News from University of Mississippi

University Physicians-Women's Specialty Care open in Flowood

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:00:00 EDT

JACKSON, Miss. - University Physicians-Women's Specialty Care is now open in the Mirror Lake building off Lakeland Drive in Flowood.

The clinic, with services previously based at the Medical Center, unites women's specialty care under one roof and closer to the referring physicians in the community to build collaboration and communication.

Dr. Michelle Owens, assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology, said the move "offers us an opportunity to truly get out in the community that we serve and provide the full range of services traditionally found in the hospital setting."

Dr. Rodney Meeks, interim chair of obstetrics and gynecology, said specialized care for women is the focus, which includes maternal-fetal medicine, pediatric gynecology, urogynecology and gynecologic oncology.

"We're also trying to emphasize treatment for vulvar disease, reproductive tract abnormalities and menopause complaints that don't respond to usual therapies. All of which are a little bit more specialized than general obstetrics and gynecology," Meeks said.

Patients who had been accustomed to coming to the Medical Center campus for appointments are now familiar with the new location, and clinic physicians have adapted their schedules to coordinate outpatient care with inpatient services.

Dana Habers, chief operating officer of University Physicians (UP), said the Mirror Lake location enables physicians to reach more patients and to improve the level of service University of Mississippi Health Care provides.

"Having this dedicated space for the women in our community encourages their continuity of care and their sense of security and stability in a health-care system that can go from basic annual exams to complicated pregnancy and postpartum services," she said.

UP's Women's Health Clinic, which provides general obstetrics and gynecology care, will move to University Physicians-Grants Ferry, which opens in July.

"We have fantastic subspecialists here who have essentially been sequestered in the hospital," Owens said. "I think as the Medical Center is changing and we are reaching out to partner more with the community, this falls right in line with that mission."

University Sports Medicine hosts coaches conference

Thu, 27 May 2010 01:00:00 EDT

JACKSON, Miss. – University Sports Medicine, a part of University of Mississippi Health Care, will host the 2010 Coaches Conference from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 12 in the University of Mississippi Medical Center Conference Center at the Jackson Medical Mall.

The program is designed to educate coaches and select medical professionals on current topics in sports medicine and health care. Topics include hand and wrist injuries, return to play casting and bracing, concussion management, injury prevention techniques and training programs. University Sports Medicine physicians and athletic trainers, as well invited guest speakers, will lead these informational sessions.

Continuing education credit can be obtained. For more information or a registration form, contact Jeff Martinez at (601) 984-6519.

Salazar to Direct Comprehensive Pediatric Heart Program

Tue, 4 May 2010 01:00:00 EDT

By Patrice Guilfoyle

JACKSON, Miss. – Dr. Jorge Salazar has joined the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children as the new chief of congenital heart surgery.

Salazar, also associate professor of surgery and director of the congenital heart program, previously was associate professor of surgery and pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

His experience and expertise will enable Batson to have its own comprehensive children’s heart surgery program for Mississippi and the region, building on the hospital’s 2-year-old partnership with Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., said Dr. Walter Merrill, professor and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Salazar will lead efforts to recruit additional personnel in pediatric cardiology, pediatric intensive care and pediatric anesthesia to establish Batson’s program as a world-class congenital heart center.

“He is a technically gifted surgeon who has achieved excellent results in the repair of complex and high-risk congenital defects, including in newborns. We anticipate that he will further develop our program in an exemplary manner,” said Merrill, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Salazar received his training in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, followed by an additional fellowship year focusing on congenital heart surgery at the University of California-San Francisco.

He also has served as a faculty member at the University of Texas-San Antonio, and he was a member of the Baylor College of Medicine faculty while working in one of the largest pediatric heart surgery programs in the country at Texas Children’s Hospital. Salazar has performed more than 2,000 congenital heart operations, Merrill said.

