Piedmont Newnan Hospital Receives Generous Donation

$5.1 million gift is largest in Piedmont Healthcare history.

The Piedmont Newnan Hospital replacement facility on Poplar Road will offer enhanced services in the areas of interventional radiology, surgery, emergency care and women’s and neonatal services thanks to a major boost from Newnan Hospital Inc.  Newnan Hospital Inc. (NHI) has made a historic gift valued at over $5.1 million to Piedmont Newnan Hospital, the largest, private, one-time gift in Piedmont Healthcare’s 105-year history.    

Newnan Hospital Inc. is the legal entity that was the previous owner of Piedmont Newnan Hospital and continues today with a mission to support healthcare-related needs and initiatives to improve the healthcare of the local community.

“We are building a new hospital today because of the vision and perseverance of the Newnan Hospital Inc. Board of Directors,” said Michael Bass, president and CEO of Piedmont Newnan Hospital. “This transformational gift demonstrates loud and clear Newnan Hospital Inc.’s longstanding commitment to improving healthcare for all citizens of Coweta County. We sincerely thank the board for this most generous gift.”

The gift includes $4 million of enhancements and additions, previously not programmed into the scope of the replacement hospital. A major portion of the funds will purchase medical equipment in interventional radiology services and will enable the build-out of two additional surgical suites, including one with enhanced capabilities for urological procedures. The additional rooms will improve scheduling and availability of surgery and other procedures for patients and doctors.

In addition, it will provide further enhancements to the emergency department, including multi-purpose, ceiling equipment booms in the trauma rooms to keep the floors clear of diagnostic equipment; a faster, 64-slice CT scanner; and critical care monitors compatible with future technology.  Additionally, pediatric and infant resuscitation equipment and infant warmers will be purchased for exclusive use in the emergency department, rather than be shared with the labor and delivery unit.  For women’s and neonatal services, the donation will allow the provision of dedicated NICU incubators with resuscitation capability in all rooms, including delivery rooms.

In making the announcement, Tom Moat, president of the Newnan Hospital Inc. Board of Directors, expressed the board’s feeling on how important it is for NHI to be involved in providing the best possible hospital for residents of the Coweta community.

 “Piedmont is going to provide our community with a new, state-of-the-art hospital, and we believe it is important for Newnan Hospital Inc. to take the lead in helping augment vital services in the new facility,” said Moat. “We can help provide enhanced services that will benefit all of us for many years.” 

“Having been in the hospital business for almost 90 years, our board recognizes that community support includes both using services available at our local hospital and supporting it financially,” added Moat. “We are grateful to Piedmont Healthcare for all they are doing by building a new hospital facility. We want to help through these donations and hope this will encourage others to support further development of the new hospital and advance healthcare in our community.”

The gift also includes the property on the court square in downtown Newnan, which serves as the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Wellness Center. Valued at $840,000, Piedmont Newnan Hospital will continue operating the downtown Newnan Wellness Center for the community.

The third element of the gift is an additional $260,000 set aside for the utilization of the original Newnan Hospital campus, located at 80 Jackson Street. This campus currently houses both the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Center and the Piedmont Heartburn Treatment Center. These services will be relocated to the new facility on Poplar Road, scheduled to open in the spring of 2012.

“This gift from Newnan Hospital Inc. represents the largest one-time gift in Piedmont’s history and sets the stage for fundraising efforts to support the new hospital,” said R. Timothy Stack, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. “To the 500-plus annual donors who already support Piedmont Newnan Hospital, as well as our Auxilians and our community, this contribution makes a bold statement that through philanthropy, we have the ability to make a tremendous impact on the quality of local healthcare in the communities we serve.”

This gift is the largest in a series of recent gifts made by NHI to benefit healthcare in Coweta County.  Earlier this fall, NHI announced a $2 million gift to University of West Georgia’s School of Nursing; a $1 million gift to West Georgia Technical College, benefiting the allied health sciences programs; and another $1 million contribution to the new Coweta Samaritan Clinic.
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Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians Partner with US AGAINST ATHERO to Educate on Heart Disease

Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians have teamed up with US AGAINST ATHERO, to bring the Artery Explorer experience to Piedmont Fayette Hospital at 1255 Highway 54 West in Fayetteville, Ga. In addition to this unique educational experience, visitors will have a chance to have their blood pressure checked and learn their body mass index (BMI). The event is Tuesday, October 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, October 27 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

As part of US AGAINST ATHERO, the Artery Explorer is touring the country to increase awareness of atherosclerosis—the dangerous buildup of plaque in the arteries. This incredible virtual experience allows viewers to surf through arteries on a journey deep inside the body. The movie demonstrates how risk factors like high levels of bad cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure can contribute to the buildup of plaque in arteries.

Coronary heart disease and stroke kill more Americans every year than all cancers combined. Atherosclerosis, or athero for short, is often the leading cause. It is the progressive buildup of plaque in the arteries linked to about one in four deaths in the United States each year. For more information, call 770.719.6060 or visit athero.com.
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State Approves Piedmont Fayette Hospital CON Applications for NICU Expansion

“Keep Babies in Fayette” Support Made a Difference
The Georgia Department of Community Health announced Monday its approval of Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s Certificate of Need (CON) applications to expand its Level II neonatal intermediate care unit and to establish a Level III neonatal intensive care unit to care for fragile newborns who are born here.

