Mississippi Medical News July 2015

PROUDLY SERVING THE MAGNOLIA STATE

July 2015 >> $5

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

Legislative Wrap - Part 2

Ruth Fredericks,

Lawmakers OK Caregiver Act, Changes to CON Process, Texting While Driving Ban

PAGE 2

MD

ON ROUNDS

By JONATHAN SCOTT

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series that takes a look at healthcare-related bills passed

by Mississippi lawmakers during the 2015 legislative session. The first part of the series focused on a measure that allows for the creation of providersponsored health plans in the state.

Benefitting from Return on Engagement Unique Data-Driven Platform Propels Medical News’ Website Re-Launch When Mississippi Medical News’ website is re-launched soon, it will feature arguably the most advanced businessto-business (B2B) platform in the industry ... 3

Performing Among the Best in the Nation Magnolia Health Initiative Improves Outcomes for Children with ADHD An emphasis on teamwork and training has resulted in top marks for a new initiative designed by Magnolia Health to improve outcomes for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ... 9

Caregivers in Mississippi will be more in the loop when it comes to overseeing the wellbeing of those they are caring for, thanks to state lawmakers.

Magnolia State legislators also changed the language in the state’s certificate-of-need process so it won’t be as costly for medical centers damaged or destroyed in a natural disaster to rebuild.

And Mississippi finally joined the majority of other states that have taken steps to ensure the health and safety of motorists by banning the dangerous practice of texting while driving.

These were among some of the main healthcare-related measures approved by state lawmakers in Mississippi during the 2015 legislative session.

While members of the healthcare profession didn’t get every bill passed they would have liked, they did find that most legislators were supportive of many of their measures.

One key healthcare bill approved this year was the Caregiver

Mississippi Company Makes Strides as Medical Waste Solution Oxford-based Greenserv on track to triple in size by December

By LUCy SCHULTZE

For most healthcare professionals, biomedical waste isn’t something one thinks about often. The founders of a startup waste disposal company would like to keep it that way.

“It’s kind of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind service – until it’s not,” said John Alford, who launched GreenServ Inc. in Oxford three years ago with partner Will Fountain.

“If you’re a healthcare provider, you’re required by the Department of Health to have a contracted arrangement to dispose of your medical waste,” Alford said. “We saw that there was room in the market for someone who could provide extremely good customer service and fair pricing. Starting this venture also gave us a chance to create jobs here in Mississippi.”

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)

ONLINE: MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL NEWS.COM

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

Credentialing have you weighed down?

WE CAN HELP!

GreenServ Principals John Alford, left, and Will Fountain applied their experience in medical device sales in building a medical-waste company.

Healthcare is changing and we are here to assist you. We’ve been Mississippi’s premier CVO for Primary Source Verification since 1997.

Visit us at www.TheVerificationGroup.com 17 NORTHTOWN DR. - JACKSON - MS - 39211 PHONE 601-957-9754 • FAX 601-957-9188 • E-MAIL VERIGROUP07@COMCAST.NET

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FRANKLIN, TN PERMIT NO.357

PhysicianSpotlight

Ruth Fredericks Enjoying Practicing the Full Spectrum of Neurology at St. Dominic’s

By LUCY SCHULTZE

A patient came to the emergency room at St. Dominic Hospital shortly after having a mini-stroke. He was doing well — then a full-blown stroke hit while he was in the ER, rendering him paralyzed and unable to speak.

Swiftly, the medical team implemented St. Dominic’s stroke protocol, delivering a dose of intravenous tPA before sending the patient straight to interventional radiology, where a clot was removed from the patient’s femoral artery.

By the next morning, the patient was walking and talking like normal.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to facilitate something like that,” said Ruth Fredericks, MD, a neurologist who serves as co-medical director of the Certified Stroke Center at St. Dominic’s.

“The entire team makes a big difference,” she said. “And at this point, they work together like a well-oiled machine.”

For Fredericks and her colleagues, getting the program to this point has involved refining the processes that occur at each step of the treatment protocol. Over the last 10 years, St. Dominic’s stroke program has come to treat more strokes than anyone else in Mississippi, as one of only two Level 1 stroke programs in the state.

“The most important thing we worked on was trying to reduce the time between when a patient comes through the door to when they receive tPA,” she said. “We’re now able to get the patient through the scan and have them seen by a doctor in less than 60 minutes.”

To reach that mark, each of the JNLMSMed-2 JNLMSMed-2

medical teams within the stroke protocol worked to streamline their processes, Fredericks said.

“The doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners — everybody takes care of their own processes and does quality control,” she said. “We all strive to do better and better.

For the stroke program, it’s an easy thing to be director, because everybody wants to do the best job they can.”

Fredericks has been part of the medical staff at St. Dominic’s since 1994. In addition to helping lead the stroke program, the focus areas of her practice has included neurologic oncology and the treatment of multiple sclerosis. In both areas, as well as

FrAuD FrAuD &A &buse Abuse : : A TerminAl A TerminAl DiAgnosis.

DiAgnosis.

Our healthcare Our healthcare specialists have specialists solutions havetosolutions most every to most situation everyyou situation may you may encounter in encounter your practice in your - and practice more-importantly, and more importantly, can help you canavoid helpmany you avoid many pitfalls thatpitfalls often occur that often in theoccur complex in theworld complex of today’s worldmedicine. of today’s medicine.

Every day we Every partner day we with partner hospitals, withphysicians hospitals, and physicians other healthcare and other healthcare providers providers with issues with regarding issuesreimbursement, regarding reimbursement, Stark & Anti-kickback, Stark & Anti-kickback, Licensure, HIPAA, Licensure, HIPAA, and Certificates and Certificates of Need - asofwell Need as well asneeds as -everyday everyday suchneeds as practice such as structure, practice structure, employment employment guidance and guidance liabilityand defense. liability defense.

We’re the perfect We’re the partner perfect for partner your healthcare for your healthcare practice. Give practice. us a call Give to us review a call to review your challenges your challenges - we’ll make- we’ll a prescription make a prescription for a trouble-free for a trouble-free path. path.

