сентября 2012

воскресенье, 30 сентября 2012 г.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER JOINS LARGEST EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN CENTRAL UNITED STATES: GREAT CENTRAL US SHAKEOUT - APRIL 28 - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 5 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

What would you do if an earthquake struck Memphis? Too many people stare dumbfounded at that question. Do you run outside? Jump in your car and head for home? Freeze in place and hope it will stop? Who knows what's best? On Thursday, April 28, more than one million participants in the Great Central U.

S. ShakeOut will practice exactly what to do when they participate in the largest earthquake drill in the Central United States. The more than 5,000 faculty, staff, students and administrators on the Memphis campus of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will join the one- to two-minute drill, taking time to Drop, Cover and Hold On.

At precisely 10:15 a.m. on the designated day, UTHSC team members will Drop to the ground, take Cover under a sturdy desk or table, and Hold On to it until the shaking stops - in this case until the one-minute drill is completed. Following the drill, participants will assess their surroundings to identify any items that could have fallen and caused injury, such as unsecured bookcases or improperly stored lab chemicals. This information will be used to make the UTHSC campus more earthquake resilient.

As a linked event of the New Madrid Bicentennial and the National Level Exercise 2011, this first ever central U.

S. ShakeOut is being organized and coordinated by the Central U.

S. Earthquake Consortium and its member and associate states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.

S. Geological Survey, and dozens of other partners.

Scientists estimate that there is a 25 to 40% probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central United States within the next 50 years. The ShakeOut is designed to help individuals and communities in the region get ready for damaging earthquakes, practice how to protect themselves (Drop, Cover, and Hold On), and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

'Drills are designed to make us think and plan ahead for what we know will eventually happen,' said John Bossier, safety officer for UTHSC. 'The ShakeOut will help participants be ready to react to this particular type of emergency.

'Knowing and practicing these three simple steps can prevent serious injury when an earthquake strikes,' Bossier observed. 'When you drop to the ground, that prevents you from falling or being thrown to the ground by the violent movement of an earthquake. Taking cover under a heavy table or desk protects you from falling objects loosened by the earthquake's force. Holding on for the duration of the emergency can help keep you protected from flying debris. The recovery process can begin only after the shaking stops.'

The Great Central U.

S. ShakeOut is free and open to the public. All individuals or organizations interested in disaster preparedness are encouraged to participate including schools, businesses, governments and families. States participating in the ShakeOut include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. These are the states most at risk from damaging earthquakes along the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Additionally, the states of Georgia, Oklahoma and South Carolina are participating in the ShakeOut. These states also have varying degrees of earthquake risk. For more information about the Great Central U.

S. ShakeOut visit www.

ShakeOut.org/centralus/dropcoverholdon.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrates its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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суббота, 29 сентября 2012 г.

TONIA S. REX ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AWARDED $200,000 GRANT FROM RESEARCH TO PREVENT BLINDNESS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 24 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Tonia S. Rex, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has been named the recipient of the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award, a $200,000 grant. Dr. Rex serves as an assistant professor in two UTHSC departments - a primary appointment in Ophthalmology, which is organized under the auspices of the UT Hamilton Eye Institute, and a secondary appointment in Anatomy and Neurobiology. She will continue to pursue her academic and scientific responsibilities in both departments.

The grant will be used to help equip Dr. Rex's laboratory and finance her research efforts. The term of the grant runs through 2014.

The RPB Career Development Award Fund was established in 1990 to attract young physicians and basic scientists to eye research. To date, the program has recruited 152 vision scientists to research positions in departments of ophthalmology at universities across the country.

'Dr. Rex is a talented research scientist and clinician who is very deserving of this award,' said Barrett G. Haik, Hamilton Professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and director of the Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI). 'We are grateful to Research to Prevent Blindness for their long-standing commitment to support sight-saving research.'

Founded in 2004, HEI consistently ranks among the top 10 providers of ophthalmic clinical care across the country. Its mission is to prevent blindness through patient care, research and education. As a premier eye center providing an advanced level of vision care, the institute's team manages more than 40,000 outpatient visits annually. HEI is the only university eye center providing an advanced level of vision care within a 200-mile radius of Memphis.

ABOUT RESEARCH TO PREVENT BLINDNESS

RPB is the world's leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases. For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders and the RPB Grants Program, go to www.rpbusa.org.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER

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пятница, 28 сентября 2012 г.

Health Net Management Inc. Announces Communications Department Personnel Changes - The Tennessee Tribune

Tennessee TRIBUNE, The
05-30-2001
HEALTH NET MANAGEMENT INC. ANNOUNCES COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL
CHANGES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Health Net Management, Inc., has promoted Lisa Daugherty
from communications specialist to communications manager and added Andrea
Lybarger to its communications department as a communications specialist.

'We're very excited about having Lisa move into her new role as
communications manager and about having Andrea join our team,' Cynthia
Howard, senior vice president, sales and marketing, said. 'Lisa has done
outstanding work for us in the past, and we know that under her leadership
the best is yet to come for our communications department. Based on her
health care industry experience, we believe that Andrea will be a valuable
addition to Health Net.'

In her new position, Daugherty will oversee Health Net's marketing and
communications efforts, including-, direct mail, print, television, radio,
special events and manage a two-person staff.

Daugherty brings more than eight years of advertising, marketing and
communications experience to Health Net. Before Joining the Health Net
team, she worked for Saint Thomas Health Services as a marketing and
communications specialist. She also served as an account executive for Bill
Hudson & Associates and as an assistant account executive for Ericson
Marketing Communications.

Daugherty earned a degree in liberal arts from the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville and currently resides in Nashville.

As a communications specialist.. Lybarger will assist in putting Health
Net's marketing and communications plans into action. She will be involved
in efforts to distribute information about and promote Health Net through
multimedia channels.

Prior to joining Health Net, Lybarger served as a guest and community
services department representative for Abilene Regional Medical Center.
Before that she served as a medical information representative for the
center.

Lybarger earned her bachelor of applied studios, human services degree from
Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.

Health Net www.healthnettn.com was formed in 1984. The Nashvillebased
company provides health benefits through a network of 35 contracted
hospitals and more than 3,000 physicians. Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas
Hospital and Tenet HealthSystem hold interests in Health Net Management,
Inc., while TennQuest Health Solutions is the majority owner.

Article copyright Tennessee Tribune.

Article copyright Tennessee Tribune.
V.11;

четверг, 27 сентября 2012 г.

WAFA KHASAWNEH, DOCTORAL NURSING STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES FELLOWSHIP AWARD FROM SOUTHERN REGIONAL EDUCATION BOARD - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 8 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

This year, Wafa Khasawneh, a doctoral nursing student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), is one of six individuals nationwide to receive a three- to five-year doctoral fellowship award from the Southern Regional Education Board. The doctoral candidate's work is focused on identifying strategies that support and promote breastfeeding for the health of both the mother and baby.

The incidence of breastfeeding in the United States has been declining over the past two decades. Such a decrease in prevalence and duration of breastfeeding can be attributed to numerous obstacles. Khasawneh explains, 'My primary concerns are to improve the health and quality of life for women and children. These are my strongest interests because they are fundamental to our nation's health.'

Khasawneh's goal is to be exposed to high-quality scientific research and education and share information about promoting mother-child health through breastfeeding practices within the scientific and health care communities. She intends to help create an awareness of this emerging national concern with the general public. The UT College of Nursing's Doctor of Philosophy program offers her the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research projects that will benefit women and children's health. Khasawneh will conduct her dissertation using data from the CANDLE Study, Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning. Funded by The Urban Child Institute, CANDLE, http://www.candlestudy.org, is conducted by a cross-disciplinary team headed by the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine. CANDLE investigators examine factors that promote or inhibit a child's development and ability to learn from birth through the child's third year. More than 60 percent of women in the program are African-American. Data collected from the study will allow Khasawneh to analyze various factors that facilitate or hinder the act of breastfeeding.

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with 16 member states to improve public pre-K-12 and higher education. Founded by the region's governors and legislators in 1948, SREB was America's first interstate compact for education. Today it is the only regional education compact that works directly with state leaders, schools and educators to improve teaching, learning and student achievement at every level of education. For more information, visit www.sreb.org.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrates its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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среда, 26 сентября 2012 г.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TONIA REX OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $1.8 MILLION GRANT TO CONTINUE GLAUCOMA RESEARCH - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 9 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Tonia Rex, PhD, assistant professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology, and Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a grant totaling $1,874,688 from the National Eye Institute, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health. The award will fund research on glaucoma. The study titled, 'Novel Therapy and Mechanisms in Glaucoma,' will be conducted over a five-year period.