“We are excited about moving forward with these important services and want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the community for its support of our Keep Babies in Fayette initiative,” said W. Darrell Cutts, president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Fayette Hospital. “The numerous individuals who signed our petition and championed this cause have been vital in ensuring that we will now be able to establish the services necessary to provide the highest level of care for our smallest patients and their families.”

The state’s decision to approve the CON applications comes at an important time for the hospital. Since September 2006, when the hospital started offering obstetric services, over 6,700 babies have been born at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, and the need for such services has grown tremendously. The approved expansion of the Level II intermediate care unit will mean that the need for neonatal care close to home can be accommodated within the planned capacity.

The absence of a Level III neonatal intensive care unit has meant that babies who required more specialized care were transferred to other facilities, forcing families to travel for sometimes over an hour to visit and assist in the care of their sick or premature newborn. Some mothers have travelled outside the community to give birth, anticipating the need for Level III care for their baby. Now, Piedmont Fayette Hospital will be able to offer these highly specialized services, keeping babies closer to home and with their families.

Piedmont Fayette Hospital intends to start construction by December 2010 and offer these expanded critical services close to home beginning in the summer of 2011.
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St. John's Wort Not Helpful Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Mayo Clinic Researchers Say

A Mayo Clinic research study published in the January issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology finds that St. John's wort is not an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While antidepressants are frequently used to treat IBS, to date, no study has examined the success of using the herbal supplement St. John's wort in treating IBS.

"Our study investigated if herbal antidepressants such as St. John's wort could benefit irritable bowel disease patients," says Yuri Saito, M.D., M.P.H., a gastroenterologist and lead physician scientist on the study. "Several of the chemical neurotransmitters that are in the brain are also in the colon. Therefore, it's been thought that antidepressants may affect sensation in the colon in a similar way to how they affect sensation in the brain. Our goal was to evaluate the usefulness of St John's wort in treating IBS."

In this placebo-controlled trial, 70 participants with IBS were randomized where half the patients received St. John's wort and the other half received a placebo for three months. In all, 86 percent of the participants were women, and the median age was 42 years. After three months of observing symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating, Mayo researchers found that the placebo group had a better response than the group taking the herbal supplement, St. John's wort.

"Because people tend to struggle with IBS for several years, patients are really looking for inexpensive, over-the-counter treatments such as St. John's wort," says Dr. Saito. "Unfortunately, our study showed that St. John's wort was not successful in helping IBS patients."

St. John's wort is an herbal supplement derived from the St. John's wort plant. It has been shown to be helpful in several medical conditions such as depression as well as other pain syndromes. Research has shown it to be as effective as conventional, prescription anti-depressants in treating mild to moderate depression.

"The challenge with IBS is that there is no cure, no one treatment tends to be wholly effective and some treatments come with significant side effects," explains Dr. Saito. "However, well-designed studies of herbal supplements are important so that physicians and patients can make informed decisions about which supplements to recommend or try. Studies of alternative treatments are generally lacking and patients are forced to use a "trial and error" approach to over-the-counter treatments for their IBS."

IBS is a common disorder that affects the colon and commonly causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation. Approximately 58 million people struggle with IBS, mostly women.

Each year, Mayo Clinic physicians treat thousands of people with IBS. Read more information on treatment for irritable bowel syndrome at Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology has been ranked #1 in the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of Top Hospitals since the rankings began 20 years ago.

Other members of the Mayo Clinic research team included Enrique Rey, M.D.; Ann Almazar-Elder; W. Scott Harmsen; Alan Zinsmeister, Ph.D.; G. Richard Locke , M.D.; and Nicholas Talley, M.D., Ph.D.
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Park Springs to Expand Health Care Center at Retirement Community

Cobblestone to add two memory care rooms, 18 skilled nursing rooms, two prep kitchens

Park Springs, the Southeast’s premier continuing care retirement community announces that it is renovating Cobblestone, the community’s health care center, expanding the facility by 12 rooms. The expansion will include two phases of construction. Phase one is slated to begin in early January, while phase two is scheduled to begin in mid-February.

Renovations during phase one construction will include adjusting eight assisted living suites into 14 memory care suites. A new memory care dining area with a new warming and preparation kitchen will also be added. A new wandering control system is also planned to increase Members safety. Updated finishes in the new common area will also occur at this time.

Phase two will consist of renovating 12 memory suites into 18 skilled nursing rooms. Construction will also include the addition of a new preparation kitchen as well as upgrades to the existing skilled nursing preparation kitchen. Renovations to the common areas, a new skilled family area, and offices for the community’s physician and assistant director of nursing will also be added at this time.

“We are excited about expanding Cobblestone,” said Joan Carlson, Park Springs’ vice president of quality, innovation and culture. “We currently offer the highest quality services, medical care, nursing and rehabilitative care in a residential environment in the Southeast and our expansion will allow us to increase the level of care we provide. It will also allow us to provide outside short term admission to our Medicare skilled unit.”

