East Tn Medical News April 2015

FOCUS TOPICS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & ADDICTION PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

April 2015 >> $5

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT PAGE 2

Dr. Dovile Paulauskas

Marijuana, Medicine & Addiction

A conversation with ASAM President Dr. Stuart Gitlow

ON ROUNDS

Enjoying East TN Creative Discovery Museum—Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering With spring’s arrival, I mentioned last month needing two columns to discuss some recent happenings in Chattanooga that are just in time for spring break outings ... 5

HEALTHCARE LEADER: Karen Williams To Karen Williams, her current role as the Executive Director of Operations with Wellmont Medical Associates just feels natural. “I think health care chose me,” she said. “I started out by working in a physician’s office when I was in college, and I just haven’t left that environment.” ... 6

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By cInDy SAnDERS

With three states plus the District of Columbia sanctioning recreational use of marijuana and virtually all other states either allowing for or considering decriminalization and/or medical use of the drug, the great marijuana debate has become a legislative hot topic over the last three years. For Stuart Gitlow, MD, MPH, DFAPA, however, talk of medical benefits associated with inhaling the plant is just smoke and mirrors.

Gitlow, who concludes his term as president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine this month, said there are two major issues with the drug … addiction and toxicity. The double board-certified psychiatrist, who has a private practice in Rhode Island, is concerned by the possibility of adding marijuana to the mix of alcohol and tobacco as yet another substance with the potential to do more harm than good.

The Drug

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)

Survey Says … A Digital Disconnect Exists Between Patients, Practices By cInDy SAnDERS

Patients increasingly want to access online services to enhance convenience and communication with providers, according to a recent national survey conducted by TechnologyAdvice Research.

Yet, the majority of respondents in the “2015 Trends in Patient Engagement” survey said a number of digital solutions that would be helpful are not offered by their primary care practices.

“Only 19 percent said their physician offered online appointment scheduling,” noted Cameron Graham, survey author and managing editor for TechnologyAdvice, a company that conducts research and analysis of IT products in a number of industries including healthcare.

“Only 17 percent said their physician offered online bill pay.”

In addition to scheduling and payment functions, Graham said viewing test results or diagnoses online also ranked high among survey participants. However, only 27.8 percent said their physician provided that option. Graham pointed out all three of the most desired (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

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PhysicianSpotlight

Serving the littlest patients

Child psychiatrist ensures that young voices do not go unheard

By JOE MORRIS

Most doctors are drawn to a chosen field and usually wind up practicing close to home. Dr. Dovile Paulauskas planned on both, but wound up halfway around the world and in an entirely different specialty.

The Lithuania native began her medical career in internal medicine but, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, found herself at a crossroads.

“I was working as a physician with a Catholic charity, Caritas, doing after-hours work in a small clinic,” Paulauskas said. “Once Lithuania became independent, a center was opened by the charity, offering social workers and counseling. Things like that, as well as therapy, were pretty much nonexistent in the Soviet Union. We were seeing young, pregnant teenagers, people with marital problems, families, and really didn’t know what we were doing. But myself and other internal medicine doctors jumped in, along with gynecologists, dieticians, anyone we could get to help.”

Soon it became clear that someone with more training would be necessary for the mental-health aspect of the operation, and as she tells it, Paulauskas drew the winning ticket in 1993.

“We needed someone trained before Lithuania got even more on its feet and more people needed services,” she said.

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“I got a scholarship to Loyola [University of Chicago] to come and stay two years and get my social-work training, and then I planned to go back and continue working as a doctor while training other people from what I had learned.”

The two years at Loyola played out

as planned, as did obtaining her MSW degree, but she realized over the course of her studies that she really enjoyed working with families and children. She also got married.

“So I stayed,” she laughed.

“I went back to school to also qualify to practice medicine in the United States, which took a lot of time, and then I went to the University of Kentucky [School of Medicine] for a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.”

She credits Dr. Debra Katz in the University of Kentucky Dept. of Psychiatry for furthering her interest in working with children, leading to her extending her time there to do additional research and complete a residency. That led to her current position as Medical Director for Children and Youth Services at Helen Ross McNabb Center in Knoxville, where she also is set up in private practice.

“I had been with them on and off as a contract employee, and then came back as a staff employee and took the medical director position four years ago,” she said. “I work as a front-line child psychiatrist in our children and youth clinics, and then also work with the executive staff, nurse practitioners, and other specialists on their cases.”

The clinics see “pretty much anyone who comes through the door,” which means that any given day presents new challenges. TennCare covers many, but others

are completely without coverage. Whatever the case, the vast majority are from populations that are greatly underserved with it comes to mental health and other medical services.

“It’s so rewarding to help these families,” Paulauskas said. “In our general clinic, they’ll see our integrated service treatment team members, and then we can move people into our specialty programs, which include working with children who are intellectually disabled, have a mental health diagnosis such as depression or anxiety, those who are dealing with DD and other disorders, as well as those who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum.”

Helen Ross McNabb tries to offer a comprehensive, wraparound service platform for these children, she said, because their challenges are many and the area remains underserved in terms of the number of treatment professionals.

“We see them very early,” she said.

“We have children as young as 3 years old for medication management, and we also have a therapeutic preschool program.

Any child who has been traumatized in any way can qualify to attend the school.”

In addition to the assessments on those and many other children, Paulauskas has many other clinical duties relating to therapy and case management. And then she puts on her other hat, that of clinic executive.

“A big part of that is supervising our nurse practitioners, and we usually have seven or eight of those at any given time,” she said. “I’m also available for consulting with regard to our adult patients, if need be, and work with the executive staff on any issues they want my input on.”

Her workload would be greatly decreased with the arrival of more child psychiatrists to the center, or even to the Knoxville area, but a nationwide shortage means that’s likely some time down the road.

Still, she said, juggling a very busy schedule between Helen Ross McNabb and her private practice is rewarding due to her awareness of how needed she is due to that very problem. It’s also why she works days that often begin at 5:30 a.m and end around 11 p.m. without complaint.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from the work that we do,” she said. “We have our struggles, but I have a great variety of work — it’s never boring. You never know who’s going to walk through the door, whose life stories you’re going to hear, and I find that inspiring and rewarding. The patients I get to work with are extremely interesting, and I could write memoirs just from hearing their family stories. Some are sad, some are disturbing, and some days it’s very hard. But because I work in the different programs we have, I have a nice variety. You have to find that balance.”

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Priority Ambulance takes community approach to marketing

By Michelle Henry

Marketing nonemergency ambulance service to patients and medical facilities is not about flashy advertisements and slick brochures. The most effective marketing is rooted in face-to-face customer service that builds personal relationships with patients, caseworkers, and medical facilities.

Celina Bradsby, marketing manager for Priority Ambulance, summed it up thusly: “We have a fleet of beautiful Mercedes-Benz ambulances equipped with the latest lifesaving technology, and we focus on the comfort of our patients by using hypoallergenic pillows and blankets.

We have these critical pieces, but what really sets us apart is the personal interaction, patient care, and customer service.

Our marketing strategy focuses on building and maintaining relationships with our target audiences – nursing homes, hospitals, dialysis clinics, the general community, and the elderly.”

Bradsby visits facilities daily to establish relationships with potential clients and maintain regular contact with current ones.

“I want to know if everything is going OK, if the crew is providing an excellent

Priority Ambulance Marketing Manager Celina Bradsby (center) assists NHC Healthcare residents Linda Aims and Dorothy Anderson with their Bingo game. Bradsby helps organize the Bingo game at NHC Healthcare every week to build relationships with NHC residents and staff.

level of care, arriving on time, and meeting requests,” she said. “Priority is more focused on ensuring patient care and service, which is a different approach and what I think sets us apart.”