The development of a comprehensive children’s heart surgery program began with the Medical Center’s partnership with Children’s National in 2008. Batson Hospital officials conducted an extensive review of the country’s top-rated programs and chose Children’s National to help achieve its goal.

Dr. Richard Jonas, one of the world’s leading pediatric heart surgeons, directs a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team that has operated on and helped care for patients at Batson, alongside UMMC faculty and staff. In the past, more complicated cases have been handled at Children’s National and other medical centers.

Between April 2008 and March 2010, Jonas’ team performed 52 operations in Mississippi and 81 in Washington. Salazar expects to continue to refer the most complex cases to Children’s National during a transition period.

“The state of Mississippi is tremendously in debt to Dr. Jonas and the investment of time he’s made here,” Salazar said. “We will continue that relationship and build on what they’ve already done.”

Salazar acknowledges his plans are ambitious and there’s hard work ahead. He said the citizens of Mississippi deserve to have the very best care available within the borders of their own state.
“Almost everything that’s worthwhile is a challenge. We definitely have the resources, the people and the commitment to make it happen,” he said.

Dr. Owen “Bev” Evans, interim chair of pediatrics, said Salazar helps with Batson Hospital’s mission to provide care to all children with heart disease.

“Together with the diagnostic and interventional cardiology service, the open heart surgery program will ensure that children with heart disease will get excellent care without leaving Mississippi,” he said.

Salazar said Batson Hospital’s pediatric heart surgery program will have the same expectations as any of the leading pediatric heart centers in the country, and that kind of success depends on a team approach to taking care of patients.

“The bottom line is not only to take care of all the children, but also the adults with congenital heart disease to achieve the very best results. Anything other than excellence is not acceptable,” he said.

Our program depends on all the team members being strong. When you’re in the trenches taking care of these complex patients, you need to be in there with your partners, your teammates.”
The opportunity to change lives and to fill a need in Mississippi drew Salazar to the Medical Center. A father of five, Salazar said he understands every child’s value very well.

“It’s a very important responsibility that we have to the patients and their families because they are entrusting us with their children’s hearts and lives,” he said.

State-of-the-art robotic surgery offers glimpse at UMMC's future

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 01:00:00 EDT

By Patrice Guilfoyle

JACKSON, Miss. - The recent launch of robotic surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is expected to increase opportunities for learning, research and improved patient care.

The Medical Center acquired the da Vinci Si High Definition Surgical System, the latest in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery technology. The upgraded system, which debuted in April 2009, has enhanced three-dimensional HD resolution to provide physicians with a magnified view of the surgical field. Camera lenses magnify objects 10 times and in 3DHD.

A dual console helps with hands-on resident education.

"Residents will be able to pick up on the procedures more quickly," said Dr. Chad Huckabay, who joined the Medical Center in February as an assistant professor of surgery. He specializes in minimally invasive and robotic urologic surgery.

The da Vinci is mainly used for prostatectomies and gynecologic procedures, Huckabay said, but he added robotic surgery also has been used for kidney removal, tumor removal, lymph node dissections and ureteral blockages.

About four years ago, 60 percent of prostatectomies were done with robotic surgery. This year, that percentage is expected to jump to 80 percent, Huckabay said. Why?

Patient-driven requests fueled by knowledge of the benefits of robotic surgery is the main reason for the increase, said Huckabay. In cases of prostate removal, a smaller scar is appealing: a 1.5-inch incision compared to a 6-7-inch incision. "It's much closer to a scarless procedure cosmetically," he said. "People can return to normal activity three weeks after surgery."

Huckabay reassures patients that the surgeon has full control of the instruments and the camera during robotic procedures. Technological advancements provide surgeons with better precision but they can't replace physicians.

"Every movement of the robot is directed by movement of the surgeon. It enhances the motion of the surgeon. It's precise," Huckabay said.

Dr. Amber Shiflett, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was the first physician to use the Medical Center's da Vinci for a hysterectomy. She said better mobility for the surgeon is an important advantage of robotic surgery compared to laparoscopic surgery.

