Displaying items by tag: Health
Nashville, TN - Drs. J. Brevard Haynes and Kelly A. Carden, sleep medicine experts with Sleep Medicine of Middle Tennessee, an affiliate of Saint Thomas Physician Services, will serve as officers for the Tennessee Sleep Society.
Dr. Haynes will serve as the 2012 director-at-large after serving a term as vice president. Dr. Carden has been elected as the 2012 vice president for the society after serving as a director-at-large for the organization.
The Tennessee Sleep Society (TSS) is a not for profit professional organization comprised of sleep medicine professionals dedicated to providing public and professional education in sleep disorders and sleep medicine, promoting the advancement of sleep medicine and ensuring its members have a voice in national, state and regional policy making.
Dr. Haynes, who has been practicing sleep medicine since 1984, founded Sleep Medicine of Middle Tennessee in 2006. He was the first physician in Middle Tennessee to devote his practice exclusively to sleep medicine and the first physician in Tennessee to use nasal CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) in the treatment of sleep apnea.
Dr. Carden joined Sleep Medicine of Middle Tennessee in March 2011 and came to the center with nearly 10 years of experience working with patients in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. She is actively involved in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine including her role as chairman of the Committee on Coding and Compliance. In 2005, for her accomplishments, she was named as a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
To learn more about Drs. Haynes or Carden, call (615) 284-7533 or visit www.smomt.com. Sleep Medicine of Middle Tennessee has two office locations in Nashville, including an on the Baptist Hospital campus in the 20th Avenue Medical Office Building, 300 20th Avenue North, Suite G-8, and an office on the Saint Thomas Hospital campus in the Heart Institute Building, 4230 Harding Road, Suite 530.
For more information about the Tennessee Sleep Society, visit www.tnsleep.net.
About Saint Thomas Health
Saint Thomas Health is Middle Tennessee’s faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with more than 6,500 associates. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes – Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and The Hospital for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.sths.com.
Nashville, TN - The Greater Nashville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has awarded Saint Thomas Health two grants totaling $279,000 to help women access mammography services.
A second-year grant of $205,000 was awarded to provide mammography services for underserved populations in 16 Middle Tennessee counties through its Our Mission in Motion mobile mammography coach. The lack of mammography services in these areas and the uninsured or underinsured populations account for higher instances of non-compliance in screening mammography and higher death rates from breast cancer and late stage detection.
In addition, Komen has awarded Saint Thomas Health over $74,000 for the Multi-Ethnic Breast Health Outreach project to bring breast health care education and low-cost screenings to at-risk populations in medically underserved communities in Davidson and Rutherford Counties. This initiative brings culturally sensitive and language-specific breast health materials to African American, Hispanic and Kurdish women in their own communities and provides potentially life-saving mammograms through the Saint Thomas Family Health Centers West and South in Nashville and the Saint Louise Clinic in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
“We are grateful to the Komen Foundation for these grants that allow us to continue to serve the women of our community and provide potentially life-saving screenings to vulnerable populations,” said Retha Thomas, director of Saint Thomas Health Community Clinics.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and the Greater Nashville Affiliate is one of 125 Affiliates on the front lines dedicated to ending breast cancer in their communities. Komen Affiliates fund innovative programs that help women and men overcome the cultural, social, educational and financial barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment.
“At the Komen Greater Nashville Affiliate, we conducted a needs assessment of our community and discovered education, treatment and screenings were priorities for our 11 county service area,” said Patty Harman, affiliate executive director. “We are confident that through Saint Thomas Health’s mobile mammography coach and the multi-ethnic grant, women across Middle Tennessee will have low-cost access to the care they need.”
For more information about the Our Mission in Motion mobile mammography coach and how to schedule an appointment, visit www.ourmissioninmotion.com and for more information about cancer prevention and treatments at Saint Thomas Health, visit www.sths.com/cancer or www.mycancersource.com.
About Saint Thomas Health
Saint Thomas Health is Middle Tennessee’s faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with more than 6,500 associates. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes – Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and The Hospital for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension Health, the largest Catholic, not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.sths.com.
