Grand Rounds October on Nashville Medical News

Grand Rounds October

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About!

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

Nashville healthcare leaders had a significant presence in the August 24^th edition of Modern Healthcare's "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" list. The annual rundown of national movers and shakers included: 16. Richard Bracken, President and CEO, HCA; 27. Bill Carpenter, President and CEO, LifePoint Hospitals; 57. Wayne Smith, President and CEO, Community Health Systems; 87. Joey Jacobs, President and CEO, Psychiatric Solutions; 93. Daniel Slipkovich, CEO, Capella Healthcare; 94. Charles Martin, Chairman and CEO, Vanguard Health Systems.

Steven V. Manoukian, MD, FACC, FSCAI, director of cardiovascular research for the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), was voted one of 2009's best doctors in the nation by fellow physicians for his area of expertise, cardiovascular disease. Only 5 percent of doctors in the United States received the "Best Doctors in America" designation this year. Manoukian also serves as medical director, cardiology services for HCA Inc. and practices clinical cardiology at Centennial Heart Cardiovascular Consultants, one of SCRI's strategic investigative sites. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

Healthways, Inc. and Hospital Corporation of America have been named to the InformationWeek 500, which lists the nation's most innovative users of business technology. When the rankings were revealed on September 14, Healthways was listed at No. 35 and HCA at No. 242. Healthways' Embrace integrated platform and HCA's development and implementation of hCare were cited as reasons for inclusion.

Recently, Inc. Magazine ranked Centerre Healthcare Corporation in the top third of its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country.

Executive Director of the Tennessee Justice Center, Gordon Bonnyman, has received the 2009 Morris Dees Justice Award — a national honor presented annually to an attorney who has devoted his or her career to serving the public interest.

Recent Certifications & Accreditations:

Middle Tennessee Medical Center recently announced Ryan Simpson, FACHE, vice president of operations, has become a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Simpson has more than 10 years of experience in hospital administration and has been with MTMC for the past 3 years.

Gordian Health Solutions, the Franklin-based personal health coaching company, has become one of the first in the country to receive the Wellness & Health Promotion Accreditation from NCQA. The new nationally-recognized standard evaluates 12 standards of health promotion, including how wellness programs are implemented in the workplace, how services such as health coaching are provided to help eligible individuals develop skills to make healthy choices, and how sensitive health information of eligible individuals is properly safeguarded.

Saint Thomas Hospital Now Offering Balloon Sinuplasty™

A clinically proven, minimally invasive technology for treating chronic sinus inflammation is now available at Saint Thomas Hospital. The Balloon Sinuplasty™ system by Acclarent™ uses a small catheter and balloon to quickly open and expand blocked sinuses.

Stephen Mitchell, MD, otolaryngologist at Saint Thomas Hospital, is one of the first physicians in this area to offer this technology. "The Balloon Sinuplasty™ devices by Acclarent™ are a true advance in sinus care because in many cases it can be done without removing any tissue or bone. That means faster recovery times and less post-procedure discomfort. In fact, many of my patients have been able to return to normal activities within 24 hours and have had significant improvement in their symptoms."

Cianciolo Joins North Highland Group

The North Highland Company, a national firm with more than 40 consultants in its Nashville office, recently announced Mark Cianciolo, former CEO of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute for HCA, has joined the firm as a member of its national healthcare consulting team.

Cianciolo, who has more than 20 years of diversified management and consulting experience in the healthcare and financial services industries, will serve as a principal in the national healthcare practice advising companies on strategic physician integration, new venture development, Electronic Medical Records and growth strategies. He will work with Fletcher Lance, leader of the consulting firm's national healthcare practice.

BlueCross Announces Complete Coverage of H1N1 Shots for Members

Late last month, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced it would pay for its fully-insured members, including those in TennCare and Medicare Advantage plans, to receive the H1N1 vaccination. For members using an in-network provider, there will be no co-pay, deductible or coinsurance. BlueCross will pay network providers at the contracted rate to provide the immunizations to their patients. Members whose employers have a self-funded plan will need to check with their employer to determine their coverage.

