News Around the State

Carlton, Hickson named Professionals of the Year

The Mississippi Hospital Association’s Society for Health Care Marketing and Public Relations recently named a Junior and Senior Professional of the Year for 2012. Tom Carlton was presented with the Senior Pofessional of the Year Award and Kate Hickson was presented the Junior Professional of the Year Award during the society's annual meeting in November in Madison, Miss.

These awards are given each year to an outstanding professional in the field of health care marketing and public relations. It is based on accomplishments and years of experience in the field, focusing on professionalism, creativity, contributions to the organizations and communities they have served, as well as a continued dedication to learning and furthering the field of marketing and public relations.

Robert Pascascio (right), administrator of Hancock Medical Center, presents Tom Carlton (left) with the Senior Professional of the Year Award.

Carlton has been with HMC since December of 2006 as marketing/development director. He has over 15 years of health care marketing experience. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Bay St. Louis (where he was honored as the Rotarian of the Year in 2009), the Lions Club of Diamondhead (where he was named the Melvin Jones Fellow in 2010), and Leadership Hancock County. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri.

Julie Hollingsworth (left) presents Kate Hickson (right) with the Junior Professional of the Year Award.

Hickson is the marketing manager of customer and physician relations at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto. She has five years of experience in health care marketing. She holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Mississippi.

Baptist DeSoto names new medical director of cardiovascular services

Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto recently promoted Dr. Arie Szatkowski to medical director of the hospitals’ cardiovascular services. 

A cardiologist with the Stern Cardiovascular Foundation, he brings more than 16 years of experience, including award-winning teaching appointments. Szatkowski specializes in consultative cardiology, nuclear medicine, echocardiography and preventive medicine. He has special interests in valvular disease and congestive heart failure.

“Finding the right person for this position was not an easy task,” James Huffman, administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, said. “His previous positions have prepared him well to oversee finding the right programs to meet the needs of our patients and employees.”

Szatkowski believes educating patients and setting goals is the key to lowering the statistics that place Mississippi among the nation’s leaders in heart disease.

“Improving the health of our community is my top priority,” Szatkowski explained. “We already have top-notch cardiac services. Now we are working to promote those services and offer more programs for healthier living.”

 

Baptist-DeSoto starts nursing residency

Nationally, 27 percent of nurses leave their jobs within their first year out of nursing school. Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto is implementing a new residency program to combat that turnover, their rate being 39 percent, and ensure the longevity of their incoming nursing cohorts.

Read more here.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto gains higher trauma care rating

Recently, the Southaven hospital has been upgraded to a Level 3 trauma center, meaning the hospital is now equipped to handle many of its trauma patients. Read more from The Commercial Appeal here.

MSU Martin Center, Baptist Memorial-DeSoto form partnership

Mississippi State's T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability is joining with the Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto to open the university center's first satellite location. The campus-based program and the hospital's rehabilitation department will collaborate in providing assistive technology, rehabilitation and biomedical engineering services.

Read more here.

NWCC and Baptist Hospital – A marriage created to prevent pain, heal the hurt

An agreement between Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto and Northwest Mississippi Community College is good news for the school's athletic department as well as the students who participate in Northwest sports.

The two groups are working together to provide a full-time trainer for the men's and women's teams at the Senatobia-based school. Vicky Gamber, who has worked as a trainer on the senior college level and also at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, started working with the Northwest athletes in August. “They have a great coaching staff here,” Gamber said. “They've all been very supportive.”

According to Brad Kennedy, director of Rehabilitation Services at BMH - DeSoto, the cooperative effort is part of Baptist's community outreach program. “One of our primary goals is community outreach,” Kennedy explained. “Baptist - North Mississippi has a similar contract with Ole Miss.

“This is something new for Baptist - DeSoto,” he continued. “To me, sports medicine is something I've wanted to do ever since I arrived (at the Southaven hospital) in January.”

Gamber works with all the Northwest sports teams, including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, track, men's and women's soccer, softball and even rodeo. If needed, Gamber is also available to help if a member of the school's cheerleading squad is injured. “They love having somebody here all the time, somebody who's accessible,” Gamber said. “I've already got files on everyone.

“I just like being around the kids,” she admitted. “It's always something different; it's just another page in my book.” Gamber earned her training degree at the University of Memphis. She spent 10 years at Georgia Tech and served as a trainer at the Goodwill Games in Russia during the early 1990's.

When it comes to deciding if a player is well enough to participate in practice or in a game, the Northwest coaching staff relies on Gamber's judgment. Unfortunately, this hasn't always been the case in Gamber's career.

“I have worked in places where you do get pressure from coaches,” she said, “but the coaches here have been great. For me, that's a big plus.” Baptist - DeSoto and Northwest began working on the agreement in January 2005 and were able to finalize all the details by July. The one-year program will be reviewed and renewed on a yearly basis. “What we want to see is cost savings for Northwest,” Kennedy said. “Their health insurance is really high, so we want to help them lower their premiums as well as prevent injuries.”

Northwest Athletic Director Donny Castle sees the agreement as a positive step for the college and its athletic programs.

“Athletics has grown here,” Castle said. “We've had part-time trainers in the past, but this is the first time we've had a real trainer.

“Athletics at the junior college level are very intense and competitive, so there are always injuries,” he added. “We've wanted a full-time trainer for 25 years, and with Baptist Hospital we've worked out a partnership that's benefited us already by giving us an experienced trainer.”

While the college has taken a huge step forward - with Baptist's help - by providing a full-time trainer, Castle said more needs to be done to ensure Northwest's athletes receive the proper care and attention. “We're still a ways off,” Castle stated. “I'd like to have more help for her and add a little bit more to our training room.

“In-house rehabilitation can save us a lot of money,” he continued. “Baptist was nice enough to come up with a plan to have a trainer here at times when she's needed.

“We're taking baby steps right now,” Castle said with a smile. “We're pleased to have gotten this far.”

[ via Jamie Mercer/Times News Staff ]

BMH-DeSoto to highlight pregnancy

Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto's Women's Pavilion staff are educating the community on premature births and how to assess potential pregnancy problems. Premature births account for about five or six of every 100 births, according to the Center of Health Statistics.

The nine-month Perinatal  Continuing Education Course, funded by a $5,000 March of Dimes grant through its Prematurity Campaign, will offer intensive training centered around increasing nursing knowledge and skills in prenatal risk assessment, pregnancy case management and education services for high-risk women.

During the course, 60 registered nurses, eight physicians and one neonatal nurse will learn how to better assess what factors can lead to premature births and what can be done to prevent an early birth once those factors have been recognized.