arkansas medical news sept/oct 2015

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December 2009 >> $5 Mayshan Ghiassi, MD Mahan Ghiassi, MD PAGE 2 PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FRANKLIN, TN PERMIT NO.357 ONLINE: ARKANSAS MEDICALNEWS. COM PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER September/October 2015 >> $5 FOCUS TOPIC NEUROLOGY REIMBURSEMENT SENIOR HEALTH Increase in Dementia Means More Research Desperately Needed Research Funding Called a National Imperative (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) BY BECKY GILLETTE JONESBORO—St. Bernards Medi- cal Center is both a medical and economic mecca in Northeast Arkansas. The 438- bed hospital that serves a 23-county area in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Mis- souri that has a population of 645,000 is the largest employer in Craighead County employing about 3,000. Under the leadership of President & CEO Chris Barber, the medical center has developed innovative new programs and services including a new 54,000-square-foot health and wellness center, a new Level II assisted living facility which includes a sepa- rate and secure Memory Care Center for caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. St. Bernards – initially founded by Olivetan Benediction Sisters in 1900 – has HealthcareLeader Finding Joy on the Leading Edge of Patient Service Chris Barber, President & CEO, St. Bernards Healthcare ON ROUNDS Work Proceeding To Reopen Crittenden Regional Hospital Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Sales Tax Funding Plans are proceeding by Ameris Health of Nashville to reopen the Crittenden Regional Hospital in West Memphis that had about 500 employees when it closed in September 2014 citing challenges with a struggling economy, declines in patient volume and reimbursement, physician departures and two fires, including one that closed the facility for six weeks ... 3 Faith In Action Provides Free Non-Medical Services to Elders FAYETTEVILLE – Sometimes just a little bit of help can make a huge difference in the lives of people over age 60 who can no longer drive. A ride to the doctor. A trip to the grocery store. Delivery of a prescription. Or just a visit from someone who reaffirms the worth of a senior by being willing to spend some time visiting. ... 5 BY BECKY GILLETTE An international study published in the Surgi- cal Neurology International Journal in August concludes that people are developing dementia ten years ear- lier than just two decades ago. Colin Pritchard from Bournemouth University, who led the study, said the problem is particularly acute in the U.S. where dementia-related deaths in women more than age 75 have increased more than fivefold, while deaths in men in that age group nearly tripled. The study found that between 1989 and 2010 in the 21 Western countries studied, not only were far more people being diagnosed with and dying of dementia, it was being diagnosed at earlier ages with early-onset dementia hitting people in their late 40s. The study postulates that the increase is due to pollution. “A relationship between environmental pollutants (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) Sue T. Griffin, Ph.D., nationally recognized for breakthrough discoveries about Alzheimer’s disease, is shown discussing Alzheimer’s research taking place at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging with other researchers and students. We’re excited to unveil our brand new online format designed to bring the news you use to your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Keep your finger on the pulse of Arkansas’ healthcare industry at ArkansasMedicalNews.com PUTTING THE NEW IN MEDICAL NEWS

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Page 1: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 1

December 2009 >> $5

Mayshan Ghiassi, MDMahan Ghiassi, MD

PAGE 2PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

PRSRT STDU.S.POSTAGE

PAIDFRANKLIN, TN

PERMIT NO.357

ONLINE:ARKANSASMEDICALNEWS.COM

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

September/October 2015 >> $5

FOCUS TOPIC NEUROLOGY REIMBURSEMENT SENIOR HEALTH

Increase in Dementia Means More Research Desperately NeededResearch Funding Called a National Imperative

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)

By BECKy GILLETTE

JONESBORO—St. Bernards Medi-cal Center is both a medical and economic mecca in Northeast Arkansas. The 438-bed hospital that serves a 23-county area in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Mis-souri that has a population of 645,000 is the largest employer in Craighead County employing about 3,000.

Under the leadership of President &

CEO Chris Barber, the medical center has developed innovative new programs and services including a new 54,000-square-foot health and wellness center, a new Level II assisted living facility which includes a sepa-rate and secure Memory Care Center for caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

St. Bernards – initially founded by Olivetan Benediction Sisters in 1900 – has

HealthcareLeaderFinding Joy on the Leading Edge of Patient Service Chris Barber, President & CEO, St. Bernards Healthcare

ON ROUNDS

Work Proceeding To Reopen Crittenden Regional HospitalVoters Overwhelmingly Approve Sales Tax FundingPlans are proceeding by Ameris Health of Nashville to reopen the Crittenden Regional Hospital in West Memphis that had about 500 employees when it closed in September 2014 citing challenges with a struggling economy, declines in patient volume and reimbursement, physician departures and two fires, including one that closed the facility for six weeks ... 3

Faith In Action Provides Free Non-Medical Services to EldersFAYETTEVILLE – Sometimes just a little bit of help can make a huge difference in the lives of people over age 60 who can no longer drive. A ride to the doctor. A trip to the grocery store. Delivery of a prescription. Or just a visit from someone who reaffirms the worth of a senior by being willing to spend some time visiting. ... 5

By BECKy GILLETTE

An international study published in the Surgi-cal Neurology International Journal in August concludes that people are developing dementia ten years ear-lier than just two decades ago. Colin Pritchard from Bournemouth University, who led the study, said the problem is particularly acute in the U.S. where dementia-related deaths in women more than age 75 have increased more than fivefold, while deaths in men in that age group nearly tripled.

The study found that between 1989 and 2010 in the 21 Western countries studied, not only were far more people being diagnosed with and dying of dementia, it was being diagnosed at earlier ages with early-onset dementia hitting people in their late 40s.

The study postulates that the increase is due to pollution.

“A relationship between environmental pollutants

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

Sue T. Griffin, Ph.D., nationally recognized for breakthrough discoveries about Alzheimer’s disease, is shown discussing Alzheimer’s research taking place at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging with other researchers and students.

We’re excited to unveil our brand new online format designed to bring the news you use to your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Keep your finger on the pulse of Arkansas’ healthcare industry at ArkansasMedicalNews.com

PUTTING THE

NEWIN MEDICAL NEWS

Page 2: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

2 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

Ghiassi Brothers Bring NWA Access to Advanced Stroke Care

By BECKy GILLETTE

FAYETTEVILLE—In just the past year, minimally invasive endovascular neu-rosurgery for strokes and other cerebrovas-cular conditions has become the preferred standard of care. When treated in a timely manner, patients paralyzed on one side and\or unable to speak are often able to walk and talk within an hour. That is ac-complished by using radiological imaging to guide a tiny catheter from an artery in the groin to the site to be treated. Clots can be removed without the risks and recovery time associated with open surgery.

Arkansas has the highest death rate from strokes of any state in the country. Mayshan Ghiassi, MD, and Mahan Ghi-assi, MD, are two of only about 100 sur-geons in the U.S. who are dual trained in both minimally invasive endovascular neu-rosurgery as well as conventional neurosur-gery. When deciding where to practice after completing their residencies, they decided to come to Washington Regional because of the great need.

