a new member into their family.  “My patients leave remembering that they were treated like a person and that we at SRHS really do care about them.”

The Outlying Facilities have honored Casie Russell, receptionist, SRHS Clinics - Gautier, as the November Employee of the Month.

Russell was born and raised in Gautier. She attended Gautier High School, Pearl River Community College and Blue Cliff College. She earned an associate degree from William Carey University and is a Certified Medical Assistant. She has worked for SRHS Clinics in Gautier since July 2011.

Russell currently lives in Gautier and is engaged to Brandon Riley, who works for Haynes Electric as an electrician. They have one child. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, shopping, and spending time outdoors.

Russell enjoys working for SRHS because she’s able to work with patient’s and co workers alike who lift her spirits.  “I help give patients anything they need and if I can’t do it, I find someone who
can.”

 

Singing River Health System Earns “Mentor” Status

Singing River Health System (SRHS) was named a mentor hospital with a Quality Award of Excellence from Information and Quality Healthcare recently, and is the only mentor hospital in southern Mississippi.

Awards were given in recognition of the dedication and contribution to quality patient care in the 2011 Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP). SCIP is a national quality partnership of professional organizations committed to improving patient safety by reducing postoperative complications through evidence-based medical practice.  

Awards of Excellence were awarded to those that were 100 percent in at least seven of eight measures and achieved the hospital’s individual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) goal for the eighth measure. Members of SCIP visited Pascagoula to present SRHS with the award in July.

To be recognized for these types of awards, all parts of the medical team must be working together as a team. All of the members of the various teams represented are to be commended for their hard work and achievements, according to the SCIP representatives. 

This award is a validation for SRHS staff who have spent years getting care up to quality standards, explained Kathy Dier, SRHS director of clinical data management. “It’s an awesome group that is totally committed to providing that world class service to our patients.”

 

SRHS Honors Top Performers

Singing River Health System (SRHS) honored several employees during the first annual STAR (SRHS Top Achievement Recipients) Award ceremony held Nov. 3 at Pelican Landing in Moss Point.

The following honorees were chosen based on outstanding commitment to their roles in the organization and were nominated by their peers and supervisors:

Sharron Alderman      Idona Donnelly      Gina May
Cynthia Aycock          Joyce Dread          Kim Monson
Greg Ball                   Connie Dunnagan   Felice Odom
Tenesha Batiste         Mary Dunn           Angelia Patton
Lisa Bishop              Amy Dunn              Deidre Peyton
Veronica Black            Amy Eubanks      Deanne Phillips
Rachel Blades            Tracy  Freeman      Kibibi Piper
Elizabeth Blakeney      Clarice Gibson      Debbie Pipkins
Linda Blow                  Cleo Glaude          Linda D. Robinson
Daralyn Boudreaux      William Goff          Linda Robinson
Leigh Boutwell             Toni Greene          Mary Sanchon
Renee Brown               Sheila Hamilton     Michelle Sanford
Donna Burks               Summer Harris      Peggy Sartin
Shelea Burnett             Sharon  Head      Cindy Seymour
Renee Burnsed          Kim Henderson      Georgia  Storey
Horace Burrow          Maria Hendricks      Christopher Stringfellow
Betty Burts              Carmen Hernandez      Windy Taylor
Angel Caillavet          Elaine Hiers              Dorris Thomas
Tony Cao                  Charles Howard          Judy Vick
Lesia Chatman          Lizabeth Howell          Carolyn Wade
Terri Coate              Aletha Huckleby          Rana Walley
Randall Cobb              Cindy Hurley          Susan Wenninger
Brian Cochran          Emma Jones              Joann Williamson
Beachell Collins          Lauren King          Cori Winstead
Allison Cook              Allison Knight          Gina Woods
Temesha Cunningham  Shemeka Lofton      Gail Yarbrough
Angela Davidson          Cheryl Mansfield   

Singing River Health System Continuing Medical Education Program Awarded a Six-Year Accreditation with Commendation

The Mississippi State Medical Association has reaccredited Singing River Health System’s Continuing Medical Education program for six years with commendation – an award attained by less than 15 percent of continuing medical education (CME) providers nationwide. The decision was based on the review of a twelve-month self-study of the CME program, evidence of performance-in-practice, and an accreditation interview by the surveyors. The SRHS CME Program is one of only two Mississippi CME Providers to attain the highest level of accreditation awarded by the Mississippi State Medical Association.

Accreditation for four years is the standard status for reaccreditation applicants. Accreditation with Commendation for six years is reserved for CME providers exceeding compliance in all 22 criteria required by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education that determine accreditation – a benchmark met by fewer than 10% of the applicants within the state of Mississippi. The SRHS CME program received exemplary compliance in all criteria areas.

The purpose of accreditation is to ensure the quality and integrity of CME providers by promoting organizational self-assessment and improvement. Accreditation demonstrates that superior CME programming is planned, implemented and evaluated by the accredited provider. The rigorous process assures medical providers and the public that the CME activities offered, assist physicians to maintain and improve their practice of medicine. In 2006, the ACCME revised its requirements for accreditation. The new requirements were more rigorous and made it much more difficult to achieve accreditation with commendation. This was the first reaccreditation survey for SRHS under the new criteria.