1076 HIGHLAND 1076CHOLONY IGHLAND COLONY CONCOURSEC600, ONCOURSE SUITE 100 600, SUITE 100 RIDGELAND,RMS IDGELAND 39157 , MS 39157

in stroke care, advances in the past two decades have allowed for far more positive outcomes than in the past.

“When I first started my practice in the early 1990s, we really didn’t have a lot of treatments for MS,” said Fredericks, who was asked to lead the multiple sclerosis clinic at St. Dominic’s shortly after her arrival.

“At that time, if I had a roomful of MS patients who were still walking, it would be safe to say that 80 percent of them would be in a wheelchair within 10 years,” she said. “Today, I would be able to tell that group that we have a good chance of keeping them walking for a long time as long as we stay on top of the disease.”

In treating MS, the tide began to turn with the arrival in the mid-1990s of injectible medications that helped modulate certain proteins of the immune system, preventing them from attacking the central nervous system.

“If we can treat patients early on and help them maintain, we should be able to keep the patient from becoming wheelchair-bound,” said Fredericks, for whom MS patients make up the bulk of her clinical practice.

“We’re very passionate about MS, because we’ve made such headway with treatment in the last few years,” she said.

“If we can persuade patients to be compliant with their meds, they will do well.

It’s also a great group of patients, because they tend to be very educated about their disease. I often have a chance to learn from them.”

Likewise, in the area of neurologic

oncology, recent advances have made the field more positive. For Fredericks, the treatment of brain tumors provides both challenge and fascination.

“You’re dealing with the brain and the spinal cord, but there is also a lot of internal medicine involved,” she said. “You have to keep your medical skills sharp, too.”

Neurologic oncology was the focus of Fredericks’ fellowship training, which she completed at Duke University.

A native of Mississippi, she moved to Memphis as a teen then returned to Millsaps College for her undergraduate degree. During that time, she worked in the vascular lab at the Department of Surgery at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, where she decided to pursue a career in medicine.

She went on to earn a medical degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center before heading to North Carolina to finish her training. She completed her internship and residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center.

With a long-term practice in the heart of her home state, Fredericks has been encouraged by the way physicians in the state are able to come together for the common good of Mississippians. Of note: The Stroke System of Care and STElevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Care Plan, which set a common standard and protocol in caring for patients across the state.

“Mississippi was the first state in the union to put forth a dual system of care for heart attacks and stroke,” she said. “Doctors who worked at different hospitals were able to sit down at a table together and develop this system, and watching that happen impressed me about medicine in this state.

“I’ve been to other medical centers in other states, and here there is a sense of camaraderie that I don’t pick up in other places.”

As such partnership moves forward, Fredericks is also encouraged by the advancement of telemedicine, she said.

“We have a lot of smaller hospitals that we work with to care for stroke patients,” she said. “They can administer tPA and send the patient to us if more intervention is needed.”

Outside of work, Fredericks enjoys traveling and scuba diving. She and her husband, Ravi Fredericks, often visit his home country of India as well as making frequent trips to Europe. They also visit their son Andrew and his wife in Dallas, where he is a resident in emergency medicine.

(601) 856-7200 (601) 856-7200 www.cctb.com www.cctb.com

2

>

JULY 2015

mississippimedicalnews

.com

Benefitting from Return on Engagement Unique Data-Driven Platform Propels Medical News’ Website Re-Launch

By JULIE PARKER

When Mississippi Medical News’’ website is re-launched soon, it will feature arguably the most advanced business-tobusiness (B2B) platform in the industry.

“I’m not aware of any other platform that has quite the breadth of capability,” said Eric Kammerzelt, vice president of technology at SouthComm, parent company of Medical News Inc. “We’re creating a 360-degree profile around our audience, and it will totally revolutionize how editorial content is generated.”

Kammerzelt, listed among Folio magazine’s annual Top 40 list in recent years, joined SouthComm via Cygnus Business Media Inc., an international B2B media company. SouthComm, niche publisher of consumer and B2B weeklies, monthlies, and regional magazines primarily in the South and Midwest, acquired Cygnus’ 11-magazine and 7-trade show public safety group last November, chiefly for the industry’s most sought-after technologies – BASE. BASE is a content management sys-

tem hosting thousands of market-specific articles. This need-driven platform was built with open source tools and technologies for a comprehensive solution for editorial and design publishing teams. A leading content strategy serves as a cornerstone in sales-lead generation, and was developed by a small WI team.

The Listening Phase “Back in 2007, we began asking the

editorial team at Cygnus: what are your challenges? What are your needs? How can technology help? At that time, print editors were being asked to also manage content online, in addition to managing social media and newsletters. We heard overwhelmingly they needed an easy way to share and organize content,” said Kammerzelt, who joined Cygnus in 1998 as network administrator, and was promoted to corporate IT director in 2006, the same year Twitter was launched.

“We looked around and weren’t happy with what we were finding in the industry, so we built our own system. We met with editors weekly to advance to their needs. The system has grown and evolved, and has become quite popular.”

The platform intuitively maximizes use of responsive design and compelling content.

“The way we organize our content allows us to be smarter about the content we provide,” he explained. “Our analytics platforms helps us understand our audience – what’s being consumed, read or simply grazed, and insights into how readers are navigating the site. It’s been

very enlightening to many editors who may think the audience is interested in particular content but instead are interested in something different that editors may not have thought would hold their interest.”

Historically, editors Eric and sales have been disKammerzelt tinctively separate departments. In the digital age, the entire team – editorial, production and sales – has become more collaborative with its partners, yet remaining so in ethical fashion.

“The bottom line is to maximize impact,” pointed out Kammerzelt.

Industry’s Dirty Little Secret The platform has received accolades for the way optimized in-view impressions are measured.

“The dirty little secret of many websites is that ad impressions further down the web page are still counted as having value to advertisers when clearly they have no value if no one ever sees it,” he said.

“That’s how sites were designed for years.

About a year ago, we implemented technology that allows us to fire the ad only when it’s on the screen and the user has (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

WHEN YOU INTERVIEW A REGIONS BUSINESS BANKER, be sure to grill them about our unique financing solutions.

Recruiting the right talent for your company is crucial. So when you sit down with a Regions Business Banker, please ask the hardest-hitting questions on your mind.

