LINK LINK THE VITA - Maury Regional Healthcare System

THE VITALINK
Maury Regional Medical Center January 2009 Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1
Williamson Elected Maury Regional Board Chairman
Doug Williamson was elected chairman of the Maury Regional Medical Center (MRMC)
Board of Trustees at the group’s meeting on January 15.
The new chairman has served on the medical center’s board since 2004 and is replacing
Waymon L. Hickman who retired as board chairman, but was elected to serve on the
medical center’s advisory board. In addition, Dr. Bob Thompson was elected vice chair of
the board of trustees and Eric Cox and Ron Hanson were elected to serve another term on
the advisory board.
“Maury Regional Medical Center will benefit greatly from Doug’s expertise and wisdom,”
said CEO Robert Otwell. “He has been a valuable member of our board for four years and
has served in key leadership roles. I look forward to our continued work together.”
During Williamson’s tenure on the board, he has chaired the Planning and Facility Committee
and the Professional Contracts Committee. In addition, he has served as a member
of the Joint Conference Committee, Physician Recruitment Committee, and the Finance
and Budget Committee.
Williamson is the Maury County Farm Bureau agency manager and has been a Columbia resident for more than
23 years. The Giles County native received an associate’s degree from Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, followed
by a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After three years as a vocational-agriculture
teacher, he began his career as an insurance agent in 1972 with Tennessee Farmers Insurance Companies. Williamson
served first as a special agent in Lincoln County, general agent in Grundy County and since 1985 the agency
manager at the Maury County Farm Bureau.
In Maury County he has served on the chamber board and as chairman of the Education Council, the Public Affairs
Council, the Agribusiness Committee and as board chairman in 1998.
Williamson is a member of the Columbia Kiwanis Club and the Columbia Association of Life Underwriters of which
see Williamson, page 5
Personal Development Initiative To Be Launched
To further advance employee learning and development opportunities, the Personal Development Academy will
be launched in March, according to Vice President of Human Resources Kaye Brewer.
“As an organization, we are committed to the enhancement of our training and education programs that will allow
for career progression for our employees. The Personal Development Academy concept will focus our attention on
doing just that, beginning with the new online learning management tool,” said
Brewer.
The medical center will transition from NetLearning, the current learning management
system vender, to eHealthcareIT in March as part of the Personal Development
Academy initiative. The change will bring new benefits to all staff.
“Employees will find that the new system is easier to navigate and offers more
functionality such as streaming video as a learning method, automatic e-mail reminders
to employees of classes they are to attend and the ability to notify employees
when their certifications are due for renewal. The new computer-based
learning management system will also feature a user-friendly reporting function
for managers,” said Brewer.
NetLearning will be permanently turned off on February 14. No educational
see Development, page 6

THE VITALINK
New Employees
December 2008
Anesthesia
Tamatha Bobo
Environmental Services
James Davis
Finance
Nick Swift
Food & Nutrition
Rebecca Fitzgerald
Imaging
Michael Johnson
James Nolan
Lewis Health Center
Jamie McDonald
Nursing
Jennifer Adams
Melanie Finch
Kevin Finn
Jenna Lay
Lynnelle Murrell
Carol Annette Stephenson
Bridget Thompson
Jay Williams
Patient Accounts
Kimberly Lemon
Vanessa Richards
Physical Medicine
Charlotte Baird
The VitaLink is published monthly for
Maury Regional Medical Center through the
Marketing Department. Distribution is to
employees, retirees, members of the medical
staff, board of trustees, advisory board, Maury
County Commission, and volunteers.
For address corrections, please
contact the Human Resources Office.
Editor: Rita Williams
Designer & Copywriter: Kat Hunter
Proofreader: Jan Varnado
1224 Trotwood Avenue
Columbia, TN 38401
Dr. Worthman Recognized by Board
The Maury Regional Medical Center Board of
Trustees recognized John F. Worthman, M.D., for his
years of service at the board meeting on January 15.
