Grand Rounds September on Nashville Medical News

Grand Rounds September

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About!

Awards, Honors, Recognitions

For the fourth consecutive year, Franklin-based Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. has made Fortune magazine's list of the Top 100 Fastest-Growing Companies. It is the only Tennessee company to be included on this year's list.

Last month, Cumberland Consulting Group, LLC, a Nashville-based national technology implementation firm, was included in Inc. Magazine's Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America ranking. Cumberland is a technology implementation and project management firm serving ambulatory, acute, and post-acute healthcare providers. Between 2005 and 2008, Cumberland experienced nearly 100 percent growth, with revenues increasing from $4.2 million to $8 million. Brentwood-based Simplex Healthcare was also named. Simplex provides home delivery of medical supplies to more than 180,000 patients with diabetes nationwide.

Kimberly Gray, MD, vice president of community development, AmeriChoice by United Healthcare, recently presented the Faces of Hope Award to United Neighborhood Health Services during ceremonies at Nashville's Tent City on August 12, National Health Care for the Homeless Day. The award was presented in recognition of the health services that UNHS provides to more than 25,000 underserved and uninsured people in Nashville, including people living at Tent City who are visited by the UNHS mobile clinic twice a week.

Laura Allen, Centerstone's vice president for development, has been named the recipient of the 2008-09 Sustainer Service Award by the Junior League of Nashville (JLN). In addition to her volunteer work on behalf of the JLN, Allen serves on the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the advisory committee for Women United in Giving of United Way.

Centennial Medical Center Breaks Ground on New Cancer Center

Last month, officials broke ground on a $30 million expansion of The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center. The project is designed to bring comprehensive cancer services under one roof at HCA/TriStar's Centennial Medical Center.

The 200,000 square-foot cancer center will bring together traditional tools for fighting cancer, such as surgery, radiation oncology (including the area's only CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery unit), chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with programs and resources such as the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and patient nurse navigators to support patients and their families through the many facets of diagnosis, treatment and aftercare.

Designed by Earl Swensson Associates, construction will add a new entrance and patient drop-off area; a two-story lobby with pre-admission testing and registration areas; a surgical suite with four operating rooms, preoperative and recovery space; an imaging center; laboratory; pharmacy; and a healing garden. There will be specific units for blood and marrow transplantation, hematological malignancy, medical oncology and surgical oncology.

Work on the expansion is expected to be complete in August 2010. The groundbreaking ceremony kicked off an approximate $160 million expansion project on the Centennial Medical Center campus that will add 51 beds and include the construction of a dedicated heart and vascular center in first quarter of 2010.

Vanderbilt Joins National Consortium to Develop New Cancer Therapies

Vanderbilt University has been selected as one of 10 centers in the nation to participate in the Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC), a major new initiative to facilitate the discovery and development of new agents to treat cancer. As one of four Chemical Diversity Centers, Vanderbilt's role in the consortium will be to synthesize and optimize new compounds as potential cancer therapeutics.

Designed to accelerate the discovery and development of effective, first-in-class targeted therapies, the CBC will choose high-risk targets that are of low interest to the pharmaceutical industry. "It's exciting in the sense that, right off the bat, (the NCI) said that the goal of this program is to develop drugs for cancer treatment," said Gary Sulikowski, PhD, a professor of chemistry and co-director of the Chemical Synthesis Core leading the efforts to develop small molecule drug candidates. "They're looking for unique targets, unique approaches, and they think that academia may offer that."

A unique aspect of the CBC is the NCI's efforts to establish intellectual property rights for investigators and institutions that develop assays or drug candidates.

Recent Certifications & Accreditations:

Saint Thomas Neurosciences Research Coordinator Julie Coleman, RN, BSN, MSN, has earned the prestigious nursing certification from the Multiple Sclerosis Nursing International Certification Board (MSNICB). There are only 1,000 certified MS nurses worldwide. The examination is administered in the United States and seven foreign countries.

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the Cancer Program at Saint Thomas Hospital. Saint Thomas Hospital receives this commendation following a recent onsite evaluation demonstrating a Commendation level of compliance with standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement), in addition to a compliance rating for all other standards.

Three Physicians Join Alive Hospice Staff

Shari Green, MD, has been named team medical director for Alive Hospice Residence Nashville, a 30-bed facility near downtown Nashville for hospice patients who require in-patient care. Previously, she served as a contract physician for Alive Hospice's home-care program. Green is a graduate of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Martha Leonard, MD, is team medical director for Alive Hospice at Saint Thomas Hospital, Middle Tennessee's first hospital-based inpatient unit for hospice patients. Leonard earned her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and completed her residency at Vanderbilt Medical Center. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Don Vollmer, MD, is team medical director for Alive Hospice's Facility Team, which provides end-of-life care to patients who reside in assisted-living, independent-living and long-term care facilities. Vollmer received his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

LifeFlight Updates Fleet With Two High Performance Helicopters

Vanderbilt LifeFlight has added two new birds to its fleet. The air ambulance service recently leased two new EC135 helicopters to replace two older BK117 models, which have been in service at Vanderbilt since 1987. Vanderbilt has five helicopters in the fleet spread out across four bases in Middle Tennessee.

