News
We are approaching the time when kids and parents start preparing for going back to school. As the time nears, there are numerous tips to prepare and get your kids off to a great start, including Magnolia Regional Health Center’s back to school guide.
With the warm weather upon us and with kids spending more time outdoors, it is a good time to focus on their health and safety. Read through Magnolia Regional Heath Center’s guide to summer safety, and contact us with any questions.
MRHC/UMMC will address increasing distrust and issues of bias and diversity in the U.S. health care system.
Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) and University of Mississippi Medical Center have jointly received a $20,000 grant from leading internal medicine organizations to rebuild trust and address inequities in medical education and training. The award, presented by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the ABIM Foundation, the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, is one of 32, totaling $287,500.
Physician shortages, patient mistrust, and trainee bias all contribute to the difficulty in delivering safe, effective, high-quality primary health care in Mississippi. As the state ranked 49th in the country for overall health and 50th for worst health outcomes, Mississippi needs well-trained physicians to provide healthcare to its residents. The MRHC/UMMC project entitled Enhancing Education, Building Trust, and Eliminating Bias in Primary Care: A Novel Approach to Primary Care Track Resident Education in Inner-City and Rural Mississippi seeks to do just that.
This grant will allow MRHC and UMMC to work together to address the health disparities in the state. The University of Mississippi Medical Center, the only academic medical center in the state, is located in the urban state capitol of Jackson. UMMC has numerous physician training programs, including an Internal Medicine program with 78 resident physicians. Magnolia Regional Health Center, by contrast, is located in a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and is designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Magnolia’s Internal Medicine program
has a total of 19 resident physicians. The two programs, one academic and one rural, will work together to help build the doctor-patient relationship by increasing patient trust in their physicians. They will also work to train Internal Medicine residents in both programs about physician bias and patient mistrust. The work will be accomplished with a lecture series for the resident physicians and community events held jointly with residents and patients. The project will span over two years, from July 1st, 2021 to June 30th, 2023.
“As a lifelong Mississippian, I have seen the mistrust that can occur within the medical system.” said Dr. Hayes Baker, Program Director for Internal Medicine at Magnolia Regional Health Center. “I am excited to work with my partners at UMMC to train our Internal Medicine residents to provide unbiased, equitable care in our state. I am hopeful that our work will enhance the doctor-patient relationship at all levels, in order to deliver the best healthcare possible in both Corinth and Jackson. Magnolia and UMMC are honored to be selected as a grantee to tackle mistrust and address health care diversity, equity and inclusion in medical education and training.”
Dr. Baker will be partnering with Dr. Lyssa Weatherly, Assistant Dean of Students at UMMC School of Medicine and Associate Program Director for UMMC Internal Medicine Residency and Dr. Jessie Lavender, Primary Care Track Director for the Internal Medicine residency at UMMC.
Organizations receiving grant funding include:
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Baylor College of Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Columbia University Medical Center
Community Memorial Health System
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Emory University
Florida Atlantic University
George Washington University
Hennepin Healthcare
Hofstra University
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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Magnolia Regional Health Center/University of Mississippi Medical Center
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Mount Sinai West Hospital
NCH Healthcare System
Oregon Health & Science University Hillsboro Medical Center
Riverside University Health System
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Stamford Health
Stanford University
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
University of California Davis
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University of California San Diego
University of Illinois, Peoria Campus
University of Maryland
University of North Carolina
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of Texas Southwestern
University of Washington School of Medicine
UT Health San Antonio
UT Southwestern Medical Center
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To learn more about the grant, please visit https://www.im.org/blogs/aaim-administrator/2021/06/22/nearly-300k-in-grants-awarded-to-promote-a-more-eq.
The dawning of a new phase of medical training occurs when a medical student graduates and exchanges their short white coat for a longer one, signifying and celebrating their hard work and future responsibility to their patients. The white coat is synonymous with professionalism in the field of medicine, and a long white coat is only worn by those who have achieved physician status and historically awarded during a white coat ceremony.
Last week, members of the MRHC leadership team, Board of Trustees and graduate medical education programs celebrated and welcomed the new resident physicians to MRHC by hosting a white coat ceremony at Shiloh Ridge Athletic Club in Corinth. In front of fellow physicians, family members and staff, twelve new resident physicians were awarded their long white coats and began their journey of continuing their medical training at MRHC.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this new class of residents to MRHC and Corinth,” said Jim Hobson, chief executive officer at MRHC. “They play such a vital role in the care of our patients and are such an asset to our health system and community.”
