Prescription for Prosperity

LO C A L H E A LT H C A R E

MEDICINE IN MONTGOMERY

PRESCRIPTION FOR PROSPERITY The health-care industry is an economic driver and key employer for Montgomery and the River Region. Major players explain how they are dealing with challenges, outline what the future may hold and highlight the region’s many opportunities.

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• High Tech Right Here • Regional Medical Campus a Game Changer • Nursing Education Options

PRESCRIPTION FOR PROSPERITY

MGM: Strong Contender The competition to recruit doctors to our area is stiff, but Montgomery competes well. “Our community is where we shine,” said Julia Henig, Vice President of Business Development at Baptist Health. She pointed out the city’s positives.

“We are a big small town. We are a great place to raise a family, with proximity to lots of

If You Build It?

great places. We don’t According to Henig, the number

have bad traffic.”

about 100 opportunities offered to them before they are done, so it’s very competitive to get them,” Henig said. Recruitment is a large part of her job.

One issue making it difficult is the fact that our Medicare reimbursement rate is lower than other parts of the country. But, as Peter Frohmader, Marketing Director at Jackson Hospital pointed out, we have some positives that other areas can’t match. “All the providers in the community are working hard to recruit doctors,” he said. “We continue to be very successful once we get potential doctors here. They are very impressed with our city, what has been happening downtown, in

We have the hospitals and clinics;

of doctors we need, but don’t

economic development and our

we have plenty of patients who

have, could hit 90,000 across the

resources for a city our size.” In

require care. But do we have the

country in the coming years. And

the last few years, Jackson has

necessary contingent of doctors

it’s the same with nurses and gets

recruited more than 50 health-

and nurses to meet their needs?

worse when you look at medical

care professionals.

For now, yes. But soon, maybe

specialties. Some new and

not. That’s the consensus from

interesting solutions, supported

hospital administrators, nursing

by advances in technology, are

and medical school instructors

being considered to combat this

and others in the know on the

workforce shortage, things like

subject. “For our population and

telemedicine and an increased

service areas, we have enough

reliance on “mid-levels,” people

don’t have bad traffic, and we’ve

facilities with Baptist Hospital,

like nurse practitioners and physi-

got a regional airport.” She also

Jackson Hospital and some

cian assistants, who in the future

pointed to another benefit. “We

outside clinics,” said Julia Henig,

may be trained to do more. “We’ll

Vice President of Business Devel-

have to figure out something or

opment at Baptist Health. “The

people may have to drive long

issue we face, like all industries,

distances for a specialist and

is the aging population of baby

even for primary care,” Henig

boomers. We don’t have enough

said.

professionals coming in behind those who are retiring to fill their shoes, and that means we don’t

Filling the Void

have enough medical profession-

While the most obvious fix is to

als to take care of all the aging,

get and keep more doctors here,

and our retiring doctors and nurs-

that’s easier said than done.

es are adding to those ranks.”

“Doctors in training will have

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Henig agreed. “Our community is where we shine,” she said.

Julia Henig, Vice President of

“We are a big small town, a great

Business Development

place to raise a family, with prox-

at Baptist Health

imity to lots of great places. We

GETTING THE JOB DONE

have the fantastic opportunity to start a specialty medical career,” she said. “We are not oversaturat-

Together, Baptist Health and Jackson Hospital provide 6,200 jobs and are within the top 10 largest private employers in Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY BUSINESS JOURNAL

ed with specialists.”

And she praised the Chamber for its help. “It is often easier to recruit families over single people,” she said. “We sometimes work through the Chamber to help get a spouse placed in a job, and they have been great in that effort.”

Together makes us better.

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HIGH TECH Right Here

Providing world-class care here at home so residents don’t have to leave the market is a priority for both of Montgomery’s hospitals and that means staying up to date with the latest and greatest medical technology and coming up with new ways to serve patients are necessities. Here’s a brief overview of a few recent advancements at both Jackson and Baptist.

