News Around the State

South Central Regional Medical Center names Buford Employee of the Month

Amanda Buford was named Employee of the Month by South Central Regional Medical Center.  Buford is the School Prep Preschool Teacher at the Children’s Academy and  has worked for South Central for 1 1/2 years.

She attended Wayne County High School and Jones County Junior College.

Amanda is married to Tom Buford. Her parents are Bruce and Pat Mowinski of Waynesboro.

When asked the following questions, Amanda responded:
Proudest moment: “My wedding day.  I married a wonderful man.”
Favorite Book:  “The Bible”
Favorite TV Show:  “American Idol and Gilmore Girls”
Favorite Movie:  “Any girlie movie and cartoons”

When asked what she likes best about working for South Central she said “I love the children and parents.  It feels as though I am part of each family.  The staff is great as well.  Everyday is exciting and fun.”

The Employee of the Month is chosen each month by the South Central Ambassadors, a group of employees representing different departments of the hospital.  Employees are nominated by their peers and the selection is made by the Ambassadors.  The employee chosen must exhibit  service above and beyond the call of duty and display the performance standards of the hospital.  Amanda Buford fulfills all these requirements and more.

South Central Regional Medical Center recognize 2008 Nurse of the Year

South Central Regional Medical Center recently celebrated National Nurse Appreciation Week. To celebrate the national theme: “Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day” the staff of South Central selected 26 nurses to represent departments as “Nurse of the Year.” Of those, Linda Dearman, RN, was chosen as the 2008 SCRMC Overall Nurse of the Year. Linda has worked for South Central for over 21 years including 8 years as a medical/surgical nurse and 13 years as a staff nurse at South Central’s Extended Care Facility in Ellisville. She graduated from Jones County Junior College Licensed Practical Nursing Program in 1971 and from Meridian Community College with an Associates Nursing Degree in 1991.

Marsha DeReamer, Director of Ellisville Extended Care Facility, said “If I didn’t know the difference, I would have thought the Florence Nightingale Pledge was written by someone knowing Linda Dearman. She is the example of the word NURSE. She always has a beautiful smile and warm, welcoming attitude. These qualities are not learned but can only come from the heart, the effects are priceless. Linda changes the lives of her patients for the better. We are blessed that she is a part of South Central Regional Medical Center’s Extended Care and proud that Linda has been chosen to represent South Central as the 2008 Nurse of the Year.”

When asked her philosophy of Nursing, Linda said, “Nursing is more than a vocation, Nursing is a calling, ministry, challenge, and opportunity to help those in need and hopefully change lives for the better.” Linda displays her dedication to her profession in every interaction with patients, visitors, family, and coworkers. Linda and her husband, Bobby Dearman, have two daughters and sons-in-law, Shelly & Mike Reid and Amy & Ray Winstead and seven grandchildren. She resides in Laurel and attends Oakland Grove Baptist Church where she is active with the choir and Senior Saints Club.

Beth Endom, Associate Executive Director of Nursing said, “Nurses like Linda Dearman are what make our healthcare team excellent at South Central.”

South Central Recognizes Employee of the Month

South Central Regional Medical Center recently recognized Greg Moffett as Employee of the Month.  Greg is a Chef in the Dietary Department and has worked for South Central for 6 1/2 years. He attended R. H. Watkins High School.

Greg is married to wife Mary and they have 4 children, Tara Willis, Marisha King, Eddie Cole, Jr. and Tyrandos Cole. They also have 4 grandchildren, Kinshara Willis, Santana Moss, Jr., Shakenya Arrington and Malik King.

When asked the following questions, Greg responded:

Proudest moment: "When I enrolled in the U.S. Army at 22 and served 21 years."

Hobbies: "Fishing, Art and Cooking"

Favorite Book: "The Bible"

Favorite TV Show: "Sanford & Son"

Favorite Movie: "Action Movies"

When asked what he likes best about working for South Central he said "The opportunity to work and interact with people."

Was there anyone in the organization who influenced your desire to strive for excellence? "Robert Smith"

South Central Health System Goes Tobacco-Free

The South Central Regional Medical Center health system went tobacco free effective April 1, 2008. No tobacco use of any kind is permitted–inside or outside–on hospital property. This initiative also includes the elimination of designated smoking areas outside of medical center properties.

South Central is joining 45 hospitals across the state of Mississippi in the Tobacco-Free Mississippi initiative. Thirty-nine (39) of them have already gone tobacco-free, and six (6) others will implement the policy soon. This extends tobacco-free status to the entire hospital campus, including adjoining and hospital-owned buildings and parking lots. The ban will apply to all patients, visitors, medical staff members, vendors and employees.

Linda Gavin, Associate Executive Director at South Central, said, "Hospitals like South Central have had a no smoking policy for years. However, most of the facilities have provided a smoking area outside. The new policy includes all tobacco products and smoking areas will no longer be provided on the property." "South Central’s decision to go tobacco-free is not an attempt to "force" anyone to quit using tobacco products. Rather, the tobacco-free initiative is a concrete way we can demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy living. We appreciate the support of the community as we implement the new policy," Higginbotham said.