Cobblestone’s Resident Centered model provides Members flexibility in their daily activities embracing individuality while focusing on all aspects of wellness. Staffing ratios are approximately two times greater than the state average. A full time doctor trained as a geriatrician whose sole responsibility is the health of our Members is employed on site. A clinic staffed by a full time Licensed Nurse Practitioner performs routine check ups, tests and lab work. The community doctor, clinic and skilled care are all Medicare certified. Home care services are provided by trained staff employed directly by the Park Springs and are licensed by the state, bonded and insured only after undergoing a strict screening process.

About Park Springs
The Southeast's premier CCRC, Park Springs enhances life for active seniors by providing independent residences alongside extensive amenities and on-site wellness and private health care facilities. The 398-home campus-style community is situated on 54 acres surrounded by Stone Mountain Park. A 64-suite health center provides assisted living, skilled nursing and dementia/Alzheimer's care. The campus style community boasts a 50,000 square foot Clubhouse serving meals in four themed dining rooms daily and a 12,000 square foot fitness center with an indoor swimming pool. The Seniors Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders named Park Springs a Platinum winner. Park Springs is developed by Isakson Living and managed by Life Care Services LLC (LCS), a leader in senior living communities. LCS today serves more than 23,000 residents daily in over 80 communities nationwide. For more information on Park Springs, call 678-684-3300 or visit www.parkspringscommunities.com.
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Emory Hospitals to Host Palliative Care Seminars Tuesday, Nov. 10

Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown will each host a public presentation as part of National Palliative Care Month. “Palliative Care: What Is It and Who Needs It?” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m.

Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on the many ways serious illness affects patients and their families. The goal is to help the whole person by relieving the physical and non-physical suffering disease may bring through a network and team of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains and pharmacists. Emory's palliative care team physicians are certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

What:
Palliative Care: What Is It and Who Needs It?
The seminars will feature physicians and nurse practitioners on the Emory Palliative Care Team. Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity for questions and answers after the presentation.

When:
Tuesday, Nov. 10

Time:
5 p.m.

Where:
Emory University Hospital - Auditorium
1364 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, Ga., 30322

Emory University Hospital Midtown - Glenn Auditorium
550 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Ga., 30308
For additional information, please contact Debbie Gunter at 404-301-5014
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Maternity Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital Offers Classes for Expecting Parents

Parents and expectant parents are invited to attend several informative classes offered by the Maternity Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH). For more information on the Maternity Center at PFH, visit fayettehospital.org. Community members are invited to take part in the following classes:

Prepared Childbirth Class - This course, recommended for women 20 to 28 weeks into pregnancy, provides an eight hour childbirth education class that teaches mom and her partner about what to expect during labor and delivery. The instructor will discuss the stages of labor, relaxation, breathing techniques, common concerns, comfort measures and much more. Participants will need to bring two pillows and a blanket or towel. The fee for the course is $85 and includes light refreshments. The class will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Dietary Conference Room on the ground floor of the hospital. To register, call Link2Health toll-free at 1-866-900-4321. For more information call 770-719-6005.

Breastfeeding Basics - The Maternity Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital offers a three-hour group participation discussion on the benefits and how-to's of breastfeeding. This class includes preparing for breastfeeding and getting started in the hospital and at home, special situations and growing a breastfeeding family. The class is best if done prior to delivery, but participants are welcome at any time. Fathers or support person are welcomed and encouraged to attend also. This class is now offered every month, and the next class is Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon in the conference room on the third floor of the hospitals 1279 building. For more information or to register, call 770-719-6005.

Moms in Motion - “Moms in Motion” is a fitness program designed to prepare women for the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and postpartum. The class combines low impact aerobics, toning exercises, relaxation and breathing techniques and appropriate warm-ups/cool-downs perfect for both pregnant and postpartum women. The program provides not only a safe and effective exercise regime, but also provides valuable information on pregnancy, postpartum and child safety. Participants may register for this ongoing program at any time during or after pregnancy. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in Suite 200 of the Piedmont Fayette Hospital Fitness Center at 1250 Hwy 54 West. Space is limited. The classes are FREE to fitness center members and $25 per month for non-members. Written approval from a physician is required. For more information or to register, call 770-719-7290.

Maternity Center Tours - The Maternity Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital welcomes expectant mothers and their support partners to take a tour of the facility. The tour will be offered on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 12:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. The tour will provide information on the hospital's approach to maternity care and how physicians and staff help new mothers and their babies before and after delivery. Expectant mothers and their support partners are welcome. Please meet in the Maternity Center lobby (third floor, enter through the West Entrance). For more information call 770-719-6005.

Fayette County Safe Kids Child Passenger Safety Training Class - Fayette County Safe Kids will offer a car seat safety class to teach parents how to keep children safe, especially while traveling by car. The course will be offered Monday, Nov. 9, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Conference Room A on the third floor of the hospital's 1279 Building. This class is offered the second Monday of each month. For additional information contact Debbie Straight, 770-305-5148.