“This is a historic achievement for the CME program, because it formally acknowledges the level of quality and accountability executed by the CME staff, CME Physician Committee, faculty, and stakeholders,” said Gloria King, CME Director. “This is a testimony to the professionalism of everyone involved in the CME process. We’ve always aimed high when it comes to setting the standards for our CME program. This recognition is a “pat-on-the-back” and an encouragement to continue to provide the highest level of education to our local physicians in an ever-changing medical environment so that they are prepared to give the very best care to their patients. We want to be the very best and to give the very best.”
 
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) sets and enforces standards in physician education within the United States. It acts as the overseeing body for continuing medical education (CME) credit, which is offered through its constituent member organizations. The Council's seven member organizations are the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME), the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

The ACCME's mission is to provide those in the medical field with opportunities to maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. A voluntary self-regulated system and a peer-review process are used to regulate and accredit medical education providers. The Mississippi State Medical Association is recognized by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to accredit CME providers who meet the criteria set forth by the ACCME.

Cancer Program Wins LIVESTRONG Award

Singing River Health System’s Regional Cancer Center has been awarded one of 35 national Community Impact Program Awards from the LIVESTRONG cancer foundation. Winners were decided by online community voting.

“This award is a result of HUGE support from the SRHS family, their connections and our local and regional community who made the effort to vote online once a day to support our application,” said Maggie Clarkson, RCC grants director.

The Community Impact Program will allow the Regional Cancer Center to implement a 6 week program for cancer patients who are finishing their initial cancer treatment. This program incorporates six weeks of counseling, exercise, and nutrition support for these patients. 

“At the Regional Cancer Center, we are always striving to improve our services to meet patients’ needs more effectively - not only with the best medical care, but also the support and resources that give people the courage to keep fighting,” Clarkson said.

SRHS applied for funding for the LIVESTRONG program in April and was selected to advance to the final stage - a vote by the broader community – in May. SRHS encouraged employees and patients to vote and spread the word to everyone they know, including such external community resources and churches and senior centers. Social media was even used to encourage community voting, which ended May 31.

“We will never be able to personally thank everyone that voted for us. This level of involvement spread well beyond the SRHS staff into our local community and beyond,” Clarkson said, who has received a congratulations email from a patient’s family member in Arkansas.

More than 340,000 total votes were cast in the competition, which was based on community voting in different regions of the country. The organizations receiving the most votes within their regions won the award. Mississippi fell into Region 6, which included Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. The LIVESTRONG campaign is a part of the Lance Armstrong Foundation

SRHS Teams with Red Cross for Disaster Relief

 
From left, nursing leaders Debra Taranto, Cynthia Copeland, Rhonda Rempel, Sandy Hoover, Leslie Lyons, Frank Bailey, Amanda Dunaway and Beatrice Overby, presented a check for $5,000 to Catherine Gautier, Development and Communications Officer for the American Red Cross South Mississippi Chapter (third from right) to assist tornado and flood victims in Mississippi. The donation was made on behalf of all nurses in Singing River Health System and in honor of National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6 through 12. 

The nurses of Singing River Health System (SRHS) presented a $5,000 donation to the American Red Cross on Thursday to aid tornado and flood victims in Mississippi.

The donation is from SRHS nursing leadership in honor of National Nurses Week on behalf of all nurses in SRHS, which includes Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs Hospital. The donation was made in lieu of personal gifts like umbrellas or coffee mugs.

“Our nurses felt that everyone helped us so much after Hurricane Katrina, and that it’s our turn to give back,” said Sandy Hoover, PACU /OPS Patient Care Manager. “The nursing staff supported this idea 100 percent, and they were happy to give up their nurses’ day gift after learning what this amount of money can do for the tornado victims.”

National Nurses Week is May 6 through 12. International Nurses Day is recognized annually on May 12, marking the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.

Singing River Health System Appoints Nursing Vice Presidents

Singing River Health System (SRHS) recently announced the appointments of two vice presidents in nursing. Michael Knotts was named Vice President of Medical/Surgical Nursing for SRHS, and Leslie Lyons is Vice President of Women’s and Children’s Services. Their responsibilities will span Singing River Hospital and Ocean Springs Hospital.

During Knotts’ 13 years with SRHS, he has served as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, Manager of the Rehabilitation Unit and Patient Care Manager of nursing unit One Northeast at Singing River Hospital.

In his role as vice president, Knotts is responsible for all medical/surgical inpatient nursing units at both Ocean Springs Hospital and Singing River Hospital.

“I chose a career in nursing because I wanted to be able to interact with people and make a positive change in their lives,” Knotts said.
“At SRHS, we provide world-class care, which means we have compassionate, caring and knowledgeable staff that can provide the best care with the most advanced equipment.” 

In his new role, Knotts said he hopes to be a great team leader and coach while prioritizing patient care.

