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Hamilton to hold type 2 diabetes support group

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Jeremy Walraven, NCSF certified fitness consultant for Bradley Wellness Center, will speak for Hamilton Medical Center’s Type 2 diabetes support group on Tuesday, July 20.

DALTON, Ga. – Jeremy Walraven, NCSF certified fitness consultant for Bradley Wellness Center, will be the guest speaker for Hamilton Medical Center’s Type 2 diabetes support group on Tuesday, July 20, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Diabetes and Nutrition Center classroom at 1109 Burleyson Road, Suite 103, in Dalton.

Walraven’s topic will be “Exercise and how to overcome obstacles.”

The program is free and open to the public.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In this illness, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells do not use the insulin, which is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy.

Space is limited. Please call 706-272-6079 to register.

Bradley Wellness Center holds Camp BWC

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Hannah Snyder shows some dance moves to the campers.

Will Brown participates in an egg relay during field day activities.

DALTON, Ga. – Bradley Wellness Center recently held Camp BWC, a health and fitness camp for children ages 5 to 11. Two more sessions of Camp BWC will be held July 12-15 and July 19-22. Sessions run from 8 a.m. to noon.

Activities include: Martial arts, soccer, basketball, pool time, snack/healthy eating lessons, crafts, dance, field day activities and more.

“We want children to see that fitness is fun,” said Mandy Hunter, Camp BWC program supervisor. “If they learn good eating and exercise habits now, they’re more likely to be healthy in the future.”

The fee is $75 per session for BWC members and $100 per session for non-members.

For more information or to register call 706-278-WELL (9355)

Adrian Buttenhoff teaches Karate to campers.

Medical professionals volunteer time to provide sports physicals

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

DALTON, Ga. – Six physicians, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant recently volunteered their time to provide sports physicals to 901 local athletes.


Pam Abernathy, nurse practitioner	Dr. David Dinges	Dr. Conrad Easley


Dr. Mitch Frix	Dr. Gary Olson

Students from Whitfield, Murray and Gordon counties showed up at Bradley Wellness Center by the busload to get their physicals. BWC staff members and Hamilton Sports Medicine Certified Athletic Trainers coordinated the event with the high schools.

For six hours, the medical professionals provided sports screening physicals, which involved checks on vital signs, height, weight and vision, as well as a review of a comprehensive medical questionnaire.

Between 750 and 900 students receive free sports physicals every year through the program.

Participating medical professionals were David Dinges, MD; John Norman Sr., MD; Mitch Frix, MD; Gary Olson, MD; Conrad Easley, MD; James Lashley, MD; Pam Abernathy, nurse practitioner; and Dave Langlois, physician assistant.

In 1997, Frix and Mike Goforth, former director of Hamilton Sports Medicine and current director of sports medicine at Virginia Tech University, initially started the program – with the support of Hamilton Medical Center – by going to individual schools to provide sports physicals.

“Going out to schools for seven or eight days became so difficult that we combined the service into a one-day event,” said Frix.

Frix said he became involved because of the lack of a sports medicine program when he
started in Dalton in 1996.

“The coaches were on their own when a player was injured,” Frix said. “I wanted Dalton and the surrounding counties to have access to a sports program for their school systems that was as comprehensive as schools in metropolitan areas.”

Hamilton Sports Medicine provides athletic trainers outreach athletic assistance at local high schools in Murray, Whitfield and Gordon counties. As part of the program, an athletic trainer is on-sight at local high school, professional and community sports events. The Sports Medicine staff includes certified athletic trainers who are trained in care and prevention of athletic injuries.

Children with Diabetes and Their Parents Benefit from Camp Sweet Control

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Camp Sweet Control campers participate in a busy schedule of educational and fun activities at the two-day camp recently held on the Hamilton Medical Center campus.

Dalton, Ga. – Learning you are diabetic is scary at any age. Imagine you are told you have diabetes at the young age of five or at the age of 13 when adolescence is already enough of a challenge in your life. Think about being the parent of a toddler and you have just been told your child has Type 1 diabetes. A diagnosis of diabetes brings uncertainty to both parent and child, no matter the age.

