Grand Rounds May on Nashville Medical News

Grand Rounds May

Dispensary of Hope and Nashville General Expand Prescription Coverage to Residents in Need

In late April, it was announced the Dispensary’s Continued Access Program, which provides uninsured patients with long-term pharmaceutical access to more than 2000 medications, would be offered at Nashville General Hospital effective immediately.

“Obtaining prescriptions is a barrier for many patients, and this program will ensure access to their medications. Additionally, we hope to see a decrease in the number of patients presenting to the emergency room with progressed illnesses due to an inability to afford necessary prescription drugs,” said Jason Boyd, chief executive officer of Metropolitan Nashville Hospital Authority.

This new partnership supports Mayor Karl Dean’s February 2010 Poverty Reduction Initiative Plan, which aims to reduce poverty by 50 percent over the next 10 years. Patients can enroll in the Continued Access Program by calling or visiting the Nashville General Hospital Social Services Department at (615) 341-4125.

Riley Elected to Prestigious Society of Medical Administrators

Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, president & CEO of Meharry Medical College has been elected to the prestigious Society of Medical Administrators (SOMA).

SOMA started in 1909 as the Medical Superintendents Club, a small group who met annually in New York City to discuss hospital administration. Originally, membership was limited to 25 people, all of whom had to be physician CEOs of hospitals. By 1949 the organization expanded to 50 active members — where it stands today — and was composed of physicians with major leadership responsibilities in healthcare organizations and health facilities not limited to acute care hospitals. Notable members include Harry R. Jacobson, MD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs, emeritus at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jacobson and Riley are the only two Nashvillians of three Tennesseans in the group.

Fayetteville, Tenn. Physician Becomes President of ACP

J. Fred Ralston, Jr., MD, FACP, an Internist from Fayetteville, Tenn., took office as president of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation’s second-largest physician organization, on April 24, 2010. His term began during Internal Medicine 2010, the ACP annual scientific meeting held last month in Toronto, Canada.

As president, Ralston will be the senior elected officer of ACP. During his one-year term, he will preside at all meetings of the ACP membership, serve on eight ACP committees and represent ACP at national and international chapter meetings and public functions. Ralston has a strong interest in electronic health records, efficiency in healthcare delivery and healthcare system reform focused on a close relationship between individuals and a personal physician.

Ralston has been in the practice of general internal medicine in Fayetteville since 1983.

Wang First in State to Use New Generation IOL for Cataract Surgery

Last Month, Ming Wang, MD, PhD, conducted the first cataract surgery in Tennessee using a new generation intraocular lens technology. Wang is a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology for the University of Tennessee and director of Wang Vision Cataract and LASIK Center in Nashville.

"We are excited to be the first center in the state and one of the first in the country to implant this new lens after the FDA approval of such a breakthrough technology,” said Wang. "This new lens is called the Tecnis 1-piece aspheric multifocal IOL, with advanced image quality designed to provide pupil-independent, sharper, spectacle-free vision across a broad range of distances and lighting conditions. In short, that means all distances, all lighting conditions, all in one piece.”

Baptist Hospital Gynecologist Performs Single Incision Hysterectomy

Mike Swan, MD, a gynecologist at Baptist Hospital, has performed the hospital’s first single incision hysterectomy using only one, small 20 mm incision hidden within the belly button.

Currently in the United States, 70 percent of hysterectomies are still performed using a four to seven-inch abdominal incision. Baptist Hospital now offers several minimally invasive options for women in need of hysterectomy, including multiple-incision laparoscopic, single-incision laparoscopic and robotic surgery.

The surgery team performed the hysterectomy using a device called the SILS Port, which is manufactured by Covidien. SILS stands for “single-incision laparoscopic surgery.” The SILS Port is a flexible plug that can be placed within a small incision in the navel. The surgeon can then insert up to three laparoscopic instruments through holes in the plug. This design feature eliminates the need for multiple incisions to accommodate multiple instruments operating simultaneously.

Belmont Class Achieves 100 Percent Pass Rate on First Attempt of NPTE

Belmont University’s 2009 Physical Therapy class achieved 100 percent pass rate on their first attempt of the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). This is the second time in the history of the program that an entire class has passed the exam on their first attempt, although Belmont graduates have achieved ultimate pass rates of 100 percent on the exam for the past 8 years. According to the most recent data, the national completion rate for the 250-question NPTE was 85 percent.

Frist Humanitarian Award Recipients Honored in Nashville

On April 12, HCA honored the three national 2009 Frist Humanitarian Award recipients. Judy Williams, a volunteer at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Carianna Johnson, a registered nurse at StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, Tenn. and Kevin Smith, DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., were honored today during the ceremony. Established in 1971 and presented annually, the awards honor outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities.

