News Around the State

Forrest General unveils “Life’s Little Miracles”

Each baby born is a tiny miracle, and Forrest General has had the privilege of delivering miracles daily for over 50 years. Now, with the unveiling of “Life’s Little Miracles” in Forrest General’s Family Birthplace, family and friends of these precious bundles of joy can commemorate the birth of their baby, while benefitting future generations of miracles born or receiving care at Forrest General.

The Forrest General Healthcare Foundation is pleased to introduce “Life’s Little Miracles,” a mural celebrating life. Any baby born at Forrest General, or who spent time in Forrest General’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be honored on this wall, whether they are still an infant, graduating from high school, or having children of their own. This wall can also contain memorials to remember the special baby who lives on in families’ hearts and memories.

The mural will be beautifully painted by local artist Kym Garraway, and will feature a landscape including animals, trees, flowers and stars. Different spaces on the mural will be available for purchase, and the artist will personalize each space with a child’s name. This mural is different from other tribute walls that may consist of small plaques that are only displayed for a year or two before they are changed to make way for new names. Forrest General’s mural will be located in The Family Birthplace on the corridor between the Labor and Delivery and Mother-Baby units. This mural will be maintained for the useful life of the corridor where it is located. Should all of the mural’s features be purchased, an additional area for expansion of the mural is available.

Forrest General is home to a long tradition of excellence in neonatal care. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has been caring for the area’s tiniest patients for over thirty years. Proceeds from the tributes made on this wall will go to benefit the future expansion of the NICU, allowing Forrest General to continue to provide the best for those babies who need extra-special care and attention. Once all of the mural spaces are sold, “Life’s Little Miracles” could potentially raise over $100,000 for the future of the NICU.

The artist will begin painting the mural in July 2008, however, tributes may be purchased even before the first brushstroke is made. Spaces on the wall include leaves, flowers and stars, birds, small animals and celestial objects. For more information on how to purchase a space on the wall, please contact the Forrest General Healthcare Foundation at 601-288-4396.

Cardiologists experience “MacGyver moment” during rare procedure

Sarah Schertzer is on a solid road to recovery, thanks to two resourceful and quick-thinking physicians, Hattiesburg Clinic cardiologists Arthur Martin, M.D., and Randel Smith, M.D.

Schertzer, an 85-year-old retired nurse from Lumberton, Miss., underwent heart bypass surgery at Forrest General two years ago. In June 2008, she was admitted to Forrest General with an infection, which in turn caused a small heart attack. She had a heart catheterization which showed that it was only a small heart attack, and after confirming that everything looked fine she was discharged to go home. However, after spending a week or so at home, she began to notice shortness of breath and felt like something just wasn’t right. Schertzer went back to the hospital to check things out and physicians discovered a myocardial rupture, or a hole in Schertzer’s heart. Myocardial ruptures are a rare complication of heart attacks, and are usually instantly fatal. However, in Schertzer’s case, she had more than the average amount of good fortune on her side.

Schertzer’s life was saved by a combination of things, one stemming from her previous heart surgery two years ago. After that surgery, Schertzer’s body formed a layer of scar tissue around the outside of her heart. When muscles in the front left wall of her heart ruptured, the scar tissue contained the blood and kept it from leaking into her chest cavity, which would’ve been instantly fatal. Schertzer also counts the quick work of two outstanding cardiologists as one of the reasons she is still here today.

Usually, a ruptured heart is treated with open heart surgery, which is risky for anyone, much less an 85-year-old who has had previous heart surgery. The physicians had to do some quick thinking about the optimal procedure that could save Schertzer’s life, as with every passing moment her chances of surviving the surgery decreased. Schertzer’s heart had ruptured on the lower left ventricle. As the patient was in such unstable condition, Drs. Martin and Smith re-evaluated the situation. In a moment of ingenuity only comparable with resourceful television hero MacGyver, they determined the best way to proceed would be to patch the hole in her heart with a CardioSEAL patch. They had performed a myocardial patch procedure numerous times to cover holes due to congenital birth defects or strokes but had never used a patch to cover a hole as large as the one in Schertzer’s heart muscle. They saw the opportunity to try this risky but possibly effective procedure, and took the chance, with Schertzer and her family’s permission, in hopes of saving Schertzer’s life. The myocardial patch is actually a small device about the size of a quarter that is shaped like a tiny umbrella. Instead of using open heart surgery to insert the device, the patch is dispatched to the heart in its closed position through an artery. Then, once the device reaches the heart, it is opened and left in place. In this case, a double-umbrella was used, one placed outside the heart and one placed on the inside to patch up the hole.