“The fact that the state is number one in stroke morbidity was a huge draw,” Mahan Ghiassi said. “We felt we could

have more impact here than anywhere else in the country because Northwest Arkansas (NWA) was underserved. The change to-ward endovascular neurosurgery becoming

the standard of care for strokes happened while we were going through our training, which was very exciting. NWA is a great location, not only because of the number of people who live in this area, but the sur-rounding population that has easy access to Washington Regional with air ambulance services.”

The brothers became co-directors of the Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Program at Washington Regional in Au-gust 2014.

“We are bringing a very new tech-nology and therapy that is minimally in-vasive resulting in less risks to the patients and faster recovery times,” Mayshan Ghiassi said. “It is an exceptional time to be involved in stroke care because of the dramatic improvements possible with endo-vascular neurosurgical techniques. Patients who previously might have been in a nurs-ing home the rest of their lives can instead recover quickly and have a normal life. Patients feel better and do better regarding long-term survival and functioning.”

The brothers said it is important for Ar-kansas physicians to know the intra-arterial /endovascular thrombectomy procedure gives acute ischemic stroke patients the option of the highest levels of care with-out the stress of traveling to Little Rock or Memphis. In addition to the benefits to the patient, the decreased costs to society from improved stroke care are tremendous. It is estimated that stroke care in Arkansas costs an estimated $300 million per year when taking into consideration direct care costs and indirect costs (i.e., loss of productivity and family leave). These new endovascu-lar stroke therapies will significantly reduce length of hospitalization, reduce need for secondary procedures associated with debili-tating strokes, decrease the proportion of se-vere disability after stroke and decrease loss of productivity of patients and their families.

“It makes sense not just medically to help someone live a normal life,” Mahan Ghiassi said. “But it also makes sense economically, something that insurance companies are recognizing. It is hard in medicine to find a new procedure like this that helps not just medically, but economi-cally.”

The men were also attracted to Wash-ington Regional because the hospital shared in their vision of bringing world-class stroke care to this underserved area of the coun-try, which meant collaborating to build new facilities at Washington Regional, including a hybrid operating room (OR) that can be used for either open cerebrovascular or minimally invasive endovascular neurosur-gery. If endovascular neurosurgery is used, but doesn’t completely clear up all the prob-lems, the patient can be turned from the end of the table for endovascular surgery to the other end of the table designed for open neurosurgery. That prevents the need for a patient to be transported from one OR to another.

“The center also provides longer care instead of a patient having to be transferred to a long-term care facility,” Mahan said. “Patient care is not fragmented.”

In their first year, the Ghiassi broth-ers have seen even more patients than ex-pected, especially stroke patients under the age of 40. While doing an interview for this article, they got a call and left to respond to a new 33-year-old female stroke patient. While it is difficult to know why there are so many young stroke patients in the state, they said it is probably linked to smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise, all of which can lead to high blood pressure that is less likely to be identified in younger patients.

Most of the endovascular surgeries require two neurosurgeons because of the delicate nature of the work. So the brothers work together almost every day. While they don’t read each other’s minds, they work well together.

“For the most part, I can pick up on what he is thinking,” Mahan said. “We are on the same page as far as the treatment processes.”

The Ghiassi brothers were born in Iran. The family, members of the Baha’i faith persecuted in the predominantly Mus-lim country, fled in 1985. They spent a year in a refugee camp in Pakistan before they were sponsored and brought to Nashville, Tenn., when Mahan was 5 and Mayshan was 7. That is where the family continued to live up until the brothers finished medi-cal school, residencies and fellowships at the Vanderbilt University Medical Cen-ter. Their parents relocated with their sons, their wives, and their grandchildren. Mahan has three children, and Mayshan has one with another expected soon. As for their hobbies, right now their off duty world revolves primarily around spending time with their family.

PhysicianSpotlight

Washington Regional neurosurgeons Mayshan Ghiassi, MD, (left) and his brother, Mahan Ghiassi, MD, are providing minimally invasive endovascular neurosurgery, the new preferred standard of care for strokes and other cerebrovascular conditions

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Page 3: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 3

By BECKy GILLETTE

Plans are proceeding by Ameris Health of Nashville to reopen the Critten-den Regional Hospital in West Memphis that had about 500 employees when it closed in September 2014 citing challenges with a struggling economy, declines in pa-tient volume and reimbursement, physician departures and two fires, including one that closed the facility for six weeks.

In July, voters approved a one percent sales tax to fund reopening of the hospital by a margin of nearly seven to one, with 2,846 in favor and 439 opposed. The tax set to go into effect in November for five years is expected to raise about $30 million.

“The longer the hospital was closed, the more it was missed,” said K. Robert Bauer, Jr., chairman and CEO, Ameris Acquisitions, LLC. “I wasn’t surprised, but I was impressed at the high percentage of residents who voted to approve a one per-cent sales tax to fund the hospital. There is no doubt a population that size—there are 50,000 people in that county--can support a hospital. When we had town hall meet-ings with people in the community prior to the vote, we heard again and again how

much they had missed the hospital.”Since the hospital closed, not only did

the county suffer a great loss of jobs and business activity, but most residents had to travel to Memphis, Tenn., Jonesboro or Forrest City for medical care.

Bauer said he couldn’t provide any de-tails yet of when the hospital might reopen, or the services it might provide. County of-ficials have said it might be smaller than the previous 140 beds.

“We are working with the county to figure the exact structure of how this is done, whether it’s non-profit or for profit, and how the facility can be re-established as a legal entity,” Bauer said. “Then we have funding issues, which include raising the working capital to re-open the facili-

ties. There are going to be a lot of expenses to get everyone recruited and trained. After you open, you don’t start collecting the money that day. You have to collect enough money to support yourselves dur-ing the startup issue.”

The old hospital is in bankruptcy, so whatever is done with the facility has to be approved by the bankruptcy judge. The re-opening can’t proceed until the county can provide a clean lease for the building.

“The bankruptcy can be dealt with,” Bauer said. “We have some ideas in mind that we think will work.”

Bauer said Ameris Health of Nashville is a good fit for taking over management of the Crittenden General Hospital.

“We have a good track record,” Bauer

said. “We have been around since 1992. Our principals have been in healthcare their entire careers. Our top three guys have more than 100 years of experience, collectively. And our focus has always been small, community, rural hospitals. We have reopened closed facilities in the past, two of which are still open. You don’t always succeed because of the challenges. But you give it your best shot.”

One thing that is expected to help is the large number of people in Crittenden County who signed up for the private op-tion Medicaid expansion in Arkansas. A major effort was made to get people signed up for health coverage prior to the hospital closing.

Paul Cunningham, senior vice presi-dent, Arkansas Hospital Association, said in addition to enhancing the health and well-being of the communities it served, Crittenden Regional Hospital also contrib-uted significantly to the area’s economic health. In 2010, the estimated total annual economic impact was nearly $100 million.

Those figures included nearly $24 mil-lion on goods and services and $29 million in salaries.

