Southern Ohio Medical Center

Wheeler Named Kentucky Colonel

April 16, 2008 » Wayne B. Wheeler, MD, (left) Medical Director of LIFE Ambulance and an Emergency Medicine physician at Southern Ohio Medical Center through Emergency Physicians Medical Group, was recently presented the commission of Kentucky Colonel by former SOMC Chaplain Oscar Perry. Perry nominated Dr. Wheeler for the honor because of his ongoing service to the community. The commission is appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels provides support to charitable and educational organizations in Kentucky. Dr. Wheeler has been practicing medicine in the Portsmouth area for more than 25 years.

SOMC Scioto Guild Donates For Hospice Laptop Computers

April 16, 2008 » The Scioto Guild, part of the Friends of Southern Ohio Medical Center, recently presented funds raised from the annual guild flower sale for the purchase of two portable laptop computers for the SOMC Hospice Center. The computers can be used by patients and loved ones during their stay at the center, to check email, use the Internet and other activities. This year’s guild flower sale will wrap up with pick-up of flowers ordered from 12 to 6 p.m. Monday, May 5 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 at the SOMC Friends Center, 1202 18th St. There will also be extras available for purchase at that time. Shown thanking the guild for their support is (second from left) Hospice Center Nurse Manager Donna Holcomb, RN, with (from left) outgoing Guild President Libby Fitch, Treasurer Ruth Boden, Secretary Donna Borden and incoming President Pidge Fuller.

SOMC Ranked First Among Ohio’s Best Employers

April 16, 2008 » Southern Ohio Medical Center has been named the Number One Best Employer in Ohio. This third annual program was created by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Manufacturers’ Education Council, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Ohio State Council, Ohio Matters, and Best Companies Group.

“We are honored to be named to this list again this year, and to be ranked first,” SOMC CEO Randy Arnett said. “The selection is based largely on the survey of our own employees and their view of SOMC. The fact that we scored so well says a lot about SOMC as a quality employer and a great place to work.”

Earlier this year, SOMC was named to the Fortune 100 Best Places To Work In America, in an intense review that also was based largely on feedback from employees. Also in January SOMC was named a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, an honor for excellence in patient care given to less than 4 percent of hospitals nationwide.

The Ohio survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the Best Employers in Ohio, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The list is made up of 20 companies split into two categories: 10 small/medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 10 large-sized companies (250 and more employees). SOMC has been ranked first among this year’s Best Employers in Ohio in the large category, and is on the list for the third consecutive year.

Honorees and their rank order in the large-sized company category were: SOMC, Edward Jones, The CareWorks Family of Companies, InfoCision Management Corporation, SS&G Financial Services, Inc., EMP Management Group, Ltd., Firelands Regional Medical Center, VSP- Vision Service Plan, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Marietta Memorial Hospital.

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill eligibility requirements including being a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity; being a publicly or privately held business; having a facility in Ohio; having at least 25 employees in Ohio; and being in business a minimum of one year.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Employers in Ohio. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure their experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Ohio with assistance from ModernThink LLC, who analyzed the data and determined the final rankings.

The actual rankings were announced at an awards ceremony April 15 and published in Ohio Matters. For more information on the Best Employers in Ohio program, visit www.BestEmployersOH.com.

Deaf Services Center To Assume Operation Of Community Services For Deaf and Hard of Hearing

April 11, 2008 » Deaf Services Center, Inc., (DSC) of Columbus, Ohio will assume management and operation of Community Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CSDHH) in Portsmouth following approval on Tuesday, April 8 by the DSC Board of Trustees.

CSDHH was operated and had been subsidized by Southern Ohio Medical Center for more than 20 years. DSC is a private, non-profit community center serving deaf communities in 15 counties including Central Ohio and southeastern Ohio.  Core services include case management, interpreting, advocacy/education and leadership.

Clients in the deaf community should see no change in services,” CSDHH Director Teresa Bryan said. “The location is expected to remain on the SOMC South Campus, at least for the near future, and the same services are expected to be provided through DSC’s operation.”

John L. Moore, CEO/Executive Director of DSC, said DSC is looking forward to working with the deaf and hard of hearing in the Portsmouth community and ensuring that their needs are being met.

“DSC is pleased in ensuring that the continuation of services provided in Portsmouth will continue under our fiscal oversight of operations,” Moore said. “We have committed to the continuation of services until June 30, 2009, and in the meantime we will be working with the Portsmouth CSDHH in the development of a transition committee to enable your center to become independent or find an appropriate host agency locally to continue services beyond June 30, 2009.”

