News Around the State

Delta Regional Medical Center Receives National Awards from AVATAR International

Delta Regional Medical Center (DRMC) has been named a National Award winner for healthcare service quality for Exemplary Service Most Improved Obstetrics Care 2007 and Exemplary Service Most Improved Loyalty and Endorsement 2007 by Avatar International Inc., a leader in health care research and consulting.

According to Terri Lane, DRMC, director of service excellence, “We are thrilled to have received these awards as they signify patient satisfaction with our maternal child care services and our continued efforts to improve overall patient satisfaction.”

The Exemplary Service Most Improved Obstetrics Care 2007 award is based on significant improvement on the hospitals’ 2007 Obstetrics surveys for loyalty and endorsement compared to 2006. The Exemplary Service Most Improved Loyalty and Endorsement 2007 award is based on the results of the hospital’s 2007 Obstetrics surveys compared to 2006.

According to Tracy Killebrew, director of the maternal child center, “We are proud of the progress we are making in improving patient care and customer service that has earned us national awards.”

Delta Regional Medical Center Team Members Attend “Expecting Success” Meeting in Washington, DC

L. Ray Humphreys, CEO, DRMC and Florence Jones, Chief Administrative Officer West Campus, DRMC

In an effort to develop solutions to the well-documented problems of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, Delta Regional Medical Center (DRMC) team members participated in a 29-month long study, Expecting Success: Excellence in Cardiac Care. A team of DRMC executives and administrators attended a final meeting with the Expecting Success Team in Washington, DC, May 8-9, 2008 to participate in the announcement of the major findings of the study.

Expecting Success is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at George Washington University which is intended to improve the quality of healthcare provided to minority populations in the United States. The Expecting Success program consisted of ten select hospitals nationwide who received a grant and ongoing assistance, as part of their participation in the Learning Network, to reduce healthcare disparities.

DRMC team members who attended the meeting included: L. Ray Humphreys, CEO; Florence Jones, Chief Administrative Office West Campus; Marge Clifford, Director of Cardiology; Diana Goodell, Director of Telemetry; Billy Schultz, Board of Trustees Chairman; Dr. Michael Mansour, Cardiologist; Mildred Crockett, Board of Trustees; and Michelle Britton, Administrator, Heart & Vascular Center.

According to Ray Humphreys, DRMC CEO, “As our country faces the rising cost of healthcare, it is more important than ever that we help to eliminate healthcare disparities in the Delta. The findings will allow us to serve as a leader in our community, sharing the initiatives we have developed and implemented here at DRMC with our state’s other hospitals to work toward resolving healthcare disparities among minority populations.

The hospitals and their community care partners participated in a 29-month long collaborative study to improve the quality of care for African Americans and Latinos with cardiovascular disease. The program, which began in September 2005, came to a close at the final meeting May 8-9. Representatives from the hospitals met to share the results of their individual improvements and initiatives with inpatient and community care.

Expecting Success worked closely with teams from each grantee hospital and assessed each site in terms of its readiness for change and in creating an Improvement Plan to guide its activities in improving cardiac care. Sites also received training in creating and using uniform methods to collect and submit standardized race and ethnicity specific data including the metrics used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Alliance. Through Expecting Success, surveys of patient experiences were also collected and analyzed for the sites’ evaluation purposes.

This multi-year quality improvement initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has significantly helped hospitals identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in their cardiac programs while simultaneously improving the quality of care for all patients.

DRMC’s Expecting Success team included nursing managers, bedside nurses, representatives from the Quality Department, Admissions, Medical Records, Case Management (CM) and Planning and Development.

Each month, the DRMC team collected the required performance measures and reported results to the National Program Office. They then analyzed and reviewed the findings each week, implementing strategies to improve compliance with the CMS quality indicators and reduce disparities. A majority of the measures indicated improvements in the scores for African American patients, with disparity gaps being eliminated in a number of cases. The key to making the improvements was educating physicians and nurses about the core measures, providing feedback and eliminating barriers to providing quality care.

Nursing Staff were provided weekly in-service classes, and the Case Management (CM) team developed monthly core measure tip sheets for posting on nursing units, placed articles in the hospital’s publication, nursing newsletter and posted information on the hospital Web site to increase compliance with core measure initiatives. Staff members were recognized for their efforts and white boards were placed in each nursing unit to identify CM patients and improve communication. Physicians were also provided quarterly individual core measure compliance reports, and flyers were posted in physician lounges and mailboxes to increase adherence to CM initiatives.

DRMC gathered clinical data on the Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Heart Failure (HF) on a monthly basis and tracked 11 specific AMI and seven HF measures/indicators for which indicators were provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under its Hospital Quality Initiative.

The other nine hospitals included in the Expecting Success study included: Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, Texas; Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina; Memorial Healthcare System in South Broward County, Florida; Montefiore Medical Center in New York City; Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois; Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan; University Health System in San Antonio, Texas; University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and Washington Hospital Center in DC.