"The main difference is a 3D view of the pelvis, which is phenomenal. You mimic more of having your hands in the pelvis. You actually get more movement and retraction of the instruments with the robot," Shiflett said.

She said some people thought the robotic surgery would be longer, but she and fellow ob-gyns Dr. Jermaine Gray and Dr. Meredith Griffin have discovered that it's taking less time than a total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Traditional open gynecologic surgery using a large incision had been the standard approach to many gynecologic procedures such as hysterectomies; but this can cause significant pain and a long recovery. Laparoscopic surgery was the next less-invasive procedure, and robotic surgery puts even better laparoscopic control in surgeons' hands.

Through robotic surgery, many complex gynecologic surgeries can now be treated effectively with a few tiny incisions, so patients can get back to life. Cowan said research opportunities could be developed to evaluate quality-of-life issues, such as patient experiences and cost comparisons.

Also, the popularity of robotic surgery impacts resident recruitment, Cowan said. When residents consider programs, one of the main questions is how they will be trained for robotic surgery.

"The wonderful thing about the dual console is, you as the attending can sit down with the resident at the other console. You can â€˜hand-off' instruments, and in difficult cases, the attending can take control of the instruments at any time," Shiflett said.

"In the next five years, you're going to see gynecology as the lead user of the machine," said Dr. Bryan Cowan, professor of obstetrics and gynecology. "Gynecology is changing. We're moving into the ambulatory environment."

Cowan said that's mainly because robotic surgery is less invasive. Benefits to patients include shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery times, less blood loss and fewer incisions for minimal scarring.

Dr. Scott Stringer, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, said the robotic system adds to University of Mississippi Health Care's goal of becoming a national leader in quality.

"The availability of the da Vinci robot will allow our surgeons to provide cutting-edge care to our patients on par with the most advanced health-care organizations in the nation," he said.

Ninth annual radiothon benefits children's hospital

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Jen Hospodor

JACKSON, Miss. - Radio stations from the Jackson and Meridian areas will join forces this week to hold the 9th annual Mississippi Miracles Radiothon beginning Wednesday, March 3, and continuing through Friday, March 5, from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. The Radiothon benefits the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Jackson stations Y 101.7, US 96.3 and Mix 98.7 will broadcast live from the lobby of the Batson Hospital. Meridian stations 97 OKK, V 93.5, 106.9 The Buzz and 105.7 The Beat will broadcast from Meridian.

Hosts interview current and former patients and their families and hospital staff who care for them, asking listeners to call in pledges to benefit the hospital. The money is used to fund equipment, research and programs that ensure the hospital is able to provide the most advanced level of medical care for Mississippi's children.

The numbers to call and make a donation are 601-984-KIDS (5437) or toll-free 800-681-KIDS (5437).

Keeton Accepts Appointment As New Vice Chancellor at UMMC

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Patrice Guilfoyle

JACKSON, Miss. - The University of Mississippi Medical Center today doesn't resemble the sleepy place Dr. Jimmy Keeton first saw as a medical student in 1961.

Now he's the helmsman of the same but very different Medical Center, one with a $1.2 billion budget that makes up 10 percent of the economy of Jackson and two percent of the state's economy.

He was appointed vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the school of medicine on Feb. 9, after a six-month search.

It was not a job he sought, but it's one that fits him like an old shoe. He is a passionate cheerleader for the Medical Center and about its role in Mississippi's future.

Two candidates were finalists in the national search for vice chancellor, but both - Dr. Scott Stringer, chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, and Dr. Robert Robbins, chief of cardiovascular surgery at Stanford University - withdrew their names from consideration.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones, in a message to Medical Center employees, said extending the search was not a good option.

"The instability of the economy and health care was a major factor in our decision to move forward."

Keeton was interim vice chancellor after having served as chief-of-staff for Jones when he was UMMC vice chancellor.