About Susan G. Komen
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and commitment to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Though Susan lost her battle with the disease, her legacy lives on through the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the organization Nancy started in her honor. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since its inception in 1982. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Across the country, that promise is upheld by a network of 122 local Affiliate offices. At the heart of each Affiliate is a person or group of people who, like Susan, wanted to make a difference.
Nashville, TN - The community and a local non-profit are rallying around a Madison teenager battling a rare form of cancer.
Fifteen-year-old Michael Mitchell is an athlete with a closet shelf full of trophies and dreams of becoming a professional football player.
He won't be on the football field this year after beginning diagnosed with Stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that affects the muscular system, in May.
"It was like a mass that was growing by my kidney," said Mitchell who first noticed his tumor.
To get rid of the cancer, doctors removed 40 lymph nodes and now, Mitchell is undergoing a year of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation to give him the best shot at survival.
Click here for full story and video, courtesy of WKRN Nashville News 2
Nashville, TN – As part of National Nurses’ Week, Baptist Hospital last week announced its 2012 Nurses of the Year and Saint Thomas Hospital announced its 2012 Excellence in Professional Nursing Awards.
Baptist Hospital’s Nurse of the Year honors are given in six specialties, including surgical, medical, critical care, obstetrical, interventional and perioperative. A special award is also given to the “Rookie of the Year.” Each recipient demonstrates outstanding work in the areas of spirituality, safety, service and stewardship. Nurse of the Year and Rookie of the Year honorees include:
Tara Hester, RN, Interventional Nurse of the Year – Hester, a Whitehouse, Tenn., resident, serves as a wound and ostomy nurse and has worked at Baptist Hospital for 10 years.
Kathy Norton, RN, Critical Care Nurse of the Year – Norton, who has worked at Baptist Hospital for 24 years, is a charge nurse in the hospital’s coronary care unit. She resides in Lebanon, Tenn.
Connie Freeman, RN, Obstetrical Nurse of the Year – Freeman, who lives in Nashville, Tenn., works in the hospital’s Beaman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She has worked at Baptist Hospital for 34 years.
Lorie Thomas, RN, Medical Nurse of the Year – Thomas, who has worked at Baptist Hospital for 13 years, is a charge nurse for a medical nursing unit. She resides in Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
L. Jo Elliot, RN, Surgical Nurse of the Year – Elliot, who lives in Nashville, Tenn., has worked at Baptist Hospital for four years, and is a nurse on one of the hospital’s surgical nursing units.
Jo Vicente, RN, Perioperative Nurse of the Year – Vicente works in Baptist Hospital’s preadmission testing department. She has worked at Baptist Hospital for 29 years and resides in Madison, Tenn.
Leah Thompson, RN, Rookie of the Year – Thompson, who lives in Old Hickory, Tenn., is a charge nurse on the renal care unit and has worked at Baptist Hospital for 18 months.
“These nurses are an instrumental part of our patient care team and have been called to serve in this highly-regarded and challenging profession,” said Kathleen Hirsch, chief nursing officer at Baptist Hospital. “Each day they serve our patients with compassion and dedication. We are honored to have these very special associates at Baptist Hospital.”
The 2012 Saint Thomas Hospital Excellence in Professional Nursing Awards are:
· Olivia Warner from the Renal Dialysis Unit named “Rising Star of the Year”
· Kori Holmes from the Joint Replacement Center named “LPN of the Year”
· Pam Sandoval from the Cardiac Short Stay Unit named “ Nurse Mentor of the Year”
· Myrna Garrett from the Radiation Oncology Unit named “Nurse Leader of the Year”
· Tanya Parker from the Medical Oncology Unit named “Professional Nurse of the Year”
“We are so proud of our nurses – they represent the backbone of this ministry and make a difference in the lives of so many each day,” said Anna Harb, vice president and chief of nursing at Saint Thomas Hospital. “They serve with compassion and dedication, and we are honored to have them as associates here at Saint Thomas Hospital.”
About Saint Thomas Health
Saint Thomas Health is Middle Tennessee’s faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with more than 6,500 associates. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes – Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and The Hospital for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.sths.com.