Work Proceeding To Reopen Crittenden Regional HospitalVoters Overwhelmingly Approve Sales Tax Funding

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)

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MGMA Releases Latest Provider Compensation Data

By CINDy SANDERS

In late July, the Medical Group Man-agement Association (MGMA) released fi ndings from the 2015 Provider Compen-sation Survey Report, an annual analysis of compensation and productivity data illustrating market characteristics across specialties and organizational settings.

“MGMA has been collecting data on medical group management since 1926,” noted Todd B. Evenson, chief operating offi cer of the national organization for healthcare administration and medical practice management. “For the last 25 years, we’ve also been specializing in the space of physician com-pensation and non-phy-sician compensation.”

Based on 2014 data, this year’s survey found physicians reported sal-ary increases over the past year with primary care physician increases outpacing those of spe-cialists (3.56 percent increase vs. 2.39 per-cent, respectively). Specialists, however, still report a higher median compensation at $411,852 compared to a median com-pensation of $241,273 for primary care physicians.

The 2015 benchmarking report in-cluded information on nearly 70,000 providers across the United States. In addition to geographic diversity, Even-

son said the data was rep-resentative of both large and small practices, vari-ous ownership structures including hospital-based providers, and more than 170 specialties.

Evenson said the collected data is im-portant for a num-ber of reasons, not the least of which is that physicians are being re-cruited on a na-tional level. To remain competi-tive, he noted, it’s important to look at the compensation methodolo-gies being used by colleagues in various parts of the country.

While primary care physicians enjoyed a 3.5 percent increase in median compen-sation between 2013 and 2014, the fi gures are even more interesting when taking a slightly longer view. Evenson noted physi-cians in this space have seen a 9.2 percent increase in compensation since 2012.

“Will primary care physicians be com-pensated at the same levels as specialists? Not likely,” Evenson said. However, he continued, “They will continue to play an integral role as care models evolve. Primary care physicians are truly the lynchpin of the new practice model as we move from fee-for-service to fee-for-value.”

Evenson added, “There’s a particular de-

mand for pri-m a r y c a r e

physicians … both because they

are the backbone of the referral system

and key to a value-based system.”

T h e l a t e s t MGMA survey also

showed a continu-ing shift towards newer

models of care. “Histori-cally, it was normal to see

100 percent of compensa-tion plans be productivity

based,” explained Evenson. “ I n 2012, 50 percent of respon-dents said they were on a 100 percent productivity based compensation plan. In 2013, it was 39 percent; and actually this year, it was 25 percent of respondents.” As he noted, that’s a 25 percent decline in that metric over the past three years.

Evenson said the current data high-lights the gradual shift toward rewarding practitioners for improved operational ef-fi ciencies, enhanced quality and access to care. While the direct link to quality is still relatively small, it is growing. Just a few years ago, only 3.4 percent of physician compensation was tied to quality metrics. “Now we’re seeing as high as 10 or 11 percent,” he said. “That value over vol-

ume concept that physicians seem to be embracing is really beginning to pay off for them.”

He added, “The behaviors they are trying to promote are tied to that triple aim (of healthcare) … reducing the per capita cost of healthcare, improving the health of populations, and improving the patient experience of care.”

Evenson said those in the behavioral health sector are also seeing improved compensation as their work complements that of primary care providers in manag-ing a population’s health.

The industry is really recognizing a need to look to behavioral health services to better deliver quality care. The likeli-hood that someone dealing with a chronic health condition is also dealing with a behavioral health issue is high,” Evenson pointed out.

Recognition of that link has been evident in the MGMA compensation sur-vey over the last few years. “Since 2009, there has been a 21.9 percent increase in compensation for psychiatrists. Now, their median compensation is $244,796,” Even-son said, noting that now puts psychiatrists roughly equivalent to their primary care counterparts.

Economic forces of supply and de-mand are another issue factoring into phy-sician compensation. A predicted shortage of physician providers in both primary and specialty care could fuel higher compensa-tion rates down the road. Referencing a March 2015 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Evenson noted the analysis projected a shortfall of between 46,000 and 90,000 physicians by 2025.

In addition to compensation fi gures, Evenson said MGMA’s annual report also collects information regarding total charges, collections, encounters, RVUs (relative value unit), productivity, benefi ts, demographics, organizational types, and regional differences all the way down to a state level.

He said drilling down in the data al-lows those in healthcare to dissect the in-formation in myriad ways, and added it’s critical to learn from one another to adopt best practices that address the triple aim.

“You can take these benchmarks and truly understand what opportunities you have for effi ciencies and for providing bet-ter care by understanding your colleagues’ activities in the industry,” Evenson con-cluded.

For more information on the 2015 Provider Compensation Survey Report, go online to mgma.com. Detailed data is available for purchase in two formats – electronically through MGMA DataD-ive™ or by ordering printed reports.

Compensation and the many other market forces impacting healthcare man-agement will be explored in depth at MG-MA’s annual conference scheduled for Oct. 11-14 in Nashville, Tenn.

Todd Evenson

son said the data was rep-resentative of both large and small practices, vari-ous ownership structures including hospital-based providers, and more than 170 specialties.

Evenson said the collected data is im-portant for a num-ber of reasons, not

tive, he noted, it’s important to look at the compensation methodolo-gies being used by colleagues in various

Evenson added, “There’s a particular de-

physicians … both because they

are the backbone of the referral system

and key to a value-based system.”

T h e l a t e s t MGMA survey also

showed a continu-ing shift towards newer

models of care. “Histori-cally, it was normal to see

100 percent of compensa-tion plans be productivity

based,” explained Evenson. “ I n 2012, 50 percent of respon-

Page 5: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 5

FAYETTEVILLE – Sometimes just a little bit of help can make a huge difference in the lives of people over age 60 who can no longer drive. A ride to the doctor. A trip to the grocery store. Delivery of a prescription. Or just a visit from someone who reaf-firms the worth of a senior by being willing to spend some time visiting.

“When seniors are unable to provide for their own transportation, they need a support system,” said Jaclyn Keeter, direc-tor of Development & Outreach Services, Washington Regional Medical Founda-tion. “A lot of times they don’t have family members who live locally, or who can take time off work to transport their parent to a doctor. When people can’t age the way they want to, being independent, they start los-ing themselves. They feel they have served their purpose and now are not important. Our Faith In Action volunteers help these elderly people stay independent. This is

making a significant difference in a very vulnerable population. We are designed to be that important piece of the pie so they can stay independent as long as possible.”

Washington Regional’s Faith in Ac-tion was founded in 1996 with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They started with a half-time position, and have now grown to include the equivalent of three full-time em-ployees, including two volunteer coordina-

tors, one in Benton County and one in Washington County.

“Our mission is to help se-niors 60 years and older once they can no longer drive,” Keeter said. “We have vol-unteers who provide free non-medical services to keep people independent and in their homes. It might be their home they have had for years, an apartment, assisted living, or a rehab facility. Often times, we start with a senior in one place and as they migrate to other living situations, we go with them.”

