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FREE KIDNEY SCREENINGS AVAILABLE FEB 24TH

HATTIESBURG, MISS. – The Mississippi Kidney Foundation will be hosting free kidney screenings Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 28th Place as part of their Renal Evaluation and Assessment Program.

Individuals with high risk factors for kidney disease include those who have high blood pressure; diabetes; or those who have a family member with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. The screenings will include a full renal panel; complete blood count; cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar checks; and a urinalysis.

Space is limited and reservations are required. To register, call The Mississippi Kidney Foundation at 601-981-3611 or 1-800-232-1592.

Filed under: Hattiesburg, Medical, Chronic kidney disease, Diabetes, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Kidney, Mississippi Kidney Foundation

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP TO BE HELD in Hattiesburg

PET scan of a human brain with Alzheimer's disease

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HATTIESBURG, MISS. – The Neurological Research Center at Hattiesburg Clinic and the Mississippi Department of Mental Health Division of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementia will be hosting a patient support group for newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients beginning Feb. 23.

The support group will last for six weeks, ending March 30. It will be held every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Wisteria Room at 28th Place across from Hattiesburg Clinic. Space for this group is limited. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 601-579-3395.

Filed under: Featured, Hattiesburg, Medical, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Hattiesburg Clinic, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Medicine

FGH SUPPORT GROUP HOSTS DIABETES SPEAKER

Blood glucose testing, showing the size of blo...

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Forrest General Hospital’s Adult Diabetes Support Group will meet Wednesday, February 16 from 3:00-4:00 PM in the Education Classroom at LiveWell.  The session will feature guest speaker Megan Long from CCS Medical.  The focus topic will be “Testing Your Glucose.”

The Adult Diabetes Support Group addresses the special needs of people with diabetes, providing the opportunity for discussion on topics such as nutrition, medicines, foot and eye care, complications, motivations, exercises and blood glucose monitoring. Meetings occur on the third Wednesday of every month and are free to the public.

For more information, call The Diabetes Care Center at 601-288-1780 or email sparham@forrestgeneral.com.

The LiveWell Center is a service of Forrest General.

Filed under: Featured, Diabetes, Diabetes Care Center, Forrest General, Forrest General Hospital, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, LiveWell Center

MARSHALL JOINS COLUMBIA FAMILY CLINIC

Shirley A. Marshall, M.D., recently joined the physicians and providers of Columbia Family Clinic, a service of Hattiesburg Clinic, to serve as a family medicine physician with a special interest in women’s health, diabetes and other chronic disease management.

Marshall received her medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and completed a family medicine residency at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo.

She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Her professional affiliations include the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Physician Executives.

Marshall joins Bert Beisel, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.; Robert R. Herrington, III, M.D.; John A. Johnson, III, M.D.; Mark A. Stevens, M.D.; Franklin W. Waller, Jr., M.D.; Harmony R. Brogden, PA-C; and Phyllis J. Burch, FNP-BC.

Filed under: Featured, Marion County, Medical, Columbia Family Clinic, Hattiesburg Clinic, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Shirley A. Marshall

Comments sought for PRCC nursing reaccreditation review

POPLARVILLE – The Pearl River Community College associate degree nursing program will host a site review next month for continuing accreditation of its program.

Interested persons can  meet the review team and comment on the program at a meeting at 3:45 p.m. Friday, March 4, in the PRCC Nursing Building tiered classroom.

Written comments can be submitted to Dr. Sharon Tanner, chief executive officer, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 303026; or by email to sjtanner@nlnac.org. Deadline for written comments is Wednesday, Feb. 23.

For more information, contact Peggy Dease, PRCC director of nursing education, at 601 403-1016.

Filed under: Medical, Pearl River, education, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Pearl River Community College, Poplarville Mississippi

Cold and Flu Season Brings Steady Stream of Patients to Campus Clinic

A persistent cough and runny nose are just about as prevalent in late January as heavy coats and high electric bills.

At the Bedie Smith Clinic on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi, physicians, nurses and support staff have seen a steady stream of patients suffering from cold and flu-like symptoms.

“Yes, we have been busy here but that’s not unusual for this time of year,” said Dr. Virginia Crawford, director of Student Health Services at Southern Miss. “Some of the patients we’re seeing need antibiotics but most do not. The majority just has to wait it out and can take some over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms.”

Crawford noted that certain decongestants, such as Sudafed, require a doctor’s prescription, therefore patients needing that type of medication should come to the university clinic.

This time a year ago Crawford and her staff were treating a massive outbreak of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus that eventually became a global pandemic. Fortunately, the 2011 influenza season is producing a more familiar challenge.

“This is not a new strain of flu that we’re seeing this year,” said Crawford. “It is primarily the Influenza B virus that is easily covered by the flu vaccine.”

Crawford’s advice for those who have not received a flu shot? “Wash your hands often and see a doctor if you have a fever, body aches or a severe cold.”

While the cold and flu season typically reaches its peak in January and February, the virus can linger well into springtime. The flu vaccine is still available at the Bedie Smith Clinic. For more information call 601.266.5390 or visit www.usm.edu/healthservice/

Filed under: Forrest County, Hattiesburg, Medical, USM, Bedie Smith Clinic, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Influenza, Student Health Services, Virginia Crawford

Lt. David Holland took 25 photos of life on the street of Baghdad during his tour of duty in 2008. (Submitted photo)

(Hattiesburg, MS) – (January 24, 2011) – The American Cancer Society and Forrest General Hospital have officially unveiled the new Cancer Resource Center. The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Resource Center offers cancer patients in Hattiesburg a new place to turn for the most up-to-date cancer information, services and programs.
The ceremony took place Friday, January 21, at 11 a.m. at the Forrest General Cancer Center. The opening ceremony featured a ribbon cutting by medical staff and guest speakers. The Cancer Resource Center is a partnership between the American Cancer Society and Forrest General Hospital.

