The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that Medicare is adding coverage for preventive services to reduce obesity. This adds to Medicare’s existing portfolio of preventive services that are now available without cost sharing under the Affordable Care Act. It complements the Million Hearts initiative led jointly by CMS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with other HHS agencies, communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, and private sector partners across the country to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the next 5 years.

Screening for obesity and counseling for eligible beneficiaries by primary care providers in settings such as physicians’ offices are covered under this new benefit. For a beneficiary who screens positive for obesity with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2, the benefit would include one face-to-face counseling visit each week for one month and one face-to-face counseling visit every other week for an additional five months. The beneficiary may receive one face-to-face counseling visit every month for an additional six months (for a total of 12 months of counseling) if he or she has achieved a weight reduction of at least 6.6 pounds (or 3 kilograms) during the first six months of counseling.

Dermatology Realm check presentation to LeBonheur

Dr. Adam Baker, owner of Dermatology Realm, presents a check for $1,400 to Joni Taylor, Special Events Coordinator with LeBonheur Foundation. The annual donation is done to support the services of LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.

Physician Named as Department Chair for Women’s and Children’s Services at Baptist DeSoto

The physicians of Memphis Obstetrics and Gynecological Association, PC (MOGA) are pleased to announce their commendations to Dr. Alok Kumar on being named Department Chair for Women’s and Children’s Services at Baptist Memorial Hospital, DeSoto.

Dr. Kumar is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology.  He attended high school at Memphis’ own White Station High School, and obtained his undergraduate degree from Duke University.

James Dale, UTHSC Receives $315,000 Grant for Vaccine Development

James Dale, MD, Gene H. Stollerman Professor of Medicine and chief, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a grant for $315,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Funding will be used to continue the development of vaccines against one of the most common bacterial infections in humans, streptococcal sore throat, more commonly known as strep throat.  Subject to funds availability and project progress, the grant is renewable annually over five years with a projected total value of $1,575,000.

The project titled, “Vaccine Prevention of Group A Streptococcal Infections,” is an extension of ongoing work by Dr. Dale and his research team.  Their work has resulted in the discovery, development and clinical testing of highly complex recombinant M protein-based vaccines to prevent streptococcal infections in North America and Europe.  The new funding will allow Dr. Dale and his colleagues to identify a new generation of vaccines that can extend the potential coverage of treatment in areas of the world where group A streptococcal infections account for 90 percent of the global disease burden.

Graesser Will Receive U of M’s Presidential Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research

Dr. Art Graesser, professor of psychology and founding co-director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Memphis, will receive the first Presidential Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research from the University of Memphis. This award is the University’s highest level of research recognition given to its faculty.

After joining the U of M’s Psychology Department in 1985, Dr. Graesser, along with Dr. Stan Franklin, established the Institute for Intelligent Systems (IIS) as one of the first interdisciplinary research centers on campus. Today, IIS research involves approximately 60 faculty and students from the fields of computer science, mathematics, cognitive psychology, physics, neuroscience, education, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, engineering, and business.

Dr. Graesser is globally renowned as a leader in the learning sciences, with particular expertise in the fields of text comprehension, question answering, and intelligent tutoring systems.

The award will be presented to Graesser in a public ceremony during the University’s Centennial Research Celebration on February 28, 2012.

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis Opens New Hospital Service for Seniors

 Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis had a Ribbon-Cutting and Open House for the new Acute Care for Seniors Inpatient Unit (ACS) in Dec. The 15-bed inpatient unit, located on the 10th floor, features Care View, a state-of-the-art patient-monitoring system that allows for minimal use of physical restraints.  A Special Care Unit within the ACS unit has been created to care for mildly confused patients and features a one-to-two staff- to-patient ratio.  All ACS staff are specially trained to work with seniors. 

The Saint Francis Acute Care for Seniors Unit provides specialized, compassionate care that is tailored to the unique needs of patients 65 and older. A team of health care professionals from a number of disciplines including physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists and dietitians review and monitor each patient’s progress, problems and needs.

 Doctors and nurses often notice that older patients who were in the hospital for an acute illness begin to lose some of their ability to function independently. One way to combat this decline is for hospital staff to look at the total-care picture rather than focus just on the illness that led to the hospital stay.

 The unit itself is designed to encourage patients to socialize and remain as active as possible. The goal is for the patient to maintain and, when possible, improve their functional abilities.

