News Around the State

Forrest General Home Care and Hospice Opens New Picayune Office

Pictured at the ribbon cutting are, from left: Nikki Ladner, Larry Russum, Carolyn Holcomb, Lisa Shelton, Fred Sullivan, Becky Pardue, Angela Pace, Melita Miller, Derek Turnage, TJ Moran, Ruby DiGiovanni, Maxine Odum, Karen Blanks, Liz Boler, Barbara White and Dr. Keith Warden.

Forrest General Home Care and Hospice hosted an open house in August to celebrate the opening of a new branch office in Picayune.

This new office will provide the same quality care provided in Forrest General Home Care and Hospice locations across south Mississippi, allowing residents to stay home for their healthcare. This location will feature home care and hospice staff members and provide skilled nursing care, nurse aides, wound/ostomy care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, mental health nursing, medical social services, telehealth, I.V. therapy, diabetic education and Hospice services.

Highland Community Hospital Hosts Open House at New Facility in Picayune

RibbonCutting: Representatives from Highland Community Hospital, Forrest Health and the Greater Picayune Area Chamber of Commerce participated in a ribbon cutting to kick off the Open House celebration.

After years of planning and construction, the new Highland Community Hospital is complete! Highland and Forrest General Hospital staff, physicians and administrators proudly unveiled the brand new facility at a community Open House on July 8.

Residents from across Pearl River County and the surrounding area gathered at the long-awaited facility in Picayune for an Open House celebration that included an official ribbon cutting and remarks by Highland Community Hospital Administrator Mark Stockstill, Picayune Mayor Ed Pinero and Forrest Health President and CEO Evan Dillard, followed by self-guided tours and refreshments.

The new Highland Community Hospital provides more services than ever before, increasing Picayune area residents’ access to healthcare. The new facility’s 60 inpatient beds are located in private, spacious patient rooms that are much larger than the standard hospital patient room. State-of-the-art equipment and furnishings are located in every area of the three-story building, providing a setting compatible with the latest trends in healthcare. The new hospital features an expanded Emergency Room that is nearly double the size of the original Highland facility’s ER. The new emergency care department’s layout is designed to minimize the patient’s time from door to doctor, including three minor care treatment rooms. Patients and staff will also benefit from additional space for surgery, diagnostic testing such as x-rays and expectant and new moms and their babies. New medical office buildings also offer convenient access to physicians with a variety of specialties.

"I believe this new, state-of-the-art facility is a quantum leap forward in delivery of high quality, safe and efficient care in Pearl River County,” said Highland Administrator Mark Stockstill. “The new Highland will set the tempo for future growth and development of the community."

Highland Celebrates Nurses Week, Names Nurses of the Year

Highland Community Hospital employs more than 109 Registered Nurses (RNs) and 5 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). In celebration of National Nurses Week 2012, Highland honored three of those nurses as Nurse of the Year, We C.A.R.E. Nurse of the Year and Rookie Nurse of the Year.

At a celebration held on May 8, 2012 for nurses hospital-wide, Nurse of the Year was awarded to Janelle Imhoff, RN, who works in Highland’s Obstetrics Unit. Melissa Elrod, RN, who works in the hospital’s Medical Surgical Unit, was honored as We C.A.R.E. Nurse of the Year. Rookie Nurse of the Year, awarded to a nurse who has only worked at the hospital for a short time, was given to Amy Leah Sheasby, RN, who also works in Obstetrics.

Nurse of the Year, We C.A.R.E Nurse of the Year and Rookie of the Year are chosen by nominations received from the overall nursing staff. “Caring is the very core of what we, as nurses, do and these award recipients exemplify the Highland commitment to have a positive impact on our patients, their families and the community,” stated Mark Stockstill Administrator of Highland Community Hospital.

Every year, National Nurses Week focuses attention on the diverse ways America's 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. This year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has selected "Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring " as the theme for 2012. The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.

Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, who comprise the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress, the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society.

Stockstill named Administrator of Highland Community Hospital

 

Highland Community Hospital recently announced that Mark Stockstill has been named as Administrator for the hospital. In this role, Stockstill will continue to drive the organization towards world class healthcare through a focus on quality, safety, compassion, community partnership and financial strength.

Stockstill served as Highland’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) from October 2009 until his appointment as CEO in February of 2011.  Before assuming the role of COO, he served as Chief Nursing Officer at Slidell Memorial Hospital in Slidell, La. In this role, Stockstill was instrumental in promoting a culture of quality, safety and patient satisfaction. Stockstill has also served in other leadership positions including Manager of Nursing Administration, Program Director for Total Wound Treatment Centers and Critical Care Director.

