In the News May 07 on Arkansas Medical News Inc.

In the News May 07

Arkansas to participate in Practice Size Exploratory Project

Arkansas was one of four states recently selected to participate in a new research initiative sponsored by the national Center for Health Care Strategies. The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care will join Arkansas Medicaid on the initiative, entitled the Practice Size Exploratory Project, or PSEP.

PSEP works with states to assess practice-level data for their Medicaid managed care population. The purpose of the project is to describe the distribution of practice sizes (i.e.: solo/small, medium, large, federally-qualified health center) serving the Medicaid population in selected regions across the country, and to facilitate future efforts to design appropriate interventions for reducing disparities and improving quality of chronic illness care. Analysis of practice level data has been uncommon, despite important implications for the delivery of care and the design of effective quality improvement initiatives.

The initial phase of the project is expected to be complete later this year.

For more information, contact Jason Scheel, AFMC's manager of PCP profiling, at 501-212-8666.

Klimberg Named to American Board of Surgery

Dr. V. Suzanne Klimberg, MD, director of the breast cancer program at UAMS has been named a director of the American Board of Surgery for a six-year term beginning July 1.

Klimberg is chief of the Division of Breast Surgical Oncology at UAMS and a professor in the Departments of Surgery and Pathology. She also is director of the Breast Cancer Program at the UAMS' Arkansas Cancer Research Center as well as director of Breast Fellowship in Diseases of the Breast at UAMS.

She is the principal investigator of a multiphase clinical trial for the new procedure radiofrequency ablation (eRFA), designed to reduce or eliminate the need for follow-up surgery, reduce recurrence of breast cancer at the original site, and even reduce the need for radiation treatment.

Gary McDonald Joins White River Health System

Gary L. Bebow, CEO/Administrator has announced the appointment of Gary McDonald to the position of Associate Administrator for Human Resources and Employee Health at White River Health System. In this position, McDonald will be responsible for management of Human Resource functions at White River.

McDonald gained over 25 years experience in Human Resources during his 33-year tenure with Eastman Chemical Company. He is active in community affairs serving on the Board of Visitors of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville and Arkansas Sheriff's Youth Ranches. He is also a member of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Foundation.

Governor Names Family Friendly Employers

Healthcare organizations were well represented in the fifth annual Governor's Family-Friendly Employer Awards.

Ten Arkansas employers received awards and five were healthcare employers in three categories based on company size.

The gold medal winners – St. Joseph's in Hot Springs, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and Allied Therapy – in all three categories were healthcare groups.

As part of Baptist Heath's new designation as an Arkansas Governor's Family-Friendly Ambassador after three consecutive years as a Gold Winner, the company has shared its expertise with other Arkansas employers to address work-life balance.

The winners, based on number of employees, were:

Large Companies: St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center, Hot Springs, Gold; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Silver; Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Bronze; UAMS, Little Rock, Bronze

Medium Companies: Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Fort Smith and Little Rock, Gold; North Arkansas College, Harrison, Silver; Navigator Telecommunications LLC, North Little Rock, Bronze

Small Companies: Allied Therapy and Consulting Services, Ward, Gold; Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C., Little Rock, Silver; Technisource Inc., Little Rock, Bronze

Tim Irby Named Assistant Vice Chancellor at UAMS

Tim Irby has been named assistant vice chancellor for communications and marketing at UAMS.

Irby, who has 35 years' experience in advertising, will continue to develop print, television and radio campaigns and direct other marketing activities for UAMS. He will now assume supervision of the creative team for Creative Services, the full-service media production department for UAMS.

Irby joined the marketing staff at UAMS in 1995 as associate director of marketing for UAMS Medical Center. Since 2002, he has been director of marketing and advertising for UAMS. Prior to joining UAMS, he was president of A. Tim Irby Advertising Inc., of Little Rock.

