Ten area hospital employees and two area physicians were honored by the Birmingham Regional Hospital Council of the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) for their dedication to the health care field.
Birmingham-area Hospital Hero honorees included: Joyce Horn, MT (HEW), patient advocate, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital; Terry Sims, patient care assistant, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital; John McGowan, certified optician, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital; Juanita Williams, physician marketing liaison, Princeton Baptist Medical Center; Susan Blumstein, MT, CIC, CPHQ, Manager, Infection Control, Shelby Baptist Medical Center; Susan Allison, MSN, RN, CCNS, nurse educator, St. Vincent’s East; Sherry Cole, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS, cardiovascular clinical nurse specialist, Trinity Medical Center; Susan Davenport, CRNP, Trinity Medical Center; Michael Stephens, transportation department, Veterans Affairs Medical Center; and Pat W. Spiller, CRNP, infection prevention and control coordinator, Walker Baptist Medical Center. Hospital Hero Physicians honorees included: Jason Thompson, MD, cardiologist, department chairman of Cardiovascular Services, St. Vincent’s East; and Kellie Flood, MD, associate professor and medical director, Acute Care for Elders Unit, UAB Hospital.
St. Vincent’s Health System Celebrates New St. Vincent’s St. Clair With Grand Opening Event
St. Vincent’s Health System recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair hospital. Local community leaders joined the facility’s five development partners, St. Vincent’s Health System, the St. Clair County Health Care Authority, St. Clair County Commission, City of Pell City, and the St. Clair County Economic Development Council to celebrate the new 40-bed, 79,000-square-foot hospital.
The new hospital is expected to be one of the most well-equipped rural hospitals in the country, boasting features such an expanded emergency department, all private rooms, the latest in diagnostic imaging, inpatient and outpatient surgery services, and computers at the bedside. The facility is the only hospital in St. Clair County.
UAB, RegionalCare Hospitals sign strategic agreement
The UAB Health System has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital and Shoals Hospital in Northwest Alabama.
Under the five-year agreement, UAB will collaborate with the two regional hospitals, part of RegionalCare Hospital Partners, on projects that will focus on helping deliver more effective healthcare to the Shoals area.
While Eliza Coffee Memorial and Shoals Hospitals will be considered associates of the UAB Health System, the agreement centers around working together to solve fundamental issues in healthcare delivery. Administrative duties and governance will remain separate and the collaboration does not include the sharing of any fiduciary responsibilities.
MediSYS Adds New Interface
MediSYS has released the Alabama State Immunization Information Systems (AL-IIS) Interface. The interface enables clinics to submit recorded immunizations to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) real-time upon completion. Clinics can also retrieve immunizations on file with the AL-IIS which are displayed in the patient’s chart with the Immunization chart tab. This bi-directional interface provides real-time access to ADPH from within MediSYS EHR. The AL-IIS receives immunization information from claims submitted to Blue Cross and Medicaid, as well as provider entries into ImmPRINT and electronic health records.
Parrott Named BHS Executive Vice President and COO; Postlethwait Named President of Princeton Baptist
Keith Parrott has been promoted to Executive Vice President and COO of Baptist Health System (BHS). Betsy Postlethwait will succeed Parrott as President of Princeton Baptist Medical Center.
Parrott joined BHS in 2008 as President of Princeton Baptist. During his tenure, Princeton launched a $57 million expansion and renovation, achieved the market’s only Chest Pain Center Accreditation, and performed among the nation’s best in patient satisfaction. In 2009, he also assumed oversight of Walker and Citizens Baptist Medical Centers, resulting in both hospitals realizing significant performance improvements.
Postlethwait joined Princeton in 2004 as Chief Operating Officer. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, and previously served as COO/CFO of CHRISTUS St. John Hospital in Nassau Bay, Texas.
DCH Home Health Ranked Top Five Percent Nationally
DCH Home Health Care Agency has been named in the top five percent of the home health agencies in the United States in the 2011 HomeCare Elite, which is a compilation of the top-performing home health agencies in the U.S.
The report ranked DCH Home Health Care Agency in the top 500 of the nation’s almost 10,000 Medicare-certified home health agencies. Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.