Acute Rehab Unit opens
in Greenville
October 29, 2008 - Hunt Regional Medical Center
is proud to announce the opening of their Acute Rehabilitation
Unit on the 7th floor of the Hospital.
The Rehab Unit’s professional staff strives to help patients
recover quickly from illness, injury or surgery. Many patients
regain a higher level of independence with rehabilitation after
suffering serious conditions such as stroke, hip fracture, amputation
and various neurological disorders.
Rehabilitation can also help people build physical endurance
and learn techniques for dealing with chronic conditions such
as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and muscular
dystrophy.
The new 17 bed Rehab Unit officially opened on September 29th.
The inter-disciplinary team includes rehabilitation nurses, physical
therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social
workers and dietitians. Patients continue to receive all the nursing
care needed for recovery, while immediately beginning an intensive,
individualized rehabilitation program.
“Having a physical rehabilitation unit at the Hospital,
that is actually owned and operated by Hunt Regional Medical Center,
makes the entire process easier for patients,” said Cheryl
Watson, Program Director of the Rehab Unit. “The saying,
‘Close to Home. Far from Ordinary.’ really describes
the Hospital’s effort to provide a much needed service in
this community. The Acute Rehabilitation Unit will allow patients
to stay close to home and with their physician while recovering
from an illness or injury.”
A stroke or major surgery takes a lot out of a patient. With
rehab they build their physical strength back up and may also
learn new ways to do things because of changes in their physical
abilities brought on by the illness or injury.
To make a referral, the physician would just need to write an
order for “rehab eval” to allow the pre-screening
process to occur.
For more information about the services offered or for a tour
of the facility, please contact Cheryl Watson at 903-408-1740
or 903-408-1700.
Finney Cancer Center treats
first patients
October
8, 2008 - Greenville resident Shannon Trad, seated at left, holds
a fruit basket presented by Hunt Regional Medical Center to the
first five radiation therapy patients in the new Lou and Jack
Finney Cancer Center.
The initial radiation treatments by Texas Oncology using the
Medical Center’s Varian iX linear accelerator began October
7, in the Hunt Regional Medical Center's Cancer Center, part of
the $27 million expansion completed in May.
Seated next to Trad is Dr. Dana Rosenkranz, physicist with Texas
Oncology. Standing behind them, from left, are other members of
the Texas Oncology team, Tim Ochran, physicist; Kyle Koon, therapist/physicist;
Jack Bradley, therapist; Jeffrey Katzenmaier, radiation assistant
and Dr. James Petrikas, radiation oncologist.
Minor Care Clinic set to open
October 7, 2008 - The Hunt Regional Minor Care Clinic, the most
recent addition to Hunt Regional Healthcare (HRH) family of accessible
healthcare facilities, is scheduled to open its doors on Friday
in the Trader’s Crossing Retail Center at 8110 Wesley Street
at the Wesley Street-Trader’s Road intersection.
It will offer walk-in services to patients with non-emergency
needs, addressing common individual and family illnesses and injuries,
according to William Crowe, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Crowe,
who heads the on-site clinical staff, will manage the clinic for
the hospital district. A staff of three will operate the center
at all hours, with those positions now filled.
“Much of what we do as an organization requires great investment
in expensive technology at both of our Greenville and Commerce
hospital campuses,” said Richard Carter, chief executive
officer of Hunt Memorial Hospital District. “But sometimes
the most needed type of medical care is a professional evaluation
and diagnosis of a minor illness or injury,
“The HRH Emergency Department has long been an excellent
provider of emergency services, but has increasingly become congested
with patients who have minor illnesses and injuries of all varieties.
Several strategies to improve patient access and reduce wait times
have been implemented, and the development of the minor care clinic
is part of this,” Carter said.
The clinic will be available to treat those minor illnesses and
injuries including infections, minor strains and sprains, flu,
earaches, sore throats and aches and pains that need professional
medical evaluation.
School and employment physicals will be available, and it would
be appreciated if those seeking physical exams would call in advance,
said Crowe.