1 How will you work to understand my business and financial goals?

2 Will you give me lending options based on my specific needs?

3 Can I expect smart advice and guidance through all those options?

4 How do you ensure my loan is in line with my objectives?

You’ll find that we have a lot of thought-provoking answers to address the critical issues you face. So interview a Regions Business Banker today to learn how we can help your business move forward, now and down the road.

For an interview with a Regions Business Banker, call 1.800.833.9776 or visit us online at regions.com/interview.

© 2015 Regions Bank. All loans and lines subject to credit approval. | Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

mississippimedicalnews

.com

JULY 2015

>

3

Legislative Wrap - Part 2, continued from page 1 Act. This bill requires hospitals to improve communication between the family members and friends of patients who will be managing much of the care a person receives after he or she is released from a medical center.

State Sen. Terry Burton, sponsor of the bill in the Mississippi Senate, said this measure is designed to ensure caregivers have access to information that is vital to their efforts to take care of a loved one.

“The passage of the Caregiver Act this year is significant in that the Legislature has recognized the important role caregivers have in support of those they

care for,” Burton said. “Further, caregivers will now, by law, be included in the decisions made during a patient’s hospital stay and after discharge, be advised of care and expectations of the patient upon returning home. This is a major step for the better health of the sick and empowerment of those tasked with caring for the sick on a daily basis.”

SB 2108 had the backing of some organizations in the state, such as AARP Mississippi.

Tim Moore, president and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association, said the bill, for the most part, just reinforces

a practice that is already common in most hospitals.

“If a patient comes in and says, ‘Look, this is Bob and he is going to be my designated caregiver, then the hospital would Tim Moore get Bob’s contact information and when the time comes for the patient to be discharged, the hospital will sit down with Bob and explain to him all the discharge instructions, such as here is what you need to do and here is what you need to be on the lookout for,’” Moore

Held Hostage by your Medical Waste Disposal Company?

explained.

“This is just another means of communication and hospitals have been doing this for family members and patients so MHA is supportive of the legislation,” he added.

CON Bill OK’d

Another approved bill that MHA supported involved amending some of the requirements of the certificate-ofneed process medical centers must follow to rebuild a facility damaged in a natural disaster. The bill, submitted by Rep. Joey Hood, is expected to help assist medical centers such as the Winston Medical Center in Louisville, which took a direct hit from an EF4 tornado in April 2014.

“This bill allows hospitals that had been destroyed or greatly affected by a natural disaster to be replaced as they were prior to the disaster,” Moore noted.

“You would think that would be common sense, but that was not the case.”

Without this measure, medical facilities damaged in a natural disaster would have had to go through the certificate of need, or CON, processed from scratch just to be able to rebuild its medical facility to the size it was prior to the storm. The CON process can cost medical centers tens of thousands of dollars.

“The state Department of Health now has the authority to say, ‘OK, this was a natural disaster, so you can put your facility back into the same operation as it was prior to the disaster,’” Moore said of HB 583. “I think this is a huge benefit to everyone.”

Texting Ban

Escape to GreenServ for savings of 30-50%!

*

GreenServ sets you free of heavy-handed pricing policies, lengthy, convoluted contracts and unresponsive account representatives. With GreenServ you receive fast, friendly, customer service, manageable service agreements and savings of 30-50% on your medical waste disposal.

Call us today (662) 533-0940 and experience the GreenServ Advantage!

662-533-0940

House Bill 389, a measure banning texting while driving, was also approved, making Mississippi the 45th state to ban texting while driving. The new law, which went into effect July 1, prohibits drivers from writing, sending or reading text messages, emails or social media messages. It set a $25 fine until July 1, 2016, and $100 after that.

State lawmakers agreed to continue to keep legal the making and receiving of phone calls while driving.

Mississippi had previously banned texting for beginning drivers under 18 and for school bus drivers, but until this session, it was one of only six states that allowed texting while driving.

Healthcare advocates supported this measure and a number of safety studies were cited in an attempt to encourage legislators to approve the bill.

For instance, the Mississippi Center for Health Policy estimated that a texting ban could have prevented 95 deaths between 2008 and 2012, as long as police could pull someone over for just that offense. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reported that 10 percent of fatal accidents and 17 percent of injuries in accidents involved distracted drivers in 2011. Distracted driving was also blamed for 3,331 deaths.

GreenServInc.com *Based on current client average savings, your savings may vary.

4

GreenServ Ad 7.44x9.875.indd 4

>

JULY 2015

5/28/15 12:42 PM mississippimedicalnews

.com

Providing Stroke Survivors a ‘Beacon of Hope’

Bcenter and Global Stroke Resource Serve Worldwide Support Function

By JULIE PARKER

At an early spring Bcenter Hive of Hope support group meeting at the Winter Park Civic Center in Central Florida, cheers erupted when “Ana,” a formerly wheelchair-confined stroke survivor in her forties, made an entrance with her caregiver father, using only a cane to join more than 40 fellow survivors and their caregivers.

“I was moved to tears,” said Nancy DeVault, a community healthcare advocate from Winter Garden. “The whole room applauded her; it was incredible!”

Stroke survivor Valerie Greene established Bcenter as a simple website in 2010, knitted with tidbits of information she believed would be helpful to fellow recovering stroke victims.

“I was starving for snippets of support,” she recalled. “It wasn’t easy to find.” (See companion article on page 7, “The Rock Star of Stroke.”)

Bcenter provides stroke survivors and their caregivers with treatment resources, hope and direction. Its mission: to educate, empower and light the path to recovery.

Valerie Greene, (l), with “Ana,” (center) at Hive of Hope meeting.

“With Bcenter, and now Global Stroke Resource, Valerie helps doctors answer the question, ‘now what?’ that stroke survivors often ask when they’re released from the hospital,” said DeVault. “Physi-

cians understand that stroke patients need continual support. Bcenter is a valuable tool for physicians to know about and, in turn, share with their patients.”

Greene named the resource center

to embrace the symbolism of a bee, the metaphoric pillar of recovery. Bees aren’t designed to fly, noted Greene, but they do, therefore reinforcing how a belief in recovery from a stroke starts with the belief that you can and will recover, despite the odds.