Sibling Class - Sibling classes are not being offered at the present time. For more information call 770-719-6005.
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Public Seminar for Alzheimer’s Caregivers Co-Hosted by Emory

A group of experts will gather in Atlanta on Thursday, Nov. 5 to discuss caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Presenters at the evening seminar, "Practical Strategies: Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s,” will cover topics including managing daily life, planning future decisions, handling crises, dealing with family and caring for yourself. Members of the public are invited to attend and participate in a Q&A session with panelists.

The seminar is sponsored by the Emory University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Fulton County Human Services Department, Office of Aging

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Helene Mills Senior Center located at 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave., Atlanta, Ga., 30312. Admission and parking are free. Beverages and light snacks will be provided. For more information, please call (404) 523-3353.

Presenters/Topics Include:

Dr. Angela Ashley
Director, Grady Memory Assessment Clinic
Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine

Shileah Cantey
Diversity Outreach Coordinator, Alzheimer's Association

Dr. Adriana Hermida
Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine

Miles Hurley
Elder Care Law Attorney

Moderator: Dr. Ken Hepburn
Emory University School of Nursing
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Piedmont Hospital’s Transplant Services Continues to Enhance Patient Care By Launching Satellite Offices throughout Georgia

Piedmont Hospital Brings Dalton Its First Transplant Clinic

Piedmont Hospital Transplant Services is pleased to announce the opening of a new satellite transplant clinic in Dalton, Ga., on Friday, October 23. This facility will support continued efforts to enhance patient access to transplantation evaluation and follow-up care with strategically located satellite clinics throughout the state of Georgia.

These area clinics will make access to care more convenient for those patients who live long distances from Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and reduce the initial evaluation time for kidney transplant candidates from two days to one.

“We are pleased and privileged to bring Dalton its first transplant clinic, increasing access to services for transplant patients across north Georgia and southeastern Tennessee,” said Mark Johnson, M.D., program director of Piedmont’s Transplant Services. “This clinic will provide pre- and post-transplant care to end-stage kidney and pancreas patients.”

Piedmont’s first satellite clinic opened in Savannah, Ga., in December 2007, and a second clinic opened in Albany, Ga., in February 2009. Each clinic offers education classes for those interested in the advantages and risks of transplantation, provides extensive information about the costs of post-transplant medication and how one can plan to meet those costs. Initial candidate screenings will be performed by a transplant physician and/or nurse specialist, allowing patients with potential disqualifying issues to take corrective action before making an appointment for a full evaluation at the Piedmont Hospital Mason Transplant Clinic in Atlanta.

Piedmont Hospital has one of only two adult liver transplant programs and one of three kidney/pancreas transplant programs in Georgia.

The new satellite transplant clinic in Dalton is located at 1109 Burleyson Road, Suite 101 Dalton, GA 30720, and will initially offer services for those with kidney and pancreas disease. For more information on the Piedmont Hospital Transplant Services Dalton Satellite Clinic, call 888-605-5888.
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Physician Coalition: "No Place for Big Government in Exam Room"

The Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) joined more than 100 doctors from across the country in Washington, D.C., today to offer legislators a “second opinion” on the best way to reform the nation’s health care system at a press conference that was sponsored by the Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights.

“We need to reform our broken medical payment system, but a hurried approach that fails to protect the patient-physician relationship isn’t the answer,” said M. Todd Williamson, M.D., MAG’s immediate past president and spokesman for a coalition of state and national specialty societies that represents nearly 50,000 physicians. “There is no place for big government in our exam rooms.”

Of S.B. 1776 – which would have eliminated the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment cuts that are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2010 and that would have indefinitely frozen Medicare payment rates – Dr. Williamson said, “MAG supported the provisions that were included in Senate Bill 1776 that were designed to address the flawed SGR on an unconditional basis.”

Dr. Williamson added that tort reform represents a reasonable and proven way to reform the nation’s unsustainable medical payment system.

Dr. Williamson said that, “Our physician coalition group is encouraging Senate leaders to produce legislation that addresses the flawed medical payment system in a way that ensures that individual patients can control their own health care dollars and can consult with the physician of their choice as a trusted advisor in making the medical decisions that are best for them and their families.”

The Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights is a non-partisan, grassroots coalition made of more than 10,000 doctors, health care providers, advocacy groups, and concerned citizens who are dedicated to the implementation of patient-centered health care reform that will improve patient care. It’s headed up by former American Medical Association President Donald J. Palmisano, M.D. Go to www.protectpatientsrights.org for additional information on the Coalition to Protect Patients’ Rights.

With more than 6,000 members, MAG is the leading voice for physicians in Georgia. Go to www.mag.org/nationalhealthcarereform/ for more information.
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Russian Health Care Delegation Hosted by Emory

A delegation of Russian healthcare workers are in Atlanta to learn about improving the outcomes of pregnancy through the Perinatal Health Care Delivery System, initiated in the State of Georgia by former President Jimmy Carter when he was Governor.

The arrival of the delegation to Emory University comes at a critical time as strategies for bilateral cooperation between the United States and Russia make headlines.

Recently, Emory Professor of Pediatrics Alfred W. Brann Jr. attended the Civil Society Summit in Moscow as a representative of the public health working group and helped draft the recommended areas for joint United States and Russian cooperation in the field of public health and medical science in the broad area of maternal and child health.