Forrest General and American Cancer Society administrators, representatives and volunteers joined together on January 21 to cut the ribbon on a new Cancer Resource Center at the Forrest General Cancer Center.

“The Cancer Resource Center is an important way that the programs and services offered by the American Cancer Society are brought to where the patient is,” says Janet Watson, Mississippi Health Initiatives Director for the American Cancer Society. “Cancer Resource Centers provide a personal connection to the patient and the community in such a user friendly way.”

The American Cancer Society recruits and trains local Cancer Resource Center volunteers. These volunteers are trained to navigate the American Cancer Society website and the Society’s Community Resource Database. Volunteers provide patients with information for understanding cancer, managing each day through treatment and recovery, and finding emotional support they need.

“This Cancer Resource Center will not only supplement and compliment what a patient’s treatment will do, but also provide emotional support from the volunteers to the patients and their families,” says Watson. “We at the American Cancer Society know that providing an informational and supportive place is so very important in the journey through a cancer diagnosis. This is what Cancer Resource Centers are all about.”

Wigs, hats and scarves are also available for patients undergoing cancer treatments and facing partial or total loss of hair.

“Forrest General is excited to partner with the American Cancer Society to bring this valuable resource to our patients and community,” said Forrest General Oncology Service Line Leader Janet Gallaspy. “We are eager to be able to provide additional assistance for our patients through the new Cancer Resource Center.”

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 Divisions and local and millions of volunteers across the United States. For cancer information anytime day or night, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

For more information on the Forrest General Cancer Center, visit forrestgeneral.com or call FGH OnCall at 1-800-844-4445.

Filed under: Business, Featured, Hattiesburg, Medical, American Cancer Society, Cancer Resource Center, Forrest General Cancer Center, Forrest General Hospital, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Janet Gallaspy, Janet Watson, Medicine, Mississippi Health Initiatives, Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Wesley Medical Center upgrades clinical laboratory operations

Hattiesburg, MS – Wesley Medical Center recently completed the installation of two state-of-the-art, clinical lab machines to improve patient safety and reduce testing errors in the laboratory.

The Dimension RxL Max Integrated Chemistry System and StreamLAB Automation Solution, both manufactured by Siemens, help increase lab efficiency while allowing more clinical tests to be run from a single workstation.

“Ultimately, the system improves test result accuracy and gets those results to providers more quickly and efficiently,” says Paula Ward, Wesley’s clinical lab director.

Through the Dimension RxL System, Wesley’s lab personnel have streamlined their workflow by running multiple disease-specific tests using various testing methods on a single machine. Additionally, by linking the device to the StreamLAB Automation Solution, Wesley has also automated many of the manual tasks previously required to run tests, such as decapping, centrifuging, sample introduction, recapping and storage of the samples after testing.

“With a national focus on preventing medical errors in hospitals, this system will help us catch common errors that sometimes occur,” Ward says. “While our error rate has always been significantly below the national average, this system provides additional security to help eliminate common errors.”

To learn more about this new system or about Wesley Medical Center, please contact 601-268-8000 or visit www.wesley.com.

Filed under: Featured, Forrest County, Hattiesburg, Lamar County, Medical, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Paula Ward, Wesley Medical Center

Seminar to discuss senior citizen financial abuse

Hattiesburg, MS – Wanda Murphy will discuss ways to avoid senior citizen financial abuse at Wesley Medical Center’s Senior Circle monthly seminar Friday, January 21, in the Evergreen Room at the hospital.

Murphy, a registered nurse, is a representative with Home Instead Senior Care, a non-medical home care agency that provides service and support to senior citizens.

A conservative estimate shows that seniors average an annual loss of $2.6 billion from schemes and financial exploitation. Most cases, however, often go unreported. This amount is predicted to drastically increase as the nation continues to age.

Friday’s free seminar will offer advice and education to seniors to help avoid these situations.

For more information or to reserve your seat, please contact Melissa Garretson at 601-268-8192.

Filed under: Business, Hattiesburg, Medical, Elderly care, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Home Instead Senior Care, Melissa Garretson, Wanda Murphy, Wesley Medical Center

YATES ACHEIVES BOARD CERTIFICATION

Joy Yates

HATTIESBURG, MISS. – Joy Hamilton Yates, an assistant administrator at Hattiesburg Clinic, recently earned the professional designation of certified medical practice executive (CMPE) from the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE).

The designation of CMPE demonstrates that Yates has achieved board certification in medical practice management. ACMPE certifies an individual’s professional competence when she passes rigorous essay and objective examinations that assess knowledge of the broad scope of medical practice management skill set. These include business operations, financial management, human resource management, information management, organizational governance, patient care systems, quality management and risk management.
Yates earned a Bachelor of Science in health administration from The University of Southern Mississippi. She also holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Health from USM.
Her professional affiliations include the Medical Group Management Association, American Medical Group Association, United Way of Southeast Mississippi Board of Directors and ADP Leadership Pinebelt Steering Committee.

Filed under: Business, Hattiesburg, Medical, Hattiesburg Clinic, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, joy yates