December Grand Rounds on Arkansas Medical News Inc.

December Grand Rounds

UA System Names New Education Building for Chancellor Wilson

LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees recently named the new education building at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in honor of UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., during the building's dedication ceremony.

The two-floor, 43,000-square-foot I. Dodd Wilson Education Building, which opened for classes in August, includes 16 classrooms and two auditoriums to accommodate growing enrollment in the five colleges and graduate school at UAMS. Naming the building for Wilson recognized more than two decades of growth and success at UAMS during Wilson's tenure, first as College of Medicine dean and since 2000 as chancellor.

Wilson Announced last year that he intended to retire June 30, 2009. UAMS, which has historically produced most of Arkansas' health care professionals, is expanding enrollment in its programs to meet health care work force shortages being compounded as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age. Enrollment at UAMS has grown 43 percent during Wilson's stint as chancellor, reaching 2,652 students currently.

The building, with 14 25-seat classrooms, two 40-seat classrooms and the two auditoriums with 214 seats and space for five wheelchairs, provides additional classroom space for all the UAMS colleges and its graduate school. The auditoriums and larger classrooms are wired with interactive video systems that extend the reach of classes to off-campus locations such as the UAMS Area Health Education Centers around the state.

The building also is equipped with wireless Internet access.

The $15.2 million education building is funded in part by a 2006 bond issue approved by Arkansas voters.

New Procedure Believed Statewide 1st in Gallbladder Removal

SPRINGDALE — Josh Roller, M.D., a board-certified General Surgeon and member of Northwest Health System's active medical staff, accomplished a medical milestone in minimally invasive surgery on Monday, Oct. 6, when he performed the state of Arkansas' first Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS™) cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) at Northwest Medical Center – Springdale.

The new surgery employs a single incision for the removal of the gallbladder, eliminating any visible scar in the patient's abdominal wall. Normally, surgeons performing laparoscopic gallbladder removal make at least four incisions, and sometimes more. The Oct. 6 surgery is the first SILS™ performed in the region and state.

Dr. Roller, who is specially trained in Advanced Laparoscopic General and Bariatric Surgery, made a single skin incision located within the patient's umbilicus, commonly known as the belly button. The incision made is typically only about two centimeters long. Several advanced articulated instruments, offered by Covidien (the medical products company that pioneered the procedure) enabled improved access to the surgical site and maneuverability for tissue dissection and retraction.

Dr. Roller said advances such as the SILS™ procedure demonstrate that fewer incisions are possible in laparoscopic surgery, which, in most cases, benefits the patient.

SILS™, like the advent of multi-port laparoscopy in the late 1980s, represents a significant advancement in minimally invasive surgery. Laparoscopic procedures performed through a single incision are a significant progression in the world of surgery. While laparoscopy traditionally offers better patient outcomes than the open approach, including, in most cases, less pain and scarring, SILS™ may dramatically extend these benefits.

Harrington Joins UAMS Palliative Care Team,
Pain Clinic

LITTLE ROCK – Sarah Beth Harrington, M.D., recently joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Palliative Care Consult Team, which helps guide patients and their families facing difficult and complex treatment decisions.

Harrington is also an assistant professor of medicine in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Harrington also staffs the Cancer Pain and Symptom Clinic in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and she is working to begin a palliative care fellowship program.

Harrington received her medical degree from UAMS. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, where she also completed a fellowship in palliative medicine.

Jan Brandeburg, New Service Line Administrator for Cardiac Services at St. Vincent Health System

Jan Brandeburg, RN, BSN, MNEd, is the new Service Line Administrator for Cardiac Services at St. Vincent Health System. Her responsibilities include oversight of cardiac care in collaboration with physicians and partners at St. Vincent, and continuing to foster excellence in quality and service. Jan most recently held the position of Administrative Director for Critical Care at The Toledo Hospital, Toledo, Ohio. Brandeburg, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Nursing Education.

St. Edward Mercy Celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Mercy Mammography Van Service

FORT SMITH — St. Edward Mercy Medical Center celebrated the 20th anniversary of offering Mercy Mammography Van service at a ceremony on October 30 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Parking Lot, located in front of the Medical Center's Women's Center entrance.

The Mercy Mammography Van has provided approximately 28,000 mammograms since its debut. Two vans have been utilized during the past 20 years. The first was purchased in 1988 with the second purchased eight years ago. The combined mileage for both vans is over 175,000 miles. The van travels to locations throughout six counties: Sebastian, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, and Yell. The purpose of the van is to provide convenient mammography service to women in all locations.

