BY SUZANNE BOYD In sports, numbers and teamwork can play a big part in success on the field. In her role as Administrator of Sports, Orthopedics & Spine (SOS) in Jackson, Tennessee, Kay Jordan is finding those two elements equally as important to success in the clinical setting. Originally from Memphis, Jordan began her career as a Certified Public Ac- countant (CPA). When she found that num- bers were not adding up to exactly what she wanted in a career, she decided to try cor- porate accounting for a large grocery chain in Memphis. When it closed she took her numbers game to the healthcare field and found the perfect combination that was right for her. “I liked accounting but you just do not (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) HealthcareLeader Karen “Kay” Jordan Administrator, Sports, Orthopedics & Spine August 2014 >> $5 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FRANKLIN, TN PERMIT NO.357 ON ROUNDS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ONLINE: WESTTN MEDICAL NEWS.COM FFB Driving the Research to Fight Blindness When Alessandro Iannaccone, MD, was recruited in 2005 by Barrett Haik, MD, to come to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis, he knew he was following his passion, but little did he know that this move would lead him to be the first in the world to treat a five-year-old girl diagnosed with Best’s macular dystrophy with a procedure (normally only performed on adults) that would save her vision ... 4 Qsource to Spearhead Significant Changes In CMS’ Restructuring Of QIO Programs The widespread reform of the nation’s healthcare has trickled down to create significant changes for area healthcare providers; changes that begin this month ... 7 Emerging & Reemerging Infectious Diseases BY CINDY SANDERS Chikungunya and new strains of influenza are among a list of emerging infectious diseases that have grabbed recent head- lines, but reemerging diseases including measles and pertussis are also causing epidemiologists concern across the nation. “There are newly emerging diseases and reemerging dis- eases … and both are disturbing,” stated Tim Jones, MD, state epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). Jones, whose past experience includes working in the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion’s Epidemic Intelligence Services, recently provided insight into the old and new. He also shared his thoughts on why we’re seeing a re- surgence of some diseases, such as polio, that the medical community thought would be a distant memory at this point in history. “Internationally, we had hoped that polio would be eradicated by the turn of the century, but here we are in 2014 with it expanding into additional coun- tries,” he said. Jones, who is the immediate past president of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, noted the spread of new (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) FOCUS TOPICS ORTHO/SPORTS MEDICINE HEALTHCARE MARKETING Dr. Tim Jones SPECIAL OFFERS FOR AMA MEMBERS Mercedes-Benz of Memphis Visit us today! FOR ADDITIONAL FLEET PROGRAM DETAILS VISIT: mercedesmemphis.com/ama-special-programs.htm Available for qualified customers only. Michael D. Calfee, MD PAGE 2 PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Transcript
By SUZANNE BOyD
In sports, numbers and teamwork can play a big part in success on the fi eld. In her role as Administrator of Sports, Orthopedics & Spine (SOS) in Jackson, Tennessee, Kay Jordan is fi nding those two elements equally as important to success in the clinical setting.
Originally from Memphis, Jordan began her career as a Certifi ed Public Ac-
countant (CPA). When she found that num-bers were not adding up to exactly what she wanted in a career, she decided to try cor-porate accounting for a large grocery chain in Memphis. When it closed she took her numbers game to the healthcare fi eld and found the perfect combination that was right for her.
“I liked accounting but you just do not (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)
FFB Driving the Research to Fight BlindnessWhen Alessandro Iannaccone, MD, was recruited in 2005 by Barrett Haik, MD, to come to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis, he knew he was following his passion, but little did he know that this move would lead him to be the fi rst in the world to treat a fi ve-year-old girl diagnosed with Best’s macular dystrophy with a procedure (normally only performed on adults) that would save her vision ... 4
Qsource to Spearhead Signifi cant ChangesIn CMS’ Restructuring Of QIO ProgramsThe widespread reform of the nation’s healthcare has trickled down to create signifi cant changes for area healthcare providers; changes that begin this month ... 7
Emerging & Reemerging Infectious Diseases
By CINDy SANDERS
Chikungunya and new strains of infl uenza are among a list of emerging infectious diseases that have grabbed recent head-lines, but reemerging diseases including measles and pertussis are also causing epidemiologists concern across the nation.
“There are newly emerging diseases and reemerging dis-eases … and both are disturbing,” stated Tim Jones, MD, state epidemiologist for the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH).
Jones, whose past experience includes working in the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion’s Epidemic Intelligence Services, recently provided insight into the old and new. He also shared his thoughts on why we’re seeing a re-surgence of some diseases, such as polio, that the medical community thought would be a distant memory at this point in history.
“Internationally, we had hoped that polio would be eradicated by the turn of the century,
but here we are in 2014 with it expanding into additional coun-tries,” he said.
Jones, who is the immediate past president of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, noted the spread of new
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
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PAGE 2
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
2 > AUGUST 2014 w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m
By SUZANNE BOyD
Religious studies and biology may not be the most traditional combination of majors that would result in an ortho-pedic surgeon. But Michael Calfee, MD, has found a way to integrate the two into his practice at Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Union City and in his mission work in Honduras.
Growing up in Cleveland, Tennessee, Calfee’s father was a farmer who told his sons they would be the first doctors in the family. The idea must have stuck as both Calfee and his older brother heeded his father’s words. Calfee set his sights on be-coming a doctor in high school and never wavered.
While studying biology and zoology at the University of Tennessee at Knox-ville, Calfee discovered another interest, religious studies. When he was accepted into medical school his junior year of col-lege, he deferred his admission to devote his senior year to completing a second major in religious studies. “It was certainly different from what I was learning in biol-ogy,” said Calfee.
During his general surgery rotation in his third year in medical school at UT-Health Sciences Center in Memphis, Calfee found his calling, orthopedics. “I had always known I would do something surgical. When I was doing my surgical rotation at the Med, I found I really fit in with the orthopedic residents better than any other specialty and I enjoyed the work more,” said Calfee. “I think I was born to be an orthopedic because if I had to do anything else, I probably would not have finished medical school. I just cannot see
myself doing anything else. Orthopedics is so different. I think most orthopedics may feel that way.”