Dr. Marinez practicing at Delta Regional

Dr. Jaime Marinez has been granted a J-1 visa waiver to work as a pulmonology/critical care physician at Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville. He comes to the hospital under the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Doctors program, which is designed to increase the number of physicians in the Delta.

Governor’s Conference on a Healthy Delta features “Father of Aerobics”

Gay Pieralisi of DRMC, Blake Wilson of the Mississippi Economic Council and Dr. Cooper

Known throughout the world as the “Father of Aerobics,” Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., presided as the keynote speaker at The Governor’s Conference on a Healthy Mississippi Delta held on September 28 in Delta Regional Medical Center’s Pavilion Learning Center. Addressing a crowd of nearly 300 dignitaries and guests, Dr. Cooper presented “Obesity: a National Epidemic and Our Number One Health Problem.”

In attendance were Governor Haley Barbour, Ray Humphreys, Chief Executive Officer for DRMC, Dr. John Hilpert, President, Delta State University, Clarke Reed, Reed and Joseph International, long time patient and friend of Dr. Cooper, as well as Reverend Stephen Cook, Pastor of Revels United Methodist Church.  Also in the crowd were Michael Retzer, US Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr. Ed Hill, former president of the American Medical Association, Greenville Mayor Heather Hudson, Leland Mayor Barbara Brooks, Washington County Board of Supervisors president Al Rankins, and a number of city and county elected officials.

From the time of his first book, AEROBICS, published in 1968, Dr. Cooper has advocated revolutionizing the field of medicine away from disease treatment to disease prevention. Dr. Cooper is known as the “Father of Aerobics.” Today Dr. Cooper is recognized as the leader of the international physical fitness movement, and he is credited with motivating more people to exercise in pursuit of good health than any other person. He leads the multi-division Cooper Aerobics Center, Cooper Craig Research Center, and Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas.

He holds a B.S. degree and an M.D. degree from the University of Oklahoma as well as an Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health, and he is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Cooper has played a key role in Texas government affairs to address the issue of obesity.

“Obesity is a leading cause of preventable heart disease,” stated Florence Jones, Chief Nursing Officer of Delta Regional Medical Center, “Dr. Cooper’s message on the effects of obesity, on children and adults, and how to treat and prevent it, offered solutions to the Delta’s high incidence of heart disease.”

Those in attendance were also able to hear remarks from Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Governor Barbour reviewed steps that had already been taken to assist with the growing health issues in our state and laid out proposed plans for the future.

“In our on-going effort to fulfill our mission of improving the health of the citizens and communities we serve, we are very pleased to have had Dr. Cooper and Governor Barbour address this issue of growing concern in our state,” said Ray Humphreys, CEO, Delta Regional Medical Center.

Co-sponsors for this event were Delta State University and Northwest Airlines.

DRMC secures financing, breaks ground on expansion and renovation

The formal closing on a $35,725,000 Revenue Bond Issue for Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville took place March 22, 2007, in Jackson, MS. The Revenue Bond Issue, which is insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will be used to refinance the 2005 purchase of The King’s Daughters Hospital ($21 million) and to further expand Delta Regional Medical Center facilities and services ($10.6 million). Delta Regional Medical Center celebrated the official beginning of construction on the project with a ceremonial groundbreaking event on March 26, 2007.

According to L. Ray Humphreys, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer with Delta Regional Medical Center, this is an important milestone for the future of health care in the tri-state Delta region of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana.

“With this financing package, we can move forward immediately with our plans to make significant expansions and improvements to our facilities,” says Humphreys. “We will have four major projects underway at the same time on the main campus, a 5,920 square foot expansion of the emergency department and 3,445 square feet of renovations to the existing space, the conversion of the former burn center to a state-of-the-art heart and vascular center, a 3,980 square foot expansion of the Maternal Child Center including the addition of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and an advanced 64-slice CT scanner to be added to the center’s imaging capabilities. Additionally, the refinancing of the original loan acquired for the purchase of The King’s Daughters Hospital, with the excellent interest rate offered by HUD, will mean huge savings in interest payments going forward.”

HUD officials estimate the federal mortgage insurance could save Delta Regional Medical Center approximately $6.1 million dollars in interest payments over the life of the 25 year loan. In addition to providing improved medical services, the construction projects at the medical center are expected to add from 60 – 80 additional construction jobs, positively impacting the local economy.

“The renovations and expansion plans for the Emergency Room, Maternal Child Center, Heart & Vascular Center and imaging department, directly address some of the most pressing health care needs of the people of the Delta,” comments Humphreys. “With the Delta leading the entire nation in heart disease and heart related deaths, expanding our heart program and providing the most up-to-date technology and services for treating heart disease, including an expanded open-heart program, is crucial to our improving the care that Deltans so desperately need.”

The Emergency Department expansion also is critical to the hospital’s ability to serve the growing need for emergency services and trauma care. As the region’s only Level II Trauma Center, Delta Regional Medical Center’s emergency department logged over 45,000 patient visits in 2006.

