Health Managers Help Bridge the Gap

Transcription

1 August 11, 2017 Volume 27 Number 19 Conaway Retires...2 West Point EOQ...3 Neurosurgical Services...3 Baby Fair...3 Godwin Retires...4 Service Awards...5 inside A PUBLICATION FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES CHECKUP What connected feels like Health Managers Help Bridge the Gap Charmain Bridges is a nurse who helps take care of patients, but when it came to taking care of her own health problems, she needed help. Bridges, an LPN at IMA- Tupelo, has battled diabetes for about 10 years, and her A1C was not where it should be. In addition, she has fibromyalgia and other issues she was having Charmain Bridges (left) and Kim Bagwell trouble managing. suggestions and ways to stay motivated. I printed it out and have it on my With the help of health management nurse Kim Bagwell, RN, Bridges has desk so I can keep it in front of me all made major health improvements the time. She goes above and including an A1C drop of three points beyond. in three months. Not only do health managers help NMMC s health managers connect patients transition from an acute or with patients by phone, in person or rehab hospital stay back to home, but via the web to help them make the they also help individuals manage best decisions about their health. high blood pressure, diabetes, heart She has helped me be more compliant and helps me communicate more many other chronic health condi- failure, chronic lung disease and effectively with my doctor, Bridges tions. The program s RNs and LPNs said. I can spend more time talking help people monitor the condition, in-depth with her. She follows recognize signs that the condition through with me and won t let me may be worsening, understand the slide, which is what I need. benefits of diet and exercise, adhere One question Bridges had for to prescriptions and know when to Bagwell was how to not give up when contact a provider. it became difficult to make healthy For more information, call (662) choices. She sent me an with or (662)

2 Conaway Retires After 37 Years Judy Conaway, Microbiology lead technologist in the Pathology Department, recently retired after 37 years at North Mississippi Medical Center. After high school, Conaway was looking for a career and came across information about medical technology. I wasn t sure what my major would be when I started college, Conaway said. But I came across med tech and it sounded so interesting so I moved to that. It has been a wonderful 37 years; it really has, Conaway said. I couldn t imagine doing anything else. I ve had some wonderful people to work with. That s been the best part of the whole thing. Conaway graduated from high school in Ecru and attended Itawamba Community College and Mississippi State University. She completed work on her bachelor s degree and then went through NMMC s Medical Technologist training. She began working at NMMC in Conaway said technology has sped up the time it takes to do many tasks in the lab but a lot of the work still requires a human touch. It has been remarkable the things that have happened in the lab over the years. We can do a lot more in the same amount of time. But microbiology is still a lot of hands-on work, she said. Some of the IDs are still manually done. And we can get the results out quicker as compared to before. Conaway continues to reside in Ecru and her family includes her sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Charles Petty. Conaway has a clear idea about the start of her post-retirement plans. I d like to take a while and not do anything, she said. Just not set my alarm and relax. Take it easy for a while. After that, she said she d like to travel the country visiting friends and read. Judy Conaway (center) was honored by her Pathology Department coworkers with a retirement reception celebrating her 37 years at NMMC. August 11, 2017 Page 2

3 Honors Glover as EOQ Marquita Vaughn Glover has been selected as the most recent Employee of the Quarter at North Mississippi Medical Center-West Point. Glover works in the hospital s Outpatient Admissions area and joined the staff in She graduated from Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Mo., in 2002 and attended Florissant Valley Community College, also in St. Louis. She worked as a pharmacy technician for 11 years before moving to Mississippi. The best part of my job is getting to know my patients. Sometimes they are going through so much and they just need someone to listen to them. Sometimes they just need a little encouragement. Sometimes they may just want you to say a little prayer for them, she said. I also enjoy my coworkers they are like my second family. Moving to a new place was hard for me at first, but they all welcomed me with open arms. I have established many friendships since I have become a member of the staff here. She is married to Alexander Glover and has two children, Jaylen Boothe and Javon Randle. Her parents are Charles and Hattie Vaughn. She is a member of The Church House of Refuge in West Point. Neurosurgical Services Welcomes New Provider North Mississippi Neurosurgical Services welcomes Lori Forrester, board-certified nurse practitioner. Forrester received her associate degree in nursing from Bevill State Community College in Hamilton, Ala., and her bachelor s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. She completed her master s degree in nursing and nurse practitioner training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is certified by the National Institutes of Health in clinical stroke assessment. North Mississippi Neurosurgical Services is located in Longtown Medical Park, 4381 S. Eason Blvd., Tupelo. For more information or to make an appointment, call (662) or THE DESK ( ). NMMC Women s Hospital to Host Baby Fair North Mississippi Medical Center Women s Hospital will host a Baby Fair from 9 a.m.- noon Saturday, Aug. 26, for new and expectant parents. The free event will be held at the NMMC Women s Hospital, 4566 S. Eason Blvd. Participants can browse the selection of baby clothing, photos, gifts, toys and keepsakes from local merchants. Drawings will be held for several prizes. NMMC s Baby Fair will provide information about Wonderful Beginnings early pregnancy, prepared childbirth, Lamaze, Cesarean birth, breastfeeding, sibling and grandparenting classes. Lactation consultants and breastfeeding educators will also be on hand. Infant/toddler CPR, first aid and Caring for Your Newborn sessions will be offered throughout the event. Expectant parents can get pre-admitted during the Baby Fair, and tour the labor and delivery area. For more information about Baby Fair, call (662) or THE DESK ( ). Page 3 August 11, 2017