'I am grateful to have received this grant in this competitive environment,' said Dr. Rex. 'I am excited about performing this translational research geared towards providing important insights into the pathogenesis of glaucoma and the development of much-needed treatments for this blinding disease.'

The primary goal of Dr. Rex's research is to treat glaucoma using systemic neuroprotective gene therapy. Nearly three million people have been diagnosed with glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. Current preventive therapies are directed at lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP), the most significant risk factor for the development of glaucoma. However, the need for daily treatment can lead to poor patient compliance.

Dr. Rex and her research team focus on an alternative IOP-independent neuroprotective therapy, wherein they modify the glycoprotein hormone that controls red blood cell production, known as erythropoietin. This modification diminishes the erythropoietic activity while preserving its neuroprotective activity, and packages it into a format to provide sustained, systemic delivery. Early results have shown that this therapy could lead to breakthroughs in glaucoma treatment.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.

S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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вторник, 25 сентября 2012 г.

METHODIST TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SETS RECORDS FOR TRANSPLANT VOLUMES, PATIENT SURVIVAL RATES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 27 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

In 2011, the Methodist University Hospital (MUH) Transplant Institute, which is operated by physicians at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), set new records for transplant volumes and patient survival rates. The institute's 140-person team has become recognized as one of the top 10 transplant programs in the United States. Last year, a total of 270 transplants were performed, the most ever at the MUH Transplant Institute, up to 13 percent more than the prior year. The 2011 numbers included 122 kidney transplants, 138 liver transplants, and 10 kidney/pancreas transplants. Additionally, in 2011 adult patient survival rates markedly improved to 90 percent for liver transplants and 97 percent for all transplants combined.

'We are committed to working in tandem with UT Health Science Center to provide the best quality transplant services to our patients,' stated Gary Shorb, president and chief executive officer of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

James D. Eason, MD, professor of Surgery at UTHSC and program director for the MUH Transplant Institute, noted, 'Some people still think a transplant is like this end-of-the-world, doomsday scenario, but most of our patients are in and out of the institute in a week. They spend as little as one or two days in the Intensive Care Unit.'

'The experience, skills and team commitment to quality care are the elements that make our transplant unit so successful,' observed Kevin Spiegel, chief executive officer of MUH. 'Our Transplant Institute receives patient referrals from some of the most prestigious cancer centers in the country, including MD Anderson, Sloane-Kettering, and Stanford.'

'UTHSC is a pivotal partner with Methodist in transplant, bringing a commitment to academic excellence and recruiting that has enabled us to achieve and sustain a top-tier program,' said David M. Stern, executive dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine, and vice chancellor for Health Affairs.

An alumnus from the UTHSC College of Medicine, Dr. Eason and the institute he leads are known worldwide for performing the 2009 liver transplant on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The surgery saved the billionaire's life, returned him to the maximum level of health possible, and extended the visionary's time.

'The UT-Methodist partnership enabled us to really create a dream team by recruiting what I consider to be the top transplant physicians from all over the country and world,' Dr. Eason said. 'This year, we are going to probably be one of the largest liver transplant programs in the United States and probably one of the 10-largest liver transplant programs in the world.'

The MUH Transplant Institute is a partnership program with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Methodist assumed management of UT Bowld Hospital and its transplant program in November 2002. Almost two years later, the UT Bowld Transplant Program moved to MUH, and the MUH Transplant Institute was formed. UTHSC continues to staff and operate the Transplant Institute.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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понедельник, 24 сентября 2012 г.

TERESA WATERS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $793,056 FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 12 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Teresa Waters, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has been awarded a grant totaling $793,056 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The award will fund her two-year study titled 'Responses to Medicare's Nonpayment for Preventable Hospital Complications.'

Dr. Waters' research project will examine the impact of a new Medicare payment policy on the quality of hospital care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. On October 1, 2008, Medicare implemented a policy that denies payments to hospitals for any additional care associated with eight complications of medical care deemed preventable. These eight 'hospital acquired conditions' include such complications as an object left in patient during surgery, blood incompatibility, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, vascular-catheter-associated infections and inpatient falls. Medicare believes that its nonpayment policy will cut costs and improve quality of care. This new policy is unusual, however, because it is the first major use of negative incentives by Medicare.

'I'm very excited that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has chosen to fund this research because we really need timely information on the impact of Medicare's new nonpayment policy,' said Dr. Waters. 'Other insurers often follow Medicare's lead, and Medicare is likely to consider expanding this payment change to additional areas of care.'

Dr. Waters will lead a team of researchers from UTHSC, the University of Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University, Kansas University Medical Center, and the University of Iowa in examining whether the policy has been effective in reducing targeted complications and how specific hospital circumstances have affected responses to the policy. The results will inform Medicare and other insurers about those aspects of the policy that are working as intended and those that are not , and can be used to tailor future payment policy changes.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS represents almost a quarter of all federal outlays, and it administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. HHS' Medicare Program is the nation's largest health insurer, handling more than one billion claims per year. Medicare and Medicaid together provide health care insurance for one in four Americans. For more information, visit www.hhs.gov.

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воскресенье, 23 сентября 2012 г.

BEN ZARZAUR, MD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $300,000 GRANT FROM NATIONAL TRAUMA INSTITUTE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 17 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Ben Zarzaur, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of Surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is the recipient of a $300,000 research grant from the National Trauma Institute (NTI). Dr. Zarzaur's study is one of nine awarded grants this year by NTI, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding trauma research in the United States in an effort to reduce death and disability, and the associated costs, related to trauma injury.

Dr. Zarzaur will study blunt splenic injury (BSI), which affects nearly 39,000 adults in the United States each year due to traumatic incidents such as car crashes and falls. Dr. Zarzaur seeks to fill a gap in medical knowledge regarding the risk of sudden spleen rupture for BSI patients after they have been discharged from the hospital. Zarzaur's team will follow 1,000 patients with BSI from 11 trauma centers across the country for six months in order to obtain an accurate estimate of the six-month risk of spleen rupture after BSI. His team will also seek to enumerate the factors associated with delayed splenic rupture and determine which of several treatments are best for patients with a BSI. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) is providing coordinating support for the study and served as the source through which the participating trauma centers were recruited.

'This research will be significant because we expect it to lead to the development of strategies to reduce risks for adults with BSI while preserving the most spleens,' said Dr. Zarzaur. 'We are grateful to NTI for providing the funds required to pursue this much-needed trauma research and to AAST for acting as the conduit for the connection to NTI.'

NTI is committed to facilitating translational research - that is, research whose results may affect the practice of medicine and patient outcomes in the near-term. Dr. Zarzaur's study and the other eight funded by NTI in this cycle will get under way this year and may be completed within one year. Preliminary results from the principal investigators may be presented at the NTI's Annual Trauma Symposium in 2012.

To sign up to receive announcements related to research funding opportunities, visit the NTI website at www.nationaltraumainstitute.org and go to the Research page.

About the National Trauma Institute

The National Trauma Institute (NTI) is a non-profit organization that assembles public and private resources to support trauma research across the country, sets a national trauma research agenda, and supports military and civilian innovation and collaboration in trauma care and research. This year, NTI will distribute $2.46 million in grants to nine important studies. Since 2008, the organization has awarded $4 million to 16 studies taking place in 20 states. To learn more about NTI, visit www.nationaltraumainstitute.org.

About the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

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UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER GRADUATES 155 - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

On Friday, December 5, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will graduate 155 health care professionals. The fall graduation ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in the Cook Convention Center, 255 North Main.

William R. Frey, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences at UTHSC, will serve as commencement speaker. Well-known for his thoughtful eloquence Dean Frey's charge to the graduates is certain to be memorable and poignant since he is retiring in December. Dr. Frey has served as dean of the college since January and was previously interim dean for more than two and a half years.

Dean Frey moved to the Mid-South and joined UTHSC in 2003. He will retire with some 35 years of teaching and administrative experience at educational institutions across the country. Originally from Springfield, Tenn., Dean Frey is in the midst of his two-year term as president of the Alpha Eta Society, the largest scholastic honor for allied health professionals. The society has 62 chapters and more than 12,600 members throughout the United States.

'During Bill's tenure, each of the six programs within the College of Allied Health Sciences has flourished,' observed Hershel P. Wall, MD, chancellor at UTHSC. 'He has assembled a team of dynamic faculty members who have created an exciting and supportive interdisciplinary learning culture that permeates the college. Bill leaves his college well positioned for continued success and we wish him the very best in his retirement,' he added.

