The MCG Health, Inc. Basketball Team wasthis close to beating Interface of Dublin, Georgia,in the Industrial Men’s League state tournament.Unfortunately, the team lost 64 to 63. The teamis one of 12 in the local league and one of onlytwo to make it to the state finals in Dalton onMarch 10, 2007.

“It has been a wonderful season, especiallywhen you consider that this is our first year field-ing a team,” said team coach Arthur Pryor, hus-band of Terri Pryor, who is the ExecutiveAssistant to the President and CEO Don Snell.“These guys played with great heart. Severaltimes, we played with only four people on thecourt.”

The team’s season record is 9 and 2. Theyracked up points in the win column by beatingteams from Club Car, Augusta Recreation and

A biweekly publication for the employees of MCG Health, Inc. March 19, 2007

News of Excellence

Graham Heads Food and Nutrition at MCGHI

James H. Graham recentlyjoined MCG Health, Inc. asDirector of Food and Nutrition.He will be responsible for theday-to-day management of food,nutrition and catering servicesas well as for implementing aroom service option for patients.

Graham has more than 25years of experience in healthcare. Most recently, he wasSenior General Manager of

Multi-Services at HarvardMedical School-affiliated BethIsrael Deaconess Medical Center.

He earned a B.A. degree inSecondary Education fromFranklin College in Franklin,Ind. He holds a professionaltrainer certificate from RogerWilliams University inProvidence, R.I., and a food pro-tection certification from theNational Restaurant Association.

The MCGHI Team tied with Georgia War in the Augustaleague, but because Georgia War was the victor in thematch-up between the two teams, the MCGHI Teamreceived the runner up trophy. Pictured (left to right,seated) are: Mark Stevens; MCGHI President and CEODon Snell; William Hayes, Vice President of HumanResources; and Tron Danforth. Standing, left to right,are: Arthur Pryor; Cardell Hilton; Irvin Franklin;Michael Burke; Michael Proctor; and Larry Carter.

MCGHI Basketball Team Reaches State Finals

See MCGHI Basketball on page 2

The state’s voice mail provider, GTA, is upgrad-ing to a new Unified Messaging system on March27, 2007. Prior to that conversion, existing voicemail users must register for the new system onlineat www.gavoicemail.com. Those who do not regis-ter by the conversion date will lose voice mailcapabilities.

Once logged on to the website, you must regis-ter for e-mail notification of voice mail messages,which you can either go into your phone systemto retrieve or listen to via your computer. E-mailnotification is required because your phone willno longer alert you to the existence of a voicemail message either through a highlighted buttonor through a stutter dial tone. Also, you mustrecord your voice mail greeting in the new system.

After the conversion, you will continue to dial706-721-6160 to retrieve messages. Those who areable to access the voice mail message systemthrough a one-touch button will continue to do soafter conversion, with the appropriate programming.

Unified Messaging will give users a number ofnew features, such as:

• Users can conference up to 10 people usingthe system

• A customizable auto-attendant is available• Each user will have their own fax number

that will allow faxes to go directly to their voice-mail in-box online as well as to their e-mail

• A follow-me feature allows the user to havemultiple phone numbers programmed so that thecaller can find them at certain times of the dayinstead of leaving a voice mail

• Options and passwords can be changed with-out sending a work order to GTA

• A calling card can also be used on this system• All mailboxes are capable of 30 three-minute

messages. The menu options will also change. From the

main menu, press 1 for your voice messages. Press1 to listen to your new messages or 2 to listen toyour saved messages.

Other menu options are:

Phone Key Action

Replay the message

Play the time/date of the message

Delete the message

Return the call

Save the message

Skip to the next message

Return to the previous menu

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See Voice Mail Converts on page 3

Parks, Nutrasweet, Bumble BeeCastleberry, Sonoco, UniversityHospital, EZ Go, Textron, theU.S. Postal Service and Kellogg#1. The team lost to Kellogg #2and Georgia War.

“Our team was determined tobe successful. They didn’t wantto let the institution down, andthey didn’t,” Pryor said.

Team members are CaptainLarry Carter of MCGHI FacilitiesServices; Michael Proctor ofMCGHI Facilities Services;Cardell Hilton of MCGHIFacilities Services; Michael Burkeof MCGHI Facilities Services;George Leverette of the MCGHIEmergency Department; TronDanforth of MCGHI FoodServices; Irvin Franklin ofMCGHI Facilities Services;

Corey Armstead, third-yearmedical student at the MedicalCollege of Georgia; MarkStevens of MCGHI PatientTransport; and Clay Spitler,third-year medical student atthe Medical College of Georgia.

“We’re looking forward togoing all the way next year,”Pryor promised.

MCGHI Basketballcontinued from page 1

Voice Mail Converts March 27

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Patient- and Family-Centered Care: An Update

“There are many hospitalleaders who are continuing tobuild knowledge and empowerstaff in the practices of patient-and family-centered care,” saidPat Sodomka, Senior VicePresident of Patient- and Family-Centered Care of MCG Health,Inc. “From the launch ofCarePages to the formation ofnumerous new advisory groups,this philosophy of care isbecoming an integral part of allof our operations.”

