Hospital Updates

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The Area’s First GammaTile® Procedure Completed at St. Francis

Recently, Dr. Matthew Ballo, radiation oncologist and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at West Cancer Center and Research Institute and Drs. Andy Boucher and Madison Michael from Semmes-Murphey completed the area’s first GammaTile® procedure at Saint Francis-Memphis. Saint Francis is one of a handful of hospitals in the state of Tennessee boasting the GammaTile® Technology. Designed to help prevent the reoccurrence of brain tumors, GammaTile® is a collagen tile implant that delivers radiation to the area where the patient’s brain tumor was removed—with the goal of leaving healthy tissue unaffected. It is a one-time treatment intended to eliminate the need for ongoing radiation treatments.

The GammaTile(s) are placed precisely where and when treatment will help the most— at the tumor site immediately after tumor removal. Like other radiation therapies, GammaTile® therapy works by disrupting the tumor cell replication process. Radiation damages the tumor cell DNA, so the cell is unable to replicate and eventually dies. The collagen tile keeps the radiation sources in place while the radiation is being released. Over time, the body naturally absorbs the collagen tile.

In a clinical trial, those who received the tile had twice as many tumor-free months compared to their last tumor resection surgery. The GammaTile® received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018.

Florence Jones, President of Methodist North Hospital, awarded 2022 THA Senior Executive of Distinction

Tennessee Hospital Association awarded Florence Jones the 2022 Senior Executive Distinction award. Jones has been committed to the community and has been very hands on during the whole COVID-19 pandemic. She has contributed to the community in many ways, such as providing care packets to people as well as providing them with resources and education about the pandemic and how to deal with it. She also provided the community with information regarding agency partnerships. “What you focus on and what you are intentional about, is what’s going to grow and get better,” says Jones. She then goes on to explain how she’s passionate about improving the world we live in by making an impact and giving back to the community. Florence Jones has been working in healthcare for over 40 years, with at least 25 of those years being in an administrator or leadership role. She was named President of Methodist North Hospital in 2017 plans to continue to serve her community to the best of her ability.

Baptist Health Science University has earned candidacy status for proposed college

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Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) has approved Baptist Health Science University’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine for candidacy status. COCA is recognized by the United States Department of Education as accreditor of colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. “We are excited to complete this first phase of the application process for the Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Betty Sue McGarvey, president, Baptist Health Sciences University. “This is a significant milestone for our program, and a great opportunity to advance health care quality and access in the Mid-South.” The next step in the process is getting a pre-accreditation status. After that, the college can start recruiting students for the fall 2024 semester. “We look forward to continuing the accreditation process for our proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Bell. “Earning candidacy status is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our implementation team.” Baptist has already hired many Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine for the proposed college as well as medical doctors and Ph.D.’s. “This school will help fill an important need for the Mid-South because like many areas of the country we are facing a shortage of health care professionals, particularly primary care and family medicine doctors,” said McGarvey. “This need, which was clearly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, has only become more critical since the pandemic started.”

Regional One Health’s East Campus has opened a new oncology clinic

Surgical oncology consultations and same-day procedures for breast cancer, skin cancer, and melanoma patients is offered in the new oncology clinic. Dr. Martin Fleming and Dr. Ashely Hendry opened this clinic with intentions to improve access to advanced care. Patients can be seen at the East Campus location on Quince Road as well as the downtown campus location as well. “We’re excited to build the Regional One Health breast cancer program in both locations and to make it easier for surgical oncology patients to get the treatment they need,” Dr. Fleming said. Dr. Hendrix added, “Access to care is crucial, and breaking down barriers related to location is important to increasing access.” The visits will typically start with physical exams, getting a complete description of symptoms and family history and discussing patients unique risk factors. “We have navigators who help patients every step along the way,” Dr. Fleming said. “We take care of the whole patient and every aspect of their journey throughout their cancer treatment.” It’s important for the patients to understand their treatment plans, which is a huge goal for this new clinic. “We believe in shared decision making,” Dr. Hendrix said. “We provide information and explain the science behind our recommendation, then create a plan that melds the science to the patient’s desires.”