Chancellor Wall will preside over the graduation ceremony. University of Tennessee President John Petersen will confer the degrees.

The 155 graduates represent five of the UT Health Science Center's six colleges: 22 from the College of Allied Health Sciences; three from the College of Dentistry; 32 from the College of Graduate Health Sciences; two from the College of Medicine; and 96 from the College of Nursing. Traditionally, the UTHSC Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy graduate large classes in the spring.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC has additional College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy campuses in Knoxville, and a College of Medicine campus in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.utmem.edu.

Contact: Sheila Champlin, 901/448-4957.

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суббота, 22 сентября 2012 г.

PROFESSOR HARRY S. COURTNEY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $126,000 GRANT TO CONTINUE STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION RESEARCH - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 15 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Harry S. Courtney, PhD, professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a grant totaling $126,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health. The award will fund research on streptococcal infections. The study titled, 'Role of M-Related Protein and IgG Interactions in Virulence of S. pyogenes,' will be conducted over a two-year period.

The focus of Dr. Courtney's research is on molecular mechanisms of group A streptococcal infections. Group A streptococci, which is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes, produces an array of diseases ranging from mild and self-limiting infections of the throat and skin to highly invasive diseases with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of severe, invasive infections by S. pyogenes has been increasing throughout the world, and it is the ninth-leading cause of mortality among all microbial pathogens worldwide. Infections due to S. pyogenes are limited to humans, but the basis for why people are the target host is relatively unknown.

'This award will provide the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to our understanding of the pathogenesis of group A streptococcal infections,' said Dr. Courtney. 'It will hopefully identify a new target for vaccine development as well.'

Currently, the rodent model is used extensively to study streptococcal infections. However, rodents are naturally resistant to S. pyogenes, thus large doses are required to initiate infections. This award will allow Dr. Courtney and his research team to examine the role of IgG*,which are antibody molecules, binding to the streptococcal surface protein - M-related protein (Mrp) - as it relates to virulence and host specificity. The team will then use their findings to determine if the passive transfer of human IgG to mice will increase their susceptibility to S. pyogenes. Knowing this would improve the animal model by allowing investigators to avoid using high doses that may obscure results.

The findings from this study relating to Mrp-IgG interactions may provide more insight into host specificity of streptococcal infections and lay the foundation for developing therapies or vaccines to block this interaction and prevent infections from this bacteria.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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пятница, 21 сентября 2012 г.

Research Findings from University of Tennessee Update Understanding of Qualitative Health Research. - Health & Medicine Week

Scientists discuss in 'Narrative methods in a study of trauma recovery' new findings in Qualitative Health Research. 'Multiple narrative perspectives can guide narrative research. The complexity of health narratives presents a significant challenge,' scientists in the United States report (see also Qualitative Health Research).

'Trauma recovery accounts are health narratives demonstrating successes as well as struggles. In this article, I describe a large-scale narrative study in which specific qualitative methods were combined to fit research aims, stories elicited, and emergent questions in the analysis process. Under my direction, an interdisciplinary team conducted this constructivist, feminist, narrative study describing the trauma recovery process. The study was focused on success or thriving in women surviving childhood maltreatment. I took an advocacy stance in favor of participants' interests, as is commensurate with a critical feminist standpoint. Through initial analyses the research team constructed a trauma recovery process termed 'becoming resolute.' Subanalyses were focused on key relationships, life trajectories, self-strategies, and perceptual changes,' wrote J.M Hall and colleagues, University of Tennessee.

The researchers concluded: 'My purpose is to explain the various kinds and levels of analysis used here to provide options for others studying recovery narratives.'

Hall and colleagues published their study in Qualitative Health Research (Narrative methods in a study of trauma recovery. Qualitative Health Research, 2011;21(1):3-13).

For more information, contact J.M. Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee USA.

Publisher contact information for the journal Qualitative Health Research is: SAGE Publications, USA , 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.

Keywords: City:Knoxville, State:Tennessee, Country:United States, Qualitative Health Research.

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четверг, 20 сентября 2012 г.

Take Care Health Systems Now Offering Nebulizer Treatments for Respiratory Illness in Preparation for Upcoming Cough, Cold & Flu Season. - Biotech Week

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) and the largest and most comprehensive provider of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers in the country, is now offering nebulizer treatments, when clinically appropriate, for clinic patients exhibiting acute respiratory distress (see also Take Care Health Systems).

The expansion of services to include nebulizer treatments comes as a direct response to conversations and integration with the medical community, patient and provider feedback and demonstrated market need. According to National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care surveys, 'diseases of the respiratory system' were the third largest primary diagnosis among visits to the emergency room in 2005 and 2006, comprising 2.8% and 3.1% of all ER visits respectively.

'Take Care health professionals routinely evaluate and treat patients with respiratory symptoms including wheezing, coughing and other symptoms that could be related to bronchitis, asthma exacerbations or other respiratory illnesses,' said Sandra Ryan, RN, MSN, CPNP, FAANP and chief nurse practitioner officer for Take Care Health Systems. 'Offering nebulizer treatments at Take Care Clinics across the country provides our nationally certified clinicians another tool to ensure individuals and families can receive clinically appropriate care where and when it's needed.'

Nebulizer treatments will be available year-round to patients two years of age and older at all Take Care Clinics. All nebulizer treatments will be administered, if deemed medically necessary, in conjunction with an evaluation at a Take Care Clinic. While undergoing treatment at a clinic, patients can receive prescriptions for nebulizers that can be filled at the patient's pharmacy of choice. In addition, providers will offer the patient demonstration and education on the use of nebulizers and inhalers as needed.

'Over the past year, we have seen more than 300,000 cases of acute respiratory conditions. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants have written prescriptions for nebulizers or meter dosed inhalers for roughly 10 percent of visits,' said Peter Miller, Take Care Health Systems president and CEO. 'Our team based approach involved conversations with the medical community, combined with feedback from our health care professionals and market research, illustrating for us that nebulizer treatments are a necessary, timely and appropriate treatment to offer in Take Care Clinics. This valuable new service provides greater convenience for those who would normally go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic, or patients traveling away from home and are in need of a nebulizer treatment.'

Take Care Clinics are professional walk-in health care centers open seven days a week, with extended evening and weekend hours. Clinics are staffed by board certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are able to write prescriptions as clinically appropriate that can be filled at the patient's pharmacy of choice. The clinics also offer preventive services such as camp, sport and back-to-school physicals; men's and women's health evaluations and vaccinations including GARDASIL (HPV), Menactra (meningitis), the shingles vaccine and others.

Take Care Health Systems encourages all patients to have a health care home, a primary care provider they see for ongoing medical needs and routine exams. If a patient's condition falls outside the scope of service at a Take Care Clinic, the patient is referred to an appropriate site for care, such as a primary care provider or specialist.

Take Care Health Systems currently manages more than 340 Take Care Clinics at Walgreens drugstores in 35 markets across 19 states, including locations in: Atlanta, Boulder-Longmont, Colo., Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Green Bay, Wis., Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Madison, Wis., Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., Oshkosh, Wis., Peoria, Ill., Philadelphia-area, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Rockford, Ill., St. Louis, Tampa, Fla., Topeka, Kan., Tucson, Ariz., West Palm Beach, Fla. and Wichita, Kan. About Take Care Health Systems Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens and part of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and convenient care clinics in the country. TCHS is comprised of Take Care Consumer Solutions (www.takecarehealth.com) and Take Care Health Employer Solutions (www.takecareemployersolutions.com). Take Care Consumer Solutions manages Take Care Clinics at select Walgreens drugstores throughout the country. Patient care at each of the Take Care Clinics is provided by Take Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market. Take Care Health Employer Solutions manages primary care, health and wellness, occupational health, pharmacy and fitness centers at large employer campuses. Combined, Take Care Health Systems manages more than 700 worksite and retail health care centers. About Walgreens Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,943 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and services and cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems.

Keywords: Nebulizers, Health, Hospitals, Infectious Diseases, Pharmaceutical, Other Health, Allergies, Allergy Medicine, Asthma, Infectious Disease, Medical Device, Nebulizer, Pharmaceuticals, Strep Throat, Wellness, Take Care Health Systems.

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Activists dispute ORNL health report. - The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, TN)

Byline: Frank Munger

May 12--OAK RIDGE -- An environmental activist group Wednesday blasted a federal report that said nuclear discharges here didn't pose a public health threat in the past, present or future.

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance said the conclusions could not be 'supported by science or common sense' and called the report 'unconscionable' and 'flat-out false.'