In May, Greene launched a more user-friendly, interactive website that may be easily translated into any language and viewed on any device. Described as a “GPS for stroke survivors,” the website’s easy navigation provides three primary functions: Resources: B-well includes an outline of 20 conventional and holistic therapy choices, such as hyperbaric oxygen, stem cell and speech therapy.

Hope: B-empowered provides motivational resources, including survivor testimonials, educational videos and uplifting books.

Direction: B-connected offers interactive access to experts and the opportunity to participate in forums.

“My story has been somewhat supernatural,” admitted Greene, who suffered a (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

www.bcbsms.com Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, A Mutual Insurance Company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® Registered Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

mississippimedicalnews

.com

JULY 2015

>

5

Benefitting from Return on Engagement, continued from page 3 the ability to actually view it. A big conversation among ad agencies is that advertisers are catching on and don’t want to pay for impressions not seen. They want effective ads.”

For example, Cygnus approached Caterpillar about advertising in its B2B construction industry publication.

“Their content wasn’t generating as much industry interest and exposure as they’d planned,” he said. “We brought data to them that showed readers were hungry for the information but there was a wrinkle: either it wasn’t marketed well, found easily, or consumed well. Caterpillar asked for our help, and we created a section of the site built around a specific type of legitimate content, combined with content they already had, and it resulted in a very successful sales program for Caterpillar.”

Another example: Cygnus built a buyer’s guide platform, a collection of product and company data, and infused content in the database for users to easily find.

“We gathered information on the people who were interested in that approach, and then built a buying capacity to show advertisers and potential advertisers a group with potential buying propensity for particular products,” he said.

Return on Engagement Success stories resulting from the innovative platform spurred Kammerzelt’s invention of the Return on Engagement (ROE) report.

“The engagement report is built specifically for advertisers and potential advertisers to show content consumption trends to better reach their target audience, compared to competitors in the same category with the same audience while answering the question: how can we better pinpoint the target audience?

Sometimes it’s content; sometimes it’s advertising,” said Kammerzelt. “We crafted the engagement report as a way to educate advertisers and give them more transparency and visibility on the popularity of their content. We keep hearing: what have you done for me lately? Have you run articles relevant to me, my needs and my market? Finding specific examples used to be laborious. Now it’s instantaneous.”

The revised Mississippi Medical News website will have opportunities for rapidresponse polls and surveys to learn more about reader engagement, and will feature tools for article response and possibly access to white papers and other readerdirected information.

Once the website is re-launched, Kammerzelt estimates 90 days for data collection to be absorbed.

“The platform will allow us to response rapidly to reader trends,” he said.

“For example, the systems may not show a void in editorial content, but data analytics will make it easier to discern specific editorial needs.”

If advertising support warrants it via data feedback, the system will allow Medi-

Are You Ready?

• Integrated Delivery Systems • Patient Centered Medical Homes • Quality Reporting • ICD-10

Reclaim the freedom to do your job.

cal News to quickly add new markets, such as Jacksonville, Fla., Columbia, SC, or Portland, Ore., and revitalize existing ones, such as Charlotte, NC, and Research Triangle, NC, including Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The sites could quickly evolve into separate yet connected markets. It will also allow Medical News to easily and inexpensively test the waters on other ideas, such as potential awards programs or niche market sections, perhaps one targeted to medical students.

“No longer do you need to wait months for a site,” he emphasized. “It’s much more fluid now.”

Design Features & Improved Ad Performance The Mississippi Medical News platform has a responsive design optimized for mobile and tablet sites, each laid out differently for an advanced viewing experience.

Audience and content segmentation will route through half a dozen “channels” for better content organization. “Let’s say ‘education’ falls under ‘business,’ but data show that ‘education’ is popular and could be its own channel or maybe even a separate site. That’s data analytics driving change.”

Providing Stroke, continued from page 5 brain stem stroke June 10, 1996. “In hindsight, I believe I was sent as a messenger to help the suffering of my fellow survivors. I’ve been in that valley and know the depths of despair. It’s a gift and an honor to help another person. It’s what drives me every morning. It’s so important for survivors to have someone lead them who’s been through this experience.”

Greene recalled having “an uneasy time” after being released from the hospital after her stroke. When she asked her doctor about recovery and rehabilitation, he didn’t have much to offer.

“Physicians know our support system is phenomenal,” said Greene. “As their leader, I address the real gritty day-to-day challenges to the human spirit, and pro-

LUNG CANCER IS THE DEADLIEST CANCER IN THE WORLD.

Our trusted team can help you: Prepare for ICD-10 Prepare for new payment models Maximize reimbursements Receive Payments on time Develop revenue-building strategies

Solutions for:

Billing and Coding Electronic Health Records Practice Start-up and Merger Management

WE CAN CHANGE THAT.

YOUR PARTNER FOR SUCCESS! 3900 Lakeland Dr., Ste 300 Flowood, MS 39232 601-420-0141 www.performax.biz

6

>

JULY 2015

Other features include related content for deeper site engagement; advanced techniques and best practices for optimizing online readability and engagement; and social media integration including sharing, social sign-on, and user comments.

Improved advertiser offerings: all impressions are “in-view,” data analytics provides the ability to target within segments and “own” a channel; ad placement is more integrated with content; placement is variable; click-through rates and total clicks provide higher overall clicks; ad impressions are optimized on mobile and tablet devices; and the platform generates availability for page peels, billboards and other rich media ad capabilities.

Backend highlights include a unified workflow for print and digital products; real-time editorial control, allowing for more frequent updates; automated image and media handling; and rich taxonomy and organization/relation of content.

“We’re very excited about re-launching our Medical News markets,” said Kammerzelt. “The more thrilling part will occur when we have enough data to drive changes to truly make a difference to those who support us.”

The American Lung Association is leading the fight against the deadliest cancer there is—lung cancer.

Join the fight by giving a gift to the American Lung Association today.

314-645-5505 x1009 | 1-800-LUNG-USA www.breathehealthy.org 1118 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63139

vide encouragement and empowerment.

They learn their life isn’t over.”

Greene is quick to tell stroke survivors the candid truth: “Yes, it’s tough.

Yes, there are bad days. But we’ll get to the other side. I’m living proof, and so are many others. We’re in this together.”

