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.
---
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP

CeloNova BioSciences Receives FDA Market Approval for Embozene(TM) Color-Advanced Microspheres Embolization Platform

/PRNewswire/ -- CeloNova BioSciences, Inc., announced December 16 that it has received 510(k) marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Embozene(TM) Color-Advanced Microspheres which are indicated for the treatment of hypervascularized tumors (tumors with a large number of blood vessels in many locations) and arteriovenous malformations (defects in the circulatory system). U.S. commercial sales of Embozene(TM) Microspheres will begin immediately.

Embozene(TM) Microspheres are the first and only microspheres to be color- enhanced with a different color for each size for increased procedural safety, efficiency and visibility. They are also available in a wider range of sizes than any other spherical embolic on the market. They are available in 40 micrometers, 100 micrometers, 250 micrometers, 400 micrometers, 500 micrometers, 700 micrometers, and 900 micrometers sizes in 1 ml and 2 ml pre-filled syringes and vials. CeloNova plans to submit a supplemental 510(k) to the FDA to add three additional sizes, 75 micrometers, 1100 micrometers and 1300 micrometers, for a total of ten sizes including the smallest and the largest microspheres available for endovascular therapy. CeloNova is the only Company that provides this complete range of products.

CeloNova's Embozene(TM) Microspheres consist of a hydrogel core and an exterior shell made from Polyzene(R)-F, CeloNova's proprietary polymer which is known to be anti-inflammatory and bacterial-resistant. Four design features distinguish Embozene(TM) Microspheres from other spherical embolics: biocompatibility, precise calibration, stable suspension, and structural stability. Embozene(TM) Microspheres are precisely calibrated, they retain their shape after passing through a catheter, and they can stay in suspension for an extended time. The unique color enhancement of the microspheres and finely calibrated sizes make selection easy, efficient, and precise for the operator. The result is an embolic microsphere that provides accurate and complete vessel occlusion.

Embolization is a minimally invasive procedure used to control or prevent abnormal bleeding, to shrink tumors by blocking the blood vessels that supply them, and to block off blood vessel malformations. Physicians use enhanced imaging techniques to visualize the blood vessel, then insert and advance a catheter to the treatment site. The embolic agent is then released into the catheter and positioned within the blood vessel or malformation to block the target vessel permanently.

"Embozene Microspheres are an innovative advance in embolic technology that has been well received outside the U.S.," said John C. Lipman, MD, FSIR, Founder and CEO of the Atlanta Interventional Institute and Director of the Center for Image-Guided Medicine at Emory-Adventist Hospital Atlanta. "Intuitively, a polymer that is anti-inflammatory and that provides more finely calibrated bead sizes, shape integrity, prolonged suspension, and has a unique color-coded selection system that makes for more efficient procedures, will appeal to physicians as well as patients. Embozene(TM) Microspheres maintain suspension better than any other embolic I've seen," said Dr. Lipman. "I'm looking forward to using this therapy in my practice."

"From the outset, we took a different approach to developing our Embozene(TM) Microspheres by asking physicians and medical scientists for the qualities and characteristics that the ideal embolic device should have," said Thomas A. Gordy, President and Chief Executive Officer, CeloNova BioSciences, Inc. "Then, we engineered Embozene(TM) Microspheres to have those properties, which are made even better with Polyzene(R)-F, our proprietary polymer. Polyzene(R)-F helps make our leading-edge technology better."

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

It′s Time to Get Smart about the Use of Antibiotics

What do sinusitis, most sore throats, bronchitis, runny noses and the regular cold have in common? They are upper respiratory tract infections usually caused by viruses that can′t be cured with antibiotics. Yet, each year, health care providers in the U.S. prescribe tens of millions of antibiotics for viral infections.

To bring attention to this increasing problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be observing the Get Smart About Antibiotics Week October 6-10, 2008. The campaign will highlight the coordinated efforts of the agency, states, non-profit partners, and for-profit partners to educate the public about antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use.

“Antibiotic overuse is a serious problem and a threat to everyone′s health,” says Dr. Lauri Hicks, medical director of CDC′s Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work program. Over-prescribing antibiotics, using a broad-spectrum therapy when a more specific drug would be better, starting and stopping medications, giving leftover medications to a friend who appears to have the same ailment you had, all contribute to the problem of antibiotic drug resistance, according to Hicks.

“As we enter this year′s cold and flu season, we ask parents to not insist on getting antibiotics when a health care provider says they are not needed,” says Hicks. “If you have a cold, or the flu, antibiotics won't work for you.”