BlueCross has also taken steps to ensure antiviral prescriptions Tamiflu^® and Relenza^® are more affordable. These changes apply only to members with BlueCross prescription drug coverage. For some, these savings may not apply to members with Blue Advantage or BlueRx plans. Members should contact their plan administrator to confirm their drug coverage.

Health Care Council Announces New Hires, New Staff Roles

Last month, the Nashville Health Care Council announced two new additions and new staff roles. Caleb Graves is the new director of Membership Services. Prior to moving to Nashville, Graves spent approximately six years in Washington, D.C. working at the White House where he held several key positions, including liaison to state and local elected officials in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, associate director in the Office of Strategic Initiatives and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison.

Sophie Moery was recently hired as director of communications. Previously, Moery served as director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Revenue and an assistant public information officer at the Department of Health.

Three staff members have assumed new roles at the Council. Judith Byrd, director of Leadership Health Care, will be responsible for all aspects of this Council program including communication and membership recruitment and retention. Jamie D. Lee, director of Special Events and Sponsorships will oversee the management of Council programs, including international trade missions and Leadership Health Care delegations, as well as sponsorship sales and coordination for both the Council and Leadership Health Care. Mark Richard, manager of operations, is responsible for consistency of internal processes, financial transaction processing and monthly reporting for the Council and Leadership Health Care.

Vanderbilt Opens Obstetric Practice in Cool Springs

Vanderbilt Center for Women's Health Cool Springs has added two physicians to provide obstetric services.

Trenia Webb, MD, completed her undergraduate degree at David Lipscomb University. She received her medical degree at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis in 2003 and completed her residency there, serving as chief resident.

William F. Lee, MD, graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and received his medical degree at the University of Mississippi in Jackson in 1997. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident.

Saint Thomas Hospital Names Director of Emergency Services

Saint Thomas Hospital has named Tara Snow, RN, Director of Emergency Services. Snow has served as the interim director of the Emergency Department since April 2009. An employee with the hospital since 1998, Snow has previously served in the Emergency Department as an admissions coordinator, nursing supervisor, manager for nursing resources, IV therapy nurse, nursing supervisor and patient care services nurse.

Radiology Alliance, P.C. Adds Two Physicians

Radiology Alliance, P.C., which includes 44 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, announcE the addition of two physicians board certified by the American Board of Radiology to the practice.

Joshua B. Rafoth, MD earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and completed a transitional internship at Methodist Hospital in Memphis. Following a residency in diagnostic radiology at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga., Rafoth completed a breast imaging fellowship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Mark A. Bittles, MD, received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis and completed an internship in pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. In Seattle, he completed a residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in interventional radiology at the University of Washington Medical Center.

HCA Appoints Tayrien Chief Health Information Officer

Last month, HCA, Inc. announced Richard Tayrien, DO, would assume the position of Chief Health Information Officer effective September 21. Tayrien will report to Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, president of HCA's Clinical Services Group and chief medical officer.

In this newly-created position, Tayrien will lead an expanding team of clinicians and informaticists and be responsible for the continued development and implementation of hCare, HCA's comprehensive program for advanced health information technologies. Prior to the move, Tayrien served as vice president of clinical information systems for Catholic Healthcare West. Before moving into leadership positions in clinical informatics, Tayrien practiced internal medicine for the first 18 years. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa.

Lange Named State Refugee Health Coordinator

Jossie Lange has been named State Refugee Health Coordinator in the Tennessee Office for Refugees (TOR), a statewide program of Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc. She was previously the Bridges to Care Program Coordinator at Catholic Charities.

TOR, which was established in spring 2008, manages and disburses federal funding for refugee services statewide on behalf of the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement and works in partnership with agencies in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville to provide temporary cash assistance, health screening and temporary benefits, employment services, and social services to refugees.

