The Saline Memorial Health Foundation has teamed up with First Security Bank to host its seventh Annual Swing Fore Saline Golf Tournament on Thursday, September 9-Friday, September 10, at Hurricane Golf and Country Club in Bryant. Tournament proceeds will be used to refurbish patient care rooms.

“We’re really looking forward to this year’s events,” said Matt Brumley, SMH Foundation and Ambulance Director. “Our golf tournament filled up quickly the past two years and we can’t thank the community enough for supporting the hospital and Foundation efforts.”

In 2009, the tournament netted over $50,000 to help fund new cardiac monitors for the SMH Ambulance Service.

“It certainly did not take long for our new cardiac monitors to have a positive impact on our community,” said Brumley. “Two hours after putting the monitors on our ambulances, we received a call for a patient that was extremely ill. The paramedic worked quickly to stabilize the patient and was able to obtain the first pre-hospital 12 lead EKG in Saline County because of the new monitors. This proved to be critically important as we were able to provide the Emergency Department staff with a cardiac tracing which until recently was not available in this community.”

The Saline Memorial Health Foundation Golf Committee, which is made up of community leaders and hospital staff, decided the 2010 funds should help refurbish rooms on patient floors which have not been updated since 1992.

“It’s important to match aesthetic beauty of the hospital with the quality of care you receive at SMH, said Chris Williams, Vice President of First Security Bank. “Our goal is to enhance the comfort and experience for patients and their families.”

“We hope to raise enough money at this tournament to finish an entire floor of patient rooms,” said Brumley. “However, we will continue our fundraising efforts throughout the next couple of years until we’ve completed all rooms on the 4^th and 5^th floors.”

Because of the large community response over the past few years, SMH added an additional flight for the 2010 tournament.

“We will have three total flights this year,” said Brumley. “Golfers will have a chance to play on Thursday, September 9, in addition to the standard Friday flights. We also created a physician challenge on Thursday specifically for physicians and their friends.”

The four-person scramble will begin on Thursday with a 1:30pm flight. The Friday flights will start at 8:00am with a second round beginning at 1:30 p.m. Registration fees are $600 for a team or $150 per person.

“Swing for Saline is an event that we look forward to every year,” Williams. “It is exciting to support a group like the Saline Memorial Health Foundation, and to witness all the good that comes from working together.”

You don’t have to be a golfer to support the cause. In conjunction with the golf tournament, SMH will host Gathering on the Greens (GOTG), an event filled with live music provided by Canvas, appetizers and a silent auction. GOTG is set for Thursday, September 9, at 5:30pm at Hurricane Golf & Country Club. Tickets are $25 per person and free for registered golfers.

To guarantee a team and shirt size, please turn in registration forms by Friday, August 20. For more information or to register for the tournament, call the Saline Memorial Health Foundation at 501-776-6743 or email matt.brumley@salinememorial.org.

David Howell aspires to be a file clerk someday. He’s very organized, great at alphabetizing and very quick. If you don’t believe it, just ask him. David, along with four other Civitan Service volunteers, is using his talents volunteering at Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) this summer in a new transition/volunteer program at SMH.

“I love working at SMH,” said Howell. “I enjoy putting charts in order and learning new skills.”

The Transition/Volunteer program was developed when Heather Bloom, Civitan Services Transition Coordinator, became determined to help her Civitan Services clients gain some “real world” experience and independence. Although you may never know it, David and the other Civitan Services volunteers have each been diagnosed with some type of developmental disability.

“It’s important for our clients to believe in themselves no matter what disability they’re living with,” said Bloom. “It’s a part of our mission to help them prepare for the future.”

Heather came across the SMH website and researched information on the volunteer program. “Over the next few weeks, I discussed the options with my class and they were so excited about the idea of having a “job” where they could go everyday and help others,” she said.

After discussing the idea with SMH reps and Auxilians, both parties agreed it was a perfect fit.

“Our Civitan volunteers are enthusiastic about being here and willing to help out when we need them,” said Richard Cooper, Housekeeping Manager. “They’re a big help and we’re fortunate to have them at SMH.”

Four of the SMH Civitan volunteers were assigned to Housekeeping and Howell works in the Medical Records Department. Their “real world” experience at SMH is something David and the other volunteers can add to their resume that could potentially better their chances of landing a job.

“I met David for the first time last week,” said Rebecca Jones, SMH Marketing and Community Relations Director. “He’s such an inspiration. I first asked him to tell me a little bit about himself. He was upfront about the fact he has Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism. After he spelled it for me, we never talked about it again. Instead, we discussed his future and his plans to one day become a file clerk. And let me tell you, I have no doubt he’ll be the best file clerk anyone could wish for.”