Limited laboratory work will be performed on site, but initially,
X-ray services will not be available.
Patients with chest pain, major bleeding, obvious fractures and
severe abdominal pain should seek treatment at the Emergency Department,
Crowe said.
Children under the age of 18 months should be taken to their
family physician, specialists or the emergency department, as
should those over the age of 85 or women who are pregnant.
Individuals who are receiving chemotherapy, or those receiving
anti-rejection medications for transplants, hemodialysis, leukemia
or HIV, etc. should also see their personal specialist physicians
or go to the Emergency Department.
“PCA is proud to be part of this much-needed venture by
the hospital district,” said Dr. Matt Koger, the center’s
medical director and a practicing partner with PCA. “We
recognize the rapidly growing challenges of meeting healthcare
needs throughout the area, and we see this as a win-win situation
for both the public and the caregivers.”
The clinic includes four exam rooms, a waiting and reception
area, laboratory, nurses’ station, galley, office and storage
space in its 2,400 square feet on the north end of the retail
center. Final preparations are scheduled this week as well as
staff training.
The minor care clinic will be open seven days a week, year round,
with the exception of Christmas Day and New Years Day. Hours of
operation will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday
and noon-8 p.m. on Sundays.
The severity of the illness or injury will determine the base
fee for treatment, and most insurances will be accepted.
Radiation treatments to begin
Finney Cancer Center
October 6, 2008 - The first radiation therapy treatments at
the Lou and Jack Finney Cancer Center are scheduled to be performed
Tuesday (October 7), according to Mike Klepin, administrator of
Hunt Regional Medical Center at Greenville.
“We are excited the long wait is finally over, and we can
officially open this facility as the site for life-saving radiation
therapy,” Klepin said.
The last major hurdle was cleared on September 10 when the Texas
Department of State Health Services issued a certificate of registration
authorizing the Center to bring its new Varian iX linear accelerator
on-line.
Since then, members of the cancer treatment team from Texas
Oncology, Hunt Regional’s treatment partner in the center,
have been testing and training on the accelerator in preparation
for an influx of patients.
“The Varian iX linear accelerator represents one of the
finest treatment tools and some of the newest technology available”
said Dr. James Petrikas of Texas Oncology, lead radiation oncologist
at the Finney Cancer Center.
Petrikas noted that the accelerator is equipped with a state-of-the-art
technology called OBI (on-board imaging) that delivers radiation
with pinpoint precision at any angle to virtually any treatment
location in the body.
The Finney Cancer Center actually opened for business on September
12 when the infusion (chemotherapy) unit relocated there from
its former location in the Outpatient Clinic on the second floor
of the main bed tower at Hunt Regional Medical Center.
“It is exciting to be able to offer comprehensive cancer
care services – radiation therapy, chemotherapy, laboratory
and pharmaceutical – under one roof here in Hunt County,”
Klepin said.
The Finney Cancer Center is located on the first floor of the
$27-million West Wing addition which was completed this spring.
“October 7 will go down as an important date in the evolution
of healthcare in this region,” Klepin said of the first
day of service when treatments are scheduled for five radiation
therapy patients.
The center will be open to provide quality cancer care five
days per week. Radiation services will be available Monday through
Friday, and chemotherapy will be scheduled on Monday through Thursday.
Appointments may be arranged by calling 903-408-5112.
We've got a new name!
September 25, 2008 - Richard Carter, chief executive
officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District, shakes hands with
John McWhorter, president of Baylor University Medical Center
at Dallas, after the HMHD board of directors approved the district’s
affiliation with Baylor.
The entities of HMHD also officially underwent name
changes as the board approved new names and a new logo for what
will be Hunt Regional Healthcare as of Oct. 1. Looking on are
Jack Tinsley, left, Regional Director for the Baylor system, and
Ron Wensel, right, chairman of the HMHD board of directors.
Tamyka Clayton of the Housekeeping Department gets
her “new” badge from Lisa Hill of the Development
and Communications Department. All of the 800 employees of the
hospital district will receive stickers for their badges, bearing
the hospital district’s new name, Hunt Regional Healthcare.
