News Around the State

John Anderson Named Administrator of Anderson South

L. Ray Humphreys, President and CEO of Anderson Regional Medical Center recently announced that John Anderson has been named Administrator of Anderson Regional Medical Center South (formerly Riley Hospital). 

Anderson will be responsible for overseeing the 140 bed hospital that includes services such as the Pain Management Center, Wound Healing Center, Tom C. Maynor Rehabilitation Center and Outpatient Infusion Therapy. He will also be providing the leadership essential to developing new and expanded services for Anderson South.

“We are pleased to announce John Anderson will serve in this new role. In addition to his duties at Anderson South, John will continue to oversee the Anderson Regional Cancer Center", said Humphreys.

Anderson joined the staff of Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center in 1990. Before being named Administrator at Anderson South, Anderson served as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Anderson Regional Medical Center. Anderson is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

Anderson is President of the MIDD Board of Directors, Chairman of the United Way of East Mississippi Board of Directors and is a member of First Baptist Church. John and his wife, Debra are the proud parents of four adult children and four grandchildren.

Dr. Christy Mnzava Joins Immediate Care Family Clinic

Rush Health Systems recently announced that Christy Mnzava, DO, has joined the family practice at Immediate Care Family Clinic, a rural health clinic of The Specialty Hospital of Meridian.

Dr. Mnzava received her doctorate of osteopathic medicine from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio and completed her residency in Family Medicine at St. John’s West Shore Hospital in Westlake, Ohio.   

Rogers graduates from ASHE Leadership Institute

Fred M. Rogers, Rush Health Systems’ Vice President and Chief Resource Officer, recently graduated from a five-year Leadership Institute program sponsored by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering.  The program offers emerging leaders intensive training in skills they can use to manage employees, improve their productivity and become more effective leaders. 

“The Leadership Institute takes folks who are already successful and helps them take that next step in sharpening their skills, “said ASHE Executive Director Dale Woodin, CHFM, FASHE.   “We’re finding this approach to developing future leaders provides benefits to both the attendees’ organizations and ASHE.”

Rogers has been affiliated with Rush since 1995.     He is a native of Meridian and attended Marion Military Institute and the University of Mississippi.  He is responsible for the management of all construction projects including the current construction of Choctaw General Hospital in Butler, AL and the plant operations departments of all Rush-affiliated hospitals and clinics in East Mississippi and West Alabama.

Anderson Regional Sleep Disorders Center Staff Receives Certification

The following employees are RPSGT certified (from left to right): Lexa Karas, Tara Boykin, Jon Atkinson, Brenda Harrison, Amy Jenkins, Renee Warren, Shan Goforth, Kim Litchfield

All members of the staff at Anderson Regional Sleep Disorders Center are now certified by the Board of Polysomnographic Technologists. This is a highly sought after achievement, and one that only a few sleep centers across the nation have achieved.

Recently certified staff members are Lexa Karas, Tara Boykin, Amy Jenkins, Renee Warren, Shan Goforth and Kim Litchfield.  Jon Atkinson and Brenda Harrison had previously earned the RPSGT credential in 1983 and 2003, respectively.

The Registered Polysomnographic Technologist™ (RPSGT) is an internationally recognized credential representing the highest certification in the field for the health care professionals who clinically assess patients with sleep disorders.

The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists™ (BRPT) sets the credentialing standards for the RPSGT credential and develops, maintains and administers the Registered Polysomnographic Technologist Examination for Polysomnographic Technologists (RPSGT). The RPSGT ensures that RPSGTs hold the highest level of core knowledge, skills, abilities and attributes.

To become certified as a RPSGT, a technologist must have necessary clinical experience, hold CPR certification or its equivalent, adhere to the BRPT Standards of Conduct and pass the RPSGT credentialing exam.

The BRPT’s credentialing program has grown from eight technologists certified by the first RPSGT administration in 1979 to more than 17,000 Registered Polysomnographic Technologists today. These credentialed technologists have made a commitment to professionalism, competence and ethics by meeting the BRPT standards for certification.
 

Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund Receives $5,000 Donation

Anderson Regional Cancer Center partnered with Lazy Acres Plantation to raise funds for the Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund during October.
 
Lazy Acres Plantation is a 120 acre farm located in Chunky, Mississippi.  The farm offers family-centered entertainment, hayrides, a petting zoo and many other activities.  The main attraction is the Pumpkin Patch, and this year, Lazy Acres went “Pink at the Patch” in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  One dollar from each regular priced admission ticket was donated to the Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund.
 
The Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund is a fund administered by Anderson Regional Cancer Center to help patients with needs not met by insurance.  The money donated to this fund is used to provide medications, prosthesis, wigs, and transportation to patients who could otherwise not afford these things. 
 
In a recent presentation, Lazy Acres Plantation Director, Michael Mays, announced that $5,000 was raised during the month of October.
 
Wayne Herrington, Administrative Director of Anderson Regional Cancer Center, said “We are so thankful that Lazy Acres wanted to partner with us for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Many patient needs will be met because of this donation, and we look forward to continuing this partnership.”

