News Around the State

The Spring 2019 edition of Mississippi Hospitals magazine is available for download here. To receive the magazine in print, join an MHA society! For more information on how to have your hospital news featured in this magazine, contact Ayanna Bloom at (601) 368-3263 or abloom@mhanet.org.

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Delta Regional welcomes new food & nutrition director

Delta Regional Medical Center recently welcomed Brandy Johnson as the new Director of Food and Nutrition.  Ms. Johnson, a manager with Morrison Healthcare, comes to Delta Regional Medical Center with extensive experience in healthcare foodservice serving as Director of Dining in various locations in Mississippi.  Her most recent position was at a senior living facility in Jackson, MS.

“We are thrilled to have Brandy join our team to bring a new and fresh perspective to our menu for patients, families and the community, said Iris Stacker, Vice-President of Compliance and Support Services.  “Delta Regional Medical Center continues to look for innovative methods to provide healthy and tasty food so we are encouraged by Brandy’s experience within the healthcare field.”

Brandy is a member of the Association of Nutrition and Food Professionals and is serve-safe certified. She also holds certifications as a Dietary Manager and Food Protection Professional.

 

Delta Regional Medical Center Opens Arcola Health Center

Scott Christensen, Delta Regional Medical Center (DRMC) Chief Executive Officer, announced the official opening of the Arcola Health Center, which will serve as the only healthcare facility in the Arcola community. The clinic will offer primary care and specialty services to improve the health of the residents served.

Located at 108 Main Street, Arcola, Mississippi, the clinic, located in the center of town, has been renovated internally and externally including ample parking for all patients and their families.  The Arcola Health Center will be staffed by highly trained certified nurse practitioners and nurses along with medical specialty physicians rotating through the clinic to offer essential services to the area.  

“The Arcola Health Center is created to meet the healthcare needs of not only Arcola but the surrounding area.  The Delta Regional Medical Center team will provide high quality care along with efficient and compassionate service to achieve the goal of a healthier community,” said Scott Christensen.  He added, “We take our responsibility as the health care leader in the Delta Region very seriously and continue to look for resources to improve health outcomes and the quality of life for our residents.  Establishing the Arcola Health Center is one of the many ways DRMC continues to strive to be a center of excellence.”

The clinic will provide certain laboratory and diagnostic testing which will allow patients the convenience of having their medical tests done at the time of service without having to travel to Delta Regional Medical Center or other facilities. 

According to Janet Benzing, Delta Regional Medical Center Executive Director of Ancillary Services, “Our goal has always been to expand healthcare services to areas in need so this is a natural progression of our plans.  The Arcola Health Center staff will work to improve health outcomes to all we serve.”

The Arcola Health Center joins the Delta Regional Medical Center’s network of health services as part of the Delta Medical Group clinics providing quality care and representing over 14 medical specialties. 

Christensen reports, “Delta Regional Medical Center is providing excellent care and service to not only our community but the Delta Region and beyond.  Our strategic plan to expand primary care and serve more patients is more visible than ever with the development of the Arcola Health Center.  The board of directors and leadership team understand that Delta Regional Medical Center is the leader in healthcare not only in our area but the Delta Region, and we continue to look for more avenues of service to care for all the needs of our patients.”

The Arcola Health Center is located at 108 Main Street, Arcola, Mississippi.  Initial clinic hours are as follows:  Monday and Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The clinic  phone number is 662.807.1812.  Medicare, Medicaid, insurance and self-pay is accepted.   

Lackey Memorial Hospital's newest service line addresses the opioid crisis

Lackey Memorial Hospital is taking a stand and addressing the opioid crisis. Their Main Street Medical Clinic of Morton has recently incorporated an Opioid Dependency Treatment Program that offers a comprehensive solution to opioid addiction and abuse. The innovative treatment plan is physician-administered and monitored by Doctor Matthew Bentley.