More new name info
School safety tips for parents
by Richard Carter
September 8, 2008 - It’s September, and once again I’m
wondering where January through August went.
School and football have begun, and it’s only three months
until Christmas.
Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville employees had the opportunity
to participate in the teacher resource fair at Greenville High
School recently. Our presence there was through the trauma and
emergency services at the hospital emphasizing child safety both
on and off campus.
This is definitely the time to think about school safety and
to make certain our youngsters are prepared to deal with situations
that might come up.
Last year I wrote about Bob Stuber, a retired California police
officer who founded Escape School, a group that “aims to
keep kids safe.” Stuber has traveled around the country
with his program and has appeared on such television shows as
Oprah, America’s Most Wanted, CNN American Morning, the
Today Show, ABC Primetime and Fox National News.
His group, which is celebrating its 11th year, trains people
throughout this country and Canada to work in just about every
area -- from abduction to accidents to water safety. The emphasis
of this organization is on the “use of good old common sense,”
something I fully endorse.
I want to refresh the readers on some of Mr. Stuber’s top
safety suggestions:
Research Route to School: Parents and kids together
need to map out what route to take to school, and any alternate
routes. In addition to feeling comfortable with the busy streets,
etc., it's very important that parents know who lives along the
child's path.
Megan's Law requires that any person jailed for a sexual offense
and then released be "registered" in the neighborhood
where they live. This is public record and parents should utilize
it by visiting the police station and researching their route
to school.
Encourage Responsibility: Yes, adults in cars
should always be on the lookout for kids in the street, especially
in a school zone, but we all know this often doesn't happen. Kids
should not expect cars to look out for them; they need to take
responsibility and protect themselves. Don't allow your child
to walk to school wearing headphones or playing a Gameboy because
this will make him oblivious to his surroundings.
Watch Your Child Reach Safety: If you drive
your child to school, don't take off the moment she steps out
of the car. Make sure she gets inside, or at least to the front
lawn/sidewalk where she's with other students and teachers. Don't
feel pressure to pull away just because cars are piling up behind
you - this is important. Many kids disappear between Mom's car
and the school. Also, the congestion of many cars and buses can
be dangerous.
Advocate for Safety Changes: Parents often don't
realize how much power they have to change things within a school.
If you think your child's bus should have a crossing gate, or
your school needs a call-back system (the administration calls
if your child does not arrive at school), then gather other parents
together and complain. Don't wait for these changes to be instituted
as the result of a tragedy.
Stuber says administrations are very open to listening and responding
to parents.
They don't want to be blamed for an accident, and they know that
they're funded by the parents' tax dollars.
Another safety issue for parents is how to protect "latchkey"
kids who are home alone after school, says Stuber. There are really
only two rules parents need to give their latchkey kid, he says.
The first is to keep doors shut. Instead of
telling kids not to let a stranger in, the real rule needs to
be: Keep the door shut and locked at all times. Don't fill your
child's head with "don'ts"; simply tell them to keep
all doors closed. If someone comes to the door, your child can
communicate with this person through the door.
The second is to set a check-in time. Parents
should ask their child to call and let Mom or Dad know that she
is home safe. Set a consistent time for the child to call each
day. Give her 10 minutes plus or minus to allow for a slow bus,
etc ... then start to worry if she doesn't meet this deadline.
Also, find a close neighbor who is usually home around this time.
If the parent can't be reached, the child knows to call this
person. Parents need to remember that kids who are home alone
are much more likely to encounter dangers such as fire from burning
popcorn or falling down the stairs than being abducted by a stranger.
Parents need to consider some of these issues facing their families
and deal with them accordingly.
Bullying has also become a more recognized problem, although
it is certainly not a new discipline problem. There were plenty
of bullies around in my school and they were very effective in
keeping kids somewhat shaken up.
"Bullies make the child feel terrible and make the whole
family miserable," says Stuber. "This can't be a wait-and-see
issue; parents need to be aggressive on this one."