Jackson Hospital:

Baptist Health:

The 3-Tesla MRI: the stron-

The Davinci X5 Robot:

gest MRI used on patients

the newest tech for robotics

anywhere (and currently the

in the country, being used to

only one here). It gives doc-

perform minimally invasive

tors the ability to see things

surgeries.

they’ve never been able to before.

The UAB Multi-Specialty

Tru-D SmartUVC: a germ-

Clinic: staffed with 10 doctors

eliminating robot that

in four specialties with breast

generates UV light energy

and cardiovascular surgery

that modifies the DNA or RNA

added in summer 2017.

structure of an infectious cell.

Jackson is the first hospital in the River Region to use it.

ADDED BONUS “It’s so efficient. In the past, these doctors and nurses would have to leave the city for several days to train. Now, they just walk out of the hospital, into the training center, learn what they need and get back to work.”

Don’t Panic So you find out your surgeon did his training in the back of an 18-wheeler. Sound sketchy? Don’t worry. It’s not. One key piece of the medical professional retention puzzle is making continuing education a no-brainer. Of course, this pays off for patients too. At Jackson, surgical teams often train in a mobile lab, which just happens to be in an 18-wheeler’s trailer. Stryker, a medical equipment company, drives its lab (basically a surgical suite on wheels) to the hospital and sets up shop and then brings entire surgical teams in to get specialized training on cutting-edge equipment. This particular mobile lab is for neurosurgery and spine procedures using 3D navigation, a kind of GPS mapping and imaging for your body, that Jackson now utilizes.

Peter Frohmader, Marketing Director at Jackson Hospital.

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PRESCRIPTION FOR PROSPERITY UAB Med School Good for MGM

Making Montgomery Home

UAB’s School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Medical

Julia Henig, Vice President of

Campus started in 2012 and

Business Development at Bap-

is in partnership with Baptist

tist Health, stressed the role

Health. “UAB knew the med

residents can play in recruiting

school needed to increase its

doctors. “To get doctors here,

class sizes and produce more

we need to continue to add

doctors for our state,” said Dr.

to and improve upon existing

Wick Many, regional dean for the school. But rather than have those students assigned to the main campus or UAB’s campuses in Huntsville or Tuscaloosa, the recommendation was to place a campus in Montgomery.

A group of UAB School of Medicine Montgomery students, class of 2018.

The students, who are all in their third year of medical school when they come to Montgomery, love it.

“They go back and brag to students in Birmingham about the relationships they are developing here.”

The idea was that UAB’s close

Area doctors are pitching in too.

el of excitement and enthusiasm

relationship with Baptist Health

“Our faculty is mostly voluntary,”

that rekindles those feelings in

would remove some of the diffi-

Many said.

our faculty who are practicing doctors,” he said. “It raises the

culty of starting a new program.

But the focal point was the lack

The students, who are all in

level of educational discourse,

of access to care in some of the

their third year of medical

gets them talking about new

economically depressed areas

school when they come to

breakthroughs. The students

right outside of Montgomery.

Montgomery, love it. “They go

are actually bringing some new

“The hope is, if we train doctors

back and brag to students in

ideas and knowledge to these

here and have them live here,

Birmingham about the rela-

faculty, things that just weren’t

that the long-term investment

tionships they are developing

on the map when some of our

will pay off by having many

here,” Many said. And these

faculty were in school.”

of them come back and work

relationships could make all the

here,” Many said.

difference when the students the future. “Will all our students

to make the med students’ time

come back to this area? No.

here a positive experience, and

But if we have 20 graduate and

they’re getting help. “The city,

have three to five come back,

the Chamber and Baptist have

that is a homerun, and I think we

bent over backwards to help

will get that,” Many said.

us,” he said. “I am in awe of the support we receive and the wel-

And it’s a win-win, according to

come the students are given.”

