Mississippi Medical News June 2013

PROUDLY SERVING THE MAGNOLIA STATE

June 2013 >> >> $5 December 2009

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT PAGE 3

Allison Wall,

Digestive Solution NMMC physician trio only ones statewide to offer LINX option for GERD patients

MD

By LyNNE JETER

ON ROUNDS

TUPELO – Two surgeons at North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) and a Digestive Health Specialists’ gastroenterologist are offering a revolutionary procedure for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that’s so new, many primary care physicians and some specialists aren’t aware of it as an option.

“When the FDA approved the LINX Reflux Management System, and the New England Journal of Medicine recently discussed the efficacy of the system, word began getting out,” said Sam Pace, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Digestive Health Specialists in

Taxing Taxes

Seven tax law changes for 2013 that will increase your income tax bill Will Rogers once said, “The only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes; but at least death doesn’t get worse every time Congress gets together.” ... 5

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

Dr. David Gilliland leading an OR staff to perform the LINX procedure for GERD.

Campaign for Action

MHA and MONW collaborating on national nurse education redesign program for Action (Campaign), and is working with 20 states to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) evidenceThe Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) is based recommendations on the next chapter of nursing. working on a dynamic nurse initiative through the Missis(The IOM defines “evidence-based practice” as a combisippi Office of Nursing Workforce (MONW) to redesign nation of best research evidence, best clinical experience, nurse education to bolster the advancement of nurses in and consistency with patient values.) the state.

Mississippi received grant funding to establish a Re“Our nurses are in high demand,” said Wanda Jones, gional Action Coalition (RAC), a highly diverse group of RN, MS, executive director of the MONW. “This will nurse partners statewide. continue to provide challenges as our baby boomer popu“The redesign falls under the first phase of the stratelation ages. The future of nursing starts with a streamlined gic map set forth by the Mississippi Regional Action CoWanda Jones track for education, and we feel it’s important to get out alition’s steering committee,” explained Coker. “A large information on these efforts to improve healthcare in Mississippi.” team of colleges and nurse leadership worked on this education proThe AARP and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) degram to help advance nurses in our state.”

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) veloped the national program, Future of Nursing: Campaign

By LyNNE JETER

A Sense of Independence Nearing retirement in an era when 70 is the new 50, it can be difficult to picture a time when you won’t be able to hop in your car to run errands, swing a club or a racquet, attend an exercise class, or enjoy an evening out with good friends ... 9

ONLINE: MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL NEWS.COM

Coming Soon!

Register online at MississippiMedicalNews.com to receive the new digital edition of Medical News optimized for your tablet or smartphone!

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

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

Reducing costs in the clinical enterprise is about improving quality.

Those unable to compete in this sphere will not survive.

PreParing for the healthcare Delivery MoDels of the future requires Data-Driven Process iMProveMent HDI’s Advanced Training Program is changing the way we Co-

Sp

ed by MSM sor A

deliver healthcare. Learn how to improve the quality of

on

healthcare delivery in your practice or hospital using data — eliminating waste in the system, resulting in reduced costs.

Registration now open for Fall 2013 and Winter 2014 terms.

For more information about this program, contact Casey Jacobs, HORNE LLP, at casey. jacobs@horne-llp.com or 601.326.1079.

Approximately 80 CME hours available.

Registration now open

For more information about CME, contact Kim Mathis, LPC, Mississippi State Medical Association, CME Director, at kmathis@msmaonline.com or 601.209.2306.

Register online at www.horne-llp.com or by phone at 601.326.1079.

A L A B A M A

|

L O U I S I A N A

|

M I S S I S S I P P I

|

T E N N E S S E E

|

T E X A S

© 2013 HORNE LLP

2

>

JUNE 2013

mississippimedicalnews

.com

PhysicianSpotlight

Allison Wall, MD

By LUCY SCHULTZE

Of all the gifts her patients give her, the most remarkable is perspective.

“Just like every person, my life’s so busy,” said Gulfport oncologist Allison Wall, MD. “But if I think I’ve had a bad day, I put it in perspective real quick when I think about what I see and what I do every day.

“It makes you not sweat the small stuff.”

As a medical oncologist at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, Wall works to buy her patients more time in life – be it years, months or less.

“Seeing what my patients go through, I think every day how sacred life is,” she said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so you should just live each day like you might not have another.”

Treating cancer patients is a calling Wall came to through the experience of her grandmother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 50s. Wall was a young child when her grandmother came to live with her family, and watched her mother care for her until her death at home.

“That left a lasting impression on me, and as I got older, I really enjoyed helping take care of people,” Wall said.

“I was also fascinated, as I got older, by how much more could be done for breast cancer than what my grandmother had available, and how much longer women with metastatic breast cancer could live, compared to her not even living a year.

“I decided I want to help people live longer and be with their families longer

Take 2 ads and call us in the morning…

when they get such a diagnosis.”

The daughter of a family-practice physician and a nurse, Wall was raised in Dothan, Ala., and attended Auburn University for her undergraduate degree. She went on to earn her medical degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

She spent three years at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo., for a fellowship in hematology and oncology. She joined the five-physician medical staff at Memorial Cancer Center in Gulfport in 2008.

Wall is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology. Her special interests include breast cancer, leukemia and lymphoma.

In her practice, Wall bears daily witness to the way oncology has changed since her grandmother’s battle with breast cancer in the 1970s.

“There are so many more chemotherapy drugs, and the side effects are so

much better compared to what they used to be,” she said. “Radiation therapy is not nearly as toxic as it used to be, and the machines are so much more sophisticated.”

Additionally, the general public has a different level of awareness today in regards to preventive screenings.

“My grandmother didn’t do early detection, because she was just afraid and didn’t know how important that was,” Wall said. “I think women today are more educated about it. They’re not as afraid to make sure they’re screened and get a mammogram.”

Wall takes advantage of any chance she has to continue to spread the message of early detection. That can take the form of speaking at events such as cancerwalk kickoffs, but more importantly, she reaches out regularly to the families of her patients.

“I always make sure they understand their risk when their family members are diagnosed,” she said. “Other friends and family really listen when they see their loved ones being affected. They’re more likely to do what they should do and follow up.”

Wall’s manner of patient care recently earned her the designation of Guardian Angel, a patient-nominated award given by the Memorial Hospital Foundation.

In her daily practice, the peaks and valleys of treating cancer resonate at a personal and spiritual level.

“The real highs of the job are when you can meet someone who has cancer but has found it early,” she said. “You can go into a room and tell somebody, ‘Yes, you’ve got cancer, but there’s probably a cure.’ And then to be able to follow them through their life and watch them do well.”

On the other hand, telling a patient

their illness is terminal never gets easier – although even a bleak diagnosis can offer a ray of hope.

“In this day and age, the treatment is so different,” Wall said. “You can tell people you’ll probably live years instead of months.

“I also want to be able to support them not only physically but also spiritually. I always bring my faith into it. That part makes the work rewarding, even when it’s tough.”

Those kinds of patient interactions aren’t easy to leave behind after a long day in the clinic. At home, Wall seeks a balance between focusing on her children and bringing them into her world as a physician.