Kids don't usually admit they are being abused at school. Parents
must make it clear to kids how essential it is to share this information.
When parents discover their child is the victim of a bully, Stuber
has three steps for them to take:
Visit School in Person: Talk to the principal
or counselor. Explain the situation and give them a chance to
deal with the problem. You MUST go in person to show the school
how serious you are about the bullying and make sure you have
the administrator's full attention.
Request Meeting with Parents: If the school
doesn't stop the behavior, ask to meet at the school with the
bully's parents. Make them aware of what's going on and ask them
to deal with it immediately.
Get Police Involved: Finally, if you have seen
no changes, go to the police. This step rarely has to be taken,
but it can be effective if necessary. Going to the police doesn't
mean you want to have the child arrested; think of the police
as another mediator, one the bully's parents may be more likely
to respond to.
Sit down with the police, explain the steps you've taken to stop
the bullying, and ask for advice. They may have information you
didn't know before such as, this boy has been a problem in the
past. You can then go back to the bully's parents, tell them you've
spoken with the police and threaten to officially lodge a complaint
if the bully's behavior doesn't stop.
We hope this is a good year for all our youngsters and their
parents. Again, the best way to keep safe is to use good old common
sense and to communicate. Kids shouldn’t be afraid to tell
mom and dad or their teachers about situations that can be taken
care of even before they become a problem. Mr. Stuber has an excellent
website at www.bobstuber.com.
Carter is Chief Executive Officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital
District.
Volunteer Style Show tickets
now on sale
September
4, 2008 - Pat Goen, on the left, and Janice McWhirter, volunteers
at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville, share tickets to the annual
Volunteer Style Show and Luncheon.
Tickets are now on sale for the show, which is scheduled
for Thursday, September 25 at 1 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist
Church.
Calico Cat will provide the fashions and commentary.
Tickets may be purchased from volunteers, at the front desk,
and in the gift shop at the Greenville hospital. For information,
call Jeanye Roberts at 903-408-1167.
Signs go up!
August 21, 2008 - Workers have completed installing
the new directional signs in the parking area of Presbyterian
Hospital.
The signs are part of the expansion project that
includes the West Wing's Cancer Treatment Center and additional
in-patient facilities.
Head Nurse reports for
active duty
by Melva Geyer
August 20, 2008 - The past 15 months have been somewhat of a
whirlwind for Bambi Pish.
In May of 2007 she was elevated to the position of Assistant
Administrator/Chief Nursing Officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital
District serving both Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and
Commerce.
For her professional efforts, in April of 2008 she was named
one of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council’s “Great
100” nurses of 2007, carrying on a long-standing tradition
established by nursing professionals at HMHD.
Now, as a member of the United States Naval Reserve, Lt. Pish
has been assigned a year-long tour of duty in Germany, treating
casualties from the Iraq war as an acute care bedside nurse. That
means she will be seeing soldiers with the worst injuries.
“We know, with Bambi's exceptional skills, our wounded
will have better care than ever before,” said Administrator
Mike Klepin.
Yet Klepin and all the administrative team know that losing a
nursing director is a challenge. In fact, the transition process
began this week after Klepin earlier announced that Citizens Home
Health and Rehabilitation Services Director Debby Clack has agreed
to fill Pish's shoes while she is away. Clack, a 19-year employee
of HMHD, will work closely over the next two weeks with Pish as
she prepares to depart. Helping cover for Clack in her regular
duties will be Rebecca Harris, a registered nurse in Home Health.
Pish will be stationed at Lanstuhl Regional Medical Center, the
largest American hospital outside the United States and 10 minutes
from Ramstein Air Base, the American Air Force headquarters in
Europe. She will be serving as a bedside nurse, which she says
she is looking forward to doing.
Pish says she joined the reserves five years ago “out of
a sense of patriotism,” and has served several “short
term” tours.
“I knew it was coming,” she said of the latest call-up,
adding her family has been very supportive, although anxious.
Her husband, Michael, sons Adam and Andrew and daughter Audrey
will remain at home, though visiting Germany is not out of the
question.