SRHS Chief Nursing Officer Sue Longcore said Knotts’ strong communication skills and years of experience in nursing will lead patient care at the Health System to an even higher level. “His ability to relate to the practice of bedside nursing comes from many years of directly caring for patients,” Longcore said.  “Michael is caring and well respected within our organization.”

Lyons also brings years of experience in the Women’s and Children’s environment, as well as in risk management and peer review, to her new role.

“Leslie was chosen as the vice president of Womens' and Children's Services from a highly qualified group of candidates,” Longcore said.

“Leslie is an experienced nursing leader with a broad range of experience.  She is passionate about the care of each patient and will be very effective in creating a World Class Women's and Children's program across SRHS.”

Lyons said she will build upon the level of excellence and teamwork that already exists in Women's and Children's patient care services at both hospitals. “By joining forces, I envision a service line that is even more involved with our Community through education, nursing services and outreach,” she explained.

Lyons said world class care means that our Community can trust the Health System with their most precious possession - their health and the health and wellbeing of their families. 

“Our staff is not only knowledgeable and highly skilled, but also sincerely invested and willing to give personally to their patients each and every day,” Lyons said. “A kind word and hand to hold can be more helpful to a patient than a medication. I believe world class care is a combination of skill and caring.”

The Coastal Mississippi Healthcare Fund hosts golf tournament

 
Joel Watts the green before putting while teammates Corrie and Wyatt Hall and David McClendon offer advice during the CMHF Golf Classic for Charity tournament May 22 at Mississippi National Golf Course in Gautier.

The Coastal Mississippi Healthcare Fund, Inc. (CMHF), the charity affiliated with Singing River Health System, hosted a golf tournament May 22 to benefit the patients and staff of Singing River Health System. 

About 50 golfers participated in the CMHF Golf Classic for Charity tournament, which was held at the Mississippi National Golf Course in Gautier.  Proceeds from the tournament will be used to help the patients and staff of Singing River Health System in urgent need of assistance.

First place Gross Score went to Team Nebo, which included Nebo Carter, Kenny Smith, Ron Smith and Mike Carter. The team won gift cards to IP Casino worth a total of $400.

The Emerson Aviation team, including Todd Cockroft, Barry Brooks, Virgil Smith and Bill Kouns, secured First place for Net Score, and won gift cards to IP Casino worth a total of $400.

Second place Net Score went to Regional Digestive (Catherine Hirsch, Jimmy Strickland, Sherry Strickland and Amanda Clark).

Third place Net Score went to Compton Engineering (Anthony Greer, Mark McAndrews, Gina Taylor, Paul Rivers).

Team Northop Grumman Shipbuilding-GB (Joe Whitlow, Pete Lambeth, Stephen Janowski, Bob Merchant) earned the Highest Score Award.

Bill Kouns made the Longest Drive and Mark Untershine of the Air Masters Team won the Closest to the Hole award.

The winning teams won prizes totaling $1,500, and an additional 35 door prizes valued at $2,100 and five raffle prizes worth $1,300 were presented during the awards ceremony.

CMHF receives public and private donations to support programs that promote the health and well-being of our coastal community. Hospice of Light, Regional Cancer Center, Singing River Health System Employee Relief Fund, and the Patient Resource Management Fund are all examples of agencies assisted by Coastal Mississippi Healthcare Fund.

The mission of CMHF is to work collaboratively with Singing River Health System to promote the overall health and well-being of our communities; support the development and implementation of programs and services that contribute to the optimal health of our communities through public and private philanthropy; and provide opportunities for the coastal communities of Mississippi to work collaboratively to attain and maintain programs and services that support optimal health for population throughout the lifespan.
 

SRHS Names Malcom Director of Hospice of Light

Singing River Health System (SRHS) recently announced the promotion of Connie Malcom, RN, CHPN, as Director of Hospice of Light for Singing River Health System.

“Connie has proven herself to be a tremendous asset to the SRHS team, and I’m certain her leadership will not only result in the expansion of the Hospice of Light service area, but also the professional and personal growth of her team,” said Lynn Truelove, SRHS Chief Operating Officer for Programs.

Malcom began her career with SRHS as an Emergency Department Tech.
After receiving her Associate Degree in Nursing from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Malcom went on to became a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department.

In January 2006, Malcom transferred to Hospice of Light and began working as the only primary nurse for the George County area. Two years later, she took the position of Clinical Supervisor and began working in the Gautier location.

Since August 2009, Malcom has served as Interim Director for Hospice of Light. During that time, she has been providing leadership for the Hospice of Light team including the implementation and “go live” of a new software system. 

“My goal is to expand the world-class service of the Hospice of Light to benefit even more patients in Jackson, George, Greene, Perry and Stone Counties, and the surrounding areas,” Malcom said.

Malcom’s husband, Justin, is manager for Facilities Support at SRH.
Their daughter, Whitney is a Certified Nursing Assistant employed by SRHS. They also have a son, Travis, and one grandchild. Malcom and her husband reside in George County.