As director of the Atlanta-based World Health Organization/Collaborating Center in Reproductive Health (WHO/CC/RH), Brann has worked tirelessly to reduce infant and maternal mortality and improve perinatal care in some 30 countries over the last 25 years.

The visit of Russian healthcare delegation to Emory is co-sponsored by The Future of Russia Foundation, Emory University (Claus Halle Institute of Global Learning, the Center for Russian and East European Studies, Emory’s Center for Ethics and the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reproductive Health) and the Rotary Club of Atlanta.

The collaborative educational program between Russian and American perinatal health care professionals will review previous mutual concerns in reproductive health; discuss the present status of these concerns; and determine the next steps in putting into action the Obama/Medvedev memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the field of maternal and infant healthcare.

Brann serves as medical director of the Future of Russia Foundation (FOR) - the only U.S. charitable foundation created for and solely committed to the mission of modernizing the Russian system for delivery of health care to women of reproductive age and infants, addressing Russia’s declining population, identified in then-President Putin’s inaugural address as Russia’s “greatest crisis.” Brann served in both capacities to lead the development of The Balashikha Project - a comprehensive model for modernizing perinatal care throughout Russia.

“The Russian population is declining some 700 000 people per year. We feel that the Balashikha Project and its potential for improving the outcomes of pregnancy will significantly improve the Russian population by creating new healthy births,” says Brann.

Over the past nine years through the Balashikha project, Russian health care providers have participated in four bi-lateral exchanges with Brann and his Atlanta based colleagues to share ideas and experiences with neonatalogists, pediatricians, obstetricians, nurses, midwives and public health professionals.

This collaborative effort enabled health experts to create a successful perinatal center within a hospital in Balashikha, made it a referral center for high-risk mothers and babies in the Moscow Oblast, and created a postgraduate education for perinatal health professions in that region. A perinatal surveillance system is currently being developed.

“We are trying to create a system of compassionate and evidenced care practices to improve every family’s chances for a healthy pregnancy outcome where the mother and infant are alive and normal following childbirth,” says Brann.
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H1N1 Vaccine Priority Groups Expanded

District 4 Public Health has received the first shipment of H1N1 vaccine at county health departments. Georgia's initial shipment of 54,800 doses of H1N1 vaccine was earmarked for young children. However, vaccine administration is now open on a first come, first serve basis to:

· Children and young adults ages 2-24 years
· Healthcare providers
· Emergency Responders
· Contacts or caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age

2009 H1N1 vaccine is CURRENTLY available at all health departments in District 4 in the form of nasal-spray flu vaccine, also known as LAIV for live attenuated influenza vaccine. No appointment is needed and vaccine will be given on a first come, first serve basis. H1N1 vaccine is being provided free of charge by Public Health, although administration fees may be charged to insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.

Additional nasal spray vaccine and a shipment of H1N1 injectible vaccine is expected soon but no delivery date has been given at this time.2009 H1N1 nasal spray is approved for people from 2 through 49 years of age with the following exceptions:

· pregnant women,
· anyone with a weakened immune system,
· anyone with a long-term health problem such as - heart disease - kidney or liver disease - lung disease - metabolic disease such as diabetes - asthma - anemia and other blood disorders
· children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or moreepisodes of wheezing during the past year,· anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems,· anyone in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit),
· children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment.

“Our first shipment of H1N1 shots will be given to pregnant women and people in the current priority group who cannot receive nasal spray flu vaccine,” said Dr. Michael Brackett District 4 medical director.

District 4 Public Health has activated a regional public health hotline (888.899.9788) that provides callers with H1N1 vaccine availability information. People can also get information on H1N1 vaccine availability at www.district4health.org. Health departments will be closed on Monday, October 12, 2009 in observance of the Columbus Day holiday but will reopen Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. For more information on seasonal and H1N1 flu visit www.flu.gov.
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MAG Promoting Both Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Vaccinations

The Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) is reminding Georgians to get their annual flu vaccination, and the leading voice for physicians in the state also says that patients should get vaccinated for the H1N1 flu as soon as the vaccine is available.

“The seasonal flu vaccine is different from the H1N1 swine flu vaccine,” MAG president M. Todd Williamson, M.D., explains. “We’re talking about different viruses, so you need to get both vaccines to be fully protected this year.”

Dr. Williamson is encouraging patients to consult with their primary care physician to determine specifically when they should get vaccinated based on their age and health profile, as well as the availability of the vaccines. He says the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines can be administered on the same day, though he adds that it will still be several weeks before the H1N1 vaccine is available. He also points out that the H1N1 vaccination might require two injections for children nine and younger – pending the outcome of some clinical trials that are underway.

Dr. Williamson says the priority groups for the H1N1 vaccination include people six months to 24 years; people who live with or care for children younger than six months; pregnant women; health care and emergency medical services personnel; and people 25 to 64 who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

Dr. Williamson explains that influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that is caused by influenza viruses. Most people who get the flu will recover in a matter of days, but he stresses that more serious complications like pneumonia can occur. Dr. Williamson says that the flu can include a variety of symptoms, including a high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Dr. Williamson says the flu shot and the nasal-spray vaccine are effective preventative measures when it comes to the seasonal flu.

