V O L U M E 6 | I S S U E o n e | S U mme r / fa ll 2 0 1 7
Dr. Ndong and Dr. Acelajado discuss triumphs and challenges pg 25 Getting to know Dr. Jason Hatfield, Medical Director of AWC pg 9 Source_Summer_2017.indd 1
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Thank you to our 2017 Puttin on the Glitz Gala Sponsors!
Because of generous donors like you, this year’s Gala raised $87,000. These funds allow us to purchase the latest and most technologically advanced equipment for ALH. This year’s money will be used to purchase equipment for the expanded outpatient surgery department at the new Medical Office Building. Thank you for supporting the Athens-Limestone Hospital Foundation, and thank you for believing in your Hometown Hospital!
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The 2017 Gala Committee Members. Jessica Jones was the chair of the event.
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John and Shirley Blackwell INKANA was this year’s presenting sponsor.
Gracie was donated to the Gala from the Limestone Animal Shelter. Her sweet spirit stole many hearts throughout the night. She went home with a wonderful family. Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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I n T his I ss u e
6 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22 24 29 33 36
THE INSIDE STORY Traci Collins PHYSICIAN PROFILE Dr. Hatfield
V O L U M E 6 | I S S U E o n e | summe r / fa ll 2 0 1 7
Pool Healthcare & Aesthetics
A Publication of Athens-Limestone Hospital
The Village at Canebrake Winter Homes Partners with Canebrake Club Remembering Jessica Elkins ALH Centers, Clinics, Services Employee of the Month 11th Annual Athens Storytelling Event Athens Health and Rehabilitation A picture is worth a thousand words Athens Internal Medicine Physicians
published by | TW Publishing, LLC PO Box 1241 Athens, AL 35612 sourceoflimestonecounty@gmail.com
publisher | Teresa Gibbs
writers | Teresa Gibbs Karen Malone Tanjie Nash Ashley Smith Barry Sublett photography | Danielle Collins Teresa Gibbs
Traveling for the Health of It
advertising | Teresa Gibbs sales sourceoflimestonecounty@gmail.com 256-431-6112
Recipe Carrot Pineapple Bread
graphic | Cindy Young design cindy@cindyyoungdesign.com
Hospice Volunteers
4 On the cover: L - R: Dr. Shanna Ndong, Dr. Sasha Acelajado of Valley Internal Medicine Photographer: Danielle Collins Elles Photography Studios 613 Hobbs St E, Athens, AL 35611 elles_photo@yahoo.com • 256-777-6105
For advertising rates, contact Teresa Gibbs at 256-431-6112 or sourceoflimestonecounty@gmail.com. For additional copies, call 256-431-6358. Source: a Publication of Athens-Limestone Hospital, 700 W Market St., Athens, Alabama, is published by TW Publishing, LLC, PO Box 1241, Athens, AL 35612.
Let us feature your business in the next issue of Source! For advertising rates and information on being included in Source, contact Teresa Gibbs @ sourceoflimestonecounty@gmail.com.
Š2017. All rights reserved. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Source is intended as a reference periodical only, not as a medical manual. It is not intended to replace the care and advice of medical professionals. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of this publication. No liability can be attached to or be accepted by TW Publishing or ALH for any errors, omissions, inaccuracies or other statements made by advertisers or writers within. Mention or advertising of specific companies or organizations does not imply endorsement by ALH or TW Publishing.
DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HOMETOWN HOSPITAL!
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Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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the I nside S tory Introducing the New Chief Nursing Officer of Athens Limestone Hospital Traci Collins – a long-time Athens-Limestone Hospital “family” member by Karen Malone
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The right person in the right position creates the highest potential for success, not just for the individual but also for the employer. Traci Collins’ journey to her new position as the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Athens-Limestone Hospital (ALH) is a shining example of preparation meeting opportunity. Although Traci is in a new position at ALH, she isn’t new to the hospital. She has worked in some capacity in the hospital for the past 27 years. Each position has given her insight and experience to bring to the CNO position. Traci began her career at ALH as a clerk in the emergency department, but soon switched to data entry giving her an overall view of hospital charging operations. From there, she moved to the insurance department. While working in the insurance department, Traci’s grandfather suffered a heart attack. She watched his care unfold from the Med-Flight through his discharge from the hospital. She was amazed to see her colleagues in a different light – not just from a clerical standpoint. “They were wonderful - how they treated my grandfather and how they made us feel as a family.” That’s when she made her life changing decision - to become a nurse. While attending nursing school, she worked as unit secretary of the emergency department until giving birth to her son, Logan. When she returned to work, it was as an emergency department staff nurse. In 2000 she took a position as a charge nurse. “While I worked in the emergency department I had a wonderful
mentor, Joanne Isom. I learned so much from her on how to be a leader. Not only was she my boss, but she would roll up her sleeves and work along with her staff.” Her next position was in the compliance department as a nurse auditor. Her previous experience in insurance (coding, billing, record review, etc) prepared her for this position in dealing with Medicare and Medicaid rules and payment procedures. She worked under Randy Comer, ALH’s Chief Financial Officer who taught her about Compliance as well as finance and reimbursement in healthcare. In November of 2015, Huntsville Hospital approached Traci about becoming Director of Revenue Integrity. This position was a culmination of everything she had been doing the past 16 years. She accepted the position, but missed her ‘ALH family’ so much that she took a position as Nurse Manger for both the medical and surgical units at ALH in April of 2016. In January of this year Traci applied for the CNO position. “It was a long process, but when I was selected, it was like my dreams had come true!” “Jan Lenz did an exceptional job and I have some big shoes to fill,” Traci says. “I don’t see a whole lot of things I want to change, but I do think I’m coming into the position with a set of ‘fresh eyes’. My goal is to continue to improve on what we are doing. Improvements are based on patient satisfaction goals set on feedback we receive from patient surveys. We benchmark against hospitals our size nationwide. The hospital’s reimbursement from insurers and Medicare/Medicaid is tied to these benchmarks. The hospital is seeking scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 on a myriad of questions regarding a patient’s experience in the hospital. ALH has set very aggressive goals for 2018. Most department ratings remain high, but the emergency department scores tend to ebb and flow. People often use the ER for a walk-in clinic. A person
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who may be suffering from an earache may not understand why another person has been given priority over them, even though the other person could be suffering a more life threatening condition. This misunderstanding can lead to low survey scores on the ER’s performance.” “My goals are: patient safety, patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Employee satisfaction and patient satisfaction go hand in hand. Happy employees take better care of patients. I tell our employees to treat every patient the way they would want their mom treated. If we will do that every single day, with every single patient we will be the best. Our hash-tag is ‘Discover the Difference’ and the difference is how we treat our patients and employees. I am very passionate about making our employees feel appreciated.” Surveys reveal that most people don’t move to another job for money, but more for recognition. They often don’t feel their employer cares about the job they do. “I try to listen to my employees and accommodate their schedules and family life as much as I can without harming the integrity of care for our patients. I want my employees to feel like I always have time to listen to them. I’m only as good as the people that work for me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the ALH family. I want to continue that tradition and help others reach their dream job whatever that may be.” Congratulations to Jan Lenz, RN, CNO on her retirement after 16 years of service with AthensLimestone Hospital!
You can help save lives through the Pink Garbage Can Project by purchasing a 96 gallon or 64 gallon rolling garbage can from the AthensLimestone Hospital Foundation. The garbage cans are sold for $75.00 each. The profit goes toward the Pink Elephant Fund. This fund allows men and women in Limestone County to receive mammograms and aids in technology and purchases of new mammography equipment for Athens-Limestone Hospital.
