Brookwood Medical Center has named Brenda Traweek as Chief Operating Officer.
Traweek has more than 30 years of experience in nursing management and healthcare operations. She joined Brookwood in 2003 and most recently served as Vice President of Patient Care Services, where she was responsible for the operational and financial management of the hospital’s Nursing Division. She previously served as the hospital’s Vice President of Operations and Assistant Vice President of Surgical Services.
“Brenda is a veteran healthcare leader, with a proven track record of nursing and operational excellence,” says Garry Gause, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Throughout her tenure at Brookwood, she has shown a drive to improve care and increase customer satisfaction.”
Prior to joining Brookwood, Brenda was the Director of Surgical Services at HealthSouth Medical Center, now UAB Highlands Hospital. She has worked in health care facilities throughout Alabama and Florida.
Traweek received a master’s degree in health administration from St. Francis University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Alabama, and an associate’s degree from Livingston University’s Ira D. Pruitt School of Nursing. She is a member of the 2008 MOMENTUM women’s leadership class.
Hadley Named Director of American Board of Neurological Surgery
Mark N. Hadley, MD, professor in the Division of Neurosurgery in the UAB School of Medicine, has been named to a six-year term as a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
ABNS is the primary professional organization in the field of neurosurgery and is the agency that approves board-certification for neurosurgeons.
Hadley is the fourth member of the UAB faculty to have been selected as a director of the ABNS, joining Garber Galbraith, MD, Griffith R. Harsh, III, MD, and Richard B. Morawetz, MD.
“Drs. Galbraith, Harsh and Morawetz were pioneers in the field of neurosurgery, and I’m humbled to be included in their company,” said Hadley, the Charles A. and Patsy W. Collat Professor of Neurological Surgery at UAB.
Hadley is internationally recognized in the study and treatment of spinal-cord injuries. He is the lead author of three medical evidence-based scientific compilations of guidelines for the management of spinal disorders.
Hadley earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, N.Y. He conducted post-graduate internship and residency training at the University of California, Davis and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. He joined the UAB faculty in 1991.
Hadley has published more than 170 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals and chapters in medical textbooks.
UAB’s Arnett Named President of American Heart Association
For the fifth time, a UAB faculty member has been named president of the American Heart Association. Donna Arnett, PhD, MSPH, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology, is the first epidemiologist to lead the AHA.
Arnett has been a volunteer with the AHA since 1991. She is the immediate past president of the Greater Southeast Affiliate of the AHA, and has also been the chair of the AHA national research committee and recently served as chair of the scientific publishing committee.
Arnett earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s of public health degree in biostatistics and epidemiology from the University of South Florida. She received her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Princeton Cardiologists Study Cardiac Monitor
Cardiologists at Princeton BMC are participating in the ALERTS Pivotal Study, which assesses the safety and effectiveness of the AngelMed Guardian System, a medical device that is implanted like a pacemaker and monitors the patient’s heart 24/7. Patients get an alarm if the device detects an impending heart attack- potentially before the patient has any symptoms.
“This study provides an excellent opportunity for some of our patients who are at high-risk of having another heart attack,” said Alain Bouchard, MD.
The AngelMed Guardian System contains an internal implantable device, a standard pacemaker lead, and an external telemetry device. There is also a programmer that is used to wirelessly program and retrieve data stored in the device.
For more information on the AngelMed Guardian system or the ALERTS study protocol, contact Cardiology PC at 205-783-4330.
Boone Joins Norwood
Marshall N. Boone, Jr., MD, PhD has joined the Norwood Clinic in family practice. Boone previously served as the Family Medicine program director for Carraway Methodist Medical Center and Physicians Medical Center Carraway from 1987 until 2008.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Samford University in 1964, and then earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1975. He did his residency at Carraway Methodist Medical Center and was certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1978.
Boone is a member of several professional organizations, including Alpha Omega Alpha, the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, Jefferson County Academy of Family Physicians, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and the Southern Medical Association.