Banners with the tobacco-free logo and message have been placed on all South Central properties as a reminder of the new policy.

South Central opens 1st phase of new Surgical Facility

A construction project to expand South Central Regional Medical Center’s inpatient surgical facility and critical care unit has been under way since December of 2005. The first phase of the new surgery facility opened on March 31st.

According to Doug Higginbotham, Executive Director of South Central, the 32,200-square-foot facility is one of the finest in the state of Mississippi. “The surgeons and staff at South Central were actively involved in designing the new facility. We traveled to five different surgical program sites before making a final decision on the design of the facility at South Central,” he said. “With our remarkable growth in surgical services, it was important for us to develop an overall design that would include some of the most technologically advanced surgical components available today.”

Due to growth in inpatient volume, additional beds are needed in South Central’s Critical Care Unit. The new facility, when complete, will more than double in size from 8,000 square feet to 19,600 square feet. The 17-bed area will include spacious patient rooms, a new family waiting room, and a new family conference room. The unit will be located directly above South Central’s new surgical facility and is planned to open in the fall of 2009.

“By continually bringing advanced services and technology to the community, South Central Regional Medical Center has improved health care in this region,” Higginbotham said. “Local residents have shown their confidence in us by allowing us to serve them. We appreciate the support and the trust our community has placed in us over the years, and we will continue to work hard to maintain that trust.”

From Paper and Pencil to Bedside Hand Held Computers

South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel has been converting parts of patients medical records from paper to computer since early 2001. The journey has included initial conversion of single department solutions in the Emergency Room, Operating Room and Radiology to a system wide conversion for electronic medication administration. Getting to this point has demanded both a financial commitment and a commitment to process change.

In February of this year, paper medication administration records became a past memory at South Central when all clinical units converted to an electronic medication record. This conversion included a new Pharmacy order entry solution, bar coding packaging equipment, use of lap tops on medication carts and the use of hand held computers at the bedside.

The handheld computers allow clinicians to scan their own employee badge to “sign-on” to the software, scan the patient’s arm band for positive patient identification, then scan the bar-coded medication for medication safety checks. Conversion to an electronic medical records brings many challenges but also brings process improvement in work flow and more importantly improvements in patient outcomes.

South Central Recovery Center Top Performer

Left to Right: Gail Payton, Activities Coordinator; Felicity Payton, Intake Coordinator; Karen Lee, R.N., Director; Libba Rogers, Secretary; Roy Young, Senior Counselor; Teresa Ford, R.N. and Kathy Pearson, Behavioral Health Technician

Congratulations to the South Central Recovery Center for being recognized as the 1st Quarter (October-December) Top Performer. Their patient satisfaction score increased by 15% during the 1st Quarter.

JoAnn Hegwood recognized as Employee of the Month

JoAnn Hegwood, Medical Technologist Supervisor in the Laboratory Department was recognized as South Central Regional Medical Center’s March Employee of the Month.

JoAnn has worked for South Central for 29 years. She attended Collins High School and the University of Southern Mississippi. JoAnn has a 17 year-old daughter, Amy Noelle.

When asked the following questions, JoAnn responded:
Proudest moment: “The day my daughter was born.”
Hobbies: “Reading and gardening.”
Favorite Book: “Any book by Sharon Sala”
Favorite TV Show: “Clean House”
Favorite Movie: “Independence Day”
When asked what she likes best about working for South Central she said “All the people I work with and helping our patients.”

Was there anyone in the organization who influenced your desire to strive for excellence? “There are so many people I can’t choose any one person. I believe that we all strive for excellence as a TEAM.”

South Central Regional Medical Center’s 2008 Ambassador Council Announced

Each year the employees of South Central Regional Medical Center nominate eight co-workers to represent them on the Ambassador Council. Two of the Council members from the previous year remain on the Council as Advisors. The purpose of the Council is to address issues of concern that employees may have, they select the Employee of the Month and participate in a number of community and hospital events including the Women’s Life Conference, community education programs, etc.

Ambassadors for 2008 are, back row from left to right: Maria Velez, Language Services; Brad Hennis, Pharmacy; Jessica Middleton, Physical Therapy; Clay Bell, EmServ; Betty Smith, Clinic Management; Daphne Mosley, OB; Front row Kristy Hill, Emergency Department; Lee Downing, CCU; Rennette Barnes, Dietary; Jamie West, Outpatient Services.

South Central Regional Medical Center announces Employee of the Month

Chanelle Cooley was named February Employee of the Month at South Central Regional Medical Center. Chanelle is the Coordinator of Occupational Therapy and has been employed with South Central for four years. She is a graduate of Coronado High School in California, the University of Florida and the University of St. Augstine for Health Science.

She and her husband, Benji, have four children Dallas, Darby, Delaney and Dayton. When asked what she likes most about working at South Central, Chanelle replied, “I enjoy working with my patients in a family atmosphere. My co-workers are like family .”