Following are some of therecent initiatives within MCGHealth System:

Adult Inpatient Care

• Under the leadership ofNurse Manager Carrie HollowayRN, BSN, the Perinatal AdvisoryCommittee has been reconsti-tuted. A collaborative approachto redesign of the Labor andDelivery, Antepartum andPostpartum units is underway.

• Gareth Fenley, CertifiedPeer Specialist, is chairing theBehavioral Health AdvisoryCouncil.

• The 3 West Neuroscienceunit is working with Cerner topilot a patient-centered medicalrecord project.

• A 4 South AdvisoryCommittee led by NurseManager Bonita Thomas, RN,BSN, has been initiated to pro-vide that unit with advice andcounsel from patients and fami-lies.

• A redesign of the ICU wait-ing areas is underway to bettersupport families and staff.

Pediatric Care

• Patient advisors played apivotal role in the redesign ofthe Pediatric SubspecialtySurgery Clinic, the reconstruc-tion of which is nearly com-plete.

• Other renovations includethe redesign of the pediatric ICUwaiting area and the pediatriccath lab.

• An intermediate care unit isbeing planned.

• An advisory group isreviewing the NICU familyhandbook and updating it.

Ambulatory Care

• All managers underwent aone-day Learning Lab.

• A Family Medicine PatientAdvisory Council has beenformed. The group meets regu-larly under the leadership ofFamily Medicine NurseCoordinator Carla Duffie,RN,BSN, Administrative DirectorKenny Echols and DepartmentChairman Dr. Joseph Hobbs.

• The MCG HealthPartners isreviewing the vision/values thatwould constitute the idealambulatory care system.

• Seven advisors led bypatient advisor Nettie Engels arelooking at the design of theproposed ambulatory cancercenter. The structure andprocess of the group is similarto that used in the planning ofthe MCG Children’s MedicalCenter.

• The Quality Allies grantthat enabled the piloting ofMyHealthLink in the MS clinicwas extended for nine addi-tional months.

All users should go into theirmailbox no later than 4 p.m. onMarch 27 to check for any newor saved messages. Messages

from the old system will notrollover to the new system.

One person representingeach department is undergoingtraining on the new system andwill be able to help users set uptheir new mailboxes. If you

have questions about the con-version, please contact yourdepartmental representative.

Voice Mail Convertscontinued from page 2

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LaRussa Receives SCAPAN Recognition

Krista LaRussa,RN, BSN, CAPA, ofPerioperativeServices, wasrecently recognizedfor her commitmentto excellence in peri-anesthesia nursingby the SouthCarolina Associationof PeriAnesthesia Nurses. In aprocess similar to that ofPerianesthesia Nurse of the Yearawarded by the GeorgiaAssociation, she received $300for the number of points sheaccumulated in service to theassociation as well as other pro-fessional nursing organizations.

LaRussa has been a registerednurse at MCG Health System for14 years. She has served in hercurrent position as a Senior StaffNurse in the Pre-op clinic since2001. She first joined MCG

Health System in1992 as a PatientCare Assistant. Sheis currently theChair of theNursingPerformanceImprovementCouncil of SharedGovernance.

She earned a B.S. degree inNursing at the University ofSouth Carolina and will com-plete a M.S. degree in Nursingfrom Regis University/CollegeNetwork in August.

She is a member of theAmerican Society ofPeriAnesthesia Nurses and theSouth Carolina Association ofPeriAnesthesia Nurses. She isthe current Vice President of theGeorgia Association ofPeriAnesthesia Nurses.

Parkinson DiseaseSeminar Slated

Advances in the treatmentof Parkinson disease will beexplored at the 6th AnnualParkinson Disease Seminar,presented by the MCGNeuroscience Center’sMovement Disorders Program,March 23, 2007, from 8:30a.m. to noon at the DoubletreeHotel Augusta (formerly theAugusta Towers Hotel), 2651Perimeter Parkway.

The seminar is open topatients, families and othersinterested in Parkinson dis-ease. Speakers include:

• “Preclinical Detection ofParkinson Disease – Ready forPrime Time?” by Dr. MathewStern, University ofPennsylvania

• “Slowing ParkinsonDisease – Where Are We?” ByDr. Kapil Sethi, MCG HealthSystem

• “Recent Advances in theTreatment of ParkinsonDisease” by Dr. John Morgan,MCG Health System

• “Cognitive Decline andDementia in ParkinsonDisease” by Dr. DavidKnopman, Mayo Clinic,Rochester, N.Y.

For information and regis-tration, please call 706-721-2798.

MCGHI Employees Show UnsurpassedGenerosity

Employees of MCG Health, Inc. pledged a record $85,000 for the2007 United Way of the CSRA campaign, making the health systemone of the top major employers in campaign giving once again. TheUnited Way of the CSRA raised more than $4.4 million to help fundvital community programs and agencies.

Sleep for a Healthy and Beautiful You!

Lunch and Learn

March 23, 2007

Noon

MCG Children’s Medical Center Conference Center

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National Patient Safety Goals

Improve the accuracy ofpatient identification.