 Some of the special features of the ASC unit include:

• Board Certified Geriatrician Medical Director

• Staff specially trained to meet geriatric patient needs (patients 65 and older)

• Telemetry (Cardiac Monitoring)

• Emphasis on appropriate nutrition and mobility for seniors

• Minimal use of catheters and physical restraints

• Senior Activity Lounge – includes flat screen TV, Wii games, Board games, Library and Music

Two New Physicians Join Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute

Sanjaya Satapathy, M.D., joins Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute as a hepatologist. Dr. Satapathy earned his medical degree from VSS Medical College, Sambalpur University, Sambalpur, India, where he also completed his residency in internal medicine. Dr. Satapathy went on to complete his clinical fellowship in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition, at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York.

Vinay Ranga, M.D., has accepted a position at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute as a nephrologist. Dr. Ranga earned his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. He completed a fellowship in transplant medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Ore. and a fellowship in nephrology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

Le Bonheur Foundation Announces New Board Members

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital recently announced four new members to its Foundation Board of Directors. The 31-member board serves as advisory council for the Le Bonheur Foundation.

New members include Floyd Tyler, founder of Memphis-based PreserverPartners; Joel Kimbrough, a partner in The Barnett Group; Steve Sansom, principal and co-founder of Green Square Capital; and Lauren Daughtry, president of the Le Bonheur Club.

The board also announced Larry Bryan as its chairman. Bryan has been a member of Le Bonheur’s Board of Directors since 2002. Bryan is founder and director of Diversified Trust in Memphis. Prior to founding Diversified Trust, he spent 13 years as treasurer and chief financial officer of Le Bonheur Health Systems.

Childspring International Brings Teen to Memphis

A 16-year-old Haitian boy named Stevenson Pierre was brought to Memphis by faith-based charity Childspring International to receive free surgery for an unusual congenital leg deformity.  Campbell Clinic donated clinical services from physician Dr. Jeffrey Sawyer, while LeBonheur provided hospital care and Smith & Nephew donated the implant. 

Stevenson was born with a significantly shortened right leg for which he had two surgeries in 2001 and 2003.  However, a portion of his leg required an amputation, which took place on Friday, November 4.  Once he is healed, Stevenson will go to Atlanta, Georgia, for his prosthetic leg.

While in Memphis, Stevenson stayed with the family of Reverend Bobby Waddell of DeSoto Woods Baptist Church in Southaven, Miss.  Stevenson speaks limited English – his primary language is Haitian Creole.  Fortunately, while at Campbell Clinic, Father Eduardo Logiste – a Dominican priest serving St. Peter Catholic Church in downtown Memphis – speaks Haitian Creole and was available to translate.

Dr. Sawyer said it was an honor to take part in the healing of Stevenson.

Mullins Named Memphis Rep

Kem Mullins, Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett chief executive officer, was named the Memphis district representative on the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Board of Directors.

Local Physicians Gain National Recognition by Peers in Chicago

Richard Duszak, M.D., and Robert J. Optican, M.D. from Memphis, were recognized and toasted at the 2011 Toast the Best Radiologists Celebration in Chicago in November. As radiologists they diagnose and treat patients with illness and injury through the use of diagnostic imaging procedures such as Computed Tomography (CAT scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, Catheterization and X-rays. Radiologists from the United States gathered in the Crystal Room at the Palmer House to recognize the accomplishments of the best radiologists, those who leverage the currencies of their success to serve their patients, their practice teams, their communities and the future of radiology.

The event preceded the Radiological Society of North America 2011 meeting where 70,000 Radiologists are gathered. Drs. Duszak and Optican went to Chicago to learn the cutting edge research discoveries that they can then translate into better patient care here in Memphis.

 Drs. Duszak and Optican are members of Mid-South Imaging & Therapeutics, P.A.

Methodist and CBU Partner to Provide Better Health to Congregations

Methodist Healthcare will be getting a helping hand from Christian Brothers University (CBU) nursing students to extend care to the community. Participating CBU students who are rotating through their community health course as part of the university’s RN to BSN track will be working with Methodist’s 400 Congregational Health Network (CHN) partners to decrease hospital admissions for conditions like heart disease, as well as to follow the healthcare activities of patients and families in select congregations. Students will also work with CHN in administering a Susan G. Komen grant focusing on getting more women mammograms and other diagnostics for breast care.

 CBU nursing students working with the Komen grant will help to identify women who fit the grant criteria and often “fall through the cracks” of access to diagnostic for breast health.  Carole Dickens, RN, nurse navigator for the grant, said Methodist was awarded a $150,000 grant in April to help underserved women navigate their way to better breast health. 

