The VitaLinkMAY 2020 • VOL. XXXIX, ISSUE V

Maury Regional Health is a not-for-profit regional health system serving southern Middle

Tennessee through our hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, outpatient facilities and physician

practice group. We are the largest health system between Nashville, Tennessee, and Huntsville,

Alabama, with a medical staff of more than 210 physicians encompassing 34 medical specialties.

MRMC earns ‘A’ rating for spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety GradeMaury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) was awarded an ‘A’ in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing MRMC’s achieve-ments for providing safer health care. This is the 13th consecutive reporting period that MRMC earned an ‘A’ rating.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization commit-ted to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to general hospitals across the country and updated every six months to assess how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

“This 13th consecutive ‘A’ rating for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group reflects Maury Regional Medical Center’s

commitment to continually monitoring and evaluating our performance across national safety measures,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Alan Watson. “Our community can rest assured that our employees and physicians are dedicated to providing outstanding care that priori-tizes our patients’ safety.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospi-tal Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades. The methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent with the results free to the public.

Visit MauryRegional.com to learn more about Maury Regional’s commitment to quality.

Cancer Center earns reaccreditation in radiation oncologyThe Maury Regional Cancer Center was recently awarded another three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology following a review by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Radiation oncology, also known as radiation therapy, is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to destroy cancer cells or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

“This is the third time the Maury Regional Cancer Center has earned accreditation from the ACR, which is a testament to the world-class care our physicians and staff provide to our patients right here in Columbia,” said Administrative Director of Oncology Services Dana Salters.

The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety.

“The physicians and staff at the Maury Regional Cancer Center are committed to ensuring our patients receive outstanding care that meets rigorous national standards in clinical quality and patient safety as demon-strated by this reaccreditation from the ACR,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Alan Watson.

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Dr. Marshall retires from medical staffJames H. Marshall, M.D., a specialist in urology, retired from Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) Urology on May 5 after 31 years as a practicing physician in Columbia.

Dr. Marshall joined the Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) medical staff in 1989 and has worked with MRMG since 2015. He earned his medical degree from the Univer-sity of Tennessee in Memphis, where he also completed his residency. He is board certified in urology.

During his tenure on the medical staff, Dr. Marshall served as chief of surgery in 1998. He also served as an

active member in the Maury County Medical Society, Tennessee Medical Asso-ciation and American Urological Association.

“Maury Regional Medical Group would like to thank Dr. Marshall for his more than 30 years of service to our patients and community,” said MRMG CEO Mike Fecher. “He will be deeply missed by his patients, office staff and local medical community. We wish him well as he begins this next chapter.”

Dr. Marshall

Dr. Wilburn retires from medical staffC. Doug Wilburn, M.D., a specialist in orthopedic surgery associated with Mid-Tennessee Bone & Joint, retired April 30 after 38 years on the Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) medical staff.

Dr. Wilburn joined the medical staff in 1982. He earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in Memphis and completed his residency at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. He is board certified in orthopedic surgery.

As a member of the medical staff, Dr. Wilburn served as chief of staff at MRMC in 1995 and spent 20 years as

the team physician at Columbia Central High School and Columbia Academy. In addition, Dr. Wilburn is a member of the Maury County Medical Society, Tennes-see Medical Society and American Medical Association as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

“It has been a privilege to work with Dr. Wilburn over the years,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Alan Watson. “Please join me in recognizing Dr. Wilburn for his work and service throughout his career. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Dr. Wilburn

Dr. Chaney provides guidance to local business leaders

Martin M. Chaney, M.D., chief medical officer for Maury Regional Medical Center and hospital medicine specialist, discussed COVID-19 during the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce’s monthly

luncheon in April. The webinar focused on COVID-19

and the importance of social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. Dr. Chaney also provided advice for business leaders in the community, including the value of tele-conferencing when applicable, maintaining a distance of at least six feet between all individuals, implementing rigorous disin-fection protocols for frequently touched surfaces, wearing masks when interact-ing with the public and educating employ-ees with factual information about how the disease is spread and its symptoms.

“We thank our business leaders for their diligence in fighting the spread of this infection,” Dr. Chaney said during the presentation. “We realize this has created a tremendous challenge personally and for your businesses, but together, we are going to get through this.”