On a personal level, Bradsby volunteers at NHC HealthCare every Thursday to play Bingo with residents. She knows

most of them by name, and the personal interaction has helped to put patients at ease when they need to travel by ambulance to medical appointments.

“Celina is always positive and helpful. She puts residents first,” said Diana Melendy, NHC HealthCare activities director. “In addition to being here for the

weekly Bingo games, Celina brings items for birthday parties and Bingo prizes and participates in holiday events. The residents anticipate her arrival each Thursday. They can tell she doesn’t see them as a transport or a diagnosis, and they appreciate her compassionate care.”

Melendy also is impressed by Priority Ambulance crew members.

“Whenever I see Priority Ambulance employees, they are professionally dressed and have a pleasant demeanor,” Melendy said. “They are very kind to the residents.”

Priority Ambulance’s customer service also is recognized at Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation Northhaven. A Northhaven patient required weekly dialysis visits, and when asked by a family member for a referral on an ambulance provider, Rhonda Cochran, director of social services, recommended Priority.

“He said the hospital told him to choose an ambulance company, and I told him we prefer Priority,” Cochran said. “He asked why, and I told him because of the excellent customer service. After he informed the hospital, he said the hospital agreed that Priority has great customer service.”

Bradsby said Priority Ambulance employees are happy and committed; she (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)

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experience as well as practical experience working in the field of healthcare.

Greg Gilbert 862.862.6500 (direct) / ggilbert@lbmc.com Partner – Tax Services & Managing Partner of Knoxville Office

As managing partner for the Knoxville office Greg works closely with a variety of industries including physician practices, law firms, other professional services, automobile dealerships, construction, manufacturing, and not-for-profit organizations.

He provides estate, corporate, limited liability entity, and individual tax planning services. He has spent his entire professional career in the public accounting sector and enjoys sharing his talents by serving on various boards and committees including the finance committee at the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation, the East TN Historical Society and the 1956 Society at UT Medical Center.

Outside of the office, you are likely to find Greg on the golf course enjoying time with long-time clients who are now friends or his son Gregory.

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LegalMatters

BY ERIN B. WILLIAMS, LONDON & AMBURN, P.C.

Medicare Meaningful Use Audits and Appeals Most healthcare providers are probably familiar with the term “meaningful use,” which generally means using certified electronic health record technology (EHR) to improve patient care and maintain the privacy and security of patient health information.1 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide financial incentives to eligible professionals who adopt, use, or otherwise show “meaningful use” of certified electronic health record technology (EHR). Eligible professionals who have enrolled in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will receive payments for up to five continuous years throughout the duration of the program. Those who enrolled at the outset of the program in 2011 are eligible to receive total payments of $43,720.2 However, like other Medicare programs, enrolling in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will subject you to audits by Medicare. Failure to properly and timely comply with an audit request will put your meaningful use payments at risk for recoupment. For large practice settings with several participating providers, the recoupment could be significant.

What is a meaningful use audit?

Providers receive meaningful use payments after submitting an attestation

that the provider met the required goals for a particular stage. Post-payment audits occur when providers are contacted to provide supporting documentation to validate the payment. In 2013, CMS also began performing pre-payment audits, which require providers to present supporting documentation to validate the attestation before the incentive payment is made.

A provider being audited will receive a letter sent electronically from Figliozzi & Company, the designated CMS contractor, requesting that the provider supply documentation to support the attestation for meaningful use objectives and clinical quality measures.

An initial review of the documentation will be performed and additional documentation may be requested. An on-site review may also be requested, which can include a required demonstration of the provider’s EHR system.

At the conclusion of the audit process, the provider will receive a Determination Letter from CMS with the audit findings. If the provider was found not to be eligible for the incentive payment, the payment will be recouped. CMS may take action against a provider if fraud and abuse is suspected, including all available civil and criminal sanctions.

Can I appeal the audit findings?

Yes, providers can appeal the find-

ings of a meaningful use audit. However, the appeal must be submitted electronically within 30 days of the date of the Determination Letter. All documentation submitted with the appeal must be in the proper format. Failure to properly comply with these procedures could result in denial of the appeal. CMS will not review any documentation submitted for an appeal if the provider failed to respond to the initial request for documentation during the audit.3 During the appeals process, providers may choose not to refund the incentive payment(s) at issue; however, interest will continue to accrue during the pendency of the appeals process.

Therefore, providers who receive unfavorable appeals results will not only have to refund the principal payment, but also any accrued interest.

How should I prepare for an audit?

CMS recommends that documentation to support the attestation for meaningful use objectives should be retained for six years after the attestation is made. Depending on the capabilities of the EHR system, providers may not be able to access the system as it existed when the attestation was made, which may significantly complicate the ability to supply supporting documentation during a post-payment audit. Providers should consider printing or taking screen

shots of the EHR system reports or other objective measures so that providers will have available accurate information used at the time of the attestation in the event of a post-payment audit.4 Keeping organized, accurate records of supporting documentation used at the time an attestation was submitted will prove invaluable if you are selected for an audit. Furthermore, providers should stay up-to-date on the most recent meaningful use regulations, guidelines, and deadlines to ensure compliance with the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.

A request for documentation signals the start of an audit. Providers should immediately alert management and develop a protocol to coordinate efforts to ensure a timely and accurate response.

Attorney Erin B. Williams focuses her practice on healthcare compliance and regulatory matters. For more information visit www.londonamburn.com.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is strictly informational; it is not to be construed as legal advice.

Notes: 1. See www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/ meaningful-use-definition-objectives.

2. See www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance for more information about the EHR incentive programs.

The Medicaid incentive programs are operated by the statues 3. Eligible Professional (EP) Appeal Filing Request, available at: www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance.

4. EHR Incentive Programs Supporting Documentation for Audits (Feb. 2013), available at: www.cms.gov/ Regulations-and-Guidance.

Survey Says … A Digital Disconnect Exists, continued from page 1 digital services are fundamental patient portal features. With that in mind, he continued, “There’s a big discrepancy between what patients report having access to and the EHR adoption rate among physicians.”

Graham said electronic health record adoption rates are in the “high 70s, low 80s” by office-based physicians Cameron Graham in the United States.

“A lot of those systems should have online appointment and bill pay capabilities,” he said, adding some of the older systems might not have those options but virtually all newer products offer robust patient portal resources.

“I think one of the big takeaways is that the patients don’t seem to be aware of the tools their physicians probably have,” he said. The other option, Graham continued, is that offices have these capabilities but are not using them. Either answer could spell trouble for practices.

“When we asked how important these services were when people were choosing a physician, 60.8 percent said it was ‘important’ or ‘somewhat important,’’ Graham said. “If physicians are offering 4

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these in-demand digital services, a more proactive approach to promoting them is needed and could create an advantage in attracting and retaining patients.”

Graham added he also believes physicians need to more fully embrace digital services. “Patients value them a lot. Physicians think of them as an extra or add-on.”

With meaningful use requirements staged to increase health information exchange and promote patient engagement, Graham noted the effective use of patient portals could help practices hit the necessary benchmarks to access incentives.

However, he noted, there probably won’t be a ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to patient engagement. “We did find age played a role in which services patients wanted their physicians to offer,” he said. Not surprisingly, the demand was much higher by younger adults than in the senior population. “Among the 25- to 34-year-old demographic, almost 40 percent said they would like to have a smart phone app for scheduling appointments; but among the 65 and older demographic, only 3.8 percent said that would be something they’d want.”