Greene noted that national statistics show a spike in strokes in younger adults, especially women under 40.

“It’s scary how many more young people are having strokes,” she said.

“When I had mine at the age of 31, it was unusual. These days, not so much.

That’s why I focus on stroke prevention. I wouldn’t have had a second stroke six months later if I’d known what I do today.”

For example, the South is also known as the Stroke Belt for its fried and sticky foods.

“Stickiness only adds to the problem of platelets sticking together,” she said. “If you don’t have oil in your car, that necessary slippery element, the pistons don’t function properly and the engine will blow. Fortunately, our body was designed to heal.”

Greene also highlights the importance of krill oil, a cold water source in the Arctic that keeps the blood “nice and slippery.”

Greene also pointed out that all ages and genders of stroke survivors and their caregivers access Bcenter.

“It’s interesting to find out what works for one survivor and not another,” said Greene. “It’s not cliquish, but it’s interesting to see how survivors flock to groups with people of their gender, age or interests. The important thing is, we’re all there for each other.” mississippimedicalnews

.com

The Rock Star of Stroke Valerie Greene Emerged From Devastated Stroke Victim to Global Outreach Advocate for Stroke Recovery

By JULIE PARKER

On June 10, 1996, only weeks before the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) as what remains the only approved management for ischemic strokes and myocardial infarction, Florida native Valerie Greene suffered a massive stroke that left her, as she described it, “mangled up in a wheelchair.”

Greene was only 31, a healthy and successful entrepreneur with a busy social calendar and a flourishing financial planning practice that she’d established three years earlier in Orlando.

Not long after the FDA approval of tPA, Greene participated in a press conference in Tallahassee, Fla., comparing two stroke victims: one who benefitted from tPA administration immediately following a stroke, and one whose stroke preceded the approval date.

“The gentleman I was paired with talked about how he played golf the next week,” recalled Greene, a former Olympic-caliber swimmer who ran the 100-yard-dash in less than 11 seconds.

“There I was, unable to function. It was the hardest moment to bear. It was shocking to me the difference.”

Because she suffered a massive brain stem stroke preceded by a TIA only a few months prior, both sides of her body were severely affected, leaving her unable to move from the neck down, powerless to speak, and with permanent hearing loss in her right ear.

“I was lying in a hospital bed, paralyzed, couldn’t talk, and was drooling,” she recalled. “I was told I may not live because I’d had a stroke in the worst area in the brain to be attacked, with the main artery totally occluded. Imagine a highway funneling into one lane ... the flow is significantly interrupted.”

Instead of accepting a dismal fate, Greene worked diligently to recover from the physical – and often-undiscussed emotional and mental – effects of the stroke.

She focused on understanding stroke’s causes and symptoms, and grew a quiet determination to help others on their journey to recovery.

“There’s nothing like walking in someone’s shoes,” she emphasized. “I remember what it was like to have no one to talk to.”

Over time, Greene recovered most functions, though she still walks with a limp, has hearing loss, and speaks with a slight deficiency. Yet she’s transformed her life from stroke victim to global stroke advocate. For many years, she was a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association (ASA), and continues to give motivational talks across the United States.

“When I walk into a room, it’s astounding to see the reaction,” said Greene. With movie star looks, she’s often mississippimedicalnews

.com

TODAY

referenced to as the Rock Star of Stroke.

“They’ve seen my picture in the wheelchair, and they’ve seen my picture as I am now, but when they see I’m for real, it’s very powerful. They see the light inside of me. I’m a vessel, a messenger of hope. I can’t take credit for that. It’s God working through me. It transcends the human spirit to never give up. Encouragement … is greatly underrated.”

Greene doesn’t fret over activities she can no longer enjoy, such as playing the guitar since the age of seven. “I tried for years to relearn the guitar with the opposite hand and it was too frustrating,” she said. “I finally gave it away.”

She also doesn’t stew over the inability to balance her checkbook.

“I don’t get hung up on those things

and whine, or say woe is me,” she said.

“Now I say thank God I could do all those things!

I’m resolved that I’ve moved into a different level of life. If you always look in your rear view mirror, you’ll never see where you’re going. So many times in life, people try to get back to where they used to be or thought they were. Perhaps there’s something better behind the next door?”

A significant part of her life revolves around Bcenter, an organization of support for stroke survivors and caregivers she founded that has evolved into Global Stroke Resource, a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization supported by the medical community and devoted to bringing hope to stroke survivors worldwide.

(See companion article on page 5, “Providing Stroke Survivors a ‘Beacon of Hope.’”)

These days, Greene has a different sort of busy social calendar. She starts

mornings by scrolling emails, stopping to immediately answer those from people who reached out following a stroke. As a stroke coach, she provides support via online coaching, sometimes around the clock.

“With Skype and phones, anywhere is a stone’s throw away,” she noted.

Once, she dropped everything to travel to the west coast to meet a survivor in person.

“His son called and asked, ‘what are your credentials?’ I thought carefully about the answer,” recalled Greene. “I’m a messenger of hope, I told him, and he said, ‘well, please, get here quick!’”

A two-time published author and contributor to various heart-healthy cookbooks published by national organizations, Greene has appeared on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC to raise awareness of stroke prevention and recovery.

“Before the stroke, I never thought about being a public speaker,” marveled Greene. “It’s amazing what you can do when circumstances change and helping others dictates it.”

A legislative advocate for stroke awareness, Greene was the nation’s top fundraiser for the ASA’s 2004 Train to End Stroke program. The World Health Organization has applauded her efforts, along with the National Stroke Association and an impressive array of celebrities and dignitaries.

Greene’s next mission: to build a world-class destination for stroke survivors and their loved ones to visit for healing, restoration, support and retreat.

“My long-term vision is to take this to a whole new level,” she said. “For me, that would’ve been remarkable. People want it and deserve it and I’m trying to answer that call the best way possible.”

THE STRENGTH TO HEAL and rediscover my passion for medicine.

The new experience you’ll gain as a member of the Army Reserve will help you remember why you became a physician. By practicing in your community and serving when needed, you could receive $250,000 in student loan repayment and $75,000 in Special Pay. You’ll feel an increased sense of pride when you care for our Soldiers and their Families.