Improve the effectiveness ofcommunication amongcaregivers.

Improve medication safety.

Reduce risk of health care-associated infections.

Accurately and completelyreconcile medicationsacross the continuum ofcare.

Reduce the risk of patientharm resulting from falls.

Encourage patients’ activeinvolvement in their owncare.

The organization identifiessafety risks inherent in itspatient population.

Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care, treatment orservices.

For verbal orders, telephone orders or reporting critical test results viatelephone, verify the complete order or test result by having the personreceiving the information record and “read-back” the complete order ortest result.

Standardize a list of prohibited abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, anddose designations.

Measure, assess and improve the timeliness of reporting and receivingcritical test results and values.

Implement a standardized approach to “hand off” communications,including the opportunity to ask and respond to questions.

Standardize and limit the number of drug concentrations.

Identify and annually review a list of look-alike/sound-alike drugs, andtake action to prevent errors involving the interchange of these drugs.

Label all medications, medication containers or other solutions on andoff the sterile field.

Comply with current CDC hand hygiene guidelines.

Manage as sentinel events all cases of unanticipated death or majorpermanent loss of function associated with a health care-associatedinfection.

Compare the patient’s current medications with those ordered for thepatient while under the organization’s care.

A complete list of the patient’s medications is communicated to the nextprovider of service when a patient is referred or transferred to anothersetting, service, practitioner or level of care. The complete list of medica-tions is also provided to the patient on discharge from the facility.

Implement a fall reduction program.

Define and communicate the means for patients and their families toreport concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.

The organization identifies patients at risk for suicide.

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Organizations ShouldGoal MCG Health System

MCG Health System used National Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 4through 10, 2007, to highlight the importance of all staff incorporating thenational patient safety goals into their everyday practice. A breakfast was heldto recognize the approximately 135 employees who have been “caught”practicing safe behaviors and given safety stars. Pictured is Brenda Brown, RN,of 3 South Psychiatry, who was the 100th Safety Star. She discovered that anantibiotic order had been duplicated.

Patient Safety the Focus of NationalAwareness Week

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News of Excellence is published by the Public Relations Department of MCG Health, Inc. Strategic Support and Development. Please direct all story ideas and comments to

Deborah Humphrey, phone: 706-721-9177, Fax: 706-721-5735, e-mail: dhumphrey@mcg.edu. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty of the

Medical College of Georgia or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group, not employees of MCG Health, Inc. Reproduction of this publication is prohibited without the

express permission of MCG Health, Inc.

We Are Pleased to Welcome Our Newest Team Members

What Are You Doing?

We would like to highlightwhat your area is doing in customer service, patient satis-faction, and patient- and fam-ily-centered care. Why?Because you deserve recognitionand others could learn fromyour experience. So, e-mailDeborah Humphrey atdhumphrey@mcg.edu and lether know what you are doing.

David Boseman, Environmental Services

Keri Brown, GRTC

Reba Brown, Senior Center

Yolunda Brown, 7 West Labor & Delivery

Kantrese Collins, Environmental Services

Nicole D’Antignac, 5 West Medicine

PrinCess Floyd, HIMS

Candice McConnell, GRTC

Benita Perez, Dietary

Shakira Price, MICU

Amanda Rabun, Pediatric Hemodynamic Lab

Demetrius Richardson, SCC Lab

Jackie Romig, 5 West Medicine

Robert Skidmore, Emergency Medicine

Fredina Tanksley, NICU

Jessica Williams, Inventory Management

MCG Health System willsalute physicians on March 30,2007, with an exhibit in the sec-ond floor Sydenstricker Lobbythat highlights milestones inthe history of medicine as wellas showcases our own physicianleaders.

National Doctors’ Day wasfirst observed on March 30,1933, in Winder, Ga., whenEudora Brown Almond, wife of

Dr. Cha Almond, had the ideato commemorate the anniver-sary of the first use of generalanesthetic in surgery. OnMarch 30, 1842, Dr. CrawfordLong of Barrow County, Ga.,used ether to remove a tumorfrom a patient’s neck.

The Barrow County MedicalSociety Auxiliary proclaimed theday “Doctors’ Day.” The daywas celebrated by mailing cards

to physicians and their wives,and by placing flowers on thegraves of deceased doctors,including Dr. Long.

The U.S. House ofRepresentatives adopted a reso-lution commemorating Doctors’Day on March 30, 1958. In1990, Congress established aNational Doctors’ Day, the firstof which was celebrated March30, 1991.

We Salute National Doctors’ Day

The Hospice Foundation ofAmerica’s 14th AnnualNational BereavementTeleconference, “Living WithGrief: Before and After theDeath,” will broadcast live viasatellite and webcast on March22, 2007, from 1:30 p.m. to 4p.m. in the conference centerof the MCG Children’s MedicalCenter.

The educational forum willfeature a multidisciplinarypanel of experts who willexplore the most current theo-retical perspectives on loss andgrief. The panel will focus onareas where understandings ofgrief have been challenged.

For further information,contact the MCG Health, Inc.Chaplains at 706-721-2929.

Annual Grief Teleconference to Be Held