"I am grateful to Dr. Keeton for making himself available for leadership of the Medical Center. His wisdom, keen judgment and superlative communication skills have benefited us all over these last seven months. He has gained the confidence of the Medical Center family and important external stakeholders."

In other leadership changes, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, who was serving as interim dean of the medical school, is now associate vice chancellor for health affairs as well as vice dean of the school. Stringer, also associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, will assume additional administrative oversight for the clinical enterprise, including the University Hospitals and Health System and University Physicians.

"It will be a pleasure to work alongside Dr. Woodward as we move forward," Keeton said, "and Dr. Stringer's new role is crucial in streamlining the clinical services and creating an integrated system between physicians and the hospital system."

Keeton, a native of Columbus, attended the first public elementary school in Mississippi and the S.D. Lee High School in Columbus. He's an Ole Miss graduate and earned the M.D. here in 1965. He did a rotating internship and completed residencies in general surgery and urology here. He trained further in pediatric urology at the Hospital for Sick Children in London and was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Hospital in Great Lakes, Ill.

Back in Jackson, he was on the surgery faculty from 1973-75 and was in private practice in Jackson for 27 years. He returned to the full-time faculty in 2000 and was named Jones' chief of staff in 2007. He's been interim vice chancellor for nearly a year.

"I've had experience in all kinds of health-care delivery systems - at the VA, in the Navy, in community hospitals, in private practice and in this teaching institution," Keeton said. "I think that experience gives me a certain advantage in working toward our role in ending health disparities in the state.

"That's our fourth mission - beyond the traditional ones of education, research, and patient care - but we have to know how to work with other systems that also are committed to better health care. We're already in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Health, the Federally Qualified Health Centers, the Delta Health Alliance and hospitals in Tupelo, Pascagoula, Meridian and Hattiesburg.

"We can't wait for the federal government to do it for us. We have to do it ourselves."
This Medical Center, he believes, belongs to all of Mississippi. "We're for everybody, not just the people in Jackson." He wants people to understand "what a special place" this is.

"It's true that we're the safety-net hospital for the state, but we should also be viewed as a target industry. The 2,500 physicians in the state we've already trained have a $3.5 billion economic impact on the state. And the $170 million we get from state appropriations all goes to our educational programs."

Education is the Medical Center's number one responsibility, he said.

"When we face budget restrictions from the legislature, we just have to find other ways to make up the difference. We can't compromise the quality of the programs we offer."

The still-youthful Keeton, who was planning to retire at 62, then at 65, then at 70, keeps being called back into service. "I will stay here as long as I'm needed." He adds that he has the genes to persevere. "My father was healthy until he died in his sleep at 94."

In some ways his job as vice chancellor may be easier than his job as interim. "When I was interim, I didn't have a Jimmy Keeton." As permanent head of the institution, he will have both Dr. Mart McMullan and Dr. Claude Brunson acting in the roles of chief-of-staff.

"I'm excited about this job and at peace because we have a great leadership team in place. Everything will be fine."

But the leadership is just part of the equation, according to Keeton.

"Every one of our 8,500 employees is doing something important for Mississippi, and I want them to know this office appreciates what they do every day."

His wife, Jona, a nurse and family therapist, "has been incredibly supportive" of all his decisions, even this one, which postpones his retirement once again.

"She shares my passion for the Medical Center and knows how important it is to Mississippi."

Huckabay joins UMMC surgery faculty

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Patrice Guilfoyle

JACKSON, Miss. - Dr. Chad Huckabay, a urologic surgeon with specialty in minimally invasive and robotic urologic surgery, has joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of surgery. He will see patients through University of Mississippi Health Care.

A 1994 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Huckabay received the M.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, in 1998. He served an internship in general surgery, postgraduate training in pre-urology and a residency in urology at Texas A&M University, Temple, where he was chief resident, urology from 2003-04. He also did a fellowship in urology at New York University from 2004-05 and was a fellow in laparoscopy/robotics at the Arthur Smith Institute of Urology, North Shore/Long Island Health System, New Hyde Park, N.Y. from 2007-08.