Nashville, TN – Baptist Hospital has named Geoffrey H. Smallwood, M.D. as chief medical officer for the hospital. Since 1991, Dr. Smallwood has been a practicing OB/GYN and member of the Baptist Hospital medical staff.
He assumed his new role on May 14.
“Dr. Smallwood has demonstrated significant leadership in his more than 20 years here at Baptist Hospital,” said Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital. “His commitment to this hospital and our overall mission of helping people live healthier lives makes him an essential member of our team.”
As chief medical officer for Baptist Hospital, Dr. Smallwood will facilitate and align the interests of the hospital’s leadership and medical staff in an increasingly challenging health care environment.
Dr. Smallwood has worked as one of Baptist Hospital’s part-time obstetrics hospitalists and led a simulation training program to better prepare other physicians and nurses for obstetrical emergencies, in addition to leading a full-time private practice. As the chief OB/GYN at Baptist Hospital from 2009-2011, he helped improve the departmental process for better communication and decision-making among medical staff and, as part of a team, developed various patient safety initiatives for mothers and infants that align with the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care.
He attended medical school at the Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Smallwood completed his internship in obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA Medical Center and his residency, also in obstetrics and gynecology, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He began his career in private practice at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., before coming to Nashville in the early 1990s to be in private practice with Growdon, VanHooydonk, Bressman and Adkins, now part of Tennessee Women’s Care.
About Baptist Hospital
Baptist Hospital is a member of Saint Thomas Health, Middle Tennessee’s faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with more than 6,500 associates. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes – Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and The Hospital for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension Health, the largest Catholic, not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.baptisthospital.com or www.sths.com
Nashville, TN – A matchmaking site, for ladies only – that could help save their lives?
Go Red Heart Match is a matchmaker with a mission.
The brand-new site is the American Heart Association’s first women’s online patient support program, where women dealing with cardiovascular conditions receive added support by connecting them online with others around the country with similar heart stories – whether that be a heart disease diagnosis, caring for a loved one with heart disease or working to prevent heart disease. These women are able to build relationships with other women who understand their journey firsthand. With heart disease as the No. 1 killer of women, affecting more than 42 million women in the United States, there is a huge need for information and emotional support.
“When something as major as heart disease strikes a woman, emotional support from others is most often times the catalyst that helps pull us through – when we’re feeling our lowest and seeking answers,” said Rolanda Perkins from Smyrna, Tennessee, one of Go Red Heart Match’s inaugural participants and a national Go Red For Women spokesperson. “I use it as a way to keep my healthy lifestyle on track – it helps propel me forward.”
Heart Match is also designed to help motivate and encourage adherence to care after diagnosis – including cardiac rehabilitation. Studies show that cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention (CR/SP) plays a vital role in the recovery process by restoring individuals to their optimal physiological, psychosocial, nutritional and functional status.
When Perkins had a sudden heart attack before the age of 40, she didn’t know much about cardiovascular health or what to expect next.
“It would have been very helpful to have someone to talk to who was able to understand the many feelings of fear and uncertainty that I experienced after my heart attack,” Perkins says. “I didn’t know anything about the importance of taking medications or maintaining good numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, or weight for good health. I really just needed someone who could/would listen and share their experience with me as well, in order to ease my fears.”
Cardiac rehab participation rates low
Although millions live with heart disease or experience cardiac events each year, few enroll in follow-up programs, despite the evidence that they should.
Recently, Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association published data which shows that CR/SP programs reduce cardiovascular risk and event rates, foster healthy behaviors and promote active lifestyles. However, of eligible patients, only 14 to 35 percent of heart attack survivors and 31 percent of patients after coronary artery bypass surgery participate in CR/SP programs. The study also noted that female patients have lower participation rates than men and represent a specific high-risk group to be target for referral.
Heart Match is designed to make it easy for enrollees to participate from wherever their computer may be.
The just-launched program, still in its infancy, is already showing definite trends and positive results.