To learn more about the U.S. Army Reserve health care team, visit healthcare.goarmy.com/mednews or call 601-362-7051.

©2010. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

JULY 2015

>

7

Mississippi Company Makes Strides as Medical Waste Solution, continued from page 1 Since its launch in 2012, GreenServ has acquired 320 customers in Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. It’s working to grow to 900 customers by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the founders take nearly as much pride in the number of customers they’ve lost since the beginning: Only five.

“Each of those has been a situation where their clinic was acquired by a larger chain or it closed,” Alford said. “We feel like that track record speaks for itself.”

In its relationship with customers, GreenServ bypasses a common frustration with biomedical waste companies – longterm contracts that are a hassle to get out of. Instead, the company simply operates off of service agreements.

“We feel like if we can’t serve you with a competitive price and really good customer service, and you feel like you need to leave, then you should have that right,” Fountain said.

Both Fountain and Alford come from a background in medical device sales and marketing, and maintain full-time jobs outside of GreenServ. Fountain is originally from Greenville and settled in Oxford 12 years ago after living out-of-state.

He is currently a regional sales manager for Medtronic’s endoVenus division.

Alford, a native of Oxford, has worked in the orthopedic implant industry for 25 years. He and his wife, a nurse, own Sonrise Medical LLC, a durable medical equipment sales and service company focused on post-operative orthopedic reha-

GreenServ’s team has grown to five trucks and more than a dozen employees since the end of 2012.

bilitation equipment.

“Having spent so much time in the medical market, I saw that medical waste not something that is on everybody’s radar, but it is something everyone has to deal with,” Alford said.

“I would walk past medical waste receptacles and never pay any attention to them. But once Will and I started looking at it, we realized how big an opportunity there was in the market for someone who could do this well.”

The two men made market research a priority as they considered entering the business.

“You’ve got to do your homework,” said Alford, thinking of other Mississippians who would venture to start a business in a healthcare-related field.

“You get a good business plan, and then the conviction that you’re going to execute this,” he said. “You’re going to have naysayers telling you, ‘You can’t compete with these guys.’ We’ve heard all that. But you have to believe you can do it.

And having a partnership where you have two people helping to drive the business has been invaluable.”

In getting GreenServ off the ground, Alford and Fountain were easily able to

bring their marketing know-how to bear – but knew they needed to tap outside knowledge when it came to the logistics of transportation and technology. They reached out to friends in the transportation industry and pooled resources to figure out what was needed.

“In this industry, you have to have the operations streamlined and have processes in place to take care of day-to-day tasks, like managing drivers and fuel,” Alford said. “We’ve focused a lot of energy into putting processes and systems in place. We now have one complete system in which everything is integrated – from the time we pick up from the customer to the time we dispose of the waste.”

In addition to streamlining things from an operations standpoint, GreenServ’s integrated system also makes it easy for customers to confirm their compliance with medical waste regulations.

“We integrated a compliance program through which customers can manage everything from their required HIPAA and Bloodborne Pathogens training to creating OSHA-required safety plans,” Fountain said. “Our goal is to provide resources for the customer and be a complete solution.”

Since getting its start with one truck and 100 customers by the end of 2012, GreenServ has grown to 13 employees and five trucks. The company’s target is to add another seven jobs and grow to serve 900 customers by the end of 2015.

P RO GR AM S NC LAENS OM ITIAP EFPL BCEN S S TA /GR AMRK RO AEBUPSE &NC RA UD FOM PL IA C T EN RK M TA OY M PL SE / S & AEBU OR & ABUD FLRA ENTSE EFEN DYM CE LO TI MP AC E PR & AL OR LMAB SEULATION R EN & AWD EF EG ACETILCE PRAR EDIC MAL M &N S IO ULAT EGON &SIRTI QUI AW E ,LA RS AR GE ERIC MED M STI ON S & RE TU EN V SI NT OI RS , A QUI GE MJER RE S OI NNT VEN TU CJO

�

�

�

�

�

�

� �

�

�

�

�

�

CHOINPA A ICAAL S TA FF ED A H MIP

IC AL IO NS TA FF ED AT M TAX N N ’ C OM PE NS AT IO IO ATKE RS AXOR T W N IO AT AT IO NS ELNS CTOMRPE KE RS ORER NM’EN W G OV AT IO NS EL R T y EN ic NM ERic P ol G u bl POV M ed ic ai d

Jackson, Mississippi www.msbluesmarathon.com

Presented by:

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN YOU ONLY HAD TO PRACTICE MEDICINE. Our attorneys work hard every day in the ever-changing medical law environment.

So, we’re up-to-date on all the latest rules, regulations and trends that affect the business side of health care. Call us today, and concentrate on your patients.

Expect results.

JACKSON

401 East Capitol St., Suite 600 Jackson, MS 39201 P.O. Box 651 Jackson, MS 39205-0651 PH. 601.968.5500 FAX 601.968.5593

GULF COAST

27811105 C.T.Switzer, Sr. Drive, 30th Avenue Suite 307 Suite Biloxi, MS300 39531 Gulfport, MSF39501-1817 PH.228.385.9390 AX 228.385.9394

Ph. 228.867.7141 Fax 228.867.7142

HATTIESBURG

601 Adeline St. Hattiesburg, MS 39401 P.O. Box 990 Hattiesburg, MS 39403-0990 PH. 601.582.5551 FAX 601.582.5556

www.wisecarter.com

8

>

WCF MHA directory ad1.indd 1

JULY 2015

3/10/09 3:05:11 PM

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, A Mutual Insurance Company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Runner’s World Top 10 Marathon for 2015

Top 25 Finisher’s Medal for 5 consecutive years!

Marathon, Half, Quarter & Relay

mississippimedicalnews

.com

Performing Among the Best in the Nation Magnolia Health Initiative Improves Outcomes for Children with ADHD

By JONATHAN SCOTT

An emphasis on teamwork and training has resulted in top marks for a new initiative designed by Magnolia Health to improve outcomes for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Magnolia Health, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, partnered with behavioral health company, Cenpatico Care Management, to create a new program to improve continuity of care and ensure appropriate diagnosis, treatment and referral of children with ADHD. The two partners developed a program that focuses on two main components: one, providing each of their young patients with a highly trained team of medical professionals; and two, educating the kids and their parents or guardians about ADHD and the tools being used to treat the illness.