Huckabay joined the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities faculty in 2005 as an assistant professor of urology before serving as a urologic surgeon at North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park from 2007-10.

Putt appointed CEO of university hospitals and health system

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Patrice Guilfoyle

JACKSON, Miss. - David Putt has been appointed chief executive officer of University Hospitals and Health System at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

A retired Naval officer, Putt joined UMMC in 1995. He earned a certificate as a radiologic technologist, an associate degree at George Washington University, a B.S. at the State University of New York and a master's in public administration, health services management, at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Putt served as chief operating officer of UHHS beginning July 2006 and was appointed interim CEO in August 2008. He said it was a privilege for him to continue the work of strengthening the Medical Center's clinical enterprise.

"The success of our clinical mission is critical to our ability to fulfill our overall commitment to educating health professionals, expanding medical knowledge through research, and providing the very best medical care to our community and state," Putt said.

Elementary students to receive free check-up for Give Kids a Smile Day

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Matt Westerfield

JACKSON, Miss. - For the ninth year in a row, the University of Mississippi Medical Center's School of Dentistry will offer free dental exams to local elementary school students on Feb. 12 as part of the national Give Kids a Smile Day, an annual event sponsored by the American Dental Association.

The event is a collaboration between the dental school, the School of Health Related Professions' Dental Hygiene and Physical Therapy programs, the MDA, Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, Hinds Community College and Mississippi State Department of Health.

An estimated 800 students from Johnson and Galloway Elementary schools in Jackson as well as George Oliver Elementary School in Clarksdale will receive the exams. The event, which is held every February nationwide as part of National Children's Dental Health Month, aims to provide oral health education as well as preventative care to low-income children with little access to care.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in four children between 2 and 11 years old have untreated cavities.

UMMC's School of Dentistry has participated every year since the ADA founded the program in 2002. Last year, more than 46,000 dental team members and other volunteers nationwide participated in events for Give Kids a Smile Day.

"Since 2002, the School of Dentistry, partnering organizations and corporate benefactors have provided compassionate treatment, essential oral health education and invaluable access to some of the most vulnerable children of Mississippi," said Dr. Neva Eklund, department chair of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health.

Eklund, who is coordinating the event, said the day ties into the school's latest project, the Service Learning Curriculum, an initiative to train students to become socially conscious, community minded dentists. "This event is as important to our students' education as it is to the children we serve," she said.

The event will last from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Dr. Buford Gilbert, interim dean of the School of Dentistry, said the collaboration also receives support from UMMC's Department of Medicine, the division of Oral Oncology and Biobehavioral Medicine, community colleges and public health agencies, private dentists, community and corporate partners including Henry Schein, P&G Professional Oral Health, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Healthcare, Whip Mix Corporation, Sherman Specialty Company, 3M ESPE Dental Products, Robert Ellis & Associates, Patterson Dental, Practicon, Premier Dental, University Dentists, Owens & Minor, Cellular South, Sunbelt Construction and SOD SmilePlus.

Chancellor Taps Veteran Faculty for Leadership Roles at Medical Center

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

OXFORD, Miss. - Three experienced faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are being assigned additional leadership responsibilities.

Pending approval of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, UM Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones will name Dr. James E. Keeton as vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the school of medicine. Keeton has served as vice chancellor in an interim role for the last seven months.

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice dean of the medical school who has served as interim dean of medicine over the same period, will be named associate vice chancellor for health affairs.

Dr. Scott Stringer, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences and associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, will assume additional administrative oversight of the clinical enterprise, including University Hospitals and Health System and University Physicians.