In 2014, they had 113 vol-unteers assisting 104 clients with services such as transportation to appointments (the appointments can be with any health-care provider, not just those affiliated with Washington Regional) and help with pro-curing food, supplies and medicine. Volun-teers are usually matched with a client who lives nearby. At times it might take a couple of volunteers to care for one client.

The services needed are increasing. “It is taking more volunteers to take

care of one client on aver-age than it has in recent years,” Keeter said. “The earlier age we take them in, the more independent they generally are. As we support them over time and they age, the need for help is greater. If they have Medicaid, sometimes they can get help in the home at no additional out-of-pocket cost. But there are countless seniors whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid. But they don’t have enough money to be able to pay for services.”

Currently there is a waiting list for peo-ple who need services. Keeter said if they attract more volunteers, they will be able to take care of more elders.

In July, members of the Faith in Action Advisory Board visited with clients. Lori Walker, advisory board vice-chair, said she was inspired by what she saw visiting one of the clients.

“It was really heartwarming to see how much the visit meant to her,” Walker said. “She had dressed up, cleaned up her apart-ment, and communicated how valuable the

ARKANSAS on the MEND BY BECKY GILLETTE

Faith In Action Provides Free Non-Medical Services to Elders

Volunteers with Faith In Action are shown above helping with yard work for a senior.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)

Jaclyn Keeter

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Page 6: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

6 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

managed to continue with its mission to provide healthcare to everyone regardless of ability to pay, while also seeing its net rev-enue climb. For example, it climbed about eight percent to $354.6 million for the fis-cal year that ended in 2013. Its mission is “to provide Christ-like healing to the com-munity through education, treatment and health services.”

“In the healthcare industry, this is a dynamic and exciting time in that we are experiencing rapid changes in the delivery and financing of care,” Barber said. “All the changes are stimulating. It is rewarding to be on the leading edge of not just how we deliver care to an individual, but also to the community that we live in regarding overall health. We continue to advance prevention and wellness activities, which are positive things. Our new wellness center provides not just exercise opportunities, but also coun-seling about weight loss, diabetes, chronic diseases, COPD and other illnesses. We are focused on how we can help people be healthier so they don’t need extensive medi-cal interventions.”

The medical center paid for the new wellness center out of profits from opera-tions.

“We have been very fortunate and privileged to serve as the trusted provider of healthcare throughout the region,” Barber said. “Our responsiveness to the mission, physician leadership and financial strength has allowed us to reinvest in the services to benefit the community. At the end of the day, it is still about providing good quality care to the individuals you serve. Recently we finished a 75-bed assisted living Level II living facility, which has 30 beds in a memory care unit. We have a free-standing 20-bed hospice facility, the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House. Then there is our 12-bed neonatal intensive care unit, so families don’t have to travel. That has been a wonderful gift the community made happen.”

Fifteen years ago St. Bernards began a big push to improve services for seniors.

“We have a very comprehensive ge-riatric medicine program where we work with the whole gamut of needs for the el-derly including transportation to get access to healthcare,” Barber said, “and good nu-trition and socialization to stimulate daily activity. We provide retirement living, and our memory center is unique to the area. We are very proud of the work the team has done, and it has been well received by the community.”

The longevity of many key employees is indicative that there is a steady hand at the helm.

“We have a lot of long tenure employ-ees throughout the organization,” Barber said. “Folks come and they stay. Our mission statement is more than just words on a page. It is a family, a community. We have been recognized for that. There is something spe-cial about our culture and environment, and St. Bernards is a great place to be. I think staying true to our core values has created the success we have had as an organization.”

Barber enjoyed playing sports growing up, and was influenced a lot by teachers, coaches, community leaders and members of his church. He learned to raise his hand when volunteers were being sought. He came to appreciate the importance of hard

work. And listening.“The first and foremost thing is listening

to your community about what is needed, and then reaching out to create those op-portunities,” Barber said. “We partner with community groups with similar values to try to benefit the entire region.

“The private option Medicaid expan-sion has been very important to all hospitals. It is working. We have experienced overall volume growth that has allowed us to hire new physicians, expand and provide new services. In addition, the private option may have prevented some hospitals in Arkansas from closing.”

Barber prefers to refer to opportunities rather than challenges regarding hospital management. “That is how we see it,” he said. “That is part of our attitude and out-look on things. We embrace the change and see a lot of opportunities out there.”

In the 23 years he has been at St. Ber-nards, there has always been a construction project going on. And staff has grown, as well. The medical center was successful in hiring 27 new physicians this year in what it refers to as its “Class of 2015.” More than 100 physicians have been recruited in just the past decade bringing the number of physicians affiliated with the hospital to nearly 300. Many stayed after finishing a UAMS family practice residency program at St. Bernards. Barber said when physicians come and see firsthand the good schools, low crime rate, the high quality of life and the state-of-the-art technology at their disposal, they often want to stay.

“A lot of people are surprised at the advanced level of care and technology we have,” Barber said. Our physicians are pro-gressive and focused on providing the best evidence-based medicine available. They are always looking for new cutting edge technology that will make a difference in our community. Not only that, but our phy-sicians give back to the community through things like the annual St. Bernards Medical Group Health & Fitness Expo which attracts about 15,000 people each year and provides pre-participation physicals to secondary school athletes in Craighead County. Every year we read about young athletes who die from sudden cardiac arrest. Because we pro-vide EKGs for athletes going into the ninth grade and higher, we have picked up 17 ath-letes over the last few years who went on to have procedures that likely saved their lives.”

In addition, he is pleased to see the new development of the New York Institute of Technology osteopathic medical school located on the Arkansas State University campus.

The medical center has one of the busi-est emergency rooms in the state with more than 61,000 visits per year. And it also has Fast Care\Urgent Care for those who need treatment without appointments on a non-emergency basis. In addition, the medical center works to make sure patients get quick test results instead of agonizing for days wor-rying about the outcomes through services like same-day mammogram results, three days from diagnosis to treatment options for those diagnosed with cancer and more.

In his available free time, Barber spends time with his wife, Michelle, and their three teenage boys who are involved in a variety of activities.

Finding Joy on the Leading Edge, continued from page 1

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a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 7

By BECKy GILLETTE

FAYETTEVILLE – Laurell Mat-thews, ND, former president, Arkansas Naturopathic Physicians Association, ad-vocates licensing of naturopathic doctors in Arkansas to help provide natural healthcare to patients while helping meet the critical need for primary care in the state.

“Licensing naturopathic physicians to practice in Arkansas could help eliminate the shortage of primary care doctors,” Mat-thews said.

Naturopathic physicians are licensed in 18 states. Matthews said these natural med-icine practitioners earn degrees at accred-ited, four-year universities, and often serve as primary care providers in rural commu-nities where doctors are needed most.

“They give shots, prescribe pharmaceu-ticals, order lab tests, and work hand in hand with MD colleagues to help patients,” she said. “In fact, naturopathic doctors already work in Northwest Arkansas. Unfortunately, our practice is limited by lack of legal protec-tions given through state licensure. Changing state law to license naturopathic medicine is guaranteed to draw more naturopathic doctors to Arkansas, which would increase healthcare options for all Arkansans.”