According to Hicks antibiotics kill bacteria, not the viruses that cause colds or flu, most coughs and bronchitis, sore throats not caused by strep, and runny noses. Taking antibiotics when you don′t need them or not as prescribed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment. If the health care provider’s recommendation is to wait- wait. People need to be patient and let the body do its work.

Hicks also asks health care providers to take the time to educate their patients about antibiotic resistance and the possibility of having serious side effects. For example, allergic reactions to antibiotics, such as rash and anaphylaxis, send thousands of patients to the emergency room each year, according to a recent study published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal.

To help prevent illness, Hicks encourages people to wash their hands frequently, get the flu vaccine and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

The campaign will reach out to parents and health care providers through advertisements, fact sheets, brochures, posters, radio and print public service announcements, podcasts, and mainstream media interviews.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

FDA Approves 2008-2009 Flu Vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has approved this year's seasonal influenza vaccines that include new strains of the virus likely to cause flu in the United States during the 2008-2009 season.

The six vaccines and their manufacturers are: CSL Limited, Afluria; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Fluarix; ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec, FluLaval; MedImmune Vaccines Inc., FluMist; Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, Fluvirin; and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., Fluzone.

Approval information and specific indications can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cber/flu/flu2008.htm.

This season's vaccines contain three strains of the influenza virus that disease experts expect to be the most likely cause of the flu in the United States.

Each season's vaccines are modified to reflect the virus strains most likely to be circulating. The closer the match between the circulating strains and the strains in the vaccines, the better the protection.

There is always a possibility of a less than optimal match between the virus strains predicted to circulate and what virus strains end up causing the most illness. Even if the vaccines and the circulating strains are not an exact match, they will provide some protection and may reduce the severity of the illness or prevent flu-related complications.

"One of the biggest challenges in the fight against influenza is producing new vaccines every year," said Jesse L. Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "There is no other instance where new vaccines must be made every year. The approval of flu vaccines is a part of FDA's mission to promote the health of Americans throughout the year."

The FDA changed all three strains for this year's influenza vaccine—an unusual occurrence, as usually only one or two strains are updated from year to year. A list of the strains included in the 2008-2009 vaccine can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cber/flu/flu2008.htm. Of note, two of the three strains recommended for the U.S. this year are now in use for the Southern Hemisphere's 2008 influenza season, which is currently underway.

Each year, experts from the FDA, World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other institutions study virus samples and patterns collected throughout the year from around the world in an effort to identify strains that may cause the most illness in the upcoming season.

Based on those forecasts and on the recommendations of its Advisory Committee, the FDA each February decides on the three strains that manufacturers should include in their vaccines for the U.S. population. The FDA makes this decision early in the year so that manufacturers have enough time to produce the new vaccines.

Vaccination remains the cornerstone of preventing influenza, a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. According to the CDC, every year an average of 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, more than 200,000 are hospitalized from flu complications and there are about 36,000 flu-related deaths. Some individuals—the elderly, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions —are at higher risk for flu-related complications. Vaccination of these groups and of health care personnel is critical.

"Currently, only 40 percent of health care workers in the United States are vaccinated against influenza," said Department of Health and Human Services' Assistant Secretary of Health Joxel Garcia, M.D., M.B.A.

"Increasing the number of vaccinated health care personnel can be a strong front in the annual battle against the flu," said Garcia. "Health care workers can set an example for the patients they serve as well as decrease the likelihood of contracting and transmitting the virus."

-----

www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

New Uses for Old-Line Diabetes Monitoring Test: Screening and Diagnosis

A blood test currently used as the gold standard for monitoring people already under care for diabetes may have far wider use in identifying millions with undetected diabetes, a team led by a Johns Hopkins physician suggests.

The hemoglobin A1c test (HbA1c), based on a blood sample, is widely used to keep tabs on how well confirmed diabetics keep their blood sugar, or glucose, in check by showing how much glucose red blood cells have been exposed to for the past 120 days, the average lifespan of these cells.

"The test is a measure of long-term glucose control, but doctors don't typically use it to screen for or diagnose the disease, " says Christopher Saudek, M.D., professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Diabetes Center. "There's reason to believe it could help identify many of the estimated six million people in the U.S. who have diabetes but don't know it," he adds. The current screening and diagnostic tests measure only the amount of sugar present at the moment that blood sample is taken. Consequently, Saudek says, these tests are accurate only if patients fast for at least 10 hours before the test because glucose concentrations can vary greatly depending on a person's recent meals.

Even then, explains Saudek, the tests miss a significant portion of people who have diabetes or are at high risk to develop the disease since glucose also varies depending on a person's diet and exercise regimen for several days leading up to the blood draw.