Dr. Chaney received his medical degree from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, where he also completed his resi-dency. He is board certified in internal medi-cine and pediatrics.

Dr. Chaney

Reminder: Share your professional newsDid you or a colleague recently earn advanced certification? Present at a state or national conference? Publish research in a peer-reviewed journal?

Share your good news for possible inclusion in The VitaLink by sending details to TheVitaLink@MauryRegional.com.

MAURY REGIONAL HEALTH | 3

Kennedy leads diabetes webinarDiabetes Educator Michelle Kennedy, RN, BSN, CDE, led a webinar in May about “The Facts (and Myths) About Managing Your Diabetes” for members of the Southern Springs 55+ community in Spring Hill.

Kennedy led the webinar as part of Maury Regional’s recurring health semi-nar series for the community. During her presentation, Kennedy shared how those with diabetes can manage the condition to

lower their risk for serious side effects and complications as well as some common myths about diabetes.

Organizational Announcements —

McDonnold

McDonnold named patient access services directorAlyssa McDonnold recently accepted the position of director for patient access services for Maury Regional Health (MRH).

In this role, McDonnold leads a team dedicated to critical financial clearance activities, including sched-uling, pre-registration, registration, pre-certification, financial counseling, customer service and revenue cycle training for acute and ambulatory patient access locations. McDonnold and her team support Maury Regional Medical Center, Marshall Medical Center, Wayne Medical Center and Maury Regional Medical Group.

“Alyssa brings 16 years of health care experience and a passion for patient access to this position,” said MRH Chief Financial Officer Nick Swift. “She has an incredible focus on developing her staff and prioritizing an excellent level of service for our patients. I look forward to Alyssa’s leadership and am excited to have her in this integral role. Please join me in welcoming Alyssa to the Maury Regional Health team.”

Most recently, McDonnold served as the director for Texas Health Resource’s patient access intake, pre-access and finan-cial clearance departments.

Watts

Watts named director of women’s, children’s servicesKathy Watts, MSN, RN, SANE-A, recently accepted the role of administrative director of women’s and chil-dren’s services for Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC). She assumes this role in addition to her current responsibilities as administrative director of emergency services.

“Kathy’s strong background in nursing and management made her the perfect candidate to fill this role as demonstrated by her excellent leadership as administrative director for emergency services,” said Chief Nursing Office Deborah Lumpkins, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. “I look forward to continuing to work Kathy in this new capacity.”

Watts’ background is in labor and delivery and emergency nursing. She joined MRMC in 2016 as admin-istrative director of emergency services with responsibilities that include administering, directing and coordinating patient care for the Emergency Department and Maury County Jail. With this new appointment, Watts is also responsible for the labor and delivery, mother/baby and neonatal intensive care units as well as lactation services and the women’s and children’s service line.

Kennedy

Welcome to the Family —

Marsha McFall, MRMG Oncology, and family welcomed Everlee Claire Blankenship on May 17. She weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces.

Katie Stewart, Occupational Therapy, and family welcomed Layton Brock Stewart on May 20.

He weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces.

Jordan and Joseph Warren, Labor & Delivery and Respiratory Care, respectively, welcomed Luca Charles Warren on May 8. He weighed 4 pounds and 4 ounces.

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MRMC recognizes Venable with DAISY Award

Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) recognized NICU nurse Alison Venable, BSN, RNC-LRN, as the May recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

“Alison was nominated for the DAISY Award by the mother of a patient in our NICU for the excellent care she provided, as well as for the warmth and compassion she demonstrated throughout the patient’s stay,” said Kim Morrow, RN, BSN, RNC, nurse manager for NICU and Mother/Baby. “In Alison’s nomination story, the patient’s mother specif-ically highlighted how Alison’s compassion and patience while helping her learn to feed her son left a special mark on her heart.”

The DAISY Award is presented to MRMC nurses as part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the compassionate and extraordinary nursing care that award recipients and nominees provide to patients every day.

Nominations for the DAISY Award are accepted from patients, families and colleagues by submitting a paper form available on the nursing units or at MauryRegional.com. One nominee is selected as the award recipient per month.

Physical therapy implements referral toolMaury Regional Physical Therapy will soon begin utilizing Preferral, a HIPPA-compliant, web-based platform that provides a convenient and secure way for providers to refer patients to one of the health system’s seven therapy locations.