“When all was said and done, we covered the hole with the patch and she is doing well,” said Arthur Martin, M.D., one of the cardiologists who performed the procedure. “Mrs. Schertzer really put her faith in this procedure, and did not want to go through another open heart procedure. There is no question that this procedure saved her life.”

When asked about this risky but life-saving surgery, Schertzer says, “I’m glad [the physicians] did it. We all have so much to be thankful for.” In Schertzer’s case, she does have a lot to be thankful for. Thanks to medical technology and good old-fashioned human brain power on the part of her physicians, Schertzer will be around to spend time with her three children and watch her 26 grandchildren grow. With so much potential yet to be attained in those 26 young children, perhaps one of them will grow up to save lives through a career in medicine, inspired by the miracle procedure that saved their grandmother’s life.

Waites inducted as Governor of American College of Cardiology for Mississippi

Thad F. Waites, M.D., a cardiologist with Hattiesburg Clinic and Medical Director of Forrest General’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab was recently inducted as Governor for the state of Mississippi for the American College of Cardiology (ACC), as well as President of the Mississippi Chapter of the ACC.

Dr. Waites was inducted during the convocation of the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held on March 31 in Chicago, Illinois. In this position, which is held for three years, Dr. Waites will serve on the ACC Board of Governors in an advisory capacity to the ACC Board of Trustees and also serve as a liaison between ACC members and ACC leadership. The American College of Cardiology is a non-profit medical society with over 30,000 members including physicians, scientists and other cardiac care professionals. The ACC provides strong support for cardiovascular research and works to publicize knowledge and research in the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Waites attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed an internship at Emory University, Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Ga. He then completed his medicine residency at the University of Colorado. Following a tenure on the medical staff at Ochsner Clinic, he served as Chief Resident and as a fellow in cardiology at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga.

Forrest General announces new Chief Medical Officer

Forrest General Hospital recently announced the appointment of Steven Farrell, M.D., as the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Farrell also serves as Director of the Hospitalist Services program at Forrest General.

This position will assist in facilitating communications between hospital administration and physicians. Dr. Farrell will be assisted by a CMO Council, made up of four physicians ranging in medical specialty and expertise. The physicians who have agreed to serve on the council are Dr. Joe Campbell, an anesthesiologist with Hattiesburg Clinic; Dr. John Nelson, an emergency medicine physician with South Mississippi Emergency Physicians, P.A.; Dr. Steve Stogner a pulmonologist with Hattiesburg Clinic, and Dr. Mike Stonnington, an orthopedic surgeon with Southern Bone & Joint Specialists, P.A.

Dr. Farrell, who is employed by Hattiesburg Clinic, previously served as President of Forrest General’s Medical Staff. He attended medical school at the University of Texas in Houston and completed his internship in categorical medicine and his residency in medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Wesley Medical Center Home Health recognized by Mississippi IQH

(From left to right) Director Carol Tatum, RN, Rhonda Head, RN, Melanie Herndon, RN, Kristi Barlow, RN, Eleanor Lott, RN, Jennifer Polk, RN, Shelli Weston, RN, Dianne Bourne, RN, and not pictured, Johnnie Donald, RN.

Wesley Medical Center Home Health has been recognized with an Outstanding Quality Award presented by Information & Quality Healthcare (IQH), the state’s quality improvement organization for Medicare.

In presenting the award, IQH President Dr. James S. McIlwain pointed out that the Wesley staff was honored for its commitment to quality reflected by documented improvement in two areas, increasing patients’ ambulation/locomotion and decreasing acute care hospitalization.

"Wesley's interest in and participation in quality of care projects is an important contribution to Medicare beneficiaries and the health care delivery system," said Dr. McIlwain.

Home health agencies, hospitals, nursing homes and physician offices throughout the state were among those recognized.

IQH, as the federally designated quality improvement organization for Medicare in the state, works under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Forrest General Designated Spirit of Women Premier Hospital

Forrest General has earned the designation as a Spirit of Women Premier Hospital and as a result will be identified as a community accelerator for women’s health excellence in the United States.