Dr. Worthman, a specialist in oncology, was a member
of the medical staff from September of 1986 until October
of 2008.
“We appreciate Dr. Worthman’s support, dedication
and active participation in providing high quality
care, serving as a catalyst in advancing cancer services
at Maury Regional Medical Center. The board of
trustees, administration and employees of the medical
center deeply appreciate and are grateful to Dr. Worthman
for his 22 years of service,” said CEO Robert Otwell.
MRMC Welcomes New Physician
Mike D. Jaramillo, M.D., a specialist in pathology,
has joined the medical staff at Maury Regional Medical
Center. He is associated with Drs. Chuck Bramlett, Jr.,
Albert C. Domm, Jean Dornfeld-Finke, Danielle C. Gibson,
Estelle E. May, Joseph C. Moore, John R. Olson,
Jack T. Pearson and Kelley L. Taylor of PCA Southeast.
Dr. Jaramillo received his medical degree from the
University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. He completed a residency in
anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of New
Mexico Affiliated Hospitals in Albuquerque. He is board certified in clinical and
anatomic pathology.
Leadership Maury Visits MRMC
Members of the Maury
Alliance’s Leadership Maury,
a local personal development
program designed to motivate
participants to enhance
the quality of their leadership
in addressing pertinent community
needs, visited MRMC
on January 15 to learn more
about health care in their community.
Cardiologist Dr. Kevin
M. Maquiling (pictured at left)
spoke to the group and led
them on a tour of the cardiac
catheterization lab.
2

THE VITALINK
New Program Impacts Health of
Ventilator Patients
On August 11, Maury Regional
Medical Center implemented the progressive
upright mobility initiative in an
effort to decrease the amount of time
that patients must use a ventilator, resulting
in improved recovery time and
Pictured are (back row, l-r) Beck, Miller,
Earnest, DaSilva, Jett, (front row, l-r)
Albright, respiratory therapist Terra Williams,
Dr. Quinn and ICU bedside nurse
Amanda Voss in the Intensive Care Unit.
a decreased stay in a critical care unit.
According to Administrative Director
Carey Albright, immobility causes
a loss of physical condition. “One day
of bed rest can result in a decrease of
one to two percent of strength and require
two weeks of reconditioning just for a patient to return to his or her baseline
strength. With three to four days of bed rest, a patient’s heart health begins to be
affected,” said Albright.
According to critical care specialist Thomas Quinn, M.D., getting patients
moving as soon as possible can decrease the risks for other health issues such
as pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pressure ulcers, anemia, muscle atrophy
and many more.
This patient mobility initiative has been implemented in all of the medical center’s
critical care units. Patients on a ventilator are supported by a team of clinical
professionals representing nursing, respiratory care and physical therapy who
assist in getting the patient moving while closely monitoring their vital signs.
“By implementing this process, we reduced the length of stay among 142
patients by 85 days between August 11 and October 31,” said Quinn. “Because
of their improved health status, they are discharged more quickly and we are
seeing an increase in the number of patients who are able to go home rather
than discharged to a skilled care facility.”
Members of the team who implemented this program are critical care specialist
Dr. Thomas Quinn; Administrative Director Carey Albright, MSN; Pat
Poole, NP, ICU; Critical Care Nurse Manager Ginger Earnest, MSN; Assistant
Critical Care Nurse Manager Brian Beck; Melissa Miller, NP, Critical Care; Fernando
DaSilva, PT; Lori Thomas, PT; Director of Respiratory Therapy Christy
Wright, RT; Respiratory Care Coordinator Sharon Dobbins, RT; and Transport
Services Supervisor Daryl Jett.
Outgoing Chief of Staff Honored
Charles B. Bramlett, Jr.,
M.D., a specialist in pathology,
was honored at the January
board of trustees meeting for
his service as the 2008 chief of
staff.
Dr. Bramlett (center) is pictured
with outgoing Board Chairman
Waymon L. Hickman (left)
and CEO Robert Otwell.
