Meharry Graduates Largest Class in History
The largest graduating class in the history of Meharry Medical College received their diplomas at the College's 139th Commencement on May 17 at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House. The School of Graduate Studies and Research awarded 78 diplomas across four degree programs — PhD, MHS, MSPH and MSCI. The School of Dentistry awarded 41 diplomas and the School of Medicine 97.
Commencement speaker, Norman C. Francis, JD, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, told the graduates the nation owes a debt of gratitude to Meharry, which was founded in 1876. He added, “Meharry graduates have a very special responsibility to lead. You are going to have to stand for people who cannot speak for themselves and make their case clearly."
Francis was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Meharry, along with Nashville's Mayor Karl Dean, honored for his work in promoting health and healthy lifestyles through city initiatives.
TriStar Skyline Approved as Provisional Level II Trauma Center
On May 20, TriStar Skyline Medical Center announced the State of Tennessee had approved their application to become a Provisional Level II Trauma Center.
"For more than a year, TriStar Skyline Medical Center staff members have been working hard to develop the infrastructure required to provide trauma services," said Steve Otto, CEO of the hospital located at the crossroads of I-65 and I-24.
Otto noted the development of a second trauma center in the Middle Tennessee area is a historic event for both the Nashville area and the hospital. TriStar Skyline already has a nationally recognized neuroscience program and is the only CARF-accredited inpatient rehabilitation center in Middle Tennessee.
"The trauma program is going to satisfy a significant need for trauma care in our community, said Roger Nagy, MD, trauma medical director. "Middle Tennessee, which encompasses eight counties, is projected to reach a population of 1.6 million by 2016. The American College of Surgeons recommends having one or two high-level trauma centers for every 1 million people. "
One-in-Six Americans Miss Work Due to Oral Health Issues
A new Delta Dental Oral Health and Well-Being Survey confirmed one out of six Americans (16 percent) said they have missed work due to oral health issues beyond regular treatments and cleanings causing an estimated loss of more than 164 million work hours annually.
Other findings from the survey that was released last month included:
Americans who go to the dentist at least once a year are 22 percent more likely to report their overall well-being as good or better compared with those who seldom visit the dentist.
Stronger reported oral health was linked with income, education and age. The survey found 86 percent of Americans making $100,000 a year or more visit the dentist at least once annually compared with 46 percent of Americans making less than $25,000.
More than a quarter of Americans (27 percent) said they have open oral health issues they’d like to resolve. The biggest reasons for not addressing the problem was ability to pay for the work (cited by 62 percent) and fear of treatment (23 percent).
“It is essential that we take care of our oral health,” said Phil Wenk, DDS, president of Delta Dental of Tennessee. “These are decisions that affect our health and our productivity at work.”
Dental coverage was a significant factor in dental visits and overall well-being. Nearly eight out of 10 Americans (78 percent) with dental coverage visit the dentist at least once a year versus only about half (52 percent) of those who do not have coverage.
Ker Joins Allergy Partners
Dan S. Sanders, III, MD, of Allergy Partners of Middle Tennessee recently announced the addition of Jennifer P. Ker, MD, to the practice in treatment of allergies, asthma, eczema and immunology for both children and adults.
Board certified in Allergy and Immunology, as well as Pediatrics, Ker received her medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio. She completed both her residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Allergy & Immunology at Vanderbilt.
Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About!
Awards, Honors, Achievements
LifePoint Hospitals® has announced that since being named a Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) in December 2011, it has demonstrated significant advancements in quality and patient safety performance at its hospitals across the country. The 26 organizations serving as a HEN have been tasked with identifying and sharing best practice solutions to reduce healthcare-acquired conditions. HHS released performance data last month, showing an overall 9 percent decrease in hospital-acquired conditions nationally during 2011 and 2012. The ambitious goal of the HHS Partnership for Patients initiative for HENs is to achieve a 40 percent decrease in these conditions by December 2014. Performance data for LifePoint hospitals showed the company on track to meet the goal, having already achieved a 38 percent reduction by the end of the first quarter of 2014, which is significantly better than national benchmarks.
As part of the Healthy Tennessee Babies Are Worth the Wait initiative, NorthCrest Medical Center has been recognized by the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Tennessee Center for Patient Safety for its leadership in reducing the number of babies born electively between 37 to 39 weeks. NorthCrest successfully met its goal of decreasing the number of babies in this delivery category to 5 percent or less and has maintained this goal for a minimum of six consecutive months.