“I always talk about my work with them, and we pray for my patients,” said Wall, the mother of Katherine, 3, and Grant, 2.

“I really try to let them see, even though I’m working all the time and they don’t get to see me as much, that God put this job in my life for a purpose. I hope it will motivate them to see what purpose God has for their lives.”

Wall also looks forward to when her children are old enough to join her on hospital rounds sometimes, as she did with her father growing up.

“When I’m gone all day, it’s not like they don’t know what I’m doing,” she said. “Then when I’m home, I really try to give them my time. Of course, being a physician, you’re never really off.”

Helping make the work-life balance possible is Wall’s husband, Mark, a U.S. Air Force officer whose appointment to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi brought them to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The family makes their home in Ocean Springs.

Mississippi Medical News’ prescription to grow your practice or business. mississippimedicalnews

.com

JUNE 2013

>

3

Promoting Rural Mississippi native returns to take reins of Rural Physicians Scholarship Program

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 / S TA M PL SEOY & AEBU OR & ABUD FLRA ENTSE EFEN D YM CE LO TI MP AC E PR & AL OR LMAB SEULATION R EF ENEG AWD& ACETILCE PRAR EDIC MAL M &N S IO ULAT TI EG &SIR ON QUI AW E ,LA RS AR GE ERIC MED M S & RE S TU ON EN TI NT OI , A QUI SI RSV GE MJER EN TU RE S V NT OI J N CO

�

�

�

�

�

�

� �

�

�

�

�

�

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 NS NS IO PE AT OM EL C KE RS ORER NM’EN T R W G OV REL T ic y AT IO NS EN NM ER P ol OV ic G bl Pu M ed ic ai d

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

2781 C.T.Switzer, Sr. Drive, Suite 307 Biloxi, MS 39531 PH.228.385.9390 FAX 228.385.9394

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

WCF MHA directory ad1.indd 1

3/10/09 3:05:11 PM

When Jennifer Wahnee Sherman entered Mississippi State University (MSU) about 20 years ago, more people lived in her residence hall than in her hometown.

Sherman’s small-town upbringing adds insight to her new position as executive director of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.

“I realize how important it is to do something that helps Mississippi, especially rural communities,” said Sherman.

Jennifer “This program does that.”

Wahnee Headquartered at the Sherman University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson, the program has tried since its debut in 2008 to relieve the state’s shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas, awarding statefunded scholarships to medical students committed to practicing there.

“Medical students with large debts are less likely to practice in small towns,” admitted Sherman, who earned her doctorate of education at the University of Alabama.

“With these scholarships, they avoid those debts so they can return to those communities.”

Sherman grew up in Lena, population 148, as of the 2010 U.S. census.

During her career as an administrator in higher education, she worked at Mississippi University for Women (MUW), the University of Alabama, MSU and the University of Memphis.

Before returning home to assume her new job on Feb. 25, she worked nearly four years in Tuscaloosa, directing community service opportunities for more than 30,000 students at Alabama. Prior to that, she held

various positions at MUW, including assistant vice president for student services.

“You’ve got a winner,” said Homer “Bucky” Wesley, Sherman’s supervisor at MUW, former vice president for student services, now vice chancellor of Student Success and Enrollment Management at the University of Colorado. “There was no limit to the time she was willing to put into her job helping students. Students are drawn to her. They can tell that she cares.”

Sherman has another asset, Wesley noted: “She loves Mississippi. She wanted to get back there, in part, because of her desire to make Mississippi a better place.”

Sherman is undertaking a task begun

by Janie Guice of Ocean Springs, who retired on Jan. 17.

More than 50 students receive more than $1.6 million in scholarships.

“It’s nice to take over something so well established,” Sherman said.

Sherman has already demonstrated her passion for the job, said Diane Beebe, MD, chair of family medicine at UMMC, who also serves on the scholarship program’s board.

“She brings her experience working with college students, recruiting, managing state budgets and working with a state institution of higher learning and the legislature,” said Beebe. “We’re fortunate to have her.”

Sherman’s plans include expanding the network of pre-med advisors and linking the program to social media.

“We need to figure out ways to let people know what the program does,” she said.

“When doctors go back to these small communities, they’ll be ambassadors for the program; but it takes a while to grow a doctor.”

Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program In 2007, state lawmakers authorized the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP), creating a unique longitudinal program that identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice medicine.

Academic enrichment, faculty and physician mentoring plus solid medical school financial support through the MRPSP enables capable young Mississippians to address the challenge of Mississippi’s healthcare crisis.

MRPSP’s reach-out phases include pre-matriculation to medical school, medical school training, and generalist residency training. Maintaining a high level of awareness and involvement in Mississippi’s rural healthcare is a constant in every phase of training. Channeling scholars into primary care specialties (family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, or internal medicine) will target the current rural physician shortage.

In 2008, to jumpstart the flow of primary care physicians in the healthcare pipeline, 10 University of Mississippi School of Medicine students were awarded state-funded scholarships valued at $30,000 for 2008-09. The number doubled in 2009-10. Ten more were added in 2010-11, and another 10 in 2011-12. With continued strong legislative support in 2012, MRPSP will award $1.5 million in statefunded scholarships. This fall, 54 medical students will each receive $30,000 for their studies in medical school through the combined resources of the Mississippi Legislature, Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi, Selby and Richard McRae Foundation, and the Madison Charitable Foundation for a total of $1.6 million.

The challenge of fully funding renewable scholarships each year remains.

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.

4

>

JUNE 2013

SOURCE: University of Mississippi Medical Center.

mississippimedicalnews

.com

Taxing Taxes

Seven tax law changes for 2013 that will increase your income tax bill

By DAVID W. RUSSELL, CFP

Will Rogers once said, “The only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes; but at least death doesn’t get worse every time Congress gets together.”

Now that you’ve just sent your check to Washington for your 2012 federal income tax, what lies ahead for 2013 and 2014 could be even more troubling for many.

Provisions under two major tax acts, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed into law in 2010, and The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 are likely to have significant impact on the personal income taxes paid by higher income Americans – much more than the seemingly modest increases in the marginal tax brackets for “wealthy Americans.” Below are seven provisions scheduled to go into effect in 2013 that will potentially increase your tax bill next year.

• 0.9 percent additional Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) tax on high income taxpayers. Under current law, an employee is liable for an HI tax equal to 1.45 percent of covered wages. Self-employed individuals are subject to an HI tax of 2.9 percent of net selfemployment income. Beginning in 2013,

taxpayers with incomes above certain thresholds will pay an additional HI tax of 0.9 percent. For an employee, the additional 0.9 percent effectively increases the HI tax from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent on income in excess of the applicable threshold. For self-employed taxpayers, the additional tax of .9 percent effectively raises the HI rate to 3.8 percent of net selfemployment income in excess of the applicable threshold. Also, for self-employed individuals, the additional .9 percent HI tax isn’t deductible. The thresholds are $250,000 in case of a joint return (the earnings of both spouses are considered) or a surviving spouse, $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, and $200,000 for any other taxpayer.