"I have the utmost confidence in Jimmy Keeton, LouAnn Woodward and Scott Stringer, and am grateful for their willingness to serve in these leadership roles," said Jones. "Over the last seven months, during a time of challenges in the economy, health care and higher education, they have positioned the Medical Center for continued success. I am confident we have a strong leadership group that will serve the Medical Center and the state extremely well."

The appointments mark the conclusion of a national search to fill the vice chancellor/dean position previously held by Jones, who became Ole Miss chancellor in July. A 13-member search committee chaired by Woodward considered candidates from academic medical centers across the United States. The committee narrowed the field to two and submitted those names to Jones for the final selection.

The finalists included Stringer and Dr. Robert Robbins, a faculty member at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Both candidates withdrew from consideration during the final step of the selection process.

In collaboration with the search committee, Jones made the decision to turn to Keeton to fill the vice chancellor and dean position. Keeton served as Jones' chief of staff when Jones held the combined vice chancellor/dean position.

A professor of surgery and pediatrics at UMMC, Keeton began his relationship with the Medical Center after graduating from Ole Miss in 1961. The Columbus native earned his medical degree in 1965 at UMMC. He completed five years of residency in urology there, followed by one year of pediatric urology residency in London. He served as lieutenant commander for two years in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, then returned to Mississippi in 1970, where he has been in academic medicine and private practice.

"I appreciate the chancellor's confidence in me," Keeton said. "The Medical Center has played an important part in my life, and I think people throughout Mississippi appreciate the crucial role it plays in the state. We have an outstanding team in place, and our goal is to maintain the positive momentum we've established over the last few years."

Woodward, a native of Carroll County, is a graduate of Mississippi State University and the UM School of Medicine. She completed a residency in emergency medicine and continues to see patients in the emergency department. For the past few years, she has had day-to-day responsibility for managing the medical school's academic programs.

A native of Texas, Stringer graduated from Texas A&M University. He completed medical school and residency training in otolaryngology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He served on the medical faculty of the University of Florida for 14 years. In 2001, he joined UMMC, where he is president of the medical faculty practice plan.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center, established in Jackson in 1955, is the state's only academic medical center. UMMC encompasses five health science professional schools, including medicine, nursing, health related professions, dentistry and graduate studies, as well as the site where University of Mississippi pharmacy students do their clinical training. The clinical programs of the Medical Center, branded as University of Mississippi Health Care, include University Hospitals and Health System and University Physicians.

SouthGroup sponsors 5k run/walk for friends of Children's hospital

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

JACKSON, Miss. - SouthGroup Insurance Services has again teamed with Friends of Children's Hospital to present SouthGroup Make a Difference 5K Run/Walk on February 20, 2010 in Ridgeland.

Last year's event attracted more than 750 runners and walkers and raised more than $20,000 in much needed funds for the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

The run/walk begins at 8:30 AM at the SouthGroup headquarters office in The Woodlands Office Park at County Line Road and Woodlands Parkway in Ridgeland. Pre-registration is available at www.southgroup.net.

"Many of us are blessed with healthy children and this is one way we are able to make sure those less fortunate receive the world-class medical treatment they need," Cyndi Tullos of SouthGroup in Ridgeland said.

The event also includes a one-mile fun run as well as activities for children. "Runners and walkers came from all over Mississippi last year and we are, again, looking for more than 700 participants and hope to raise another $20,000 for the treatment of our children," added Ronnie Tubertini, president of SouthGroup.

For more information about the event, call SouthGroup Insurance Services office at 601-914-3220.

Comcast foundation awards grant to friends of Children's hospital for the Reach out and Read program

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Nicole Wyatt

JACKSON, Miss. - The Comcast Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to Friends of Children's Hospital for the Reach Out and Read (ROR) program at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. The primary goal of ROR is to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.

"The Mississippi Comcast systems are extremely excited that our Foundation funded this grant for the Reach Out and Read Program at Children's Hospital. This donation solidifies our long term commitment to Mississippi, as Comcast was founded in Tupelo," said Ronnie Colvin, Vice-President/General Manager for the Comcast Jackson Area.