Calfee remained in Memphis for his orthopedic surgery residency at the
Campbell Clinic where he also completed a foot ankle fellowship under the direction of Greer Richardson, MD. “Dr. Richard-son had been my Sunday School teacher throughout medical school and my resi-
dency,” said Calfee, who is board certified in both sports medicine and orthopedics. “I respected him tremendously and the opportunity to work closely with him was an honor.”
After three years at a clinic in Dalton, Georgia, Calfee moved to Paris, Tenn. to join a practice that also had offices in Union City and Huntingdon. Calfee even-tually left the group and took the Union City and Huntingdon portion of the prac-tice and opened Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. “Since I was spend-ing the bulk of my time in Union City with the practice and it was a better fit for my family, we moved there,” said Calfee.
As a sole practitioner, who is also a devoted father of three, Calfee is always looking to add another physician to his busy practice. Two years ago, he added Stephanie Miller, a physician assistant, to his staff and opened his own therapy clinic, Synergy Therapy and Aquatics. “It is in the same building as the clinic and has been a great addition,” said Calfee. “I like having a close relationship with the therapists. I can walk across the hall to check on patients and if the therapist has a question, I am close by. It has also really worked well for our patients and we do quite a bit of aquatic therapy.”
Outside of the office, Calfee focuses on family and doing mission work in Hon-duras. “After my first trip, I was hooked. I fell in love with the people and God put it on my heart to figure out a way to do what I do down there,” he said. “After that first trip, Operation New Life, which has been doing surgical missions in Hon-duras for the past 12 years, contacted me about leading a team. I knew that was not my calling but I wanted to be part of the team.”
Calfee has made seven trips to Hon-duras since 2012, five of which were surgical in nature. “We go in May and November and treat about 150 patients and perform 50-60 cases. About 20-25 of these will be total hips or knees,” said Calfee.
Serving as head of missions for his church has given Calfee the opportunity to make more trips to Honduras and to include his family. “This past June, my wife, Janet, my daughters Grace Ann and Elizabeth and my son, Hudson all got to go. The girls had been before but it was the first time my son could go. We made it our family vacation. It was a neat op-portunity that we will definitely continue,” said Calfee. “I am very focused on doing mission type of work and do quite a bit of it through our church. I am also on the Board of Fellowship of Christian Ath-letes.”
Michael D. Calfee, MD Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Union City
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By GINGER H. PORTER
Richard K. Thomas has seen paradigm shifts in the healthcare system since his initiation as a medical sociologist in 1970. After completing a PhD in medical sociol-ogy in 1982 and working in Baptist Me-morial Health Care Corporation in health services research, he became a healthcare consultant and has remained one for the last 20 years. His book, Marketing Health Services, third edition, dated 2015, comes out this fall. The fi rst edition was pub-lished in 2007.
“Healthcare in upcoming 2015 is radically different than 2007,” he said. “Not only has healthcare changed during this last decade, but so has marketing.”
Thomas is an adjunct professor in the department of preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a part-time instruc-tor at University of Mississippi-Southaven Campus. His pathway to healthcare mar-keting authorship came after he wrote articles for the Journal of the American Marketing Association, then became its healthcare editor. Then he started writing books, most targeted at marketing admin-istrators or certain target audiences.
Marketing Health Ser-vices has been the most successful of his more than 20 books, becom-ing a text for healthcare administration educa-tion programs across the country. Approximately 125 universities are reviewing the text for use in their programs. Thomas describes it as drastically different from the 2007 edi-tion – containing only 30 or 40 percent of the original material. The chapters have been thoroughly updated, and a chapter on social media is included as well as mul-tiple case studies.
“Healthcare marketing has matured pretty dramatically in the last 10 years,” he said. “Healthcare marketing as a disci-pline has only been around 20 or 30 years. Even in the 2000s there were reservations on the part of large healthcare organiza-tions about advertising, as doctors were still hesitant about the ethics.”
Healthcare marketing has not only become acceptable, Thomas said, it has become survival. Marketing is pervasive and affects everyone from the corner of-fi ce to the front desk.
“It has gone from some last-minute ‘oh, we need someone to do some mar-keting for us’ — to the boardroom. Mar-keters are involved in day-to-day decision making and policy,” he said.
Where the prevailing opinion used to be market to the patients, now healthcare
organizations are marketing to insurance companies. The discipline has become more relationship-oriented, Thomas said. Before you wanted to fi ll a hospital bed and compete for a $5,000 procedure. Now, if a person is going to spend approx-imately half a million dollars in their life-time on healthcare, you want that patient for life, he said.
Then, if you are an insurer, you are
gambling on which services a patient will use, and mistakes could put you out of business.
“For any number of reasons, health-care administrators have to know much more about consumers than we did in the past,” Thomas said. “The object of the game is we get reimbursed and regulation and cost are issues. The end result is we keep them out of the hospital as much as possible and managing the
care in the most efficient manner. You are being measured on out-comes.”
Another area that used to be purely marketing oriented was
research. Now, research directs policy and should be built into the administration of the hospi-tal as an ongoing process, he said.
Thomas added that whether it is pa-tient satisfaction surveys, staff satisfac-
tion surveys or reporting data detailing where patients originate, there must be an integrated approach.
“The marketing function needs to have their fi ngers on the numbers such as length of stay, payor mix and the like. We have all gotten better at that aspect of it,” he said. “What we haven’t gotten better at is marrying that data with the external market data. Outside the walls, the popu-lation is moving around and becoming redistributed.”
Thomas says future new patients are going to look a lot different. They will have different needs. He cites baby boom-ers who have different ideas than previous generations about healthcare and are used to having their way. Quality care is para-mount to this market segment, as are the benefi ts of technology at a fair price.
The information explosion produces an environment where a patient with a sickness can discuss it with other people who have the same condition and evaluate what treatments work. He or she also can slam a doctor on a ratings page. A patient can rant about a doctor’s offi ce or a hos-pital stay on Facebook, as well as research drug side effects on the Internet.