In terms of advice, Dr. Williamson says, “The best ways to protect yourself from the flu are to wash your hands on a regular basis and to get your flu vaccinations from your primary care physician as part of your overall health maintenance program.”

Go to www.flu.gov for additional information on the flu and flu vaccines. Go to www.mag.org for additional information on MAG.
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Mayo Clinic Offers Perspective on Health Care Reform in New England Journal of Medicine

Mayo Clinic's perspective about how to get high-value health care is the focus of a Perspectives article in the New England Journal of Medicine, published online on Sept. 23, 2009, and in the print issue on Oct. 1, 2009.

"We must hold physicians and other providers accountable for providing high-value health care, defined in terms of both quality and cost," say Denis Cortese, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic and Jeff Korsmo, executive director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. To help achieve this goal, Cortese and Korsmo recommend basing a portion of Medicare payments to physicians and hospitals on value scores (measurable good outcomes, safety and service delivered at a lower cost), rewarding those providers who deliver high-value care and providing an incentive for others to improve.

In their essay, Dr. Cortese and Korsmo emphasize other key points to achieve true patient-centered health care reform including:

•Coordinating patient care services across people, functions, activities, sites, and time

•Reducing conflict of interest so physicians have less of a personal financial incentive to order unnecessary tests or procedures

"It should also be noted that researchers from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice have studied regional variation in health care quality and spending," says Korsmo. "They have documented that more care does not necessarily translate into better care. The research suggests that the United States could reduce health care costs by 30 percent or more if all regions practiced to the standard of the best-performing medical centers." The article can be viewed online.

Note: The New England Journal of Medicine also published a Mayo Clinic survey on physicians' beliefs and health care reform in the Sept. 14 issue. It can be viewed online.
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Risky Behavior in Adolescents May Signal Mature Brain

A new study using brain imaging to study teen behavior indicates that adolescents who engage in dangerous activities have frontal white matter tracts that are more adult in form than their more conservative peers.

The brain goes through a course of maturation during adolescence and does not reach its adult form until the mid-twenties. A long-standing theory of adolescent behavior has assumed that this delayed brain maturation is the cause of impulsive and dangerous decisions in adolescence. The new study, using a new form of brain imaging, calls into question this theory.

In order to better understand the relationship between high risk-taking and the brain’s development, Emory University and Emory School of Medicine neuroscientists used a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to measure structural changes in white matter in the brain. The study’s findings are published in the Aug. 26, 2009 PLoS ONE.

“In the past, studies have focused on the pattern of gray matter density from childhood to early adulthood, says Gregory Berns, MD, PhD, principal investigator and professor of Psychiatry and Neuroeconomics at Emory University and director of the Center for Neuropolicy. “With new technology, we were able to develop the first study looking at how development of white matter relates to activities in the real world.”

Gray matter is the part of the brain made up of neurons, while white matter connects neurons to each other. As the brain matures, white matter becomes denser and more organized. Gray matter and white matter follow different trajectories. Both are important for understanding brain function.

The study enrolled 91adolescents ages 12 through 18 over a three-year period. Levels of engagement in dangerous behaviors were measured by a survey that included questions about the teens’ thrill seeking behaviors, reckless behaviors, rebellious behaviors and antisocial behaviors. DTI was used to measure corresponding structural changes in white matter.

“We were surprised to discover that risk-taking was associated with more highly-developed white matter – a more mature brain,” says Berns. “We were also surprised to learn that except for slightly higher scores in risk-taking, there was no significant difference in the maturity of the white matter between males and females.”

Berns suggests that doing adult-like activities requires sophisticated skills.

“Society is a lot different now than it was 100 years ago when teens were expected to go to work and raise a family,” says Berns. “Now, adolescents aren’t expected to act like adults until they are in their twenties, when they have finished their education and found a career.

“You could make the case that in this country, biological capacity shows up long before the wisdom that comes with time is fully developed,” notes Berns.

Berns says more studies need to be done to determine if early brain development predisposes someone to engage in risky behaviors, or if the risky behavior drives the maturation of the brain.

The CDC reports that, 27,000 people between the ages of 10 and 24 die from bad decisions in the United States per year. Additionally, it has been shown that the period of mid-adolescence (ages 15 through 19) is the time when teens are more likely to begin high-risk behaviors such as drinking, abusing drugs or driving recklessly.

Other researchers who contributed to this study include, Sara Moore, BS, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and C. Monica Capra, PhD, the Department of Economics and the Center for Neuropolicy, Emory University.

This study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Adolescent Engagement in Dangerous Behaviors Is Associated with Increased White Matter Maturing of Frontal Cortex”, PLoS ONE, 8/26/09, 10.1371
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Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Common Blood Disorder May Not be Linked to as Many Serious Diseases, as Previously Thought

A symptomless blood disorder, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, known as MGUS, is not linked to as many serious diseases as previously thought. This finding may save patients from undergoing unnecessary workup and treatment according to a study published in the August 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

MGUS has long been thought to be a precursor of serious disease, such as multiple myeloma, primary amyloidosis and Waldenström macroglobulinemia. However, for years physicians have reported possible association of MGUS with many more diseases. As a result, some patients with MGUS who had these disorders were subjected to investigations and sometimes additional treatments as a precaution.