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released a report earlier this week that evaluated the health impacts of radioactive materials discharged into the Clinch River and Watts Bar Lake. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released a variety of nuclear elements into the downstream waters via White Oak Creek, which runs through the lab's nuclear burial grounds.

A statement released by ATSDR, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said: 'People who have used or might continue to use the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir for recreation, food or drinking water may have been exposed. However, this radiation dose is well below levels associated with a health hazard. Therefore, use of the waterways does not pose a public health hazard.'

Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of the environmental peace alliance, said, 'ATSDR's finding is either the result of half-hearted work or simple duplicity.'

Hutchison served on the steering panel for a state-supported study of Oak Ridge pollution in the 1990s. He said it makes no sense for ATSDR to acknowledge that people were exposed to radiation but conclude there were no health effects.

'Radiation health experts agree on few things, but there is consensus that there is 'no safe level' for exposure to radiation,' he said.

He also said there's a conflict of interest when ATSDR, a federal agency, does health assessments on federal operations.

'This conflict is never clearer than today, when the federal government gives itself a high five for being such a good, clean citizen in Oak Ridge,' Hutchison said.

In addition to evaluating the health impacts of historical pollution, the ATSDR team analyzed drinking water samples around the cities of Kingston and Spring City from 1990 to the present. The report said the water was considered safe for consumption and other potable uses.

To see more of The Knoxville News-Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.knoxnews.com.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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среда, 19 сентября 2012 г.

PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR IN KNOX COUNTY. - States News Service

NASHVILLE, TN -- The following information was released by the Tennessee Department of Health:

Knoxville residents living near downtown may get an unexpected knock on the door next week. The Knox County Health Department, in conjunction with the East Tennessee Regional Health Office of the Tennessee Department of Health, will be conducting door-to-door interviews as part of a training exercise on Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25. Staff members from both health departments will be interviewing a selection of residents who live within a roughly three-mile radius of downtown Knoxville in order to evaluate a rapid assessment tool called CASPER, which stands for 'Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response.'

In the event of an emergency, the CASPER methodology allows officials to rapidly assess the status of a community by visiting pre-selected census blocks (parts of census tracts) and surveying residents during the crises. Answers to questions such as the extent of injuries and illness, whether residents have adequate supplies of food and water, or if utilities might not be operating help improve emergency response. An example is the Kingston coal ash spill. In that event, a community assessment was performed, asking residents about potential symptoms related to the spill. The psychological stress of residents was rapidly identified as an unmet need that then could be addressed.

Teams in the community will be clearly identified by orange vests and will be wearing identifying badges. Residents in targeted neighborhoods may be visited between the hours of 4 and 7 PM. Each health professional participating in the drill will be accompanied by a University of Tennessee graduate student in public health, who also is taking part in this learning experience. Residents will be questioned as to whether they have taken basic precautions to prepare for emergencies, such as stockpiling supplies of food, water and medications, and what preparations they might have made for contacting relatives or for their pets' needs.

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CVS Caremark Teams with Google Health - Wireless News

Wireless News
05-27-2008
CVS Caremark Teams with Google Health

WIRELESS NEWS-May 27, 2008-CVS Caremark Teams with Google Health (C)2008 10Meters - http://www.10meters.com

CVS Caremark announced a partnership with Google Health, a new product launched by Google, which allows users to securely store, organize, and manage their medical records and health care information online.
The companies stated that this partnership will facilitate and enhance communications between consumers and health care providers by providing individuals with secure access to their medication history and personal health care information.

'In today's health care environment, information related to an individual's overall health is often fragmented, creating gaps in the availability of data and missed opportunities to coordinate care,' said Helena Foulkes, Senior Vice President, Health Services at CVS Caremark. 'At CVS Caremark, given our presence across the health care continuum as a retail pharmacy, pharmacy benefits manager and retail clinic provider, we can help bring together key health information of importance to our consumers and provide them with a holistic view of their health status.'

By integrating on the Google Health platform, patients who receive treatment at MinuteClinic, the retail-based health clinic subsidiary of CVS Caremark, will be able to securely import their visit summaries into their Google Health Accounts. This function will be immediately available to MinuteClinic patients in Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee and will roll out nationally to the more than 500 MinuteClinic locations in 25 states during the course of the next several weeks. In addition, within the next several months, consumers who fill their prescriptions at a CVS/pharmacy or have prescription coverage from CVS Caremark will also be able to securely import their prescription and medication histories into Google Health

'We believe that Personal Health Records, or PHRs, show great promise as a tool to enable patients to engage in their own health care and we are committed to working with industry leaders to further develop and advance the utility of PHRs,' said Jon Roberts, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at CVS Caremark. 'Given our commitment to facilitating greater consumer engagement in health care and our mission to make innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, we are excited to partner with Google at the launch of Google Health.'

CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions and related health care services in the nation. The company fills or manages more than one billion prescriptions annually.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

(Copyright M2 Communications Ltd. 2008)

Embracing global nursing: the Ghana Health Mission. - Tennessee Nurse

In response to a growing emphasis on transcultural nursing and global health, nursing education is challenged to provide international experiences to enhance cultural competence and the global awareness of students and faculty. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2006) document, Preparing a Culturally Competent Workforce, outlined cultural competencies and provided a framework for implementation and evaluation in baccalaureate nursing education. While current curricula may incorporate piecemeal information or elective courses, such approaches have been recognized as inadequate in preparing nurses for increased population diversity and the global scope of nursing (Calvillo et al., 2009).

The University of Tennessee College of Nursing has embraced the integration of multiple curricular strategies to promote knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures, including a defined course in transcultural nursing practice and several opportunities for international immersion experiences. With university-level support through the Ready for the World program, faculty develops innovative partnerships and opportunities for international experiences in nursing and health care. Participation in the Ghana Health Mission is a recent example of these efforts.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Founded in 1994, the goal of the Ghana Health Mission is to provide community-based primary health care services to a population in need. The initial collaboration between Dr. Leda McKenry from the University of Massachusetts School of Nursing and Reverend Robert Andoh, pastor of the Assemblies of God Church in Sekondi, has continued to sustain and expand the mission for many years. Each health care team consists of volunteer students and faculty from various academic programs. The University of Massachusetts, the University of New England (UNE) Portland, and the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing (UTK CON) have partnered consistently to provide services for a two-week time period during March and/or August. In August 2009, a total of 23 health care providers made the trip, including two University of Tennessee nursing faculty, Maureen Nalle, PhD, RN, and Karen Lasater, DNP, RN, APN.

The makeup of the team varies, depending on availability of undergraduate and graduate (advanced practice) nursing students, as well as faculty resources to support the clinical learning activities. In recent years, the UTK CON team is primarily composed of nursing students and faculty, while UNE has provided a multidisciplinary team including nurses, physician's assistants, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Faculty and students are allocated to the diverse tasks of the clinic, including triage, pharmacy, primary care, and wound care. Sharing of talents and resources amongst the team members creates a rich learning environment for all participants; for many students, this is their first opportunity for interdisciplinary care. Experienced community health care workers are invaluable for interpretation and facilitating clinic operations.

The August 2009 health care team provided care to more than 600 patients in a 10-day period, challenging the skills and knowledge of every provider. The health care needs of the Sekondi community reflect both the poverty and lack of resources of its residents. Malaria, malnutrition, and infectious diseases are the most common reasons to seek treatment, with greatest effects on young children and the elderly. Frequently, patients have not seen a health care provider for many months or even longer, which exacerbates their symptoms and the severity of their illness. Skin infections and diabetic ulcers of the legs and feet are common examples of inadequate preventive care, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of treatment for chronic illness. Hypertension is very common among the adults and even some of the young adults seen in the clinic. The majority of patients seen have high blood pressure and are referred to a community health nurse for follow-up. While the health care demands far exceed the capacities of a two-week clinic, some critical needs for antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs and hypertension treatment clearly ensure some measure of health care that would otherwise be lacking in this population.

Both Nalle and Lasater have made previous trips to Ghana, although this time they were not accompanied by students. 'In past years, we have accompanied one of the other academic groups and wanted to explore the potential for an additional yearly trip by our students and faculty for a separate health mission,' Nalle said. 'The more consistently health care services are available, the greater the impact on overall community health and disease prevention. Ideally, a health mission team would be present at least twice a year if faculty and student resources were available.' This exploratory trip was supported by faculty grants from the University of Tennessee Center for International Education and the UT Ready for the World Initiative, two university initiatives to promote global competence.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Beyond the important health care provided, nursing faculty took advantage of the opportunity to meet with Matilda Bansah, the Director of the Sekondi Nursing and Midwifery Training School. Reporting that faculty resources and educational materials are areas of serious need, Bansah also discussed prospects for shared educational experiences between GHM students and the nursing students in the Sekondi program. Such collaboration would be mutually beneficial to U.S. students and local public health nursing students, creating an opportunity to exchange ideas, develop cultural competence, and to role model international nursing. Faculty exchange of research ideas and teaching strategies is also a priority for supporting growth of this nursing program.