“It is now a dangerous thing – not being aware of what is being said about you out there. Healthcare organizations and physicians are becoming more sen-sitive to that and trying to control mes-sages,” he said.
However, he notes that the electronic age makes marketing easier in terms of getting messages out quickly and cheaply on websites, through social media, email and other avenues.
Thomas’ basic message? The market-ing function in healthcare should be per-vasive, especially in this climate of change. “Every development I see in healthcare means an increased role for the marketing function.”
Getting the Message Out Is More Important Than EverAuthor documents growing need for pervasive marketing
Richard K. Thomas
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 20)
4 > AUGUST 2014 w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m
For more information, contact J. Neal Rager at 731-661-6340 or [email protected].
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FFB Driving the Research to Fight Blindness
By PAMELA HARRIS
When Alessandro Iannaccone, MD, was recruited in 2005 by Barrett Haik, MD, to come to the University of Tennes-see Health Science Center’s Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis, he knew he was fol-lowing his passion, but little did he know that this move would lead him to be the fi rst in the world to treat a fi ve-year-old girl diag-nosed with Best’s macular dystrophy with a procedure (normally only performed on adults) that would save her vision.
But that is just what happened.The girl’s vision is now 20/20 in one
eye and 20/60 in the other. She is being monitored closely since what she received is a treatment and not a cure. There are less than 50 cases like hers in the world.
As a researcher, Iannaccone has long been involved with organizations that have helped fund the research. He gave credit to the MidSouth Lions organization for buy-ing the instruments he needed to diagnose patients for retinal degeneration when his offi ce was located at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital years ago.
Today, Iannaccone, who was born in Rome, Italy, is president of the Mid-South Chapter of Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), an organization that draws members
from the tri-state area in which we live. Its mission is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syn-drome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
Recent developments supported by FFB include gene replacement therapy tri-als and research that has led to the approval
of artifi cial retina devices. FFB also backs ongoing drug treatment trials that aim to halt the destructive effects of certain forms of RP.
Iannaccone says gene therapy in mice is successful. In addition, veterinary oph-thalmology publications report that gene therapy trials are facilitating a path to treat-ing humans.
How Big is the Problem?According to Foundation Fighting
Blindness, in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, more than 350,000 people are challenged by blindness caused by retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Across the United States, more than 10 million of every age and race suffer vision loss from blinding diseases.
The FFB Mid-South Chapter hosts periodic special presentations on eye dis-eases and research. The next one is sched-uled November 2, 2014, at the UTHSC Auditorium. There will be presentations by David Wilson, MD, Oregon Health & Science University on Gene Therapy and Orli Weisser-Pike and the UTHSC’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Center. For more information, call Dr. Iannaccone at 901-448-7831.
How Can You Help?DonateYour donations help fund the research
needed to translate the success of animal blindness research involving gene therapy into human clinical trials. Iannaccone and his fellow researchers at UTHSC are one of only six sites in the country working on a drug based trial for retinitis pigmentosa.
Your gift could save someone else’s sight! Send donations to Mid-South Chapter of FFB, Attn: Janice Caudill, 9200 Longwood Lane, Germantown, TN 38139.
PARTICIPATE, SPONSOR and VOLUNTEER
This October 25th, the Seventh Annual VisionWalk will be held at Shelby Farms Park to raise money for FFB. This is their big fundraiser and their goal for this year is to raise $55,000. There are many ways to
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Volunteers are needed for the day of VisionWalk. If you can help, please call Janice Caudill at 901.417.7524.
For more information go to the FFB website: www.fi ghtingblindness.org/Mem-phisVisionWalk.
“We are fortunate to have an active and engaged chapter board that carries the spirit of FFB’s Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Gordon Gund. His vision is our vision: We will save and restore sight by funding vital research,” said Iannac-cone. “Losing vision cripples one’s abilities to interact with other people and limits the ability to enjoy life. To be able to see the faces of your children and grandchildren is priceless.”
If you have a charity or non-profi t that you would like to see spotlighted in Mem-phis on the Mend, please send your nomi-nation to [email protected].
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Recently a six-year-old donkey named Nestle visited Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital. And no, this was not some political event. Nestle is part of the Mid-South Therapy Dogs and Friends, whose members visit patients in several hospitals in the region. The reaction from patients when they see the Sicilian miniature donkey is unparalleled, Debb Tayor, Nestlé’s owner said.
“Kids all smile, no matter if they’re afraid,” she said. “One man at a senior living facility held Nestlé’s head in his lap for 10 minutes, placing his own head on top of hers.”
William Kenley, a long-time friend, big part of the community and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital, realized Nestle was not running for political office. (It was obvious that Nestle had better things to do and left the politics to other donkeys).
William got a picture with the donkey, and joked, “I am sure there would be some future use for it.”
Well, William, your prediction came true. “It makes a big difference in the lives of
not just our patients, but our staff as well,” Kenley said of the animal’s visits. Really this fits taking care of the total patient and total family.”
In the column I wrote in Memphis Medical News’ InCharge, (December, 2013), I said that I had noticed more service dogs and friends groups being formed with the purpose of helping humans.
Equine Therapy is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between patients and horses. The goal of equine therapy is to help the patient develop needed skills and attributes, such as accountability, responsibility, self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and self-control.
Equine therapy has been successfully integrated into treatment programs, for substance abuse, addictions, and behavioral disorders, and mood disorders, eating disorders, learning differences, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger, grief/loss, depression and others.
About the time that the judicial system and medical system was about to give up on a teenager who was in and out of the penal system and was on prescribed drugs and therapy, a gentleman named Tom Reed, who has a ranch outside of Jackson, Tennessee, had a thought. What if he had this young man come and visit his ranch? Both the sheriff and the physician (who knew Reed well) said, “Why not, we have exhausted our resources.”
Tom took the time to work with this young man, using a certain horse on his range. It was a slow process. The young man had been abused, physically and mentally all these years and the effort was going to take a lot of time. You could see at every encounter with these two that a strong bond was building. His learning disabilities, self control and his lack of trust were slowing going away and his self esteem appeared strong. Both the sheriff and the physician said it was a miracle.