MGUS is a fairly common disorder, affecting roughly 3 percent of the U.S. population. This study was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Public Health Service.

In this study, researchers looked at the records of 17,398 patients, all of whom were uniformly tested for the presence or absence of MGUS. Among the 17,398 samples tested, 605 cases of MGUS were identified. The researchers then looked at the incidence of over 16,000 different diagnosis codes in those with MGUS and those without. They identified 14 real disease associations, while 61 disease associations with MGUS were determined to be likely coincidental.

In addition to multiple myeloma, the associations deemed real include vertebral and hip fractures and osteoporosis. "In addition to the article, we have made available on the journal Web site an appendix that has the raw data on all 16,062 hospital diagnosis codes which we think will be valuable to other researchers in the field," says S. Vincent Rajkumar, M.D., of Mayo Clinic's Department of Hematology and senior author on the study.

A peer-review journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings publishes original articles and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research and clinical epidemiology. Mayo Clinic Proceedings is published monthly by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to the medical education of physicians. The journal has been published for more than 80 years and has a circulation of 130,000 nationally and internationally. Articles are available online at www.mayoclinicproceedings.com.
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Operating Cells Via Joystick

Moving cells around by joystick without causing any damage helps doctors study live samples.

Biomedical research could someday look a lot like playing video games thanks to a new device that allows users to manipulate cells with the swerve of a joystick.

A team of physicists and engineers at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio developed the device from a tiny piece of square-centimeter silicon inlaid with rows of zigzagging magnetic wires. At each corner, the wire behaves like two magnets pointed north to north or south to south. The fields of the two magnets create a point of strong attraction just above them. A nearby magnetic object, such as a magnetically-tagged cell is attracted to the corner and gets stuck there

To get the particles moving, the researchers then place two magnetic fields around the chip one in the plane of the chip and the other perpendicular to it. By flipping the direction of these fields, the researchers can guide tagged cells along the zigzagging wire and even make them jump from one wire to the next. The researchers computerized the magnetic field switching so that a user steered the cells by simply handling a joystick.

The team at OSU put the device through its paces with magnetically-tagged T-cells, the body's guardians against infection. They snapped the cells to attention at one end of the chip, marched them down to the other end, and made them hop from one wire to another, reaching speeds of about 20 micron, or about a one-fifth the width of a human hair, per second.

Jeffrey Chalmers, the chemical engineer who tagged the T-cells for the experiment, said that the device would be ideal for examining tumor cells. To study biopsied tumors, researchers often treat them with enzymes, which break them down into their constituent cells. Researchers then separate cancerous cells they want to study from healthy cells like fat and blood.

By Lauren Schenkman
Inside Science News Service
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MHA Director McIlwain Prepared for the Challenges of the Health Care System

As health care remains on the front burner of political debate, the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at Clayton State University is prepared to continue its mission of developing well-rounded competent individuals for administrative positions in varying types of health care organizations. The new director of the MHA program, Dr. Thomas F. McIlwain, is prepared for the challenges in a changing health care system.

“Change is inevitable, and the health care system is no exception,” he says. “In my 25 or so years of working and teaching in health services administration, I have seen the problems, issues, health policies, and health policy outcomes debated. Each new policy change is a tweak of the existing system, but each has been designed to make it better. I have no doubt of the outcome of the current debate. The system will get a little better.”

McIlwain comes to Clayton State with a wealth of prior industry and teaching experience. In the 80s, he served as an administrative associate at University Hospitals of Alabama while teaching in the MSHA program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received his Ph.D. in Health Services Administration. His administrative residency was with a for-profit system, American Medical International, which eventually merged with National Medical Enterprises to form what is now know as Tenet Health Care.

His immediate teaching position after UAB was at Appalachian State University in the Walker College of Business’ Department of Management. He served as director of the undergraduate health care management program for eight of the 10 years he was in Boone, N.C. He then moved to Mount Pleasant, S.C., where he served as MHA program director for three of the 10 years he was on faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina.

For the past four years he was associate professor of Public Health and vice-chair in the Department of Community Health Sciences in the College of Health at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. While there, he developed the graduate emphasis in health administration in the CEPH-accredited Master of Public Health program. He was also involved in the development of the cohort-based Executive Master of Public Health in Health Services Administration program.

McIlwain has consulted with health care organizations in the area of strategic planning including medical group practices, nursing homes, and hospitals. His research interests are in health care marketing, including direct-to-the-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, and health care strategic management.

“The main goal of the MHA program at Clayton State is to become CAHME (the Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education) accredited. CAHME is dedicated to promoting, evaluating, and improving graduate healthcare management education. I was responsible for the re-accreditation of the MHA program at MUSC where the program received the highest awarded number for seven years,” McIlwain says. “My goal is to move this program to that level of quality education. This process will involve making sure that we have quality admissions, support, and outcomes in teaching, service, and research. We are moving the program to competency based outcome measurement also.