Wright Joins Little Clinic as Chief Legal Officer

Lisa Loscalzo, president of The Little Clinic, recently announced William D. Wright has joined the Brentwood-based company as chief legal officer. Formerly with Stites & Harbison PLLC, Wright has counseled The Little Clinic since 2006. His practice has primarily focused on regulatory, legislative, and operational issues for healthcare providers and institutions. In addition to counseling The Little Clinic, he represented diverse clients including multi-state, long-term care operators and Tennessee non-profit hospitals. He has more than 15 years experience in the healthcare industry.

Passport Hires Technology Chief

Seth Rupp has been named chief technology officer at Passport Health Communications, Inc. He will help to lead Passport's development activities, infrastructure management and project management as the organization expands its broad technical capabilities for patient access and revenue cycle management. Rupp will be responsible for defining and executing the organization's technical roadmap.

Rupp has many years of executive leadership positions including serving most recently as a vice president with Cerner Corporation. His career includes technology consulting and engineering in many different healthcare areas from pediatrics to financial services.

Sherry to Serve as 2010 March for Babies Chair

Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital, has agreed to serve as event chair for the 2010 March for Babies, the biggest fundraiser for the March of Dimes. He has personally committed to raising $80,000 toward the March for Babies goal of $600,000 to support the organization's research and community programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies to begin healthy lives. In Nashville, March for Babies will take place in April 2010 at Centennial Park.

In 2009, the Tennessee Chapter of the March of Dimes invested more than $3,000,000 in Tennessee for program services, including national research grants, community grants, and local public and professional education. For more latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com/Tennessee.

Gastroenterologist Joins Southern Hills Medical Center

Gastroenterologist Jonathan D. Benson, MD, has joined the medical staff at Southern Hills Medical Center and Gastroenterology Specialists of Middle Tennessee. Benson received his medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he was internal medicine chief resident at the affiliated university hospital. He has recently completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Indiana, as well. Benson is a fellow of the American Board of Internal Medicine and is board-eligible by the American Board of Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology.

Advantage Behavioral Health Names Siegmann Vice President

Advantage Behavioral Health, a company of Centerstone, has announced the promotion of Bob Siegmann, LSCW, MBA, to vice president for Healthcare Integration, Employee Assistance Programs and Lean Six Sigma. Siegmann previously served as vice president of Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance. In his new role, Siegmann, who is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, will oversee physical and behavioral health integration for the Centerstone system throughout Tennessee and Indiana. He is based in Columbus, Ind.

Clinical Research Associates Seeks Female Volunteers with Menopause Symptoms

Researchers at Nashville-based Clinical Research Associates, Inc., headed by Dr. Shali Scott, are conducting a clinical research study to further test whether an investigational drug, a novel combination of a SERM and conjugated estrogens, safely and effectively prevents postmenopausal osteoporosis and treats menopausal symptoms while ensuring endometrial safety.

Eligible participants must be generally healthy females, age 40 to 64 years old, who are currently seeking treatment for menopausal symptoms. Participants must not have had a period for the past 6 months and must not have had a hysterectomy. Other medical criteria will be evaluated to determine eligibility. The study is being conducted at approximately 150 sites throughout the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

NorthCrest Now Providing Digital Mammography

NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield has recently expanded its services available to women with the addition of a new Selenia™ digital mammography system from Hologic®. In conjunction with the digital mammography unit, NorthCrest will continue offering Computer-Aided Detection. CAD provides a "second read" of the mammogram by a computer to assist the radiologist in making an accurate diagnosis.

Construction Starts on Creekside at Three Rivers Assisted Living

Developers for a new 81-bed assisted living project in Murfreesboro — Creekside at Three Rivers — recently broke ground at the Ashers Fork Drive location, which is adjacent to Highway 99 at Cason Lane.

The $10.5 million project, which includes dementia units, is being developed and built by locally headquartered TDK Construction Company, and will be managed by Atlanta-based Beacon Communities. This is the first new project in Murfreesboro since 2002. The completion date is slated for May 2010.