The real “miracle” was that this young man graduated with honors from high school and was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy and is now an officer in the United States Air Force. Thank you, Tom Reed, for not giving up on this young man.
Now, back to the canines. There are 220 million olfactory cells in a canine’s nose, compared with 50 million for humans; dogs have long helped in search-and-rescue missions. Now, a growing body of evidence supports the possible use of canines by clinicians.
The largest study done on canines in a clinical diagnostic trial was in prostate cancer detection.
“Our study demonstrates the use of dogs (olfactory) might represent in the future a real clinical opportunity if used together with common diagnostic tools,” said Gian Luigi Taverna, the author of the prostate cancer research reported at the American Urological Association in Boston. Taverna, who is also the head of urology pathology at Istituto Clinico Humanities in Rozzano, Italy, said, “ Our standardized method is reproducible, low cost and noninvasive for the patients and for the dogs.” Taverna, said, “The results may one day be used to help develop an electronic nose that follows natures in how a canine nose works.”
The University of Pennsylvania researchers say they used a canine to help identify the scent of ovarian cancer in tissue samples, opening a new window on a disease with no effective test for early detection.
A recent article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal headlined, “Dog is more than best friend to Veteran,” talked about Melissa Maher of Bartlett, an Iraqi War Veteran coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. Maher was given a golden retriever from the K9s for Warriors; Chauncey.
Maher said, “the physical stress reaction when you start getting nervous: The heart beats faster. You breathe faster. May start fidgeting or pacing. Chauncey picks up these cues before I am aware of it. He can bring it to my attention so that I can remove myself from the triggering situation or use coping
skills.” Sometimes all it takes is for him to look at her with his expressive face, including a raised eyebrow. Chauncey will lean into her or paw at her if he senses her growing anxiety and wakes up Maher when he senses the anxiety spurred by her nightmares. Before Chauncey, Maher could hardly attend her children’s school functions, go into a store and talk to a clerk without breaking out into a cold sweat. She said these anxiety/ meltdowns would last up to two days.
With the help of Chauncey, Maher has now returned to school, getting an associate degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College and enrolling at the University of Memphis.
In conclusion, why do you think God told Noah to gather two of each type of animal to go on the Arc? God didn’t say anything about two Jones or
two Smiths. Sometimes we’re better off with the animals around.
Bill Appling, FACMPE, ACHE, is founder and president of J William Appling, LLC. He is a national speaker, presenter and a published author. He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis and is on the boards of Hope House and Life Blood. For more information contact Bill at [email protected].
When Donkeys FlyBY BILL APPLING
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diseases and return of some of the older ones is multifactorial with global mobility and increasing refusals to be vaccinated contributing to the problem.
Emerging Infectious Disease“The majority of these new diseases
are what we call zoonotic. As the name suggests, they are diseases that have jumped from the animal world into humans,” Jones explained, adding exam-ples include SARS, West Nile Virus and H1N1.
The most recent mosquito-borne disease to make its way to the United States is chikun-gunya. “We just started seeing it in the last few months,” Jones noted of the disease’s mi-gration primarily from the Caribbean where there have been large outbreaks. “Our first cases in Tennessee were in May. We’d never seen it before. As of today, there are 37 suspected cases, and all of them are people who have recently returned from the Caribbean.”
Jones added, “This new one, chikun-gunya, luckily does not have a reservoir out in the wild.” He explained the viral disease doesn’t live in birds or other animals and only transmits between mosquitos and humans. “For me to get it, the mosquito would have to bite an infected person and then me. So far we haven’t seen any jump from infected travelers to someone local,
but that’s what we’re afraid of.”(Editor’s Note: At the time of the interview in
early July, there had not been any cases of chikun-gunya originating in the United States. However, the CDC has since confirmed the first cases of the virus being locally acquired. The virus is transmit-ted through two species of mosquitoes, Aedes ae-gypti and Aedes albopictus, which are found in a number of regions across the country including the Southeast.)
Primary symptoms include joint pain and fever. Although there is no vaccine, Jones noted, “It’s rarely fatal, but it makes you feel terrible for about a week, and 10 to 15 percent of people will have very bad arthralgias for up to a year.”
Dengue is another mosquito-borne virus that epidemiologists are closely moni-toring. “Generally, it’s pretty endemic in the Caribbean and South and Central America, but it seems to be moving north,” Jones said. “As these vector-borne diseases move into new areas, it raises concerns as to whether it could be related to climate change.”
With no vaccine or treatment, dengue is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics and is caused by any of four related viruses transmitted by mos-quitos. “Unfortunately, dengue you can get more than once, and if you get it a second time, it’s usually much more severe,” Jones said, adding it’s nickname is ‘breakbone fever’ because the intense joint and muscle pain can cause those with dengue to have contortions.
The first 2014 human case of yet an-other mosquito-borne disease, West Nile Virus, was confirmed in Tennessee in late June. WNV has been present in the state since 2001.
The common thread with all three of these viruses is that there is no vaccine so prevention remains the best way to con-tain the spread of the virus. The TDH lists a number of recommendations on their website for individuals to prevent mosquito bites including the use of insect repellants and elimination of standing water near homes.
Reemerging DiseasesAlthough ‘officially’ eradicated from
the United States in 2000, measles is still present in other regions of the world and has begun to reappear in this country. In fact, the CDC recently announced they have confirmed more cases of measles in the United States so far in 2014 than in any other year in the past two decades.
This spring, the TDH identified the first case of measles in the state in three years. As with most cases now seen in this country, the virus was traced to an interna-tional traveler and then spread to those who weren’t immune to the disease.
“We had one person who returned from overseas from an area that was hav-ing an outbreak, and we ended up having five people infected before we got it under control,” Jones said. Transmittable through the air, he added, “Measles is very serious
and really, really easy to spread.”Although the state has a very high rate
of compliance for the measles vaccine, Jones pointed out that the vaccine was really only recommended for those born after 1957 since many older citizens were exposed to measles in childhood. A two-part vaccine, Jones said the state probably only has 2-3 percent of the population that isn’t fully im-munized.