Similarly, 35.3 percent of patients ages 25-34 would like for their physician practice to offer secure messaging outside

of office hours compared to just 11.5 percent of those ages 65 and older. Of the six digital services listed on the survey (online appointment scheduling, smartphone app for scheduling, online test results/diagnoses, online bill pay, secure messaging, and health resources/educational material), 23.5 percent of those ages 25-34 reported they didn’t want their physician to offer any of the services, while 44.2 percent of participants 65 and older had that same response.

Graham continued, “I think it’s important for physicians to be aware of what these different demographic groups want.” He added such information could help providers tailor their message accordingly when discussing the different ways patients could access the practice and engage with providers.

Another disconnect highlighted by the survey was provider follow-up. While 68.6 percent of respondents said it was either ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’ that a physician follow up with them, only 30 percent reported receiving any follow-up from the practice that wasn’t tied to bill pay. “They’re very good about following up related to money,” Graham pointed out, but patients want more than that. In addition to building rapport with

a patient, Graham said digital communication offers an easy way to make sure instructions were understood and are being followed, check on medication adherence, share prevention tips, and remind patients about the need to schedule routine screenings and services.

The “Trends in Patient Engagement” survey included responses from more than 400 adults across the United States regarding their digital experience at primary care practices. The survey was conducted Jan. 5-7, 2015. A download of the survey whitepaper is available at technologyadvice.com/research.

TechnologyAdvice, which is headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., offers free, neutral research and analysis of IT products to connect businesses with technology options that best address each company’s specific needs. The company works with businesses and practices looking for the right software for just a few people up to large enterprises in need of solutions for thousands and has assisted Apple, Oracle and HP in selecting new technology. Last year, TechnologyAdvice was named to the top half of the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

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Enjoying East Tennessee

Creative Discovery Museum—Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering By: LEIGH ANNE W. HOOVER

With spring’s arrival, I mentioned last month needing two columns to discuss some recent happenings in Chattanooga that are just in time for spring break outings. Only two blocks from the Tennessee Aquarium, families can also visit the Creative Discovery Museum.

Ranked by Child Magazine as one of the very best in the United States, this downtown museum inspires children to create and explore through innovative activities that focus on both the arts and sciences.

The Creative Discovery Museum (CDM) is currently hosting Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering = Zero Impossibilities, and this top floor exhibit will be at the museum through May 10th.

According to museum officials, this amazing exhibit does not dwell on body deficiencies. Rather, it invites visitors of all ages to engage in amazing developments with unbridled potential for enjoying life at its fullest accomplishing everyday activities and even lifelong dreams.

“Human Plus is a much more high tech version of ‘Kids Like You, Kids Like Me,’ which was an exhibit housed annually at CDM for many years,” explained Director of Exhibit and Capital Projects, Shannon Johnson.“Key messages are the same. ‘Children with disabilities can do all the same things that you can do; they just may do them a little differently or use special equipment.’ Human Plus gives children and their families an environment to explore some of this equipment. In this way, when a child sees a person using similar equipment, it has taken the mystery or unknown out of the experience.”

When my husband and I recently visited, I was amazed to see what science has done to enhance the lives of differently able individuals. Both of us were immediately reminded of the young United States Paralympics athlete, Blake Leeper, who is also from Kingsport, TN. Born missing both legs below the knees, Leeper has worn prosthetics since the age of nine. This has never stopped the determined athlete, and even during childhood basketball games, we remember him often “losing a leg” on the court, putting it right back on, and continuing to play the game.

Exemplifying the motto, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude…,” as a Paralympics medalist on the USA team, Leeper excelled in track & field as a bladerunner, winning both an individual silver and bronze medal. Today, he continues to inspire others by sharing his story of success in life.

In this fascinating exhibit, similar stoeasttnmedicalnews

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ries of inspiration are shared through videos and simulations utilizing real-life tools.

Stations throughout also offer participants a chance to exercise creative minds to devise possible solutions and create tools for real-life challenges.

The Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering exhibit at CDM was created by the New York Hall of Science in partnership with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Quality of Life Technology Center, with funding from the National Science Foundation. It is certainly both interactive and intriguing.

“It is such a different take on an engineering and a design exhibit,” said Johnson. “The personal stories of users and developers of the adaptive equipment really resonate with guests.”

Whether it’s designing a tool to enable a wheelchair bound individual to feed a pet, or personally experiencing the sensation of an ability enhancing tool, the Human Plus exhibit is engaging.

“The simulations are very popular,” explained Johnson. “The mono-ski in the ‘Every Body Plays’ display is a favorite in the exhibit; kids and caregivers can sit in a mono-ski and use their body movement to ski down a simulated slalom course. At the ‘Imagine the Possibilities’ kiosk, there are several design challenges to draw solutions for real users, like a canoe for a man who has no arms.”

On our visit, we saw several children trying their hands at creating a tool to help in feeding a pet. I also heard a mechanical voice say, “love you.”

I quickly realized my husband had just typed the message into a voice simulator for me, and the experience brought tears to my eyes, while imaging what it would be like for an individual to finally “hear” these words from a voice impaired spouse. Amazing!

“Guests have designed some really great solutions to the design challenges.

Several of them are displayed at the kiosk,” said Johnson. “It is always fun to see their creations and how they are applying engineering and design concepts to the design challenges.”

Fillauer, which is celebrating 100 years in Chattanooga, TN, and is a global leader in manufacturing, fabrication, de-

velopment and education of orthotic and prosthetic solutions in the United States, is the exhibit local sponsor.

“Fillauer is a natural partner and sponsor for the Human Plus exhibit,” explained Johnson. During Human Plus, there is a complimentary display of the types of orthotic and prosthetic solutions that are developed and produced by Fillauer as well as information about the history of their company.”

I applaud the Creative Discovery Museum for hands-on arts and science learning opportunities that are fun and located throughout the facility. Specifically

for this exhibit, I believe it would be amazing to stimulate the mind of a budding engineer.

“CDM offers a variety of traveling exhibits geared toward different ages and complimenting or adding to content that is represented in our permanent exhibits,” continued Johnson. “Human Plus provides strong science, engineering and design content and has exhibit components geared towards older children. This is a good compliment to the Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails exhibit that will be at CDM this summer.”

For additional information on the Human Plus exhibit and others at Creative Discover Museum, visit www.cdmfun.org Leigh Anne W. Hoover is a native of South Carolina and a graduate of Clemson University. She has worked for over 25 years in the media with published articles encompassing personality and home profiles, arts and entertainment reviews, medical topics, and weekend escape pieces. Hoover currently serves as immediate president of the Literacy Council of Kingsport. Contact her at hoover@chartertn.net.

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Karen Williams

By StAcy FEntRESS

To Karen Williams, her current role as the Executive Director of Operations with Wellmont Medical Associates just feels natural. “I think health care chose me,” she said. “I started out by working in a physician’s office when I was in college, and I just haven’t left that environment.”

As she’s earned college degrees and moved through the ranks, she’s never forgotten the importance of remembering where she started. “I always tell anyone who starts as a practice manager to spend the first six weeks in their new office getting the lay of the land,” she said. “You need to answer the phone and to learn the basics about the computer system. You need to learn about what the other staff members in the office do. Not only will you be better at your job, but you will also earn the respect of people around you.”

Even though Williams is responsible for the operations for the 64 medical offices throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that comprise Wellmont Medical Associates, she still knows how the phone and computer systems in all of those offices work. “I take trainings on any new systems side-by-side with the nurses and frontline staff,” she said. “Can I register someone as quickly as our front office staff can? No. But I can do it.”

Another skill Williams has honed is the ability to switch gears quickly – sometimes in the course of a couple of minutes.

“There is never a dull moment,” she said.