• 3.8 percent unearned income Medicare contribution. The new legislation imposes a 3.8 percent unearned income Medicare contribution tax on individuals, estates, and certain trusts. For individuals, the tax is 3.8 percent of the lesser of net investment income or the excess of modified adjusted gross income over a threshold amount. This threshold is $250,000 in the case of a joint return or a surviving spouse, $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, and $200,000 in any other case.

Investment income, generally, refers to (1) income from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties and rents; (2) gross income from a business to which the tax applies (such as income from “passive” activities); and (3) the net gain from the disposition of certain property. The term does not include distributions from IRAs and other qualified retirement plans.

• Threshold for itemized deduction of unreimbursed medical expenses generally increased to 10 percent. Under current law, an individual is allowed an itemized deduction for regular tax purposes for unreimbursed medical expenses to the extent that such expenses exceed 7.5 percent of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Beginning in 2013, the new legislation increases the threshold for the itemized deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses from 7.5 percent of AGI to 10 percent of AGI. However, for the years 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, if either a taxpayer or spouse is age 65 before the end of the taxable year, the threshold remains at 7.5 percent.

• New Tax Brackets and an additional 39.6 percent bracket for “high-income” earners. The former 10 percent, 15 percent, 25 percent, 33 percent, and 35 percent brackets are made permanent. A 39.6 percent rate will

apply to taxable incomes above $450,000 (married filing joint); 425,000 (Head of Household); $400,000 (Single); and $225,000 (married filing separately).

• 20 percent Capital Gains Tax Rate for High Income Earners. For taxpayers in the 39.6 percent bracket, a 20 percent tax rate will apply to long-term capital gains and qualified dividends. For those in the 25 percent, 28 percent, 33 percent, or 35 percent brackets, a 15 percent rate will apply. For those in the 10 percent or 15 percent brackets a 0 percent rate is applicable.

• Personal and Dependent Exemption Phase-Out. This provisions requires taxpayers whose income exceeds certain limits to phase-out their personal and dependent exemptions. For 2013 these limits are: $300,000 for Married filing joint; $275,000 for Head of Household; $250,000 for Single; and $150,000 for Married filing separately. The thresholds are subject to adjustment for inflation.

• Itemized Deductions PhaseOut. Taxpayers whose incomes exceed specified limits must reduce certain, otherwise deductible, items on Schedule A. The same threshold amounts applicable to the personal exemption phase-out (see above) apply to the itemized deduction (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)

We’ll let other companies assume you golf.

POINT IS: Your Regions Wealth Advisor wants to get to know the real you first.

We could show you a photo of someone on a golf course.

REGIONS PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT – CUSTOM WEALTH STRATEGIES FOR YOU AND YOU ALONE. You’re in a position where you have very specific needs and goals for yourself, the people you care about and your money. So off-the-shelf solutions are likely to fall short for you. What you do need is a comprehensive and unbiased approach to your financial situation. An approach that is about more than just investments and will help you manage risk without closing the door on opportunities. Your Regions Wealth Advisor will use their extensive experience to lead a team of subject-matter experts and create a plan just for you. What’s more, we’ll deliver it to you with straight talk, practical recommendations and complete transparency from our very first meeting onward.

To schedule a personal consultation with your Regions Wealth Advisor, call 1.800.826.6933 or visit us online at regions.com/wealth.

Wealth Management | Investments | Retirement Services | Insurance

© 2013 Regions Bank. Investments in securities and insurance products held in trust accounts are not FDIC-insured, not deposits of Regions Bank or its affiliates, not guaranteed by Regions Bank or its affiliates, not insured by any federal government agency, and may go down in value.

MS SW130271 MS Med News.indd 1 mississippimedicalnews

3/11/13 2:50 PM

.com

JUNE 2013

>

5

Digestive Solution, continued from page 1 Tupelo, and director of the Heartburn Center of North Mississippi, among the only three LINX-approved surgeons in Mississippi performing the procedure.

NMMC, the nation’s largest rural hospital, is one of few medical centers in the United States that Torax Medical selected to launch the procedure nationwide.

Torax Medical develops and markets products de- Reflux signed to restore human sphincter function via its technology platform, Magnetic Sphincter Augmentation (MSA), which uses attraction forces to augment weak or defective sphincter muscles to treat GERD, which may irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. Left untreated, reflux could lead to serious complications such as esophagitis, stricture, Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer.

“I applaud the medical company for not doing a wholesale release,” said Pace. “Instead, the company is releasing it to centers that do a lot of reflux work so the proper evaluation can be done.”

The LINX System’s new device is a Dr. Sam Pace quarter-sized flexible band of magnets encased in tiny titanium beads. The magnetic attraction between the beads helps keep a weak esophageal sphincter closed to prevent reflux. Implanted around a weak sphincter just above the stomach, the minimally invasive procedure typically takes less than an hour to complete.

“The force of swallowing breaks the magnetic bond to allow food and liquid to pass through, and then the magnetic

LINX closed

Swallowing

attraction closes the lower esophageal sphincter back to form a barrier,” said David Gilliland, MD, FACS, a surgeon with Surgery Associates PA, in Tupelo, also an LINX-approved surgeon.

Until now, physicians had only two opDr. David tions for treating reflux: Gilliland medication or the surgical procedure, laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, widely used since the early 1990s. In this procedure, the top part of the fundus is wrapped around the lower esophagus to improve the reflux barrier.

Even though Nissen fundoplication may be effective, it has several drawbacks.

“After a patient has fundoplication, he can no longer belch or vomit,” said Gilliliand. “Some patients report gas bloating because of this.”

Three years after sphincter augmentation with the LINX System, the majority of treated patients were able to substantially reduce or resolve their reflux symptoms, while also eliminating their use of reflux-related medications, according to the New England Journal of Medicine summary.

In 100 percent of patients, severe

St. Dominic’S

iS

regurgitation was eliminated, and nearly all patients (93 percent) reported a significant decrease in the need for medication. Ninety-four percent reported satisfaction with their overall condition after having the LINX System procedure, compared to 13 percent before treatment while taking medication.

“For years, surgery for reflux patients would best be described as a static deal, where you sew everything down,” said Pace. “The LINX procedure is dynamic because opening and closing simulates the normal sphincter, except you’re keeping it closed so you don’t have reflux. Now we have a choice for patients that we can tailor-make the surgical approach to this problem.”

The customized approach facilitated a solution for Noel Moore of Baldwyn, who suffered for more than a quarter century with GERD and had developed painful heartburn and chronic cough.

“I took over-the-counter Mylanta, Alka-Seltzer, baking soda, anything I could find to cool it down,” Moore said, including daily PPI (proton pump inhibitor), the most widely prescribed medication to suppress stomach acid.

Even though her physician had recommended Nissen fundoplication years ago, Moore was hesitant to commit be-

PleaSeD

to

Welcome

G. Dan Van Cleve, M.D. Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Van Cleve is one of few surgeons who trained under both world renowned heart surgeons Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley. After eight years in private practice, Dr. Van Cleve returned to academia where he completed a fellowship in advanced mitral valve repair under internationally renowned surgeon Dr. David H. Adams at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He joins Dr. Ronald Kennedy, who also trained under Dr. DeBakey, to direct The Heart Valve Center at St. Dominic’s Mississippi Heart and Vascular Institute.