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About!

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

Nashville hospitals are tops in the nation. In the recent Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®: National Benchmarks study, four Nashville and two Middle Tennessee facilities made the prestigious cut. Baptist Hospital, Maury Regional Medical Center (Columbia), Saint Thomas Hospital, Skyline Medical Center, StoneCrest Medical Center (Smryna),and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. With four top hospitals, Nashville has more than any other city in America. Additionally, all four were also Everest Award winners recognizing hospitals among the 100 that delivered the greatest rate of improvement over a five-year period. Only 23 hospitals earned the Everest Award distinction.

Last month Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician released their annual list of the “50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare” today. Three in Nashville made the list: No. 17: Lanny Copeland, MD, CMO of LifePoint Hospitals Inc.; No. 19: Jonathan Perlin, MD, HCA Inc.’s CMO and president of the clinical services group; and No. 43: Barbara Paul, MD, senior vice president and CMO of Community Health Systems Inc.

Amber Sims, FACHE, chief operating officer of Saint Thomas Physician Services, a division of Saint Thomas Health services, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. Only 7,500 healthcare executives nationwide hold this distinction.

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) inducted James Miller, MD, a hospitalist at Baptist Hospital, as a Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM).To earn the FHM designation, an applicant must serve as a hospitalist for at least five years, be a member of SHM for at least three years and demonstrate dedication to quality and process improvement, organizational teamwork, leadership and lifelong learning and education.

During the same meeting, 10 Cogent Healthcare physician executives earned fellowship honors. Five from Florida and Washington earned the FHM designation. Additionally, five others were among the more than 150 hospitals nationwide to earn the first-ever Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine (SFHM). Cogent’s SFHM designees are: Andrew Fishmann, MD, FCCP, FACP, SFHM, co-founder and Board Director Cogent Healthcare; Len Scarpinato, DO, MS, SFHM, Regional Medical Director – North/Central Cogent Healthcare; Ronald Greeno, MD, FCCP, SFHM, co-founder and CMO Cogent Healthcare; Russell L. Holman, MD, SFHM, COO of Cogent Healthcare; and Shaun D. Frost, MD, FACP, SFHM, Regional Medical Director – Northeast Cogent Healthcare.

Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance physician O.Tom Johns MD was selected among hundreds of nominees to receive the Thomas Brady Award, a national honor given by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine to only one physician a year who has distinguished himself by demonstrating excellence in sports medicine and making an outstanding contribution on a local level.

HealthStream Research recently recognized NorthCrest Medical Center’s Women’s Services Department with an Excellence Through Insight Award for “Overall In-Patient Satisfaction” in the medium-size hospital category. NorthCrest was one of the only two hospitals to receive this award nationwide.

Nashville-based healthcare public affairs firm Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc. posted double-digit growth in 2009, ranking it among the top 20 fastest growing independent public relations firms nationwide, according to information compiled for O’Dwyer’s annual PR Firm Rankings. Jarrard Inc. posted 15 percent year-over-year growth. Nationally, the average growth for PR firms reporting to O’Dwyers was -1.6 percent. The firm is ranked as 18th among all specialized healthcare PR firms, up from 27th last year.

The 2010 Social Innovation Awards, honoring organizations using their profits to further social and environmental missions, were announced in late March and include Nashville-based Dispensary of Hope. The local organization was recognized for “Most Influential Supply Chain Management Strategy.”

Gresham, Smith and Partners was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in their National Healthcare Design Awards. Awarded in the "Unbuilt" category, the conceptual design of the Seoul National University Hospital Medical Mall in Seoul, South Korea encompasses 56,000 square meters and includes three floors of out-patient clinics, retail and support spaces as well as three floors of parking garage space. The project was recognized for conceptual strength that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital.

Garceau-Luis Named CEO of Centerstone Foundation, Hardy Centerstone Regional Direrctor

Centerstone, the nation’s largest provider of community-based behavioral healthcare, announced last month that Linda Garceau-Luis has been named CEO of the Centerstone Foundation. In her new role, Garceau-Luis will oversee all development efforts for Centerstone’s operations in Tennessee and Indiana and the Centerstone Research Institute, as the organization seeks to raise funds to support its mental health and addiction services.

Garceau-Luis will work with the Centerstone Foundation’s board of directors to establish and support effective management of Centerstone’s endowments, ensure adherence to all donor-defined funding parameters, and expand Centerstone’s planned giving program. She will be based in Nashville.

Prior to joining Centerstone, Garceau-Luis was vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She holds an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt and a master’s from Dartmouth.

In other news, Matthew Hardy, PsyD, has been named regional director for Centerstone’s Northern Region in Tennessee. In this role, Hardy will provide clinical oversight for outpatient operations in Cheatham, Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson and Sumner counties and will also oversee the development and implementation of new programs. Hardy holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and a master’s degree from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.