To purchase a pink can, call or visit: Athens Limestone Hospital Foundation 721 W Market Street, Suite C Athens, AL 35611 P: 256-233-9557 F: 256-233-9375 leahmc@alhnet.org
Presented by
7 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 CANEBRAKE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSE 3-Person Scramble Shotgun: 1:00 p.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Dinner 6:00 p.m. $650 per Team We also have corporate sponsorship levels available.
Awards reception following tournament. for more information call or email the Foundation of�ice at 256.233.9557 or leahmc@alhnet.org RAIN DATE– MONDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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The offices of Dr. Moody and Valley ENT Associates will be relocating to 15242 Greenfield Drive (behind Jacks on Hwy 72, Athens). Look for them in their beautiful new offices beginning in October.
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DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HOMETOWN HOSPITAL!
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P hysician P rofile Getting to know Dr. Jason Hatfield Medical Director for ALH’s Advanced Wound Care b y Ta n j i e N a s h
If you love what you do, you’ll never really work a day in your life. Just ask Dr. Jason Hatfield. As Medical Director for Athens-Limestone Hospital’s Advanced Wound Care, Dr. Hatfield puts in many-anhour on the job, D r. J a s o n H a t f i e l d just as he’s done for the duration of his medical career. But he doesn’t consider it work. Rather, he finds joy in his healing profession. “It’s gratifying,” Dr. Hatfield says of helping patients find their way back to a clean bill of health. Advanced Wound Care, located next to Medical East Urgent Care, sees patients with wounds that remain persistent despite previous treatment. Hatfield describes such issues typically as “any type of skin breakdown or wounds that are difficult to heal – meaning two or three weeks of standard treatment – and not seeing improvement.” Diabetic ulcers, for example, often require advanced treatment. Bedbound patients or those with radiation or chemotherapy burns might also need specialized attention, he said. “When a patient comes to us for wound care, they’ve already been through the normal steps to heal their wound, but the wound is still there,” Dr. Hatfield said. “At this point, they may be becoming fearful of the word “amputation. “But, amputation is not a good first option.” Advanced Wound Care offers a comprehensive approach using the very latest technologies to specialize treatment and streamline patients toward healing. “We have a very high success rate,” Dr. Hatfield said. Our success comes through procedures like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, compression therapy, and negative pressure therapy, for example. “Hyberbaric Oxygen Treatment is what makes us advanced,” Dr. Hatfield said. “We have two chambers. It’s pressurized oxygen. What we breathe is 21 percent oxygen. In the chamber it’s 100 percent oxygen, so it’s
extremely rich. The amount of pressure is equivalent to pressure under 33 feet of water but we enrich the oxygen. Studies show that it eradicates or cures osteomyelitis (bone infection). But also, there are some bacteria that love to grow in oxygen-poor parts of the body, so this kills those.” Dr. Hatfield has been medical director at Advanced Wound Care for two years now, after spending 10 of his 13 years in private practice in Winfield, Alabama, also serving as medical director for a wound care facility there. It’s a role in which he did not initially envision himself upon completing medical school. “My first job when I got out of training was as an emergency room physician in a hospital that had a wound care program,” Dr. Hatfield said. “Dr. Patrick Boyett was there, working in wound care, as well, and they needed some extra help. Before long, Dr. Hatfield had found his passion. “I was doing wound care from 12 to 2 o’clock, three days a week, while also in private practice in family medicine,” he said. “It was gratifying. I was not afraid of work and I even worked through lunch. After I got a nurse practitioner in my practice, I was able to dedicate a halfday to wound care instead of just two hours a day.” Dr. Hatfield has continued to work in Winfield one day a week since joining OrthoSports Athens two years ago, as well as his duties at Advanced Wound Care. Dr. Hatfield, his wife, Emily, of 23 years, and their teenage son Cade moved to Athens last summer after their daughter, Alex, graduated high school and began her studies at The University of Alabama. Dr. Hatfield enjoys seeing patients succeed at getting back to feeling like themselves again, whether in sports medicine or in wound care. “In sports medicine or in orthopedics, it’s all about movement and motion,” he said. “It’s gratifying to be able to get people back to where they were before injury; just as in wound care it’s gratifying to help people put their bodies in a position to heal.”
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15243 Greenfield Drive • Athens, AL 35613 256-216-3505 • athenslimestonehospital.com Hours: 8 am - 5 pm Monday – Friday
Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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Pool Healthcare & Aesthetics Focusing on the wellness of mind, body and spirit b y Ta n j i e N a s h
With the hot days of busy summer winding down, kids heading back to school and the bustle of the holiday season quickly to follow, now is a fantastic time to take a look at the array of overall wellness services available through Pool Healthcare & Tr a c y L . P o o l , M D Aesthetics. Pool Healthcare & Aesthetics encourages you to “be the ideal you” with a full slate of health, well-being, aesthetic and weight-loss products. Tracy L. Pool, MD, and Ashley B. Pool, CRNP, have served the area for over 40 years combined and are delighted and enthusiastic about
continuing a great relationship within the community as they expand into aesthetic medicine, nutritional counseling and anti-aging medicine. “Aesthetics are important because most people want to keep their skin looking its very best,” explained Dr. Pool. “Also, for some, the appearance of their skin may cause them to feel self-conscious due to acne scars, sun spots, or wrinkles.” Generally speaking, most people want to care for themselves physically, emotionally, and mentally by being the best version of themselves they can be, he said. “Prevention is key,” Dr. Pool said. “So, the sooner one starts with Xeomin or Botox, for example, the less likely deep wrinkles will be a problem later in life. We all want to appear young and our programs help you achieve that with minimally invasive nonsurgical techniques.” Xeomin, a prescription muscle injection, serves to improve the appearance of frown lines between the eyebrows. Botox Cosmetic, also a prescription injection, is used to treat deep facial wrinkles through temporarily
Pool Healthcare & Aesthetics is now accepting appointments for those who are interested in aging gracefully or weight loss. Let us help you achieve your goals. Our offerings include:
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Office hours: Monday – Thursday 8 am - 4 pm Limited Friday appointments may be scheduled upon request.
727 Market Street, Suite 5, Athens, AL 35611 256-262-4970
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paralyzing facial muscles. It also is used in the treatment of various medical conditions such as migraine, chronic back and jaw pain, and excessive sweating. “We also offer the vampire facelift with platelet rich plasma (PRP), proven to thicken hair both in men and women. It has been used in Europe for many years for hair growth,” explained Dr. Pool. However, if unwanted hair is your problem, Pool Healthcare & Aesthetics also offers packages for laser hair removal. Ashley Pool, well known in the local community for her many years of service as a trusted CRNP, said she and Dr. Pool are enjoying turning their focus toward wellness of the complete mind, body and spirit. “We have a Skinfinity, which is a radio frequency ablation machine, that is great for acne scars, tightening the skin, stretch marks,” she said. “We offer laser services to treat hair reduction, spider vein reduction, skin rejuvenation and tattoo removal. We carry the Obagi skincare line and will be carrying Skinceuticals in the very near future.” “In addition to aesthetic treatments, we offer Sermorelin
injections aimed at easing symptoms associated with aging, such as hot flashes, sleep disruption, muscle and joint pains, thinning hair and mental focus,” Ashley Pool said. “Bio-identical hormones are chemically identical to those the body produces. While hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone naturally decrease with age, the use of bio-identical hormones, as part of a prescribed hormone replacement therapy, can help to restore hormones to more youthful levels. This can result in more energy, better memory, a healthier heart, stronger bones, and a more youthful glow.” With the assistance of a full-time staff that includes LPN Kristy Townsend, the Pools also offer a multidisciplinary weight-loss program. “Kristy is the best weight-loss coach I have ever seen,” Ashley Pool said. “She’s extremely knowledgeable and she’s there for the patients when the going gets tough.” Weight-loss options include the HCG diet and Metabolism Quickstart. Lipo B injections, body composition analysis and pharmaceutical grade supplements are also available.