The next Ghana Health Mission is scheduled for August 2010 under the leadership of Jennifer Morton, DNP, MPH, nursing faculty at UNE. Interested students and faculty may contact Dr. Maureen Nalle at 865-974-7598 or mnalle@utk.edu to request more information, or visit the Ghana Health Mission website at www.ghanahealthmission.org.

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UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EARNS $1.7 MILLION GRANT FROM BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD TO EXPAND INFANT MORTALITY PROJECT - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 3 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation has received a $1.7 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation to expand the Blues Project (BLUES) in Shelby and Hamilton Counties in Tennessee. BLUES, a study aimed at reducing infant mortality rates, is administered by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). The project provides TennCare-eligible pregnant women access to quality prenatal care and services through clinic-based group visits at approved community health centers. Additional services include case management, social support, patient education, and referrals to community resources. Participants can access services from onset of pregnancy until the child's second birthday. Each site includes a team of professionals providing clinical and social services.

After the Bluff City was dubbed as having the highest infant mortality rate among the nation's 60 largest cities in 2004, BLUES Phases I and II were launched in Memphis between 2005 and 2009. The study, which assists large numbers of women, has served nearly 1,000 at-risk mothers resulting in more than 900 healthy deliveries, only 0.24 infant deaths and 9 percent low birth weight babies. The $1.7 million grant will be used for the Phase III expansion to extend services to 500 pregnant women at two health care centers in Chattanooga (Hamilton County), as well as to an additional 500 women in Shelby County.

In 2006, Hamilton County posted the second-highest infant mortality rate (11.2 deaths per 1,000 live births) in the state and the highest African-American infant mortality rate (23.7 deaths per 1,000 births). From 2001 to 2005, nearly 16 percent of Hamilton County's live births were born preterm. Of the preterm deliveries, 72 percent resulted in infant deaths. Hamilton County has the highest occurrence of low birth weight in the state at 12 percent. The low birth weight for its African-American babies is almost double that of whites (18.6 percent compared to 9.7 percent, respectively).

Given the expansion into Hamilton County, BLUES purposes to: (1) duplicate the BLUES model to prove the effectiveness of intervention for decreasing infant mortality risks (prematurity and low birth weight); (2) compare the birth and child health outcomes of the Hamilton County participants to those in Shelby County, and (3) establish the Blues Project as an effective, data-driven and cost-efficient model for reducing the health disparity of infant mortality in Tennessee.

'We want to demonstrate the scalability of BLUES and work to build a self-sustained structure of care that will expand, not only in the state of Tennessee, but across the country in cities with similar demographics to Memphis,' said Kimberly Lamar, PhD, MPH, MSEH, principal investigator of BLUES and assistant professor for the UTHSC Department of Preventive Medicine. The BLUES model is holistic in scope compared to other programs and empowers women to overcome social and economic barriers adversely affecting their health and that of their children. Results show African-American BLUES mothers have made significant improvements in their educational and employment goals by the end of their second year follow-up.

'The $1.7 million BlueCross BlueShield grant will also be used to measure the impact of patient education, social support and prenatal care on infant mortality in pregnant women,' stated Dr. Lamar. 'The overall goal of BLUES is to decrease primary risk factors of infant mortality.'

BLUES works to reduce: preterm and low birth weight deliveries, maternal and neonatal hospital days, infant death rates within the first year of life, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and accidental child injuries. Additionally, by the end of the 24-month postpartum period, BLUES serves to improve the mother's educational status, employment status, parenting skills and psychosocial status (stress, depression, mental health, substance abuse, and incidences of domestic violence).

Dr. Lamar emphasizes that intervention only at the clinic level is not sufficient for significantly addressing health disparities.

For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

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The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Receives Nearly $3 Million Grant from BlueCross to Promote Patient Safety. - Computer Weekly News

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) has been awarded a $2,912,751 grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to fund its 'Promoting Patient Safety Through Teamwork-Focused Interdisciplinary Simulations Program.' Vicky Gregg, CEO for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, will provide UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab with the first installment of the grant at a January 24 check presentation. The event will be held in the lobby of the chancellor's office on the UTHSC main campus in Memphis at 10 a.m.

The nearly $3 million grant, which becomes effective this month and runs through 2013, will support the purchase of new medical simulators, computers and software for training students from five UTHSC colleges - Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. Use of simulators allows students from different colleges to work together as an interdisciplinary team and respond to simulated patient care crises and address real-world health problems.

The grant supports recruitment of three staff members to administer the program, including a director. It will also fund the installation of equipment and software to record, analyze and evaluate the performance of the teams.

'This grant will be a tremendous asset in educating future generations of health care professionals from a wide variety of disciplines,' said Chancellor Schwab. 'Today's health care students and trainees must learn to consistently work as teams, to trust each other's judgment, and to maintain a constant, shared focus on patient safety.' He also noted, 'The grant will allow us to move ahead with this collaborative training methodology at a much faster pace. We will be able to bring together students with a range of health care specialties in simulations where they can practice listening, learning and pooling their knowledge and resources to better serve patients.'

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST), a more than 65-year-old health insurance provider that serves some 3 million Tennesseans, established its health foundation in 2003 to award grants for initiatives that improve health for the state's citizens.

'The idea of health care as a team exercise that is practiced and coordinated with a focus on quality patient care and safety resonates strongly with our organization,' said Gregg. 'We are pleased to support this forward-thinking initiative, which will better prepare the next generation of health care providers in our state and positively impact the health of Tennesseans.'

Hershel P. Wall, MD, special assistant to the UT President in support of Development and Alumni Affairs, organized and submitted the grant to BCBST Health Foundation. 'We are very thankful for this generous support from the BlueCross Blue Shield of Tennessee Health Foundation,' he said. 'Teaching our students to be better, team-focused health providers and to rely on each other's expertise will help them serve patients more efficiently and effectively. Combine that with showing students how each of them can positively affect patient safety and the result is a winning strategy for patients, hospitals and the entire health care system.'

In keeping with the essence of the program, Dr. Wall observed that producing the grant proposal was an interdisciplinary effort. 'A critical team from nursing, medicine, pharmacy and the development office share credit for writing the grant proposal,' he explained.

The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation Inc. (THF) is a 501[c](3) foundation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BCBST. THF awards grants focused on high impact initiatives across the state that promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for all Tennessee residents. THF, working with civic and economic partners, is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of Tennesseans for generations to come. For more information, visit http://www.bcbst.com.

SOURCE University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100323/DC75673LOGO

Keywords: Computers, Software, University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

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UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE TEAMS WITH NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS TO FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The University of Tennessee issued the following news release:

Taking care of our mental health is just as important as keeping our bodies fit. For college students, not paying attention to mental health issues could interfere with studies, work and personal lives.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Knoxville chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are teaming up to help spread the message about mental health awareness, wellness and suicide prevention. VolAware is UT's mental health awareness campaign.

There are two events for the community and college students.

* Stomp Out Stigma - a free concert sponsored by NAMI in partnership with VolAware, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, on Market Square in Downtown Knoxville. The featured act is JayStorm in concert with Jackson Mohr. There also will be a step contest, shopping, food, door prizes and free goodies. Learn about common stressors, triggers and where to get help.

* VolAware Street Fair - games and activities such as mental health 'Jeopardy!' and the inner child play center and booths staffed by mental health, wellness and professional development organizations, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7, University Center Plaza. There also will be QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training sessions, mental health screenings, a yoga class, Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) demonstrations and a workshop on 'What Can I Do with a Major in the Helping Professions?'

The VolAware Street Fair is hosted by the UT Counseling Center and the Safety, Environment and Education (SEE) Center. UT faculty, staff and students helped plan the events. Head football coach Phillip Fulmer appeared on advertisements for the event on WBIR. Fulmer is the national spokesman for The Jason Foundation, a youth suicide prevention organization based in Hendersonville.

There are a variety of resources available on campus for students, faculty and staff as part of VolAware.

The Counseling Center offers free and confidential counseling for individuals, couples and groups. The Dean of Students Office acts as a clearinghouse for students to connect with services on campus, and a case manager is available to help students. The university has provided faculty and staff with a protocol to help distressed students. Faculty, staff and students can call 974-HELP to report concerns about someone else.