On June 10th and 11th, twenty-seven children, ages 6-14, with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or those at risk for Type 2 diabetes, attended Camp Sweet Control sponsored by the Hamilton Diabetes and Nutrition Center and the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation. Also on June 11th, a free seminar for parents of children with diabetes was held at the Hamilton Diabetes and Nutrition Center. Both camp and seminar are held in an effort to educate parent and child to better understand and control diabetes.

This is the seventh year for Camp Sweet Control and due to repeated requests from parents and campers this year’s camp was held over a two day period, enabling more time for educational sessions designed to meet the special needs of young people who have diabetes. The additional day also gave the campers the opportunity to further develop friendships with other children with diabetes through fun activities such as scavenger hunts, relay races, swimming, water balloon battles and basketball. This year’s camp theme was “Blood Sugar Control is Freedom” and the children received patriotic take home items and decorated their own t-shirts reflecting the theme.

“The goal of Camp Sweet Control is to educate children to better understand and control their diabetes, to promote independence and self-discipline, to build self-confidence and self-esteem. With the camp expanded to a two-day format it gave us more of an opportunity to help campers to meet these goals”, said camp director Mary Kendrick of Hamilton’s Diabetes and Nutrition Center.
Diabetes education included information on insulin pumps and insulin injections, coping with psychosocial issues, diet instruction for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics and how important exercise in conjunction with the proper diet is to better health. To reinforce the learning experience, prizes were awarded for correct answers to diabetes related questions. The children took pre-session and post-session tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational sessions.

Local physician’s offices, along with the Diabetes Treatment Center staff, helped identify these children and bring them into the Camp Sweet Control sessions. To add your child’s name to the mailing list for next year’s Camp Sweet Control or for more information about the camp, contact the Diabetes Treatment Center, at 706-272-6079.

Hamilton to offer non-supplement weight loss program

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Hamilton Healthier You, a new, six-week, non-supplemental weight loss program, will be offered beginning July 12. Above are some of the professional educators involved in the program. From left are Jeremy Walraven, NCSF certified fitness consultant; Leslie Roberts, licensed and registered dietitian for Hamilton’s Diabetes Treatment Center; and Gary Tester, LCSW, behavioral health.

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Medical Center Weight Management will offer Hamilton Healthier You, a new, six-week, non-supplement weight loss program, beginning July 12.

“This program focuses on behavior changes to facilitate safe, lasting weight loss,” said Leslie Roberts, licensed and registered dietitian for Hamilton’s Diabetes Treatment Center.

Classes will cover diet/nutrition, food journaling, exercise and weight loss, restaurant practices, menu modification and smart snacking. The program will also include a grocery store tour.

In addition to Roberts, other professional educators include Sha Pritchett, RN; Jeremy Walraven, NCSF certified fitness consultant; and Gary Tester, LCSW, behavioral health.

The cost is $195. Please call 706-272-6668 to register

Hamilton presents Core Measure Excellence Awards

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

From left are Rajiv Verma, MD, FACP, FACC; Dawn Hooper, medical assistant; Clista Tallent, office manager; and Jan Haller, LPN. Verma received Hamilton’s Core Measure Excellence Award for April.

In the back, from left, are Christie Thomas, RN; Tiffany Cross, RN, BSN (award winner); Leslie Sainthill, RN; Maria Thomas, nursing tech; and Jason Pendergrass, RN. In the front are Ludy Watson, nursing tech; and Amy Moore, RN.

DALTON, Ga. (June 28, 2010) – Hamilton Medical Center recently presented Core Measure Excellence Awards to Tiffany Cross, RN, BSN, and Rajiv Verma, MD, FACP, FACC, for high quality patient care of Acute Myocardial Infarction patients.

For the month of April, Cross and Verma scored above the national average in indicators within the AMI measure set. Winners of the award consistently prove through their documentation that they are compliant with the set standards, and that they have provided highest quality of care to their patients. The award focuses on all disciplines involved in a patient’s care while at the hospital.

According to Julie Goins, Clinical Data Systems coordinator, Hamilton scored 100 percent on all indicators within the measure set for SCIP patients in April.

“We cannot emphasize enough the vital role that all disciplines play in obtaining these goals,” said Molly Myers, Clinical Data Systems coordinator.

Lisa Owen, RN, and Glenn H. Boyd, MD, PC, were recognized as Core Measure Excellence Award honorable mention winners for their overall core measure excellence efforts.