For qualifying patients, mitral valve repair can increase quality of life and reduce or eliminate the need for future procedures.

To make an appointment with Dr. Van Cleve call 601-200-MHVI (6484)

stdom.com

S k i l l e d H a n d s . C o m p a s s i o n at e H e a r t s .

6

>

JUNE 2013

cause of potential side effects and the fact that the procedure could not be undone without difficulty.

While the Nissen procedure is permanent, the LINX procedure is merely supportive and may be removed if necessary.

Last August, Pace told her about the LINX Reflux Management System.

After discussing it with Robert McAuley, MD, FACS, of the Surgery Clinic of Tupelo PA, the second LINX-approved surgeon in Mississippi, she had surgery in October.

“The LINX device is dynamic, helping the lower esophageal sphincter open and close,” Pace said. “It mimics the muscle and how the muscle is supposed to work. Patients can still belch and vomit, so bloating isn’t an issue.”

Like Nissen fundoplication, the procedure is done laparoscopically through five small punctures in the abdomen.

“Once we’re in the OR, we can decide which procedure the patient is better suited for, depending on anatomy,” Gilliland said. For example, the LINX procedure cannot be done if the patient has a hiatal hernia larger than three centimeters.

Another benefit is a quicker return to solid food.

“We try to get LINX patients to eat regular food right away to train the device,” Gilliland said. “With the Nissen procedure, they’re on a prescribed diet for at least two weeks.”

After a one night recovery at NMMC, Moore was discharged the following day on a liquid diet. Within three days, she returned to work and graduated to soft foods. By the following week, she resumed her normal diet.

“I could definitely tell an immediate difference,” said Moore, who stopped taking her PPI medication after surgery and also realized an unexpected perk. “After the surgery, I’ve had to eat slower for food to go down, so now hunger is satisfied with less food than I used to consume. I’ve even lost a little weight.”

Because the procedure is new, insurance coverage varies by provider and is usually approved on a case-by-case basis.

Read Mississippi Medical News Online: MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL NEWS.COM

mississippimedicalnews

.com

CONNECTing Caregivers to Prevent Patient Falls

By CINDY SANDERS

Preventing America’s seniors from falling is a national health priority both in terms of injury and cost. Yet, fall prevention programs have only proven to be marginally successful over the long term.

Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric, MD, MHS, and colleagues focused on the gap between quality improvement (QI) protocols and sustained bedside implementation in the nursing home setting. An associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Cathleen S. ColónColón-Emeric said preEmeric vious studies found the desired improvements occurred when outside trainers and researchers stepped in to create interventions. The external staff addressed multiple risk factors to help lower fall rates, recurrent falls and injurious falls.

However, she continued, “When you try to train the existing nursing home staff to do those things, it doesn’t seem to work.”

Based on social constructivist theory, complexity science, and prior studies, the research team believed there was a direct link between the failure to successfully deploy fall interventions and the hierarchical culture present in most skilled nursing facilities. Colón-Emeric, who also serves as associate director – clinical program for the Durham VA Geriatric Research, Education & Clinical Center (GRECC), noted the vertical command structure doesn’t foster broad-based, interdisciplinary staff interaction.

“They lack the connections with their coworkers that they need to share information and problem solve,” she said.

“Nursing home staff tend to work in silos.”

Colón-Emeric continued, “Coordination of a multi-factorial risk reduction program requires a great deal of communication. Older adults don’t fall because of one risk factor … they fall because of five or six factors. To reduce risks, you have to intervene on all of those things.”

She added reasons for a fall might include any number of factors from a long, diverse list ranging from poor vision and tripping hazards to a drop in blood pressure upon standing or suboptimal choice of an assistive device.

“In order to improve fall rates,” Colón-Emeric said, “the team needs to know what the resident’s behavior is like.”

However, the person with the most hands-on knowledge often isn’t the one creating that resident’s specific care plan.

Colón-Emeric pointed out aides deliver the majority of care in the nursing home setting. Yet, nurse aides aren’t typically part of the decision-making process and are often expected to communicate only within the chain of command. “They are less likely to implement the care plan if mississippimedicalnews

.com

they haven’t been involved in making it in the first place,” she noted.

In an article published in Implementation Science last year, the research team said QI programs could not reach optimal levels of staff behavioral changes unless the context of social learning was present. The team developed the CONNECT educational intervention to foster improved connections within and between disciplines, heighten communication flow

and encourage cognitive diversity in solving problems on behalf of residents.

The next step was to see if the ‘all hands on deck’ approach made a difference in fall rates in comparison to traditional QI initiatives that focus on an individual’s mastery of content and process change.

Colón-Emeric said eight nursing homes in North Carolina and Virginia were selected with half randomized to

receive three months of CONNECT training followed by three months of a traditional falls QI program and the other half receiving only the QI program training. The eight participants included a mix of community nursing homes and VA facilities.

The CONNECT intervention included interactive in-class learning sessions, unit-based mentoring and rela(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)

Looking for a better treatment option for

metastatic brain tumors?

With noninvasive treatment using Gamma Knife® Perfexion™.

Greater than 85% tumor control for single and multiple tumors.

What are metastatic brain tumors?

A metastatic brain tumor forms when cancer cells from elsewhere in the body spread and form a new tumor site in the brain. Common Symptoms include:

• Headaches • Visual Changes

• Seizures • Cognitive Changes

• Balance Problems • Weakness or numbness in arms or legs

Designed solely for the precise treatment of brain diseases, the Gamma Knife Perfexion is extremely accurate in directing a high dose of radiation at the tumor while sparing surrounding brain tissue—in a single session with no incisions, general anesthesia or interruption of chemotherapy.

Gamma Knife can provide an excellent option for your metastatic brain tumor patients. Refer your cases to us, and we will evaluate them on an individual basis to see if Gamma Knife treatment is right for your patient.

For more information or to refer a patient, call 601-376-2074 or go to

MississippiGammaKnifeCenter.com

Robert R. Smith, M.D. Gamma Knife Center

JUNE 2013

>

7

Campaign for Action, continued from page 1 Jones and Rita Wray, deputy executive director of the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, are leading the 40-plus member Mississippi Nursing Action Coalition, which includes the RAC. The RWJF committed $3 million to help states like Mississippi prepare the nursing profession to address the nation’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

The Future of Nursing State Implementation Program will boost efforts already underway across the nation and the District of Columbia. The Campaign, explained the foundation, provides a voice and a vehicle for nurses at all levels to lead system change by collaborating with business, consumer, and other health professional organizations.

“This program is designed to spur progress by supporting action coalitions, most of which are led by volunteers, that are doing promising work to implement the IOM recommendations,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, RWJF senior adviser for nursing and director of the Campaign. “The foundation is committed to providing states with the support they need to build a more highly educated, diverse nursing workforce that will improve health outcomes for patients, families and communities.”