“That’s one of the things I like about this job. There is some kind of challenge in front of me every day.”

When Williams says she dabbles in everything, she isn’t joking. “I may go from a strategic planning session to a

meeting on the revenue cycle to a meeting with nursing staff,” she said. “With all the snow this winter, I’ve spent a lot of time deciding things like, ‘Do we open the office because it snowed today?’ and talking about what to do about an office that’s having roofing issues because of all of the snow that’s fallen.”

Williams has been a fixture in the Tri Cities healthcare community for more than 30 years. She spent 11 years as the office manager for Holston Medical Group and has worked in a variety of business management positions with Holston Valley Medical Center and with the Bristol Surgery Center before joining Wellmont Medical Associates. She has served as the Executive Director of Operations with Wellmont Medical Associates since 2012.

Throughout her career, Williams has attained a variety of degrees and certifications. She holds a Master of Business

Administration from King College and a Master of Public Health Administration from East Tennessee State University (ETSU). She also holds a Master Graduate Certificate in Health Care Administration from ETSU. She is certified as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

But of all the degrees and certifications, Williams says one of the accolades she’s proudest of in her career happened in 2014 when Wellmont Medical Associates was honored with the American Medical Group Association’s 2014 Acclaim Award. “The AMGA only recognizes a select few groups each year and we were the first group in our region to earn this award,” she said. “They recognize the top-performing medical groups in the U.S. This award put us in the company of groups including the Mayo Health System and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.”

One of the reasons Wellmont Medical Associates earned the Acclaim Award is their hospital readmission rate – it’s less than 11 percent, compared to the national average of 17 percent. Wellmont Medical Associates was also recognized for reaching the highest percentile for the safe prescribing of high-risk medications, and for providing access – same day in many instances – to primary care services for 95 percent of their patient population, exceeding the Medicare Advantage Target of 85 percent.

“One of the reasons we’ve been able to achieve such high quality is that we are physician led and professionally managed,” Williams said. “Each of our regional directors works with a physician partner. This helps us understand each other – both the medical and the adminis-

trative sides – and come up with solutions that ultimately benefit patients.”

Benefitting patients is Williams’ top goal. “I never forget that everything we do is centers on the patient and that patient is a person that may be feeling bad and scared,” she said. “We need to do all we can to be sure that person gets the best care in the most efficient way possible.

“We want to provide a patient-centered medical home for our patients where they are part of a care team,” she continued. “We remind our patients to get their mammograms and other important tests and make sure they make it through the continuum of care and that they have a good experience.”

Although Williams may not be a direct-care provider, she’s interfaced with enough patients and pushed enough stretchers during her hospital days to feel a part of the care team. “I once had a surgeon tell one of my co-workers that I was the only administrator he had seen that would come down in stilettos and push a stretcher,” she said. “I just think it is important to have the willingness to do whatever you need to do to get the job done.”

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The Importance of Business Continuity for the Healthcare Industry

By Heather Ripley

The healthcare industry relies heavily on data being transmitted back and forth between hospitals, insurance providers, pharmacies, nurses, physicians, etc. and while secure, that information is still susceptible to disasters, both natural and man-made.

The recent hack of insurance provider Anthem that saw approximately 80 million individual records breached should be proof enough of the importance of a business continuity and contingency plan. Even if your healthcare business is small, creating advance arrangements and procedures that enable your company to continue operating securely following a disaster is not only important, it’s federally required.

Of the multiple parts to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enacted in 1996, business continuity and disaster recovery are a major component. Under the Administrative Safeguards Section of the HIPAA Security rule, contingency plans are a required standard for healthcare organizations governed by the federal act. Set to address the issue of availability, these plans aim to ensure authorized healthcare personnel always have access to vital systems and data, despite a disaster that could cause on-site attendance

to be impossible. According to HIPAA, the following contingency plans are required for the healthcare industry: Data Backup Plan, Disaster Recovery Plan, Emergency Mode Operation Plan, and an Emergency Access Procedure.

Given the federal requirements, having a continuity plan for your healthcare business is highly important, but where do you start? Here are a few key components of a well-developed plan: Identify all possible disasters: Healthcare continuity plans cover more than data breaches as, in many cases, ex-

treme weather can result in outages and employee absenteeism. For example, if your physician’s office is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, unpredictable winter weather can easily turn a sunny morning into a disastrously snowy afternoon, requiring contingency, especially if data access is needed. Identifying all possibilities will help your healthcare business maintain compliance with HIPAA’s Emergency Access Procedure, as well.

Identify recovery strategies: Once a disaster has passed, how will your healthcare business move forward? If your data is breached, it’s recommended to issue a pre-prepared statement immediately to tell the truth as quickly as possible in an effort to control public relations and messaging. If a hurricane causes an extended power outage at your insurance headquarters, your patient information should be accessible on outside servers or, the “cloud” network.

Identify remote working possibilities: Can your healthcare business temporarily operate without an office? If at all possible, setting up a remote working structure with access to data using webbased portals to access enterprise systems can ensure your practice, insurance com-

pany, etc. doesn’t have to take a day off in the event of a natural disaster.

Identify your eHealth protection: As per the HIPAA requirement, Emergency Mode Operation Plan, healthcare businesses must protect their vital data, such as records, governed by HL7 standards. This may require you to outsource your information system, but utilizing a proven software product can mean the difference between continued operation and a crisis.

Business continuity plans have their place in multiple industries, but with healthcare, they need to be a top priority. Having a well-communicated plan can have a drastic effect on your public relations, as well. For all healthcare entities, maintaining positive public opinion can be a tricky balancing act that can turn sour in an instant. However, by communicating to your patients, buyers, business partners, and investors that, no matter the outcome, your system is secure under a robust continuity plan can ensure your healthcare business stays strong for years to come.

Heather Ripley is the founder and CEO of Ripley PR, a national public relations agency specializing in healthcare. For more information, visit www.ripleypr.com or email hripley@ripleypr.com.

GI Bleeding in Children YOUHANNA S. A-TAWIL, MD Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders and can range from microscopic bleeding to massive bleeding leading to hypovolemia and shock. In children, GI bleeding requires prompt assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Two issues should be addressed immediately: the child’s appearance, mental status, blood pressure and heart rate, and the likelihood of ongoing bleeding. It is important to determine whether the bleeding is from an upper or lower GI source because this will help in the diagnosis and treatment.

GI bleeding may have different clinical presentations ranging from hematemesis or hematochezia with or without hemodynamic instability, to melena or rectal bleeding. Hematemesis refers to the vomiting of fresh red blood or coffee-ground material from lesions in the esophagus, stomach or proximal bowel. Blood losses are often more marked in upper than in lower GI bleeding. Hematochezia (red blood passed per rectum) usually indicates a lower GI source and usually in the colon. Melena (black, tarry, foul-smelling stool) usually indicates an upper intestinal source. Occult bleeding, a positive stool guaiac, is usually found after clinical manifestation of chronic blood loss. Patients may have chronic GI bleeding with asymptomatic iron-deficiency anemia, or hemoccult-positive stool on evaluation of children with gastro intestinal problems.

Accounting for 10-15% of referrals to pediatric gastroenterologists, GI bleeding can be categorized by location as well as broken down into age groups. In neonates, the most common upper GI bleeding is from swallowed maternal blood. Rectal blood should be tested for fetal hemoglobin to rule out maternal blood.

Stress gastritis is found mainly in neonates in intensive care and highly correlated with prematurity, neonatal distress, and mechanical ventilation. Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn is caused by a deficiency in vitamin K and has nearly disappeared since the introduction of routine vitamin K administration shortly after birth.