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an-other disease spreading throughout the country. Although Jones said Tennessee has only had light activity with 100-200 cases per year, other parts of the country have been much more heavily affected. “There are some states in the Midwest and now California that have had many hundreds and thousands.”
The problem, Jones continued is a combination of under-immunization and the fact that it isn’t a perfect vaccine. Because of some concern about the im-munization wearing off, a booster is now recommended. “In the last couple of years, we began recommending all adults that haven’t had this new Tdap (tetanus, diph-theria and acellular pertussis) vaccine get a dose no matter when the last time they had a tetanus shot,” Jones said.
In Tennessee, the continuing concern over tuberculosis comes with some good news and some bad news. “For the first time this year, Tennessee is below the national average, which is exciting … but as the numbers go down, the complexity of each case is going up,” Jones said.
He added, “While we’re having a real impact on domestic TB, now nationally the majority of TB cases are in the foreign-born population. We’re seeing much more imported TB.”
Although contagious, Jones said it takes close, prolonged contact rather than casual proximity to spread the disease. In the absence of a good vaccine for TB, test-ing becomes important … particularly for healthcare workers.
A major issue with reemerging diseases is a lack of recognition by healthcare pro-viders since they are so rare. “There are very few physicians in the U.S. who have ever seen a true case of measles,” Jones said. “Likewise for TB … most physicians are never going to have seen a real case, and that makes it challenging.” He added, “With TB, for example, we’re increasingly seeing people who went to a healthcare professional and were treated for bronchi-tis, smoker’s cough, etc. We’ve got to keep these diseases in the back of our minds as possibilities.”
Jones said education and awareness are key to catching infectious diseases early. The CDC has extensive information on both emerging and reemerging public health threats. Likewise, the TDH provides resources and local updates about diseases present in Tennessee. For more informa-tion, go online to cdc.gov and to the TDH section on communicable and environmen-tal diseases and emergency preparedness (CEDS) at health.state.tn.us/ceds.
Emerging & Reemerging Infectious Diseases, continued from page 1
Tim C. Nicholson is the President of Bigfish, LLC. His Memphis-based firm connects physicians, clinics and hospitals to patients and one another through healthcare social media solutions, branding initiatives and websites. His column, “Hey Doc”, appears here monthly. Find him on twitter @timbigfish or email [email protected]
By TIM NICHOLSON
You attended years of school and training. But by now you know that there’s more to being a doctor than what you learned in the classroom. Sure, a suture can heal and the right medication can manage the in-between time. But a smile goes a long way toward the same and a word of encouragement moves a patient toward their best outcome.
So, what have we learned about social media that might make a difference in your practice? After all, there’s more to doing it right than merely creating an account and updating your Facebook status or Twitter feed. The technology is several years into its use life. You’d think most doctors would have figured this out by now. But a recent review of the top healthcare brands in our community taught me that they haven’t.
However, you can demonstrate social media savvy and connect with patients by using these Best Practices as a guide:
Enable More Voices.It’s difficult to build community with-
out conversation. Creating good content isn’t good enough. Invite trusted sources to guest post on your page. Host a Facebook Q&A with a physician from your team. Get a conversation started. And don’t be afraid of what you hear. Helping people get it right makes you the most valuable voice in
action (see Just One Voice). If your social media presence is largely dedicated to an-nouncements regarding office hours, new staff members and new services – you’re Charlie Brown’s school teacher. Sure she had important information to share but all the kids heard was, “Wah, wah, wah.”
Patients Look for Themselves.I’m sorry to report this but people want
to know if your brand advocates (those who like your social media pages) have anything in common with them. Potential new pa-tients are smart and have learned to use your Facebook wall as a place to find out who makes up your community. If they don’t see people like themselves, they’ll be less inclined to connect. We’re clearly not advocating excluding any one. We are encouraging you to be intentional in your marketing. A grandmother who likes a pediatrician’s page is not nearly as good a match to potential new patient as a young woman who does.
Raise Your Hand.Okay, that’s code for “buy some ads.”
Facebook advertising is relatively inexpen-sive but there is a right and wrong way to do it. Here’s a simple truth: Facebook
changed the algorithm that determines what percentage of your target audience sees your posts shrinking your natural reach. If you want all, most or more than a single digit percentage to connect with you there, you’re going to have to buy ads and boost your posts with ad dollars.
But more than anything else it’s about this,
Know What They Want. If your OB/GYN practice wants to
reach women, maybe you should share some content from SELF Magazine. But it’ll be more meaningful if a member of your phy-sician staff has a commentary on the subject and can connect it to those in your practice community in a personal way. What they want is to know what you think.
Maybe you’ve heard some of this be-fore, but by judging the social media pages of your peer network, nobody’s listening. You can be a leader in empowering a healthcare community, who in turn advo-cates for your brand and sees you as among the best practices.
Hey Doc, Best Practices
Dr. Tim Jones
w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m AUGUST 2014 > 7
West TN Bone & Joint Clinic
Dr. G. Blake Chandler, a board-certifiedorthopedic surgeon, has been practicing atBone & Joint Specialists, PLLC, in Paris,Tennessee, since he opened the clinic in 2000.Joining West TN Bone & Joint Clinic with himis his nurse practitioner, Clay Nolen, FNP, BC.
A Paris native, Dr. Chandler is proud to servehis hometown. With his new affiliation withWest Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic, he says,“patients will continue to receive the samegreat compassionate care from the same staff in the same location.”
For appointments with Dr. Chandler, continue to call: 731-644-0474
G. Blake Chandler, M.D., left, andClay Nolen, FNP, BC
Physicians:Lowell Stonecipher, M.D.Michael Cobb, M.D. • David Johnson, M.D.Kelly Pucek, M.D. • Harold Antwine III, M.D.David Pearce, M.D. • Jason Hutchison, M.D.Adam Smith, M.D. • Douglas Haltom, M.D.Michael Dolan, M.D. • Eric Homberg, M.D.G. Blake Chandler, M.D. • John Everett, M.D.