Matthews said people in Arkansas are increasingly looking for alternatives beyond conventional medicine. “The Arkansas Na-turopathic Physicians Association encour-ages state lawmakers to help foster a healthy future by allowing naturopathic doctors to serve Arkansas,” she said.

However, that is opposed by the Ar-kansas Medical Society (AMS), said David Wroten, AMS vice president.

“They are not ‘medical’ or ‘health-care’ providers and licensing would give the appearance that they are,” Wroten said. “They cannot replace primary care physi-cians or take their place. This is not meant as a knock on homeopathic remedies. They have their place in the arsenal of treatments used by medical and residency trained phy-sicians. But the education and training to diagnose the cause of a patient’s illness and then to know how and with what to treat should be the prerequisite for licensure.”

Mamie C. Burruss, ND, Little Rock Natural Medicine, fi nds it ironic that Ar-kansas is The Natural State, yet the state doesn’t license naturo-pathic doctors who focus on natural healing meth-ods.

“Individuals who graduated from an ac-credited naturopathic medical school and passed all licensing board exami-nations should be recog-nized as healthcare professionals by the State of Arkansas,” Burruss said. “Preven-tion is the best medicine, and naturopathic doctors are armed with many tools to pro-

mote health and prevent chronic diseases. Rising healthcare costs are such a bur-

den to our nation, but so much of it could be prevented. Naturopathic doctors could more fully support nationwide preventive healthcare efforts with licensure that actu-ally recognizes the full scope of our training and skills.”

Burruss said when she decided to offer naturopathic consultations in Arkansas, she didn’t realize how hungry people are for this kind of knowledge, guidance and care.

“Despite advances in modern health-care, we are getting sicker as a nation,” Bur-russ said. “Cancer is on the rise. Chronic disease and autoimmune disorders are com-monplace. Our children are obese and de-veloping type II diabetes at alarming rates. For the fi rst time, we have a generation of children who may not outlive their parents. What we are doing is not working.”

Burruss said people are looking for a holistic approach that focuses on address-ing the root cause of their health concerns

through natural remedies and therapies. “They want to feel listened to, and

they want to be educated and empowered so they can regain control of their health,” she said. “They are looking for another approach besides pharmaceuticals, which often have undesirable side effects.”

Most clients she sees have been dealing with health concerns for many years. “In my experience, the positive impact that diet, exercise and natural remedies can have on health is unparalleled,” Burruss said.

Both Matthews and Burruss spend a large amount of time with new patients, 90 minutes. That kind of attention alone to what can be complex medical issues is reas-suring to many people.

Matthews, who received her degree from Bastry University in Seattle, Wash., said naturopathic doctors complete a four-year program designed to be similar to four-year medical school where they learn how the body function, how it fails when there have disease, and how to diagnose those dis-eases. Naturopathic medical students spend more time that MDs learning about herbal remedies, nutrition, lifestyle, homeopathic remedies, and dietary supplements--all the natural options.

“But we also spend time studying phar-maceutical drugs because many patients will be reliant on them,” said Matthews.

Sometimes Matthews sees patients who want to get off prescription medicines such as addictive anxiety drugs or anti-depres-sants that are having negative side effects. She tries to work with them to fi nd natural remedies that may include lifestyle and diet changes, in addition to supplements.

Matthews asks patients to bring in all the supplements they are taking.

“I defi nitely know what it is like to be

confused as a consumer,” Matthews said. “That confusion years ago is what made me want to get my current degree so I would have a strong scientifi c foundation for my opinions. There is a lot of information out there, but some is contradictory. You often don’t even know if the product you are taking has what it says is in there. There are not al-ways studies to rely upon with herbal supple-ments like there are with prescription drugs.”

She suggest looking for the seal GMP, which stands for General Manufacturing Principles. But some high quality companies don’t put GMP on their product.

Some products need more care than others. For example, Vitamin C is inexpen-sive and stable, but fi sh oil is susceptible to going rancid.

“The harder it is for there to be a qual-ity product, the pickier I get when it comes to these things,” Matthews said. “If a fi sh oil supplement has an unpleasant taste and causes you to burb, it might be a sign that it is rancid. I actually taste it. I chew into the capsule, and if it is bitter or excessively fi shy, I reject it.”

Naturopathic Doctors Advocate Licensure in ArkansasArkansas is The Natural State, so why not license naturopathic doctors?

Mamie C. Burruss

Go online to

American Association of Naturopathic Medicine, http://www.naturopathic.org/

Dr. Laurell Matthews, the Natural Nerd, http://drlaurell.com/

Little Rock Naturopathic Medicine Arkansas Licensure Advocated, http://www.littlerocknaturalmedicine.com/arkansas-licensure.html.

Naturopathic Medicine, http://

Laurell Matthews

Page 8: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

8 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

and dementia has been suggested in a few other studies and certainly warrants both basic research studies to determine the responsible mechanism(s), as well as clinical and epidemiological studies to determine both patient and societal impacts,” said W. Sue T. Griffi n, PhD, vice chairman of research, Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). “Such fi ndings as those reported by Pritchard’s group, together with studies tying increases in obesity and type II diabetes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, would have both societal and economical import for our country.”

The Alzheimer’s Association predicts costs for Alzheimer’s care will expand six fold from $172 billion at present to more than $1.08 trillion per year in 2050.

“The cost of paying for Alzheimer’s care, lost productivity of family care giv-ers, lost tax revenue from people leaving work to care for Alzheimer’s patients, and the whole raft of cost associated with nurs-ing homes is comparable to the cost of recent war activities,” Griffi n said. “If we don’t fi nd a way to prevent it, Alzheimer’s disease is what is going to break the bank in the U.S.”

Even though Alzheimer’s is the most expensive condition regarding cost of care, there is inadequate funding for Alzheim-er’s research.

“Money is being taken away from re-search, may be due to the fact that people

no longer see the importance of scientifi c research,” Griffi n said. “We need to be fi nding some preventatives for this disease. We are working hard every day in our lab to devise compounds that will help. All over the country, scientists are trying to do this. The problem is that research funds for Al-zheimer’s disease are so small, especially compared to other diseases that are less costly. I would really like to get the mes-sage out about what Alzheimer’s is doing not just to our people, but to our country’s economy. It is devastating our budget.”

Griffi n published a landmark study in 1989 showing that trauma by Alzheimer’s disease to the neurons can provoke an out-of-control immune response where neurons traumatized by the disease direct the release of interleukin-1 (IL-1), a small signaling molecule, or cytokine. IL-1 has been identifi ed as a driving factor in Al-zheimer’s disease, which ultimately lead-ing to the formation of plaques made of beta-amyloid lying outside the neurons and tangles of a small protein called tau inside of neurons. Both of these lead to the dysfunction and loss of neurons.