In infants and children, esophagitis is the most common cause of upper GI bleeding caused by severe gastroesophageal reflux, and is present in infants with regurgitation, dysphagia, and failure to thrive.

Children may present with bleeding as a result of ulcerating or erosive esophagitis. Other causes include mechanical injury from a foreign body, chemical injury, or medication and infection.

Gastritis is often associated to Helicobacter pylori infection. Other causes are from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and esophageal and gastric varices secondary to portal hypertension. Peptic ulcer disease is most common in children older than one year and is the most common cause of hematemesis. Trauma can be a cause of bleeding in rare cases.

Anorectal fissures are the most common cause of lower GI bleeding in neonates and children. When associated with constipation, they respond well to stool softeners and lubricants. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is common in premature infants. Symptoms of this condition include abdominal distension, poor feeding, vomiting, diarrhea, frank or occult bloody stools, lethargy and apneas. Newborns who have malrotation with midgut volovulus or proximal outlet obstruction typically present with abdominal distension, billous emesis,

and melena. Malrotation is life threatening and requires emergent evaluation and treatment. A limited upper gastrointestinal contrast series is the best examination to visualize the duodenum.

Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants between 6 and 36 months of age. Approximately 60% of children are younger than 1 year, and 80% are younger than 2 years old. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, which causes them to be irritable and draw up their legs.

They may vomit and pass bloody stools and then improve for a while before the cycle repeats. When it is suspected, an emergency surgery referral is important. Milk or soy-induced colitis is an inflammatory enteropathy caused by ingestion of milk or soy proteins, and occurs almost exclusively in infants. Up to 25 % of patients with cow’s milk protein intolerance will have a cross-reaction to soy protein. Treatment involves eliminating the protein from the diet if the infant is breastfeeding, or the use of casein-hydrolysate formula.

Meckel’s diverticulum is the most important source of small bowel hemorrhage in children. It is present in 2% of the population less than 2 years old. Diagnosis is by radionuclide scan or surgical exploration.

Beyond infancy, juvenile polyps are the most common source of significant rectal bleeding. Children present with painless bleeding per rectum, which often streaks the stool with fresh blood. Sometimes the patient will report prolapse of a mass from the rectum.

Infectious diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease) can cause significant GI bleeding. Bleeding may be less common in crohn’s disease, but both may consist of bloody diarrhea, which can lead to acute or persistent bleeding resulting in anemia.

Recent antibiotic use raises suspicion for antibiotic associated colitis and clostridium difficile colitis. Vascular lesions consist of a variety of malformations that include hemangiomas, arteriovenous malformations, and vasculitis. These can lead to bleeding making localizing the bleeding practically difficult.

Many things children eat can look like blood. Red food coloring found in foods like Jell-O or Kool Aid, as well as fruit juices and beets may resemble blood, if vomited. Melena may be confused with dark or black stool from iron supplementation, bismuth subsalicylate, dark chocolate, grape juice, spinach, cranberries, or blueberries. A simple Hematest performed at the bedside can confirm presence of blood in gastric contents or in stools. In the neonate, the Apt test will differentiate maternal from infant blood.

An upper or lower endoscopy can be used to evaluate GI bleeding and is the procedure of choice for a diagnosis; and sometimes used in emergency cases. Where endoscopy is non-diagnostic, a bleeding scan, Mickel’s Diverticulum Scan, Capsule Endoscopy or Angiogram can be used.

At East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, we have a state of the art endoscopy suite supported by multiple pediatric specialists that include surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, radiologists, hematologists, and other specialists on call, as needed, to help our team manage and care for these patients.

If you have any patients or questions about your patient, please do not hesitate to call (865) 546-3998.

For more information on our testing and services, please refer to our website: www.

GIforkids.com.

GI for Kids, PLLC www.giforkids.com

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Marijuana, Medicine & Addiction, continued from page 1 seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), along with other compounds. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found marijuana to be the most common illicit drug in America and one for which usage is on the rise. The national organization stated marijuana’s Dr. Stuart popularity, particularly Gitlow since 2007, has coincided with a diminishing public perception of the drug’s risks.

However, at the same time risk perception has been declining, the drug’s potency has actually been on the rise. In looking at the amount of THC in marijuana samples confiscated by the police, the THC concentration averaged close to 15 percent in 2012 as compared to around 4 percent in the 1980s, according to the NIDA fact sheet on marijuana.

Gitlow agreed, saying, “The marijuana that is available today is much different, much more potent, than the marijuana that was available in the ‘60s.

More research needs to be done to see if there are even more long-term issues with this more potent form.”

Addiction

Gitlow noted marijuana works like any other addictive drug. “There’s not

debate at all within the medical community that it’s addictive … that’s a given,” he said. “It’s like any other psychoactive drug … it’s not addictive to the majority of those using it once or twice.” However, he continued, “There’s no way of knowing if a person is going to have a problem with the drug until they try it … and then they are playing Russian roulette.”

Gitlow explained, “Addictive disease is not about the drug, it’s about a brain abnormality. It exists before somebody picks up the drug.” The three factors required for addiction, he said, are a genetic abnormality, environmental trigger and the drug. “Addictive disease is in only, give or take, 15 percent of the population.”

He added popular consensus is that about 9 percent of adults and 17 percent of adolescents who use marijuana become addicted. In addition, NIDA’s marijuana fact sheet noted addiction rates jump in daily users, with as many as 25-50 percent becoming addicted.

Toxicity

“There’s a second issue with marijuana, and it’s independent of addiction.

Marijuana has toxic ramifications,” Gitlow said. “Marijuana makes you stupid,” he stated bluntly. “It lowers IQ. It causes slowing of the processing speed. It causes abnormalities of attention and focus. It basically dumbs you down, and it does that more or less universally.”

When marijuana is smoked, the

THC passes quickly from the lungs into the bloodstream and to the brain. THC targets cannabinoid receptors, which have a higher density in areas of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, concentration, coordination, thinking and time perception. Additionally, THC’s chemical makeup is similar to a naturally occurring brain chemical called anandamide. That similar structure lets THC be ‘recognized’ by the brain, allowing the outside compound to alter normal brain communication.

Of major concern is the affect marijuana has on brain development when used heavily among adolescents. A recent study showed marijuana users who began in adolescence had fewer connections in the areas of the brain that control memory and learning. A large, long-term New Zealand study found those who began heavily smoking marijuana in their teens lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13 and 38. However, that impact on IQ wasn’t replicated in the study among those who didn’t begin smoking until adulthood.

NIDA also cited issues with cardiopulmonary and mental health. Gitlow said, “There’s a five-fold increase in psychotic disorders among those who use marijuana as compared to those who don’t.”

Alcohol vs. Tobacco, Marijuana

Last month, results of a new study stating marijuana is 114 times less lethal

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than alcohol made the media rounds and became fodder for late night comics. Gitlow said comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. “They affect different parts of the brain,” he said.

Gitlow also noted it is possible to ingest enough alcohol in one sitting to kill you, which isn’t really true of marijuana or tobacco. “So I could make the argument that cigarettes are safer than alcohol,” he said. However, there aren’t many physicians recommending a patient give up the occasional glass of wine and take up smoking tobacco instead.

“We’re not prohibitionists,” Gitlow continued. “No one at the American Society of Addiction Medicine says alcohol should be banned, but all these drugs collectively are an enormous burden on the American public from an economic and health-related standpoint.”

Considering the dangers of tobacco and alcohol, Gitlow said he couldn’t fathom why, as a country, we would want to add marijuana to the mix. “Why would we want to make our burden worse?” he questioned.

Possible Benefits

Gitlow reiterated his frustration at claims of marijuana being a medical marvel. “There is no medical purpose. No one has ever proven through a double-blinded trial a medical benefit of marijuana.” He continued, “That’s not to say there aren’t components within the plant that might not have medical application.”