Orthopedic Excellence • Sports Medicine • Pain Management
Bone & Joint Specialists, PLLC
in Paris, TN, joinsWest TN Bone & Joint Clinic, PC
www.wtbjc.com
The widespread reform of the na-tion’s healthcare has trickled down to cre-ate significant changes for area healthcare providers; changes that begin this month.
The changes are underway where Qsource, Tennessee’s longtime Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), has spearheaded a partnership effort under the consortia name “atom Alliance” to win a five-state Quality Innovation Net-work (QIN)/Quality Improvement Orga-nization (QIO) contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Under provisions of Qsource’s five-year, $51 million dollar contract, atom Alli-ance will work to improve healthcare quality for Medicare patients and families throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Missis-sippi, Tennessee and Indiana.
The move comes as part of CMS’s two-phased restructuring of the traditional QIO program, which required organiza-tions to bid on regional coverage areas and also required bidders to choose between two lines of work: separating beneficiary complaint, case review and monitoring activities from quality improvement tech-nical assistance activities. Qsource and its atom Alliance chose to pursue the quality improvement work and, as of August 1, 2014, no longer works with providers on case review activities.
New Protocol in Place CMS named two Beneficiary and
Family-Centered Care (BFCC) QIO con-tractors to support the program’s case review. KEPRO, located in Seven Hills Ohio, will conduct case review activities for Tennessee and will be responsible for ensuring consistency in the review process with consideration of local factors impor-tant to beneficiaries. Qsource has provided the following notification to providers:
Beginning August 1, 2014, all current and future beneficiary quality review case work and appeals will be conducted by KEPRO.
Healthcare providers and Medicare
beneficiaries must now contact KEPRO toll-free at 1 (844) 430.9504 for all appeal requests and Quality of Care concerns. All outstanding Higher-Weighted DRG medical record requests after the above date should be mailed to: KEPRO; Rock Run Center; 5700 Lombardo Center, Suite 100; Seven Hills, Ohio 44131. If you would like more information from KEPRO during the transition, call the Provider Helpline toll-free at 1 (800) 385-5080. http://www.keproqio.com/
These changes are part of the CMS QIO program transformation effort which aims to improve the effectiveness, effi-ciency, economy, and quality of care for
Medicare beneficiaries. If a patient’s case is currently under
review or in process, please be assured that every effort has been made to ensure a seamless transition for Medicare benefi-ciaries with no disruption in case review services.
New Alliance Quality Improvement
The newly restructured QIN-QIO contract is part of an unprecedented over-haul of CMS’s Quality Improvement Or-ganization (QIO) program and aligns with the goals of the National Quality Strat-egy’s (NQS) three broad aims to better care, better health and lower costs through improvement. Under the new structure, atom Alliance will work with healthcare providers and communities on multiple, data-driven quality initiatives to improve patient safety, reduce harm and improve clinical care. Organizational members of atom Alliance include AQAF (Alabama), IQH (Mississippi) and Qsource (Tennes-see, Kentucky and Indiana).
The atom Alliance will focus on sev-eral key initiatives during the next five years, with an emphasis on the entire region’s rural health needs, according to Qsource Chief Executive Officer, Dawn FitzGerald.
Qsource to Spearhead Significant ChangesIn CMS’ Restructuring Of QIO Programs
Effective August 1, 2014, KEPRO will be the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Areas 2, 3 and 4. Healthcare providers and Medicare beneficiaries should use the contact information below, or visit www.keproqio.com for additional information.
*TTY users in CMS Areas 2, 3 and 4 should call 855-843-4776.
CMS Area Address Local Phone
Numbers Toll-free
Phone Number Fax
Numbers Area 2: DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
KEPRO 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 900 Tampa, FL 33609
KEPRO 5700 Lombardo Center Dr., Suite 100 Seven Hills, OH 44131
216-447-9604 844-430-9504 844-878-7921
Area 4: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, WI
KEPRO 5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 900 Tampa, FL 33609
813-280-8256 855-408-8557 844-834-7130
Publication No. A234-1-07/2014. This material was prepared by KEPRO, a Medicare Quality Improvement Organization under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.
Apply at: https://jobs.etsu.eduInquiries can be directed to: Stephen Geraci, M.D., Professor and Chairman of
Internal Medicine via Karen A. Heaton, Quillen College of Medicine, Box 70622,
Johnson City, TN 37614. Phone (423)439-6367; email: [email protected].
Academic Internal Medicine Opportunities
Quillen College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine at East Tennessee State University is seeking BC/BE (at time of hire) Internists to join their groups in Johnson City and Kingsport, Tennessee at the Assistant/Associate Professor level. Responsibilities include teaching residents and medical students ambulatory care in our University practices, with in-patient attending at our community partner teaching hospitals, and the opportunity for clinical research. Scholarship is an expectation of all faculty with protected time for scholarly activities. Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits package, CME allowance and relocation support provided. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE
Quillen College of Medicine is a community-based medical school whose mission emphasizes primary care. Located in the beautiful mountains of northeast Tennessee, Quillen College of Medicine serves the healthcare needs of over 1 million people. The Tri-cities area boasts low crime rate, low cost of living, award-winning public school systems and no state income tax.
8 > AUGUST 2014 w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m
Healthcare Leader, continued from page 1
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get a lot of personal interaction like you do in healthcare,” said Jordan, who earned her accounting degree from Memphis State. “I love helping others in need and interacting with people. Healthcare gives you plenty of opportunity to do that. It is an exciting business to be in and ever changing.”
Jordan found that management was an area she worked well in and when an opportunity in Jackson opened with West Tennessee Healthcare, Jordan made the move, which eventually led to her role at SOS. “While working for West Tennessee Healthcare helping them acquire prac-tices, I met Dr. Keith Nord and helped to get his practice started which then led to me coming to work for his practice,” said Jordan. “Having an accounting degree can be a big help in managing practices since no matter how busy a practice is, if you are not managing your funds, you won’t survive.”
At SOS, Jordan enjoys a close re-lationship with the practice owners and enjoys a hands-on approach to manage-ment. “We have a fabulous group of phy-sician owners who are an integral part of our management team which makes decision making easier than in a giant corporate structure,” said Jordan. “We have tremendous respect for one another, value one another’s opinions and work as a team.”
