Kassouf & Co recently held a half-day seminar designed to help medical practices comply with HIPPA privacy rules within the EHR environment in order to be ready for any audits.
The speakers included Russ Dorsey of Integrated Solutions, who focused on security for IT systems, Howard Bogard, a partner with Burr and Forman, and Margaret Cook, MBA, CMPE of Kassouf and Co.
“HIPAA compliance covers a wide range of requirements,” Cook said. “With the workshop, we really wanted healthcare providers to re-focus on system security since electronic health data is now commonplace. In all areas of HIPAA, physician and employee training is one of the most important things that a covered entity can address. Training should occur with all new employees and at least annually thereafter. Be sure to have good documentation of your training - it’s one of the first items requested in a HIPAA investigation.”
St. Vincent’s Health System Offering $99 Mammograms in October
St. Vincent’s Health System will be offering $99 mammograms in October in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Studies show that small tumors can be detected by mammograms up to three years before they can be felt by a woman. The American Cancer Society recommends that women 40 and older should have a yearly screening mammogram for as long as they are in good health.
The American Cancer Society estimated that 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer would be diagnosed in the United States during 2011. Approximately 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer.
“Early detection saves lives,” said John O’Neil, President and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System. “Mammograms are a critical component in fighting cancer and we are pleased to offer the special in an effort to get more women screened.”
Princeton Moves into New Surgery Suites
The Princeton Baptist Medical Center surgery department has moved into new surgery suites that were recently completed as part of a $57 million expansion project on the Princeton campus.
The new space features 18 state-of-the-art operating suites that are double the size of the old suites to accommodate the surgery staff and many different types of OR equipment.
The new surgery area will also feature:
• State-of-the-art surgery equipment
• New Tempur-pedic® surgical table mattresses with padding that reduces pressure on stress points
• The latest in lighting by Berchtold and video and sound by Karl Storz Endoscopy-America® to be used in a surgical environment
• A multi-specialty imaging suite with the Artis ZEEGO® system that allows for vascular and radiological imaging procedures in the OR
• Computerized patient status tracking system which allows family members to monitor where their loved one is at every stage of surgery
• Computerized documentation
The surgery area also features a state-of-the-art sterile processing department where instrumentation and equipment are processed after surgeries. This space features Stonhard flooring, a high-performance flooring system that has many benefits including greater comfort for staff who stand for long periods of time.
New Physicians at Medical West
Several new physicians have recently joined Medical West Hospital.
Mohannad Azzam, MD has been named the Medical Director of Salient Hospitalist Group.
Originally from Kuwait, Azzam received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University in Montgomery and his medical degree from UAB. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at UAB Hospital.
Michael Mueller, MD, MPH will serve as the Medical Director for Medical West’s new HealthWorks Occupational Medicine Clinic. Mueller, who practices occupational medicine, received his bachelors degree from Auburn University and his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed his residency at UAB Hospital.
Matthew Reed, MD has joined Medical West as a General Surgeon. Reed, a native of Enterprise, Alabama, graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He completed his residency in General Surgery at Baptist Health Systems.
Jeffery Jones, MD has joined the hospital as a Gastroenterologist. Jones, a native of Jackson, Tennessee, is a graduate of Union University. He graduated medical school from the University of Tennessee and completed his internship and residency at the UAB Hospital.
Mag Mutual Names New Vice President of Risk Management and Patient Safety
MagMutual announced that Ann Lambrecht, RN, JD, ARM, FASHRM, has joined the medical professional liability company as Vice President of Risk Management and Patient Safety. She will be responsible for developing and managing risk management and patient safety programs for the more than 17,500 MagMutual-insured physicians across the Southeast.
Most recently Lambrecht served as Vice President Risk Services of McNeary, Inc., an insurance brokerage firm and risk management consultancy in Charlotte, where she provided oversight for the clinical workers’ compensation program.
Lambrecht brings valuable experience in patient safety and risk management within the hospital and clinical setting to MagMutual. She has worked as Senior Director of Quality and Risk Management Services at Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center – a 288-bed tertiary care, teaching hospital and trauma center – as well as Director of Loss Control for Michigan-based Trinity Health, the 10th largest hospital system in the United States. She also served as Corporate Risk Manager of Michigan Health Care Corporation.