She says that being separated from them for such a long period
of time will be difficult, especially since she will not be able
to come home for the holidays.
Pish went to work at HMHD in August of 2001 as a part-time registered
nurse in the intensive care unit and has since served in various
capacities.
These include Medical/Surgical/ Transitional Care Unit Director
and Director of Nurses at Presbyterian Hospital of Commerce. In
August of 2005, she accepted the additional responsibility of
interim Chief Nursing Officer.
In 1998, Pish earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M
University-College Station, where she also earned a Masters of
Nursing Administration degree from there in 2000. The same year,
she received a post-master’s certificate in healthcare administration.
Geyer is Marketing Communications Coordinator of Hunt Memorial
Hospital District.
Back to school tips
by Dr. David Fry
August 20, 2008 - It’s that time of year again when we
send our precious five year olds off to school. Are they ready?
What is “school readiness?” Every state sets an arbitrary
date by which a child has to reach his or her fifth birthday before
they are considered “ready.” Despite that definition
of being ready, the questions come up repeatedly — “Should
I hold him back because he has a summer birthday?” or “Should
he repeat kindergarten because the teacher thought he was just
too immature for first grade?”
A task force of educators studied the issue of school readiness
in the early 1990’s. Screening tests and other definitions
of readiness were reviewed, and their conclusion was that a child
was ready for school when the child “was ready to participate
in formal schooling.”
This basically meant that the child had the physical, emotional,
social and language skills that would allow him or her to fully
participate in school. Note that waiting a year so that he will
be bigger and better able to compete against peers in high school
athletics was not listed as a criterion for being ready for school!
What if your child isn’t socially or emotionally ready
for school? Is holding them back a year a good strategy? My answer
to that question is always to inquire back — what will be
different in a year? Studies have shown that the youngest children
in the kindergarten class score 7-8 percentile points lower than
their older peers on academic testing — but by third grade,
that difference is totally erased.
Children placed in transitional programs or held back in kindergarten
don’t show any overall improvement in academic scores, and
in fact often have persistent social and emotional problems that
were unchanged by that approach.
The approach that has been shown to be most successful is to
enroll the child in kindergarten and then have focused programs
to help them in the areas where they are struggling.
This approach takes intervention early in their education to
be successful — the parent teacher conference in April or
May is too late. Schools are sometimes reluctant to make an individual
educational plan for a child as they have limited time, financial
resources and are sometimes penalized by the State (including
by the State of Texas) for identifying too many children as needing
assistance. You have to be your child’s advocate and work
with the teacher to identify his or her needs and then get the
help that is needed.
Why is school retention such a concern? The drop-out rate overall
in the United States is about 10 percent, but in children that
have been held back or retained at any time in their education,
the rate jumps up to 22 percent, and in those two years behind
their peers, the drop-out rate is 39 percent.
The rate is even higher if held back in later years (after kindergarten
or fifth grade). The drop-out rates in Texas, unfortunately, are
even higher than the national averages. Adults who don’t
finish high school are 50 percent more likely to smoke and have
a 100 percent (that’s double!) age-adjusted death rate.
There are a lot of things you can do to avoid these dismal outcomes.
Read to your child starting at an early age. Studies have shown
that even reading 15 minutes a day starting at two years old or
before will improve interest in reading and in overall communication
between parent and child.
Turn off the TV and encourage independent play and physical activity.
Participating in pre-kindergarten programs has a benefit in helping
identify problems but has no long term improvement in academic
success. Parent involvement is far more helpful in the long run.
Be sure your child gets plenty of sleep and eats a good balanced
diet.
Sending your child off to school is always a challenging time.
My 5-year-old grandson is starting school this month and he’s
excited. School is his window to a big wonderful world, and with
help from teachers, parents (and grandparents), I’m confident
he’ll be successful.
That confidence should be in all parents of new students, and
with a little work, patience, advocacy and motivation, it should
be rewarded with success.
Dr. Fry is a Greenville pediatrician whose office is located
in the Professional Building at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville.