The renovations and expansion to the Maternal Child Center (obstetric unit and nursery), especially the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, will allow at-risk mothers and their infants to be treated at Delta Regional Medical Center rather than having to be sent to University Medical Center for highly specialized care. Additionally the unit’s labor/delivery suites will be expanded and renovated for greater comfort and convenience of mothers and their families.

The new Toshiba 64-slice CT scanner, one of the most advanced on the market today, will take Delta Regional Medical Center strides ahead in the early diagnosis of heart disease and cancer.

According to Humphreys, the event marked the beginning of a new era in advanced, accessible, health care for the Delta region, which traditionally has lagged behind the rest of the nation in the provision of quality medical care and services.

The contractor for the work is Malouf Construction based in the Delta community of Greenwood, MS. Because the construction will be occurring while the hospital departments are still in operation serving patients, the work will be phased to minimize disruption of service and inconvenience to patients, visitors and hospital staff.

DRMC announces expansion plans

Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville recently announced plans to expand and modernize the emergency room, as well as expanding obstetrics services and converting the former burn center into a new heart hospital. DRMC has also secured an orthopedic surgeon who will arrive in the new year and already has in place the area’s first rheumatologist. The hospital is working toward securing an earn, nose and throat specialist, a psychiatrist, a pulmonologist and a gastroenterologist.

DRMC wins Business Award

Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville was recently bestowed the Business Award by the Greenville Arts Council. The award was given during the group’s annual gala. Beyond monetary contributions, many DRMC team members have played active roles in local arts organizations. Staff also volunteer their time as members of various boards and donate their talent. In 2004, DRMC established a partnership with the Delta Artists Association. This partnership resulted in the establishment of an art gallery in the hospital’s first floor lobby where local artists have the opportunity to display and sell their work to the community at large.

Pieralisi Named Executive Director of The Regional Health Network

Gay Watson Pieralisi of Delta Regional Medical Center has been named Executive Director of The Regional Health Network, a community organization of physicians, hospitals, and employers in the Delta counties of western Mississippi and eastern Arkansas surrounding Greenville, Mississippi. The Regional Health Network was developed, beginning in October 1994, as a proactive strategy to respond to managed care.

Currently, The Regional Health Network includes physicians, hospitals, and employers in the Greenville area.

“An important goal of The Regional Health Network continues to be to seek ways to expand health care coverage for area employers and patients,” states James Beckham, M.D., chairman of the board of directors of The Regional Health Network., “We also provide a means for area physicians and healthcare providers to be ‘in network’ with health insurance policies that cover our Delta residents.”

Pieralisi said, “As a life-long Delta resident, I am very concerned about the needs of both patients and providers here. The Delta people need access to healthcare, the Delta economy needs the business of healthcare, and Delta healthcare providers need a supportive and user-friendly environment in which to practice medicine. I am excited about the opportunity to serve The Regional Health Network and Delta Regional Medical Center as we continue to grow in these areas.”

Pieralisi also serves as Director of Managed Care for Delta Regional Medical Center. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and is a candidate to receive the Master of Business Administration degree from Delta State University in 2006.

The office of The Regional Health Network office is now located in the B. G. Dowdy Center on the corner of Washington Avenue and Starling Street. Hope Johnston, administrative coordinator for The Regional Health Network and managed care coordinator for Delta Regional Medical Center, is in the new location. The phone number for The Regional Health Network is 662-725-1365.

New ER doctor joins DRMC

Dr. Sherif Andrews, who specializes in emergency medicine and family practice, has now joined the Delta Regional Medical Center's active medical staff. He will be assigned as an emergency room physician at DRMC's main campus Emergency Department.

Andrews comes to DRMC from Shreveport, La., where he practiced emergency medicine for two years. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Ain Shams University Medical School in Cairo, Egypt.

He has completed extensive medical training, including a residency in family practice and a clinical fellowship in neurosurgery at Louisiana State University Medical School in Shreveport. He is board certified in Family Practice.

Two multi-physician cardiology practices relocate to new cardiovascular clinic

A multi-physician cardiology practice, Delta Regional Cardiovascular Specialists (DRCS), recently was established in the new Cardiovascular Clinic at 1513 East Union Street in Greenville. Kenneth A. Hahn, MD, FACC; Joy L. Taylor, MD and Norrapol Wattanasuwan, MD, FACC, are all members of DRCS. Additionally, Cardiovascular Physicians, P.A., the practice of Drs. Michael and Kathleen Mansour, has also relocated the Cardiovascular Clinic. While these names and faces certainly are not new to the Delta medical community, they have come together in one convenient location to provide comprehensive cardiology services for the people of the tri-state Delta region. The Cardiovascular Clinic offers greater patient comfort and convenience, with easy access to parking and a spacious waiting area and treatment rooms. All of the physicians are on staff at Delta Regional Medical Center.