Innovative Surgery Tracking System at CRMC
The IT Department at Cullman Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has developed an Electronic Surgery Tracking System that is used to update family members of patients undergoing surgery. CRMC surgical patients receive a PIN number during registration. After the patient is taken back for pre-operative care, their PIN number appears on the tracking screen in the surgery waiting room. Their family can watch as their number moves across a screen as the patient transitions from check-in to surgery to recovery and out of recovery.
Prior to the new system, CRMC’s Surgical Department communicated with dry-erase boards and telephone calls as the primary tools for communication between departments. The Electronic Surgery Tracking System allows CRMC to replace the high volume of telephone calls for status updates with a real-time, on-screen patient tracking solution. This new process eliminates many repetitive phone calls for giving and receiving updates and provides the additional benefit of visual cues to other departments as each stage of patient preparation is complete.
The CRMC Surgery Electronic Tracking System has since attracted the interest of a large metropolitan hospital’s surgery department that wants to purchase this system for their facility.
Birmingham Hospital Leaders Named to Positions in AL Hospital Association
Michael R. Waldrum, MD, MS, MBA, UAB Hospital CEO, was recently elected secretary-treasurer for the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA).
Also elected to positions were Shane Spees, president and CEO of Baptist Health System (BHS), who was elected to serve as a board member representing Birmingham-area hospitals, and Keith Granger, president and CEO of Trinity Medical Center, who was elected to serve another term as an at-large board member.
Waldrum received his bachelor’s degree in English from The University of the South, his medical degree from UAB, his master’s in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Since 1995, Waldrum has been a member of the UAB Hospital medical staff in the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine. He has served as co-director for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program and medical director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit. He has also served as medical director of Information Services and Chief Information Officer, UAB Health System. Waldrum was COO at UAB Hospital from 2004 to 2006. Since 2006, he has served as CEO of UAB Hospital and UAB Highlands.
Spees joined Baptist Health System as president and CEO in 2007. Prior to joining BHS, Spees was president of Valley Baptist Hospital Holdings, Inc., a member of Valley Baptist Health System in Texas. Previously, he had served as senior vice president and CEO of the 600-bed Valley Baptist Medical Center - Harlingen, also in Texas. Spees received a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He also holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Mississippi.
In 2011, Spees was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley to serve on the State of Alabama Health Insurance Exchange Study Commission. He is a member of the United Healthcare Hospital Executive Advisory Board and serves on the board of directors for the Birmingham Business Alliance and the American Heart Association. He is also a member of the Downtown Birmingham Rotary Club.
Granger moved to Trinity Medical Center in October 2009 after serving as CEO of Flowers Hospital, Dothan, since 1992. In addition to his many leadership positions on the AlaHA board, Mr. Granger currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Federation of American Hospitals. He is also a member of the board and executive committee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. He is a former delegate for the AHA’s Regional Policy Board and current president of the board of the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation (AQAF). He was the first recipient of AQAF’s Robert G. Sherrill Award for Quality. He also played a key role in the development and passage of Alabama’s Infection Reporting Law.
SVMIC Receives “A” Rating from A.M. Best
State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company (SVMIC) has again received an “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating from A.M. Best Company. SVMIC is reviewed annually by the organization and has maintained an “A” or better rating for 29 years. No other physician-owned liability insurer has earned a higher rating for as many consecutive years.
“The rating reflects SVMIC’s conservative loss reserving philosophy, adherence to strict underwriting standards, strong operating performance and leadership position in providing medical professional liability insurance. We are extremely proud of earning this rating as it reinforces our commitment to being a secure source of coverage to our physician policyholders,” said Steven C. Williams, CEO.
Horton Named Chair of American Health Lawyers Practice Group
William W. Horton, an attorney with Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose LLP, has been appointed to a second term as Chair of the Business Law and Governance Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA). The Business Law and Governance Practice Group focuses on issues relating to the formation, capitalization, and governance of healthcare organizations; mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other business transactions within the healthcare industry; securities law, bankruptcy law matters, and criminal law issues arising from the internal and external operations of healthcare organizations; and the international healthcare sector.