Scholarship winner announced
August 20, 2008 - Rebekah J. McGuire, 18, of Quinlan, center,
has been awarded the Dr. R. Irvin Morgan Scholarship by the Hunt
Memorial Hospital District Charitable Health Foundation.
Underwritten by the medical staff at Presbyterian Hospital of
Greenville, the competitive college scholarship is awarded annually
to a graduating high school senior who plans to pursue a healthcare
career. It honors the late Dr. Morgan who served the hospital
as a pathologist for many years prior to his death.
Ms. McGuire is flanked by David Fry, M.D., and Moushira Ebrahim,
M.D., who served on the selection committee.
A 2008 graduate of Quinlan Ford High School, Ms. McGuire will
enroll as a biology major in pre-med at Texas A&M University-Commerce
later this month. She is the daughter of Juan and Martha Baldenegro
of Quinlan.
HMHD at “Tools for School”
August
10, 2008 - Richard Carter, Chief Executive Officer for the Hunt
Memorial Hospital District, was on hand to help some of the 1,200
students who visited the HMHD booth at the annual “Tools
for School” event at Ridgecrest Baptist Church on August
9.
The Hospital District distributed safety information, markers,
crayons, coloring books, and play dough donated by partner McKesson
Industries (formerly PerSe).
HMHD also gave away 20 bicycle helmets in the prize drawings.
Podiatry Residency Program at
HMHD
by Richard Carter
August 11, 2008 - Recent visitors to Presbyterian Hospital of
Greenville may have noticed a group of young men and women dressed
in white coats moving around in the halls or dining together in
our new cafeteria.
These people are our Podiatry Residency Program doctors from
which we now have three graduates. Dr. Mitch Williams of Fort
Worth is the latest to graduate, heading to Grand Junction, Colo.,
to begin his medical career.
In
our quest to grow as a leading medical facility in North Texas,
we consider the residency program as a “feather in our cap”
as it brings top students from around the nation to PHG. Here
they have the opportunity to study under an internationally known
and respected podiatrist, Dr. Stephen Brancheau.
Earlier this summer the HMHD board of directors approved funding
for the 2008-2009 program year at a cost of approximately $188,000.
The funding for the program comes primarily through Medicare
reimbursement for residency programs, called GME, and an additional
payment added to each Medicare inpatient admission called IME.
Other funding comes from grants and fundraising, to balance the
budget.
Personally, I consider this expenditure an investment rather
than a cost, both in terms of improved medical care, preparing
our physician providers for the future and the invigoration the
students add to the organization. Add to those benefits, the prestige
that goes with such a program not often found in hospitals this
size, and you can see we have a winning combination.
Following the graduation of Dr. Williams, Dr. David Northcutt
from Greentown, Indiana, becomes our senior resident who will
be the senior resident through next summer. Dr. Catherine Casteel
of Palestine (Texas) is beginning her second year as a resident,
and Dr. Joe Morgan of Valley Mills has joined the team, rounding
out the program.
Hunt County has already reaped one major benefit from the program
when the program second graduate, Dr. Lesley Richey-Smith, decided
to stay in Greenville and open her practice with Dr. Brancheau
and Dr. David Minchey.
The residents are based in Greenville, but travel to numerous
surgery centers in North Texas to participate in foot and ankle
surgeries that will provide the best learning opportunities. They
are involved in approximately 3,000 procedures a year and make
about 25 to 35 emergency room visits a month here in Greenville.
As Dr. Brancheau points out, it is important that the residents
come out of the programs as well rounded practitioners. That’s
one of the reasons for the extensive rotations that are scheduled,
all the way from internal medicine to wound care, pathology, anesthesiology
and psychiatry.
It’s exciting to watch the residents grow, not just academically
and clinically, but also in maturity. This is so important to
their patients and to the healthcare facilities with which they
will become associated. We wish all of them well as they complete
their long road of medical training.
Carter is chief operating officer for the Hunt Memorial Hospital
District.
Hospital receives high marks
for newborn screening
July 31, 2008 - Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville has been
recognized by the State of Texas as one of the best in screening
newborn babies for hearing loss.