Lambrecht holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Detroit and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit School of Law. She is licensed as an attorney and registered nurse in both Michigan and North Carolina. She is a Fellow at the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management, a board member of the North Carolina Society of Healthcare Risk Management and holds the designation of Improvement Advisor from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Birmingham Heart Clinic Physicians Speak at Conference
Physicians at Birmingham Heart Clinic served as faculty for the New Cardiovascular Horizons (NVCH) conference held at the Birmingham Marriot in September. Robert Foster, MD, cardiologist at BHC, served as the Course Director.
NCVH Birmingham is a multidisciplinary conference that focuses on the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Topics included the latest treatment for coronary arterial disease, arrhythmias, structural and valvular heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. The conference attracted interventional cardiologists, vascular physicians, surgeons, podiatrists and other industry professionals worldwide.
The day-long event included discussions about the economic impact of peripheral arterial disease and new state-of-the-art equipment. Peripheral arterial disease, also known as PAD, currently affects 8 million Americans and that number continues to grow each year.
Jackson Thornton Technologies Expands
Hosted Cloud Services Portfolio with Tier-4 Datacenter
Jackson Thornton Technologies (JTT) announces the expansion of its cloud hosted services into a tier-4 datacenter through a partnership with Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). JTT’s expansion into the highly secure 35,000 square feet datacenter will provide expanded services opportunities including hosted cloud services, hosted applications, co-location of customer owned equipment, and disaster recovery/backup services.
“The demand has never been greater to provide secure access to client applications and data than it is now,” said Danny Jeter, Senior Manager at Jackson Thornton Technologies. “Today businesses face many data challenges whether it’s securing protected healthcare information, financial data, or systems that provide a competitive advantage against their competition.”
Bill Rodgers at Urology Center Half Marathon
In September, Urology Centers of Alabama and the Urology Health Foundation held the Talladega Half Marathon and 5K Lap Around the Track at the Talladega Superspeedway, a race that started and finished on the track at the Talladega Superspeedway. Proceeds from the event were used to fund screenings across the state of Alabama.
Bill Rodgers, the American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston and New York City Marathons, participated by running the half marathon. Rodgers, who is a prostate cancer survivor, is an Olympian who made the 1976 U.S. Olympic team and raced the marathon at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
Trinity Receives Chest Pain Accreditaton
Trinity Medical Center has received accreditation with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC).
More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. SCPC’s goal is to reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.
The Accredited Chest Pain Center’s protocol-driven approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether or not they are having a coronary event.
With the increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. SCPC’s accreditation process ensures that centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.
The Accredited Chest Pain Center at Trinity Medical Center has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of SPCP’s accreditation review specialists.
UAB adds unique life-saving treatment to heart-valve program
UAB Hospital is the first facility in Alabama to offer a new minimally invasive procedure for replacing heart valves in people with aortic stenosis who are not candidates for an open procedure.
Physicians in UAB Heart and Vascular Services, home to the state’s largest and oldest heart valve disease treatment program, are the only ones in Alabama trained to offer the Edwards Lifesciences SAPIEN transcatheter heart value replacement system, which is the only transcatheter valve replacement therapy approved for commercial use in the United States.
“Approximately 30 percent of patients with aortic stenosis are unable to have the traditional surgery, and until recently the prognosis for those patients was poor,” says Massoud A. Leesar, MD, professor and section chief of UAB Interventional Cardiology. “For these patients, this procedure adds years to their lives and life to their years. Patients who undergo this therapy experience a much higher quality of life.”
Cuellar Appointed to Board
Dr. Norma Cuellar, professor in The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, was appointed to serve on the board of directors for the National Association of Hispanic Nurses for the 2012-2014 term.
Cuellar is one of fewer than 250 doctorally-prepared Hispanic nurses in the country. She is an advocate for growing minority nurse populations and for reducing health disparities of the underserved populace.
Cuellar has demonstrated leadership in diversity issues while serving on a variety of committees for the NAHN and the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association. At The University of Alabama, she is involved in the Crossroads Community Center, which provides campus leadership in the areas of cultural programming and intercultural education, and participates in the planning of Hispanic Latino Heritage Month observances.
She is a member of the Hispanic Providers Network through Tuscaloosa’s One Place and actively participates in the annual community service fair Brazos Abrietos. She serves on the Alabama State Department of Health-Health Disparities Committee. In the past year, she served on the West Alabama Health Literacy Taskforce and the Alabama chapter of the NAACP Health Advisory Committee.