For more information and a full schedule of events, go to http://volaware.utk.edu/.Contact: Elizabeth Davis, 865/974-5179, elizabeth.davis@tennessee.edu; Connie Briscoe, 865/974-2196, briscoe@utk.edu.

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Marketing women's health.(Marketing Forum: Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations) - Imaging Economics

Word of mouth had been the primary means of advertising for Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center during its earlier years, and that method had worked out pretty well for the free-standing facility that opened its doors in 1983 in Knoxville, Tenn. Women raved about their experiences to mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and friends, and the center established a rapport with referring physicians.

'That was how our practice was built, on word of mouth,' recalled Andrew Gitschlag, practice administrator. But times change, and so do marketing methods.

More than a decade later, the center was ready for an expansion, and in 1997, the center added a dedicated breast surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, plastic reconstructive surgeons, and a high-risk assessment coordinator. With a commitment to utilizing the latest advancements in technology, the center acquired an Aurora 1.5T Dedicated Breast MRI System with SpiralRODEO in 2002, which presented clinicians with increased image quality in less scan time. Most importantly, Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center continued its quest to educate not only its current and prospective patients, but also referring doctors, on its personal mission to provide the best quality care.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Gitschlag explained that the center has vested much time in community outreach, sending the message out to women that they have a choice in selecting their imaging center, and that they don't need referrals to make an appointment. The facility also has honed in on two other areas: building even stronger relationships with referring physicians through regular meetings, and constantly improving the practice by conducting surveys and listening to patient feedback. For example, the Breast Center brought in ultrasound gel warmers after patients indicated that the gel was too cold. It's the little things that add up, Gitschlag noted, and the small enhancements all help to assuage the fears of women getting mammograms.

The center is also known in the neighborhood for two yearly community service events it hosts in October. In one, Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center sponsors a salon day for cancer survivors, and in the other, the center teams up with a local radio station to offer free mammogram screenings. This year, the center's physicians performed 107 screenings, many of them for those without health insurance. In addition to events, the center has received success from its radio promos and print ads and, recently, television commercials. An ad that might run in a local newspaper would feature a woman consulting with a physician or in a comforting pose. This is a powerful message, Gitschlag said, because for many women, it's really about the compassionate care they receive.

'We've done such a good job that we're looking for one or two more breast radiologists to accommodate all the women who come here,' Gitschlag said, adding that the center averages 175 to 200 patients a month.

Like Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center, Radiology Ltd, of Tucson, Ariz, was built on a solid foundation, but looked to embark on an overall branding campaign.

'With more than 70 years in Tucson, we had a very good reputation within the medical community, but we had no face or name for the general public or the patients we were seeing on a daily basis,' said Stephanie Boreale, director of professional relations. 'It was first necessary to start with a larger, more generic campaign that addressed who we are and why we are here and then from there expand on the details of the company.'

In lifestyle magazines and playbills, the practice ran a number of print ads that had been designed in-house. Not only was the campaign effective, it also led to accolades from the Radiology Business Management Association, which honored the practice with a gold Quest marketing award for advertising.

With regard to women's services, Boreale said the practice had to approach its marketing in an entirely different way than the strategies used toward marketing diagnostic imaging. The focus was on educating a patient population who has control over the choice to get a mammogram in the first place, she continued.

'Women are the decision makers in most households and in most cases are the ones initiating a screening exam,' Boreale explained. 'With that said, it is important for women to understand the benefits of one imaging center over another.'

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New Findings from University of Tennessee in the Area of Health and Society Described. - Health & Medicine Week

'Despite pressures to change the role of hospital boards, hospitals have made few changes in board composition or director selection criteria. Hospital boards have often continued to operate in their traditional roles as either ''monitors'' or ''advisors.'' More attention to the direct involvement of hospital boards in the strategic decision-making process of the organizations they serve, the timing and circumstances under which board involvement occurs, and the board composition that enhances their abilities to participate fully is needed,' investigators in Knoxville, United States report (see also Health and Society).

'We investigated the relationship between broader expertise among hospital board members, board involvement in the stages of strategic decision making, and the hospital's strategic focus. We surveyed top management team members of 72 nonacademic hospitals to explore the participation of critical stakeholder groups such as the board of directors in the strategic decision-making process. We used hierarchical regression analysis to explore our hypotheses that there is a relationship between both the nature and involvement of the board and the hospital's strategic orientation. Hospitals with broader expertise on their boards reported an external focus. For some of their externally-oriented goals, hospitals also reported that their boards were involved earlier in the stages of decision making. In light of the complex and dynamic environment of hospitals today, those charged with developing hospital boards should match the variety in the external issues that the hospital faces with more variety in board makeup. By developing a board with greater breadth of expertise, the hospital responds to its complex environment by absorbing that complexity, enabling a greater potential for sensemaking and learning,' wrote K. Fordeickhoff and colleagues, University of Tennessee.

The researchers concluded: 'Rather than acting only as monitors and advisors, boards impact their hospitals' strategic focus through their participation in the strategic decision-making process.'

Fordeickhoff and colleagues published their study in Health Care Management Review (Hospital boards and hospital strategic focus: The impact of board involvement in strategic decision making. Health Care Management Review, 2011;36(2):145-154).

For additional information, contact K. Fordeickhoff, University of Tennessee, College Business Administration, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.

The publisher of the journal Health Care Management Review can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.

Keywords: City:Knoxville, State:Tennessee, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, Health and Society, Hospital

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Baptist finds a partner; St. Mary's deal would yield Covenant-size system.(The Week in Healthcare)(mergers and accquisition of Baptist Health System and St. Mary's Health System ) - Modern Healthcare

Byline: Vince Galloro

After considering two for-profit hospital companies as a possible partner, Baptist Health System of East Tennessee plans to remain in the not-for-profit Knoxville family.

Baptist and St. Mary's Health System announced last week that they have signed a letter of intent to merge the two systems. The proposed merger would make a system of roughly the same size as the largest adult acute-care system in Knoxville, Covenant Health, said Janice James, interim chief executive officer of Baptist. Baptist has four hospitals in the Knoxville area and St. Mary's, which is also part of Cincinnati-based Catholic Healthcare Partners, operates four hospitals there. The combined system, which will be owned by Catholic Healthcare Partners, is expected to have annual revenue of about $600 million, St. Mary's said.

'It makes this a very important part of any managed-care payer's network,'' said James, a managing director with Huron Consulting Group. 'Each was important on its own, but they are more important combined.''

The agreement, if it is completed after due diligence is performed and federal antitrust clearance is won, ends nearly two years of searching by Baptist for a solution to its financial problems. Baptist was struggling with $217 million in debt when it agreed to form an 80-20 joint venture with Triad Hospitals, Plano, Texas, in June 2006. That deal was scuttled in November 2006 (Nov. 13, 2006, p. 12). Triad itself was acquired by Community Health Systems, Franklin, Tenn., for $6.97 billion in July.

Baptist also has discussed a management agreement with Franklin-based Iasis Healthcare. The other not-for-profit providers in the Knoxville market also approached Baptist during this period. Wellspring Partners, now owned by Huron Consulting, was hired to manage Baptist in February.

James said that her turnaround team has been on the job only since March, but has improved the system's finances by about $13 million already. The system is able to fund its operations on cash produced by those operations, rather than dipping into reserves, she said.

That improved financial performance helped bring the systems together, as they share a lot in common as faith-based organizations, said Craig Griffith, a St. Mary's spokesman. The boards of each system will combine as a single board in a new umbrella organization that has yet to be named, Griffith said. Both systems will retain their individual identities for marketing purposes, he said.

Geographically, the systems are largely complementary, James said, although the downtown campuses of both systems are located near each other. The systems do not anticipate any facility closings, she added. There will be some effects felt at the facility level, she said, but the service lines of the hospitals have not been analyzed to see how compatible they are.

One service line that has come up is family planning services. The combined system will be operated as a Roman Catholic healthcare system and will follow all of the church's religious and ethical directives, Griffith said. Baptist has a much smaller obstetrics program compared with St. Mary's, so the impact will be small, James said.

The deal requires antitrust clearance from the Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and also requires the Tennessee Baptist Convention's approval. The systems hope to complete the deal by Jan. 1, 2008.

Also last week, St. Mary's announced that it will take over the lease of 77-bed Scott County Hospital, Oneida, Tenn., by Jan. 1, 2008. The county-owned hospital has been operated by privately held Attentus Healthcare, Franklin, Tenn., since February 2005.