“Our Women’s Center earned top marks with its recent
certification as a ‘Distinguished Newborn Hearing Screening
Program,’ the highest rating possible for a birthing hospital
in Texas,” said Michael Klepin, administrator of Presbyterian
Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce.
The
goal of the program is to ensure that newborns who have hearing
loss quickly get into services to develop their speech, language
and learning, said Registered Nurse Kim Parks, coordinator of
the PHG program and a shift manager on the maternity floor.
All babies are screened within 12-48 hours after being born,
Parks said.
“We’re proud to be able to offer this service to
the families in our community,” said Hunt Memorial Hospital
District CEO Richard Carter. “We’re also proud of
Kim and the trained staff who make the program possible,”
Carter said.
Texas hospitals across the state screen newborns for hearing
loss as part of a statewide public health initiative that is preventing
many infants from suffering developmental delays associated with
undetected hearing loss which occurs in about one baby in 1,000.
PHG earned this recognition by ensuring families that their newborns
receive top-quality services during their hospital birth admission.
The Texas Department of State Health Services monitors hospital-based
hearing screening programs to ensure specific quality benchmarks
are met.
To be certified, hospitals must screen newborns for hearing loss,
refer those who need follow-up testing to audiologists, and inform
parents and family doctors of hearing screening results. Certified
hospitals have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that those
babies born with hearing loss are detected early and channeled
to the best resources to get medical and educational attention.
The Texas newborn hearing screening program is one of the largest
of its kind in the world and has continually ranked as one of
the best in country since being implemented in 2001 by the Texas
Legislature. Nearly 400,000 babies in Texas are screened annually
because of this program. In 2007 some 1,200 babies born at PHG
were screened.
Presbyterian Greenville
3rd floor renovation
July 31, 2008 - Harry Gibson, right, Physician Relations Coordinator
for the Hunt Memorial Hospital District, checks out the refurbished
nurses’ station on the third floor of the old tower at Presbyterian
Hospital of Greenville as he visits with Anghalee Miller, left,
a licensed vocational nurse, and Myra Farmer, third floor shift
manager.
Following the opening of the new West Wing, the existing third
floor was closed down and renovated throughout.
Work is also being done on the old fourth floor and on the seventh
floor where the new acute rehabilitation center will open in the
fall.
HMHD outlines new smoking policy
July 31, 2008 - While the Hunt Memorial Hospital District officially
goes tobacco free on January 1, 2009, advanced strategies are
being planned to assist a smooth process.
In June, the HMHD board of directors approved the tobacco-free
policy that would affect all properties including those in Greenville,
Commerce and Quinlan, and will apply the new minor care clinic
scheduled to open later this summer in south Greenville.
While smoking is already prohibited within HMHD buildings and
allowed only in designated areas on campus, the new policy will
include any surrounding and adjacent grounds as well as parking
areas at these sites as off-limits for smoking.
“We are striving to provide the healthiest environment
possible for our associates, physicians, patients, their families
and visitors,” said Richard Carter, chief executive officer
of HMHD.
“It seems somewhat insincere to claim we care about health
and wellness while we allow people to smoke cigarettes or use
other tobacco products,” said Carter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
half of all Americans who smoke will die from smoking-related
diseases. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
notes that “secondhand smoke contains numerous human carcinogens
for which there is no safe level of exposure.”
To help facilitate the ban, starting in August, the hospitals
will provide a smoking cessation program for all employees who
use tobacco.
“We know it isn’t easy to give up smoking or using
other tobacco products, but we will try to make it easy as possible
for our employees,” says Carter. “Those who choose
not to quit will have to leave the campus to have a cigarette.”
The same will be required of visitors and patients.
“We will also provide all new hires a copy of the tobacco
free campus policy upon employment so there will be no surprises,”
said Stacey Lane, Human Resources director.
