News Around the State

Natchez Regional Medical Center Announces Chief Of Staff

Dr. Scott Wolfe was elected as Chief of the Medical Staff during recent medical staff elections for Natchez Regional Medical Center. As chief of staff, Dr. Wolfe was selected by his peers to serve as their primary liaison to the hospital's administration, Board of Trustees and the community. In his role as chief of staff, Dr. Wolfe will also provide direction and oversee medical staff issues related to quality of care. He will serve two years in this position.

"Dr. Wolfe is a wonderful choice for this very important position, and the hospital looks forward to working with him in this capacity,” said Bill Heburn, CEO of Natchez Regional. "Dr. Wolfe succeeds Dr. John O'Brien, who did a great job, and will now move into the past chief of staff role,” added Heburn.

According to Dr. Wolfe, "I am pleased to have been selected by my peers as the chief of staff and honored with the confidence they have placed in me. I look forward to working with the hospital and my peers in this new role.”

Dr. Wolfe is in Family Medicine practice at Family Medical Associates of Natchez, PLLC. He has practiced medicine in Natchez since 2003. He is a member of the American Medical Association; American Academy of Family Practice; Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians and the Homochitto Valley Medical Society. He is also affiliated with Alcorn State University as an Associate Professor and the University Medical Center as a Clinical Professor.

 

Natchez Regional Medical Center Announces New Nurse Leadership In the Women's Center

Barbara Willis, Chief Nursing Officer, along with CEO Bill Heburn, is pleased to announce the addition of Judy Sharp to the hospital's nurse management team. In her role as the Nurse Manager for The Women's Center, Judy will coordinate clinical and administrative activities on the third floor to provide high-quality care. She is responsible for ensuring safe, effective and appropriate patient care throughout the Center, and she will manage the department's nurses and nursing support staff. 

According to Willis, "Judy's outgoing personality, combined with her excellent record of clinical skills and needed certifications for this specialized area, made her the ideal choice for this position.” As the Nurse Manager for The Women's Center, Judy's responsibilities include Labor, Delivery, Nursery and Postpartum, as well as women placed on the unit recovering from surgical procedures.

Judy has over 34 years of nursing experience and has a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and Nursing. "I am thrilled to be in this beautiful city and look forward to getting to know my employees, our patients and our community,” said Judy.

Natchez Community Hospital displays new da Vinci Si Surgical System

Members of the Natchez Chamber of Commerce and other guests got a firsthand look last month at innovative medical technology at Natchez Community Hospital (NCH) that is revolutionizing the way Americans are undergoing surgical procedures. 

Based on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2009” ranking, 100% of the top ranked hospitals in the United States own at least one da Vinci Surgical System. Now, this technology is available in Natchez. Natchez Community Hospital is the only hospital in Adams County and within a 100-mile radius of Natchez to obtain the da Vinci. 

An open house was held at NCH to showcase the hospital’s new da Vinci® Si Surgical System. Physicians, surgical nurses and members of the hospital administrative team were on hand to answer questions about the new technology.

Guests were also offered the opportunity to sit at the controls and move the robotic arms of the da Vinci. Watching their efforts on a nearby display provided a clear indication of the surgeons’ enhanced capabilities, including high-definition 3D vision and a magnified view. 

Donald Rentfro, chief executive officer of NCH, said it is a misnomer to say that surgery is performed by a robot. He explained that though it is often called a “robot,” the da Vinci System cannot act on its own - surgery is performed 100% by the surgeon. 

Rentfro added da Vinci technology allows surgeons to perform complex procedures through just a few tiny incisions. As a result, patients may get back to their lives faster without the usual recovery following major surgery.

“The da Vinci System has been used successfully worldwide in hundreds of thousands of procedures to date, so we are very proud to bring this technology to Natchez and Adams County,” Rentfro said. “The enabling features of the da Vinci System raise the standard of care for complex surgeries. This translates into numerous potential patient benefits compared to open surgery.”  

The da Vinci System consists of an ergonomic console at which the surgeon sits controlling the arms; a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a 3D HD vision system and miniaturized wristed instruments. The surgeon controls the da Vinci, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body.

Frank Guedon, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist who has successfully utilized the da Vinci for gynecologic surgeries at NCH, was on hand to answer questions about the technology and its effect on gynecologic surgery. 

Guedon said the da Vinci offers surgical candidates smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays and a faster return to normal lifestyle. There is also less scarring, minimal blood loss, lower chance of infection, and less pain from surgical procedures. 

Rentfro said that while NCH’s da Vinci has to date been used for gynecologic surgery, da Vinci procedures are now routinely performed at U.S. hospitals for a wide range of conditions in specialties including cardiac, thoracic, urologic, pediatric and general surgery. The hospital hopes to expand its use of the da Vinci to include these specialties, Rentfro added. 