In 2004, The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began working together to develop a set of common standardized performance measures called, “Hospital Quality Measures.” The Joint Commission and CMS have developed the set of criteria as the standard of care through evidence-based practice, that are in place to improve the quality of care provided to hospital patients. This set standard allows a hospital’s performance to be compared against overall national rates.

Currently, Hospital Quality Measures, also known as core measures, include Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), Heart Failure (HF), Pneumonia (PN) and Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP). Each month a different core measure set will be highlighted. Clinical Data Systems coordinators are reviewing May’s data sets for Pneumonia. Two new award winners will be announced when the process is completed.

Hospital board honors Dr. R. Blaine Minor

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Dr. Blaine Minor, left, is recognized by Gary Middleton, chairman of the Murray Medical Center, Inc. Board of Trustees.

Chatsworth, Ga. – The Murray Medical Center, Inc. Board of Trustees honored Dr. Blaine Minor at its meeting on June 21 as he completes nine years of service to the Board this month.

The Board adopted a resolution to honor Minor as a community leader in health care.

“Dr. Minor has been a long-standing member of our board and has given freely of his time and knowledge toward making our hospital a better facility and increasing the quality of care that our patients receive,” said Jim Hazel, hospital administrator. “We have been so lucky to have Dr. Minor as a part of our board for all these years. Our hospital could not have achieved many of the things we have today without his leadership.

The resolution stated a number of accomplishments the hospital has achieved during Minor’s time with the board. Minor has helped the hospital achieve high patient, physician and associate satisfaction survey scores, as well as contributed to management and staff development. Minor also helped the hospital upgrade services including MRI and Nuclear Medicine, Med Dispense Automated Medication Systems, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, ER physician staffing through Emergency Coverage Corporation, purchase of a new X-ray tomographic unit, echo-cardiology probe, ED cardiac monitoring systems and system computer and telecommunication. Minor also supported the bond issue and long-term lease of Murray Medical Center to Hamilton Health Care System from the Murray County Hospital Authority, which allowed for the funding for the hospital expansion project.

“It is so important for community hospitals like ours to have great leadership,” said Hazel. “Dr. Minor is a great leader for the health care interests of Murray County. We look forward to his continued leadership as a member of our medical staff.

Cohutta Springs set to host Murray in Motion

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Chatsworth, Ga. – Cohutta Springs Conference Center will host a community fun day on Sunday, Aug. 29 from 2 to 7 p.m. Organizers plan to make it an annual event.

The event, now named Murray in Motion, was sponsored by Cohutta Springs and the Chamber of Commerce in 2009. It hosted 200 parents and children on the grounds of the Conference Center last year in a day dedicated to having fun as a family.

For 2010, the Conference Center has expanded the size of the event to 300 parents and children ages 10 and up by partnering not only with the Chamber of Commerce, but with Murray Medical Center and Georgia Mountains Health in bringing a healthy living theme to the event.

“We are honored to be working with Cohutta Springs on this project,” said John Holt, marketing coordinator for the hospital. “We feel that adding a health component to this event just made sense. Hopefully this event will educate people more about healthy living choices as well as offer them local solutions to their health care needs.”

At the event, Murray Medical Center and Georgia Mountains Health will offer free medical screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and Body Mass Index. They will provide free information on local health care options as well as pressing health issues for children and adults. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in the health side of the event by visiting booths hosted by host medical organizations as well as other health care professionals.

“We feel that adding a health component to this event offers a very significant benefit to those attending,” said Oliver LeMaitre, director of Cohutta Springs. “Our community’s health care is a top priority. We feel that by providing people with the right knowledge about health care choices in a fun environment we can encourage both children and adults to maintain better lifestyles.”

As well as medical vendors, the Conference Center plans to host booths for crafts and other community organizations.

The event will offer fun for children and adults including water slides, a zip line, swimming, Torpedo speed boating, the Blob and much more. Dinner is included in the ticket price.

Tickets are $2 per person and can be purchased at three locations in Chatsworth including: the Chamber of Commerce, 126 N. 3rd Ave.; the Administration offices at Murray Medical Center, 707 Old Dalton Ellijay Road; and Georgia Mountains Health, 1008 N. 3rd Ave.

All ticket sales will be cash-only in advance. Ticket sales are limited to the first 300 participants and each individual will need a ticket to access the property the day of the event. For safety reasons, the zip line will be limited to the first 120 participants, and tickets including a zip line time can only be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at 706-695-6060. Tickets go on sale July 1.