“The brain has no way to get rid of these plaques and tangles,” Griffi n said. “So you end up with tangles inside the neurons. There is no evidence that getting rid of the plaques or the tangles has ben-efi ts in improving brain cognitive function. So, really, the whole thing in Alzheimer’s research is going to be about prevention because you don’t want to be in stage one or two where you can’t be in charge of yourself, hop in the car to get groceries, or fi x Thanksgiving dinner.”

Right now with a cure so elusive, Griffi n said keeping the infl ammatory index just right in the brain is critical.

“Of course, keeping this infl ammatory index just right in the body is important for other conditions such as infl ammatory bowel disease, heart disease, and strokes, which are themselves risk factors for Al-zheimer’s disease,” said Griffi n, who is editor-in-chief of the internationally rec-ognized, peer-reviewed, online scientifi c journal, Journal of Neuroinfl ammation.

A large study conducted by the Vet-erans Administration showed that people who took the anti-infl ammatory drugs ibuprofen or naproxen had a signifi cantly lower risk of being in the Alzheimer’s group after fi ve years.

“It is amazing,” she said. “They found out that if you had been taking ibuprofen for fi ve years for things like pain or arthri-tis, your chances of getting Alzheimer’s was decreased almost 50 percent.”

For a variety of reasons, unlike baby aspirin for heart disease, it has not become the standard for physicians to recommend ibuprofen as a preventive for Alzheimer’s.

Griffi n advocates more being done to prevent head injuries.

“Head injury is an important risk factor for development of Alzheimer’s disease, so we also need to stop sending

people into harm’s way, for example in wars with exposure to blast injuries, or in high impact sports,” Griffi n said. “They might not have external injury you can see, but the brain’s nerve cells may have taken a real beating. Stop putting kids in harm’s way. The prospect for stopping war doesn’t seem very good, but the way kids do sports could be modifi ed. I love sports. Kids should be playing. It is good exercise. But they shouldn’t be trained as if all will be in the Olympics and they should not be exposing their head to mul-tiple traumas like you can see in practice sessions for soccer or football.”

A factor that increases the risk for far more people than head injury is obesity. Griffi n is alarmed by the trend towards increasing childhood obesity. Much more needs to be done to encourage healthy eat-ing habits and exercise starting in child-hood.

One of the biggest risk factors for Al-zheimer’s disease is Type II diabetes. One in three adults in Arkansas is obese, and Type II diabetes has reached epidemic levels in Arkansas.

“It used to be okay to eat Southern cooking like people did in the past because they also did a lot of physical labor,” Grif-fi n said. “But now the lack of exercise makes that kind of diet a killer. We must have some way to keep an account so that we don’t gain weight. There just seems to be too much food around everyone all the time, and there is a failure to recognize what is happening.”

Griffi n said extreme type of diets are hard for people to stay on. Instead, she ad-vocates eating less.

“It would be better if people never ate anything they didn’t really want,” she said. “Rather, you should eat what you really want so that you’ll be satisfi ed, and won’t try to get satisfaction by over-eating what you don’t really want. The problem is they make it so hard. Our society makes every-thing so tempting. It is right in front of you and mostly you can afford it.”

Glucose is the sugar that feeds neu-rons, and Griffi n agrees that Alzheimer’s involves a failure of glucose availability to neurons.

“If a neuron is doing well, it is not having problems taking in enough glucose to thrive,” she said. “If a neuron, because of the change in insulin receptors, releases downstream proteins, you can see this neuron is insulin resistant, meaning the neuron is deprived of glucose it needs, cre-ating further stress on the neuron.”

However, not all Alzheimer’s can be pegged to lifestyle choices.

“There are people who have lived their whole lives perfectly with a good diet and exercise, and they still get Alzheim-er’s,” she said. “That is the confounding part, highlighting the importance of re-search into genetic factors that increase risk for Alzheimer’s. This is a major focus in the Griffi n research group at UAMS.”

Increase in Dementia Means More Research, continued from page 1

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Page 9: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 9

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10 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

“Hospital payroll expenditures serve as an important economic stimulus, creating and supporting jobs throughout the local and state economies,” Cunningham said. “Dollars earned by Crittenden Regional Hospital employees and spent on grocer-ies, clothing, mortgage payments, rent, etc., generated approximately $53,343,000 in economic activity and created an addi-tional 350 jobs for the local economy.

In 2010, Crittenden Regional Hospital spent $1,562,000 on buildings and equip-ment.

Capital spending by Crittenden Re-gional Hospital generated approximately $2,875,000 for the local economy per year.

Cunningham said the high rate of ap-proval for passage of the tax increase shows that people in the community certainly val-ued their hospital.

Local tax support for hospitals is com-mon, particularly in rural areas where hos-pitals are often the biggest employer and largest contributor to the economy.

“Including the new vote, there 22 communities in the state who have voted over the years to provide local tax sup-port for their hospital,” Cunningham said. “There are a couple of exceptions where property taxes are used to subsidize the hospital, but typically they are funded through sales taxes. Most of these hospitals have common characteristics of being small and rural, usually under 100 beds and pos-sibly, in most cases, even under 50 beds.”

Crittenden County voters approved an earlier sales tax increase. Cunningham said if the sale tax increase approved by Crittenden County voters had kicked in sooner, it might have prevented the hospi-tal from closing down.

Work Proceeding, continued from page 3

Go online to

Ameris Health, www.amerishealth.com/

Arkansas Hospital Association, www.arkhospitals.org/

visit was to her. One of the fi rst things she did was read us a poem about what her vol-unteer means to her. For so many of them, the volunteer is their best friend. They also like that it is someone who is not being paid, who is doing it from their own free will. It was very meaningful for me to see this.”

Walker said she un-derstands from her per-sonal experience the challenges of families providing this type of care. Her grand-mother lives in assisted living in Fort Smith. But with a busy professional life, it is hard for Walker to drive 90 miles one way to take her grandmother to the doctor and then 90 miles back home.

“I can tell you from my grandmother’s perspective, it is diffi cult to not be able to run down the street and get groceries, a pre-scription or a card for a grandson’s birth-day,” Walker said. “And it goes beyond just fulfi lling needs for food and medicine. They want to feel valued and that they are a pri-ority to someone. Having someone volun-teer to meet basic needs helps self-esteem.”

Walker said research shows that elders who are depressed and don’t feel valued are at risk for suicide.

“Research indicates that population is more likely to take their lives,” Walker said. “One in four suicide attempts in that popu-lation will be successful because of a feeling of hopelessness, not belonging, and not feel-

ing valued.”When the advisory board met recently

with clients, the staff provided gift cards to a local store where items were purchased that the elder needs. Faith in Action also oper-ates the Healthy Food Pantry and provides one week of food and other supplies to low-income clients per month.

The group’s fundraiser is Savor the Flavor, a popular restaurant walking tour on Dickson St. in downtown Fayetteville where restaurants provide samples of their food. This year Savor the Flavor is sched-uled Sept. 8 in Fayetteville, and has been expanded to also be held in downtown Ben-tonville Thursday, Sept. 17. Tickets can be purchased for one or both events.