The grant is part of Comcast's commitment to the communities where its customers and employees live and work. Since its founding in 1999, the Comcast Foundation has distributed more than $77 million to programs in Comcast communities. "This is not just a grant but an investment in the future of our state" said Sidney Allen, Jr., Director of State Government Affairs for Comcast.

Comcast is a longtime supporter of Friends of Children's Hospital and Batson Hospital. They sponsor the Trustmark Children's Hospital Golf Tournament and An Evening with the Mannings. Comcast also donates airtime and services for commercials encouraging viewers to buy a Batson car tag.

At least 35% of children entering kindergarten today lack the basic language skills they will need to learn to read, and fewer than half of parents in the United States read to their young children daily. Also, parents of children living in poverty may lack the money to buy books, may not have easy access to good children's books, and may not themselves have been read to as children, with the result that millions of children are growing up without books. This grant makes it possible for Batson to purchase and distribute books to children visiting the clinics.

Dr. Susan Buttross, professor of pediatrics and chief of child development, said the ROR program began at Batson by giving books to patients instead of balloons or candy. "The ability for children to read is the ability for them to succeed." Buttross said.

UMMC to hold groundbreaking for School of Pharmacy

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Matt Westerfield

JACKSON, Miss. - University of Mississippi Pharmacy students will soon have a home on the campus of the University of Mississippi Medical Center once construction is completed on the School of Pharmacy Instructional and Research Facility. Work on the building will officially begin with a groundbreaking ceremony set for 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, at its site across from the School of Dentistry.

"We are the newest school on campus," said Dr. Leigh Ann Ross, associate dean for clinical affairs in the School of Pharmacy. "And I believe having a designated place will increase our visibility and heighten awareness of our program."

Currently, Pharmacy students split the seven-year Doctor of Pharmacy program between Oxford and Jackson. They spend three years completing pre-pharmacy courses and two years in the professional pharmacy program in Oxford. Then they come to Jackson for a year of study followed by a year of advanced practice experiences at preceptor sites throughout the Mid-South.

Most pharmacy courses have been offered at the Jackson Medical Mall since 1998 when the school transitioned to the Doctor of Pharmacy, or Pharm.D., which expanded clinical requirements and increased the time students spend in Jackson.

The planned two-story, 29,000-square-foot 'Lâ€™-shaped structure will consolidate the departmentâ€™s facilities, now scattered over two miles. The schoolâ€™s leadership hopes the new building will increase student interaction with pharmacy faculty and the Medical Center as a whole.

Plans for the new building include 17 classrooms, administrative and faculty offices and laboratory and clinical research space. An attached 160-seat auditorium will be equipped to allow lecturers to share live video with the Oxford campus.

The building will cost approximately $9.5 million. The School of Pharmacy has some federal funding secured, as well as a commitment from the University of Mississippi. A capital campaign, called Promises to Keep, is under way to raise more funds.

A reception will follow the groundbreaking ceremony in the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.

UMMC responds to city water crisis, continues patient care

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST

By Jack Mazurak

JACKSON, Miss. - Water line breaks caused by recent freezing temperatures disrupted water pressure throughout Jackson last week, prompting closure of several University of Mississippi Medical Center off-campus clinics and movement of outpatient dialysis operations from the Renal Clinic at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center to an emergency, on-campus location.

Throughout the water crisis, Medical Center administrators, faculty and staff moved quickly to accommodate patients, continue care and assist other local hospitals with operations including laundry and surgical instrument sterilization.

The Medical Center is fed by a well system so the main campus maintained water service throughout the crisis. Five off-campus clinical locations and one office building, which use city water service, were forced to curtail operations on Monday January 11, those being:

University Physicians Northeast Jackson at Select Specialty Hospital
Pediatrics services at the North Clinic and the Pediatric Specialty Clinic near Veterans Memorial stadium
West Jackson Family Medical Center
Lakeland Family Medicine Center
Medical Mall offices: Ambulatory Care Clinics, Cancer Institute clinics, Department of Radiation Oncology and the outpatient dialysis center
Medical Towers on Woodrow Wilson Ave.