For more information or to become a vendor at the event, call Peggy Hallman, Community Outreach manager for Cohutta Springs, at 706-695-9093.

Hamilton Medical Center places on Quality Honor Roll

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ATLANTA – Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton, Ga., has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll. Hamilton is one of 51 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Presidential category, one of the highest on the list. The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from January 2009 to December 2009.

“This is a great accomplishment for Hamilton Medical Center.” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Hamilton staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”

All acute care hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS. This data details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of eight Appropriate Care Measures (ACM), which are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for patients who have suffered heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia. The ACM is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time.

For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient’s arrival. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.

“It is our goal to ensure that our patients receive the right care at the right time and this recognition validates this,” said Jeff Myers, chief executive officer of Hamilton. “This honor is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff who are constantly working to make excellent care even better.”

The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.

Hamilton earns gold for stroke care

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

In the front, from left, are Joan Hughes, 2A Stroke Unit clinical manager; Christina Banks, Stroke Service Line Team coordinator/clinical nurse specialist; Mary Robichaux, vice president for Quality Improvement, American Heart Association; Lisa DeFore, laboratory manager; Emily Ward, RN; and Kim Nickels, director of Quality Improvement, American Heart Association. In the back are Rick Cobb, director of Hamilton Emergency Medical Services; Susan Higgins, director, Surgical Services; Bradley Burgess, supervisor, Radiology (CT-Scan); Mary Morris, RN; Jamie Bryant, Radiology, CT technologist; and Robert Hubbs, Hamilton Medical Center Board of Trustees.

DALTON, Ga. – Hamilton Medical Center recently received the “Stroke: Get with the Guidelines” Gold Performance Achievement Award for providing care that’s consistent with the most up-to-date scientific guidelines.

The recognition is the result of working with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association on the program.

“It’s great to receive the Gold Award. But the part that really matters is the positive difference we are making in the lives of our patients,” said Tina Banks, RN, Stroke Service Line Team coordinator/clinical nurse specialist. “Staying on the cutting edge in stroke care is a significant way to serve our community.”

In 2001, Hamilton was selected as one of the original 48 participating hospitals with the “Get With the Guidelines” Stroke Program. In 2003, Hamilton chose to expand and improve the care it provides by becoming the region’s first certified stroke center. Over the past seven years, Hamilton has treated thousands of stroke patients, and has also earned Silver and Bronze awards from the American Stroke Association.

For more information, visit www.hamiltonhealth.com/stroke.

Hamilton to host June Joint Moves event

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

DALTON, Ga. – Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Michael Wilson will speak on "Arthritis, joint pain and joint replacements" at a Hamilton Medical Center Joint Moves event on Monday, June 21 from 11:30 to 12:45 p.m. in the Brown Conference Center at Hamilton.

The program is free, and light refreshments will be provided.
“Arthritis can be a very debilitating disease,” said Wilson. “Many patients are confused by available treatment options. There are non-surgical options, but when non-surgical options fail, surgery can provide relief from the pain.”

Arthritis is among the most common causes of knee and hip pain. Osteoarthritis is most common in people over 50 years of age, and in people with a family history of arthritis. In osteoarthritis, the articular cartilage that cushions the bones wears away. Eventually the bones rub against each other, causing pain and stiffness.

Non-operative treatments for joint pain include anti-inflammatory drugs or other treatments such as physical therapy. When non-operative treatments offer little relief, and everyday activities are limited due to stiffness and pain, knee or hip replacement surgery may be the solution to allow people to keep moving without pain.

Please register by June 18 by calling 706-272-6022. Space is limited.

MURRAY MEDICAL CENTER PLACES ON QUALITY HONOR ROLL

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses

ATLANTA –Murray Medical Center in Chatsworth has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll. Murray Medical Center is one of 13 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Honor Roll category, one of the highest on the list. The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from January 2009 to December 2009.

“This is a great accomplishment for Murray Medical Center,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Murray Medical Center staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”

“It is our mission to ensure that each of our patients receive the right care at the right time and this recognition validates this,” said Jim Hazel, administrator of Murray Medical Center. “This honor is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff who are constantly working to make excellent care even better.”

GMCF congratulates Murray Medical Center for high quality

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

(ATLANTA, Ga.) – Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF) has recognized Murray Medical Center for improving surgical care by significantly reducing surgical complications.