Guedon added that when comparing da Vinci Surgery to traditional laparoscopic surgery, the da Vinci provides patients with so many advantages. Many women now choose da Vinci surgery for minimally invasive hysterectomy than conventional laparoscopy or vaginal surgery, Guedon said

“I am very excited to be able to offer it to my patients, some of whom have already undergone surgery and are back at work or other activities,” Guedon said. “Those patients are telling others and the interest in just a few short weeks is already very high among women who want a  safer and less painful alternative when it is determined they need a hysterectomy or other procedure.” 

Also, the da Vinci offers many advantages for surgeons over conventional laparoscopy, during which the surgeon is required to stand and use hand-held, long-shafted instruments that cannot bend or rotate. The surgeon must look up and away from the instruments to a nearby 2D video monitor to see an image of the target anatomy. 

The da Vinci System’s ergonomic design allows the surgeon to operate from a comfortable, seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his or her hands. 

Three weeks after undergoing a hysterectomy performed by Guedon using the da Vinci, Kathy Fitzpatrick returned to NCH for the open house. The Natchez resident said the chance to view firsthand the technology that made her surgical experience “almost pain-free” was too tempting to pass up.

“Dr. Guedon and I had talked about me undergoing a hysterectomy for about a year, but we decided against it for a number of reasons,” Fitzpatrick said. “After the hospital got the da Vinci, I was one of the first people Dr. Guedon called. When he told me about it, I agreed right then to have it. I couldn’t believe the experience was so easy and that I recovered so fast. I went back to work today, just three weeks after my surgery, and I feel great. And, I’ve already recommended the da Vinci, Dr. Guedon and Natchez Community Hospital to three of my friends.” 

Natchez Regional begins a celebration 50 years in the making

Natchez Regional Medical Center opened its doors to the community on April 18, 1960.

The legacy of Natchez Regional Medical Center actually began on October 7, 1955, when members of the community appeared before the Board of Supervisors requesting the board adopt a resolution to build a county-owned hospital. The resolution was unanimously adopted and a certified copy was sent to the Mississippi Commission on Hospital Care. 

Mrs. R. B. Forman, Chairman of the Natchez Association of Commerce Public Health Committee, met with the Board of Supervisors on March 6, 1956. An application for a grant to build a new 150-bed acute general hospital, to contain an administration area, dietary, laundry, morgue and autopsy, laboratory, x-ray, outpatients, surgery and obstetric suite was executed by the Board. 

The application requested state funds in the amount of $100,000 and federal funds, provided by the Hill-Burton Act, in the amount of $1,468,000. The county would contribute $800,000, bringing the total cost of the hospital to approximately $2.4 million. 

On April 16, 1960, a dedication ceremony was held on the front grounds of the hospital, with an estimated 10,000 citizens touring the gleaming facility. Congressman John Bell Williams, who authored the bill that extended the life of the Hill-Burton Act, which made the hospital possible, delivered the dedicatory address and congratulated the people of Natchez and Adams County on constructing such a fine medical institution stating, “This hospital is not being built just for today alone but rather, to serve the generations who are to come.” 

The hospital’s original name, Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital, was chosen on June 11, 1957, when a contest was held to name the hospital. Mr. J. Balfour Miller submitted the winning name. 

The name was changed to Natchez Regional Medical Center in 1993 to reflect the hospital’s reputation as a regional medical center. During the hospital’s 50 year history, many renovations and construction projects have occurred, with the largest being a $15 million expansion and renovation in 1994 that nearly doubled the size of the hospital and included a new intensive care and coronary care unit named after Dr. Clifford Tillman. In 1966, Dr. Tillman was instrumental in developing the first Intensive Coronary Care Unit in the State of Mississippi at Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital.

In 1960, the hospital made its first stride in a long list of “firsts” when it housed the first image intensifiers in the State. These produced great amplification of the fluoroscopic picture, resulting in much better diagnostic detail. 

The Jeff, as it was affectionately called, was very innovative and also noteworthy was the boundless enthusiasm the hospital family felt for its work.  Other firsts in Natchez Regional’s history include:
● First radioactive Cobalt 60 Teletherapy Unit in a Natchez hospital, one of two such units in the entire state used to treat illnesses deep in the body.
● First Radio Isotope Detection Unit in a Natchez hospital, used primarily in thyroid studies
● First hospital in the State to offer Dahlberg built in television and radio for its patients
● First Autopsy Room located in a Natchez hospital, enabling medical specialists to perform medical examinations in the hospital itself where before they were conducted in local funeral homes.
● First hospital in Natchez and second in the State to purchase a Defibrillator Pacemaker Unit
● First and only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Natchez
● First and only inpatient Senior Behavioral Health Unit in Natchez
● First and only inpatient Rehabilitation Center in Natchez
● First and only Cardiac Rehab in Natchez
● First and only hospital in Natchez to offer 64 Slice CT Scanner
● First and only hospital in Natchez to install Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS), allowing physicians to view images from various hospital workstations or their offices.
● First and only hospital in Natchez offering digital mammography and bone density
● First and only hospital in Natchez to provide PET/CT Scan services

“In addition to providing these comprehensive services and advanced medical technology, we are proud of our community outreach programs,” said Lana Morgan, Interim Chief Executive Officer for Natchez Regional. “We are proud of our Diabetic, Stroke Awareness, Alzheimer’s and Breast Cancer Support groups, as well as Soles in Motion, a community program aimed at stressing prevention, exercise and nutrition. CPR and First Aid classes, along with Childbirth, Baby Basics, are also taught by NRMC personnel on a regular basis,” added Morgan.