CAPTION(S):

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HERSHEL P. WALL, MD, STEPS DOWN AS CHANCELLOR AT UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 2 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news release:

Hershel P. Wall, MD, chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), announced plans today to step down from his position on September 30. Dr. Wall has been a member of the Health Science Center team since he began medical school on the Memphis campus more than 52 years ago.

Steve J. Schwab, MD, was named UTHSC interim chancellor by UT Interim President Jan Simek. Dr. Schwab's appointment becomes effective on October 1. The search for the permanent Health Science Center chancellor will begin immediately.

'Pat Wall is an incredibly dedicated member of the university family,' said President Simek. 'We are grateful for the many contributions he has made to the Memphis community and to our UT family in his roles as physician, teacher and administrator.'

During his long and distinguished tenure, Dr. Wall held a series of positions with increasing levels of responsibility in the UT College of Medicine, including serving as interim dean for the Memphis campus. He accepted the appointment as interim chancellor in April 2007, with the interim designation being removed in January 2008. Dr. Wall will continue to teach in the College of Medicine and serve UTHSC as a Special Assistant to the President in support of Alumni Affairs and Development. His responsibilities will include fundraising, capital development and alumni relations.

Dr. Schwab joined UTHSC as the first-ever executive dean for the UT College of Medicine in July 2006 to lead the center's largest college. In this role he has assumed all administrative responsibility for the Health Science Center's College of Medicine campus locations in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga. In 2007, he absorbed direct responsibility for the College of Medicine Memphis campus due to a vacancy in the Memphis dean's office.

'I am honored to accept this appointment and I look forward to continued strong collaboration with the leadership, faculty and staff of this vital health care institution,' said Dr. Schwab.

'Dr. Schwab has exhibited a serious commitment to excellence, a sound ability to lead and an affinity for building symbiotic strategic partnerships. Those traits are pivotal to success in the chancellor's office,' said President Simek. 'His vision of moving the College of Medicine into the top quartile of academic medical institutions is being translated into reality by a team of excited and accomplished professionals.'

The search for a permanent UTHSC chancellor was suspended in January 2008 and the interim designation was removed from Chancellor Wall's title. A new committee will undertake the national search and make recommendations to President Simek on possible candidates. The search committee will include leaders from partner organizations in the Memphis health care community; UTHSC faculty and student representatives from among its six colleges; non-exempt staff, and team members who represent the other two major UTHSC campuses in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

'A long-term permanent chancellor is critical to the future of the UT Health Science Center and the pursuit of our goal to increase its research capacity, outreach in the community and commitment to providing the best possible education for the future health care workers in our state,' President Simek said.

In addition to serving as interim chancellor, Dr. Schwab will continue in his role as chair of the UT Medical Group Board of Directors, a position he has held for three years. UT Medical Group (UTMG) is the private group practice affiliated with the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine faculty. A not-for-profit, non-tax-supported group practice, UTMG is dedicated to quality patient care, medical education, and medical research. With more than 350 clinicians, UTMG is the largest physician group in the region.

Prior to joining UTHSC, Dr. Schwab served as interim dean and chief clinical officer of the Medical College of Georgia where he was also a Regents Professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine. Before that, from 1985 to 2003, he was at Duke University where he rose to become professor and vice chairman of medicine. He has held board positions in both the private and public sectors. Dr. Schwab is internationally recognized in the field of renal disease with more than 150 refereed publications and five books to his credit.

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вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.

40 Plus Health Systems Link with Premier Healthcare Alliance's Accountable Care Organization Readiness Collaborative - Wireless News

Wireless News
08-16-2010
40 Plus Health Systems Link with Premier Healthcare Alliance's Accountable Care Organization Readiness Collaborative
Type: News

More than 40 leading health systems have joined the Premier healthcare alliance's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Readiness Collaborative, the group reported.

Working together, participating health systems will develop the organization, skills, team and operational capabilities necessary to become effective ACOs capable of lowering costs by improving care coordination, efficiency, quality and patient satisfaction, the group noted in a release.
An ACO is a group of healthcare providers that comes together to accept accountability for a defined patient population's care. They are designed to keep patients healthy and out of intensive care settings. At the same time, ACOs will increasingly shift reimbursements to be based on achieving top performance goals that lead to better and more cost-effective patient outcomes.

'Together, health systems in the ACO Readiness Collaborative will build the knowledge and expertise needed to transform today's system from one that treats illness, to one that delivers health and wellness,' said Premier president and CEO Susan DeVore. 'In moving forward this way, these health systems are truly implementing the goals of healthcare reform - improved healthcare outcomes at the most cost-effective price for patients and taxpayers.'

Premier also developed the ACO Implementation Collaborative, designed for health systems working to create ACOs today, leveraging existing payer partnerships and a tightly aligned, engaged physician network.

'There's no question that meeting the demands of healthcare reform will require providers to assume greater accountability for community health,' said Nick Turkal, MD, president and CEO for Aurora Health Care. 'Keeping people healthy is the best way for health systems to add real value, control healthcare costs and increase overall satisfaction. We truly believe that ACOs are the future.'

As described by the group, members of the ACO Readiness Collaborative will work to learn best practices and start to build the critical components of accountable care, including:

-A patient-centered foundation that designs the ACO from a patient's perspective to foster better engagement, satisfaction and increased accountability for health.

-Health homes that deliver primary care and manage health and wellness.

-New approaches to primary, specialty and hospital care to reward coordination, efficiency and productivity.

-Tightly integrated relationships with specialists, ancillary providers and hospitals so they are similarly focused and aligned to achieve high-value outcomes.

-Provider/payer partnerships and reimbursement models that incent improved outcomes, rewarding value over volume.

-Population health IT infrastructure, including health information exchanges to enable coordination across provider networks.

Members of the ACO Readiness Collaborative include:

-Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.)

-Albert Einstein Healthcare Network (Philadelphia)

-Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (Boone, N.C.)

-Ardent Health Services (Nashville, Tenn.)

-Hillcrest Medical Center (Tulsa, Okla.)

-Lovelace Medical Center (Lovelace, N.M.)

-Aurora Health Care (Milwaukee)

-Avera Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

-Cape Fear Valley Health System (Fayetteville, N.C.)

-Catholic Healthcare Partners (Cincinnati)

-Mercy Health Partners (Cincinnati)

-Healthspan (Cincinnati)

-Mercy Health Partners (Knoxville)

-Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston, Maine)

-East Alabama Medical Center (Opelika, Ala.)

-Fremont Area Medical Center (Fremont, Neb.)

-Hartford Hospital (Hartford, Conn.)

-Iredell Memorial Hospital (Statesville, N.C.)

-Kaleida Health (Buffalo, N.Y.)

-Kettering Health Network (Dayton, Ohio)

-Legacy Health System (Portland, Ore.)

-LifeBridge Health (Baltimore)

-Memorial Health System (Springfield, Ill.)

-Memorial University Medical Center (Savannah, Ga.)

-Methodist Health System (Dallas)

-Methodist/LeBonheur Healthcare (Memphis, Tenn.)

-Mission Health System (Asheville, N.C.)

-Mountain States Health Alliance (Johnson City, Tenn.)

-NCH Healthcare System (Naples, Fla.)

-PeaceHealth (Bellevue, Wash.)

-Phelps County Regional Medical Center (Rolla, Mo.)

-Randolph Hospital (Asheboro, N.C.)

-Regional Health (Rapid City, S.D.)

-Resurrection Health Care (Chicago)

-Saint Vincent Health System (Erie, Pa.)

-Self Regional Healthcare (Greenwood, S.C.)

-Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (Lenexa, Kan.)

-Providence Medical Center (Kansas City, Kan.)

-St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings, Mont.)

-Southeastern Regional Medical Center (Lumberton, N.C.)

-Sparrow Health System (Lansing, Mich.)

-St. Anthony's Medical Center (St. Louis)

-St. Joseph's/Candler (Savannah, G.A.)

-St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network (Bethlehem, Penn.)

-St. Mary's Hospital (Waterbury, Conn.)

-Summit Medical Group, PLLC (Knoxville)

-TJ Sampson Community Hospital (Glasgow, Ken.)

-TriHealth Inc. (Cincinnati)

-UMC Health System (Lubbock, Texas)

-WINHealth Partners (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

-Wilson Medical Center (Wilson, N.C.)

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2010 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

40 Plus Health Systems Link with Premier Healthcare Alliance's Accountable Care Organization Readiness Collaborative. - Health & Beauty Close-Up

More than 40 leading health systems have joined the Premier healthcare alliance's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Readiness Collaborative, the group reported.

Working together, participating health systems will develop the organization, skills, team and operational capabilities necessary to become effective ACOs capable of lowering costs by improving care coordination, efficiency, quality and patient satisfaction, the group noted in a release.