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The Village at Canebrake by Barry Sublett
Canebrake Club, North Alabama’s premier golf club, just keeps getting bigger and better! Canebrake, an 850-acre master planned golf community just two miles off Interstate 65 in Athens, offers an extraordinary way of living on one of the most beautiful areas of unspoiled land in North Alabama. The surrounding 18-hole championship golf course is considered one of the top courses in the Southeast. This community boasts meticulous custom-built homes to suit all tastes and construction budgets. You’ll find tidy 1,400-square foot patio homes for small families and empty nesters. Grand 7,500 sq. ft. estates on 2.5-acre lots also are available. Joining them is a new development - The Village at Canebrake. This new development will feature homes starting at approximately 2,200 square feet. There are approximately 34 lots available with several already under contract.
The Village at Canebrake will offer custom-built homes built by Winter Homes. The homes will feature a front or courtyard garage entrance, brick and stone exterior, wood floors, granite counters and much more. The developer, Kenny Winter of Winter Homes, is a Canebrake resident who has built homes in Limestone and Madison counties since 2002. Canebrake Subdivision is convenient to larger communities like Huntsville, Birmingham and Nashville. It is a laid back, easy-going community where kids can play and ride bikes while the adults play golf, and families can enjoy lush walking trails and designated fishing ponds. Canebrake offers a small town feeling and is a short 3045 minute drive to shopping at Bridge Street Town Center in Huntsville or to work at Redstone Arsenal.
For more information on The Village at Canebrake or the Canebrake Community, call Teresa Tester at (256) 656-9731.
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DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HOMETOWN HOSPITAL!
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WinterHomes Partners with Canebrake Club WinterHomes, Athens, Alabama’s Premier Custom Home Builder, has recently partnered with Canebrake Club in the development of new sections and construction of custom homes within the community. The Village of Canebrake is designed to meet the demands of families desiring to downsize,
without sacrificing quality. While WinterHomes is known for building large, luxurious homes, The Village of Canebrake will offer smaller homes while still maintaining the quality and custom amenities that have been a fixture of Winter Homes for the last 15 years.
Plans are underway to develop yet another section of Canebrake - Cog Hill. There will be 34 lots in the first phase of Cog Hill with homes ranging from 2,700 to 3,500 sq. ft. Plans are to break ground in September of 2017 and will be ready for construction by May of 2018.
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Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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J
R emembering
Jessica Elkins
Jessica Elkins was a beautiful, energetic, fifteen-year-old cheerleader at Athens High School when she suddenly contracted bacterial meningitis. Jessica was transported to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, but sadly she passed away a few short days later on December 26, 2007. Since then, Jessica’s family has been diligent in raising money and awareness for meningitis awareness and prevention. “We are doing all we can to keep people informed on when and where they can take their family to be vaccinated,” said Michelle Elkins, Jessica’s mother (an Athens-Limestone Hospital employee). “December 26, 2017 will be the 10th anniversary of Jessica’s unexpected death,” said Emilee Daws, Jessica’s sister. “September 23, 2017, would have been her 25th birthday and we will be hosting a 5K on that day. In celebration of her birthday, and in remembrance of her life, we will have a balloon release immediately following the awards ceremony.” All proceeds from the 5K will be deposited into the Limestone Area Community Foundation Scholarship and Meningitis Awareness Fund. The Elkins family hopes to raise enough money to also hold another free Meningitis vaccine clinic in order to provide the vaccine to as many people as possible. In May they were able to present the 10th Live, Laugh, Love Scholarship, in memory of Jessica, at Athens High School and plan to continue that for years to come. There is a scholarship set up at Athens State University and they are working toward setting up a scholarship in the Limestone County School District for the 2017-2018 school year. For the story of Jessica’s death, see the following url: http://meningitis-angels.org/JessicaMichelleElkins.html (Written from her father’s perspective.)
Forever Fighting Meningitis 5K in Memory of Jessica Elkins
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September 23, 2017 • 8:00 am Benefiting the Limestone Area Community Foundation Scholarship and Meningitis Awareness Fund Event Location: Athens Square, Market St. W, Athens, AL 35611 7:00 AM- Packet Pick Up and Registration 7:50 AM- Registration Closes 8:00 AM- 5k Begins • 9:15 AM- 5K Awards Cost: $30 – This fee includes a t-shirt* To register, go to: tinyurl.com/jessicaelkins5k Early Packet Pick-Up: Friday, September 22nd, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Athens Square, in front of Trinity’s At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, there will be a balloon release celebrating the memory of Jessica’s 25th birthday. *If you register after September 13, 2017, you are not guaranteed a t-shirt with registration.
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Family Medicine Athens Family Medicine Dr. Samantha Ross, Dr. William Woodall, Dr. Patrick McEldrew 256-262-6680 1005 West Market Street, Suite 7 Athens AL 35611
centers Athens-Limestone Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance) • 256-233-9504 Advance Wound Care Center Dr. Patrick McEldrew, Dr. Jason Hatfield Surgeons: Dr. Seth Rayburn, Dr. Cassidy Koonce, Dr. Paul Noel 256-216-3505 15243 Greenfield Drive • Athens, AL 35613
Capshaw Family Care Bridget Fox, CRNP, 256-216-1996 15024 East Limestone Road, Suite F Harvest, AL 35749 Eastside Family Medicine Dr. Max Boone 256-232-1414 22289 Medical Village Drive Athens, AL 35613
Pain Center Dr. Jon Bignault, Dr. Jimmy Dunn, MedWest Community Healthcare Dr. Ben Ladner April Seay, CRNP 256-262-2190 256-729-9477 209 Fitness Way, 1 • Athens, AL 35611 7715 U.S. 72 • Athens, AL 35611 Sleep Center Dr. R. Tari, Dr. E. Bazan, Dr. A. Scherff 256-771-REST (7378) 205 Sanders Street • Athens, AL 35611 Wellness Center 256-233-9355 209 Fitness Way • Athens, AL 35612
Clinics Cardio and Pulmonary Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation 256-262-6674 101 Fitness Way, Suite 2400 Athens, AL 35611 HH Limestone Heart Center Dr. Crystal Walker 256-233-9273 101 Fitness Way, Suite 2700 Athens, AL 35611
Rogersville Family Care Dr. Charles Gaptuis 256-247-0093 16053 US Highway 72 Rogersville, AL 35652 Tennessee Valley Family Care Jennifer Christopher, CRNP 256-423-8744 26642 Main Street • Ardmore, AL 35739
Valley Internal Medicine Dr. Shashanna Ndong Dr. Maria Czarina Acelajado (Dr. A) 256-262-6380 710 West Hobbs Street • Athens, AL 35611
Neurology Neurological Services Dr. Theodros Mengesha 256-265-2695 201 Sivley Road, Suite 600 Huntsville, AL 35801
OB/GYN Valley Women’s Center Dr. Thomas Pitman, Dr. Martha Mclaughlin 256-233-5000 22335 US Highway 72, Suite C Athens, Al 35613
Pediatrics Athens-Limestone Pediatrics Dr. Mohamad El Khatib 256-216-9730 101 Fitness Way, #2100, Athens, AL 35611 Tots and Teens Dr. Ahmad Alkilani 256-262-0535 27669 Capshaw Road • Harvest, AL 35749
Urgent Care
Waddell Center Dr. Melissa Gray, Neha Patel, CRNP, Lindsey Smith, CRNP 256-216-9777 902 W. Washington Street Athens, AL 35611
Medical East Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine Clinic Dr. David Purner Karen Thompson, CRNP Bettie Smith, CRNP 256-771-0994 15243 Greenfield Drive • Athens, AL 35613
Internal Medicine
Urology
Limestone Internal Medicine Dr. James Walker 256-262-2100 101 Fitness Way, Suite 2700 Athens, AL 35611
Limestone Urology Associates Dr. Sam Trotter, Dr. John Hinson 256-262-2170 101 Fitness Way, Suite 2300 Athens, AL 35611
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SERVICES • Advanced Wound Care • Bone Density • Bronchoscopy • Cardiovascular • Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation • Dermatology • Diagnostic Imaging • Educational Classes including: - American Heart Association - Basic Life Support
- Breastfeeding - Childbirth - Diabetes - Individual Nutrition • Emergency Services • ENT/Plastics • Family Medicine • General Surgery • Gastrointestinal Endoscopy • Imaging • Internal Medicine • Intensive Care Unit (ICU) • Laboratory
• Long-term Acute Care • Lung Screening • Mammography • Mother/Baby Unit • Nephrology • Neurology • Obstetrics/Gynecology • Occupational Medicine • Oncology • Ophthalmology • Orthopedics • Otolaryngology • Pain Management
• Pediatrics • Physical Therapy Services • Podiatry • Pulmonology • Radiology • Rehabilitation • Sleep Medicine • Sports Medicine • Surgical Services • Urgent Care • Urology • Wellness Center
Athens-Limestone Hospital is a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Tier 1 Hospital Athens-Limestone Hospital is recognized for having attained the highest level of compliance in the areas of quality, awareness, patient safety and financial awareness.
