CHECKUP. inside. North Mississippi. NMMC Receives an A for Patient Safety. What connected feels like. November 16, 2018

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1 November 16, 2018 Volume 28 Number 20 West Point Hospitalist...2 Boo to the Flu...2 New Residents...3 Patient Transfer Center...4 Content Expert Named...4 Safety Summit...5 Thankful Tree...5 inside A PUBLICATION FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES CHECKUP What connected feels like NMMC Receives an A for Patient Safety North Mississippi Medical Center was awarded an A from The Leapfrog Group s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes NMMC s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care. Earning an A Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group is a testament to the dedication of our staff to ensure the highest quality of health care possible, said David Wilson, NMMC president. This honor belongs to every one of our team members. Our approach to patient care is about connecting with every patient, every time, and making a difference in every life we touch. Safety in health care is no accident. It takes commitment on the part of every individual member of the health care team, from the front door to the physician, to make it happen. Every medical staff member, employee or volunteer at NMMC should take pride in this recognition, said C.K. White, M.D., North Mississippi Health Services chief medical officer. As one of only two Level 2 hospitals in the state to reach the A status, it truly validates that we are on the right pathway to achieving our mission of continuously improving the health of the people that we serve. Leapfrog s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like NMMC that focus on advancing patient safety. Continued on next page

2 NMMC-West Point Welcomes Hospitalist Cynthia Mouton, M.D., recently joined North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point as a full-time hospitalist. Hospitalists are physicians who limit their practice to the hospital and are experienced and skilled in managing the unique medical needs of hospitalized patients. Hospitalists work closely with the patient s primary care physicians to keep them up to date on the patient s condition and treatment. When patients are ready to leave the hospital, hospitalists inform their primary physicians about any changes in medication, follow-up care and other needs. Boo to the Flu Dr. Mouton graduated cum laude with a bachelor s degree in biology from Loyola University in New Orleans in She earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans in She completed a family medicine residency at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in Since then, she has worked with hospitals in Mississippi and Alabama. NMMC s 3 South employees said Boo to the Flu this Halloween by distributing small bottles of hand sanitizer along with coloring pages to visitors and staff. The staff is promoting good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs. Leapfrog (continued) This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region, said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors. Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. NMMC was one of 855 across the United States awarded an A in the Fall 2018 update of grades. To see NMMC s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook. November 16, 2018 Page 2

3 FMRC Welcomes New Residents The North Mississippi Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program recently welcomed eight new residents. They include: Brad Murray, M.D., of Iuka. Dr. Murray received his bachelor s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. In medical school, he was a member of the Gold Humanism Honors Society. He is the son of Elmer and Beverly Murray of Burnsville. He and his wife, Amanda, have four children, son Devin Murray, 23, and daughters Jaycee Murray, 15, Addison Sloan Murray, 9, and Emma Murray, 3. Matthew Dowdy, D.O., of Saltillo. Dr. Dowdy received his bachelor s degree in biology, a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Medical Sciences from Mississippi College in Clinton. Dr. Dowdy then received his medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg. In medical school, he was a member of the Student Government Association Executive Council and Student Osteopathic Medical Association National Liaison. He is the son of Chuck and Sandra Dowdy of Southaven. He and his wife, Laura, have a 10-month-old daughter, Brooke. Michael Thompson, M.D., of Booneville. Dr. Thompson received his bachelor s degree in biological engineering from Mississippi State University in Starkville, and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He is the son of Mike Thompson of Cleveland, and Sonya and Gene Gilley of Booneville. He is the husband of Haley Thompson. Robert Dickson, D.O., of Florence, Ala. Dr. Dickson received his bachelor s degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and his medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tenn. He is the son of Ken and Kathryn Webb of Lehi, Utah. He and his wife, Alisa, have six children sons Isaac, 19; Ben, 14; Levi, 8; and Joshua, 4; and daughters Rebekah, 17; and Abigail, 11. Samuel Twedt, D.O., of Belden. Dr. Twedt received his bachelor s degree in biological sciences from Mississippi State University in Starkville, and his medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg. He is the son of Steve and Kristen Twedt of Biloxi. New residents for 2018 at NMMC's Family Medicine Residency Center include (front row, from left) Robert Dickson, Matthew Dowdy and Adam Guntharp; (middle row, from left) Brad Murray and Blayne Beene; and (back row, from left) Michael Thompson, Benjamin Lambert and Samuel Twedt. Adam Guntharp, D.O., of Tupelo. Dr. Guntharp received his bachelor s degree in biology from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, and his medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg. He is the son of Keith Guntharp and Melissa Lindsey of Pontotoc. Benjamin J. Lambert, M.D., of Tupelo. Dr. Lambert received his associate degree from Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, his bachelor s degree from Delta State University in Cleveland and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. In medical school, he was a member for the Gold Humanism Honor Society and Christian Medical and Dental Association. He is the son of Phillip and Anne Lambert of Como. He is the husband of Whitney Lambert. Blayne Beene, D.O., of Tupelo. Dr. Beene received his bachelor s degree in biology from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark, and his medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg. He is the son of Traci and Stoney Beene of Marianna, Ark. For more information on the NMMC Family Medicine Residency Program, call (662) or THE DESK ( ). November 16, 2018 Page 3