To refer a patient for therapy services using Preferral, providers will simply go to Therapy.MauryRegional.com once the link is live and select “Refer a Patient Now” before answering a few questions about the patient and providing any associated documentation. The patient’s insurance will be verified and the patient is contacted to schedule or verify the appointment. Maury Regional Medical Group providers should continue using Cerner to refer patients for therapy services.

“By utilizing this tool, providers should find that it saves time during the referral process, keeps patients in the loop and provides real-time referral updates,” said Director of Rehabilitation Services Cindy Kington, PT, CHT.

Maury Regional Medical Group began utilizing Preferral in January to expedite referrals to specialty providers.

For more information, call 931.380.4014. Information about Maury Regional Health’s therapy services and locations is available at Therapy.MauryRegional.com.

Pictured (l-r) are Morrow, Venable, Administrative Director

Kathy Watts and Chief Nursing Officer Deborah Lumpkins

during the DAISY Award presentation May 20.

Senior Life Solutions offers teletherapy servicesSenior Life Solutions, an intensive outpa-tient group therapy program for seniors based at Marshall Medical Center (MMC), recently announced the ability to provide services remotely to allow patients to receive care while remaining at home.

“May is Mental Health Awareness Month and taking care of your emotional well-being is more important than ever,” said Daniel Simpkins, a behavioral health therapist with Senior Life Solu-tions. “We’re proud that we are able to continue offering services to our commu-nities during these difficult times.”

Psychiatric Medical Care, the behavioral health care management company that operates Senior Life Solu-tions, has incorporated telehealth into its care model for more than a decade.

(see "Senior Life" on page 5)

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Employees receive awards during Nurses Week

BryantCowdreyDeRusha JonesMacArthurThomasonThurman

Teletherapy services are provided via tele-phone or computer by a licensed therapist in group and individual therapy settings. All teletherapy services are confidential and HIPPA compliant.

Referrals to the program can be made by anyone, including a patient’s physician, other health care professional or family member, as well as by self-re-ferral. Visit MauryRegional.com or call 931.270.3685 to learn more.

Senior Life(continued from page 4)

Maury Regional Health moved by community supportMaury Regional Health (MRH) continues to be moved by the outpouring of commu-nity support from individuals, businesses and organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On behalf of our organization, we sincerely thank each of our community partners for their continued acts of kindness and support for our team,” said MRH CEO Alan Watson. “We appreciate all those who have donated or shared hand-sewn masks or gowns, meals or snacks for staff, PPE and words of encouragement.”

An overview of the more than 350 organizations and individuals who have supported MRH during this time is available at COVID.MauryRegional.com.

During National Nurses Week this May, Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) recognized several nursing professionals as award winners for their commitment to nursing excellence and compas-sionate care.

The 2020 award recipients include:• Nightingale: Jean Thurman, RNFA, CNOR, Operating

Room • Charge Nurse of the Year: Sarah Thomason, BSN, RN,

Cardiology• Nurse Leader of the Year: Sue MacArthur, EdD, MSN,

RN-BC, Nursing Professional Development• Preceptor of the Year: Shania DeRusha, BSN, RN,

CMS-RN, Third West• Renown Outcomes: Amanda Cowdrey, RN, Critical Care • Rising Star: Amanda Jones, BSN, RN, Sixth Surgical• Support Staff Excellence: Artavia Bryant, NT, Float Pool

The 2020 award recipients were surprised by their managers with their awards during their shifts. Their photos, along with the names of past awardees, are featured in MRMC’s Nursing Hall of Fame, located on the ground floor outside the cafeteria.

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Want to see more photos of our team? Check out Facebook.com/MauryRegional to see updates featuring our extraordinary caregivers and staff.

Maury Regional Health recognizes Hospital WeekDuring Hospital Week, Maury Regional Health would like to recognize all the health care professionals at our facilities who support our mission of serving our region with clinical excellence and compassionate care. Thank you to all our employees, physicians and volunteers who are committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients and their families — both in normal circumstances and in these times of uncertainty. We appreciate all that you do. Together, we serve.

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News from the MAURY REGIONAL HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION

Foundation raises more than $54,000 for COVID-19 relief fundMembers of the Maury Regional Health community came together over the last two months to raise more than $54,000 to date for the Maury Regional Health Care Founda-tion’s COVID-19 relief fund.