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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S
E mployee of the M onth
To these outstanding Athens-Limestone Hospital employees that have been recognized for their hard work and dedication.
February Employee of the Month Fe-Amy Johnson, EVS Fe-Amy is dedicated and committed to quality and safety. She takes pride in her role and understands its importance to service excellence. Fe-Amy’s attitude is one that all ALH employees should strive to achieve.
March Employee of the Month Vicki Baucom, IT Vicki is a long term loyal employee that takes on multiple projects without complaint. She is always smiling and always eager to help, often taking call after hours to allow other staff members time with their families. She is the go to person for physicians and clinics because of her excellent attitude.
April Employee of the Month 16
Brad Hammond, Certified Emergency Nurse Brad is an extremely hard working employee. He exemplifies what a leader should be to the crew and leads by example. He is honest and fair and is loved by all who have the privilege to be part of his team.
MAy Employee of the Month Joan Calloway, Clinical Education Specialist Joan has always been a top performer. She totally embraces the Education Department and its role as a support department for others. She is relentless in her research of patient care information, always looking for the most current and safest methods that can be found.
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June Employee of the Month Brooke Swift, RN/Wound Care Center Brooke came to us with a basic knowledge of wound care management and excelled in training. After several months of studying, she took her test and became the first Certified Wound Care Nurse within the HH system. She is energetic and very enthusiastic about utilizing her wound care skills.
July Employee of the Month Charis McNatt, Lab Charis is always willing to step in when things get busy. She’s never too busy to greet a patient or answer the phone. She is an exceptional role model and is always willing to help out other staff members, taking the time to teach them the correct way to do things.
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Athens-Limestone Hospital recently received several Reader’s Choice Awards given by The News Courier Athens-Limestone Hospital – voted best hospital Medical East – voted best health clinic
Beth Hamm (located at ALH Wellness Center) – voted best massage therapist Valley Womens Center – voted best OBGYN
ALH Wellness Center – voted best fitness center
Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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Featuring these Nationally Renowned Storytellers
DONALD DAVIS BIL LEPP BILL HARLEY GERALDINE BUCKLEY DILL PICKERS For School Days only
BOBBY NORFOLK CARMEN DEEDY
T U E , O C T 2 4 - S AT , O C T 2 8 AthensStorytellingFestival.com
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11TH ANNUAL ATHENS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL THEvening, October 24 Tuesday Imagine a crisp fall weekend spent 11 ANNUAL 5th Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition listening to stories of adventure and We will kick off the festival with our 5th Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers ATHENS STORYTELLING FESTIV AL excitement, a place where memories Competition (aka Amateur Night). You’re sure to get a kick out of hearing about
and magic are captured and spun the shenanigans your friends and neighbors have gotten into over the years. The Tuesday Evening, October 24 Imagine a crisp fall weekend spent listening winnerthof this juried competition will get the stage again Thursday night, October into to tales that make you laugh and 5 Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition stories of adventure and excitement, 26, 2017. cry. Hear stories tell ofand a time We will kick off the festival with our 5th Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition (aka a place where that memories magic are Amateur Night). You’re sure to get a kick out of hearing about the shenanigans your friends and into tales thatcaptured used to and be. spun Glimpse into that the make you Tuesday–Thursday, October 24–26 neighbors have gotten into over the years. The winner of this juried competition will get the stage and cry. Hear stories that tell of a time pastlaugh and live the imaginary. School Days again Thursday night, October 26,2017. that used to be. Glimpse into the past and Special storytelling sessions for our community’s students at no cost. Scheduled Come and go as you please live the imaginary. duringTuesday–Thursday, school hours October Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before the festival, 24–26 throughout the entire festival or pick School students willDays enjoy performances by our professional storytellers. School Days is andwhat go asdays you you’d please like throughout the and Come choose sessions for our community’s at no cost. Scheduled during school ages open Special to all storytelling Tennessee Valley area schools students and homeschoolers. Appropriate entire festival or pick and choose what days hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, before the festival, willFor enjoy performances and to attend grades 3–12and or Thursday ages 9-18. Seating is students limited. information to attend. Tickets will be available you’d like to attend. Tickets will be available by our professional storytellers. School Days are open to all Tennessee Valley areaThe schools and registration, contact schooldays@athensstorytellingfestival.com. deadline for separately forfor thethe Local separately LocalTellers Tellers Competition homeschoolers. For information and registration, contact schooldays@athensstorytellingfestival.com. The reservations is Monday, October 10. deadline for reservations is Monday, October 10. and the Thursday performance. Competition and thenight Thursday night performance Thursday Evening, October 26, 2017, 7pm For more information, visit athensstorytellingfestival.com. Follow us on For more information, Facebook for the latest onvisit tellers and ticket sales. athensstorytellingfestival.com. Follow Email info@athensstorytellingfestival.com for us oninformation Facebook for the latest on or registration. tellers and ticket sales. Email info@ athensstorytellingfestival.com for information or registration.
Thursday Evening, October 26, 7pm Storytelling Olio Olio Storytelling We will bring allallour together for a wonderful medley of also stories. We will bring ourtellers tellers together for a wonderful medley of stories. We will presentWe the will also present the winner of the 5th Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition. winner of the 5th Annual Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition. Friday–Saturday, October Friday–Saturday, October 27–28 27–28 Storytelling Festival Buckley, Bill Harley, Bil Lepp, Dill Pickers Donald Davis, Geraldine Donaldwill Davis, Buckley, Bill Harley, Bil course Lepp, &of The Dill Pickers Each teller takeGeraldine the stage four times over the the weekend—once Each teller willand take the stage each four times over the course of the weekend—once each morning and once each evening. each morning once evening.