"If a patient is scheduled for a physical, he or she may 'tune up' by changing their regimen for a few days and throw off their test results, causing doctors to miss the patient's usual pattern of high blood sugar," he says.

In a consensus statement published in the July Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Saudek and his colleagues conclude that the HbA1c test should be used as a front-line method for identifying patients with diabetes, especially for those at high risk for the disease. Since the test does not require fasting and isn't affected by short-term changes in diet and exercise, the HbA1c test has significant advantages to current testing methods.

The consensus was reached by a group of diabetologists, pathologists and internists seeking to improve detection methods because of the serious consequences of untreated diabetes for patients and public health. They met recently in Chicago with financial support from Metrika Inc., a major manufacturer of diabetes testing equipment. The panel deliberations and manuscript preparation were made independently of the sponsor, according to its members.

After reviewing relevant published studies and available tests, the national panel recommended that individuals who score at least 6 percent on an HbA1c test may have or be at risk for diabetes and should be tracked with additional glucose or HbA1c tests. Those who score between 6.5 percent or above, if confirmed, should be considered to have diabetes.

"This is a first step towards changing medical practice," notes Saudek, and "could greatly enhance how well we're able to identify people with diabetes."

Others who contributed to the consensus statement include William H. Herman of the University of Michigan School of Medicine, David B. Sacks of Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Richard M. Bergenstal of the International Diabetes Center, David Edelman of Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center and Duke University, and Mayer B. Davidson of Charles R. Drew University.

Mr. Diabetes(R) Hits 9,000 Mile Mark of 10,000+ Mile Walk to Raise Awareness About Diabetes

PRNewswire/ -- In rural Milledgeville, Georgia, 62 year old insulin-dependent Andy Mandell -- Mr. Diabetes(R), completed mile 9,000 of his 10,000+ mile perimeter walk of the United States raising awareness about the disease that nearly took his life.

"I've hit milestones in San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and Washington DC, but small communities have the same rate of diabetes, only fewer resources to manage it. We can beat this disease locally, but it isn't going to happen on a national level. Unchecked, diabetes, which costs the U.S. $225 billion annually, will bankrupt our healthcare system," said Mandell.

Top diabetes researchers agree that a cure is at least 20 years away. The key to stopping diabetes is awareness and prevention through personal responsibility and lifestyle changes. Losing 10 - 15 pounds can make all the difference. Cut out fast food, snack foods and soda. Add 5-9 servings of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains to your daily diet.

"Pursue a more active lifestyle, like walking. Begin with ten minutes a day and increase the time gradually. It's a great way for families to catch up and get healthier at the same time," says Mandell. "These simple steps can delay the onset of diabetes and will help minimize complications," Mandell concluded.

Before THE WALK(TM) began there wasn't nearly the focus about diabetes that exists today. Mandell believes his efforts have impacted diabetes. THE WALK(TM) has captured the imagination of the public and Mr. Diabetes(R) is living proof that diabetics are neither helpless nor hopeless.

About the Wake Up and Walk(R) Tour

Now in its 7th and final year, Mr. Diabetes(R) is the sole walker. You may have seen him walking state highways in his brightly colored safety vest and walking pole. He's walked through 33 states, crossed 100 major rivers, 4 time zones (twice!), and gone through 22 pairs of walking shoes. He has met one-on-one with over 60,000 individuals and received over 100 Proclamations by Senators, Congressmen, Governors and Mayors. Through appearances and meetings at hospitals, such as Loma Linda, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, schools, civic organizations, and the media he has reached over 65 million Americans. The Walk(R) continues through Florida before reaching the finish line in Madeira Beach, Florida in December of 2008.
For more information about diabetes, THE WALK(TM) and to make a tax-deductible donation: http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/
---

Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Newnan Hospital Celebrate American Heart Month With Free Dessert and Discussion Events

Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are the nation’s No. 1 killer, according to the American Heart Association. Join Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Newnan Hospital for two dessert and discussion events featuring local cardiologists.

Piedmont Fayette Hospital will host a discussion on "Congestive Heart Failure," led by cardiologist Bukola Olubi, M.D., on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room C in the hospital’s 1279 building. To make reservations call 770-719-6060.

Piedmont Newnan Hospital will host a discussion on "Living Heart Healthy," on Thursday Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m., led by cardiologist George J. Vellanikaran, M.D., in the Special Events Center at 299 Bullsboro Drive in Newnan. To make reservations call 678-854-2471.

Registration for both programs is free and refreshments and door prizes will be provided. For more information on Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s and Piedmont Newnan Hospital’s cardiology services, please visit www.fayettehospital.org or www.piedmontnewnan.org.