“We are excited to have Mark as the Administrator of Highland Community Hospital,” said Forrest General Chief Operating Officer Doug Jones, who previously served as Interim Administrator at Highland. “During his tenure as Chief Operating Officer of Highland, Mark has proven himself to be a capable leader who is always focused on providing high quality, safe, and compassionate care to the people we serve. I look forward to watching Mark and his team as they transform the delivery of healthcare services for the citizens of Picayune and Pearl River County.”

Stockstill received an Associate of Science in Nursing degree with Honors from Pearl River Community College, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing.  He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health from American Military University. Stockstill has served in the military in many capacities, including communications with the Army Reserve, Mississippi National Guard, and from 1992 until 2005 as an officer in the United States Air Force Reserve Aerospace Medicine program.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held For New Highland Community Hospital

 

On December 8, representatives from Forrest General Hospital, Highland Community Hospital, Roy Anderson Corporation and Forrest and Pearl River Counties participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Highland Community Hospital, moving one step closer to making the vision of this new hospital facility in Picayune a reality.

In May 2006, Forrest General purchased what was then Crosby Memorial Hospital, renaming it Highland Community Hospital. These efforts to further enhance the healthcare available in the region also included plans to construct a new hospital facility in the future. Those plans are now being translated into visible development, with site work already completed in the new location and construction scheduled to begin in early December. The new hospital will be located on Highway 11 in Picayune on a 31-acre parcel of land, 20 of which was donated by Carle Cooper of Picayune. Design of the hospital was and will continue to be a joint effort between hospital administration, the medical and hospital staff, and Roy Anderson Corporation.

“Based upon the input we have received from the Picayune area, the community wants a modern health care facility that can better meet their needs,” said Evan Dillard, Forrest General President and CEO. “We are excited about the opportunity of creating a special health care facility that can be an asset to the community.”

In addition to the hospital, two new physician office buildings will be constructed on the site, with one to be completed in the summer of 2011 and the second to be completed on the same timeline as the new hospital facility, which is April 2012. The new Highland Community Hospital will be located at Highland Commons, a planned unit development consisting of approximately 300 acres. According to Cooper Company, who is developing the property, about half of Highland Commons will be residential, including single family homes and condos, and the remainder of the property will be commercial and office-professional, including a multi-use town center.

“As a lifelong resident of Picayune, I am honored to be a part of moving our already fine healthcare services into a modern, state-of-the-art facility,” said Mark Stockstill, Highland’s Chief Operating Officer. “The residents of Picayune deserve world class healthcare right here at home, and we are committed to providing these services in a safe, high quality, patient and family friendly environment.”

The new hospital will provide more services than ever before, including an expanded Emergency Room and more space for obstetrical care, surgery and other procedures, as well as additional diagnostic and x-ray technology, allowing residents of the Picayune area to receive even higher quality medical care in their hometown. Phase one of the new hospital will initially feature 60 inpatient beds and a modern layout designed to accommodate the latest trends in health care. Highland’s outpatient services will also expand greatly to meet the needs of the growing local population. It is projected that the first patients will be seen in the new facility beginning in July 2012.

 

 

Forrest OKs $70 million bond for hospital

Forrest General Hospital is in the early stages of constructing a new hospital in Picayune. The Forrest County Board of Supervisors approved a $70 million bond proposed by the hospital to help finance the project.

Read more in The Hattiesburg American here.

Highland Obtains New Technology for Detection of PAD

Highland Community Hospital recently announced the acquisition of a Parks Vascular system, which is used to detect peripheral artery disease (PAD). September is observed as PAD Awareness Month, in recognition of a disease that can often go unnoticed without any signs or symptoms.

"This equipment purchase is further evidence that Highland Community Hospital is upholding its commitment to the We C.A.R.E Vision and Mission, and the community it serves," said Highland Radiology Director James Turnage, Jr. "PAD is a life-threatening condition that can be managed or even reversed with proper care. Thanks to this new technology, Highland Community Hospital is even better equipped to fight this potentially life-threatening disease."