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Honoring Life. Celebrating Memories. You and your family can trust the professionals at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home to exceed your expectations, and provide award-winning service – before, during and after your loved one’s funeral.
« Funeral or Graveside Services « Cremation Services
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« Pre-Planning « Wide range of caskets, vaults or urns « Mausoleums « Permanent memorials « Celebration Wall « Life tribute videos « Online floral orders « Grief and healing resources
limestonechapel.com 256-232-1051 322 Highway 31 North | Athens, Alabama 35611 Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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Athens Health and Rehabilitation Helping Patients Reach Their Highest Mobility by Karen Malone
In this day and age of all the healthcare debates there is one thing that everyone can agree on - healthcare in America has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Many improvements have been made in healthcare due to research, new medications, technology and an ever-evolving system of best practices based on experience. My grandfather was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and passed away in 1969. I’ve often thought that if the medical community knew then what they know now, his life might have been extended by several years. The orders from his doctor at the time were to “take it easy and don’t put too much physical stress on your heart.” Essentially, he was told to go home and rest. We now understand that physical activity with the guidance of therapist gives the best chance at improving heart health and the highest opportunity to return to as much of a normal lifestyle as possible. This is true, not just for heart patients, but anyone that has undergone a health event that detrimentally affects their physical stamina and mobility. Although the dramatic changes in healthcare have significantly improved how patient care is managed, the public perception of these changes has been slow to keep up. Staff members of skilled nursing or rehabilitation therapy facilities are constantly educating the public about the services offered. The general public often refers to these facilities by the outdated names of “convalescent home” or “nursing home.” These terms are often associated with end-of-life care. While this is one of many services provided at skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, they offer so much more. Lory Walmsley, Admissions Coordinator at Athens Health and Rehabilitation (AHR), says the primary focus at AHR is to have each patient reach their highest mobility and return home. “There are some patients that resist coming to our rehabilitation center, because they have many of the outdated ideas about who we are and what we do here, but by the time they are physically ready to
go home they don’t want to leave because they love the safety and security of our facility, have made new friends, and think of the staff as family!” The overall goal of AHR is to help each patient maintain the highest quality of life while encouraging and supporting each to remain as physically independent as possible. It is a concerted effort between the patient, family members, doctors, nurses and therapy staff. Patients don’t just receive “nursing” they also receive a variety of therapies that could include occupational, physical, speech and memory. Wound care, pain management and IV Therapy are also available if needed. But a stay at AHR isn’t all work. The facility also offers social opportunities ranging from activities centered around challenging the residents physically, mentally and emotionally to including church services and Bible study, singings, cooking classes, one on one activities, birthday celebrations, daily games and trips by bus.
Athens Health and Rehabilitation is constructing a new 12,000 sq. ft. therapy pavilion which will be open this winter. It will house a gym, 36 private suites and a common area/snack bar.
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FROM HELPLESS TO HOME Mrs. Audrey Jarrett was referred to AHR and doesn’t even remember being admitted, but she would tell you that it literally saved her life. On May 5th, after spending 100 days at the AHR facility she graduated to her next phase of life (returning home). Mrs. Jarrett says she does not remember her first thirty days at AHR, nor the two weeks in the hospital prior to her admission. She was found unresponsive in her home by one of her family members. After being rushed to the hospital it was determined she had suffered a severe stroke with paralysis to her right side. Once the hospital staff had accomplished all that could be done to stabilize Mrs. Jarrett, she was transferred to AHR for rehabilitation. She was admitted into the short term care unit, and although hopeful, family and staff were uncertain of what to expect. “When Mrs. Jarrett arrived, she could barely speak above a whisper,” said Sarah Lane Derrick the Speech
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and Language Therapist assigned to Mrs. Jarrett’s healing team. “but she kept trying and always had a great attitude.” That positive attitude and desire paid off. Mrs. Jarrett has advanced from whispering to speaking in a normal voice, thanks to the speech therapy she received. Nathan McGriff, Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) and Rehab Director stated, “Mrs. Jarrett arrived at our facility with a recommendation that she have no nutrition by mouth due to the severity of aspiration and risks of acquiring aspiration pneumonia. A naso-gastric tube was in place as a temporary means of nutrition until it could be determined what potential level of progression she could make.” Mrs. Jarrett had requested, as part of her living will, that no alternate means of nutrition be utilized. The family and staff had a conference to determine how long she would keep the feeding tube. It was determined her progress would be monitored for a week to see if she made improvement. It was a difficult conversation, but if an improvement wasn’t observed, an even more difficult decision would have to be made. That very evening, Mrs. Jarrett inadvertently pulled the tube out during her sleep. With no means of receiving nourishment it was urgent that she receive a special swallowing assessment. The emergency assessment was performed within 24 hours and she was cleared to eat pureed food and thickened liquids. Once she was able to get more substantial nutrition, her energy levels improved. She began to progress by leaps and bounds in her therapy sessions. “She never looked back. It was a turning point in her recovery,” McGriff recalls. As she gained strength, Mrs. Jarrett’s memory improved as well. She recalls the milestones of eating solid food, drinking water and her initial walks with help. She progressed from not walking at all to walking 250ft or more with the use of a walker. She is amazed at how far she has come and she knows she has more work to do, but she is extremely grateful
for all the care and support she received from family and friends. Her sisters were regular visitors during her stay and her church family (Flint Church of Christ) sent cards and prayers. All of the love provided her comfort and support that helped her progress each day. She is especially grateful for the kindness and patience of her rehabilitation team. “Everyone is so nice here – everyone! I am so very appreciative of the patience shown to me. No matter how long it took me to complete a task – Sarah, Holly [Fisk, PTA], Diane [Kent, Occupational Therapy Assistant] – they were so patient with me.” Mrs. Jarrett also says, “Everyone is so kind to me, even staff members that I met in the hallway or social areas.” Mrs. Jarrett deserves credit for her improved health as well. She trusted her rehabilitation team members and followed their instructions. She so eagerly looked forward to her therapy sessions that many times she would skip a social event to make sure she was in her room when the therapist arrived. “She is such a positive and wonderful person that many of the staff members, who substituted for her regular team members on their days off, would request to work with her again,” stated McGriff. “After 100 days, she was released. “We were so excited for her and proud to be part of her recovery. We wanted to make a big deal of it - so we surprised her with a graduation party!”
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611 West Market Street • Athens, AL 35611 • 256-232-1620 Call today to book a tour!
Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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A picture is worth a thousand words! by Karen Malone
Meet Source Photographer Danielle Collins Elles Photography Studios 613 Hobbs St E, Athens, AL 35611 Please call 256-777-6105 to schedule your appointment.