However, Gitlow said breaking down the more than 100 components in marijuana would require scientific investigation just like any other drug in this country seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. He added marijuana lobbyists bringing anecdotal evidence to legislators interested in the bottom line doesn’t constitute a thorough research endeavor.

NIDA’s viewpoint is similar, noting that so far clinical evidence does not show the therapeutic benefits of marijuana outweigh the health risk. In it’s assessment of the drug, the national organization stated, “To be considered a legitimate medicine by the FDA, a substance must have welldefined and measurable ingredients that are consistent from one unit (such as a pill or injection) to the next. As the marijuana plant contains hundreds of chemical compounds that may have different effects and that vary from plant to plant, and because the plant is typically ingested via smoking, its use as a medicine is difficult to evaluate.

“However, THC-based drugs to treat pain and nausea are already FDA approved and prescribed, and scientists continue to investigate the medicinal properties of other chemicals found in the cannabis plant – such as cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound that is being studied for its effects at treating pain, pediatric epilepsy, and other disorders.”

With the increased attention being given to marijuana around the country, it’s a safe assumption that opponents and proponents will continue the debate.

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The Literary Examiner

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind

by David J. Linden; c.2015, Viking; $28.95 / $33.00 Canada, 261 pages

Something’s wrong, and you can’t quite put your finger on it.

Everything feels so drab, so negative. It’s Murphy’s Law on overdrive, nothing in your day is going right, and your mood just took another nosedive.

Looks like someone needs a hug, and in the new book Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind by David J. Linden, you’ll see why that could truly help.

Shaking hands, patting someone on the shoulder, caressing a cheek, or grabbing a wrist. There’s no mistaking the meaning behind any of those actions, but why do we understand them, even if they happened wordlessly?

Skin, says Linden. It’s a social medium. We humans (as well as most mammals) are born needing to be nurtured and touched: researchers believe it’s the first sense we developed as fetuses, and if we’re denied its pleasure, “the consequences are dramatic.” Children who are touch-deprived in infancy show higher incidences of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes later in life.

But social glue isn’t the only reason scientists are touching upon this sense…

Chances are right now, for instance, that you’re touching something – a newspaper or phone, perhaps - and you’re doing it “almost automatically, with very little mental effort.” You can thank touch sensors and nerve fibers for that. Glabrous skin (that without hair, such as what’s on your lips, palms, and the bottoms of your feet) has a dense amount of sensors at its surface while hairy skin contains fewer sensors. The various sensors allow you to perform a multitude of actions, such as grabbing, retrieving, determining, and grasping, and they collect information that goes to your brain at different speeds, taking with it experiences, emotions, and context so you can act (or don’t overreact) to what your skin feels.

These sensors also help make a “touch map” inside the brain, which connects information being collected and identifies the source of the touch.

While there’s still much to learn, scientists know that your personal touch map can be affected by aging and disease – and if you’re feeling touchy about that, take heart: they also say that maps can change through practiced sensory habits.

Doesn’t that make you feel better?

If you could only have one sense, which would it be? Read Touch: The Scieasttnmedicalnews

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ence of Hand, Heart, and Mind and your answer will be clear.

I only wish the book was, too.

In between lively, illustrative stories that can completely capture interest, author David J. Linden immerses his readers in deep neurology, complete with scientific terms that could boggle a layman’s mind.

We’re handed a lot here, including alphabet-soup language, and while that’s certainly not bad, it does mean that this book is best consumed slowly and in small bites with rapt attention.

Parentology: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Science of Raising Children but Were Too Exhausted to Ask

by Dalton Conley; c.2014, Simon & Schuster; $25.00 / $28.99 Canada, 239 pages

Please.

It’s such a basic word. One syllable, easy to pronounce, with a satisfying purse of the lips in the beginning and a drawn out middle that makes you smile if you stretch it out. As your mother might’ve once said, it is, indeed, a “Magic Word.”

So why is it so difficult for your child to say?

There could be a scientific answer to that aggravation. In the book Parentology by Dalton Conley, you’ll see how

manners and more are now coming from the lab.

From the moment a dad- or momto-be announces they’re expecting, they usually receive overwhelming amounts of parenting advice. That’s because, says Conley, we lack a “common culture,” and we’re “constantly improvising” on child-raising.

To counteract that childrearing willy-nilliness, Conley says that he raised his kids with “parentology,” a method which “involves first and foremost reading and deciphering the scientific literature… and applying them to your kids.”

When he and his then-wife were expecting their firstborn, for instance, he says they carefully researched how birth weight affects a fetus – not just immediately, but in decades to come: their daughter E was born prematurely, which could have affected her likelihood of graduating high school. Maternal experiences also matter; pregnant mothers living near the epicenter of Chilean earthquakes birthed children who “suffered in their reading and math scores later on.”

A kid born in the fall does “best,” says Conley, and what you name that kid really does matter. Siblings (and space between them) might make a difference in a child’s future socioeconomic success, perhaps because they affect parental involvement. And talking to your kids as babies – even if it’s just narrating your day or reading aloud – can be a major key in development.

Know the statistics about schools and homework, and don’t worry about the former too much. Let your kids have “a healthy dose of germs” and be open to having pets; both might help

boost immune systems. Insist that manners extend to people in all walks of life, and teach the difference between “front stage and backstage.” And don’t sweat it if you make a mistake: parental actions mean a lot, but so does your child’s DNA. If you’re a parent, you may take away a lot of information in Parentology.

Or, on the flip-side, you might also rear up in horror.

As for me, I liked this book. Author and social scientist Dalton Conley meshes parenting with science quite nicely but it’s important to note that, in the beginning, he says one of the hallmarks of Parentology is “drawing your own conclusions…” That might not include allowing your child to aim profanity at you (as Conley does) or cosleeping well into childhood (ditto) but, as he indicates, it worked for his family.

Go back and read that again: “drawing your own conclusions…”

In other words, like with most parenting books, use what you can here and throw out the rest. You might be happy with your own parenting style, but what you’ll find in Parentology may also make you pleased.

If you’re a parent, you know by now that a sense of humor is imperative – which is why you may also want to look at How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane

by Johanna Stein. No, it won’t teach you how to put a baby down for a nap or how to lose those last 10 pounds of baby weight… but it will teach you how to laugh about both.

Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

Mark Your Calendar

Your local Medical Group Managers Association is Connecting Members and Building Partnerships. All area Healthcare Managers are invited to attend.

3RD THURSDAY Knoxville MGMA Monthly Meeting Date: 3rd Thursday of each month Time: 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM Location: Bearden Banquet Hall, 5806 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919 Lunch is $10 for regular members.

Come learn and network with peers at our monthly meetings. Topics are available on the website.

Registration is required. Visit www.kamgma.com.

2ND WEDNESDAY Chattanooga MGMA Monthly Meeting Date: 2nd Wednesday of each month Time: 11:30 AM Location: The monthly meetings are held in Meeting Room A of the Diagnostic Center building, Parkridge Medical Center, 2205 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404 Lunch is provided at no cost for members, and there is currently no cost to a visitor who is the guest of a current member. Each member is limited to one unpaid guest per meeting, additional guests will be $20 per guest. All guests must be confirmed on the Friday prior to the meeting.

RSVP to Irene Gruter, e-mail: irene@chattmedsoc.org or call 622.2872. For more information, visit www.cmgma.net.