How can you help?• Volunteer by calling Faith in Action at 479-463-2113, or by sending an email to [email protected].

• Attend the annual Savor the Flavor food tasting events in September.

• Participate with civic groups who come out to do larger group projects such as yard and home upkeep. On Sept. 16, 80 people were expected to repaint the outside of an elder’s home and re-carpet her house.

Faith In Action, continued from page 5

Go online to

www.wregional.com/faithinactionwww.wregional.com/faithinaction

Lori Walker

Don’t Miss the

Big Event

Check the online calendar for healthcare happenings.

www.ArkansasMedicalNews.com

Page 11: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 11

ICD-10 rollout.

Physicians and other healthcare professionals who use these codes and have memorized their most frequently used ICD-9 codes will need become familiar with the expanded code set.

There are almost five times as many ICD-10 codes compared to ICD-9, and the format of ICD-10 codes is significantly different than ICD-9, with similar diagnoses having complete different codes. In addition, not all specialties receive equal weight — some specialties have a disproportionate number of new codes and rules. Regardless, this transition will be time-consuming for practitioners of any specialty.

The ICD-10 superbill template published by the American Academy of Family Practice is 9 pages in length. (ICD-9 was 2 pages). In addition to more codes, the mappings from one code set to another can also be more complicated with incomplete or non-reciprocal mappings.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association suggests that the specialties that will experience the most significant impact include obstetrics, psychiatry, and emergency medicine.

SOAPware is dedicated to making the transition as seamless as possible for you and your practice. It is our intent for the degree of inconvenience, as well as expense, of transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10 to be far less for SOAPware clients than what is becoming the norm in the industry. We are happy to conference with your ICD-10 Implementation Planning Committees. This is especially true for sites not yet using SOAPware who are facing unacceptable, added burdens for both clinicians and coders in order to achieve ICD-10 compliance. Consider that it may likely be far less costly to switch to SOAPware, than purchase and implement the ICD-10 upgrade paths offered by many other systems. Also, if you are an enterprise challenged with transitioning your outlying medical practices, we can discuss the options to bring in their ICD-10 codes from SOAPware into the enterprise billing system. This will likely save significant time, expense and frustration. This is likely to be far more practical than attempting to force use of the enterprise EHR system into them.

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Page 12: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

12 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

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White River Medical Center Participating in Perioperative Surgical Home Pilot Project

BATESVILLE - White River Medical Center is one of 40 hospitals in the United States, and the only community hospital voluntarily participating in a pilot project with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services called The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH). The program was developed through the collaboration of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Premiere Alliance and hospitals throughout the country. Rather than describing a place, the perioperative surgical home describes an innovative approach to surgical care that improves care coordinator, patient education, and hospital processes to im-prove health and reduce costs.

Under the leadership of co-directors, Chris Steel, M.D. and Jeff Angel, M.D., the WRMC PSH is achieving results and shar-ing best practices with other hospitals in the pilot group. Additionally, Matthew Hazel serves as the business manager of the program, and Gloria Vaughn, Christina Howard, Jacquelyn Wright and Lisa Crumley work with patients who are a part of the program. Administratively Gary Bebow, WRHS Chief Executive Officer; Tammy Gavin, Chief Clinical Officer; and Gary Paxson, Chief Quality Officer provide leadership and administrative support. As an organization, Ap-prove Home Medical Services, Inc., are training Health Coaches on Patient Education.

At WRMC, the project began with total knee replacement surgeries with ortho-paedic surgeons, J.D. Allen, M.D., Jeff Angel, M.D. and Dylan Carpenter, M. D. who enthusiastically supported the project.

The PSH is built around the concept that patients who accept an active role will experience a better result, and the standardization of clinical processes will improve efficiency and reduces cost. In the hospital, the PSH Team examines every part of the surgical process to develop protocols that standardize processes using evidence based best practices proven to improve patient care.

Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway Holds Topping-Out CeremonyCONWAY – Baptist Health held a topping-out ceremony in July on the 37-

acre site in Conway to mark the completion of the main steel structure for Bap-tist Health Medical Center-Conway. Baptist Health president and CEO Troy Wells, civic leaders, commu-nity members, local physicians, and Baptist Health employees celebrat-ed this milestone for the 111-bed hospital located on the west side of Interstate 40 in Conway.

Since construction began, the hospital has already increased in size to 264,000-square-foot and is now 111-beds after the expansion of the Women’s Center added labor and delivery. The medical center is still on track to open in the spring of 2016 with eight operating rooms and a Level III trauma-center emer-gency room.

Baptist Health collaborated with some 30 Conway-based phy-sicians to design and develop the new medical center.

Employees throughout the Baptist Health system as well as the community had an opportunity to personally sign their names on the beam that was used in the topping-out ceremony. Jamie Carter was the last person to sign the beam before it was put into place with large cranes.

The construction project has generated more than 250 jobs and currently Bap-tist is working to hire the 425 healthcare professionals and staff that will work in the Conway medical center.

The estimated cost of the entire project is now at $170 million. GSR Andrade is providing architectural design services and CDI is the General Contractor.

Page 13: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 13

Northwest Arkansas Neuroscience Institute at Washington Regional offers two physicians who have dual training in both neurological surgery and endovascular neurosurgery. Their skill and expertise in the emerging field of endovascular neurosurgery provides minimally invasive treatment options, performed in an innovative hybrid operating room, that are not available elsewhere in the Northwest Arkansas region.

Mayshan Ghiassi, MD – Endovascular, cerebrovascular, brain tumor and spine surgeryDr. Mayshan Ghiassi earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he also completed a residency in neurological surgery as well as a fellowship in endovascular neurosurgery. He received additional training with an Academy Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

Mahan Ghiassi, MD – Endovascular, cerebrovascular, brain tumor and spine surgeryDr. Mahan Ghiassi earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He also completed a residency in neurological surgery as well as a fellowship in endovascular neurosurgery from Vanderbilt.

3336 N. Futrall Dr. | Fayetteville, AR 72703 | 479.463.3000 | nwaneuro.com

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Baptist Memorial Hospital Announces New Assistant Administrator

JONESBORO - Melanie Edens, a tenured employee of 18 years, was re-cently announced as the new assistant administra-tor of NEA Baptist Memo-rial Hospital.

As an assistant ad-ministrator, Melanie will oversee radiology, phar-macy, physical therapy, re-spiratory therapy and radiation oncology.

Edens has been with NEA Baptist for 18 years – starting as a CT tech and then promoted to radiology coordinator fol-lowed by a promotion to radiology direc-tor. Among her many accomplishments include designing the radiology depart-ment, complete with 17 new radiology systems, on the new NEA Baptist medi-cal campus that opened in 2014.

In 2007 Melanie was awarded the Outstanding Young Executive by North-east Arkansas Business Today. In 2013 she was recognized as an Outstanding Alum from the Arkansas State University Col-lege of Nursing and Health Professions and in 2014, received the American Col-lege of Healthcare Executives Early Ca-reer Healthcare Executive (ACHE) Early Career award for Healthcare Executives. She is a graduate of Arkansas State Uni-versity and participates in several com-

munity and civic organizations, including the 2015 class of Leadership Jonesboro.