“Those who worked so hard to bring this hospital to fruition would be proud of its growth and recent reorganization and restructuring that will enable the hospital to continue for another 50 years and beyond,” stated Bill Ernst, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Natchez Regional. “This hospital has only begun to make history.  We have so much to look back on with pride, but we have a vision for our future as we continue to advance the hospital’s technology, facilities and overall patient care,” added Ernst. 

“This is an exciting time to be a member of the medical staff at Natchez Regional, and I am proud to be part of the medical community during this milestone anniversary year for the hospital,” said Dr. Frank Guedon. “This hospital is not just brick and mortar. It was built as a result of a philosophy and a dream, and the employees today are continuing the hospital employees promise made 50 years ago to make their first and everlasting responsibility be for the safety and comfort of the sick and injured who are entrusted in their care,” concluded Guedon. 

Darryl Grennell, President of the Board of Supervisors, is also proud of the hospital’s rich history and commitment to the community. “What some people may not realize is  even though the hospital was partially built with county funds and sustained with taxpayer dollars for the first fourteen years, it is now, and has been since 1974, totally self-funded,” said Grennell.  “The management and employees at Natchez Regional have orchestrated a successful restructuring and reorganization of the county facility, and we applaud their efforts,” added Grennell. 

Lana Morgan could not be more proud of her dedicated management team and employees. “This is a celebration not only marking 50 years, but what the hospital is truly about,” said Morgan. “There have been many changes in 50 years, but one thing has remained the same – the complete and utmost dedication of our staff to do what matters most in the lives of our patients and their families,” said Morgan. 

“Our anniversary is also a real testament to the support the community and the physicians have for the hospital.  We continue to have a caring and accomplished medical and healthcare staff, an excellent board, and wonderful, committed community support – all ingredients needed to run a successful hospital.  I am tremendously pleased and honored to be a part of a team that is able to accomplish so much for the benefit of the hospital and the community,” concluded Morgan.

Barbour signs bankruptcy bill for Natchez hospital

Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill March 31 to allow Natchez Regional Medical Center to file Chapter 9 bankruptcy. The purpose of a Chapter 9 filing is to provide a financially distressed public body protection from its creditors while it develops and negotiates a plan for adjusting its $4.5 million debt.

Thompson named one of the best orthopedic physical therapists in the U.S.

Jeffery Thompson, physical therapist at Natchez Regional Medical Center in Natchez, has been selected as one of the best orthopedic physical therapists in the U.S. by The Best of the U.S., LLC. Thompson is one of 1,479 physical therapists chosen from the 155,000 actively practicing physical therapists in the U.S. to be selected. In addition to having a master’s of physical therapy, Thompson is also board certified as a clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy and has manual therapy certification in mechanical diagnosis and therapy.

Doctor's Pavilion opens in Natchez

The Doctor’s Pavilion, a doctors’ building next to Natchez Regional Medical Center in Natchez, recently opened. The pavilion officially opened the offices of Internal Medicine Associates and Dr. Frank Guedon on the third floor. The rest of the building is still in the last stages of construction.

New tumor-fighting technology in use

An opportunity to work in a one-year fellowship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center brought Pennsylvania native Dr. Jay H. Schwartz to the South. Now the doctor is settling into his Natchez office to begin his first private practice in general and laparoscopic surgery and image-guided minimally invasive tumor ablation surgery. He is on the active medical staffs of Natchez Community Hospital and Natchez Regional Medical Center. He is also still a clinical professor of surgery and radiology at UMC.

Hogan named director of NRMC food service

Natchez Regional Medical Center has named Dan Hogan the new food service director. His responsibilities will include overall management of the dietary services, including the hospital cafeteria and Riverbend Catering.

Hogan, a Natchez native, received his bachelor's degree in hotel, restaurant and tourism management from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a registered dietitian.

Rowland promoted at NRMC Women's Center

Christine Rowland, a registered nurse, has been promoted to nurse manager over The Women's Center at Natchez Regional Medical Center. In this role Rowland is responsible for all three areas of The Women's Center: the labor and delivery unit, the nursery and the postpartum unit.

Rowland has more than 12 years of experience in the labor and delivery field and received her RN degree from Alcorn State University School of Nursing. Rowland was also a certified childbirth instructor for eight years.