“We are very proud of our dedicated employees and their focus on patient-centered care. Murray Medical is committed to delivering the highest quality service,” said Jim Hazel, Administrator.

Murray Medical Center participated in the national Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), which began in 2005. This quality partnership focuses on improving surgical care and reducing the incidence of surgical complications. Its measures are intended to ensure that infections do not occur, and to prevent blood clots from forming, among other key areas.

“Murray Medical Center is truly committed to improving the quality of care for Georgia’s patients,” noted Anne Hernandez, manager of GMCF’s Patient Safety Initiative. “By working to reduce surgical complications, Murray improved the quality of patients’ lives and helped to reduce health care costs.”

Quality of care measures for all hospitals are tracked and reported publicly on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare Web site. To view Hospital Compare, visit www.medicare.gov, scroll down to select “Hospitals” under Resource Locator.

GMCF, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Georgia, is a not-for-profit, physician-sponsored organization dedicated to continuously improving health care. In operation since 1970, GMCF provides innovative health care solutions focused on quality improvement, utilization management, medical review, and health care outcomes research. For more information, please visit www.gmcf.org.

Murray Medical Center
is a 42 bed acute-care hospital located in Chatsworth, Georgia. Founded in 1949, Murray Medical Center is focused on serving the medical needs of Murray County and the surrounding area. Winner of multiple awards including a recent VHA recognition for Clinical Excellence, as well as membership in the GHA (Georgia Hospital Association) honor roll, the hospital recently scored in the top 6% in the country in patient satisfaction surveys administered by Press Ganey Associates Inc.. The hospital is part of the Hamilton Health Care System and the sister facility to Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton, Georgia. For more information on Murray Medical Center please visit www.murraymedical.org, or contact us at 706.695.4564.

Hamilton educates children on brain, spinal cord injury prevention

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Dr. Michel Paré speaks to a group of students on brain and spinal cord injury prevention at Roan School.

DALTON, Ga. – During the month of May, Hamilton Medical Center has promoted brain and spinal cord injury prevention to more than 950 children in the Dalton area.

Dr. Michel Paré, neurological surgeon, presented programs for fifth and eighth graders in Dalton Public Schools.

“Protecting your brain and spinal cord is important because there is no cure for brain and spinal cord injuries,” said Paré. “Accidents will happen and you can’t always control them. Smart choices are what you can control.

Paré offered some ways to prevent neurological injuries. They are:
• Buckle up in the car, as the driver or passenger, in the front seat and the back seat.
• Don’t text and drive.
• Wear a helmet when biking or skateboarding.
• Jump in feet first, first time when enjoying water sports.

The ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, formerly known as the National Head and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, was first implemented nationally in 1986.

ThinkFirst started at Hamilton in 2009. It is sponsored by Hamilton’s Spine Center. For more information on the Spine Center, call 706-529-7124.

Hamilton’s Emergency Department addresses wait times

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

DALTON, Ga. – Some patients are getting in and out of Hamilton Medical Center’s Emergency Department quicker than in the past.

A new process called “Super Track” was recently initiated to help address wait times and bed shortages in the Emergency Department.

“One of my patients said that it (Super Track) was like ‘Happy Hour in the ER,’” said Shayni Grant, nurse practitioner.

During high volume hours, a nurse and a nurse practitioner or physician assistant are stationed in a room near the entrance of the Emergency Department. When a patient with a low acuity complaint (those who need non-emergent care) checks in, he or she bypasses the traditional process of seeing a triage nurse and is taken to an exam room to be evaluated when a provider becomes available.

According to Cathy Ferguson, Emergency Department director, the patient is evaluated almost immediately in a triage room. This process is designed for patients who need very few resources, such as only one X-ray or a lab test. Instead of taking up an exam room, the patient may wait in the lobby or a results waiting area if a test has to be ordered.

The process allows exam rooms to be saved for sicker patients while less sick patients get in and out quicker than if they went through the traditional process.

“We have had many instances of patients getting in and out of the ED in less than 20 minutes,” said Ferguson.

Super Track is a result of a collaborative effort between Hamilton Medical Center and TEAMHealth to improve efficiency in the Emergency Department. This effort began with a five-day course for department leaders in Washington, D.C., on LEAN Healthcare.