An internal committee, part of HMHD’s Customer Service
Initiative, is also taking an active roll in helping ease into
the program. Taking advantage of The American Cancer Society’s
Great American Smokeout on Nov. 20, the committee is looking at
possible events that would lend support to those trying to kick
the habit, said Debbie Clack, chairman.
HMHD is not alone in implementing the tobacco-free policy. Hospitals
around the country have established smoke free environments for
the past decade, including several throughout Texas – Austin
State Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas Medical
Center, North Texas Medical Center, Baylor, Presbyterian, Harris
Methodist and Hopkins County, just to name a few.
For more information contact 903-408-1063.
Decontamination tent tested
July 11, 2008 - Hunt Memorial Hospital District’s
new hazardous materials decontamination tent was put to its first
use Friday morning as a week-long HAZMAT training session came
to an end.
The tent can be inflated in less than a minute to
“clean” victims who have been exposed to hazardous
chemicals and smoke.
At left, Chad Gordon, ER Patient Care Associate
from Commerce, emerges from the HAZMAT tent where he is greeted
by Stuart Prichard and Bonnie Stewart.
Hazmat training underway
by Chad Blackshear
Herald-Banner Staff
July 9, 2008 - Don’t be alarmed by the tents around Presbyterian
Hospital of Greenville on Friday. It’s only a test.
Employees from Hunt Memorial Hospital District (HMHD), Emergency
Medical Services (EMS), and Primary Care Associates (PCA) are
undergoing Hazmat training this week at the HMHD Greenville campus.
The Hazmat program at HMHD was started in 1994 according to HMHD
Microbiology Supervisor and Hazmat Coordinator Bonnie Stewart.
“We saw the need for this before the September 11 attacks,”
Stewart said.
There are 16 individuals enrolled in the current training class
that is being instructed by Eddie Cook of the Greenbelt Environmental
Group. Funding for the project is regulated through the North-Central
Texas Trauma regional Advisory Council.
The program is intended to provide area citizens treatment in
situations ranging from excessive exposure to lime up to a bioterror
attack.
“Hazardous materials and bioterrorism materials are the
same, and we respond to them the same way,” Cook explained.
 |
Chris Diaz, right, a patient
care associate at Presbyterian Hospital of Commerce, demonstrates
yet another life-saving use for duct tape as he secures the
oxygen mask to Mark Wright, emergency room nurse at Presbyterian
Hospital of Greenville. The hazardous materials (HAZMAT) training
was taking place at the Greenville hospital. |
| Eddie Cook, a Greenbelt Hazardous
Materials training instructor, shows members of the HAZMAT
team at Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce
how to properly attach an oxygen mask to J.J. Lewis during
a training session Tuesday morning in Greenville. The training
will continue through the week, culminating with a scheduled
on-site demonstration of decontamination protocol on Friday. |
 |
 |
Elsie McKee, Michelle Lowe and Jerrie
Phillips make certain Michelle’s oxygen mask is adjusted
properly. |
| Michael Sanchez, assistant
director of Emergency Medical Services, helps his new “boss,”
Andrew Threndyle, suit up for hazardous material duty during
the week-long HAZMAT training at PHG. Threndyle joined the
HMHD team this spring as EMS director, replacing Patrick Schooler. |
 |
 |
Michael Sanchez is out of his HAZMAT
suit, which seems to have conformed to his body. People in
the suits get extremely warm, even inside an air-conditioned
building. |
There will be a live drill on Friday morning, with decontamination
tents set up behind the hospital campus. The location of the drill
is accessible from Ridgecrest Road.
According to Stewart, this would be the central decontamination
area in the event of a major disaster.
“As traffic comes in, we can stop them and make sure they
don’t come in contact with people that have been exposed
to hazardous materials,” Stewart said. “When dealing
with hazardous materials, you have to treat the exposure first,
then treat them for their other injuries.”
Stewart emphasized that the hospital is prepared to deal with
any catastrophe and that there is a decontamination shower in
the hospital and hazmat certified people on hand 24 hours a day.
Upon completion of the 40 hour course, the individuals will become
certified technicians, and will be able to enter contaminated
areas.
Reprinted with permission from the Herald-Banner