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) happens when fatty deposits build up in arteries outside the heart, often the arteries that supply fresh oxygen and blood to the arms, legs and feet. These blockages can restrict circulation to the limbs and organs, causing damage to kidneys, legs, arms and feet. PAD may be the first warning sign of atherosclerosis – chronic fatty deposit build-ups throughout the arteries that increase the risk for vascular inflammation and blood clots. The whole circulatory system, including the heart and brain, are at risk when arteries are blocked and narrowed.

 

Highland receives ACR Accreditation in Mammography

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has awarded Highland Community Hospital's Imaging Department with accreditation in Mammography for a three year term. ACR awards accreditation to facilities for achieving high practice standards that are evaluated by board certified physicians and medical physicists. Surveyors access the adequacy of facility equipment and qualifications of the personnel and report their findings to the ACR's Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report. The country's oldest and largest accrediting body for mammography, the ACR is designated by the Food and Drug Administration as an accrediting body.

"The ACR endorsement is a testament to our team's commitment to our We C.A.R.E. mission and vision for each and every patient," said James Turnage, Jr., Radiology Director for Highland Community Hospital. "Our employees put forth great effort to ensure patient care is second to none at Highland Community Hospital. Knowing that our staff and facility has passed the ACR's rigorous evaluation provides patients and physicians with the confidence that Highland Community Hospital is a source for the highest quality mammography services available."

Accreditation signifies that Highland Community Hospital is compliant with national quality standards to ensure safe, reliable and accurate mammography. This accreditation is an important part of upholding the hospital’s commitment to care. This commitment is illustrated by the “We C.A.R.E.” philosophy, which is integrated into every aspect of Highland’s service to its patients. “We C.A.R.E.” includes communicating with compassion and courtesy, acknowledging and taking action, respecting and reassuring the patient and explaining what is taking place.

 

Stockstill named COO of Highland Community Hospital

Highland Community Hospital recently announced that Mark Stockstill has been named as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Stockstill previously served as Chief Nursing Officer at Slidell Memorial Hospital, a 182-bed full-service community hospital.  In this role, Stockstill was instrumental in creating a culture of safety and patient satisfaction.  Stockstill has also served in other leadership positions including Manager of Nursing Administration, Program Director for Total Wound Treatment Centers and Critical Care Director.

Stockstill received an Associate of Science in Nursing degree with Honors from Pearl River Community College, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing.  Stockstill has served in the military in many capacities, including communications with the Army Reserve, and as a Flight Nurse in the United States Air Force Reserve.

“We are delighted to have Mark join our team and excited about the experience Mark brings to our organization and the community” stated Doug Jones, Interim Administrator of Highland Community Hospital.

New Technology at Highland Helps in Fight Against Osteoporosis

Twenty-five million Americans have osteoporosis, the most common bone disease, in which progressive bone loss results in increased risk of fracture. Each year, 50,000 people die because of its effects, yet many know very little about protecting themselves from this disease. Osteoporosis results in more than one million hip, spine and wrist fractures annually. This disorder affects nearly one-half of all post menopausal women, the largest group at high risk for osteoporosis.

Fortunately, research in osteoporosis is making important new advances. One key factor in this success has been the availability of new and improved equipment to measure bone density. Using a bone densitometer, physicians can measure patient bone density and monitor it over time. If the patient’s bone density is low, or decreases at an abnormally fast rate, the patient may be at risk for osteoporosis. Through changes in diet, exercise habits and/or medication, further deterioration of bone can be prevented. This new technology has recently been installed at Highland Community Hospital, offering a great resource for Picayune-area residents.

“The Lunar bone densitometer, made by GE Healthcare, measures the density of the spine, hip, and other bones which are the most frequent sites of fracture,” explained Louis Summersgill, M.D., Medical Director of Highland Community Hospital’s Imaging Center. “In just 30 seconds, this highly precise densitometer helps us identify risk at a much earlier stage of bone loss. It can also evaluate response to treatment so we know how effectively the therapy is working, or if we need to modify our approach.”

Summersgill added that recent research findings are helping to clarify the nature of the disease and demonstrate the effectiveness of new treatments. New diagnostic devices, such as the Lunar bone densitometer, improve the early detection and treatment of osteoporosis. Summersgill encourages those at risk for osteoporosis, specifically older women post-menopause or those with a family history of osteoporosis, to visit the facility and be evaluated for a bone density examination, noting that there is no special preparation involved, and the exam is a very brief and comfortable experience for the patient.

For more information on Highland Community Hospital or its bone densitometry services, call Highland OnCall at 1-888-280-1151. For more information on osteoporosis, visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation web site at nof.org.