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GrandRounds UT Medical Center Names Cynthia Williams as Vice President of Center for Women and Infants KNOXVILLE — Cynthia Williams recently joined The University of Tennessee Medical Center as vice president of the Center for Women and Infants. In her role, Williams will oversee all programs of that center of excellence at the medical center, including Labor & Delivery, OB/GYN services, Mother/Baby Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Labor & Delivery, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, East Tennessee Regional Perinatal Center, and all inpatient and outpatient services for women and infants that fall under that service line.

Williams joins the medical center with more than 15 years of extensive experience across all areas of women and children’s services. Most recently she spent six years as the Corporate Director of Obstetrics and Pediatrics for Community Health Systems (CHS) located in Franklin, Tennessee. In that position Williams oversaw quality improvement in all women’s and infants programs for 206 hospitals nationwide. Prior to her time at CHS she was the Director of Labor and Delivery at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada and a Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. She holds a national certification in Maternal Newborn Nursing and is an AWOHNN Fetal Monitoring Instructor.

Summit Welcomes Strant Colwell, MD Family Physician Practicing with Michael Passarello, MD KNOXVILLE – Summit Medical Group welcomes family physician Strant Colwell, MD, to Michael Passarello, MD’s office at 501 20th Street, Suite 404, Knoxville.

Dr. Colwell is a board-certified family medicine physician.

A graduate of East Dr. Strant Colwell Tennessee State University Medical School, Dr. Colwell completed his internship and residency at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. Prior to joining Summit, he was with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Team Health.

Priority Ambulance, continued from page 3 credits those attributes to Priority’s working environment and corporate culture.

“We have a real family atmosphere at Priority,” Bradsby said. “We are all here for each other. This is our place. We’ve been here since it started, and we want it to succeed. Happy, committed employees deliver the kind of service that translates into happy, committed clients.”

In early 2014, Priority Ambulance opened its corporate headquarters in Knox County. The company brought more than 50 jobs to the area and became the only national ambulance company headquartered in East Tennessee. Priority Ambulance provides pre-scheduled ambulance service to Knox and Blount counties and is the official E-911 ambulance provider in Loudon County.

“Our company motto is: ‘Our community. Our priority’,” said Rob Webb, vice president of Tennessee operations.

“As a newcomer in the East Tennessee ambulance market, our strategy was to recruit the best local employees who shared our same commitment to community involvement and patient care.

“We have gathered a compassionate, talented team of local EMTs and paramedics that are drawing recognition from patients and medical facilities for the level of care and service they show to patients and their families.”

Webb added Priority Ambulance also is devoted to supporting important community causes and promoting awareness of public health issues.

“We know that we best serve our community when we are connected to the causes and organizations that matter to 10

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our patients and their families,” he said.

For example, Priority Ambulance has provided standby emergency service, first aid and sponsorship to local community events such as the Senior Companion Program Snowflake Ball, the Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games, East Tennessee Kidney Foundation Lucky Kidney Run, East Tennessee Kidney Foundation Christmas in July Blanket Drive, Epilepsy Foundation of East Tennessee Mardi Gras, and the Loudon County and Blount County Boys & Girls Clubs fundraising dinners.

“We are very active with the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation,” Bradsby said. “By supporting the organization we know that our money stays right here in our community and goes to dialysis patients who really need the help.”

Bradsby noted dialysis patients require transport three times a week for treatments that take four or five hours each time.

“These patients can be sick and weak and need to be treated with compassion,” she said. “I’m proud to work for a company that delivers the kind of care these patients deserve. After building relationships with these patients over many weeks, our EMTs and paramedics look at them as family members and treat them as they would their own loved ones.”

Priority Ambulance’s marketing strategy doesn’t center on an ambitious advertising campaign, but instead is committed to customer service and improving the quality of life for patients and the community.

“That’s what makes Priority special,” Bradsby said.

Leonard Joins Tennova’s Medical Staff Family medicine physician specializes in comprehensive care for children, teens and adults KNOXVILLE – Tennova Healthcare recently welcomed Kaneez Leonard, M.D., family medicine physician, to her new medical practice at Tennova Primary Care.

She is accepting new patients at her Farragut office at 110 Campbell Station Road, Suite 102; and her Dr. Kaneez Leonard Sweetwater office at 602 South Main Street.

Leonard is committed to helping families stay healthy. She specializes in caring for children, teens and adults. Same-day appointments are available.

Leonard earned her medical degree from the University of Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles. She completed an internship and residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.

She offers well checks, immunizations, sick visits, and women’s health screenings.

She also specializes in the prevention and management of a broad range of chronic diseases. Dr. Leonard is a certified medical examiner for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. She can perform physical exams and complete certificates for commercial drivers.

Jacobson Joins Tennova’s Medical Staff Pulmonologist specializes in the treatment of lung and respiratory diseases KNOXVILLE — Tennova Healthcare recently welcomed Samuel S. Jacobson, M.D., pulmonologist and critical care specialist, to his new medical practice at Tennova Pulmonary Group – Jefferson. He is accepting new patients at his office at 120 Hospital Drive, Suite Dr. Samuel S. Jacobson 260, Jefferson City.

Jacobson is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract. He specializes in caring for patients with lung cancer as well as chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Same-day appointments are available.

Jacobson earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City. He completed an internship and residency at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami. Dr. Jacobson also received fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA.

PUBLISHED BY: SouthComm, Inc. PRESIDENT Chris Ferrell ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sharon Dobbins sdobbins@easttnmedicalnews.com 865.599.0510 EDITOR Bridget Garland bridget@easttnmedicalnews.com 423.483.1015 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Susan Graham susan@medicalnewsinc.com 931.438.8771 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Katy Barrett-Alley, Amy Gomoljak James Osborne, Christie Passarello CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sharon Fitzgerald, Cindy Sanders, Julie Parker, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Bridget Garland, Leigh Anne W. Hoover, Joe Morris, Jennifer Culp CIRCULATION subscriptions@southcomm.com —— All editorial submissions and press releases should be emailed to: editor@easttnmedicalnews.com —— Subscription requests or address changes should be mailed to: Medical News, Inc. 210 12th Ave S. • Suite 100 Nashville, TN 37203 615.244.7989 • (FAX) 615.244.8578 or e-mailed to: subscriptions@southcomm.com Subscriptions: One year $48 • Two years $78 Become a fan on Facebook, and Follow us on Twitter@EastTNMedNews SOUTHCOMM Chief Executive Officer Paul Bonaiuto President Chris Ferrell Chief Financial Officer Ed Tearman Executive Vice President Of Digital And Support Services Blair Johnson Director Of Financial Planning And Analysis Carla Simon Vice President Of Human Resources Ed Wood Vice President of Content Patrick Rains Vice President Of Production Operations Curt Pordes Group Publisher Eric Norwood Chief Revenue Officer Dave Carter Director Of Digital Sales & Marketing David Walker Controller Todd Patton Creative Director Heather Pierce East Tennessee Medical News is published monthly by Medical News, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SouthComm, Inc. ©2015 Medical News Communications.All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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GrandRounds Stofko Joins Tennova’s Medical Staff Knoxville’s only cerebrovascular/ endovascular neurosurgeon treats brain and blood vessel conditions KNOXVILLE – Tennova Healthcare recently welcomed Douglas L. Stofko, DO, neurological surgeon, to his new medical practice at Tennova Neurosciences.

He is accepting new patients at his office at Physicians Regional Medical Center, 930 Emerald AvDr. Douglas L. enue, Suite 511, Knoxville.

Stofko Stofko is one of a select number of neurosurgeons in the country – and the only one in East Tennessee – trained in both traditional neurosurgical approaches as well as endovascular procedures, enabling his patients to have the full range of treatment options available to them under the direction of one surgeon.