A recent assessment of the program found that not only is it working, it‘s among the best in the nation.

Consider this: During the first year of this partnership that was created in 2014, Magnolia Health member patients exceeded the National Committee for Quality Assurance certified Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) score. The program is ranked above the 95th percentile for the initiation phase and above the 90th percentile during the maintenance phase.

Dr. Jason B. Dees, president and CEO of Magnolia Health in Jackson, said this recent assessment shows the initiative is succeeding just as they had hoped, and bodes well for the program that is gearing up to treat many more patients.

Dr. Jason “It has been a reDees ally good project and the team has worked really hard on it, and we are seeing some things that are encouraging about it,” Dees said. “Obviously this is one of those things that you must keep your eye on for some time, but what we’ve got from just looking at the particular HEDIS measure, we’ve got some results that are very, very encouraging about this program.”

Magnolia Health, a leading Mississippi-based Coordinated Care Organization, expects to see its already large pool of more than 200 young ADHD patients expand rapidly this year, Dees noted.

In Mississippi, children who have traditionally been covered under the feesfor-services Medicaid program are being moved into the managed care environment. The first group of these children were moved to managed care in May, the second group in June and the third group is coming in July, Dees explained.

“As we move more of the Medicaid mississippimedicalnews

.com

population over into managed care, the number of children in our program will continue to grow,” he predicted. “So we’re really encouraged about being able to continue to work with these kids and their families.”

When it comes to improving the health of children prescribed ADHD medications, the Magnolia Health initiative takes a twopronged approach.

Its first measure – the initiation phase – focuses on children aged 6 to 12 with ambulatory prescriptions. It also included a follow-up visit with a physician in the first 30 days of the program. The second measure – the continuation and maintenance phase – focuses on the children in this age group who have ambulatory prescriptions who remained on the medication for at least seven months and had at least three follow-up visits with a physician within nine months after the initiation phase.

Several of the quality initiatives advanced by Magnolia Health have been shown to increase the healthy results of the program. These initiatives, that emphasizing training and team work, include the following: Pharmacy training of the clinical care team on ADHD medications.

Behavioral health training of the clinical care team on best practice management of children with ADHD. Automatic referral to Cenpatico for children with a new ADHD medication prescription.

Outreach efforts by social services specialists to remind parents/guardians of the required follow-up visits to a provider once ADHD medication is started.

HEDIS Quick Reference provider tools given to providers.

Magnolia Health and Cenpatico management and quality improvement coordinators work with behavioral health providers to provide additional education regarding å HEDIS measures and followup visits.

The first-year success of this initiative is important to the young patients with ADHD, and studies show many kids are adversely affected by this illness. About 11 percent of children 4 to 17 years of age (some 6.4 million people in the U.S. alone) have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

For Mississippi, the success of Magnolia Health’s program has an added benefit, Dees said.

“The good thing is, we’re now above the 90th percentile in the country for all of the ADHD HEDIS measures,” he pointed out. “So it’s nice that when Mississippi is often given a bad rap for things, here, in this particular area, at least with the children enrolled with Magnolia Health, we’re performing among the tops in the country – and that’s encouraging.”

Lunch. Dinner...

Lunch. Dinner...

Did you miss out on our Foie Gras season?

Did you miss out on our Soft Shell Crab season?

Don’t miss out on our seasonal specials again!

We change our menu to feature the freshest local ingredients...

Celebrations.

Celebrations.

Specialty Catering & Events

115 W. Capitol St • Jackson, MS 39201 601.360.0090 events@parlormarket.com www.parlormarket.com JULY 2015

>

9

GrandRounds Memorial Physician Clinics Welcomes Neurosurgeon Emilio C. Tayag, MD

HORNE LLP’s Healthcare Delivery Institute Graduates Class from the Advanced Training Program The Healthcare Delivery Institute at HORNE LLP recently announced the graduates of its Advanced Training Program (ATP) in Healthcare Delivery Improvement. The ATP trains students, who fill roles in their health care organization ranging from clinicians to CFOs, in both the theory and methodology of continuous quality improvement in the health care environment. The program is a sister-program to Dr. Brent James’ internationally recognized Advanced Training Program at Intermountain Healthcare.

Graduates of the 2014 ATP were: from the Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Danna Caillouet, Greg Chaisson, Jay Fakier, Mark Hebert, Paul Monier, Christopher Rodrigue, Greg Stock, Raja Talluri and Sheri Eschete; from the University Mississippi Medical Center Elizabeth Bromberg, Nancy Hicks, Lisa Watts, Sloan Youngblood and Kasey Broussard; from Mississippi Children’s Home Services Fortson Baird, Denny Hydrick and Bertina Rice; from South Central Regional Medical Center Ladd Hatten and G. Douglas Higginbotham; and Aaron Neiderhiser from Health Catalyst.

The ATP curriculum is built on improvement theory, data and measurement, delivery model change, and leadership. The course gives participants the knowledge base and skills to undertake leadership roles in quality and policy areas of virtually any health care environment. Faculty includes local, regional and national speakers with expertise in health care delivery, process improvement, data analytics, technology, finance, clinical integration and leadership.

112 Wildwood Drive in Madison 4 Bedrooms / 4 Baths 4,200 SqFt

Gorgeous home with stately front porch & circular drive. Formal dining, formal living, large open living area, office, a 2nd living area including a mini kitchen area complete with a Vermont Casting grill, & sink. This home is immaculate & has tons of extras!

For Information Contact: Christy Willis christy_willis@comcast.net 601.717.2501 GRAHAM & ASSOCIATES, INC., REALTOR®

10

>

JULY 2015

Memorial Physician Clinics welcomes Emilio C. Tayag, MD, in the practice of Neurosurgery in Gulfport.