4 Waldrop Named to Leadership Role North Mississippi Medical Center recently named Lee Waldrop, RN, as assistant director of the Patient Logistics Center. A 1982 graduate of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Waldrop received her bachelor s degree in nutrition and dietetics. She then earned her associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in She is currently pursuing her master s degree in nursing from Walden University. Waldrop joined the NMMC staff in 1992 as a staff nurse and later worked as a charge nurse, nurse educator and performance improvement coordinator in the Emergency Department. She went on to work as the director of physician services and hospital development coordinator for Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency for 15 years. She rejoined the NMMC staff in 2017 and assumed the role of trauma program manager. A Tupelo native, Waldrop now resides in New Albany, where she is involved in numerous church and community activities. She is a member of First United Methodist Church in New Albany and serves on the church s Building Committee and Administrative Council, and is a youth leader and Embrace leader. She is married to Scott Waldrop and has two sons John and Jimbo; daughter-in-law, Anna Claire; and daughter, Mary Scott. Patient Logistics Center dispatchers dispatch ambulances, CareFlight medical helicopter, the Critical Care Transport Unit and wheelchair vans. Registered nurses with the Patient Logistics Center get patients accepted or transferred to NMMC by connecting the providers involved via a recorded phone line. Bed Controllers/Schedulers with the Patient Logistics Center place patients in appropriate room assignments according to their provider s orders, level of care required, specific diagnosis and each patient s needs. Summers Named Certified Content Expert Samantha Summers, RN, performance improvement manager for North Mississippi Medical Clinics, recently received NCQA Patient- Centered Medical Home Content Expert Certification. Summers has worked for North Mississippi Medical Clinics since October She received her associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in She graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi University for Women in 2012 with a bachelor s degree in nursing. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a health care setting that facilitates partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, and when appropriate, the patient s family. Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, exchange of health information and other means to ensure that patients get the indicated care, when and where they need and want it, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. In response to market demands to better understand and evaluate PCMHs, NCQA developed and administers the Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition program, which provides a roadmap for practices to improve delivery and the experience of care for both clinicians and patients. With more than 12,000 recognized practices (representing more than 61,000 clinicians) across the country, the NCQA PCMH Recognition program is the most sought after and widely accepted PCMH program in the nation. Becoming NCQA Recognized requires strategies and efforts to transform a practice into a medical home. In an effort to help practices identify experts with a proven understanding of the NCQA PCMH Recognition program and to provide professionals with a way to validate their knowledge base, NCQA developed the PCMH Content Expert Certification (CEC) program. Certified NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Content Experts receive thorough training and demonstrate in-depth knowledge to assist organizations applying for NCQA PCMH Recognition, said NCQA President Margaret E. O Kane. November 16, 2018 Page 4

5 Performance Improvement Award Winners Employees from throughout North Mississippi Health Services convened in Tupelo Friday for the annual Leadership Development Institute Safety Summit, Scaling New Heights in Patient Safety. The event featured several concurrent sessions as well as poster presentations on performance improvement projects throughout the organization. Safety Summit concluded with the Impact Award and People s Choice Award for performance improvement. 6 South received the People's Choice award for their work in pressure ulcer prevention. North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton received the 2018 Impact Award for their work in reducing patient falls. Thankful Tree NMMC s Employee Health Department recently created a Thankful Tree. Hospital employees are encouraged to add to the tree things for which they are thankful this holiday season. The Employee Health staff includes (from left) Brittany Tubbs, Ann Murphy, Janet Nicholson, Faith Simmons, Millie Vinson, Kathy Ford and Sue Clark. November 16, 2018 Page 5