According to a survey of current Heart Match participants, immediately after a heart disease diagnosis, it’s most important for women to (1) get information about their diagnosis, (2) connect with someone who has the same condition. In addition, the survey showed that approximately 40 percent are now exercising more and eating more heart-healthy foods. Another 25 percent started taking blood pressure or cholesterol medication and 8 percent quit smoking. Plus, nearly half of women surveyed encouraged a friend or family member to talk to their doctor about their risk for heart disease.
Perkins believes in the concept and has begun mentoring on the site to help others going through what she went through.
“I know that people have lots of questions after an event such as this, because I did, and I would like to help ease their minds by providing them the support and comfort in knowing that it does get better with time as long as they’re working toward living heart-healthy lifestyles,” she says. “In return, I hope that they share of themselves and their experiences with another Heart Sister who needs that same support. For me, it’s always rewarding when someone starts making changes toward better heart health and they can actually see the fruits of their labor in the changing of their mindset, their physical appearance and their overall well-being.”
Heart Match easy to join online
To join Heart Match, women create a profile on the site and search for other women with similar heart disease experiences. Go Red For Women facilitates the connection so they can build a one-on-one, supportive relationship. Go Red Heart Match is free and accessible 24/7 at www.GoRedForWomen.org/HeartMatch.
For more information about Go Red For Women or the Go Red Heart Match program, visit GoRedForWomen.org.
The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s and Merck & Co., Inc, with additional support from our cause sponsors. The City Goes Red local cause sponsor is Saint Thomas Heart.
Nashville, TN - A Kingsport woman in desperate need of a heart transplant received the gift of life and didn't even know it.
Thirty-eight-year-old Windy Hill will celebrate her first Mother's Day with her six-month-old daughter, Gracie and fiancé Jay Berry thanks to a major miracle.
Hill's story is an incredible one, at every turn.
When doctors told her she would never be able to have kids, along came Gracie.
When Hill had a heart attack shortly after giving birth last October, doctors said her chance of survival without a transplant was slim.
"She was this far from death," Hill's cardiologist Dr. Rashid Ahmad said.
In order to keep her weak heart working, they scheduled Hill for surgery on April 20 to put in a mechanical pump.
What happened in surgery, while Hill was already under anesthesia, is nothing short of miraculous.
Click here for full story, courtesy of WKRN Nashville News 2
Nashville, TN – Saint Thomas Health will host its annual Stroke Care Health Fair at Baptist Hospital on Wednesday, May 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help those who may be touched by stroke or are interested in finding out more about the care, treatment and prevention of stroke during National Stroke Awareness Month.
The fair will be held in the Gladys Stringfield Owen Education Center Auditorium located near the 21st Avenue entrance of Baptist Hospital, 2000 Church Street.
The Stroke Care Health Fair is free and open to the public. It will include information on stroke risk factors, warning signs and prevention measures, as well as informational presentations on the latest in stroke care by physicians and stroke program staff.
Free lipid panel and glucose screenings (fasting recommended prior to screening), heart-healthy snacks, door prizes and giveaways will also be available.
Featured speakers include:
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every three minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
Baptist Hospital is certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center.
For more information about Saint Thomas Health’s Stroke Care Health Fair, contact Michelle Bertotti at (615) 284.3848.
In addition, Saint Thomas Health Centers for Stroke and Nashville Sounds are teaming up to invite all stroke survivors, their families and those touched by stroke to raise awareness and “Strike Out Stroke” with the Nashville Sounds on Friday, May 25 at Greer Stadium.
The evening’s events will kick off when the gates open one hour before game time and will include free screenings, giveaways, an opportunity to meet Saint Thomas Health Centers for Stroke staff and information on stroke such as warning signs and risk factors.
The fun continues as the Sounds faceoff against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. General admission tickets start at $8.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the “Strike Out Stroke” Game, visit www.NashvilleSounds.com.
For more information on stroke awareness, prevention and treatment, visit www.STHS.com/Cardiac.
Nashville, TN – May is skin cancer awareness month and the Nashville Dermatology Society, in conjunction with the American Academy of Dermatology and Melanoma Research Foundation, is holding its annual free skin cancer screening program at Baptist Hospital and Saint Thomas Hospital on May 19 from 8 a.m. to noon.