Cardiologist Joins Saint Thomas Heart at Baptist Hospital

Saint Thomas Heart at Baptist Hospital recently announced the addition of cardiologist Phillip Alan Wines, MD, to its staff. Wines will primarily provide care at the offices in Goodlettsville and Hendersonville. He will also see patients at Saint Thomas Heart at Baptist Hospital.

Prior to joining Saint Thomas Heart, Wines was a cardiologist with Tennessee Heart and Vascular Institute at Skyline Medical Center and Portland Diagnostic Center. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, and completed his internship and residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama Hospitals in Birmingham. He obtained his fellowship in the Department of Internal Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Fast Test for Tick-Borne Illness

Tick-borne diseases like ehrlichiosis (caused by Ehrlichia species bacteria) are difficult to diagnose clinically due to their nonspecific symptoms of fever, headache and muscle and joint pain. Lab tests for these infections – which include antibody tests, blood smears and blood cultures – also have limitations that may cause critical delays in treatment.

Yi-Wei Tang, MD, PhD, and colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center developed and evaluated a polymerase chain reaction/mass spectrometry assay (PCR/ESI-MS) in clinical blood and spinal fluid specimens. They found that this method, which uses a mix of primers for several tick-borne and non-tick-borne bacterial species, accurately detected Ehrlichia species and identified them with sensitivity and specificity similar to reference detection methods. PCR/ESI-MS also identified a variety of other pathogenic bacteria, and testing could be completed within six hours.

The results, reported in the February Journal of Clinical Microbiology, suggest that the rapid and correct detection and identification achieved by PCR/ESI-MS may facilitate the timely diagnosis and improve treatment of tick-borne illnesses.

LifePoint Hospitals Acquire Clark Regional Medical Center, Build New Facility

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) announced in April that it had entered into an agreement with the Board of Directors of Clark Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Winchester, Ky. whereby 100-bed CRMC would become part of LifePoint Hospitals. The transaction was expected to close April 30, 2010, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Upon closing of the transaction, LifePoint will acquire ownership of CRMC operations and equipment and commit to invest approximately $60 million to build and equip a new, 132,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art hospital to replace the current facility. The new hospital is expected to open in approximately 18 to 24 months after construction begins.

Diagnostic Health Corporation Adds Radiologists

Diagnostic Health Corporation of Nashville, formerly HealthSouth Diagnostic Center, recently added two board-certified radiologists to the team at the multi-modality diagnostic imaging center.

Charles Jude Bodin, MD, received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. His professional experience includes: chief resident for Tulane University Medical Center Radiology, Tulane University Medical Center Roentgen Research recipient, diplomat of the American Board of Radiology, managing partner Radiology and Diagnostic Services, LLC, and chief of staff at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Richard William Rieck, MD, PhD, received his medical degree from Bates College and his PhD from University of Cincinnati. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship from Barrow Neurological Institute and served as chief resident for the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University where he received his Neuro-Radiological Fellowship. He, too, was a Roentgen Resident Research Award recipient.

onFocus Healthcare Secures $3 Million in Series B Financing Round

onFocus Healthcare, Inc., a leading provider of web-based enterprise performance management solutions for the healthcare services marketplace, recently announced it has secured $3 million in Series B financing led by Clayton Associates’ FCA Venture Partners IV. Limestone Fund, Tri-Star Technology Fund, Solidus Company, NCN Angel Fund, Kestrel Asset Management and Heritage Group Holdings also participated in the round. A portion of the latest round of funding came from the Tennessee Small Business Company Investment Credit Act (TNInvestco), which was created last year to fund innovative Tennessee companies.

The company will use the financing to support ongoing sales and marketing of its onFocus|epm^TM “Enterprise Performance Management” (EPM) software, which is used by executive teams in hospitals and other healthcare settings to ensure accountability and consistently achieve critical business objectives across the organization. onFocus|epm is a one-of-a-kind web-based solution that allows healthcare leaders to integrate business intelligence data from any source with strategic goals, action plans, progress tracking and management accountability to ensure targeted results at all levels of the organization.

Acetadote® Supplemental New Drug Application for Acute Liver Failure Submitted to FDA

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: CPIX) has submitted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of Acetadote® (acetylcysteine) Injection in patients with non-acetaminophen acute liver failure. Acetadote was launched by Cumberland in 2004 as the first U.S.-approved injectable drug to treat acetaminophen overdose.

The sNDA includes data from a clinical trial led by investigators at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center indicating that acute liver failure patients treated with Acetadote have a significantly improved chance of survival without a transplant. These patients can also survive a significant number of days longer without transplant, providing patients requiring transplant increased time for a donor organ to become available.