Horton has served for several years in leadership positions with both the AHLA, where he serves as Chair of the Business Law and Governance Practice Group, and the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section, where he serves on the Council. He is a contributing author to Health Care Fraud and Abuse: Practical Perspectives and Health Law Handbook and serves as Editor-in-Chief of AHLA’s Federal Healthcare Laws & Regulations, and his articles have appeared in The Business Lawyer, Journal of Health and Life Sciences Law and other publications. Mr. Horton is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Alabama Super Lawyers and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama School of Law.
Yarbrough Receives Homer Lloyd Leadership Award
Princeton Baptist Chief Nursing Officer Regina Yarbrough was named the recipient of the 2012 Homer Lloyd Leadership Award. The award, which is funded by the Baptist Health Foundation, was presented by BHS President & CEO Shane Spees.
Yarbrough began her 40-year career in nursing as a staff nurse at BHS where her abilities and compassion were soon recognized.
Since becoming CNO at Princeton Baptist in 2005, she has been instrumental in developing many programs, including the clinical rapid response team, student nurse intern programs; and she directed the implementation of two computerized bedside nursing documentation systems and a state-of-the-art electronic hand washing monitoring system that greatly reduced the hospital’s NIMs.
Under her leadership, Princeton has achieved recognition as a Chest Pain Center, Heart Failure Center, Bariatric Center of Excellence and Primary Stroke Center, and was recognized as a Top Performer on Joint Commission Key Quality Measures in 2010 and was the recipient of the BHA 2012 Leadership Award in Clinical Excellence. In 2011, Yarbrough was inducted into the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame – a testament to her decades of leadership in the field of nursing.
Wilson Joins Medical West
Breezy Wilson, MD has joined Medical West as a Family Medicine Physician. Wilson is a native of Anniston. After receiving her bachelors degree from the University of Alabama and medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, she completed her residency at Tuscaloosa Family Practice.
AL Chapter of ACS Holds Annual Conference
The Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons held its Annual Conference at the Sandestin Beach & Golf Resort June 9-11. The Alabama Chapter, ACS also combined with the Mississippi Chapter, ACS and the Alabama Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery for joint sessions on Healthcare Reform, Statewide Trauma Systems and the Future of Surgical Practices, as well as an update from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
There were nearly 100 physicians in attendance at the conference that provided 12.5 CMEs. Committee members included Kirby Bland, MD, Mary Hawn, MD, and Scott Magnuson, MD from UAB.
Physicians and Staff Join Medical West
Several physicians and senior staff have joined Medical West Hospital.
Joanne Rossman, MD has joined Medical West as an Oncologist. After receiving her bachelors degree from Georgia Tech and her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, Rossman completed her residency at UAB Hospital.
Mell Duggan, Jr., MD has joined the hospital as a Urologist. Duggan received his bachelors degree from Washington and Lee University. He recieved his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and completed his residency at UAB Hospital.
Elmer Polite has been named Vice President of Strategic Integration for Medical West. Elmer received his Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and Economics/ Accounting from South Carolina State University. He received his Masters in Business Administration in Finance from DeVry University.
Hernandez of UAB Elected to International Board
S. Robert Hernandez, Dr.P.H., professor and director of the Administration-Health Services Doctoral program in the UAB School of Health Professions, has been elected to the European Academy of Management Board as the United States representative for the next three years. The vote was held during the EURAM General Assembly in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Hernandez, the only American representative, is one of 31 board members.
EURAM is a professional community comprising more than 1,000 management scholars from Europe and North America. The group aims to enhance the quality of research, improve its relevance for responsible practice.
Hernandez is also a board member of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. He has served as chair of the Healthcare Management Division of the Academy of Management and as chair of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.