According to Dr. Bentley, “The medication-assisted treatment plan is a safe, effective, and confidential way to beat opioid dependency.” He continues, “Our medication program binds to the same receptors in the brain as other opioids, but blunts intoxication and prevents cravings – allowing our patients to transition back from a life of addiction to a life of normalcy and safety.”

Self-referrals are accepted and completely confidential. The clinic is located conveniently between Jackson and Meridian.

NMMC Specialty Pharmacy Achieves Accreditation with ACHC

NMMC Specialty Pharmacy Staff (from left) Amanda Summers, Pharm.D., Specialty Pharmacy Manager; Kayla Hawkins; Reagan Criswell; Janice Meguire, CPhT; Taylor Parker; Hillary Morgan, CPhT; Ronnie Crosswhite, Pharm.D; Nikki Sanchez, CPhT; Patti Hawkins, Pharm.D., Director; and Ginger Sweeney, Pharm.D.

North Mississippi Medical Center recently achieved accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for specialty pharmacy services.

“We are proud of our national accreditations because it shows our community that we are dedicated to providing the highest-quality care possible and demonstrates the level of specialty pharmacy services our patients can receive from an in-state provider,” said Patti Hawkins, Pharm.D., interim administrator for NMMC Cancer Care and Director of Infusion and Specialty Pharmacy. “Our model of care is unique and innovative in the health care industry. We have imbedded specialty pharmacy services with infusion services, which allows flexibility in providing drugs at the facility or to the patient for self-administration if appropriate. Our medication management clinic, which is a component of our Specialty Pharmacy model, is garnering attention because the way we provide care is increasing medication adherence for patients, which is important to help people stay well and manage their diseases.”

Accreditation is a process through which healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.

ACHC is a nonprofit organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986.

NMMC Specialty Pharmacy provides medication and services for patients with complex and chronic diseases, such as: cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and other digestive health conditions, ankylosing spondylitis, immune deficiencies, osteoporosis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and others. The Specialty Pharmacy offers a patient management program to help ensure that patients are able to adhere to their medications as prescribed. Staff works closely with patients and providers to manage any problems or side effects that need to be addressed.

In addition, the NMMC Specialty Pharmacy was the first hospital based program in Mississippi to be accredited by URAC, a national accrediting body that provides organizations with a standards framework that helps identify areas for improvement and promotes continuous quality improvement.

For more information, please visit www.nmhs.net/specialty-pharmacy.

NMMC Retina Center Offers Innovative Treatment

Retina surgeon Heather Hancock, M.D., recently gave North Mississippi Retina Center’s first Beovu® (brolucizumab) injection to treat wet age-related macular degeneration.

Beovu received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2019. This medication lasts longer than previous options and is the first to allow patients to go three months between injections.

Age-related macular degeneration is a deterioration of the eye’s macula—the center of the retina that is responsible for central vision. Macular degeneration comes in two types: dry and wet.

Most people have the dry form, in which the macula may gradually become thinner and stop working properly. Wet macular degeneration occurs when the macula becomes unhealthy—abnormal blood vessels form and cause bleeding and scar formation. Treatment varies by patient, with most requiring injections every four to six weeks on average.

“Because these abnormal vessels leak fluid and blood, the fluid makes your vision blurry and the blood causes you to have blind spots,” Dr. Hancock said. “Beovu dries the retinal fluid and makes the blood vessels less likely to leak. Your vision can improve, possibly even to the point where you no longer need the injections.”

For patients who are good candidates for Beovu, the new injectable may mean fewer trips to the doctor—four times a year instead of every four to six weeks. “Many of these patients don’t drive, which means a family member has to take off work to bring them in,” Dr. Hancock said. “Any injection can be accompanied by a little discomfort, so fewer injections mean less discomfort.”

Dr. Hancock explained that patients must have three monthly injections of Beovu before “graduating” to the quarterly regimen. For more information about this and other innovative treatments at the North Mississippi Retina Center, visit www.nmhs.net/retina or call (662) 377-3340. Physician referral is not required.