PharmMD and ChainDrugStore.net Announce New Partnership

PharmMD, a quality leader in medication management therapy (MTM) along with ChainDrugStore.net, a leading communication and information aggregating service for the retail pharmacy industry, recently announced a new exclusive partnership launching in mid 2010.

This new venture will give PharmMD access to ChainDrugStore.net’s network of 40,000 plus pharmacists. In return, PharmMD gives CDS.net’s vast network of pharmacists the opportunity to join PMD’s team providing the expertise that results in quality MTM affecting hundreds of thousands of lives.

“Both the marketplace and the Health Reform bill are demanding that we address the appropriate use of medication and develop tools to combat misuse, errors and adverse reactions,” said Bo Bartholomew, PharmMD’s president and CEO. “We believe there is tremendous opportunity for medication therapy management to control medical and drug spending while also limiting the downstream healthcare costs created by medication errors or drug interactions. We are pleased to work with pharmacists through ChainDrugStore.net on this important initiative.”

Passport Creates Patient Access Suite

Last month, Passport, a leading provider of patient access software and solutions, announced the launch of a suite for hospitals and healthcare organizations to improve workflow and increase revenue. The new eCare® Patient Access Suite provides a complete set of solutions and services that can be used to verify patient information, address compliance and manage patient payments – all in advance of service.

Services and solutions within the suite include insurance eligibility verification, address verification, registration quality assurance (RQA), physician order screening (OrderChecker™), patient payment estimation (PPE), eCashiering for patient payment collections and more.

All solutions in the suite are developed, owned and implemented by Passport

Council and Enhanced Tennessee Fund Completes Investment in New Day Pharmacy^SM

Last month, Council and Enhanced Tennessee Fund (C&E) announced its investment in Nashville-based New Day Pharmacy, an institutional pharmacy with a novel approach to distributing medications to nursing homes. By combining central pharmacy automation systems, local onsite dispensing systems, and integrated internal and web-based software systems, the company has been effective in lowering costs through a reduction in drug waste. C&E is a participant in the TNInvestco program, which was created by the Tennessee Small Business Company Investment Credit Act. C&E is a partnership between Council Ventures of Nashville, Tennessee and Enhanced Capital Partners of New York, New York.

BCBT Announces Young Members Can Remain on Their Parents’ Policy Effective June 1

In advance of the new federal law, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced in late April that it will allow thousands of young members to remain covered on their parents’ policy.

Reform legislation signed into law last month by President Obama would make coverage available to adult children up to age 26 for plan years beginning Sept. 23, 2010. Recognizing this timetable could result in many young people losing their coverage prior to this date because of their age, student status or other factors, the Tennessee Plan, along with 38 other BlueCross companies, has agreed to allow covered individuals under age 26 to remain on their parents’ individual health insurance policies effective June 1.

The extension of coverage will apply to fully-insured employer accounts for their employees, as well as individual policyholders who cover a dependent. For currently uninsured dependents, parents will be able to add them to their policies for plan year renewal dates beginning on or after the law becomes effective in September.

Local Author Erin Morrow Still Releases "Fighting MS: Strength in Numbers"

In April, motivational speaker, MS advocate and author Erin Morrow Still released "Fighting MS: Strength in Numbers," a guidebook for those newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Published by iUniverse with a forward by Harold Moses Jr. MD from Vanderbilt University’s Department of Neurology, "Strength in Numbers" features first-person accounts, humorous anecdotes, advice from medical professionals, recipes, fitness tips and other resources to help people facing the challenges of living with MS. The heart of the book comes from the shared stories of members Still’s MS support group in Middle Tennessee.

All proceeds from 'Fighting MS: Strength in Numbers' will go toward finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Copies are available online through Amazon.com.

Crews Joins LBMC

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC (LBMC), one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms, has added Scott Crews, CPA in its Brentwood office. Crews has joined the firm in a staff position in the risk services department focusing on IT assurance and information systems security engagements. He is a graduate of Samford University with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

Carroll Joins Precision Pain Care

Clayton D. Carroll, MSM, PA-C, MS has joined Precision Pain Care as a Physician’s Assistant. Carroll earned his master’s in Athletic Training from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and an additional master’s degree in Medicine from Trevecca Nazarene University, where he specialized in Physician Assistant studies. Precision Pain Care, located in Smyrna.

Skanska HealthRealty Adds Two Partners

Nashville-based Skanska HealthRealty announced the recent addition of two new partners, Jeff Brown and John Jordan. Both will be based out of the company’s Bryan/College Station, Texas office. Prior to joining Skanska HealthRealty, Brown and Jordan co-founded Rose Rock Capital Group which specializes in medical office and healthcare real estate development.