An ACO is a group of healthcare providers that comes together to accept accountability for a defined patient population's care. They are designed to keep patients healthy and out of intensive care settings. At the same time, ACOs will increasingly shift reimbursements to be based on achieving top performance goals that lead to better and more cost-effective patient outcomes.

'Together, health systems in the ACO Readiness Collaborative will build the knowledge and expertise needed to transform today's system from one that treats illness, to one that delivers health and wellness,' said Premier president and CEO Susan DeVore. 'In moving forward this way, these health systems are truly implementing the goals of healthcare reform - improved healthcare outcomes at the most cost-effective price for patients and taxpayers.'

Premier also developed the ACO Implementation Collaborative, designed for health systems working to create ACOs today, leveraging existing payer partnerships and a tightly aligned, engaged physician network.

'There's no question that meeting the demands of healthcare reform will require providers to assume greater accountability for community health,' said Nick Turkal, MD, president and CEO for Aurora Health Care. 'Keeping people healthy is the best way for health systems to add real value, control healthcare costs and increase overall satisfaction. We truly believe that ACOs are the future.'

As described by the group, members of the ACO Readiness Collaborative will work to learn best practices and start to build the critical components of accountable care, including:

-A patient-centered foundation that designs the ACO from a patient's perspective to foster better engagement, satisfaction and increased accountability for health.

-Health homes that deliver primary care and manage health and wellness.

-New approaches to primary, specialty and hospital care to reward coordination, efficiency and productivity.

-Tightly integrated relationships with specialists, ancillary providers and hospitals so they are similarly focused and aligned to achieve high-value outcomes.

-Provider/payer partnerships and reimbursement models that incent improved outcomes, rewarding value over volume.

-Population health IT infrastructure, including health information exchanges to enable coordination across provider networks.

Members of the ACO Readiness Collaborative include:

-Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.)

-Albert Einstein Healthcare Network (Philadelphia)

-Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (Boone, N.C.)

-Ardent Health Services (Nashville, Tenn.)

-Hillcrest Medical Center (Tulsa, Okla.)

-Lovelace Medical Center (Lovelace, N.M.)

-Aurora Health Care (Milwaukee)

-Avera Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

-Cape Fear Valley Health System (Fayetteville, N.C.)

-Catholic Healthcare Partners (Cincinnati)

-Mercy Health Partners (Cincinnati)

-Healthspan (Cincinnati)

-Mercy Health Partners (Knoxville)

-Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston, Maine)

-East Alabama Medical Center (Opelika, Ala.)

-Fremont Area Medical Center (Fremont, Neb.)

-Hartford Hospital (Hartford, Conn.)

-Iredell Memorial Hospital (Statesville, N.C.)

-Kaleida Health (Buffalo, N.Y.)

-Kettering Health Network (Dayton, Ohio)

-Legacy Health System (Portland, Ore.)

-LifeBridge Health (Baltimore)

-Memorial Health System (Springfield, Ill.)

-Memorial University Medical Center (Savannah, Ga.)

-Methodist Health System (Dallas)

-Methodist/LeBonheur Healthcare (Memphis, Tenn.)

-Mission Health System (Asheville, N.C.)

-Mountain States Health Alliance (Johnson City, Tenn.)

-NCH Healthcare System (Naples, Fla.)

-PeaceHealth (Bellevue, Wash.)

-Phelps County Regional Medical Center (Rolla, Mo.)

-Randolph Hospital (Asheboro, N.C.)

-Regional Health (Rapid City, S.D.)

-Resurrection Health Care (Chicago)

-Saint Vincent Health System (Erie, Pa.)

-Self Regional Healthcare (Greenwood, S.C.)

-Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (Lenexa, Kan.)

-Providence Medical Center (Kansas City, Kan.)

-St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings, Mont.)

-Southeastern Regional Medical Center (Lumberton, N.C.)

-Sparrow Health System (Lansing, Mich.)

-St. Anthony's Medical Center (St. Louis)

-St. Joseph's/Candler (Savannah, G.A.)

-St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network (Bethlehem, Penn.)

-St. Mary's Hospital (Waterbury, Conn.)

-Summit Medical Group, PLLC (Knoxville)

-TJ Sampson Community Hospital (Glasgow, Ken.)

-TriHealth Inc. (Cincinnati)

-UMC Health System (Lubbock, Texas)

-WINHealth Partners (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

-Wilson Medical Center (Wilson, N.C.)

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Team Health Knoxville

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воскресенье, 30 сентября 2012 г.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER JOINS LARGEST EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN CENTRAL UNITED STATES: GREAT CENTRAL US SHAKEOUT - APRIL 28 - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

суббота, 29 сентября 2012 г.

TONIA S. REX ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AWARDED $200,000 GRANT FROM RESEARCH TO PREVENT BLINDNESS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

пятница, 28 сентября 2012 г.

Health Net Management Inc. Announces Communications Department Personnel Changes - The Tennessee Tribune

четверг, 27 сентября 2012 г.

WAFA KHASAWNEH, DOCTORAL NURSING STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES FELLOWSHIP AWARD FROM SOUTHERN REGIONAL EDUCATION BOARD - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

среда, 26 сентября 2012 г.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TONIA REX OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $1.8 MILLION GRANT TO CONTINUE GLAUCOMA RESEARCH - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

вторник, 25 сентября 2012 г.

METHODIST TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SETS RECORDS FOR TRANSPLANT VOLUMES, PATIENT SURVIVAL RATES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

понедельник, 24 сентября 2012 г.

TERESA WATERS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $793,056 FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

воскресенье, 23 сентября 2012 г.

BEN ZARZAUR, MD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $300,000 GRANT FROM NATIONAL TRAUMA INSTITUTE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER GRADUATES 155 - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

суббота, 22 сентября 2012 г.

PROFESSOR HARRY S. COURTNEY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER RECEIVES $126,000 GRANT TO CONTINUE STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION RESEARCH - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

пятница, 21 сентября 2012 г.

Research Findings from University of Tennessee Update Understanding of Qualitative Health Research. - Health & Medicine Week

четверг, 20 сентября 2012 г.

Take Care Health Systems Now Offering Nebulizer Treatments for Respiratory Illness in Preparation for Upcoming Cough, Cold & Flu Season. - Biotech Week

Activists dispute ORNL health report. - The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, TN)

среда, 19 сентября 2012 г.

PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR IN KNOX COUNTY. - States News Service

CVS Caremark Teams with Google Health - Wireless News

Embracing global nursing: the Ghana Health Mission. - Tennessee Nurse

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER EARNS $1.7 MILLION GRANT FROM BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD TO EXPAND INFANT MORTALITY PROJECT - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Receives Nearly $3 Million Grant from BlueCross to Promote Patient Safety. - Computer Weekly News

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE TEAMS WITH NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS TO FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Marketing women's health.(Marketing Forum: Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations) - Imaging Economics

New Findings from University of Tennessee in the Area of Health and Society Described. - Health & Medicine Week

Baptist finds a partner; St. Mary's deal would yield Covenant-size system.(The Week in Healthcare)(mergers and accquisition of Baptist Health System and St. Mary's Health System ) - Modern Healthcare

HERSHEL P. WALL, MD, STEPS DOWN AS CHANCELLOR AT UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.

40 Plus Health Systems Link with Premier Healthcare Alliance's Accountable Care Organization Readiness Collaborative - Wireless News

40 Plus Health Systems Link with Premier Healthcare Alliance's Accountable Care Organization Readiness Collaborative. - Health & Beauty Close-Up

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воскресенье, 30 сентября 2012 г.

суббота, 29 сентября 2012 г.

пятница, 28 сентября 2012 г.

четверг, 27 сентября 2012 г.

среда, 26 сентября 2012 г.

вторник, 25 сентября 2012 г.

понедельник, 24 сентября 2012 г.

воскресенье, 23 сентября 2012 г.

суббота, 22 сентября 2012 г.

пятница, 21 сентября 2012 г.

четверг, 20 сентября 2012 г.

среда, 19 сентября 2012 г.

вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.

воскресенье, 30 сентября 2012 г.

суббота, 29 сентября 2012 г.

пятница, 28 сентября 2012 г.

четверг, 27 сентября 2012 г.

среда, 26 сентября 2012 г.

вторник, 25 сентября 2012 г.

понедельник, 24 сентября 2012 г.

воскресенье, 23 сентября 2012 г.

суббота, 22 сентября 2012 г.

пятница, 21 сентября 2012 г.

четверг, 20 сентября 2012 г.

среда, 19 сентября 2012 г.

вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.