Many. “The students bring a lev-

options that make quality of life great,” she said. “And to keep them here, we need to embrace them."

One recent recruit to the area explained why he came and

Dr. Geoff Habermacher, a urologist, from Charlottesville, Va.

why he and his family feel so at home. Dr. Geoff Habermacher, a urologist, came to Montgomery last year from Charlottesville, Va. He’s now practicing at the UAB Multi-Specialty Clinic.

“To be successful, and to be on the leading edge of a new

are deciding where to settle in Dr. Many and others work hard

amenities and entertainment

venture for a large academic center like UAB is a neat thing,” he said.

He and his family are also enjoying the welcome. “Both of our daughters are fitting in well.

Dr. Wick Many, Regional Dean, UAB’s School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Medical Campus

Plus, the people are as warm as the weather, and that’s nice.”

Adding to the problems plaguing health care everywhere is uncertainty over the Affordable Care Act and

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT UNCERTAINTY

its replacement. “The overall state of health care in general is really an unknown with the uncertainty at the federal level right now,” Frohmader said. In a perfect world, more people insured is always better for hospitals and health-care providers. “Better access is a great premise, but under the ACA, we still had problems with payment,” Henig said. “Many were still uninsured and those insured at the lowest level had such high deductibles. Some reform is needed for sure.”

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LO C A L H E A LT H C A R E

A FEW EXPERTS Local professionals sharing their insight

Dr. Jean Leuner, the Dean of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Auburn University at Montgomery

Image courtesy of Auburn University at Montgomery.

TAPPING INTO TALENT nursing, but we have more quali-

dire, hasn’t. “The work of nursing

fied applicants than we have seats

has gotten more complex as our

nursing shortage head on.

in schools.”

population ages and the number of

Our area – just like our country – is

A look at data from the Bureau of

Leuner said. “It is a very demand-

already facing a nursing short-

Labor Statistics shows that we had

ing profession today, but we still

age as well as a nursing faculty

2.71 million nurses in 2012 and that

have many who want to do it.”

they can, and hopefully will, teach.

shortage, a situation Dr. Jean

figure will rise to 3.24 million by

Leuner, the Dean of the College

2022, an increase of 19 percent.

Yet, we don’t have the manpower

There’s also a need for more nurs-

of Nursing & Health Sciences at

And yet, we still fall short. “It’s esti-

to train them all. The faculty short-

es with bachelor’s degrees, and in

Auburn University at Montgomery

mated that we’ll need an additional

age is, as Leuner put it, “severe.”

an effort to meet that, AUM has put

(AUM) calls “the perfect storm.” “We

half million nurses by 2022, so the

Adding additional instructors to

its RN to BSN program complete-

are seeing baby boomers retiring;

growth we have is not enough,”

nursing schools is one reason

ly online, which lets registered

as they age, we see the shortage

Leuner said.

recent recommendations put out

nurses pursue a bachelor’s, and is

by the Institute of Medicine call

admitting new students to it every

How the River Region is fighting an impending

Kay Bennett, Vice President of Human Resources

chronic diseases has increased,”

intensifying because the need for

at Baptist Health

more nurses is getting greater,” she

One factor that you’d think might

for doubling the number of nurses

semester. The school has also cre-

said. “There’s plenty of interest in

make the situation even more

who get a doctorate degree so

ated a community for pre-nursing

MAKING IT COUNT

LEARN HERE. WORK HERE. "Our graduates are very well thought of in our community.

Baptist in particular loves having our students do their clinicals there. They say they are so well prepared and so professional. And more than 75 percent of the nurses trained in our ASN program stay here.”

- Dr. Sherry Seibenhener, Troy University Montgomery Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Associate’s Degree in Nursing program

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LO C A L H E A LT H C A R E

NURSING SCHOOL

IN THE RIVER REGION For River Region residents looking to enter the nursing profession, there are several options for education right here at home. Here are some of the offerings.