Promotions
Delina Jill Oliver
from student ultrasound tech,
to ultrasound tech, Imaging
Transfers
Victoria Hardison
from RN, Home Health,
to radiologic technologist, Imaging
Marsha Miller
from registrar, Spring Hill Specialty
Clinic, to scheduler, Pre-Service
Births
Charity Sharp, CVICU, and her
husband, Anthony, welcomed Neely
Shea Sharp on December 29. She
weighed 7 lbs. and 12 ozs.
Letters of Thanks
To Patrick Harlan:
We are so appreciative of the
service you provided us yesterday.
Everyone was very impressed
with the Health Fair, both our employees
and the folks at Corporate
Health Partners. I know that a lot of
work went into the planning, set up,
and the actual fair itself. You are to
be commended for the great work.
All the people that came with you
were very professional and caring
people. Please express our thanks
to all of them.
Again, thanks so much for all
that you did. We look forward to
working with you and Maury Regional
Medical Center in the future.
~Jan Brown
Human Resource Manager
Haulers Insurance Company
3

THE VITALINK
Letters of Thanks,
continued
To Maury Regional Medical Center:
Thanks to you all for the
thoughts and prayers you have
given to me during this very difficult
time after losing my sister. The
cards and gifts are just the proof
that MRMC is a family and is there
when needed in a time of crisis.
~Annette Bell
To Patrick Harlan:
We strive to create a learning
environment where all of our students
feel cared for here at Santa
Fe School. Each child is placed in
our care with the expectation that
they will be protected as they grow
intellectually, emotionally, socially,
and athletically. We would like to
thank you and Maury Regional
Medical Center’s Holiday Hugs
Program for your tremendous support
in these efforts.
The Holiday Hugs Program
provided four of our young ladies
and two of our young men with
much needed warm clothes… We
know that each was grateful for
the gift your employees purchased
on their behalf.
We appreciate the generosity
of both the employees’ time
and their financial support which
makes this program beneficial to
our students and others throughout
the Maury County School System.
We look forward to working
with you again in the future.
~Cathy Cook, principal &
Amy Perryman, assisant principal
Santa Fe School
Women’s Center Hosts Luncheon
The Maury Regional Women’s Center
hosted a free luncheon program titled Women
Helping Women on Wednesday, January
14, in the Auxiliary Conference Room.
Women Helping Women is a free quarterly
lunch and learn series that addresses health
issues facing women today.
Dr. Rodney Poling, a board certified
psychiatrist on the medical staff at Maury
Regional Medical Center, discussed the topic
of depression. Studies show that women
are nearly twice as likely to experience depression
as men and one in four women can
expect to develop clinical depression during their lifetime. While causes vary
by individual, contributing factors include hormonal changes, genetic factors,
stress from work and family responsibilities, and others. Dr. Poling discussed
the signs, symptoms and treatment options for depression and concluded
with a question and answer session.
Dr. Poling received his medical degree from the University of Kansas
School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas and completed a residency at the
San Diego Naval Hospital Department of Psychiatry. He is board certified in
psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.
4
Dana Salters, women’s services
coordinator, and Dr. Poling are pictured
at the Women Helping Women
Luncheon.
Local AACN Chapter Formed
Critical Care nurses from MRMC critical care units formed a local chapter
of American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Elected officers are
Melissa Miller, president; Theresa Harris, president-elect; Susie Dale, Secretary;
Heide Fritz, treasurer; Leasia Flatt, treasurer-elect.
The chapter was established to provide quality education on issues facing
critical care nurses. A local chapter also presents opportunities for members
to become known by their peers, participate in their communities, and interact
with local and national leaders.
The chapter meets every second Thursday of the month from 5 to 7 p.m.
in PDR1. Anybody interested in critical care nursing is welcome to attend a
meeting and those who join must first be a member of the national organization.
For more information, please e-mail stvchapter@ymail.com.