In addition to program fees, private funders, governmental contracts, donors and fundraising efforts, which comprise the bulk of DSC’s financial support, the program also has an agreement with the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC). RSC is the state agency charged with helping Ohioans with Disabilities achieve independence and retain or obtain jobs. The program’s mission is to empower the deaf and hard of hearing with access to communication, services and events in the community.

“I want to thank John Moore and the Deaf Services Center for their leadership in taking over the administration of the Portsmouth area Community Center for the Deaf,” John Connelly, Executive Director of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, said.  “This will help ensure continued service for Portsmouth area customers. We appreciate our partnership with Southern Ohio Medical Center and wish them well as they continue to focus on the overall healthcare needs of Southern Ohio.”

CSDHH serves 186 deaf and hard of hearing people in nine counties around Portsmouth. The change in management is expected to be finalized by April 18.

SOMC Welcomes Orthopaedic Surgeon Pettey

April 11, 2008 » James Pettey, MD, has been welcomed to the medical staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center as Senior Medical Director of Orthopaedics.

Dr. Pettey comes to SOMC from Colorado Springs, CO, where he has served as Surgical Specialties Flight Commander, Chief of Surgery and a Clinical Instructor for Orthopaedic Residents for the United States Air Force Academy, 10th Medical Group. He has served in various command positions, including Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery, at air bases in Florida, California, Germany and at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Dr. Pettey also served as team physician of the NCAA Division II USAF basketball and Preparatory School football teams.

Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Pettey is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons. He received his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, completed a residency in Family Practice at Deaconess Hospital, Evansville, Ind., and a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at University of California Davis, Sacramento, Calif.

Dr. Pettey and his wife, Katy, will reside in the Portsmouth area. They have three children.

Dr. Pettey will begin seeing patients in his office Friday, May 2, in Suite 304, Fulton Building, SOMC Main Campus. Appointments can be scheduled by calling on or after April 21 at (740) 353-7017.

Work SOMC Wound Healing Manager

April 11, 2008 » Kathy Work, RN, has been named Program Manager at the SOMC Wound Healing Center. She will be responsible for all aspects of the center’s operation including ensuring quality patient care, recruiting and hiring, compliance with federal and state guidelines, budgeting and fiscal policies, and marketing and sales.

Work came to Southern Ohio Medical Center in 2007 from Heartland Home Health with more than 20 years of nursing, wound care and hyperbaric experience. She resides in the Wheelersburg/Minford area.

The SOMC Wound Healing Center, located on SOMC’s Main Campus, provides state-of-the-art, hospital based outpatient treatment of chronic wounds, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The Center has the benefit of a Disease-Specific Care Certification for diabetic wound care accredited by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization, as well as evidence-based treatment modalities for chronic wounds related to circulatory and autoimmune disorders.

SOMC Encourages Kids To ‘Love Your Heart’

April 8, 2008 » More than 1,000 kindergartners from 11 area schools joined Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man on a journey down the yellow-brick road and into the world of healthy heart care during the annual Love Your Heart program at Southern Ohio Medical Center. The event took place April 1, 2 and 3 at the SOMC Friends Community Center.

Introduced by the SOMC Intensive Care Unit in 1999, the Love Your Heart program is an educational tool that combines hands-on learning stations, the five senses and a popular storybook theme to teach five- and six-year-olds how to stay smart when it comes to keeping their hearts healthy.

“We wanted to create a program that provides children with beneficial information in a really fun way,” Christy Aeh, nurse manager of the ICU at SOMC, said. “That’s how we came up with the idea to tie heart care into the story of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.”

Aeh explained that during the two-hour program, children are taught how the Tin Man received a heart from the Wizard, but neglected to take proper care of it and caused it to turn black. Children are then given the opportunity to go through five interactive exhibits that incorporate sight, taste, touch, hearing and exercise into maintaining a healthy heart to teach the Tin Man how to make his heart red again.

SOMC employees dressed in full costume to bring the story’s most beloved characters to life and more than 100 other hospital employees and nursing students from around the region helped in monitoring the event.

“Not only do children get excited to see the story progress and do the activities, but we also have a lot of fun dressing up and acting it out,” Aeh said.

“The program was created as a way to give back to our community but it’s turned into so much more,” Korina Eichenlaub, nurse educator of the SOMC ICU, said. “My daughter has attended the program and when she came home she explained to me how blood flows through her ‘vines’. I had to tell her that they’re actually called veins, but it’s great to see the impact the story had on her.”

“Teachers always give us really positive feedback about the program, too,” Lora Maddix, registered nurse of the SOMC ICU and program coordinator, said. “They look forward to this field trip and they really fight for it if it gets cut from their schedule.”

In fact, Love Your Heart has been so successful that the ICU staff has twice received the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’ Seabury and Smith, Inc., Community Service Award for their efforts.