“I have seen such a great improvement in each individual’s confidence level,” said Bloom. “They seem to walk a little taller and carry themselves in a way that they did not before. They look forward to going to “work” at SMH and they don’t mind filling-in for a peer that is absent on their work day.”

“I have one story that I love to tell,” said Bloom. “One day, I dropped David off for work and as he was walking in, a lady stopped and asked him where a certain room was. With such assertiveness and without thinking twice, he told her exactly where she needed to go. I loved seeing him with so much confidence in himself. That is what Civitan Services is all about-helping individuals become their own person and be confident in their own skin no matter what others think.”

For more information about volunteer opportunities at SMH, please visit our website at www.salinememorial.org/volunteers.html. For more information about Civitan Services, visit www.civitanservices.com.

Saline Memorial Hospital Blood Drive

Wednesday, June 16
10:00 am – 6:00 pm
SMH Health Education Building
Classroom 1

To make an appointment in advance, go to www.redcrossblood.org
and enter sponsor code: SMH

All donors will have a chance to win one of two $50 Visa gift cards.

High schools and colleges let out for the summer and people have less time to donate blood because they are busy traveling. The summer months are seasonally a very difficult time to collect enough blood to support the need.

While all blood types are needed during the critical summer months, Type O negative is always in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations. Type O negative donors can make the difference between an adequate blood supply and a summer shortage.

Your one donation can save up to three lives.

Every 25 seconds, an American will suffer a coronary event. About every minute someone will die from one. These statistics from the American Heart Association are alarming and one of the many reasons why Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) is taking steps to decrease those numbers. Saline Memorial announced today that it recently purchased the new ZOLL E Series^® monitors to equip its ambulances in an effort to enhance cardiac care for citizens of Saline County.

“This is great benefit to Saline County,” said Randy Fortner,” SMH President and CEO. “These new machines will enhance our ability to treat cardiac emergencies and we’re grateful for the community’s commitment in supporting this effort.”

Heart monitor/defibrillators are standard equipment for emergency medical personnel and are critical for patients experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.  Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt disruption of the heart’s function, most commonly when the heart only quivers or ‘fibrillates’, thereby causing a lack of blood flow to vital organs.

The ZOLL E Series, a defibrillator specifically designed for professional rescuers, is the latest technology in resuscitation equipment designed to meet the specific demands and extreme conditions that Saline Memorial EMTs and paramedics face every day.

“This new technology will allow paramedics to quickly determine if the patient is having ST elevation (heart attack) and transmit this EKG tracing to the Emergency Department doctor before the ambulance has even left the scene,” said Matt Brumley, SMH Ambulance Director. “Life saving measures can be started in the ambulance as indicated. This allows for critical time saving measures which are vital in saving cardiac muscle.”

Each year over 400,000 patients are admitted to US hospitals with this condition. The best chance for a good outcome for these patients is if they are able to receive PCI (primary percutaneous cardiac intervention) or angioplasty within 90 minutes of their arrival at the hospital.

“Our goal with the ambulance service, the emergency department, the cardiac cath lab, and the in-patient services at SMH, is to get blood flow back to the heart as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Scott Archer, SMH Emergency Department Medical Director. “As soon as the emergency department doctor sees the signs of a heart attack on the EKG, the cardiac cath lab can be notified even before the patient reaches the hospital. When the patient does arrive at SMH, a whole team will already be assembled to immediately work together in order to restore blood flow to the heart. This integrated approach, beginning with the ambulance and proceeding all the way through to the patient’s recovery in the hospital, is now made possible with the use of the new Zoll E Series.”

Proceeds from Saline Memorial Health Foundation events, such as the 2009 Swing Fore Saline Golf tournament and The Beat Goes On 5K, went towards purchasing these monitors. The Hospital also gave $100,000 to meet the difference.

“Even during tough economic times, we’re determined to find ways to meet the needs of our community,” said Fortner. “This is an investment that will help save lives and you can’t put a price tag on that. This was a partnership between the community and SMH and something we can all be proud of.”

SMH EMT’s and paramedics have been trained and educated on these new monitors and are currently using them to treat patients.

“Once a person is in sudden cardiac arrest, every minute counts to get the heart beating normally again and restore adequate blood flow”, said Brumley. “With this upgraded technology, we are better equipped to protect the lives of Saline County citizens whom we are honored to serve.”

Michael Gass, SMH EMT and Ray Lewis, SMH Paramedic display the new cardiac monitors recently installed in the ambulances. These monitors allow EMS personnel to quickly determine if a patient is having ST elevation (heart attack) and transmit the EKG tracing to the Emergency Department doctor before the ambulance has even left the scene. This allows for critical time saving measures which are vital in saving cardiac muscle. Funds raised through the 2009 SMH Golf Tournament and SMH 5K race combined with additional hospital funds made this possible.