The vehicle contains a digital mammography machine plus Computerized Assisted Diagnosis (CAD), which is the same level of care offered at the St. Edward Mercy Women's Center. The vehicle is staffed by a Registered Mammography Technologist.

The St. Edward Mercy Health System includes St. Edward Mercy Medical Center plus three satellite facilities: Mercy Hospital Turner Memorial in Ozark, North Logan Mercy Hospital in Paris, and Mercy Hospital of Scott County in Waldron. The St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, the flagship hospital of the St. Edward Mercy Health System, is located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and serves over 400,000 residents in 13 counties.

Conway Regional Gives 2nd phase of AEDs Health Foundation's Gift of Nearly $70,000 Provides Life-Saving Devices to Faulkner County

CONWAY — The Conway Regional Health Foundation has kept its promise to purchase a second set of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to ensure that all Faulkner County schools and sports centers have coverage.

Twenty-nine AEDs were distributed on October 17 bringing the overall total donated by the Foundation to 46. The latest installment of AEDs is valued at more than $44,000. "This is a classic win-win situation. The community can see how its support of Conway Regional pays off first hand with the purchase of these AEDs," said Jim Lambert, Conway Regional President and CEO. "The 2008 golf tournament was so successful that we had enough money to not only ensure that every school was covered but also provide nine additional AEDs for travelling school teams. We were also able to include in this phase the four senior citizens centers in this county, along with the soccer and softball/baseball fields in Conway."

The AEDs provided by this gift go beyond the basic defibrillator. According to manufacturer Zoll Medical, the Zoll AED Plus is the only full-rescue AED that supports both CPR and defibrillation. Once attached, the AED analyzes the person's condition and provides instructions for electronic resuscitation and or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

In the first phase of the project, the Health Foundation donated 17 AEDs, valued at $25,000, to Conway Public Schools, St. Joseph Catholic Schools, the McGee Center, and Don Owen Sports Center in March. The 2007 Conway Regional Golf Classic paid for the first installment of AEDs.

The gifts are believed to be the largest donations of AEDs in Arkansas.

In addition to buying the AEDs, Conway Regional is also purchasing the cabinets for mounting the machines to walls. Conway Regional has arranged with American First Response, a Maumelle based firm, to help with site evaluations at the different locations to determine where best to place the devices and to monitor and maintain all the AEDs for five years.

Cooper Clinic, P.A. Has Announced Two New Members of Senior Management.

Marcia Kelly recently joined Cooper Clinic as Revenue Cycle Officer. Her responsibilities include managing billing, collection, and accounts receivable. She previously worked at a large medical clinic in Albany New York and has over 20 years of experience with hospitals and clinics in business operations, revenue cycle management, information system and workflow process design.

John Barnett will join Cooper Clinic November 1 to serve as Director, Information Technology and Network Services. He will oversee computer information and communication systems for all Cooper Clinic locations and physician practices. Previously, John held the position of Director, Network Services and Support at Golden Living.

UAMS is the state's only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state's largest public employers with about 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS' Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. Visit www.uams.edu.

Physician Starting New Pediatrics Practice in Bentonville

BENTONVILLE — Pamela A. McMichael, M.D., a Pediatrician, has joined the medical staff of Northwest Health System and is establishing a new practice – The Children's Clinic at Bentonville.

In practice since 1997, Dr. McMichael comes to Northwest from Joplin, Mo., where she has been in group practice for the past three years. She has practiced in Massachusetts, Missouri and Arkansas.

Dr. McMichael received her medical education at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and served an internship and a residency in Pediatrics at Boston Floating Hospital for Children/New England Medical Center, also in Boston.

She is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and the National Board of Medical Examiners and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She also holds certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS), Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).

Jeffrey A. Johnston Named St. Edward Mercy CEO

FORT SMITH — The Sisters of Mercy Health System is pleased to announce that Jeffrey A. Johnston has been named to the position of president and chief executive officer of St. Edward Mercy Health System, Fort Smith, Arkansas, effective December 1, 2008.