The initiative provided two-year grants of up to $150,000 to state-based action coalitions that have made substantial progress toward implementing the IOM recommendations. The grants call for states to match funds. Other states involved in the initiative are Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. This pressing issue was addressed at the American Hospital Association’s annual meeting April 28-May 1 in Washington, DC, which focused advocacy efforts on transforming the healthcare delivery system, maintaining essential resources, and reducing the regulatory burden.

The U.S. Department of Labor has identified nursing as the fastest-growing occupation through 2012. More than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed to fill the nation’s healthcare needs.

“Current demand for quality nurses far outstrips the supply,” said Sheila Keller, PhD, project director of the Mississippi Barriers to Nursing Education Survey. “Increased future needs will only exacerbate the crisis. In 2002, the Health Resources and Services Administration estimated that over 30 states were experiencing nursing shortages, and the shortfall would grow to over 44 states by the year 2020. Mississippi is one of the 30 states experiencing a nursing shortage with a vacancy rate of 7.7 percent.”

The Campaign is one of various strategies the MONW has developed and implemented to decrease the nursing shortage by partnering with nursing schools, policy makers, healthcare facilities and other stakeholders, said Kelly.

Hassmiller said grant recipients are working to implement programs that 8

>

JUNE 2013

prepare nurses to lead system change, strengthen nursing education, expand access to care by maximizing the use of nurses, recruit and train a more diverse nursing workforce, and improve quality and coordination of healthcare.

The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, serves as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program.

“This new program will help action coalitions get the strategic and technical support required to advance their goals,” said Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, senior vice president of the AARP Public Policy Institute and CCNA chief strategist. The nonprofit, nonpartisan national organization with more than 37 million members is among the nation’s most powerful lobbying groups. “Our hope is that states will get the boost they need to be effective in achieving the triple aim of addressing cost, quality and access.”

Taxing Taxes, continued from page 5 phase-out. These threshold amounts will be subject to adjustment for inflation in future years.

What should you do now?

• Schedule a meeting with your CPA. Because there are many other provisions of these major tax acts, just how they’ll ultimately impact you depend on many factors. The best thing you can do over the next few months is to schedule a meeting with your CPA or tax advisor to do some advance calculations as to how your tax liability might change. Don’t wait too long to do this as it could result in you needing to increase your tax withholding or estimated payments.

• Implement a tax efficient investment plan. Your investment plan should be tweaked to minimize taxable investment income and high-turnover capital gains distributions. This will be a major theme for the next few years as investors seek to maximize after-tax returns on their portfolios and thus avoid some of these new taxes.

Tax rates won’t likely head lower until our federal budget deficit and overall debt picture has improved. Nevertheless, as Federal Judge Learned Hand once remarked, “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again, the courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible.

Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.”

David W. Russell, CFP, senior vice president and trust officer for Pinnacle Trust in Madison, drussell@pinntrust.com.

mississippimedicalnews

.com

A Sense of Independence

By CINDY SANDERS

Nearing retirement in an era when 70 is the new 50, it can be difficult to picture a time when you won’t be able to hop in your car to run errands, swing a club or a racquet, attend an exercise class, or enjoy an evening out with good friends.

Perhaps in the recesses of your mind the possibility exists that you might need a little assistance at some point in the very distant future … but that time is certainly not now.

Still, in your most prudent moments, you know the big house and big yard are really too big now that the children are grown and gone. And you hate the thought of your spouse or the kids hurriedly having to make critical decisions should something happen to you.

Still, you just aren’t ready to give up your selfsufficiency. And why should you when a solution exists that allows you to keep your independence while having a contingency plan in place?

For a growing number of senior adults, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) provide the best answer – supporting active, independent lifestyles while offering increasing levels of care when required. That continuum allows residents to age in place.

Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Life Care Services has been developing and managing senior living communities for more than four decades. As the nation’s leading manager of full-service senior living communities, the company owns or operates more than 80 communities in 28 states and the District of Columbia and serves nearly 30,000 residents.

Erik Gjullin, vice president/director of marketing & sales for Life Care Services, explained that residents arrive while independent with the knowledge that assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care facilities are available onsite.

Key draws for living in CCRCs are the socialization aspect and knowing that once you are in, you have a home for life. Yet, Erik Gjullin Gjullin said, the focus of their communities is on maintaining wellness and independence.

“The driver for our prospects, who are looking for solutions to senior housing, is to live somewhere where it’s easy to participate in a lifestyle that enhances health,” he said.

Gjullin explained Life Care Services takes a ‘whole person’ approach to wellness.

“Our HealthyLife™ Services program is really the overall health and wellness program that we practice in all our communities. It’s not just fitness,” he continued, “It’s nutrition. It’s socialization. It’s education.

It’s ongoing lifestyle that really creates the mississippimedicalnews

.com

Timber Ridge Seattle

Sagewood in Phoenix

Heritage in Brentwood

Sagewood in Phoenix

wellness for the whole person.”

While a number of programs and services are consistent across Life Care Ser-

vices developments, the communities are far from ‘cookie cutter.’ Gjullin said, “The unique part of it is people live in different geographic regions for a reason. They like the lifestyle. They like the architecture. So if you go into our community in Phoenix, Ariz., it looks like it belongs in Phoenix. It’s got local architecture, spaces and cuisine.

It’s got the flavor of the southwest.”

Residents enjoy a range of living options from apartment-style residences to garden villas to detached cottages. Mani-

St. Dominic’S

iS

cured lawns, gardening plots, walking and biking trails, guest accommodations, a clubhouse with restaurant-style menus, day spa, putting green, cocktail lounge, fitness center, library, convenience store, weekly cleaning service, 24-hour security and more are part of the well-appointed surroundings.

Luxury, of course, does come with a price.

Gjullin said residents pay a one-time entrance fee and ongoing monthly fee, both of which vary depending on the size of the residence selected.

The monthly fee, he continued, “covers everything you could possibly think about that you would be paying if you were living in your own residence.”

At death or upon moving, there are two return-of-capital plans that give back either 80 percent or 90 percent of the entrance fee to the resident or the estate. If residents needs to move to a higher level of care … either temporarily or permanently … they are guaranteed a bed, and the monthly fee remains the same as in the independent living phase.

“As you move through the continuum of services, your monthly fee does not increase,” Gjullin said of a unique aspect of Life Care Services. In comparison to a skilled nursing facility where a room could

PleaSeD

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)

to

Welcome

Seshadri Raju, M.D. Dr. Raju specializes in vein and lymphatic diseases and brings 25 years of experience with him to direct The Rane Center at St. Dominic’s, part of the Mississippi Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Raju is internationally recognized for his landmark contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of venous disease. Today, even advanced venous disease is treated by minimally invasive methods such as venous stents which he pioneered with innovative techniques. He is a founding member and past President of the American Venous Forum, the premier organization for venous disease. He is a distinguished fellow of the Society of Vascular Surgery.

To make an appointment with Dr. Raju call 601-939-4230

stdom.com

S k i l l e d H a n d s . C o m p a s s i o n at e H e a r t s .