Fifth Graders Participate in Tar Wars
Approximately 50 fifth-grade students throughout
the Maury County school system participated
in the annual Tar Wars poster contest, according
to Paula Streeter, community health nurse. Dr.
Charles Ball spearheaded the team of physicians
and staff members who visited each school and
presented the anti-tobacco program.
Dr. Carol H. Broadway, a specialist in pediatrics, (second from right) presented
McDowell Elementary School’s first place winner Bianca Saavedra (second
from left) with her award. Also present were school principal Kevin Eady (left) and
teacher Cindy Baxter (right). First-place winners will have their poster presented in
a state competition in Nashville in March.

THE VITALINK
Prescription Plan Update
Effective January 1, generic drugs are no
longer applied to the annual Blue Cross Blue
Shield deductible. This means employees can immediately
file for reimbursement based on the 90 percent (hospital pharmacy) /
70 percent (in-network pharmacy) / 60 percent (out-of-network pharmacy)
benefit. Name brand drugs are still subject to deductibles and once the
amount is met ($500 for individuals, $1,500 for family in-network), employees
are eligible for the same reimbursement benefit. Prescription reimbursement
forms are available on the intranet or in the Human Resources
Department.
Benefit Forms Available Online
In addition to the prescription reimbursement forms, there are several
other benefit forms that are available to employees on the intranet. Click
on Departments, Human Resources, and HR Forms to find the most current
claim forms for dental, vision and flexible spending accounts. If you
do not have access to the intranet or need assistance in completing the
forms, please contact benefits specialists Connie Lentz or Cindy Wilmore
at extension 1096.
Volunteers Offer New Service in ED
Volunteers began training in the Emergency
Department (ED) in preparation for an expanded
service that will benefit patients, visitors,
employees and physicians, according to
Volunteer Services Director Cindy Fox.
“The new service will be quite different than
Faris Beard, nurse (right), is
it was in the past. Volunteers will not only assist
in the waiting room, they will be working in
pictured training volunteer Jim
Browning at one of the nurses the back alongside the ED staff to help in various
ways, like checking in with patients in exam
stations in the ED.
rooms and providing warm blankets,” said Fox.
Administrative Director of Emergency Services Holly Kunz added, “The volunteers
will be doing a great service to everyone in the Emergency Department.
Having extra friendly faces and people willing to help where they can will be
appreciated by patients, staff and physicians alike.”
Santa Fe Students Donate to Pediatrics
Five members of Santa Fe’s Beta
Club collected and donated more than
60 toys and other items to the pediatric
unit. The Beta Club works on several
community service projects throughout
the year, according to Karen Adams,
Santa Fe Beta Club sponsor (second
from right).
“Pediatric inpatients received extra holiday cheer this year because of these
generous students. We are very thankful to the Santa Fe Beta Club,” said Linda
Foster, pediatric nurse manager (left).
5
Pharmacist Receives
Certification
Erika Hunt,
pharmacist, recently
passed the
Board of Pharmaceutical
Specialties
(BPS) exam
for pharmacotherapy.
In preparation
for the certification, Hunt completed a
residency at Vanderbilt.
According to BPS, certified pharmacists
demonstrate initiative and a
commitment to professional excellence.
Nurses Receive
Certifications
Two MRMC oncology nurses recently
received their chemotherapy
certifications. Stephanie Redding
and Erin Terry completed the certification
course offered by the Oncology
Nursing Society (ONS), which
includes comprehensive information
on the field of chemotherapy as well
as keeps nurses apprised of the latest
developments in drug therapy.
Pictured (l-r) are nurses receiving certification
Terry and Redding.
Williamson, from page 1
he served as president in 1994-95.
He and his wife, Pam, are members
of the First United Methodist Church,
where he serves as a trustee. Mrs.
Williamson is a member and past
president of the Maury Regional
Medical Center Auxiliary.