Emdeon (#11), M*Modal (#29), Experian Health/Passport (#44), MedHost (#46), HealthStream (#56), and Cumberland Consulting Group (#96) have been named to the Top 100 Healthcare Information Technology companies in the nation by Healthcare Informatics.
Hospice Source, LLC, a hospice-focused durable medical equipment (DME) company headquartered in Plano, Texas, recently announced the installment of its new board of directors including Michael E. Collins, managing member, founder and CEO of Nashville-based merchant-banking firm 2nd Generation Capital, LLC.
Middle Tennessee hospitals recently celebrated being head of the class when it comes to safety. The Leapfrog Group recently released their spring 2014 hospital safety scores. The following area hospitals received an A. Maury Regional, NorthCrest Medical Center, Saint Thomas Midtown, Saint Thomas Rutherford, Saint Thomas West, TriStar Centennial, TriStar Horizon, TriStar Skyline, TriStar StoneCrest, and Vanderbilt University Hospital.
Using data from McGraw Hill Dodge Analytics, the May issue of Architectural Record magazine, ranks Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) third in the nation of the Top 5 Design Firms for healthcare construction starts January 2011 through February 2014.
Hospice Compassus achieved highest honors as a Healthy Challenge: Platinum Seal Winner among 95 other workplaces that participated in Nashville’s second annual Mayor's Workplace Challenge over the past year. The program encourages and recognizes workplaces to excel in three areas: being green, healthy and involved in the community.
Carol Penterman, the owner and CEO of Interim HealthCare of Middle Tennessee, was presented with the Tennessee Association of Home Care Outstanding Homecare Leader Award for 2014.
Jill Howard, COO of TriStar Skyline Madison Campus, is featured in a new series of statewide television advertisements speaking on behalf of WGU Tennessee, the school from which she earned her master’s degree.
Middle Tennessee was well represented during the annual awards presentation as part of TMA’s 179th Annual Meeting. David Vanderpool, MD, was honored with a Distinguished Service Award, presented annually since 1963 by the TMA Board of Trustees to exemplary members of the association for their notable achievements during the past year. As founder and CEO of LiveBeyond, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care, clean water and nutritional support after disasters, Vanderpool helped build hospitals, orphanages, secondary school, and vocational schools in Haiti after the earthquake of 2010. Last year, Vanderpool and his wife sold their house and most of their belongings to permanently relocate from Brentwood to Haiti. Sally Killian, MD, received an Outstanding Physician Award, given annually by the TMA House of Delegates to member physicians who through their illustrious medical careers make an impression among their colleagues, peers and on the profession of medicine in Tennessee. Killian recently retired after more than 30 years in practice as an internist. Siloam Institute of Faith, Health and Culture was named a Community Service Award winner.
MedAssets, Inc. recently announced W Squared as the recipient of its 2013 Cost Management Performance Award.
John Deane, president of Advisory Board Consulting hosted a reception last month honoring Faith Family Medical Center (FFMC) for its care of the working uninsured in Middle Tennessee. Deane, a former FFMC Board member, said it was important everyone in the local healthcare community know about Faith Family … particularly in light of the Affordable Care Act and vote to not expand Medicaid in Tennessee. He noted employed people who either don’t qualify for ACA insurance or who can’t afford it, are left with few options for primary medical care.
Cumberland Consulting Group, a national technology implementation and project management firm, recently announced the selection of partner Jeff Lee to Consulting Magazine’s 2014 Top 25 Consultants list. The honor recognizes the 25 most influential consultants of the year.
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia recently hosted its inaugural Mission & Awards dinner. Local honorees at the May event included Kent Price, CRNA, APN from Summit Medical Center, who won the Clinical Excellence Award; Wayne Winfree, CRNA, MS, APN, president of Cumberland Anesthesia in Carthage, who won the Mary Elizabeth DeVasher Distinguished Alumni Service Award; Hampton Bisalski, CRNA, MS, APN, who has served as an MTSA instructor and alumni association trustee, who was honored with the Mission & Heritage Award; the Nevin Downs Leadership Award went to Arthur Runyon-Hass, MD, PhD, a practicing anesthesiologist who joined Nashville’s Anesthesia Medical Group (AMG) in 1991; and the posthumous presentation of the Philanthropy Award to founder Bernard V. Bowen, CRNA.
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) recently announced TriStar Ashland City Medical Center as one of the top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the United States for patient satisfaction.
BlueCross Announces New Leadership Positions
Recently, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee named several additions to the senior leadership team.
