| Current West TN Medical News |
State Legislature Approves Long Awaited Medical Liability Reform Bill
For years, legislators and the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) have fought for medical liability reform (MLR), and last month the long-debated amendment passed both the state Senate and House of Representatives. The bill is on its way to Gov. Phil Bredesen for his expected signature.
“We were really close last year,” said Russ Miller, senior vice president of TMA. “It’s amazing how a year will change things...
Covering the Uninsured
Caring for the uninsured is not a profitable business. If it was, more clinics would do it. But if this underserved patient base is ignored, beyond even the moral implications, it can cripple the medical economy. In Shelby County alone, 10 percent of the population is uninsured, as data reported in 2005. Equate that to the 2006 population of more than 900,000 and that’s 90,000 or more people without any form of healthcare coverage.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE
Using a Commercial Real Estate Professional Saves Time and Money
Most people are smart enough to seek their doctor’s expertise when they are not feeling well. However, not all doctors or medical groups will utilize the skills of a commercial realtor when they need to find suitable space for a new clinic or relocation of an existing physician practice. This decision can prove to be expensive.
BILL APPLING
Community Research Opens Doors for Patients at West Clinic
Dedication to patient care is the cornerstone of any oncology practice with research a vital factor in the planning of treatment and prevention. In keeping with their mission to improve cancer research in the community setting, the West Clinic’s research company, the Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network (ACORN), which facilitates initiatives at the local and national level...
HOLLI W. HAYNIE
Tennessee Nurses Take Issues to Capitol Hill
“Tennessee’s nurses have always had a strong voice — not only for your profession, but for your patients as well. As caregivers and advocates, you are influential forces in the healthcare landscape in Tennessee. You are all here to make those voices heard on issues that affect the nursing profession … today is the day to make your priorities known.”
SHARON H. FITZGERALD
Bredesen Pushes for Long-Term Care Reform for TennCare Recipients
In a tight budget year, Gov. Phil Bredesen has declared the need to set priorities. For Tennessee’s chief executive, his 2008 streamlined agenda places heavy emphasis on continuing education initiatives and implementing fundamental change to the state’s long-term care system.
CINDY SANDERS
Knoxville Company Establishes Clinics for Truckers on the Road
America’s independent truck drivers usually pull into a travel center for a fill-up, a quick meal, a hot shower and a lot of coffee. Thanks to a company based in Knoxville, Tenn., healthcare is something else truckers can get on the road.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD
Outreach Program Aimed at Teen Girls a Worthwhile Effort
On a pleasant Saturday morning in April, 10 teenage girls met at the offices of Associates: Obstetrics and Gynecology to learn more about themselves and their bodies. With information packets, diagrams and demonstration tools, a doctor and nurse spent the next few hours discussing feminine health and hygiene. After the teens took a tour of the exam rooms and learned about a gynecological office visit, the clinicians spent time answering important questions.
HOLLI W. HAYNIE
Permanent Birth Control a Real Option for Women
For women who have conscientiously made the decision to permanently prevent future pregnancies, a novel procedure being offered in clinics across Memphis will allow them to eliminate the uncertainty of birth control or traditional tubal litigation. The Essure™ System is a sterilization procedure that can be performed in the office, non-invasively, in about 10 to 12 minutes with or without local anesthesia, and typically with minimal discomfort.
Life After the Women’s Health Initiative
Confusion over HT Remains
When the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial of estrogen plus progestin was halted based on findings that the combination carried significant health risks that outweighed its benefits, women and healthcare providers around the country were left to navigate menopausal symptom management in a strange new world.
CINDY SANDERS
Avastin Wins FDA Accelerated Approval for Advanced HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Avastin® by Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA), a therapeutic antibody that interferes with a tumor’s blood supply, recently received accelerated approval from the FDA for use in combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer.
CINDY SANDERS
West TN Physician Recruitment Focuses on the Family
Physician recruitment in West Tennessee and across the nation is more than finding a physician; it also requires fitting the physician, his or her family, and lifestyle into the practice and community, as well as keeping them there. Many trends in the healthcare market affect recruitment, from the national shortage of physicians to the fact that the number of retiring physicians and medical graduates is nearly equal each year. As the pool of candidates from which to draw is reduced, retention has become a natural aspect of the job.
SUZANNE BOYD
Recruiting Doctors To Tennessee No Easy Task
What do the issues of crime, physician reimbursement, student debt, and medical malpractice have in common? They represent the challenges practice administrators face when recruiting doctors to the Mid-South.
“It’s more challenging today than ever before to recruit cardiologists,” said administrator Charles Locke, who hires one to two doctors every two years for the Sutherland Cardiology Clinic. “Because of the aging baby boomers, many...
JANE SCHNEIDER
Physician Recruiters Offer Tips to Docs on the Market
If you’re a physician looking for a job and a recruiting firm asks for money to help you secure employment, walk the other way. That’s the first word of advice to doctors from two physician recruiters who collectively boast more than five decades of experience in the profession.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD
Physician Spotlight: Dr. Paul Gray
Hands on, family-oriented, and compassionate are perfect ways to describe Dr. Paul Gray, both professionally and personally. He is so committed to family that he chose obstetrics and gynecology as his medical practice.
Gray’s approach to life became evident early on, when he was a boy growing up in south Louisiana. One of five children, he learned the art of woodworking from his father.
SUZANNE BOYD
Archived Physician Spotlights
Trusted Advisors - PDF Version
Trusted Advisors- Text Version
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