February 24, 2012 - Baptist Memorial Online

Leader Green Cover_ƒLeader_Alt_Cover.qxp 2/23/12 5:02 PM Page 6Cyberknife radiosurgery system treats patient’s cancerous tumors, restores lifeprescribed antibiotics. A week later, Cox wasn’t feeling any better, andshe made up her mind that something just wasn’t right.“Let’s continue on,” she said, and she pushed her doctor to explore theproblem further.Her doctor suggested a 24-hour watch with a pulmonary specialist. “Iknew that I had something going on in my body, and before I even visitedthe doctor I had my bags packed and was ready to go,” said Cox.The pulmonary specialist diagnosed Cox with bacterial pneumonia andsuggested she have a lung biopsy. “The word ‘biopsy’ was really scary tome, but I knew there had to be something more going on than pneumonia,”said Cox.Just two weeks after her initial visit to her family physician, Cox wasdiagnosed with stage four lung cancer.Cyberknife patient Joan Cox plays with her granddaughter, Haidyn, in their home.Cox received Cyberknife radiosurgery treatment for stage four lung cancer inOctober 2009Joan Cox went with her husband to his appointment with their familyphysician in October 2009. She decided while she was there, she wouldget a quick check up. Feeling as if she was suffering from an upper respiratoryinfection, a quick exam was all she expected.After an examination of Cox, her physician ordered chest X-rays and“I didn’t smoke, and I had no family history of cancer. I was completelyshocked,” said Cox. “Here I am 56 years old, lying in the hospital withwhat I though was pneumonia. I couldn’t believe it.”Once the shock settled in, Cox was ready to push forward in her fightagainst her cancer.“I am a driven spirit, and I push myself a lot,” said Cox. “I was determinedto focus on the positive and find the best possible treatment.”Continued on page 5SAFETY MATTERS: TAKE CARE TO GIVE CARECheryl Berry, nursing director atoutranking nearly every industryproper equipment and tools, like thedown, follow the proceduresBaptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto,including mining, manufacturingpatient lift program, to maintaincorrectly and report at-risk behav-is able to lead her team to provideand construction.optimum health and stay in theiriors when you see them. If thisbetter care with less of a risk forinjury thanks to a new patient liftsystem recently installed at BaptistDeSoto.According to a report released bythe U.S. Bureau of Labor andStatistics on workplace injuries andillness in 2010, health care workerschosen career beyond the age ofretirement.“We want our employees to beable to stay in their chosen career ashappens, our accident rate will dropdramatically.”“Our employees are our mostimportant asset,” he said. “We are“One of the largest benefits ofexperienced an injury rate of 5.2 outlong as they wish,” said Deneseall busy but with the right tools andusing equipment to lift and transferof every 100 full-time workers; aBryant, employee health servicesprocedures we can have a safe workpatients is that it will decrease worknumber well ahead of constructiondirector. “Baptist strives to create anplace.”related injuries, says Berry. “Ournurses are now able to focus more oftheir energy on bedside care and lessworrying about a potential backinjury. As a result, careers will bemore productive and life outside ofwork is improved.”The new patient lift program isjust one step Baptist is taking to(4.0) and mining (3.7).“Over 80 percent of injuries arecaused by four types of incidents thatare a direct result of risk behaviors,”said Mitchell Payes, Baptist riskmanagement director. “We areseeking to combat these behaviorsby increasing awareness in fourareas: safe employee and patientenvironment where a nutrition servicesworker, a nurse or agroundskeeper can stay in the workforceand not have to leaveprematurely because of a workrelated injury.”Better quality of life for Baptistemployees is the goal of the newsafety measures, said Payes.Payes said no punitive actions willoccur for reporting at-risk behavior.“We want to hear what suggestionsour employees have to combat thesenegative behaviors,” said Bryant.“We want open dialog about what ishappening and what we can do tomake our work place safer.”improve the lives of colleagues andpatients.Though the nature of health careworkers revolves around helpingpeople maintain optimum health,health care workers have the highestrisk for injury themselves,handling; slips, trips and falls;material handling injuries; andneedle sticks.”While safety measures andtraining have always been a priority,Baptist is taking extra steps toensure that employees are given the“We want our employees to takecare of themselves so that they inturn are able to provide care topatients.”“Creating a culture focused onsafety requires everyone to makechanges in their daily routine: slowFor suggestions or commentsabout creating a safer work place,please email Mitchell Payes atmitchell.payes@bmhcc.org orDenese Bryant atdenese.bryant@bmhcc.org.