Danny Timblin has been named president and CEO of Onlife Health, the company’s wellness subsidiary. The move represents a return for Timblin, who was part of the original leadership team that guided BlueCross’ strategic relationship with Onlife eight years ago. He joined BlueCross in 2006 with oversight of strategic investments and acquisitions. In 2007, he was promoted to director of strategic services and a year later was appointed vice president and treasurer. In 2012, Timblin was named vice president of strategy and execution. Most recently, he served as CFO of Boston-based healthcare communication and technology company NaviNet. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, studied at the London School of Economics, and holds an MBA from Georgia State University.
Barbara Easterling Smith, MD, has been named associate chief medical officer. In addition to collaborating with the provider community, Smith also will provide leadership for the BlueCross teams and drive processes that improve clinical quality and member health outcomes. She joined BlueCross in 2009 as the medical director for government programs. Previously, Smith worked as a board certified family physician with 20 years’ experience in direct patient care as a primary care physician and medical practice owner and six years’ experience in health plan medical management. Smith received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi, School of Medicine. She will report to BlueCross CMO Andrea Willis, MD.
Lisa Slattery has been named vice president of quality management. In this role, she will lead BlueCross’ clinical quality programs and further develop data driven strategies to augment provider collaboration efforts and member engagement. She has extensive experience in quality and compliance, previously working with MedHOK Healthcare Solutions and HealthFirst, Inc. Slattery holds bachelor degrees from North Carolina State and he University of Florida and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification from Villanova University.
Marc Barclay has been tapped as vice president of provider networks and contracting. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operations associated with BlueCross’ extensive provider networks, including contracting. Previously, he served as senior director of regional network management at CENTENE Corporation, where he was responsible for negotiating complex provider contracts. He has also served in management positions with UnitedHealthcare of Tennessee and Humana. Barclay received his undergraduate degree from Belmont University and his MHSA from the University of Saint Francis.
Stephani J. Ryan has been named director of the CHOICES program department of BlueCare Tennessee, while Melissa Scissom will fill Ryan’s previous post as director of the Cover Tennessee program.
NorthCrest Names CFO
NorthCrest Medical Center has named Kim Pridgen as vice president and chief financial officer. She has served as interim CFO at NorthCrest for the past several months.
A certified public accountant with 16 years of experience in healthcare accounting, Pridgen joined NorthCrest in 2008 as controller. Previously, she spent more than 10 years in the accounting and finance department of Sumner Regional Health System, now known as Highpoint Health System. Pridgen, who received her accounting degree and master’s from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, also serves as an adjunct accounting professor for Union University in Hendersonville.
Shareable Ink Names Shorten Chief Growth Officer
Shareable Ink, an enterprise cloud computing firm that transforms point-of-care clinical documentation into structured data, announced last month that Greg Shorten has joined the company to the newly created position of chief growth officer (CGO). In this role, he will oversee sales, business development and marketing.
Shorten brings more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience. Most recently, Shorten served as senior vice president of Sales at Allscripts for 13 years. He has also held the roles of national sales manager, ChannelHealth at IDX Systems, regional sales director at Genzyme, and sales executive at US Surgical.
Avondale Adds Senior Analyst
Investment banking and wealth management firm Avondale Partners recently announced the addition of Donald Ellis, PharmD, as a senior analyst covering the specialty pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals sectors for the firm.
Ellis spent 10 years in medical practice as a clinical pharmacologist with the VA Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente hospital systems in California, followed by 16 years in equity research and four years in financial service consulting. Ellis earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Southern California. He also holds an MBA from the University of San Diego.
Miller & Martin Adds Three to Nashville Office
Last month, Miller & Martin announced the addition of three attorneys — Douglas Berry, David Lewis and Catie Lane Bailey — as the firm rebuilds its presence in the Nashville market.
Of the three, Lewis focuses on healthcare law and was previously the vice president and associate legal counsel at LifePoint Hospitals. With more than 25 years of legal healthcare experience, Lewis previously served in private practice and with Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, SC, and Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga. He is a past chair of the Tennessee Bar Association health law section and currently serves as vice chair of the Physician Organizations Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association. He received his undergraduate, master’s and law degree from the University of Tennessee.
The Joints Are Jumping
The end of April saw a good bit of movement in joint replacement.
Southern Joint Replacement Institute and TriStar Centennial Medical Center announced the relocation of Southern Joint Replacement Institute’s practice to the Centennial campus On April 23. Orthopaedic surgeons Michael J. Christie, MD, David K. DeBoer, MD, Jeffrey T. Hodrick, MD, and J. Craig Morrison, MD, will relocate the practice, which currently performs joint replacements on more than 2,000 patients annually, by the end of the year.