Each type of helicopter has unique features to consider when transporting patients. The new helicopters are smaller in size but provide a smoother ride due to technology called anti-resonance isolation system (ARIS). The new helicopters also have enclosed tail rotors, which are safer when entering and exiting the aircraft. The cockpits feature advanced avionics that allow for zero visibility flying, night vision goggle operations and landing using HTAWS (for Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems), which alerts pilots of their proximity to the ground below. These systems enhance crew and patient safety while flying. In addition to being more fuel efficient, the EC135 has a swift cruise speed of 158 mph and can climb at a rate of 1,500 feet per minute.

Belmont Nursing Graduates Attain 100 Percent Pass Rate on Licensure Exam

One-hundred percent of May 2009 graduates from the Belmont University School of Nursing have passed the national licensure examination for Registered Nurses. The 37 Belmont students were among the 66,531 U.S.-educated candidates who have taken the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for the first time in 2009. The 100 percent pass rate for Belmont graduates compares to this year's national pass rate of 89.5 percent for this group.

Baptist Hospital Launches E-mail Newsletter for New & Expectant Parents

Baptist Hospital recently launched a free, weekly e-mail newsletter as a resource to guide parents through pregnancy and the first years of their baby's life. The newsletter offers the latest research and information in child development, health and learning and is customized based on their baby's due date. During pregnancy, the hospital's messages include week-by-week information on fetal development and wellness tips. After the baby is born, the newsletter switches focus to the baby's first year with child development information, practical tips on baby care and other topics of interest to new parents.

The e-newsletter is open to all … not just those who delivered at Baptist … through an online sign up process at www.baptisthospital.com/parents or during childbirth classes or facility tours at Baptist Hospital.

Health Care Council Announces New Board

Last month, the Nashville Health Care Council announced the appointment of its 2009-2010 Board of Directors and newly-appointed Chairman Joey A. Jacobs, chairman, president and CEO of Psychiatric Solutions. Ben R. Leedle Jr., Healthways, Inc. CEO, will serve as vice chairman. Jacobs succeeds Thomas G. Cigarran, Healthways chairman, who remains on the board as a director.

Two new members joined the board on July 1 for three-year terms –– Jeffrey R. Balser, MD, PhD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs at Vanderbilt Medical Center; and Christopher A. Holden, president and CEO of AmSurg.

The following board members were re-elected to serve three-year terms on the board: Samuel E. Lynch, DMD, DMSc. president and CEO, BioMimetic Therapeutics; and William Carpenter, president and CEO, LifePoint Hospitals.

In addition, Bo Bartholomew, president and CEO of PharmMD and chairman of the Council's Leadership Health Care group was appointed to serve a one-year term along with eight new board members representing healthcare companies and professional services groups that support the industry. They are Michael Boroch, business development executive, IBM; John A. Deane, CEO, Southwind Health Partners; James Elrod, managing director, Vestar Capital Partners; Ronald Kimzey, partner, Ford & Harrison; Kevin P. Lavender, senior vice president and managing director, Fifth Third Bank; Linda Marzialo, president and CEO, Gould Turner Group; Doug Rohleder, partner, Ernst & Young; and Leigh Walton, member, Bass, Berry & Sims.

Novelli Joins Healthways Board of Directors

Former AARP CEO and social marketing pioneer Willilam D. Novelli was appointed to the Healthways, Inc. Board of Directors last month. Novelli is currently a distinguished professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

"Bill Novelli is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in the world in the fields of healthcare, social marketing and social change," said Ben R. Leedle Jr., Healthways CEO. "We are delighted to welcome him to the Healthways Board and greatly look forward to the benefit of his knowledge and leadership."

Throughout his career, Novelli has also served as president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, where he still serves as chairman of that board, and as executive vice president of the relief and development organization CARE. He also co-founded Porter Novelli, now one of the world's largest public relations agencies and a part of the Omnicom Group.

Logic Media Becomes Deane Smith, Adds President

Public relations veteran Todd Smith recently joined Logic Media Group as partner and president. As part of the affiliation, the firm has been rebranded Deane Smith Media Innovations with Silas Deane, founder of Logic Media, serving as chairman and CEO. The marketing and public relations firm specializes in healthcare and technology.