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How often do we pick up a magazine, expect to gain information through the written word, but often don’t give much thought to how much information we gain through a photograph? Photos reveal emotions, clarity and detail that enhance the written words of an article. Anyone can photograph an event or subject, but not everyone can frame a photo to tell a story well. That’s where a professional photographer can enhance your memories of an event, not just by the photos themselves, but by allowing you to fully participate in an event. That service to others brings contentment and joy to photographer Danielle Collins of Elles Photography Studios. While in high school, Danielle enjoyed taking pictures for the yearbook, but never thought of it as a career option. Instead, her love of children had led her to consider a career as a teacher. While a student at Athens State, at the age of 20, her parents adopted her now 11 and 12 year old siblings. She enjoyed taking pictures of them as they were growing up. After a few managerial jobs while working her way through college, she decided to pursue a business degree instead of teaching. “Then one day while attending a birthday party with my sister, it occurred to me that moms not only plan and execute, they also photograph their children’s birthday parties.” Realizing that if they had a photographer, they could enjoy the party and also be in the pictures, led Danielle to start Elles Party Pictures. She began to add weddings and family portraits. Once she received her MBA from the University of North Alabama, she realized she had all the tools to go into business as a professional photographer. It wasn’t until a few years into her photography career that she began to
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realize God had led her down a path to her dream job. “God has this amazing way of leading you in a path that is even better than what you tried to make for yourself.” Danielle says that every session makes her smile and she has peace knowing she found what she was meant to do for the rest of her life. Her clients frequently comment on the joy they see in her while taking pictures of their children and often ask if she has children of her own, to which she replies, “Not yet, but all my little clients are my babies!” Danielle has been in business for six years. She photographs multiple categories and has multiple clients including Athens-Limestone Hospital and Source: a publication of AthensLimestone Hospital. Elles Photography Studios recently received the Reader’s Choice Award given by The News Courier. EPS was voted #1 Photography Studio in Athens/Limestone County by readers and clients. “We can’t thank our clients enough for this honor and want to them to know we couldn’t be us without them!”
BECAUSE... lt’s never too late YOUR UNIVERSITY. YOUR WAY.
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Athens Medical Community Offers High Quality Internal Medicine Care by Karen Malone
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Have you ever stopped to consider how we selected our physicians? One of the most important professional relationships we will have in our lifetime is our relationship with our physician(s). Selecting a physician is an interesting dynamic, because often we don’t think of “shopping around” for a doctor, especially when we are healthy and don’t need a physician’s services. The medical system just isn’t conducive to interviewing a physician for the job. As with most decisions, we want to feel some connection with our choice. We want to be familiar (root word ‘family’) with our doctor, so we will ask a trusted friend, colleague or family member who their doctor is, and if they are satisfied we often make an appointment based on their recommendation. Another way we select a physician is based on a common experience such as our children’s participation on the same sports team or maybe we served on a civic committee together. Beyond the familiar connection, our choice of physician is also based on some pretty broad assumptions: all doctors are equally educated, qualified
and skilled (for their area of practice), what medical school he or she graduated from is irrelevant, and the vast majority of physicians have selected their career because they receive great satisfaction from helping their patients heal and/or feel better. We can safely rely on these assumptions because of the extensive health regulations and the governing bodies of medical practice here in America. If education and skills are equal, what would set one physician apart from another? We thought it would be enlightening to compare the philosophy of care of several Internal Medicine Physicians here in Athens and share that information with our readers. Internal Medicine (IM) focuses on the treatment of adults and specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and management of disease and chronic conditions. Even if you are not currently seeking a physician, it can be informative to see the differences between physicians and gain a greater appreciation of how the scope of practicing medicine is much more than medical knowledge!
Limestone Internal Medicine – an AthensLimestone Hospital Clinic James Walker, MD Dr. James Walker has been married to his wife, Sharon, for 38 years. He has a stepdaughter and grandchild. Together they have a daughter, Alexis, who passed away at the age of 7. Dr. Walker has a small farm with horses. He enjoys gardening, working in his yard, and has an old Ford Mustang that he enjoys working on and driving. His wife adds, “We enjoy the simple life!” Dr. Walker says his driving passion behind his practice is helping people. “I really enjoy doing what I do. I have fun. I enjoy interacting with my patients and doing my best to take care of them” “I try to give my patients all the time they need to answer their questions. Sometimes that can cause me
to run a little late with my appointments. I just try my best to be straightforward and honest and give them the information they are asking for. Having said that, some patients don’t need a lot of time at every visit, but you learn that over the years of developing a relationship with each patient.” “One of the biggest challenges as a practicing physician is all the insurance and governmental regulations. The technology requirements and paperwork make it very difficult to have a practice in a small, rural town without being affiliated with a hospital. These requirements all take time that could be spent with patients. Giving quality time to patient needs and meeting all the regulations and requirements can sometimes make for a long day. It is simply impossible to keep a regimented schedule with patients. It just doesn’t work. If a doctor maintains a rigid schedule, then the patients are missing out on quality care.” “My greatest asset is that I consider myself to have good listening skills. I desire to give patients the information they are seeking. It sounds trite, but essentially that is what a good physician does. It is what I do.”
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Valley Internal Medicine – an Athens-Limestone Hospital Clinic Sasha Acelajado, MD (aka Dr. A) Dr. Acelajado grew up in Manila, Philippines. After receiving her medical degree there, she studied at UAB and USA Medical Center in Mobile before coming to Athens about a year ago. She knew as early as second grade that she wanted to be a physician and is finding her career choice to be as rewarding as she expected. She is the mom of two children and enjoys bicycling in her spare time. She finds bicycling to be a challenging form of exercise and has entered many competitive long distance rides. Dr. Acelajado says her passion to build a long-term relationship with patients is why she chose the field of IM. It allows the opportunity to see a patient over the course of their lifetime, as opposed to a specialist who may only see a patient during the course of an acute disease or injury. “It also allows me to see each patient’s progress over time. I like ‘fixing things’, so it is very satisfying to see their vital signs and lab numbers improve.” “Part of our success here at Valley Internal Medicine is allowing enough time to communicate. We allot 20 minutes for an appointment instead of the standard 15 minutes. We talk in depth with our patients about preventative behaviors and lifestyle interventions that can improve their health. The conversations I have with my patients are more in depth and more tailored to their specific lifestyle and health issues than what they could get on the internet.” “One of the biggest challenges for me as a physician is that a patient might have more than one problem going on, and may be on over two dozen medications. I am very cognizant of drug interactions. Educating a patient about their medications and explaining that, although he or she may have been on a medicine for many years, their body has changed. That medicine may no longer be the most efficient way to improve their health. I take a holistic approach to my patients’ care. I work with the patient to determine how to best change, and hopefully reduce, the amount of medications they are taking, so they can still have the benefit the medication was prescribed for in the first place. It is like a very challenging puzzle to put together. It takes time.” “A huge clinical asset of our practice is a program designed to benefit Medicare and Medicaid patients. It was recently piloted in our practice. The goal of the
program is to help patients reach their health goals and reduce re-admissions to the hospital. Nationwide (comparing rural hospitals) we were the best performer in the pilot study, reducing re-admissions to the hospital by 50%. That is unheard of! A cornerstone of the program is to provide patient access to a Nurse Helpline. Patients can call 24/7 and a nurse can guide them, in their situation, as to whether they should go to the hospital or wait (if after hours) to contact their physician in the morning. The program includes a Clinic Care Coordinator, Helen McWhorter, associated with Athens-Limestone Hospital. She checks in with the patient, in an unobtrusive way, to see how they’re doing – maybe once or twice a month. Patients can call her directly as well. For example, if a patient has COPD and they are having severe breathing issues, her knowledge of their health allows her to call us and have the patient treated in the office right away as opposed to having to go to the emergency room. The hospital plans to expand this program to all the ALH affiliated clinics.” Shanna Ndong, MD Dr. Ndong hails from central Alabama, but after medical school her career took her to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City and Chicago for about 10 years. Becoming a mom to triplets about 2 years ago hastened her return home. She wanted to be near family and her brother in nearby Huntsville and setting up practice in Athens seemed like a perfect fit. One of Dr. Ndong’s favorite activities outside of work is reading and challenging herself to read more fiction, not just medical related materials! She is also trying to improve her guitar playing skills by watching instructional videos on the internet. Her professional partner, Dr. Sasha Acelajado, has gotten her engaged in bicycling for physical activity. “I’m not as avid of a bicyclist as Sasha - she participates in competitive rides. I do enjoy riding for exercise and Sasha provides great encouragement to make it a regular habit for me.” “The driving passion for my practice is serving an underserved population. This area of Alabama and the Southeast in general, usually ranks disproportionately high for cases of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health issues. This area also ranks high for shortages of physicians as well. So patients here really need our clinics to be open. They need primary care
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givers more than anyone. This urgent situation definitely influenced my desire to practice here in Alabama.” “I consider a patient’s visit to be successful if they leave with a better understanding of their health. It doesn’t have to be life altering. Maybe it is something as simple as an understanding of the purpose of the medication(s) they are taking and what improved benefits they receive from the prescription. I set small and hopefully realistic goals for my patients: that they leave better educated about their health.” “Unfortunately, I find one of the biggest challenges here is money. Many of my patients are uninsured or underinsured. Many patients can’t afford the visit and/or their medication, especially, for example, diabetic patients. I’ve research the less expensive medications. We use local and national free-medication programs, and many other programs we learn about. I continually advocate for my patients that are on fixed incomes. It is a big challenge and takes extra work and time for me and my staff, but we’ll do whatever it takes to provide the best care for our patients.” “My greatest asset, when serving my patients, is being a good listener, being relatable and making my patients comfortable. Having a good ‘bedside manner’ has been a goal of mine from the beginning of my medical education. I work very hard to not fall into the stereotypical, paternalistic role of a physician.”