That same day, Saint Thomas Health announced approval of their CON to expand and renovate space dedicated to orthopedic services at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital as part of a larger effort to develop the Saint Thomas Joint Replacement Institute to coordinate and expand joint replacement services across Saint Thomas Health. The $25 million project includes renovating 94,000 square feet of space resulting in eight dedicated operating rooms. Saint Thomas Health has been working with a number of joint replacement and orthopedic providers, notably Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance (TOA) and Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Care in developing the Institute model.
PearlPoint Cancer Support Expands Staff
Building on several years of growth, PearlPoint Cancer Support recently announced the addition of Suzanne Zutter as director of development, Jan Harrison as executive assistant, and Emily Hogan and Margaret Martin as nutrition educators.
Aspen Dental Opens New Area Office
On June 5, a new Aspen Dental office is opening in Murfreesboro at 2711 Medical Center Parkway. Meharry graduate JoKeidre Butler, DDS, will serve as lead dentist for the new office, which offers a full range of services from exams and hygiene services to treatment of periodontal disease, extractions, fillings, oral surgery, dentures, crown and bridge work, and whitening. The Murfreesboro practice is one out of 19 Aspen Dental-branded locations in Tennessee, a state where 94 percent of the counties have dental health professional shortage areas as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Curcio Dermatology Opens in Green Hills
Earlier this spring, Natalie Curcio, MD, opened Curcio Dermatology in Grace’s Plaza in Green Hills. The practice, offering dermatologic surgery and skin rejuvenation, features state-of-the-art technology including the newest dermatologic lasers and devices. Services provided include medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and surgical dermatology, including the Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer treatment.
Curcio completed her undergraduate and medical education, including her dermatology residency, at Vanderbilt. Additionally, she completed fellowships in dermatologic cosmetic and laser surgery and in Mohs micrographic surgery.
Suiter Named Aegis Health CEO
At the end of April, Aegis Health Group announced industry veteran Phillip Suiter had been selected as CEO. Suiter will assume the role currently served by Lori Copeland, co-founder and chief financial officer, of the business development strategy and population health management company.
Suiter stepped down in January as CEO and president of OB/GYN electronic medical record provider Artemis Health Group, which had previously been known as digiChart. Before that, he led Transaction Tracking Technologies, Gordian Health Solutions, Stinger Medical and NotifyMD as well as serving in several leadership roles at Vanderbilt University.
UL Workplace Health and Safety Appoints Medical Advisory Board
Last month, Franklin-based UL Workplace Health and Safety announced it has named four leading healthcare experts to its newly established Medical Advisory Board. Three physicians, Drs. Steven Crawford, Richard Lewis, and Peter Vasquez, plus Juanita Kantner, a certified occupational health nurse-specialist, will serve as consultants for the company to help identify trends, regulations and clinical issues impacting the delivery of safety, occupational, and environmental medicine and management services in the workplace.
MindCare Solutions Group Signs Agreement with Genesis Physician Services
MindCare Solutions Group, Inc., a Nashville-based healthcare company with a mission to facilitate the integration of behavioral and medical care in order to produce better patient outcomes, announced last month that it has signed an agreement with Genesis Physicians Services. Through this relationship, MindCare Solutions Group will provide behavioral health services to patients within the skilled nursing facilities of Genesis HealthCare, one of the nation’s largest skilled nursing care providers.
MindCare Solutions Group will initially provide psychiatry and other behavioral health services to patients in select Genesis facilities in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Virginia, and will expand to select centers in West Virginia in 2014. MindCare Solutions Group offers a uniquely integrated tele-behavioral health services platform and network of behavioral healthcare providers.
LifePoint Hospitals Names Reed V. Tuckson to Board
Brentwood-based LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. recently announced its Board of Directors has elected Reed V. Tuckson, MD, as a Class II director of the company, increasing the size of the board from eight to nine members.
Tuckson's initial term expires at the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. He will serve on the Audit and Compliance Committee, Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Quality Committee.
Tuckson serves as the managing director of Tuckson Health Connections, LLC, a private health and medical care consulting company. From December 2006 to March 2013, he served as the executive vice president and chief of medical affairs of UnitedHealth Group. Tuckson's prior experience includes service as senior vice president, professional standards, for the American Medical Association, president of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, senior vice president for programs of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and Commissioner of Public Health for the District of Columbia.
Lovell Communications Inc. Signs New Clients
In the first quarter of 2014, Lovell Communications signed contracts to provide public relations and marketing support for several new clients across the country, including several involved in healthcare.