He earned his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed an internship at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia, and a residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Consortium of Hospitals. Dr. Stofko also received fellowship training in cerebrovascular/endovascular surgery and neurocritical care at Capital Institute for the Neurosciences in Trenton, New Jersey.

Stofko provides specialized care for a wide range of brain and blood vessel conditions including stroke, brain aneurysms, arterial venous malformations, brain and spine tumors, complex spine disorders, hydrocephalus and peripheral nerve disorders. He performs surgery exclusively at Physician Regional Medical Center. A physician referral is required.

Access to Care: Campaign provides access to affordable, quality behavioral health services KNOXVILLE – The Helen Ross McNabb Foundation is proud to announce a $3 million fundraising campaign to increase access to quality mental healthcare in East Tennessee.

Community leaders Dale Keasling, Home Federal Bank chairman, president and CEO, and Richard Maples, East Tennessee business leader, are spearheading the campaign and have raised more than $2.8 million to date.

Approximately 25,000 children and adults depend on the Helen Ross McNabb Center to be there for their mental health and substance abuse treatment needs.

“Without the Helen Ross McNabb Center, many individuals would have no other place to turn to for care. The funds secured through the Access to Care campaign will ensure that the Center will continue to be a resource that our community turns to for many years to come,” states Dale Keasling.

The Helen Ross McNabb Foundation is raising $3 million to offset the cost of hireasttnmedicalnews

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ing quality clinical staff, including psychiatrists and nurse practitioners and to make needed renovations to facilities acquired after the Center’s merger with Child and Family Tennessee. A common barrier to receiving quality care for individuals in our community who need it the most is cost.

The Helen Ross McNabb Center believes that every person, regardless of his or her financial circumstances, should have access to quality behavioral health care and to safe, well-maintained facilities.

The Helen Ross McNabb Center provides comprehensive services to help individuals manage their mental illnesses and substance abuse issues so they can achieve health and success in their community. Between 70 percent and 90 percent of individuals with mental health problems have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of therapy, medical help, and continued support (mentalhealth.gov.) The Center relies on a professional staff of psychiatrists, nurses, clinicians, therapists, and case managers to provide expert, individualized care.

Donations to the Access to Care campaign can be made on the Helen Ross McNabb Center’s website, www. mcnabbcenter.org/foundation or by check, payable to Helen Ross McNabb Foundation, mailed to 201 West Springdale Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917.

Tennessee Oncology Moves to New, State-of-the-Art Clinic in Downtown Cleveland Facility Enhances Hematology and Oncology Services for Cleveland and Bradley County Patients CLEVELAND – Tennessee Oncology, Bradley County’s only cancer center, relocates today in Cleveland to a leading edge facility near SkyRidge Medical Center, ensuring patients have access to the best possible oncology and hematology care in their community. The brand-new location is 2390 N. Ocoee St. The new 10,000-square-foot facility is much larger and more spacious, enhancing the care team’s ability to provide hematology and oncology services in a patient-friendly environment. The additional space also allows for more infusion chairs, doubling from nine to 18, to accommodate more patients receiving chemotherapy.

In addition, patients have access to new and improved services, including beneficial education and cutting-edge research, both of which can significantly help them during their battle with cancer.

Patient advocates and financial counselors are also available to help patients with acquiring and paying for their care.

“Over the years, many of our patients have considered our clinic to be their second home, and we are thankful their home away from home is now a state-of-the-art facility,” said Dr. Sylvia Krueger, a physician at Tennessee Oncology’s clinic in Cleveland.

Krueger, who has served patients in

Cleveland and Bradley County for more than 20 years, is joined by Dr. An Tran and a 10-member care team at Tennessee Oncology’s clinic in Cleveland.

Erlanger connects the present with the future in a new Regional Operations Center CHATTANOOGA – Erlanger and state officials, as well as emergency response representatives, formally connected the present with the future as they showcased the latest technology in providing faster, more convenient and the most comprehensive medical coverage in our area.

Erlanger Regional Operations Center (EROC) houses LIFE FORCE flight operations, the Tennessee Regional EMS Medical Communications Center, Erlanger’s transfer and patient placement center, and Erlanger’s ambulance transport provider, Puckett EMS. It also includes other vital functions that enhance EMS pre-hospital medical control and transport, patient throughput and the region’s Disaster Medicine Operations.

The Erlanger-Chattanooga MedComm is a designated Regional Medical Communication Center by the State of Tennessee Office of Emergency Medical Services. The center coordinates all communication within Region 3 (Southeast Tennessee) and in cooperation with adjoining regions. Receiving approximately 37,000 calls per year for emergency services, staff members at the center coordinate pre-hospital communications between EMS and healthcare providers, serve as the pre-hospital EMS coordination point for Mass Casualty Incident Transport Officers, communicate between Tennessee and Georgia EMS and public health officials during incidents that could impact healthcare in our region and provide support for EMS services entering the area from other regions or states.

Since 1988, LIFE FORCE has provided air medical services in the region for Erlanger Health System. The program operates four helicopters and services four states. Accredited by the commission for medical transport since 2011, LIFE FORCE is nationally ranked as one of the highest performing air medical services in the country. LIFE FORCE receives approximately 5,000 calls a year requesting medical air transport service. Depending on weather, medical care and other flight conditions, LIFE FORCE operates approximately 2,000 flights each year. It is the only air ambulance program in our region that carries ultrasound, blood and plasma and is credentialed by physicians at Erlanger to perform emergency surgical procedures. All LIFE FORCE flight nurses and paramedics have board certification in critical care transport. LIFE FORCE is one of only 5% of the programs in the country that has achieved this standard.

Erlanger’s air medical program receives Advance Life Support Service of the Year Award CHATTANOOGA – Erlanger’s LIFE FORCE air medical program recently received Tennessee’s Advance Life Support (ALS) Service of the Year award for the program’s outstanding achievement in providing medical service to the four-state region.

Each year, the Bob Thomas ALS Service Award is awarded to an EMS system that exemplifies outstanding professionalism and service to the community it serves during the TASA annual conference.

Erlanger honors Sen. Bob Corker, Drs. Cofer and Brown at annual Dinner of Distinction CHATTANOOGA – Approximately 325 attendees arrived at the Chattanoogan on February 27 to celebrate Erlanger’s Dinner of Distinction honorees, Drs. Hugh Brown and Joseph B. Cofer, and U.S. Senator Bob Corker.

The 2015 honorees were recognized for their enduring commitment to foster quality medical services to this community, as well as demonstrating unquestionable character and human compassion.

Dr. Hugh Brown, board certified orthopedic surgeon, taught future surgeons while serving as associate professor with the UT Department of Orthopedic Surgeons and was director of Pediatric Orthopedic Services from 1997 to 2008. For 28 years, Dr. Brown served as Director of the Scoliosis Clinic, and orthopedic consultant to the Walter Boehm Spina Bifida Clinic, in addition to running a private practice for 28 years. Dr. Brown’s influence will be felt within the walls of Erlanger for decades to come.

Board-certified general surgeon Dr. Joseph B. Cofer is a professor of surgery and serves as surgery residency program director for the Department of Surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. He has been recognized on numerous occasions as a champion for Project Access, a program based on donated services and medical care for those in need.

This year, the Distinguished Community Leadership Award was posthumously awarded to Gordon Street and henceforth known as the Gordon Street Distinguished Leadership Award. Senator Bob Corker is the first recipient of the Gordon Street Distinguished Leadership Award.

Senator Bob Corker has been a longtime advocate for improving the health of our region. During his tenure as mayor of Chattanooga, Senator Corker supported numerous wellness initiatives within the city. He has also sponsored several bills to improve healthcare in our nation and help empower all Americans to have access to medical services.

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