Office of e-Health Initiatives Joins Statewide Electronic Health Partnership

Tennesseans can expect the broader accessibility and secure exchange of electronic health information with the creation of a new not-for-profit organization of Tennessee healthcare leaders and organizations. The Health Information Partnership for Tennessee (HIP TN) is a public-private entity that brings together the state's local, regional and state electronic health information initiatives and resources into a collaborative partnership and framework. HIP TN will work to improve access to health information so providers and consumers can make better, more informed healthcare decisions.

HIP TN representatives met recently in Nashville to finalize board of director members and to organize the various workgroups that will work with Tennessee's Department of Finance and Administration and Office of e-Health Initiatives in developing a statewide, strategic health information exchange plan. When finalized, HIP TN will approve the plan the Office of e-Health will submit to the U.S. Health and Human Service Department's Office of National Coordinator, the federal agency with oversight of the health information technology portions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The plan will be Tennessee's application to draw federal stimulus funds for health information exchange.

HIP TN's board of directors includes 10 members from the private sector and two representatives of the public sector. HIP TN's board members are:

Reginald Coopwood, MD, CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Hospital Authority;

Robert S. Gordon, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care and former chairman of the board, Mid-South eHealth Alliance;

Dave Goetz, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration;

Veronica Gunn, MD, chief medical officer, Tennessee Department of Health;

Robert H. McLaughlin, MD, medical senior director, CIGNA Healthcare;

Robert J. Mandel, MD, senior vice president for Health Care Services, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee;

B. W. Ruffner, MD, president-elect, Tennessee Medical Association;

David H. Sensibaugh, director, Integrated Health, Eastman Chemical Company;

Richard H. Sain, PharmD, president, Reeves-Sain Drug Store and past president, Tennessee Pharmacists Association;

E. Douglas Varney, president and CEO, Frontier Health; and

Patrick Willard, associate state director, Advocacy, AARP Tennessee.

Mark Bengel, chief information officer, Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration and Melissa Hargiss, director of the Office of e-Health Initiatives, are ex-officio HIP TN board members.

Baptist Sports Medicine, TSSAA Partner to Build Advisory Council

Baptist Sports Medicine and the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) recently announced a partnership to build the new Tennessee Sports Medicine Advisory Council (TnSMAC), which will consist of an independent group of medical professionals throughout the state to provide sound medical advice to administrators, coaches, parents and student-athletes on critical issues related to participation in athletics.

Although the group is founded through the Baptist Sports Medicine and TSSAA partnership, the new council will ultimately be an independent organization for the benefit of all Tennessee athletes. As a statewide initiative, TnSMAC representatives will be available to consult with athletic organizations on all levels of competition and provide recommendations on health-related matters ranging from heat policies during summer months to the appropriate care for specific injuries. For more information, visit http://www.tnsmac.com.

National Translational Medicine Consortium Selects change:healthcare

Recently, change:healthcare announced the company has been chosen by GeneSyn IP Ventures, LLC, a partner of the Keystone Institute for Translational Medicine in Philadelphia to support a national translational medicine technology consortium. The move is intended to help the Keystone Institute more quickly reach their goal of increasing the speed with which medical and health-related discoveries become significant patient care advances.

"We're excited about joining this national healthcare consortium," said Christopher Parks, co-founder and CEO of change:healthcare. "Our technology tools are helping change the way consumers access, judge and share health and cost information, as they navigate the American healthcare system. We look forward to adapting, developing, and supporting the translational medicine technologies of the future."

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Launches Caldolor^® in U.S.

Last month, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: CPIX) implemented the U.S. launch of Caldolor®, an intravenous formulation of ibuprofen, designed primarily for use in the hospital setting. Caldolor is the first and only injectable product available in the United States for the treatment of pain and fever. When Cumberland received U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval for Caldolor in June 2009, it became the third drug in the company's portfolio and the second for which Cumberland has completed development.

The product is now fully stocked at the wholesalers serving hospitals nationwide and is available in both 400mg and 800mg vials. Until now, the only injectable drugs available to reduce pain were opioids, such as morphine and meperdine, and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketorolac. Product information about Caldolor is available online at www.caldolor.com.