Melanie is active in the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Hos-pital Association, Relay for Life as well as Arkansas State University and church based activities. Melanie and her hus-band Matt reside in Jonesboro with their two children.

Conway Regional and CHI St. Vincent Announce Strategic Partnership

CONWAY – In August, the boards of directors of Conway Regional Health System (Conway Regional) and CHI St. Vincent announced that the two health systems signed an agreement whereby Conway Regional enters into a five-year management agreement with CHI St. Vincent. Under the agreement, effective August 17, each health system retains its name, governance and autonomy. This agreement comes after months of dis-cussions between the two organizations, the final phase of a process that began in late 2013 when Conway Regional’s board announced they were seeking a strategic affiliation partner to ensure that Conway Regional will be well positioned to con-tinue providing access to high quality health care services for Faulkner County and the north central Arkansas area.

As a result of these discussions, the two companies also announced the for-

mation of a new corporate entity called the Arkansas Health Alliance. Jim Lam-bert, President and CEO of Conway Regional, becomes President of the Ar-kansas Health Alliance effective August 17. The Alliance is the only organization of its kind in Arkansas designed to help independent community hospitals and health care systems lower their costs while achieving a level of clinical integra-tion and coordination of care to promote more accessible, higher quality and lower cost care for the communities served by Alliance members.

As part of the management agree-ment, Matt Troup, Vice President of Ancillary and Support Services for CHI St. Vincent, succeeds Lambert as CEO of Conway Regional. Troup has nearly twenty years’ experience serving in ad-ministrative leadership positions at large medical centers in very competitive mar-kets.

Commenting on the agreement, Barbara G. Williams, Chairman of the Conway Regional Board, said that their responsibility will always be the health and well-being of the residents of the five counties they have served since 1938. This partnership will provide the commu-nity with expanded services and special-ties while working to reduce health care costs.

Chad S. Aduddell, CEO of CHI St. Vincent, said that through this agree-

ment, they plan to work together to grow the health services provided in their com-munities. Their approach will be consum-er-focused and based on the value of ser-vices provided rather than the volume of care, as in the traditional fee-for-service method and that Conway Regional and CHI St. Vincent can lead the way for other health care systems in the state.

Amita Heaser, MD, Joins Cooper Clinic

FORT SMITH - Amita Heaser, MD, has joined Drs. Phil Agent, Mohsen Keyashian, Macon Land-ers, Sumer Phillips, Brent Reeves, and Becky Yarbor-ough of the Cooper Clinic Department of Internal Medicine. An Adult Medi-cine Specialist, Heaser completed her medical training at Rush University Medical Cen-ter in Chicago and practiced in that area for the past four years. She is Board Certi-fied in Internal Medicine and well trained to diagnose and treat conditions includ-ing diabetes, high blood pressure, and weight issues, while focusing on preven-tive health. Heaser’s practice is located in the main Cooper Clinic location in Fort Smith. New patients, including those with Medicare coverage, are now being accepted.

Melanie Edens

Dr. Amita Heaser

GrandRounds

Page 14: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

14 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

North Metro Medical Center Joins UAMS-Led Program to Provide Emergency Stroke Care

LITTLE ROCK – North Metro Medi-cal Center in Jacksonville has partnered with the University of Arkansas for Med-ical Sciences (UAMS) to provide life-sav-ing emergency care for stroke patients in the region.

Called AR SAVES (Arkansas Stroke Assistance through Virtual Emergency Support), the program uses a high-speed video communications system to help provide immediate, life-saving treat-ments to stroke patients 24 hours a day. The real-time video communication en-ables a stroke neurologist to evaluate whether emergency room physicians should use a powerful blood-clot dissolv-ing agent within the critical three-hour period following the first signs of stroke.

The AR SAVES program is a part-nership between the UAMS Center for Distance Health, the state Department of Human Services, North Metro Medi-cal Center and 47 other Arkansas hos-pitals.

Since the program began Nov. 1, 2008, more than 2,791 patients have received stroke consults through AR SAVES and 751 patients have received the blood-clot dissolving agent.

Forty-seven other Arkansas hospi-tals are participating in the AR SAVES program.

Hip and Knee Surgeon Simon C. Mears, Joins UAMS Orthopaedic

LITTLE ROCK — Hip and knee sur-geon Simon C. Mears, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci-ences (UAMS), and is see-ing patients at the UAMS Orthopaedic Clinic.

Mears is also a pro-fessor in the Depart-ment of Orthopaedics in the UAMS College of Medicine. He is a board-certified ortho-paedic surgeon with special interests in total hip and knee replacement, hip fracture care and geriatric orthopae-dics. Mears has won the prestigious Jahnigen Award in geriatric medicine.

He comes to UAMS from the Total Joint Center at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, Texas, where he served as clinical professor in the Department of Surgery at the Health Sciences Cen-ter in the Texas A&M University’s Col-lege of Medicine.

Mears earned his medical degree and Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medi-cine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a fellowship in orthopaedic traumatology at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the Mayo Clinic.

Family Physician Brings Experience to Spiro Clinic

FORT SMITH – Linda M. Rodri-guez, D.O., FAAFP, has joined Spiro Family Medical Clinic lo-cated on West Broadway. As a seasoned physician, she brings a wealth of ex-perience and knowledge to Sparks Health System.

Rodriguez has cared for patients in southeast-ern Oklahoma since 1998. The Shelbina, Missouri native complet-ed her Michigan State University Family Practice residency at Flint, MI.

NARMC Welcomes Micah David Wiegel, MD

HARRISON- North Arkansas Re-gional Medical Center is pleased to an-nounce that Micah David Wiegel, MD has joined the active medical staff.

Wiegel received his Bachelor of Science de-gree, Magna Cum Laude, from Arkansas Tech Uni-versity, Russellville and his Doctorate in Medi-cine, Cum Laude, from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock. He completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.

He joins NARMC’s Women’s Health and Surgery Center.

Dr. Nolan Jaeger Accepting Patients at St. Bernards Plastic Surgery

JONESBORO - Dr. Nolan Jaeger has joined the medical staff at St. Ber-nards as a plastic surgeon and is seeing patients at St. Bernards Plastic Sur-gery in Jonesboro.

He is one of 27 new physicians in the St. Ber-nards “Class of 2015.”

Jaeger received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City. He com-pleted a six-year integrated plastic surgery residency at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Ve-gas and also holds an undergraduate degree in international studies from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.

Jaeger specializes in all avenues of reconstructive surgery, including breast and skin cancer reconstruction, hand surgery, burns and trauma reconstruc-tion. Additionally, he offers a full spec-trum of aesthetic surgery and non-op-erative anti-aging interventions.

He is a member of St. Bernards Medical Group and St. Bernards Health-care Regional Providers (SHARP).

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Dr. Simon C. Mears

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Page 15: Arkansas Medical News Sept/Oct 2015

a r k a n s a s m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 > 15

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