On Monday morning, staffers at the outpatient renal dialysis clinic discovered there was not enough water pressure to run the dialysis equipment, said Pat Brunson, director of dialysis services.

The clinic treats 70 patients a day on average, and uses approximately 6,000 gallons of water per day to operate the kidney dialysis machines.

After relocating the patients to the Acute Dialysis Unit at University Hospital on Monday and Tuesday, a location that usually treats only 12 patients a day, administrators decided Tuesday afternoon to move the outpatient renal dialysis operations into a temporary, emergency location in University Hospital near the Acute Dialysis Unit.

With help from Assistant Director of Facilities Larry Lineberry, clinic staff worked through Tuesday night transforming a dormant occupational therapy room into an emergency outpatient dialysis unit. Dialysis chairs and machines were moved from the Medical Mall to University Hospital, and by 10 a.m. Wednesday, the first group of patients began treatment.

Throughout the week, all of the clinic's regular patients were serviced at the emergency clinic along with several patients from Baptist Health Systems. The Medical Center sterilized surgical instruments for Baptist, and UMMC's laundry facilities processed loads for both Baptist and St. Dominic's Hospital.

Before city water service was fully restored, staff at the Lakeland Family Medicine Center returned to work mid week with the aid of portable restrooms and sanitization stations. As water pressure rose throughout Jackson, UMMC's other clinics reopened.

Brunson said the outpatient dialysis equipment was moved back to the Medical Mall on Tuesday afternoon, and the clinic resumed normal operations on Wednesday, January 20.

UMHC Behavioral Medicine Team Measures Stress and Immunity

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Stress can have a negative effect on the immune system, according to the research team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine Research.

The team is composed of Dr. Gailen Marshall, professor of medicine and pediatrics, Dr. Kevin Del Ben, assistant professor of psychiatry, Dr. Sitesh Roy, assistant professor of pediatrics and assistant professor of medicine, Dr. Lianbin Xiang, instructor in Medicine, and Dr. Alan Penman, associate professor of medicine.

“Our most recent work involves identifying stress-susceptible persons by certain gene markers, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),” Marshall said. “We are looking for the changes in regulatory immune markers when an acute laboratory stressor occurs.”

Marshall said the research subjects give a speech for a few minutes before they are given math problems to solve. Blood is drawn immediately before and after the test, then in specific intervals after that.

“There is particular interest in understanding how this process impacts patients with allergy and asthma problems,” Marshall said.

“From my standpoint, it is estimated that currently up to 75 percent of all outpatient office visits to health care providers are somehow related to stress in the patient’s life,” he said. “In 1970, it was estimated that only one in 10 Americans had allergic disease. By the year 2000, that estimate went to one in three Americans having an allergic disease.”

Roy shares Marshall’s concern about the growing level of stress among Americans.

“Most people with stress in their lives either ignore it or deny it,” Roy said. “Those who do accept it feel helpless and the same holds true for the physicians who treat them for various illnesses that are either precipitated or exacerbated by stress.

“Creating greater awareness and a better understanding of the immune mechanisms translating psychological stress into physical diseases will lead to interventional studies that can truly impact many people.”

Another area of interest is the effects of psychosocial stressors in underserved minorities as a possible mechanism for health disparities in these populations.

“We recently were funded by the UMC Office of Geographical Minority Health to study the effects of stress on minority women from lower socioeconomic status on their response to the new HPV anti-cancer vaccine,” Marshall said.

The study is too new to have any results at this time.

Because of the work this group has conducted, Marshall will be traveling the world to present research results, including presentations in Canada, Spain and Sweden.

—Dani Edmonson