Dr. Tayag received his medical doctorate, and his rotating internship, from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical CenDr. Emilio C. ter, Quezon City, PhilipTayag pines. He also completed his General Surgery internship at Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester (formerly New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center), New Rochelle, New York; and Internal Medicine internship at University of Southern California (USC) + Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California. Dr. Tayag completed his residencies in Neurology at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California and in Neurological Surgery at Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. He is fellowship trained in Neurological Rehabilitation at USC+Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, California. His basic science research fellowships in Neurotrauma were obtained from the Departments of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas and Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Tayag is Board Certified in Psychiatry & Neurology, and actively seeking in Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Richmond Joins NMMC Rehabilitation Staff David Richmond, M.D., has joined the medical staff of North Mississippi Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and North Mississippi Medical Center.

North Mississippi Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic treats injuries or illnesses that affect how people move.

Dr. David The staff’s goal is to reRichmond store maximum function that has been lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions.

Dr. Richmond earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1992 from Marshall University in Huntington, W.V. He continued his education at Mountain State University in Beckley, W.V., becoming a physician assistant in 1998. He worked as a physician assistant for several years before going to medical school.

Dr. Richmond earned his medical degree in 2006 from St. Georges University in Grenada, West Indies. He completed an internship in 2007 at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation in 2010 from Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Mass. He is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

PUBLISHED BY: SouthComm, Inc. GROUP PUBLISHER Dennis Triola dtriola@southcomm.com 310.422.6637 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Arich karich@mississippimedicalnews.com Ad Sales: 601.941.3075 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Perry Patterson LaCour placour@mississippimedicalnews.com Ad Sales: 601.941.1603 NATIONAL EDITOR Pepper Jeter editor@medicalnewsinc.com LOCAL EDITOR Julie Parker jparker@medicalnewsinc.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Susan Graham susan@medicalnewsinc.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Katy Barrett-Alley, Amy Gomoljak James Osborne, Christie Passarello CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julie Parker, Cindy Sanders, Lucy Schultze, Jonathan Scott CIRCULATION subscriptions@southcomm.com —— All editorial submissions and press releases should be emailed to: editor@medicalnewsinc.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

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 Curt Cordes 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 Mississippi 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.

Medical News will assume no responsibilities for unsolicited materials.

All letters sent to Medical News will be considered Medical News property and therefore unconditionally assigned to Medical News for publication and copyright purposes.

mississippimedicalnews.com mississippimedicalnews

.com

GrandRounds Singing River Health System Hospitals Receive Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award Singing River Hospital and Ocean Springs Hospital have received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®– Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award at the association’s International Stroke Conference 2015. The award recognizes each hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Singing River Hospital and Ocean Springs Hospital are two of 726 hospitals recognized for the Gold Plus Award, among the nearly 1,000 hospitals given quality achievement awards at the conference.

To receive the Gold Quality Achievement award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines–Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and must reach 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.

Singing River Health System has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the Emergency Department.

For providers, Get With The Guidelines–Stroke offers quality-improvement measures, discharge protocols, standing orders and other measurement tools.

Providing hospitals with resources and information that make it easier to follow treatment guidelines can help save lives and ultimately reduce overall healthcare costs by lowering readmission rates for stroke patients.

million, according to the study. Salaries, wages and benefits were more than $77 million; the hospital provided 1,808 full and part time jobs and paid $6.1 million in state and local taxes.

The hospital had an indirect output impact of more than $25 million which includes purchases made by businesses using money earned by supplying goods or services to the facility, or money being recirculated into the local economy, according to the study.

The hospital also provided $77.5 million in labor income to the community in

2012, including $58.7 million in direct income impact or money paid directly to employees in salaries, wages and benefits.

The 1,808 jobs represents the annual average full and part time jobs created, while the $6.1 million tax revenue impact includes taxes and other government revenues generated by the earnings of businesses supplying Baptist Golden Triangle, employee income and expenditures of employees of both the hospital as well as its suppliers.

According to the study, the impact of

more than 100 years of service to the MidSouth places Baptist Memorial Health Care among the largest and most important organizations in the history of the Mid-South. The purpose of this report was to examine the economic impact of each of the 14 hospitals in the Baptist system in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas to document the important role Baptist plays as a part of the economic base of the Mid-South communities it

EyeCare Professionals

WELCOMES Mark G. Kosko, M.D. EyeCare Professionals is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Kosko to our team. Dr. Kosko is a fellowship trained ophthalmologist who specializes in laser cataract and glaucoma surgery.

To learn more, call 601-366-1085 or visit www.eyecare4ms.com. ww

Baptist makes significant impact on Mid-South economy Baptist Memorial Health Care recently conducted an economic impact study with the Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research/ Center for Manpower Studies at the University of Memphis’ Fogelman at the College of Business and Economics In fiscal year 2012, Baptist had total operating revenues of more than $1.5 billion as a result of providing acute hospital care services to area citizens, resulting in a total production of goods and services (output) value of more than $2.6 billion; total salaries, wages, and benefits of $1.1 billion; 21,263 full- and part-time jobs; and state and local taxes generated in excess of $89 million.

Locally, in 2012, Baptist Golden Triangle had total operating revenues of $136 million with a total output or production of goods and services value of nearly $193

mississippimedicalnews

.com

MARK G. KOSKO, M.D.

F U LL S E RVI C E EYE CAR E

See the Difference.

Schedule your appointment TODAY. PH

601-366-1085

1501 Lakeland Drive, Suite 100 • Jackson, MS 39216 (.08 MILES EAST OF I-55)

KI R K R. J E FFR EYS, I I I, M .D. | TI NA R. S O R EY, O.D. | MAR K G. KOS KO, M .D. | WWW.EYECAR E4M S.CO M

JULY 2015

>

11

Hyperbaric Medicine St. Dominic’s Wound Healing Center is the only Joint Commission certified center in the state. Our Hyperbaric Chamber allows patients to breathe 100 percent oxygen to speed recovery from conditions such as: * * * * * *

Radiation induced injury with associated soft tissue wounds or bone necrosis Crush injuries, reattached amputations, compromised skin grafts, and acute peripheral artery injury as an added measure to prevent loss of function, limb, or life.

Carbon monoxide poisoning Chronic osteomyelitis Necrotizing soft tissue infections Diabetic wounds that fail standard wound therapy

If you would like to schedule an appointment call 6 0 1 - 2 0 0 - 6 0 6 0

WoundHealing_MSMed.indd 1

6/3/15 12:08 PM