Jordan also places high regard for the people who work at the clinic. “Any person’s success is dependent upon the employees they work with. It is important to provide others with the teaching and training necessary to empower them to do their job at a higher level,” she said. “If you do that everything works. The whole is only as good as its parts and each one of those parts has value.”
With a staff that includes six physi-cians, 43 employees that cover multiple offi ce sites and a physical therapy clinic, Jordan takes teamwork and she relies greatly upon the team in managing it all and keeping the focus on the patient. “Team is the word around here. You have to listen to those who are on the frontlines, to their ideas, suggestions and to their stressors,” said Jordan. “The best ideas usually come from our employees. I want them to feel like they have a voice in how we do things and how things are run. They are the ones who are keenly aware of what is going on with the most impor-
tant people here, our patients. We want our patients to feel welcome, comfortable and have a positive experience while in our care.”
The SOS team is bracing to face the challenges the change in legislation will bring and are bracing for the drastic im-pact it will have on practices. “I can see a new healthcare delivery system emerging and not knowing exactly what that is going to be is a bit daunting,” said Jordan. “We have to stay fi scally sound in the midst of declining reimbursements and more reg-ulations. There is an exhausting amount of legislation that has had some negative impacts, especially on smaller practices. The financial requirements associated with some of these changes are huge, such as an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system that must meet stringent require-ments. Trying to navigate all those and still take care of patients is a challenge.”
To meet that challenge, Jordan has looked to her team. “We have looked at why we do things and refi ned the over-all process to ensure that everything has value,” she said. “We have more require-ments to meet with fewer resources so wasting time is not an option. Technology has helped us do this by saving time and money. We are always looking for techno-logical advances that will make our jobs easier and less complex.”
Jordan sees the clinic weathering the storm and being a part of the process of what healthcare will become. “Our phy-sicians and I have gotten more involved with the legislative process so that legisla-tors will be more aware of the medical side of business which we hope will help them when they vote on issues that impact our business,” she said.
One testament to the power of team-work that Jordan is proud of, was when the clinic migrated to EMRs. “We expected a disaster,” she said. “We introduced it gradually but throughout the entire pro-cess we were able to make the transition, treat patients and never even had a blip on our fi nancial radar. Our staff, doctors and clinical managers were engaged in the entire process and embraced it. It was quite an accomplishment.”
On her personal scorecard, Jordan lists her MBA in Medical Group Manage-ment from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, which is a very specialized degree to hold. She has also been accepted as a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives. Jordan has shared her wealth of knowledge in the classroom, teaching fi ve semesters, three on campus and two online, at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky. “I taught fi nancial and information manage-ment in medical practice and even devel-oped the coursework for it,” she said. “It was a real challenge but one I enjoyed. I learned so much from the students, from the questions they ask and the way they approach things. It was so different from what you do every day.”
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By LyNNE JETER
A thriving city rich in history, perched on the brow of the picturesque James River, has once again captured the uncov-eted title as the most challenging place to live with asthma.
For the second consecutive year, and four of the last fi ve years, Richmond, Va., took the title perch, with worse than aver-age ratings for prevalence factors (crude death rate for asthma), risk factors (annual pollen score, poverty rate, the uninsured, and public smoking laws), and medical factors (emergency room visits for asthma).
Medical News markets located across the South and Midwest were represented in “Asthma Capitals 2014,” the 11th an-nual research project released by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Boston Scientifi c Corporation (NYSE: BSX) sponsored this year’s report.
Medical News market rankings, with 2013 rankings in parentheses:
(MSAs) in Medical News markets improved over 2013, collectively dropping 45 spots. The St. Louis market showed the least improvement, moving up 29 spots among the most challenging places to live with asthma. The most improved MSAs for
easier asthma living: Knoxville, Tenn., sliding down 31 spots, followed closely by Birmingham, Ala., which dropped 25 spots.
MethodologyAnalytical data from the 100 most-
populated MSAs in the United States de-termined the ranking system. Researchers and medical specialists focused on three primary areas – prevalence, risk, and medical factors – that include 13 unique factors, with non-equal weights applied to each data set in individual factor groups. Total scores were calculated as a compos-ite of all factors, refl ecting each factor’s relative impact on exposure to asthma triggers, quality of life, costs and access to care.
Prevalence factors included the predicted population with asthma, self-reported population with asthma, and re-corded death rates for adults and children from asthma. Risk factors included com-prehensive annual pollen measurements, average length of peak pollen seasons, out-door air quality, poverty and uninsured rates, state school inhaler access laws, and smoke-free public laws.
Medical factors included ER visits for asthma, rescue medication use, controller medication use, and the number per pa-tient of board-certifi ed adult and pediatric allergists and immunologists, and pulmo-nologists.
ER visits represent a signifi cant chunk of asthma care-related costs.
“Many ER visits are from people with severe asthma, but not all of them,” said Mario Castro, MD, professor of medicine and pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discuss-ing the average of more than 2,300 visits to ERs for asthma in each U.S. city, with one in four admitted to a hospital. “Many people with less severe asthma show up to the ER, too. But much of this is avoidable with new treatments for severe patients and better prevention and care for those with less severe disease.”
Making StridesEarlier this year, the Supreme Court
upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which aims to reduce the amount of pollution drift from certain states into oth-
ers, prompting health issues for residents in those states. The Supreme Court also noted the rule is an effective way to con-trol emissions, and melds with the EPA’s mission under the Clean Air Act.
The AAFA is collaborating with state chapters to mandate or improve on the requirement of stocking epinephrine in schools for severe allergic reactions. For example, California is considering legisla-tion to strengthen its existing epinephrine-stocking law to require schools to stock the medication and train a volunteer to administer it. Illinois is considering legis-lation to require, rather than simply allow, schools to stock epinephrine. All states in Medical News markets have epinephrine-stocking school policies in place, with the
exception of North Carolina, which at press time had pending legislation.
The AAFA has banded with other national health advocacy groups to sup-port increased research funding, which includes lobbying against proposed budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion (CDC), Agency for Health Resources and Quality, and other agencies with re-search relevant to asthma and allergic diseases.