Born, Honored By National Academy of Student Pharmacists

Charles K. Born, PhD, associate dean for student affairs in the UAMS College of Pharmacy, was selected recipient of the Linwood F. Tice Friend of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) Award. He received the award at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition March 19 in Atlanta.

The Tice award was established in 1988 to recognize individuals whose long-term service and contribution have benefited the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and student pharmacists in general.

Asthma Camp Seeks Applicants

The American Lung Association of Arkansas is now accepting applications for its annual summer activity, the 2007 Asthma Camp. It will be held July 22-27 at Camp Ferncliff just outside of Little Rock.

The American Lung Association of Arkansas provides Asthma Camp free of charge to all campers. To learn more about the camp or get an application, call the Lung Association at 1-800-586-4872 x. 119.

Researchers Step up to Plate to Strike Out Passenger Injury

As baseball season arrives in Arkansas, investigators from the Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute will be making a first pitch for parents to use appropriate car safety seats with children between the ages of 4 and 7.

A grant worth more than $461,900 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Strike Out Child Passenger Injury will allow researchers to travel to children's baseball practices and games to conduct car seat check-ups for parents while their children are on the field and in the dugout. They'll also conduct a study to gauge how much parents learn about safety seats after eight weeks of presentations to civic groups and published articles about the importance of booster seat use featuring local spokespersons. The team will judge whether they've made a homerun through observational surveys at the beginning and end of the baseball season.

Governor Signs Funding for Cancer Center Expansion into Law

Gov. Mike Beebe signed into law a plan to provide up to $50 million in matching funds to build a major expansion of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at the UAMS as well as support patient care and research programs.

Act 838 will provide matching funds to build and support a 288,000-square-foot expansion to the ACRC. The new law created a $36 million fund to provide a dollar-for-dollar match of private donations in support of the cancer center expansion and program endowments. When that commitment is met, UAMS can ask for $10 million in additional matching funds to be appropriated through the Governor's discretionary funds in the state's General Improvement Fund. UAMS can then allocate $4 million in funds from other projects as matching funds for the ACRC.

Construction of the ACRC expansion is expected to start this year.

Golf Tournament, Auction to Benefit ALS Research

The seventh annual Paul Dunn Golf Classic & Auction, to search for better treatments and a cure for ALS, will be held May 19 and 21. Simmons First and the Jerry Spears Family present the tournament.

The tournament and auction are held in memory of Arkansas native Paul Dunn and others who have fought the battle against ALS, still thoughtlessly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. All proceeds from the classic will benefit research programs through the ALS Clinic and Research Center at UAMS.

Upon being diagnosed with the disease in 2000, 28-year-old Paul Dunn asked his friends and Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers to help him raise money to fight ALS. Dunn witnessed the first two golf tournaments before his death in 2002.

The cost is $500 per team or $125 per person. To register or for information, visit www.pauldunnclassic.com, or call Cathy Sanders at (501) 526-7399.

Baxter Regional Adds Orthopedic Surgeon

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeryl G. Fullen, MD, has joined the staff of Baxter Regional Medical Center. He will be in practice at the Baxter Regional Orthopedic Clinic with Dr. Terry Green. Fullen is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Before moving to the Twin Lakes Area, he was in private practice at the Salina Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Clinic in Salina, Kansas.

Fullen did his undergraduate study at Northeastern Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas. He attended UAMS for medical school and did his internship at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla.

McSweeney Wins Research Award

Jean McSweeney, PhD, professor in the UAMS College of Nursing, recently received the Leadership in Research Award at the Annual Southern Nursing Research Society's Conference in Galveston, Texas.

McSweeney's award, which is not given every year, recognizes her research accomplishments and leadership in the Southern Nursing Research Society. McSweeney has received international attention for her groundbreaking research that first identified early warning heart attack symptoms in women.

The Southern Nursing Research Society includes 14 states, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Bahamas. McSweeney also serves as a mentor for student researchers who received two of the four graduate student research poster awards given during the Feb. 22-24 conference.

May 2007