Earlier this spring, the Foundation established the relief fund to provide support for general COVID-19 relief and assistance for employees affected by the ongoing pandemic.

“We have experienced a tremendous outpouring of support with donations to the fund through our Shave It Forward, Big Payback and Employee Relief campaigns,” said Foundation Executive Director Joe Kilgore. “We are in this together — for our patients, employees and communities. During these unprecedented times, I sincerely thank you for your support of this relief fund that benefits our team and the communities we serve.”

For more information or to make a gift, visit MauryRegionalFoundation.com.

Foundation’s Diabetes Fund provides life-saving care, educationThirteen years ago, the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation began offering a fund to support educational programs and services benefiting diabetic patients. In the time since, the fund has supported nearly $33,500 programs and services for patients in the region.

“I am so thankful for the Foundation’s assistance with caring for our diabetic population,” said Maury Regional Diabetes Program Coordinator Michelle Kennedy, RN, BSN, CDE. “With their assistance, we are able to provide diabetes testing supplies and education to patients who could not otherwise afford it.”

Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) offers a day-long training course

accredited by the American Diabetes Association that covers a variety of topics, including medications, meal planning, exercise, ongoing care and prevention of long-term complications. While the class is covered by most insurance providers, the Foundation’s Diabetes Fund helps to make it accessible for those without health insurance or those facing other financial obstacles. In addition, the fund provides essential diabetic supplies for at-risk patients, including glucometers and strips.

“With support from the Diabetes Fund, one at-risk patient was able to reduce their A1C significantly — reducing their risk of heart attack, stroke and vision loss by as much as 40 percent,” Kennedy said. “The

Foundation helps to ensure that anyone who wants education or assistance can receive it without the burden of financial concerns.”

Established in 2006, the Founda-tion has funded more than $2.8 million in programs and services for underserved and financially challenged populations throughout southern Middle Tennessee. The Foundation offers a variety of funds to support specific populations or causes — including service area funds like the Diabe-tes Fund.

To learn more about the work the Foundation does or to make a gift, visit MauryRegionalFoundation.com.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All other support groups for the month of June are canceled. If you have questions or are in need of support please call the number listed at MauryRegional.com.

Graduate Salute to appear in August, now accepting photosAll Maury Regional Health employees and physicians who have earned a new degree themselves or who are the parents or grandparents of a high school or college graduate from the 2019-20 academic year are invited to submit a headshot photo of the graduate for inclusion in The VitaLink’s Graduate Salute edition in August.

Email photos to TheVitaLink@MauryRegional.com or deliver them to the Marketing Department (MOB, Suite 202) by July 17. Along with a headshot photo of the graduate, please include:

• Graduate’s name (preferred first and last name only)• School• Degree or program completed • Your name, department and extension number• Your relationship to the graduatePhotos are not required to be professional portraits and can be casual or formal in

nature but should be submitted in high resolution (i.e., not blurry).

Expectant Parent ClassesTo help prevent the spread of illness, expectant parent classes at Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC) for the month of June have a limited capacity to accomodate social distancing. Registration is available on a first-come, first-serve basis on the Classes & Events Calendar at MauryRegional.com.

Blood Drives at MMC, MRMCA blood drive will take place at MMC June 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. Schedule an appointment at BloodAssurance.org/MMC69.

A blood drive will take place at MRMC June 23 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Schedule an appointment at BloodAssurance.org/MRMC623.

Virtual Support GroupsTwo support groups at Maury Regional Medical Center are offering their June meetings in a virtual setting. To participate in the group meetings for diabetes or stroke, call or email the group coordinator using the information listed below.

June 4

Diabetes Support Group: 11 a.m., call 931.540.4324

or email MKennedy@MauryRegional.com

June 25

Stroke Support Group: 6 p.m., call 931.381.1111, ext. 4350,

or email BBishop@MauryRegional.com

June 6 and June 20

Newborn Care: 9 to 11 a.m., MRMC Annex

Understanding Birth: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., MRMC Auxiliary

Infant CPR: Noon to 2 p.m., MRMC Annex

June 15

Breastfeeding:6 to 8 p.m., MRMC Auxiliary