Murphy Appointed Medical Director at Parthenon Pavilion

Parthenon Pavilion at Centennial Medical Center — the oldest and largest private psychiatric facility in Middle Tennessee — recently appointed psychiatrist Michael J. Murphy, MD, MPH, as its medical director. Murphy most recently served as the medical director for the Psychiatric Hospital at Vanderbilt. He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health and is board certified in adult psychiatry.

Additionally, Murphy and fellow psychiatrist Robert A. Jack, MD, have formed Centennial Psychiatric Associates, LLC, a physician office located on Centennial Medical Center's campus. Jack is clinical director of geriatric services at Parthenon Pavilion. He has practiced in Nashville for over 20 years and was a member of Psychiatric Consultants, P.C. prior to joining Centennial Psychiatric Associates. Jack is board certified in adult and geriatric psychiatry and is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Medicine.

AHA's Greater Southeast Affiliate Elects Local Residents to Board

Recently, the American Heart Association elected Joey Barnett, PhD, professor of pharmacology, medicine, pediatrics, and microbiology & immunology at Vanderbilt University as the vice president of the association's Greater Southeast Affiliate Board of Directors.

Also elected to the board were Brian Callahan, CFO of Spheris, and Steven Manoukian, MD, director of cardiovascular research for the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. All three are slated to serve during the association's 2009-2010 fiscal year.

VCH Researchers Receive $380,000 in New Grants

The St. Baldrick's Foundation, which coordinates worldwide head-shaving events to raise funds to support pediatric cancer research, recently awarded two grants to researchers at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Michael Engel, MD, assistant professor of Pediatric Hematology at Children's Hospital, has been named one of 10 national St. Baldrick's Scholars for 2009. Scott Borinstein, MD, also was awarded a $50,000 Pediatric Oncology Research Grant for his research into Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer that strikes teenagers and young adults.

Franklin Bone and Joint Joins Vanderbilt Medical Center

The Bone & Joint Clinic in Franklin is joining with the Vanderbilt Department of Orthopaedics to become Vanderbilt Bone & Joint. This partnership will significantly expand the ability of the combined entity to serve patients and further enhance quality care. It will become an important component of the Vanderbilt Orthopaedics Institute.

Founded in 1979, the Bone & Joint Clinic has been serving patients in Williamson County for 30 years. It has a staff of 12 physicians and surgeons who care for orthopaedic problems in a range of specialties including: spine, sports medicine, total joint replacement, hand and upper extremity, pediatrics, trauma, foot and ankle and osteoporosis.

Lilly Broadens Income Eligibility for Patient Assistance Programs

In light of the economic downturn, many Americans have been forced to make difficult sacrifices to afford medications or detrimental decisions to stop taking medicines. In response, Lilly USA adjusted the income eligibility for its most widely used patient assistance programs on August 1 to allow enrollment of eligible patients with incomes at or less than 300 percent of the U.S. Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This is an income eligibility increase from the previous 200 percent FPL. The income eligibility adjustment is a long-term change for the programs, which over the past three years have assisted more than 580,000 patients in the United States and distributed medications valued at over $784 million. Tennesseans received approximately $5 million in free products from Lilly USA last year through the company's patient assistance programs.

Vanderbilt Dermatology Moves to One Hundred Oaks

Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Division of Dermatology became the latest practice area to open at Vanderbilt Health at One Hundred Oaks when they completed a move to the new 28,000-square-foot clinical area last month. The move consolidates all areas of VUMC's adult Dermatology practices (except the practice in Williamson County), including general dermatology, phototherapy, MOHS micrographic surgery, and cosmetic dermatology. Pediatric dermatology will not be affected.

Psychiatric Solutions Agrees to Sell EAP Business to Aetna

Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. ("PSI") (NASDAQ: PSYS) recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its employee assistance program ("EAP") business to Aetna for approximately $70 million in cash. PSI expects to complete the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2009. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino anti-trust approval and applicable regulatory approvals in California. For the first six months of 2009 PSI's EAP business produced revenue of approximately $22.6 million. PSI intends to use the net proceeds from the sale to reduce its debt.

Tennessee Shows Improvement in Paperless Prescribing

The state of Tennessee recently received national ranking as the second "Most Improved" state in e-prescribing, and the "Safe-Rx Award" was presented to Governor Phil Bredesen. This award acknowledges every physician who has embraced e-prescribing in Tennessee, including Cumberland Pediatric Foundation (CPF) and its nearly 500 members, recognized as one of seven entities who were key contributors to driving the success of e-prescribing in Tennessee.

CPF is the non-profit teaching arm of the Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and promotes the health of children in the Middle Tennessee region by improving the quality, increasing the efficiency, and lowering the cost of pediatric health care services. Its members are in 25 Tennessee counties and more than 130 practices.