THE VITALINK
Bloodmobile Update
Seventy-nine people presented
to donate blood at the medical center’s
blood drive on January 19, according
to the American Red Cross.
Of the 79, four were first-time donors.
In total, sixty-four productive units
were collected.
Dr. Deborah L. Goldsmith, a specialist
in infectious disease, is pictured with
Red Cross collection tech Annie Valentine
after donating blood.
Town Hall Meetings
There will be a Town Hall meeting on
Thursday, February 5 in the Auxiliary Conference
Room at the following times:
• 7:30 a.m.
• 10:00 a.m.
• 2:00 p.m.
Development, from page 1
information will be lost, though employees
will not be able to complete
computer based learning (CBL) until
the new system launches in early
March. All of the education hours in
NetLearning will be loaded into the
new system.
Yvonne Legg will serve as the
learning system administrator for all
facilities. Please contact Legg with
questions at 381.1111, extension
7065. More information on the new
Personal Development Academy initiative
will be forthcoming from Human
Resources.
Service Champion of the Month Award
Jessica Kincaid, RN in ICU Stepdown,
was named December’s Service
Champion of the Month. Kincaid has
been an employee of the medical center
for more than seven years.
“Jessica strives for excellence in
Kincaid (second from right) is pictured
with (l-r) Cathy Malone, administrative
director of cardiopulmonary services;
Gaddes; and Deborah Lumpkins,
vice president of nursing services/
chief nursing officer.
Foundation News
First $100,000 Bequest Pledged to Foundation
A monumental first deferred gift has been given to the
Maury Regional Healthcare Foundation by Waymon L. Hickman,
former chairman of the board of trustees, according to
Foundation Chairman Eslick Daniel, M.D. The gift was announced
at Hickman’s retirement dinner on January 20.
“Waymon Hickman has been a leader
in this community for a lifetime, giving generously
of his time to many worthy causes.
As he transitions into a new phase of his
life, it is very fitting that he continues to be
a leader, having been the first individual to
make a bequest to the foundation,” said Dr.
Daniel.
Robert Otwell, CEO, added, “Mr. Hickman
has selflessly given of his time and
talent to the medical center for more than
31 years, six of which were on the advisory
board and 25 of which were on the board of
trustees. Combined with his years of service, this gift is a testament to his love
for the medical center and his commitment to serve the community.”
Annual Drive
The foundation’s annual fund-raising drive brought in a record amount
of donations this year, according to Darlene Baxter, executive director of the
foundation. At press time, nearly 500 employees, volunteers, board members
and physicians pledged or donated more than $61,000.
“The foundation received nearly three times as many donations this year
as it did the previous year. We are very grateful for the generous donations
made by all,” said Baxter.
This year, employees were able to designate how they want their donations
to be used—for heart, cancer or diabetic patients only, The Retreat, Community
Health Program, Special Needs Fund or the William R. Walter Employee
Assistance Fund. All donations are spent on programs and services.
6
Pictured at the retirement dinner
are Dr. Daniel; Hickman; his wife
Helen Hickman; Darlene Baxter,
executive director of the foundation;
and Otwell.
every aspect of her job. She is always
professional, courteous and enthusiastic
about her duties. She really goes above
and beyond to give the best quality care
for both patients and coworkers,” said Jill
Gaddes, ICU stepdown nurse manager.

The VitaLink Readers Survey
THE VITALINK
In order to continue to ensure that the newsletter is an effective communication tool, your feedback is needed.
Please complete the survey below or on the Intranet (internal Web site) and return it to the Marketing Department
located in Medical Office Building A, Suite 202 or fax it to 931.540.4289 by February 20.
Five polo shirts with the medical center’s new logo will be given away to five randomly drawn respondents. To be
eligible for the drawing, the survey must be completed in full, and a name and phone number must be listed so that
we can contact the winners. Thank you for your time and assistance.