Of the twelve residents, six will be joining the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, now in its second year of training, and six will be joining the Internal Medicine Residency Program, marking the fourteenth class of residents received into the program. In addition to the residents now beginning their tenure with MRHC, 13 other residents will continue years two and three of their training simultaneously. The residents will be trained by the following faculty members:
Emergency Medicine Residency
Frederick B. Carlton MD, FACEP, Program Director
Japheth Baker, DO, Associate Program Director
Amy Davis, MD, FACEP, Core Faculty & Director Express Care
Lisa Bundy, MD FACEP, Core Faculty
Felton Eugene Combest, Jr, MD, Core Faculty
Alex Hampton, MD, Core Faculty
Internal Medicine Residency
Margaret Hayes Baker, MD FACP, Program Director
John Peyton Preece, DO FACOI, Associate Program Director
Cody Stroupe, MD, Core Faculty
Chris Tucker, MD, Core Faculty
Ben Long, MD, Core Faculty
Kyle Ulrich, DO, Core Faculty
William Jackson, MD, Supervising Physician MRCCC
Valerie Norton, DO, Core Faculty & Director MRCCC
“I am excited for these new residents to join our programs and start their medical training at MRHC,” said Gena Lindsey, Designated Institutional Official with the Magnolia Graduate Medical Education Program. “Each of these physicians will be caring for patients and training under our program directors, core faculty and medical staff over the next three years. I am confident they, and our team, will do great things due to the quality of training they receive at MRHC.”
About Magnolia Regional Health Center Graduate Medical Education
Magnolia Regional Health Center is dedicated to training future leaders in medicine by providing organized and academically rigorous programs of education that foster physicians’ professional development as skilled, ethical, compassionate, and sensitive clinicians, who are capable of meeting the challenges of a changing healthcare environment, while assuring the highest possible quality patient care. Our graduate medical education programs promote the collaboration and development of a network that includes other local, regional and national institutions as well as affiliated health centers. All of our programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) has partnered with Surfacide to continue to remain on the forefront of innovation and infection control, as it has begun utilizing the Surfacide Helios® System throughout the organization.
Throughout healthcare, and specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental services staff members play a vital role in keeping patients, visitors and staff safe at all times. In their efforts in doing so, many disinfectant cleaning products are utilized to ensure patient rooms and frequented areas throughout the facility are cleaned to protect against infectious disease threats, including COVID-19 and many others. The newly acquired Surfacide Helios® System will help with disinfectant efforts at MRHC for years to come.
“We’re excited to implement the Surfacide system within our facility and utilize its capabilities to ensure that our patients continue to receive care in the safest and cleanest environment possible,” said Jim Hobson, Chief Executive Officer at MRHC. “Throughout the pandemic, substantial fear of acquiring the COVID-19 virus has negatively impacted the thoughts of visiting the hospital amongst our patient base and patients’ willingness to visit the hospital for necessary care and services. By continuing to partner with the most innovative partners in healthcare, such as Surfacide, we remain confident in our ability to protect all who enter our doors.”
So how does it work? UV technology destroys the genetic bonds in pathogens rendering them unable to replicate and cause infection. UV light only works on directly exposed surfaces in proximity. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “UVC radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous surfaces. UVC radiation has effectively been used for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria, such as tuberculosis.” 
According to studies, Surfacide UV-C is scientifically proven to reduce Coronavirus on hard surfaces. Surfacide’s efficacy is proven against MERS-CoV, a similar strain of coronavirus to SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Surfacide delivers more UV-C energy to more surfaces and positions multiple emitters closer to high-touch surfaces and reduces shadowed areas, delivering more energy to more surfaces throughout your space in a single cycle. Surfacide calculates cycle time dose according to your space, and emitters laser map your space to calculate the most effective UV-C dose and rapidly decontaminates the area, reducing overall time and labor.
“MRHC has always prided itself on providing the highest quality environment for our patients, guests and staff members,” said Terry Plunk, Executive Director of Support Services at MRHC. “Our EVS staff works hard daily to clean areas and surfaces, and Surfacide will allow them to continue to do so with its ease of use and technology.”
Plunk added, “I’m most proud for our patients who can confidently know that our team is doing our absolute best and utilizing the most state-of-the-art methods to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere during their visit.”
About Surfacide Helios® System
Surfacide was founded in 2010 and its Helios® System is the world’s only patented, triple emitter ‘robotic’ UV-C light solution to rapidly eliminate and prevent the spread of deadly pathogens. Made and manufactured in Waukesha, WI, Surfacide is proud to deliver its scientifically proven, hospital grade UV-C technology to the world now more than ever.
A trusted partner in infection prevention, Surfacide has been deployed in over 500 leading hospitals, nursing homes, dental offices, fire stations, prisons, police stations, commercial office spaces, hotels and public venues worldwide. For more information, please visit www.surfacide.com.
Magnolia Regional Health Center (MRHC) has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. MRHC is one of only 212 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
The award recognizes MRHC’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that MRHC has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, MRHC has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.
“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, MRHC has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, MRHC has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication our team invests day in and day out to achieve excellence in heart attack care for our patients,” said Jim Hobson, chief executive officer at MRHC. “I am extremely proud of our team for continuing to reach this milestone and confident patients will not find better heart attack treatment and care than what our team provides at MRHC.”
Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.
The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.