New clients include:
Vivere Health, LLC, in Franklin, a leading expert for building, managing and enhancing multi-specialty Ambulatory Surgery Centers and In Vitro Fertilization Laboratories for comprehensive reproductive health and beyond;
Oregon Medical Group, located in Eugene and Springfield, Ore., a primary care based multi-specialty group with more than 100 physicians and 13 neighborhood clinics;
Reliant Rehabilitation in Plano, Texas, a leading provider of rehabilitation management services – providing programs to Acute Care Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Sub-acute Facilities, LTACHs, Rehab Hospitals, and CCRCs across the United States;
IPX, Inc., in Nashville, a privately held company that helps innovators from the individual inventor to the largest global organizations identify their most promising inventions and related intellectual property; and
National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants, in Reston, Va., which provides an active forum for networking and sharing best practices, offering its members an in-depth understanding of the healthcare environment.
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Announces Partnership in China
In May, Nashville-based Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CPIX) and China’s Gloria Pharmaceuticals Co. (SHE: 002437) announced a joint research & development initiative. Each company has made a $1 million investment in Cumberland Emerging Technologies (“CET”), which is majority owned by Cumberland and partners with academic research centers to develop promising biopharmaceutical technologies. The new funds will be used to accelerate development of CET’s pipeline of new product candidates emerging from Vanderbilt University and other regional research centers.
Frost-Arnett Expands in Kentucky
Nashville-based Frost-Arnett, an accounts receivable management company specializing in office solutions for healthcare organizations, recently announced the creation of 70 new full-time jobs and an investment of $620,000 to expand its Campbellsville, Ky. facility.
Vanderbilt Study Finds Physical Signs of Depression Common Among ICU Survivors
Depression affects more than one out of three survivors of critical illness, according to a Vanderbilt study released in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and the majority of patients experience their symptoms physically rather than mentally.
It is one of the largest studies to investigate the mental health and functional outcomes of critical care survivors, according to lead author James Jackson, PsyD, assistant professor of Medicine, and it highlights a significant public health issue, with roughly 5 million patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in the United States each year.
Weakness, appetite change and fatigue — all signs of somatic, or physical, depression — were present in two-thirds of the patients, as opposed to cognitive symptoms such as sadness, guilt or pessimism.
The BRAIN-ICU study observed 821 critically ill patients ages 18-90 with respiratory failure or severe sepsis (blood poisoning) admitted to medical or surgical ICUs at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Saint Thomas Hospital.
Vanderbilt researchers assessed survivors for depression, PTSD, functional disability and impact on quality of life at three-month and one-year intervals, reporting that 149 of the 407 patients (37 percent) assessed at three months had at least mild depression, while only 7 percent of patients experienced symptoms of PTSD.
“Depression symptoms were significantly more common than symptoms of PTSD,” Jackson said. “And they occurred to a large degree across the entire age range. People tend to have a vision of a frail, older patient who goes to the ICU and is at risk for adverse mental health and, in particular, functional outcomes. But what people don’t anticipate is someone in their 20s, 30s or 40s could go to the ICU and leave with functional disability, depression or PTSD. These problems are not really a function of old age.”
One-third of the survivors who developed depression still had depressive symptoms at their one-year assessment, a statistic that Jackson said could, in part, be due to high expectations they set for rehabilitation.
“So that’s a big challenge, recalibrating expectations. This is especially hard for the many high-achieving, type A, patients that we might see who leave the ICU and want to get back to work right away, want to compete in the triathlon right away. They tend to have the hardest time,” he said.
Jackson said study authors gained additional perspective on their patients by doing at-home assessments following discharge. “Home visits were the really interesting part of this,” Jackson said. “What it enabled us to do was to see patients in their real-life surroundings in actual circumstances in which they were sometimes a little more willing, I think, to disclose their problems. He continued, “One thing we learned was that if people don’t have significant social support, they are profoundly limited in their ability to access care or improve in key areas,” he added.
Vanderbilt is now following ICU patients after discharge through the Vanderbilt ICU Recovery Center, which opened in late 2012, Jackson said.
OGA Developing Large Lab in Florida
Nashville-based healthcare real estate developer OGA is adding to an already successful 2014 with news that it will develop a new lab for DaVita in DeLand, Florida. The new space will provide much needed growth for the lab, which currently operates out of several facilities in DeLand.
The project is expected to break ground this year, with completion of the 65,000-square-foot lab slated for early-to-mid 2015.