This designation was based on the National Standards of Excellence in Women’s Health evaluation. The National Standards serve as a set of performance measurements developed in educational cooperation with the Office on Women’s Health and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that confirm and demonstrate commitment to clinical excellence in women’s healthcare and community outreach. The standards require focus on women-centered care, call-to-action education, and access to care in the following seven areas:

• Integration of a Focused Community Assessment
• Implementation of Comprehensive Life Stage Programming
• Sensitivity to Community Diversity and Cultural Differences
• Strategic Alignment of Women’s Service Lines
• Leading Innovation and Outreach Initiatives
• Managing a Process for Quality Improvement
• Multidisciplinary Approach to Care

Forrest General earned the designation as a Premier Hospital by meeting or exceeding 80 percent of the National Standards with an overall score of 89 percent. Forrest General demonstrated innovation and excellence in women’s programming across the board.

"Forrest General strives toward excellence in every endeavor, and this designation of Forrest General as a premier hospital is truly significant for the hospital's Spirit of Women program," said Millie Swan, Director of Marketing and Physician Relations at Forrest General. "Through this program, Forrest General hopes to reach the women of the community and inspire them to take action for their health, and this designation will serve to further encourage efforts toward that goal."

Pine Grove executive earns top healthcare management credential

Susan Slaughter, FACHE, Director of Business Development at Pine Grove Behavioral Health Services, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 7,408 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years. Pine Grove Behavioral Health Services is privileged to use the FACHE credential, which signifies board certification in healthcare management and ACHE Fellow status.

Slaughter has been with Forrest General and Pine Grove for the past 12 years and a member of ACHE since 1993. Slaughter holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed an Administrative Residency at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson.

Melvin Named President-Elect of the Mississippi Health Information Association

Carol S. Melvin, R.H.I.A. has been chosen to serve as President-Elect of the Mississippi Health Information Association. She will become president of the association in 2009. Carol is the Director of Health Information Services at Wesley Medical Center.

Prior to her service at Wesley, Melvin was the Director of Health Information Services at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia. She is a member of the American Health Information Management Association and was the President of the Texas Health Information Association.

Dr. Gary Carr named as vice speaker to the MSMA House of Delegates

Gary Carr, MD, FAAFP, has been elected vice speaker of the Mississippi State Medical Association House of Delegates.

The MSMA is a physician-led organization, which advocates for its members, their patients and the general cause of public health. The MSMA House of Delegates meets annually to discuss and adopt resolutions on various activities associated with the practice of medicine in Mississippi. Carr will serve as vice speaker to the House of Delegates for three years and is eligible for reelection.

Dr. Gary Carr is a family and addiction medicine physician with Oak Grove Family Clinic, a Wesley Medical Center health care facility. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and serves as the medical director for the Mississippi Professionals Health Program.

Forrest General Participates in Joint Emergency Response Exercise

Forrest General staff recently participated in a joint emergency response exercise. This exercise tested the hospital staff on emergency plans and training exercises in preparation of a disaster.

Forrest General and The University of Southern Mississippi Police Department recently conducted a joint emergency response exercise. This year’s drill simulated an active shooter scenario at Elam Arms Residence Hall on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

As part of the drill, Forrest General took in an influx of trauma patients needing immediate treatment at the Emergency Room. The drill mobilized staff from all over Forrest General, including physicians, nursing staff, Public Safety officers and transport staff as part of Forrest General’s HICS 4 training. HICS, or the Hospital Incident Command System, is an incident management system that assists hospitals in improving their emergency management planning, response and recovery capabilities for unplanned and planned events. HICS strengthens hospital disaster preparedness activities in conjunction with community response agencies and allows hospitals to understand and assist in implementing hospital-based National Incident Management System (NIMS) guidelines.

“Emergency Response plans should be updated on a regular basis in order to facilitate an effective response in a changing world during a disaster,” said Wayne Landers, Director of Public Safety at Forrest General. “It is very difficult to fully understand the weaknesses in a plan if it is never tested.

Law enforcement personnel from Southern Miss, Forrest General, Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Lamar County and Petal, as well as AAA Ambulance, Forrest County Coroner’s Office, Hattiesburg Fire Department, The Emergency Management District, MS Department of Transportation (MDOT), Aramark (Food Services vendor at USM) and the University Clinic at Southern Miss participated in the emergency response exercise. The victims on scene were simulated by Southern Miss personnel and students.

“Conducting full scale active exercises allows participants the opportunity to test emergency plans, staff training, response capabilities, equipment and other aspects of the plan,” said Landers. “Active exercises expose strengths and weaknesses of the plan that allow you to identify the weaknesses and work to turn them into strengths. Forrest General’s emergency preparedness goal is to be equipped to effectively provide high-quality health care services in a disaster event.”