Since 2004, Johnston has served as chief operating officer at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City. In addition to having responsibility for operational areas of the hospital, he has provided executive leadership for Mercy Health Network, a 52-member integrated physician network. From April 2006 to April 2007, Johnston also served as interim CEO of Mercy Health System of Oklahoma. Johnston joined Mercy in 2001, serving in the role of senior vice president–operations at Mercy Memorial Health Center in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Prior to joining Mercy, Johnston held several leadership positions over a six-year period with MetroHealth System, a large healthcare provider organization in Cleveland, Ohio. MetroHealth includes a 728-bed academic medical center, which serves as the primary teaching facility for Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Johnston holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, and a master's degree in business administration and hospital and health administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

United States Senator Mark Pryor Named First Recipient of CARTI Champion Award

Arkansas United States Senator Mark Pryor will be honored as the inaugural recipient of a new award scheduled to be presented in conjunction with the 32nd annual CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees in December, according to Festival chair Shelia Vaught.

Pryor will receive the CARTI Champion Award on December 6 at Tux 'n Trees, the annual cornerstone gala event of the CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees. The 32nd annual CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees is scheduled for December 4-6 at the Statehouse Convention Center Ballroom in Little Rock. Angela and Edward O. Moody are serving as chairs of Tux 'n Trees.

According to Vaught, the CARTI Champion Award is a newly established honor designed to recognize individuals or organizations whose lives or history have been significantly impacted in some way by the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI.)

Pryor was selected for the award by members of the CARTI Auxiliary, an organized group of volunteers providing both on-site and fundraising assistance in support of the radiation therapy provider. Among those eligible for nomination as CARTI Champions are: cancer survivors; physicians; oncology professionals; healthcare workers; caregivers; board members; volunteers; philanthropists; media; and related support networks or healthcare organizations.

First Shoulder Replacement for St. Anthony's

MORRILTON —Dr. Russell Allison recently performed St. Anthony's first joint replacement – known as a total shoulder arthroplasty, or total shoulder replacement.

According to Dr. Allison, most hospitals in Arkansas have never performed this difficult procedure. "Total shoulder arthroplasty is actually very rare on a national level, much less a state level, "said Dr. Allison. "So it is certainly noteworthy for a hospital the size of St. Anthony's in Morrilton, Arkansas to perform this procedure, and I anticipate we will do more."

The procedure is certainly not new for Dr. Allison, but was a first for the surgery department at the Medical Center in Morrilton. "We are excited to be able to offer our patients the level of orthopedic care that Dr. Allison provides," said James Reed, Administrative Director of Pharmacy, Surgery, and Customer Service. "This procedure is just one example of the commitment of our surgeons, like Dr. Allison, and the entire surgical staff at St. Anthony's to provide innovative and quality care to the community"

Dr. Allison is a joint reconstruction specialist. He routinely performs total shoulder replacement and has an excellent success rate. A native of Morrilton, Dr. Allison recently expanded his practice to include more opportunities in his hometown. With clinics each week at Morrilton Medical Clinic and surgeries scheduled at the St. Anthony's Surgery Department, those in need of orthopedic services are able to receive the quality care they need without leaving town.

"It is a benefit to our community to have such progressive methods of surgery available at St. Anthony's. Dr. Allison brings expertise and innovation to Morrilton. Our surgery team is committed to working with him and serving his patients," said St. Anthony's CEO/Administrator Christy Hockaday. Hockaday also pointed to the primary care physicians in Morrilton and the surrounding communities and their role in the growth of surgical services. "The confidence of our primary care physicians in Dr. Allison, Dr. Nawar, and St. Anthony's has been instrumental in our expansion of surgical services," Hockaday added. "We will continue working with the medical staff to further progress the excellent work being accomplished."

Harding University Dedicates Center for Health Sciences Facility will house Arkansas' first Physician Assistant Program and a New College of Pharmacy

SEARCY — Harding University's new Center for Health Sciences, dedicated Friday, Oct. 24, will house Arkansas' first Physician Assistant Program and the state's second College of Pharmacy. The 37,200 square foot center uses the latest educational technology. The patient skills center features 10 traditional examination rooms as well as cameras, providing students opportunities to counsel and examine patients while allowing faculty members to assess their performance, either in real time or by watching digitally recorded footage. Additional monitors and cameras allow virtual classrooms for up to 64.

President Dr. David B. Burks welcomed the audience of more than 300 faculty, students, university representatives and friends to the dedication ceremony and was assisted by Harry Risinger, chairman of the Board of Trustees. Joining them and making remarks were Dr. Julie Hixson-Wallace, College of Pharmacy dean and Dr. Mike Murphy, Physician Assistant Program medical director.