“I was attracted to Clayton State because of its proximity to the health care industrial complex of the Metro Atlanta area. This program is poised to become a premier provider of graduate health care management education in the Atlanta and Georgia region. My experience with accreditation and program management provides me with a perspective of what this University can accomplish in this type of program”McIlwain is looking forward to accomplishing many goals within MHA program.

“The goals of the program are to prepare students for positions of increased responsibility within healthcare organizations. It also provides individuals with clinical backgrounds the management skills needed to assume leadership positions,” he says. “We are also interested in attracting individuals who have experience in other industries but want to begin careers in health care management.

“Of course the goal of all health administration programs is to improve the quality of care and resource use in health organizations by graduating individuals with the skills and competencies to achieve this goal.”
McIlwain is married to Margaret, a family nurse practitioner, and is the father of two sons.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Piedmont Fayette Hospital Hosts Prostate Cancer “Ask the Doc” Session in Recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

PFH is Proud to Now Offer Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer Patients

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in American men. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH) and the American Cancer Society want to help educate men about this disease which will affect one in six men in their lifetime.

Man to Man, the prostate cancer support group held monthly at PFH, will hold a special “Ask the Doc” session at its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s 1279 Building, in the 3rd floor conference rooms. Medical oncologist Jonathan Bender, M.D., and urologist Scott Shelfo, M.D., will lead the discussion and answer questions concerning prostate cancer.

This free and informative session will feature a variety of topics including risk factors, diagnosis, treatment options, and ways to control recurrent cancer. Participants will also learn more about the plans for the new cancer center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, as well as new cancer treatments available at PFH, including brachytherapy, a cutting-edge treatment for prostate cancer.

Brachytherapy allows radiation to concentrate more on cancerous cells, therefore inflicting less damage on normal cells. This unique type of radiation therapy allows higher doses of radiation to be administered as close to the cancer as possible over a shorter period of time.

In brachytherapy, small radioactive isotopes are placed in seeds, wires and rods called implants and then placed in the body. There are two types of brachytherapy placement: temporary and permanent. Temporary brachytherapy uses higher doses of radiation in the implants, which are removed after treatment. Permanent therapy uses small implants, which are inserted directly into the tumor, with smaller doses of radiation that remain in place after radiation is complete.

Man to Man support group is held on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m., and provides a forum for men and their partners to discuss diagnosis, treatment options, and quality-of-life issues surrounding prostate cancer. This program will be followed by a period of questions as well as a time for sharing experiences.

The presentation is open to the public. For more information on the event, please call Man to Man coordinator Jim O'Hara at 770-632-2898, or Lisa Cockerham of the American Cancer Society in Peachtree City at 770-631-0625. For more information on cancer services at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, visit fayettehospital.org.

About Piedmont Fayette Hospital
Named one of the nation’s Most Wired hospitals for five consecutive years in the 100 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study, Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH), ranked third in patient satisfaction among metro Atlanta hospitals according to the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey released in March 2009. One of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® four years in a row (2004-2007) according to Thomson Reuters (formerly Solucient), Piedmont Fayette Hospital is a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital located on Highway 54 in Fayetteville, offering 24-hour emergency services, medical and surgical services, as well as obstetrics, diagnostic cardiac catheterization and rehabilitation services. With over1,100 employees and a medical staff of over 500 physicians, PFH is a member of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization that also includes Piedmont Hospital, a 481-bed acute tertiary care facility offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services located on 26 acres in the north Atlanta community of Buckhead; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 42-bed community hospital in Jasper; and Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Newnan. Piedmont Healthcare also is the parent company of the Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI), which combines over 60 renowned cardiologists in the Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians with over 30 offices across north Georgia, and the 162-bed Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta; Piedmont Philanthropy, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives; the Piedmont Physicians Group, with over 100 primary care physicians in 30 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 600-member physician network. For more information, visit fayettehospital.org.
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Piedmont Fayette Hospital Celebrates Its Neonatal Nurses

September 15 is National Neonatal Nurses Day

In recognition of National Neonatal Nurses Day on Tuesday, Sept. 15, Piedmont Fayette Hospital would like to shine the spotlight on its neonatal nurses for the outstanding care they provide to patients.

“Sometimes we don’t say ‘thank you’ enough to our employees,” said Darrell Cutts, president and CEO of Piedmont Fayette Hospital. “This day is a chance for us to tell them how much we appreciate the top service they give to some of the smallest patients in our community.”

The Neonatal nursing team at Piedmont Fayette Hospital specialize in comprehensive care for premature and compromised infants from gestation of 28 weeks and greater. These nurses are charged with monitoring ventilators and incubators, making sure the baby is responding and checking for complications. Often nurses must be available to check on an infant every 15 minutes to record health parameters.

“Neonatal nurses are the ones we trust to take care of our most sensitive newborns and help prepare them to go home,” said Cutts. “Piedmont Fayette Hospital is proud to celebrate these nurses who so carefully and professionally look after our precious new loved ones.”

Take the time on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to thank and honor any neonatal nurses you know. For more information on Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s neonatal services, visit fayettehospital.org.
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