When you receive the newsletter, do you usually:
___Read it in its entirety
___Discard it without reading it
___Skim the newsletter, but only read parts of it
___Other:______________________________
Which format of the newsletter do you prefer to read:
___Printed (home delivery) ___Intranet (internal Web site) ___Public Web site (mauryregional.com)
Is the length of the newsletter appropriate
___Yes ___Too long ___Too short ___No opinion
How long do you keep the newsletter
___One day ___One day-One week ___One week-One month ___Indefinitely
How many people in your household read the newsletter ______________
Please rate the newsletter on the following:
Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor
Article Topics 1 2 3 4 5
Layout/Graphics 1 2 3 4 5
Personal Enjoyment 1 2 3 4 5
Usefulness 1 2 3 4 5
Writing/Ease of Reading 1 2 3 4 5
Please rate how well the newsletter keeps you informed of the following:
Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor
Employee professional accomplishment 1 2 3 4 5
Events 1 2 3 4 5
Human Interest Stories 1 2 3 4 5
Human Resource Information 1 2 3 4 5
New Services and Technologies 1 2 3 4 5
Organizational Announcements 1 2 3 4 5
Service Line/Department accomplishments 1 2 3 4 5
What would you like addressed in the newsletter that is not currently there
OPTIONAL Name:___________________________
Phone number:____________________
What would you like discontinued/omitted from the newsletter
Further comments:
I am reading The VitaLink as a(n):
___Employee ___Retiree ___Physician ___Volunteer ___Other:____________________
7

Maury Regional Medical Center
1224 Trotwood Avenue
Columbia, Tennessee 38401
Return Service Requested
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Columbia, TN 38401
Permit No. 710
February Calendar of Events
2 3 4 5
New Employee Orientation
(8 a.m., Auxiliary Conf. Room,
call 380.4017)
Smoking Cessation: first meeting
of 4-week course
(6-7:30 p.m., Mondays through
Feb. 23, call 381.1111, ext. 2334)
Expectant Parent Class: Labor
(7-9 p.m., call 490.7046)
7
Expectant Parent Class:
Comprehensive Course
(9 a.m.-2 p.m., call 490.7046)
16
Breast Cancer Support Group
(5:30 p.m., call 381.1111,
ext. 4166)
Expectant Parent Class:
Breast Feeding
(7-9 p.m., call 490.7046)
24
Health Talk
(10 a.m., Mt. Pleasant Community
Center, call 381.1111,
ext. 4343)
New Employee Orientation
(8 a.m., Auxiliary Conf. Room,
call 380.4017)
Diabetes Education Group
(11:30 a.m., Private Dining
Room 1, call 540.4324)
Health Screenings
(10 a.m.-noon, Columbia
Housing Authority, call
381.1111, ext. 4343)
Breast Feeding Support Group
(11 a.m.-1 p.m., West
Seventh Church of Christ,
call 490.7074)
Free Blood Pressure Check
(9:30-10:30 a.m., Columbia
Senior Center, call 490.4600)
20 21
Ostomy Support Group
(10 a.m. & 6 p.m., call
540.4172)
Town Hall Meetings
(7:30 a.m., 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.,
Auxiliary Conf. Room)
9 10 13
Expectant Parent Class:
Delivery
(7-9 p.m., call 490.7046)
Free Blood Pressure Check
(10 a.m.-noon, People’s Table
at First United Methodist
Church, call 381.1111,
ext. 4343)
26
Free Tours of Labor & Delivery
for expectant parents and families
(9:30 a.m., 490.7046)
Expectant Parent Class: Siblings
(10 a.m.-noon, call 490.7046)
Expectant Parent Class: Infant CPR
(Noon, call 490.7046)
28
Expectant Parent Class:
Baby Basics
(10 a.m.-noon, call 490.7046)
Free Blood Pressure Check
(10 a.m.-noon, People’s Table
at First United Methodist
Church, call 381.1111,
ext. 4343)
23
Expectant Parent Class:
Post Partum
(7-9 p.m., call 490.7046)