No appointments are necessary and participants are asked to wear loose clothing, or gowns will be provided.
Screenings at Baptist Hospital will be conducted on the 5th floor of the hospital in the Early Morning Admissions unit. Participants can park in the Mid-State Medical Center Parking Garage.
Screenings at Saint Thomas Hospital will be conducted in the Pre-Operative Medicine Clinic, located in the Medical Plaza East building, Room G6. Participants can park in the Plaza Garage.
All parking is free.
The screenings are part of a national campaign to encourage early detection and teach prevention of skin cancer. More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year.
The Academy’s national Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening prevention program is in its 27th year and is intended to raise awareness of melanoma and urge Americans to regularly examine their skin for signs of this serious form of skin cancer.
Skin self-examinations consist of periodically looking over your body for any changes in the size, color, shape or texture of a mole, the development of a new mole or any other unusual changes in the skin. Any of these signs should be reported to a dermatologist right away.
For more information, contact Erin Walters, patient navigator coordinator for Saint Thomas Health, at (615) 222-3299 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Kim Parham, cancer support program director for Saint Thomas Health, at (615) 284-2241 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 16,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-DERM (3376) or www.aad.org.
About Saint Thomas Health
Saint Thomas Health is Middle Tennessee’s faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with more than 6,500 associates. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the health care experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes – Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital and The Hospital for Spinal Surgery in Nashville, Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro and Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville – and a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension Health, the largest Catholic, not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.sths.com.
Nashville, TN – United Neighborhood Health Services (UNHS) has received a $1,724,816 grant to renovate its Main Street Clinic, Madison Clinic and Cayce Clinic and to establish a Diabetes Care Center announced Mary Bufwack, CEO of UNHS. The grant is funded by the Affordable Care Act.
Bufwack learned about the grant on Tuesday, May 1, when Acacia Salatti, deputy director for the Center for Faith-Based & Community Partnerships, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, came to Nashville to announce the funds had been awarded to UNHS. Salatti made the announcement at the UNHS Main Street Clinic.
Bufwack noted that more than $1.2 million of the grant is designated to renovate its Main Street Clinic located in East Nashville at 905 Main Street. The funds will allow UNHS to create a multi-service Diabetes Center, with new space for dental services, a wellness center, education center and a pharmacy. The funds will also allow for some renovation to the two-story clinic, parking lot improvements, and furnishings for the first floor.
“We are very excited to receive these funds. The enormous human and social cost of obesity and diabetes requires an aggressive response. We will now be better able to meet the health care needs of underserved and uninsured people in our community,” said Bufwack.
The additional $500,000 in grant money is designated for renovations at the Madison Clinic, 601 Due West Boulevard in Madison, and the Cayce Clinic, 617 South 8th Street in East Nashville. At the Madison Clinic, $288,850 will be used to upgrade the facility and to address water damage. At the Cayce Clinic, $211,150 will fund upgrades and improve safety and access.
“The goals of the renovation go far beyond physical improvements to our facilities,” noted Bufwack. She explained that the renovations will allow UNHS to enhance quality and outcome for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart conditions by housing more services under one roof and permitting more education to develop self-management skills. The renovations will also help build a multi-disciplinary health team to address the multi-faced issues associated with chronic conditions.
“Improved care and management of chronic health conditions can reduce use of emergency rooms and hospitalizations, a plus for patients and for the community,” explained Bufwack. Last year, UNHS served more than 32,000 people; more than half of them had no insurance.
United Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. (UNHS) is a private non-profit network of neighborhood health centers that have served Nashville for more than 30 years. Through its nine Nashville neighborhood clinics, five school-based clinics, the Downtown Homeless Clinic, two mobile health units, and a clinic in Hartsville, Tennessee, United Neighborhood Health Services annually serves approximately 32,000 medically underserved people of all ages; 17,000 have no health insurance. Visit www.unitedneighborhood.org or call 615-620-UNHS (8647) for information about UNHS’ other clinics and programs.