JUNE 2013

>

9

CONNECTing Caregivers to Prevent Patient Falls, continued from page 7 tionship mapping. All activities were focused on helping the staff build networks and relationships for problem-solving activities. “We designed the CONNECT intervention to show staff where their communications weren’t working … where gaps existed … and to teach them some practical tools to better communicate,” she explained.

Post-intervention, three areas were reviewed for both the CONNECT and control groups — staff communications measures, charting, and fall rates. ColónEmeric said to measure communication, the team used surveys before, during and

after the intervention. The team also reviewed documentation of the types of prevention interventions in the medical record. Fall rates, she added, were viewed as an exploratory outcome in light of the small number of study sites.

“What we found was that the staff communication levels improved a little bit in the CONNECT group but decreased in the control facilities,” she said, adding the net result was significant. Among the CONNECT group, increased communication was more pronounced in the community settings, as Colón-Emeric said the VA facilities already had high levels of

communication.

Charting turned out to be a non-factor. “Both groups improved a little bit and neither was significant,” she said, adding improved documentation did not correlate with decreased falls. “We don’t think the chart measures are really a good measure of what is happening at the bedside … at the site of patient care.”

As for the most important outcome — preventing falls — Colón-Emeric said the team saw the desired trajectory. “There was no change in fall rates in the control group, but the fall rate in the CONNECT facilities improved … they went down

about 12 percent,” she said.

Colón-Emeric was quick to temper the significance of the outcome in light of the small number of participating study sites. However, she said the group is now in the second year of a larger trial of 24 nursing homes with 12 each in the CONNECT and control groups.

“If we see the same magnitude of benefit, that would be statistically significant.”

She continued, “We should be finished with our last nursing homes in 2014 and have the results out shortly thereafter.”

Colón-Emeric added that if the improved collaboration is proven to positively impact falls QI initiatives, then it would be reasonable to apply the same tactics to other multi-factorial issues facing America’s growing senior population.

Falls Hurt Physically & Financially According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls each year. In this age group, falls are the leading cause of injury death and are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.

In 2010, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in the emergency room with more than 662,000 requiring hospitalization. The direct medical cost of these falls, adjusted for inflation, was estimated to be $30 billion.

A Sense of Independence, continued from page 9 cost $300-$400 a day, those who transition within the CCRC continue to pay their monthly fee … for a couple in an apartment-style residence that typically runs under $200 a day and under $100 a day for an individual in a one-bedroom apartment.

“If you wanted to preserve your assets, what other program would you select?” he questioned.

Again, Gjullin stressed, the goal is to keep seniors spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally healthy for as long as possible to enjoy the array of options that come with this type of community. On any given day, seniors can be found attending a yoga class, planning community outings, choosing from chef-inspired cuisine, working out in the fitness center, sipping cocktails with friends or enjoying a relaxing manicure.

“Our philosophy is choice, flexibility, and control,” Gjullin said. “That’s what we offer people who live here. That’s what seniors want. They didn’t get to the point where they could afford to live in a community like this and not have that as a basic philosophy.”

10

>

JUNE 2013

mississippimedicalnews

.com

MedicalEntrepreneurs

Leadership and Self Knowledge

By MARTIN WILLOUGHBY In my business coaching practice, one of the key points I emphasize is the importance of knowing yourself. To be an effective team member and leader, you have to know your strengths, weaknesses, personality, and blind spots.

The ancient Greeks had a temple with the words “know thyself” inscribed in the forecourt. The famous English playwright William Shakespeare similarly wrote, “Of all knowledge, the wise and good seek most to know themselves.” Thales, another ancient Greek philosopher, wisely noted, “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.” Thales’ point is well taken.

The challenge is that knowing yourself is no easy task.

I believe we’re all prone to self-deception and misunderstanding. If you don’t understand yourself, you’ll have a very difficult time understanding your co-workers, clients, patients, and customers.

As a start, I encourage people to take a personality assessment like the DISC, Myers Briggs, or StrengthsFinder. My personal favorite is the Birkman assessment tool, which I use in my practice. The Birkman Method® has been used for more than 50 years for more than 2.5 million people to measure productive behaviors, stress behaviors, underlying needs, motivations and organizational orientation.

These type assessments aren’t “tests.”

They’re simply tools to increase our selfawareness. I also encourage people to ask those closest to them for feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. It takes courage to ask, but we can grow significantly when we take the time to get this type of feedback. Often, there are significant gaps between our own view and others’ perspective of us. We often can uncover blind spots that are hindering our relations with others in this process.

In my work with teaching appreciation in the workplace, I commonly see the results of a lack of self-awareness. Based on the work of Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White in their book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, we know that people have different ways they receive appreciation in the workplace.

Organizations can waste considerable time and money by trying to show appreciation to an employee that’s not in the employee’s individual “language.” Most people tend to show appreciation in the way they like to receive appreciation versus the way that recipient actually likes to receive appreciation.

A great way to think about this for leaders is to follow the Platinum Rule (an adaptation of the Golden Rule), which is “Treat others in the way they like to be treated.” This nuance takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it rightly on the other person.

Self-deception can have a crippling effect on leaders. In my study of leadership, mississippimedicalnews

.com

it’s one of the greatest challenges to true success. In our fast-paced world, it’s critical to “confront the brutal facts,” as leadership guru Jim Collins would say. You can only do this if you have a clear view of reality.

When leaders are self-deceived, they don’t have a real view of the problem and so any potential solutions can often just make matters worse.

The Arbinger Institute published an influential book on this topic entitled Leadership and Self Deception – Getting Out of the Box. They make the powerful statement, “Whether at work or at home, self-deception obscures the truth about us, corrupts our view of others, and our circumstances, and inhibits our ability to make wise and helpful decisions.”

They argue that self-deception begins when we see other people as “objects” instead of actual “people.” This leads to self-betrayal as we take actions that are contrary to what we feel we should do for others and then we justify our own actions; it’s a vicious cycle. As we come up with our self-justification, we begin to distort reality. When we fall into this cycle, they describe it as being “in the box.” In contrast, when we honor others as actual people by acknowledging their needs, hopes, dreams, and worries that are as real and legitimate as our own, then we’re successfully able to get “out of the box.”

Research has shown that high performance organizations are ones in which the team members are others-focused and aligned to achieve powerful results. It’s not easy, because human nature leads us to get “in the box” but the results are worth it.

Who wouldn’t want to work in an organization where people are authentically treating each other as people and working together to accomplish great things?

In today’s 21st century work environment, it will take great teamwork and innovation to survive and thrive. Perhaps treating people as objects may have worked in the industrial age, but that has almost completely gone away, particularly in the complex service oriented fields like healthcare. Real leaders understand they need to increase their own self-awareness, be wary of self-deception, and purposefully try to apply the Platinum Rule in their workplaces. These type organizations will be high performance and have the best patient and customer satisfaction.

Ultimately, these types of organizations are about people taking care of people. There’s no room to treat people like objects in that environment. I hope you and your organization are on a journey of greater self-awareness!

Must see!

LargeUpdated Updated Home in coveted Roses at Reservoir Large Home in Coveted Roses BluffBluff at Reservoir near

near Jackson Yatch Club.