Barry M. Straube, MD, director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality (OCSQ) and the chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) presented SMH with the Innovator Award for its efforts in enhancing cardiac care for the community. Accepting for SMH was Clint Mickle, SMH Administrator of Cardiovascular Services, Sherry Jensen, SMH Quality and Risk Manager and Stefanie Ballard, SMH Quality and Risk Analyst.

Increasing access to cardiac care in Saline County has been a priority of Saline Memorial’s over the past few years and it continues be. SMH was recently chosen as a recipient of the 2010 Innovator Award at the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care’s annual Quality Awards program for its efforts to enhance cardiac care for the community.

The Quality Awards are designed to recognize individual performance improvement in AFMC’s quality improvement projects. The Innovator Award honors hospitals that developed new, creative patient safety projects that successfully improved patient care.

“We have a great team of cardiologists and staff who are available to treat cardiac patients 24 hours a day,” said Randy Fortner, SMH President and CEO. “Saline County residents no longer have to drive outside of the community to receive the care they need. We will continue to expand our heart and vascular services to better meet the needs of our patients.”

In September of 2008, SMH opened an interventional cath lab to perform emergent and non-emergent cardiovascular procedures. Currently, cardiologists from Heart Clinic Arkansas and Saline Heart Group are available 24-7 to care for patients experiencing a cardiovascular event.

SMH was also commended for encouraging cardiovascular health by hosting a The Beat Goes On 5K event, for providing heart screenings and educational seminars and for developing an online cardiac assessment tool to assess a patient’s risk. The funds from the 5K race have been used to purchase new 12-lead cardiac monitors for the SMH ambulance service.

“It’s exciting to be part of a team that has established cardiac services that are not only comparable to those provided in Little Rock, but are in fact, in many cases, more efficient and conducive to better patient outcomes,” said Clint Mickle, SMH Administrator of Cardiovascular Services.

Barry M. Straube, MD, director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality (OCSQ) and the chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), presented the award at a luncheon Friday, May 21, as part of AFMC’s annual Quality Conference in Little Rock.

AFMC congratulates Saline Memorial on its commitment to providing high-quality healthcare for the citizens of Arkansas.

The annual Governor’s Work-Life Balance awards were recently held at the Peabody in Little Rock. Pictured left to right: Artee Williams, Director of the Department of Workforce Services; Steve Henson, SMH Chief Operating Officer and Governor Mike Beebe.

Winners of the Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards were recently recognized at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock and Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) was among those honored.

SMH received the Mature Worker Friendly Award. Governor Mike Beebe presented the award.

“Over the past few years, Saline Memorial’s culture has focused on not only the health of our patients, but also the health of our co-workers,” said Randy Fortner, SMH President and CEO. “They are our greatest asset, and we believe it’s our role to encourage a healthy balance of work and life.”

The Mature Worker Award is given to employers who place a special emphasis in retaining mature workers. Currently, SMH employs 250 full and part time co-workers who are over the age of 50.

“Mature co-workers are loyal, dedicated and experienced,” said Carol Matthews, SMH Human Resources Director. “Their knowledge and experience is invaluable and a great benefit when caring for patients and their families.”

SMH was recognized for allowing more training, classes and extended preceptor time for mature applicants that have not worked in their field for an extended period. In 2008, SMH replaced all patient care beds with models that convert from lying to sitting (in one touch) and assist with side to side turning. This helps mature co-workers with patient positioning/turning and minimizes risk of back injury.

SMH recently initiated several programs to encourage co-worker work-life balance that extends beyond a focus on mature workers. For example, the SMH Co-Worker Sharing Fund was designed to assist co-workers with an emergency financial need. Co-workers can payroll deduct money that is used to support other co-workers when emergencies occur. Proceeds from the 2010 Jocks vs. Docs game went to this effort. This committee also organizes internal cereal and school supply drives. Co-workers in need can pick up cereal to help feed their kids while school is out for the summer, and they assist with school supplies in the fall.

“Life can feel like a constant battle between our personal and professional responsibilities,” said Fortner. “We believe in caring for our people and if we can achieve that mission while maintaining quality healthcare- our mission is accomplished.”

Companies that were nominated for the awards were asked to provide information regarding issues such as health benefits, work-time options and childcare assistance. If a company did not have formal work-life policies, informal ways of making the work environment as family-friendly as possible were taken into account.

Partners in the initiative are Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Arkansas Business Publication Group, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, Arkansas State University, Child Care Resource and Referral Network, and the Society of Human Resource Managers. The following state offices and agencies are also partners in the initiative: the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Department of Education, the Department of Higher Education, the Department of Workforce Education, the Department of Health, the Arkansas Head Start Collaboration, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Arkansas Early Childhood Commission, DHS Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, DHS Division of County Operations, and the Office of the Governor.