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North Alabama Primary Care Chandra Koneru, MD Vijaya Koneru, MD Dr. Chandra and Vijaya Koneru are husband and wife, as well as medical partners. Chandra and Vijaya have been married for almost 32 years and have two adult children that live in Atlanta. Although they are two distinct individuals, we interviewed them together for this article because their life and medical philosophies are so similar. They enjoy spending their spare time with family and both are meditation enthusiasts. Not only do they meditate themselves, they teach meditation to others.
Meditation reduces the stress in their personal lives. Chandra says that the medical community is beginning to understand the value of it as well. The meditation they practice is a series of commands called the relaxation technique, helping to slow the pulse and create physical calmness. Chandra and Vijaya view their spiritual practice as the driving force and passion for their medical practice. “We have come to the field of medicine to help others and to heal people. For us to be able to serve and help others it is critical for us to have a good balance in three areas of life: home and family, professional, and internal which include emotional stability and a spiritual practice.” Chandra says, “It is easy to get caught up in the fast paced environment of practicing medicine. Therefore, it is not uncommon for me to close my eyes throughout the day and take relaxing breaths and remember why I chose to be a physician.” “Watching our patients progress and improve their health is success for us. We have patients we have helped for over 25 years. Some are in their late 80’s and mid-90’s and it is wonderful to know that we have been a part of helping them along their journey through our medical practice and advice over the years.” One of the biggest challenges for the two of them (and physicians in general) is avoiding burnout. Dr. Chandra Koneru says, “Research is demonstrating that if the physician perceives his or her life as satisfactory, happy, and whole, that affects the patient’s satisfaction, too. A recent AMA communication has emphasized the importance of a healthy physician-patient relationship. Anything that gets in the way of this relationship can create physician burnout. These barriers can be a systemic or physical problem. An example of a systemic problem is electronic records. It is estimated that for every hour a physician is spending with patients, two hours are spent entering and collecting data on the computer. A physical barrier would include making sure that the office space is well maintained, clean and inviting to enhance the physician-patient relationship. Burnout in our profession is reaching epidemic proportions. So for Vijaya and me, meditation not only enhances our personal lives, but our professional relationships also. ” “Our greatest asset is communicating with our patients. It has been extremely rare in our practice to have a patient that we can’t communicate with. We work toward building trust. That is the critical point for developing a health strategy with our patients. We don’t immediately jump to medications. We speak with them about lifestyle modifications and other non-pharmaceutical strategies. We talk to our patients about relaxation and meditation techniques. Research is showing that meditation is having excellent results with people that have mild depression,”
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says Chandra. Vijaya emphasizes, “Each patient is different and a combination of strategies gets the best results, but it takes time and open communication to get there.” She also enthusiastically states, “We love our patients!” That is an asset in any situation – you can’t go wrong with love. Athens Internal Medicine Nauman Qureshi, MD Dr. Qureshi is an Internal Medicine physician with the subspecialties of Nephrology and Dialysis. He is married and has 3 adult children, each graduating from Athens High School. He is sincerely appreciative of the 35 years of his professional, social and family life in Athens. “The town and its people and the doctors have been very kind to me. The sincerity of the patients and their relatives has always touched me.” One of his passions outside of work is tennis. “I love to play tennis,” he states. “The driving passion behind my practice is to help patients with their illness in a logical and scientific
manner. I approach the symptoms like a ‘detective’ to figure out what is wrong. I like to say that this is a ‘silver bullet’ approach compared to a ‘shot-gun’ approach. Scientifically, we have many more advanced tools to help our patients in terms of x-rays, drugs, other therapies and new technical surgery procedures, for example, using laparoscopic instead of opening the body up. ” “A successful visit is when I have been able to help the patient and the patient is satisfied with my help. I also consider my willingness to go over and above the call of duty to try to help them a big part of my success with my patients. ” “The biggest challenge when serving patients is to gain their confidence in my experience and knowledge. Once this confidence is established teamwork between the physician and patient is created - that goes a long way in the healing process.” “One of my greatest assets when serving my patients is learning to work on an ‘internal clock’ rather than being forced to work at the pace of technology and government regulations. This ‘internal clock’ is geared totally to trying to do the best for the patient. I admit, because of this, I am sometimes late for seeing patients at their scheduled time. But providing thorough care is far better than cutting corners.”
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th Alabama r o N
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assisted livings &
memory care
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H eroes A mong Us
The Hospice Volunteers Death is not a topic of choice and end of life discussions among family and friends are never easy. The time, however, will come when we complete life on earth and transition to the next stage. Hospice of Limestone County, a non-profit organization, provides care and support for terminally ill patients during this transition. When medical science can no longer add days to life, they believe in a concept of care that adds more life to each day. The hospice team consists of a physician, nurse, chaplain, pharmacist, home-health aid, social workers, counselor, nutritionist, and most importantly, volunteers. “We have a wonderful team of volunteers ready to help families in our community,” says Lacy Beth McMunn, Hospice of Limestone County Volunteer Coordinator. Hospice volunteers are companions to patients and relief for caregivers. “When families are losing someone, we are there to help in many ways,” says Stephani Latimer, office volunteer. “Hospice is the calm in the center of an emotional storm.” Vicki Stephenson, who also volunteers in the office, says “It is a blessing to interact with people who have a desire to help others.” Volunteers help in many ways. They hold hands, listen to stories and provide a shoulder to cry on. They provide lawn maintenance, haircuts, and run errands. They assist with special holiday projects. They cook and bake for camps and fundraisers. They work with bereavement support groups and make bereavement follow up calls. They attend bereavement camps, leading activities for
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by Ashley Smith
children who have lost loved ones. Camp Hope is a bereavement camp offered to children ages 5-15 who have lost a close loved one. Hospice also offers bereavement support groups for children and adults. During the holidays, Hospice provides a variety of special gifts for those in need, all fueled by volunteers. “Being a hospice volunteer is a great privilege and a personal calling,” says, Duane Pickett, MT-BC. “It is an opportunity to use my training, talents and abilities as a board certified music therapist, and to offer professional and therapeutic end-of-life care for my patients while also providing them with as much emotional and spiritual support as they need while under hospice care.” Hospice of Limestone County loves their volunteers and so do those who receive care. Families and patients greatly appreciate the services Hospice provides. Faye Suggs, wife of a hospice patient, shared the following: “My husband and I always look forward to our visits from the nurses, social workers, music therapist and chaplain. We are both so very grateful and so appreciative of everyone at Hospice. The bath aides do a fantastic job also. We have not experienced one unhappy person. Hospice is just a good, good program.” If you are willing to share your heart, there is a place for you at Hospice of Limestone County. Hospice provides training for those who are interested in volunteering. For more information on becoming a volunteer, please contact Lacy Beth McMunn at 256-232-5017 or lacy@ athenslimestonehopice.org
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Isn’t it nice to know we’re here when you need us? Long Term Restorative Care with dignity and respect – that’s what you can expect at Limestone Health Facility.