Women who are candidates for this grant will receive education about early detection, as well as vouchers for a free breast cancer screening at Methodist facilities and partnering safety net sites throughout the city said Teresa Cutts, Ph.D., Director of Research for Innovation with Methodist’s Center of Excellence in Faith and Health. The grant will provide for 500 screenings, 150 diagnostics, and 105 ultrasounds.

Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Laboratory Recognized

The laboratory at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett has been awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) based on the results of a recent onsite inspection.

The laboratory’s director, Justin C. Adler, M.D., was advised of the national recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided.  The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960’s, is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program.

Michael ‘Rudy’ Gilmore Selected As Floragraph Honoree

Michael ‘Rudy’ Gilmore of West Helena, Arkansas, will be honored as a floragraph honoree on the Donate Life Rose Parade float among other organ, eye and tissue donors who in their death, saved, healed and gave hope to thousands of people in need.

Michael’s mother, Jerlene, brother Demarcus and sister Kaneisha will travel to Pasadena to see his image transformed into one of 72 floragraphs that will adorn the Donate Life float in the 2012 Rose Parade on January 2, 2012.

Michael’s floragraph will be partially decorated in Pasadena and then completed by family and friends at a decorating event at Phillips Community College where he had been a student.

Before his senseless and tragic death, Michael Gilmore was a fun-loving, carefree, outgoing 24-year-old. His almost-permanent smile was a tipoff on what to expect: someone who loved to joke around and always seemed to have something funny to say.

After graduating with an Associates of Arts degree from Phillips Community College, he enrolled at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. His mother Jerlene, told him to learn something he loved. Physical Education seemed the perfect choice. In addition to class, Michael worked as a referee in the school’s intramural sports program when he wasn’t working at WalMart. He would have graduated in December 2010 had he not been murdered.

In April, 2010, police discovered Michael in his apartment, dead of a gunshot wound. He was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Police are still searching for the killer. They have very few clues and no suspect. His family knows of no one who might want to harm Michael. They only know Michael is gone.

Michael kept a journal which contained this entry: “The meaning of my life is to help others. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I was put here to help people some way or somehow.” He lived by that, and Michael and his brothers and sisters often took care of their special-needs brother who was born with spina bifida. Before Michael got his driver’s license, he told his mom he was going to be an organ donor because he wanted to help other people. “Why shouldn’t I? I won’t need them,” he told her.

Since his donation, Michael’s family has met his heart recipient as well as one of his kidney recipients. They now look forward to meeting the others whose lives have been saved by his gifts of life.

The family established the Michael Gilmore Memorial Scholarship in memory of their son which will provide financial assistance to male students at Philips County Community College achieve their educational goals.

Methodist Germantown Awarded Certification From Joint Commission

Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for certification as a Primary Stroke Center and The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for certification of disease-specific programs for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), hip replacement surgery, and knee replacement surgery.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care. In order to receive certification, hospitals undergo a rigorous on-site survey to evaluate compliance with nationally developed standards of care pertaining to each specific area of care.

Electrodiagnostic Expert Achieves Board Certification

 Dr. Ronald C. Bingham, founder of EMG Clinics of Tennessee, has achieved board certification in electrodiagnostic medicine from the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (ABEM) and is now an ABEM Diplomate.  The designation of ABEM Diplomate demonstrates that Dr. Bingham has obtained specific training and passed a comprehensive written and oral examination to demonstrate competency in electrodiagnostic evaluation of disorders of the neuromuscular system. Physicians who practice electrodiagnostic medicine diagnose and manage individuals of all ages who have medical problems related to muscle and nerve disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and neuropathies, just to name a few. The most common electrodiagnostic tests include electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies.

Dr. Bingham founded EMG Clinics of Tennessee in 1989.  EMG Clinics of Tennessee specializes in state-of-the-art nerve and muscle testing.  Based in Jackson, Tennessee, EMG Clinics of Tennessee also has satellite clinics in nine West Tennessee/North Mississippi communities.  EMG Clinics of Tennessee has become the industry standard for accurate and comprehensive evaluations of the peripheral nervous system.  Dr. Bingham received medical training from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and received his specialty training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Dr. Bingham is a member of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) and as a Diplomate of the ABEM is granted Fellow status with AANEM, the international association dedicated to advancing neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and electrodiagnostic medicine.

The American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine is the national certifying body for physicians specializing in electrodiagnostic medicine. It was established in 1989 to maintain the high standards required for electrodiagnostic certification and promote high quality patient care.

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