For example, the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program has helped decrease asthma mortality rates by more than 45 percent since its inception in 1999.
“There are many things that we can improve now to make life better for people with asthma,” says AAFA spokesperson and asthma patient, Talisa White. “Our Asthma Capitals report helps to shed light on the asthma burden in each city, but it also pro-vides a roadmap for improvements.”
Taking Your Breath Away How do cities fare in the latest annual asthma report?
Providing High-Quality, Patient-Centered Asthma CareU.S. Asthma Guidelines list six key steps for physicians with asthma patients:
• Assess asthma severity.• Provide a written asthma action plan.• Direct patients how to properly use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). • Show patients and their families how to control environmental triggers at home,
work or school.• Schedule follow-up visits.• Assess and monitor asthma control care.
SOURCE: AAFA.
Fast Facts about AsthmaEvery day in the United States,
44,000 people have an asthma attack;
36,000 kids miss school due to asthma;
27,000 adults miss work due to asthma; and
4,700 people visit the emergency room due to asthma;
1,200 people are admitted to the hospital because of asthma; and,
9 people die from asthma.
SOURCE: AAFA.
REPRINTS: If you would like to order a reprint of a Medical News article in a PDF format or request an additional copy of an issue, please email: [email protected] for information.
10 > AUGUST 2014 w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m
SOUTHCOMMChief Executive Officer Chris FerrellChief Financial Officer Patrick Min
Chief Marketing Officer Susan TorregrossaChief Technology Officer Matt Locke
Chief Operating Officer/Group Publisher Eric Norwood
Director of Digital Sales & Marketing David WalkerController Todd Patton
Creative Director Heather PierceDirector of Content /
Online Development Patrick Rains
westtnmedicalnews.com
GrandRoundsWest Tennessee Gastro Welcomes New Physician
Gastroenterologist Mihir K. Patel, MD, MSc, has joined the West Tennessee Gas-tro staff in Jackson.
Dr. Patel completed his Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. Afterwards, he obtained additional fellow-ship training in advanced endoscopy procedures at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Patel grad-uated from the Medical College of Baroda, India, and he received his Internal Medicine Residency training from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Dr. Patel is specially trained in various advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endo-scopic procedures, including Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), complex Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR), Balloon assisted enteroscopy, Bar-rett’s esophagus ablation, and Pancreatic cystgastrostomy/necrosectomy.
Dr. Patel has received board certifica-tion in gastroenterology. He is a member of the training committee of the American
College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and he participated in major initiatives at Mayo Clinic to improve quality in endoscopy pro-cedures.
He received his Master of Science degree in Clinical Investigations from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Dr. Patel has presented a wide range of national and international conferences on various gas-trointestinal diseases, and he has received numerous research awards.
Company (SVMIC) has again received an “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating from A.M. Best Company. SVMIC has maintained an “A” or better rating for more than 30 years.
The A.M. Best Company is the old-est, most experienced rating agency in the world and has been reporting on the finan-cial condition of insurance companies since 1899. The Best’s Financial Strength Rating is an independent opinion of an insurer’s fi-nancial strength and ability to meet its insur-ance obligations.
Founded in 1975, SVMIC is one of the largest and most successful insurance com-panies of its kind, insuring physicians and surgeons in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
Walgreens Healthcare Clinics Open in Collaboration with Baptist Medical Group
Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens in collaboration with Baptist Medical Group, which offers coordinated and expanded health care services, officially begins.
Baptist Medical Group, Baptist Me-morial Health Care’s wholly-owned multi-specialty physician organization, will work with 11 Memphis-area Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens to handle care needs outside the clinics’ scope of practice and help manage the treatment of chronic dis-eases. While Walgreens strongly encourage all patients to have a designated primary care physician and medical home for on-going needs, the collaboration will provide patients access to quality care seven days a week overseen by Baptist Medical Group.
Walgreens Healthcare Clinics partner-ing with BMG include:
West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Celebrates Anniversary with Campaign
The West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation is celebrating the start of its 30th year with a new look! Foundation President Frank McMeen held a news conference yesterday to roll out a new media campaign that includes a new logo and a plan to make the Foundation more regional, with fundraising efforts that reach out statewide.
According to a statement released at the news conference, the Foundation has ex-ceeded $28 million in assets, has 530 community funds and has received more than $58 million in donations over the last 30 years. More than $25 million has been given back to the community into a wide variety of programs over this time period.
Some of the Foundation’s present funds include: Camp Bluebird, a Veterans Cemetery, the Therapy and Learning Center, the Reinbow Riding Academy Hippotherapy program, the Children’s Medical Care Fund, Hospice of West Tennessee and the Kirkland Cancer Center. The Foundation started in 1984 with a project to fund “Lifeline” which is a service to help elderly and those people with limited mobility notify authorities in case of an emergency.
Examples of the Foundation’s outreach growth include its partnerships with the Tennes-see Dental Association Foundation and the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA), which has chapters across the state.
Endowments can be established to ensure a cause is supported in perpetuity, provid-ing an on-going income stream to good cause. Funds can be established to provide annual support for needy causes at the Foundation. Contributions to both of these efforts are tax-deductible and allow the donor to receive the greatest taxable benefit.
To find out more about establishing a fund or endowment or a fund already established, email Frank McMeen at [email protected] or visit wthfoundation.org .
Foundation President Frank McMeen(left) Board Chairman Harbert Alexander, Jr. and former Executive Director Bob Espey, (right)
Century Plus ClubHonoring Seniors – Our “Living” History Friday, October 24, 201410:30 a.m.Southwest Area Agency on Aging and Disability
We are looking for mem-
bers of our community who have reached the 100 year milestone and beyond! Please help us locate our Century Plus honorees by forwarding information regard-ing the centenarian to: [email protected]
We welcome participation from members of the IAC. Good-ie Bags will be distributed to each honoree. If you would like to provide items/gifts for these bags or other gifts, please contact Ter-rie Adkins, Anita Roark, or Regina Smith. For more information email Regina Smith at [email protected]
w e s t t n m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m AUGUST 2014 > 11
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