“We started by funding the program ourselves, but now we’re able to do so much more through grants and the help of the Scioto County Area Foundation,” Aeh said. “The program’s turned into a great resource for our local children and we look forward to continuing our partnership in health to those we serve and the lives we positively affect for many years to come.”

SOMC named to FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”

January 22, 2008 » Working to recruit the most talented professionals in the nation, Southern Ohio Medical Center has been identified by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” SOMC is ranked 75th nationwide on the list, which appears in the magazine’s February 4 issue, available on newsstands January 28 and at www.fortune.com on January 22.

“Attaining this honor, along with our recent nursing Magnet recognition status, helps us recruit and retain the best medical professionals in the nation,” Vicki Noel, vice president of Human Resources at SOMC, said.

“This award means that our employees are very happy to work here, care about the organization and are most likely to provide better patient care.”

Noel added that the award is based on a detailed review of an organization’s workplace, along with the opinions of the employees.

“As with our recent Magnet recognition status, it is uplifting for an organization in our community to receive such an honor,” Randy Arnett, president and CEO of SOMC, said. “It only further proves that SOMC houses some of the best employees in our nation.”

The judging was based largely on random survey of SOMC employees, along with an examination of certain SOMC workplace attributes such as camaraderie, fairness, credibility, pride and respect, Noel explained.

SOMC was evaluated against various organizations across the United States including large corporations and other health care organizations, she said.

In the next few weeks, SOMC will receive a feedback report and the ranking of the organization based on data accumulated from the evaluation process. Noel said SOMC is always searching for methods of gathering information to make adjustments and improvements in work life.

“Listening to our employees is important” she said. “Based on feedback from our employees, through surveys and other methods such as this, we have made changes to make SOMC a great place to work. We continue to listen and learn from those who make the greatest impact – our SOMC team.”

SOMC recognized as a Magnet hospital

January 15, 2008 » Southern Ohio Medical Center is the first hospital in the tri-state region to achieve the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) highest honor, the Magnet designation, recognizing national excellence in nursing. Only four percent of hospitals in the U.S. can claim this distinction.

“In the health care profession, Magnet recognition is a huge honor,” Claudia Burchett, vice president of Patient Services and chief nursing officer, said. “It serves as external recognition of the exceptional care that we provide to our patients and their families. Magnet not only demonstrates excellence in nursing, but also recognizes the teamwork throughout the organization to support quality of care, shared decision-making, interdisciplinary working relationships and our commitment to putting patients first in everything we do. This achievement is the result of more than 30 months of preparation and years of commitment to quality and excellence.”

The ANCC awarded SOMC the prestigious Magnet award after reviewing nearly 2,000 pages of submitted documentation demonstrating achievements in patient care, nurse satisfaction, quality improvement and nursing research. This was followed by a four-day on-site inspection by Magnet appraisers that included visits to all patient care areas and interviews with hundreds of nurses, employees, physicians, and community members.

“This has been a long and wonderful journey touching every discipline in our organization,” Valerie DeCamp, SOMC director of Inpatient Services and co-leader of the SOMC Magnet journey, said. “The result is a demonstration to our patients, employees, physicians, volunteers, community members, and current and future nurses of our commitment to quality.”

According to the ANCC, statistics show that nurses who work in Magnet-designated hospitals are more satisfied with their job and the care they provide. Magnet hospitals also have an increased retention rate for nurses — an important factor in light of today’s nursing recruitment challenges.

“Nurses want to work in a place where they are supported to provide the best quality care,” Karen Thompson, SOMC director of Home Health Services and co-leader of the SOMC Magnet journey, said. “For the past two years, SOMC has been named one of the best places to work in the state of Ohio. We have also had nurse retention rates at 95 percent, the envy of most in the nation, and employee satisfaction scores that place us at the top 1 percent in the country. These are the types of things that make us a Magnet organization — and make us proud.”

Burchett added that physicians are also attracted to Magnet hospitals. “It’s a sign to them that the hospital is dedicated to hiring and keeping the most qualified nurses,” she said. “We provide an environment where education is vital, and we promote ongoing education, certifications and nursing research.”

The ultimate goal of Magnet recognition, however, is a demonstration to patients of the quality care provided by Magnet hospitals. Independent studies show patients who receive care at Magnet hospitals have a shorter length of stay and higher satisfaction rates. According to ANCC, “Magnet recognition provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive.”

The Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the ANCC in 1994 to recognize health care facilities that provide the very best in professional nursing care. The 14 “Forces of Magnetism” that distinguish Magnet organizations include an environment that promotes excellence in interdisciplinary teamwork, research, education and patient care. SOMC demonstrated excellence in all 14 Forces to earn this award.

The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the U.S.