4 Godwin Retires from Carlie Godwin, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at North Mississippi Medical Center- West Point, has retired after 30 years of service to the local hospital. A native of the Mobile, Ala., area, Godwin attended the University of South Alabama briefly after high school before joining the U.S. Army. He served as a clinical specialist at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. His favorite assignment was providing medical care for a battalion in Germany for two years. After his military discharge, Godwin earned his bachelor s degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He then completed CRNA training at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan. He joined the staff of Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville in September 1981 and, after several years, began providing some anesthesia services at Ivy Memorial Hospital (the predecessor of NMMC-West Point) while working alongside orthopedic surgeon John Gassaway, M.D. After much convincing, Godwin went to work full-time for the West Point hospital on March 23, Carlie is the consummate professional and simply an overall exceptional example of a great servant leader within our hospital, said Barry Keel, administrator. I can t recall ever having a more dedicated and professional leader of an anesthesia department in my 28 years in the hospital industry. He has been the Surgical Services staff members congratulate Carlie Godwin during a retirement reception in his honor July 31. nucleus of our anesthesia department at NMMC- West Point for over 30 years. No one has earned the right to retire at this point in their career more than Carlie. Over his 30-year career, Godwin has witnessed many changes. In the profession of anesthesia, big changes have taken place in monitoring and medication, he said. Anesthesia delivery systems are a lot safer than they used to be. Godwin said the focus on patient- and familycentered care has been a major shift in health care in general. After retiring Aug. 1, Godwin plans to spend much of his time doting on his family. He and his wife of 28 years, Cathy, have four daughters Melissa Leighan Godwin of Huntsville, Ala.; Lindsey Lane Burkhalter of Starkville; Candice Renee Brown of Fairhope, Ala.; and Erin Morgan McElroy of Birmingham, Ala. and nine grandchildren. Besides following his grandchildren s sporting events, his plans include traveling, watching football and tackling his honey-do list. I am really going to miss the people that I work with and the people that I serve, he said. August 11, 2017 Page 4

5 Service Awards The following named employees recently received service pins in recognition of service milestones. Five Years Kellie Grove, Angela Hill, Andrea Pounds, Kelsey Reed, Amber Griffin, Amanda Simpson, Alexandra Griffin, Katelynn Brown, Kelly Raistrick, Kaila Harris, Tiffany Kitchens, Kayla Gentry, Lawana Harris, Brittany Stewart, Michelle Duncan, Angie Parrish, Deborah McGhie, Shrea Walker, Susan Lansdell, Lori Kimbrough, Mallori Rush, Amber McCarty, Amy Phipps, Matthew Ivey, Paige Nabors, Audrea Mitchell, Amelia Brown, Macey Murphy, Steven Powell, Megan Williams, Precious Montgomery, Kimberly Chase, Chasity Hastert, Cheryl Reeves, Ross Koehn, Tacy Merchant, Kelli Plunk, Britney Carter, Ashley Deweese, Devin Fancher, Michael Hill, Mary Yates, Chelsea Wells, Karyn Causton, Daniel Chase, Laura Kelleway, Virginia Schulman, Elizabeth Lewis, Lillian Broome, Lydia Freeman, Katie Spencer, Christopher Miller, Timothy Albers Ten Years Elizabeth Bauer, Larry Jones, Christal Sullivan, Jill Clifton, Elizabeth Matthews, Dana Hammitte, Cynthia Brigman, Adrian Ware, Janice Towles-Smith, Tressia Mize, Renita Ware, Patricia Rea, Lauren Carter, Demetress Watkins, Michael Lewis, Michael Gipson NMMC-Iuka Jessica Parson, Carla Plaxico Clinics Brenda Rhudy, Rachel Fisher Fifteen Years Peggy Givhan, Rita Hill, Geneva Griffin, Cynthia Tucker, Tanya Underwood, Jamie Green, Jerri Cutlip, Wendy Burns, Crystal Dallas, Kathleen Goree, Danyelle Robertson, Patricia Finney, Shanda Wood Veronica Young NMMC-Iuka Elizabeth Woodruff, Karen Barnes NMMC-Pontotoc Carolyn Floyd Clinics Pamela Davis Twenty Years Mary Friar, Regina Beyer, Sharon Birmingham, Sheila Oliver, Julie Word, Liboria Henry, Crystal Holcomb, Cathy Howell, Ginger Green, Debbie Ballard, Crystal George, Sherrie Upton, Lisa Hodge, Leslie White, Sheila Linhoss, Dawn Kay NMMC-Pontotoc Sandra Heatherly Twenty-Five Years Helena Clark, Teresa Gordon, Julie Willard, Peggy Stanley Michele Rowe Thirty Years Melanie Stevens, Deborah Roebuck, Lyndon Perkins Thirty-Five Years Connie Robbins Forty Years Lisa Nichols Robert Huffman Page 5 August 11, 2017