Newwith Kitchen with andtile Jackson Yatch Club New Kitchen granite andgranite travertine

travertine tile with Breakfast Room and powder room.

Separate Formal Dining Room and Living Room, Large Den Room and Living Room, and Largebathdown.

Den Master3bedroom andand bathtwo with Master bedroom bedrooms baths 3up with sitting area.

NewupDeck. down, bedrooms and two baths with sitting area. New Deck. with Breakfast Room and powder room Separate Formal Dining

Call 601-941-1603 {$498,000}

Martin Willoughby is a serial entrepreneur, author of the book Zoom Entrepreneur, and a business consultant.

Direct questions to Martin at martin. willoughby@butlersnow.com

JUNE 2013

>

11

GrandRounds Woman’s Hospital Pathologist Earns Advanced Breast Pathology Certification Woman’s Hospital is pleased to announce J. Christopher Hancock, M.D., a pathologist for the hospital, has earned certification in Multidisciplinary Breast Pathology through the College of American

Pathologists’ Advanced Practical Pathology Program.

The program is designed for pathologists seeking a higher skill level in breast pathology. As a result of completing the program, Dr. Hancock has received additional knowledge in correlating the findings from major breast imaging mo-

dalities with clinical information in order to insure all women receives the appropriate treatment. He is also trained to interpret breast test results of women representing all levels of complexity and communicate results and patient treatment options to other physicians, health care teams and patients.

Dr. Hancock received his medical degree from University of Mississippi School of Medicine. After completing a residency at UMMC and fellowship at University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham. He is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and hematology.

Dwayne Blaylock Named Chief Executive Officer At River Oaks River Oaks Hospital recently announced that Dwayne Blaylock has accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for River Oaks Hospital in Flowood, Mississippi.

Blaylock moves from his position as the CEO at Gilmore Memorial ReDwayne Blaylock gional Medical Center in Amory, MS where he has been since 2008.

Blaylock is returning to River Oaks Hospital where he served as Chief Operations Officer from 2002 through 2004.

Blaylock received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Health Administration degree from Saint Louis University. He has over 16 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry working with hospitals and physician practices.

Hospice Compassus Opens Office In Columbia Hospice Compassus has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a new office location in Columbia. The expansion will cre-

JNLMSMed-2 JNLMSMed-2

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

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

12

>

JUNE 2013

ate additional access to comprehensive and compassionate care for the residents of Columbia and surrounding areas, and it will impact economic development in the community through the creation of jobs.

The new office will serve patients in Walthall, Marion, Lamar, and Forest counties as well as the Hattiesburg area, and will be staffed and supported by an interdisciplinary team of local Medical Directors, nurses, nurse assistants, home health aides, chaplains, bereavement coordinators, social workers, and community volunteers specializing in hospice and palliative care.

Hospice Compassus is in the process of hiring local candidates for key positions for the Columbia office, including a Medical Director, a Director of Clinical Services, a PRN Nurse Practitioner and a Team Coordinator.

In 2012, Hospice Compassus became the first hospice provider in the U.S. to publicly reveal patient quality data, setting the standard by which all U.S. hospice providers are measured. The data shows significant achievements toward establishing and continuing to raise industry benchmarks after a year of reporting quality

data at more than 50 communitybased programs nationwide.

MAG Mutual Pays Record Dividends to Policyholders MAG Mutual Insurance Company, the Southeast’s foremost medical professional liability insurer, distributed $15 million in dividends to its policyholders this year. In addition, its board of directors approved a potential further $40 million to be earmarked for its Owners’ Circle® loyalty program, which provides distributions to qualifying insured physicians when they cease practicing medicine.

Since its founding, MAG Mutual has returned more than $120 million in dividend payouts to its policyholders. In the last five years, the organization has paid more dividends than any other medical professional liability carrier in the Southeast.

This year, MAG Mutual has also declared approximately $40 million to the Owners’ Circle program. When combined with the 2012 allocation, the cumulative declarations to the Owners’ Circle now top $102 million. Since its foundation, the program has seen great success with 147 policyholders having been recipients of distributions. All MAG Mutual policyholders are eligible for this program.

The $15 million dividend is one of the largest in MAG Mutual’s history and continues the organization’s storied reputation for rewarding policyholders.

REPRINTS: Want a reprint of a Medical News article to frame? A PDF to enhance your marketing materials?

Email subscribe@medicalnewsinc.com for information.

mississippimedicalnews

.com

GrandRounds Dr. Jeff Clark Attends Pelvic Surgical Training Dr. Jeff Clark recently participated in a pelvic surgery seminar sponsored by the International Academy of Pelvic Surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio. The seminar was primarily targeted for surgeons who are responsible for complex voiding problems as well as complex problems with pelvic organ prolapse. Dr. Jeff Clark Following the seminar, Dr. Clark was inducted into the International Academy of Pelvic Surgery.

Dr. Clark is a Urologist at Brookhaven Urology, in Brookhaven, MS, where he has been in practice since 1996. He has had an interest in female voiding problems, primarily stress urinary incontinence, for his entire career. Dr. Clark specializes in the surgical treatment of urinary incontinence and has been performing incontinence procedures for more than twenty years.

Some of Dr. Clark’s many professional accomplishments include: Diplomat of the American Board of Urology, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Member of Cambridge Who’s Who for the Medical Profession, named as one of America’s Top Surgeons by the Consumer Research Council of America, obtained 5-Star Rating from HealthGrades in Pros-

tate Cancer Surgery, Past President of the South Central Medical Society, and Past Chief of Staff of King’s Daughters Medical Center. Dr. Clark received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Birmingham Southern College in 1985 and his Doctor of Medicine Degree for the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1991. He completed two years of general surgery and his residency in Urology at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1996. He and his wife, Shannon, have two sons, Peyton and Daniel.

Neuroscience Center Offering Study Singing River Health System Neuroscience Center is conducting a Postherpetic neuralgia study for those who have recently suffered from shingles and are still feeling pain.

Postherpetic neuralgia is nerve pain that continues after an outbreak of shingles has healed. If your shingles are gone, but the pain remains, you may be eligible for a clinical trial at the Neuroscience Center.

To qualify for this study, participants must be at least 18 years old and diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgia, defined as pain in the area affected by shingles at least six months after the shingles rash has resolved.

Qualified participants will receive all

study-related evaluations, physical exams, routine lab work, and investigational study drug at no cost.

If you or someone you know may be interested in this clinical study, please contact our office at 228-818-3447 or kgoodyear.neuro@gmail.com.

UMMC Pediatrician Hannah Gay Named To Time Magazine’s Time 100 TIME named HIV specialist Dr. Hannah Gay, UMMC associate professor of pediatrics, to the 2013 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In caring for a newborn infected with HIV in 2010, Gay followed an atypical treatment regimen and functionally cured the baby. She and her colleagues, Dr. Deborah Persaud, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center virologist, and University of Massachusetts Medical School immunologist Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, who were also named to the TIME 100 list, presented the child’s case report in March at a scientific meeting in Atlanta. The report is the world’s first to describe an HIV functional cure in an infant.