» 24-hour skilled nursing care » Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy » Respiratory/Pulmonary care » Cardiac Rehabilitation » Pain management » State-of-the-art wound care » Post Stroke care and much more Call us or visit our website today.
-2 1965 015
Caring for You
www.limestonehf.com 1600 W. Hobbs St. Athens, AL
Call Edie 256-232-3461
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T R AV E L
Vacationing for the Health of it! b y Te r e s a G i b b s
If you are like the majority of U.S. employees, you will only use half of your allotted vacation time. The Huffington Post took a poll of workers and found that 40% of respondents felt they had too much work to do, and didn’t want to fall behind. More than 20% of workers didn’t want to appear replaceable. Maybe it’s time those ambitious achievers learn one of the biggest secrets of productivity - the refueling principle. Time off has positive benefits for both workers and their employers such as higher productivity, stronger workplace morale, and greater employee retention. Taking a vacation helps reduce stress, depression, physical ailments including the risk of heart disease. Vacationers report feeling happier and healthier after taking a vacation. Even kids need to sometimes forget about school and just have fun. Though traveling with children can sometimes be challenging, the benefits of a family vacation outweigh the challenge. Vacations allow families to bond in a fun environment free of daily stressors. The modern American vacation was actually invented in Europe - where they refer to a “vacation” as a “holiday.” Europeans value leisure time and most get a minimum of four weeks of vacation - and use them all! The European holiday began during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when doctors often prescribed trips to the seaside, believing that not only drinking seawater was beneficial for health, but that the shock of submersion in cold, salty and turbulent seawater could cure everything from heat stroke to melancholy. Visiting the seaside gradually became a kind of competitive activity among Britain’s upper class. By the early 19th century, seaside resorts began to spring up all over Europe where the rich would meet up to socialize and partake in the daily ritual of drinking the healthful mineral waters.
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Discover the Palm Beaches By the late 19th century, resorts began showing up in America. Palm Beach, Florida, known as America’s First Resort Destination, was considered a playground for the rich and famous. These days you’ll find people from all walks of life enjoining year-round outdoor festivals offered in the Palm Beaches! Don’t miss these exciting adventures for creating fun family memories: • The 10-mile Lake Trail, on the island of Palm Beach, provides flat, traffic-free cycling with glimpses of multi-million dollar mansions and beautiful scenery along the Intracoastal Waterway. Rent beach bikes, road bikes, tandems, helmets, and inline skates at the Palm Beach Bicycle Trail Shop located in the Royal Poinciana Plaza. • Palm Beach Zoo, in West Palm Beach, is home to Malayan tigers, Mexican spider monkeys, and jaguars. Get up close and personal with the coolest animals in the world when you reserve your exclusive, behind-the-scenes animal tour! • South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, in West Palm Beach, features more than 50 hands-on educational exhibits, a planetarium, an early childhood education room, theater, science lab, and butterfly garden. • Lion Country Safari, in Loxahatchee, is Florida’s only drive-through safari adventure with more than 900 animals, including giraffes, lions, and the largest herd of zebra outside of Africa. The amusement park offers rides, a water sprayground and a chance to feed the giraffes!
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The White Orchid Inn and Spa – a Seaside Oasis This romantic retreat is located in Flagler Beach – a unique coastal community located 220 miles north of Palm Beach. The White Orchid Inn is a romantic bed and breakfast offering privacy, luxury and pampering and is merely steps to the beach. To truly relax your mind, restore your internal balance and awaken your natural beauty, indulge in one of the many spa treatments offered here. The night we arrived, we relaxed in the warm mineral pool before retiring to our comfortable bed for a restful night’s sleep. The next morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pineapple-carrot bread, ham-and-cheese quiche, pancakes and fresh fruit. The dining area has wonderful views of the beach. With the use of the inn’s beach chairs and umbrellas we were all set to relax on the beach for the rest of the morning. That afternoon, we borrowed their bicycles to explore the area. Whether you enjoy lying on a warm sandy seashore or swimming in the ocean, a beach vacation offers many health benefits. The peacefulness of relaxing on the beach reduces stress and anxiety. The warm sun rays lowers cholesterol, kills bad bacteria and prompts healing of skin disorders. The salt sea air and water does wonders for your respiratory system. Swimming uses almost every muscle in your body, improving flexibility and increasing cardiovascular endurance. If the ocean isn’t your cup of tea, another great way to get the benefits of a healing vacation is to visit the mountains. The mountain air offers many health benefits including strengthening the nervous and immune system, as well as improving your metabolism. The cool, crisp mountain air, beautiful views, and preserved nature make hiking an ideal activity for reducing stress levels and increasing your quality of life. The Dillard House – a Mountain Retreat Nestled in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town of Dillard, Georgia was founded in 1794 by Captain
John Dillard, who was awarded the land after serving in the American Revolution. In 1917, John’s grandson opened a general store and boarding house, which later became the Dillard House Inn and family-style restaurant. The Dillard House and Restaurant (still operated by the Dillard family) remains a popular spot for travelers because of its award-winning southern cuisine and resort. The cool, crisp air smells of fresh pine and woodsyscented foliage. Breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains offer peace and tranquility. Choose to stay in one of their quaint cottage, secluded cabins or a room in the inn or the rock house. We’ve visited the Dillard House many times over the years and often take our granddaughter, Tenley, with us. She always enjoys visiting the petting farm zoo, and during our last stay, we let her visit the Dillard House Stables (check out the photo) . . . and now you know the rest of that story! They also offer horseback rides through scenic mountain trails with views of majestic waterfalls and gorges. The rolling hills of Dillard offer trails for every fitness level - shady trails along babbling brooks; moderate hikes leading to spectacular waterfalls; steep, rugged, winding climbs to the top of a mountain with mesmerizing, panoramic views. Studies have shown that hiking lowers risk of heart disease, increases your cardiovascular endurance, strengthens your core, builds muscle, and fights the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Taking vacations can lead to a longer, happier, and healthier life. Vacationing at least once a year can decrease stress levels as well as greatly reduce your chance of suffering a heart attack. With all the health benefits of a vacation, isn’t it time you booked yours?
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For more information on a beach vacation, visit thepalmbeaches.com or thewhiteorchid.com. For a mountain trip, visit dillardhouse.com. Read Source online at athenslimestonehospital.com
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recipe Carrot Pineapple Bread is just one part of the delicious breakfast spread offered at The White Orchid Inn located in Flagler Beach, Florida. Bake and enjoy!
Carrot Pineapple Bread INGREDIENTS 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 3 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 cup oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups grated carrots 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained Directions 1. Combine dry ingredients. 2. Mix eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, carrots and pineapple. 3. Combine carrot mixture with dry ingredients and mix. 4. Pour into two greased 8x4-in. loaf pans.
5. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 6. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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