Anderson Neurology Center Holds Ribbon Cutting and Open House

Anderson Regional Medical Center recently announced the grand opening of Anderson Neurology Center and the affiliation of Jimmy Wolfe, MD. To celebrate this event, a ribbon cutting and open house was held on November 17.
 
Dr. Wolfe brings his unique expertise to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke and more. 

Ray Humphreys, President and CEO of Anderson, said, “Dr. Wolfe is a welcome addition to our growing number of specialists.  We are proud to offer neurological care to the residents of East Mississippi/West Alabama.”

 

Wanda B. Cooper Receives MsAHQ’s 2011 Healthcare Quality Leader of the Year Award

The Mississippi Association for Healthcare Quality (MsAHQ) has named Wanda B. Cooper, VP, Anderson Regional Medical Center, as the recipient of the 2011 Healthcare Quality Leader of the Year award. The award was presented during the MsAHQ annual conference recently held at the Vicksburg Convention Center.
 
The Healthcare Quality Leader of the Year award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of patient care, advanced the field of healthcare quality, and made significant contributions to the MsAHQ organization.
 
Cooper has been involved in the field of healthcare quality for more than 30 years, and she has been an active member of MsAHQ and the National Association of Healthcare Quality for many years.
 
Cooper currently serves as Vice President of Professional Relations at Anderson Regional Medical Center.  She is also a member of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation Board of Directors and the Mississippi Hospital Association Society for Healthcare Risk Management Board of Directors.

Rush Foundation Hospital Rehabilitation Services receives FOTO® Outcomes Excellence Certificate for Third Consecutive Year

Front row: Barbie Miles, Susan Johnson, Michelle Summerford; Row 2: Wanda Anderson, Bernice Hurns, Erica Walker, Mildred King, Cheryl Wozny, Joey Williams, Tommy Winston; Row 3: Lynn Holifield, Henrietta Blaylock, Lisa Scott, Marianne Kelley, Rosie Hopson, Lisa Eggleston, Julie Brown, Pam Williams; Row 4: June Clayton, Jessica Watson, Phoema Dubra, Hillary Montgomery, Olivia Brown, Jennifer Wooten, Christy Sullivan, Chresha Baylor; Row 5: Angie Goforth, Christy Pritchard, Candace Keene, Debba Mitchell, Dan Donnelly, Ethel Dubose, Chad Brasher; Not Pictured: Ben Dear and Jennifer Kennedy

Rush Foundation Hospital Rehabilitation Services has been awarded an Outcomes Excellence Certificate from Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc. (FOTO®), a nationwide outcomes data base and reporting service for healthcare providers. These certificates are presented to a select group of providers across the country to recognize the excellence achieved in effectiveness of treatment during the past twelve months. Rush Foundation Hospital has demonstrated a greater increase in function for their patients than the national aggregate average.

FOTO has provided outcomes data to healthcare providers since 1994. More than 1,000 organizations have contributed to the FOTO data base. FOTO outcomes data are beneficial because they provide a benchmark measure for overall quality and value of the services offered by an organization. FOTO has the first Functional Health Status Measure approved for physical rehabilitation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s list of approved quality measures in the quality measures sponsored by the Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Chuck Reece, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Rush Health Systems congratulated the hospital’s Rehabilitative Service Department for their ongoing commitment saying, “Our Rehabilitative Services team of caregivers is a very dedicated and motivated group.  We are very proud of their outstanding scores related to outcomes and most especially of the way they demonstrate such their dedication to personalized care and service.

Rush Rehabilitation Services is a comprehensive program providing a full range of services to patients in the acute care or outpatient settings.  The services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy.  Additionally, Rush Rehabilitation Services provides aquatic therapy, pre-employment and post employment testing, and a reading clinic.
 

Anderson Cancer Center Receives National Accreditation

 
Proudly displaying the new accreditation certificate are Dr. John C. Halbrook, Medical Oncologist and Chairman of Oncology Care Committee, and John Anderson, Vice President, Anderson Regional Medical Center Clinical Operations.

Anderson Regional Cancer Center has been granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS).
 
Anderson received Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which Anderson demonstrated a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).  In addition, Anderson received a compliance rating for all other standards.
 
“By voluntarily submitting to a survey that closely examined our facility and procedures, we are showing our patients that we strive for the highest care possible,” stated Ray Humphreys, President and CEO, Anderson Regional Medical Center.  
 
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care.  Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and 42 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.
 
The core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state and local level.
 
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 1.5 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2011.  There are currently more than 1,400 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals.  This 25 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat 71 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.  In addition, a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Accreditation Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.
 
The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards.  Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.  To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

Dr. Rachel Hull Joins Central Mississippi Family Health Clinic

 

Rush Health Systems recently announced that Rachel Hull, MD, has joined pediatrician Dr. Akhtar Siddiqui at Central Mississippi Family Health Clinic, a rural health clinic of The Specialty Hospital of Meridian.

Dr. Hull received her doctorate of medicine and completed her residency in Pediatrics at University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, MS.