People come to the hospital with variety of health problems, but they all come for the same reason-to get better. The nurses at Saline Memorial play a significant role in that process. That’s why Saline Memorial like many other organizations throughout the nation celebrated National Nurse’s Day on Thursday, May 6.

National Nurse’s Day focuses on raising awareness of the value of nursing and helps educate the public about the role nurses play in meeting the health care needs of public.

Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH) treated their nurses to a Nurse’s Day Celebration Breakfast on Thursday, May 6. Many nurses attended the breakfast which included a word of thanks from Judge Lanny Fite and Senator Shane Broadway as well as a short devotional and blessing of the hands led by Love Inman. Many Saline County businesses provided door prizes for the event.

“We wanted to recognize our wonderful nurses and highlight the culture and value they bring to SMH,” said Rhonda Lock, SMH Director of Nurses. “They are an indispensable component of patient care.”

Today, SMH employs over 340 nurses. Over 55 nurses have more than 25 years of experience.

“We are fortunate to have such a highly qualified and talented team of nurses at SMH,” said Randy Fortner, SMH President and CEO. “We’re thankful for the passion and dedication they bring to improving the health of our community.”

Each year on Nurse’s Day, SMH recognizes nurses who were chosen from their peers for exemplifying excellence in a variety of categories. Randy Fortner presented the awards to each recipient. The winners were: Clinical Manager Leadership and Excellence, Amy Ashcraft; Outstanding Clinical Support, Alisha Willett; Leadership, Carmen Kinggard; Patient Advocate, Jamie Robinson; Clinical Excellence,  Bill Aronson; Outstanding Attitude, Kristi Kinchen and Physicians Choice, Cresta Bearden.

If you were waiting for a blood test to verify a disease, lab results could translate into a life or death situation. Saline Memorial Hospital (SMH), along with labs and hospitals throughout the nation, is celebrating the lab professionals who perform these critical tests each day. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is April 18-24, 2010 and SMH hopes to build awareness about the laboratory’s role in patient care.

The Saline Memorial Hospital laboratory consists of 21 technologists and three laboratory assistants, highly trained in clinical laboratory science. The laboratory staff performs over 250,000 tests annually. The laboratory must meet scientifically rigorous criteria by regulatory agencies, including State Health, FDA, OSHA, CAP, and others. The laboratory must prove it is proficient in all areas of testing, by meeting quality standards set forth by the regulatory agencies.

The CAP (College of American Pathologists) inspects the SMH laboratory every two years to ensure competency and compliance of all regulatory standards, which the SMH laboratory meets each time. During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine the entire staff’s qualifications, the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, as well as the overall management of the laboratory.

Physicians order laboratory tests in order to obtain information, which can’t be learned through a history and physical examination. This laboratory information is vital to assist the physician in determining a patient’s overall health, diagnosing disease, and establishing treatment.

“More than 70% of the medical decisions your physician makes involving your healthcare are based on Lab results,” said Dwayne Gentry, SMH Lab Manager.” At SMH, we have highly qualified technicians who take their role in patient care very seriously.”

There are approximately 300,000 practitioners of clinical laboratory science in the United States. Since the development of this career group in the 1920s, the clinical laboratory science professional has played an increasingly vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease. Today, the clinical laboratorian is a key member of a health care team.

Five major departments make up the modern laboratory of Saline Memorial Hospital:

• CHEMISTRY is filled with state-of-the-art technology, which helps laboratory professionals to quickly analyze the chemical composition of blood and body fluids.
• HEMATOLOGY counts, describes and identifies cells in blood and other body fluids. The slightest change in shape or size or number of cells will tell if you are anemic or have leukemia.
• IMMUNOLOGY is the study of the body’s response to foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, or allergy-causing agents.
• MICROBIOLOGY tracks down and identifies disease-causing bacteria, parasites or viruses. Information provided by the laboratory helps determine which medications will work against infections.
• TRANSFUSION MEDICINE supplies the blood products that are necessary for the treatment of blood disorders including anemias and blood clotting disorders. Each blood unit is individually typed for blood group, screened for antibodies, and tested for contagious diseases. Over 2000 units of blood and blood products are transfused annually to SMH patients.

“The dedicated efforts of our laboratory professionals often go unnoticed by the general public,” said Rebecca Jones, SMH Director of Marketing and Community Relations. “So much of the patient’s diagnosis depends on the accuracy and meticulousness of our lab co-workers and I think it’s important to ensure the public is well informed about our clinical laboratory competency.”

Thursday, February 11
9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Two locations:
Benton: Northside Church of Christ
Bryant: Bryant Fire Department

Please support our local banks and community by helping increase the number of blood donors in Saline County. Don’t let the weather keep you away! It may be cold outside, but it will be warm inside with lots of free cookies and treats! Your single donation could save up to three lives.