TROY UNIVERSITY MONTGOMERY: • Associate of Science degree in nursing, a two-year program that allows its graduates to take the

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

national licensure exam to become

AT MONTGOMERY:

a licensed registered nurse.

• Bachelor of Science in nursing

• Master of Science in nursing

• RN to BSN, which allows registered nurses to obtain their BS degree in

SOUTH UNIVERSITY:

nursing, and is offered as a totally

• Bachelor of Science degree

online option or in a hybrid format with partnership hospitals.

in nursing

• RN to BSN

• Master of Science in nursing

• Master of Science in nursing with specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner Image courtesy of Auburn University at Montgomery.

LOOKING AHEAD students, blocking off an entire floor in a dorm for them to live and learn together. “It’s the first academic community like this at AUM, and there is a lot of research showing how beneficial these live/learn groups are,” Leuner said.

Both Montgomery hospitals are doing their part.

A look at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that we had

ing, not just here, or regionally, it is nationwide,” she said. “We have a lot of strategies, but one

will rise to 3.24 million by 2022, an

tionship is more formal; we talk to their nursing

that leads new RN graduates through a yearlong but continue their training while working, and

and Leuner. “There is a great demand for nurs-

2.71 million nurses in 2012 and that figure

Jackson now has a nurse residency program training program. “They are practicing nurses

Kay Bennett, Vice President of Human Resources at Baptist Health echoed both Frohmader

increase of 19 percent.

AND YET, WE STILL FALL SHORT.

work with a dedicated experienced nurse who serves as a mentor for them,” said Peter Frohmader, Marketing Director at Jackson

is working closely with area schools, like AUM as well as Troy and Wallace. With AUM, this relafaculty often and get their feel for what is going on and how we can help their efforts.” Baptist offers nurse extern programs where students actually shadow nurses in eight different departments, rotating every week, to get an idea of where they’d like to work.

Hospital. Jackson also offers an externship for The hospital also facilitates a support program

nursing students in their last two semesters of school. They operate as nursing techs, and get

programs have been very successful and great

for just-graduated nurses where they meet

paid while they finish their studies. “We hope

transition tools for new graduates who maybe

monthly to talk, share advice and more. “Our

they stay on with us once they graduate and

don’t feel confident to just step out on their

senior leaders participate in that, and we get

pass the nursing exam,” Frohmader said. “Both

own.”

feedback from the nurses and make adjust-

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ments to make their work environment better,” Bennett said. “These are ways we not only recruit but also retain good nurses.”

And retention is key. “We have and are looking to implement a lot of strategies on this point,” Bennett said. One is establishing unit councils in every department to provide their nurses the ability to make decisions that affect their day-today. Another is recognizing and rewarding good work with awards. And finally, giving nurses flexibility and the chance to grow is key. “We have

Image courtesy of Troy University.

a place for a nurse to practice in almost every area,” Bennett said. “We’ve also increased the

graduating nursing students from AUM stay in

are better prepared to onboard quickly at local

number of clinical educators on the floor sup-

the greater Montgomery area, so it behooves

hospitals and health-care agencies,” she said.

porting our nurses. And going forward, we’re

both hospitals to keep an eye on these students

In the end, this is all good news for nursing

looking at some pretty creative shift scheduling

and reach out to them.

students and middle or high school students

and different staffing models all in an attempt to

interested in the career. “The employment

understand what nurses need to be successful

Leuner and her team are being proactive too,

opportunities for nursing students are great,”

and meeting those needs so they can best care

working with local health-care entities to see

Leuner said. “When our students graduate, they

for their patients.”

what AUM can do to best meet their needs in

have job offers in hand, and that is due to the

terms of nursing, things like revising or adding

huge need. Especially for bachelor’s degree

to its curriculum. “This means our graduates

nurses, the employment outlook is amazing.”

According to Leuner, 90 to 95 percent of the

w

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