Gay said she is honored and wants the recognition to highlight the efforts of physicians and scientists worldwide working in HIV prevention, care and research.

The list, now in its 10th year, recog-

nizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

Biloxi Regional Medical Center Earns Quality Respiratory Care Recognition Biloxi Regional Medical Center has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

About 700 hospitals or approximately 15% of hospitals in the United States have applied for and received this award. Biloxi Regional Medical Center has received this award for seven years in a row.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained health care professionals who work under physician’s orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, other lung or lung-related conditions. They also care for premature infants and are key members of lifesaving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies.

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

JUNE 2013

>

13

GrandRounds Hattiesburg Clinic Spine Center Welcomes McCrary Hattiesburg Clinic Spine Center welcomes Elizabeth B. McCrary, CNP, as a nurse practitioner.

McCrary obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Southern Mississippi. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from University of Alabama at Birmingham. McCrary is a member of the American Nurses’ Association, the Mississippi Nurses’ Association, and American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

As part of the Spine Center team, McCrary will evaluate new patients with neurosurgeons Jean-Louis Benae, MD; Richard E. Clatterbuck, MD, PhD; David J. Yeh, MD; and Jack Kruse, MD, DMD. She will work in conjunction with Brandi Rawls, CNP; and Amy Thomas, CNP, in the Hattiesburg Clinic Spine Center, which specializes in the treatment of neck pain, middle and lower back pain, and radiating arm/leg pain and weakness.

Casual yet Classic French Dining meets Southern Hospitality CHECK OUT OUR SUNDAY BRUNCH & HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

361 Township Avenue, Ridgeland, MS 39157 • 601.707.0587 • anjourestaurant.net

Want to get back to Practicing Medicine?

Reclaim the freedom to do your job 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 Coding, billing and management tasks Let us help focus your energy where it matters most Solutions for: Billing and Coding Electronic Health Records Practice Start-up and Merger Management

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

14

>

JUNE 2013

PUBLISHED BY: SouthComm, Inc. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Chris Ferrell PUBLISHER Jackson Vahaly jvahaly@southcomm.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Arich karich@mississippimedicalnews.com Ad Sales: 601.941.3075 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Perry Patterson LaCour placour@mississippimedicalnews.com Ad Sales: 601.941.1603 NATIONAL EDITOR Pepper Jeter editor@medicalnewsinc.com LOCAL EDITOR Lynne Jeter lynne@medicalnewsinc.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Susan Graham susan@medicalnewsinc.com

Hattiesburg Clinic Holds 50th Anniversary Ceremony and Celebrates Groundbreaking

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Katy Barrett-Alley, Amy Gomoljak Christie Passarello

Hattiesburg Clinic hosted a commemoration ceremony on May 8 to celebrate 50 years of service to the community. The next day a groundbreaking was held for a new facility for DermatologySouth.

The 50th Anniversary ceremony recognized the 10 founding physicians and their families. Speakers reflected on the clinic’s history and discussed future plans.

The event also included the unveiling of artwork that was designed in honor of Hattiesburg Clinic’s 50th anniversary Hattiesburg Clinic was established on May 1, 1963 when 10 physicians partnered with a mission to focus on excellence and service to the patient. Today, Hattiesburg Clinic is the state’s largest privately owned multispecialty outpatient facility. While the Clinic has grown to over 300 physicians and providers, caring for patients in more than 18 counties in South Mississippi, its mission has remained the same.

Dermatology-South, a service of Hattiesburg Clinic, will locate its new facility #3 Thompson Park Drive, just off Highway 11.

Upon completion, the DermatologySouth facility will be home to Hattiesburg Clinic dermatologists William L. Waller, III, MD, and Beth Rose, MD, along with Physician Assistant, Lavinia Drambarean.

Dermatology-South will offer dermatology services, as well as cosmetic services such as Botox, Sclerothereapy, liposuction, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, facial treatments and a new skin tightening and fat reduction service, Exilis.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynne Jeter Cindy Sanders Lucy Schultze ACCOUNTANT Kim Stangenberg kstangenberg@southcomm.com 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: 1 year $48 • 2 years $78

SOUTHCOMM Chief Executive Officer Chris Ferrell Chief Financial Officer Patrick Min Chief Marketing Officer Susan Torregrossa Chief Technology Officer Matt Locke Business Manager Eric Norwood Director of Digital Sales & Marketing David Walker Controller Todd Patton Creative Director Heather Pierce Director of Content / Online Development Patrick Rains Mississippi Medical News is published monthly by Medical News, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SouthComm, Inc. ©2013 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

EVERY COMPANY FACEs ACEs ChAllENgEs. WORkiNg With YOuR lAW FiRM shOuldN’t ’t bE ChAllENgiNg. YOuR lAW FiRM shOuld bE Out iN FRONt, REMOViNg ChAllENgEs. this is WhAt WE dO FOR sOME OF thE MOst REsPECtEd COMPANiEs iN highlY REgulAtEd iNdustRiEs — ANd WE hAVE tAkEN bOld stEPs tO ENsuRE A CliENt ExPERiENCE As FREE FROM POssiblE. ChAllENgEs As PO

Predictability is exciting.

PHONE NUMBER

8 0 0 -7 6 2 -2 4 2 6

WEB ADDRESS

www.balch.com

A la b a ma

Flo ri d a

Ge o rg ia

Mississippi

Wash ing t on, DC

FREE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Contacts: Scott E. Andress, Managing Partner, Jackson, MS, (601) 961-9900; Ricky J. Cox, Managing Partner, Gulfport, MS, (228) 864-9900.

m i Balch_MSMedNews_FullPG_Challenges.indd ssissippimedicalnews.co1 m

JUNE 4/30/13 2013

>

15

11:40 AM

Sometimes Your Team MVP wears a lab coat.

With fourteen board certified, fellowship trained specialists, it’s easier than ever to stay in the game.

Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic is the state’s leading full-service orthopaedic speciality practice routinely performing countless shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot procedures, guiding their patients through rehabilitation to complete recovery.

There is no longer a need to sit the bench.

MSMOC... because Life is a Sport.

Jeff D. Almand, M.D. Gene R. Barrett, M.D. Jamey W. Burrow, M.D. Jason A. Craft, M.D. Chris Ethridge, M.D.

1325 East Fortification Street Jackson, MS 39202

Mississippi’s Orthopaedic Specialists Since 1984

Larry D. Field, M.D. E. Rhett Hobgood, M.D. Brian P. Johnson, M.D. Penny J. Lawin, M.D. Robert K. Mehrle Jr., M.D.

James W. O’Mara, M.D. Trevor R. Pickering, M.D. James Randall Ramsey, M.D. Walter R. Shelton, M.D.

401 Baptist Drive, Suite 301 Madison, MS 39110

4309 Lakeland Drive Flowood, MS 39232

Toll Free (800) 624.9168 or (601) 354.4488 www.msmoc.com Scan the QR code to the right with your smartphone to get Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center website information. While you are there be sure to click on our facebook link and Like Us.