SACRED HEART HONORS MAJOR BENEFACTORS AND FOUNDERS

DESTIN, Fla. – Sacred Heart Foundation gave special recognition on Friday night, Nov. 30, to major benefactors whose generosity has made it possible for Sacred Heart Health System to carry out its charitable mission in Northwest Florida.

During its bi-annual Order of the Cornette dinner held in Sandestin, Sacred Heart Foundation gave special Leadership Awards to six individuals and organizations.  This year’s recipients for the 2007 Leadership Awards of Sacred Heart Foundation were:

Volunteer Leadership Award: Dr. Jimmy Jones

Serving sick and injured children for over 35 years, pediatric surgeon Dr. Jimmy Jones exemplifies the spirit, charity and compassion of the Daughters of Charity.

Dr. Jones came to Pensacola in 1971, during his annual two-week active duty training with the United States Navy, where he met Drs. John Whitcomb and Reed Bell, the founders of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. They convinced him to come to Pensacola and establish a pediatric surgery practice.

Dr. Jones has served as Sacred Heart Hospital’s Chief of Surgery, President of the Medical Staff, and President of the Escambia County Medical Society.  He also served as both Surgeon-in Chief and Assistant Medical Director of Nemours Children’s Clinic and as an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Florida School of Medicine
He continues his commitment to service through his many community and philanthropic activities in the Northwest Florida area and as the chairman of the Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola Caduceus Society, an organization that supports the needs of the sick and poor through physician directed financial assistance.

Lifetime Leadership Award: David and Trish Warriner
With a family legacy of charitable giving spanning over 88 years, the Warriner Family has enhanced Sacred Heart Health System’s ability to provide care to those in need throughout the Gulf Coast.  Through the example of their generosity and leadership, the dream to build a premier health system in Port St. Joe is being realized with a new hospital scheduled to open in early 2009.

Continuing the legacy passed on from prior generations, the Warriners have become key drivers of the rebirth of Port St. Joe as an exciting residential and tourist community.  In addition to many other commercial and residential projects around the community, they have ventured into the hospitality arena by opening the area’s first full sized franchised hotel, the MainStay Suites.

Corporate Leadership Award: Sacred Heart Charity Golf Classic

The success of the Sacred Heart Charity Golf Classic, the signature fundraising event for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (SHHEC), is a direct result of time, talent and resources of many leaders in the local community.
Since its inception in 2002, a very dedicated team of volunteers follow the “yes, we can do” philosophy that mirrors the tenacity of  Sacred Heart’s founders, the Daughters of Charity.

Over one million dollars have been generated by the Sacred Heart Charity Golf Classic to support the SHHEC Surgery Department, the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center, the Family Birthplace, Ultra Sound and Bone Density Rooms, and several other departments at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast.

Individual Leadership Award: Mr. and Mrs. C. Richard Olson, Jr. 

Blessed with a generous spirit, Rick and Elaine Olson give because they can.  With a keen sense of community and the Olson’s willingness to help, Sacred Heart is now able to deliver a full continuum of women’s health and family-centered services to the Emerald Coast.   For the Olson family, the spirit of caring and giving is a way of life.

The new Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center at SHHEC offers mammography, diagnostic ultrasounds and bone-density scanners to diagnose breast cancer and osteoporosis.
Since the center opened in March of 2007, its staff has performed almost 3,000 screening and diagnostic mammograms, almost 2,500 screening and diagnostic ultrasounds, and almost 1,000 bone density scans.

Children’s Miracle Network Sponsor Award: Your Country 102.7 WXBM

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital is proud to be a member of Children’s Miracle Network. As one of 170 Children’s Hospital across the United States and Canada, Sacred Heart is dedicated to saving the lives of children. Through the support of Foresters, Radiothons across North America raise millions of dollars for sick and injured children. Each year, Your Country 102.7 WXBM and their loyal listeners make miracles happen in the lobby of Children’s Hospital for a 2-day radio broadcast. They are partners in giving hope to sick children.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Radiothon, WXBM has raised nearly one million dollars to provide care to thousands of sick and injured children throughout the region regardless of their ability to pay.

With over 30 employees, WXBM is grateful for all of the staff’s hard work and dedication to the station and community.  Each and every one of WXBM’s staff believes in what the station represents and will keep working to help those in need.

Visionary Award: Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Turner

With a legacy of philanthropy, Steve and Judy Turner fully embrace the vision of the Daughters of Charity.  The Turners exemplify commitment to family and community.  Real miracle makers, their generous spirit enables Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast to continue growing its services and delivering quality health care to the community.
As one of Nashville’s noted business leaders, Steve is recognized as a founding board member of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and currently serves as a member of the advisory board of SHHEC.

Judy also has been involved with many causes and agencies in the Nashville area. She has been a board member of the Nashville Public Library and serves on the Metropolitan Historic Zoning Commission. Upon moving to Destin, the Turners carried on their tradition of giving with their financial support of Heart and Vascular Services at SHHEC.

SACRED HEART’S NEXT CANCER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING IS DEC.11

 
Cancer patients, cancer survivors, their families and friends
are invited to the next meeting of the Cancer Support Group at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the main hospital’s Oncology Unit Library on the second floor. Valet parking is available at the hospital’s main entrance on Ninth Avenue.
The December meeting will be a “Cancervive Christmas Party.” Those attending are invited to bring their favorite dish with the recipe and a $5 gift to exchange. Each recipe will be copied and distributed to participants to begin a Cancer Support Group recipe collection.

The support group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. in the same location. Upcoming topics to be addressed also include tips on handling the side effects of chemotherapy; Advance Directives; disability; and other topics of interest to patients and their families.

The group is designed to offer support through education,
information, spirituality, and the comfort of fellowship with other cancer patients. For more information, please contact Rene Moses, (850) 416-7593, or Jo Jensen, (850) 416-7928.

MEDICAL CENTER CLINIC HOSTS RONALD MCDONALD ADMINISTRATIVE ADVENTURES DAY

Pensacola, FL. — The Medical Center Clinic leadership team will conduct a fund raising drive on November 30, 2007, in hopes of raising $500 for the Ronald McDonald House.  Members of the leadership team will be divided into small groups and will compete with one another over a 2 hour period to raise funds for the charity.  Following the drive, the team will spend the day preparing and serving meals for the families residing at the Ronald McDonald House.

According to Kim Grant, Director of Corporate Marketing, “The core purpose of Medical Center Clinic is to be the premier provider of compassionate, quality healthcare.  We feel our unique culture is built to provide such care not only to our patients and but also to those in the community.  The Ronald McDonald House has personal ties with numerous members of our administrative team and has supported our MCC family and friends through trying times.  We at the Medical Center Clinic find it rewarding to work beside our peers doing something for a cause we feel strongly about.”

For more information, contact Kim Grant, Director of Corporate Marketing , at 474-8209.

NEW STUDY SHOWS HOSPICE SAVES MONEY FOR MEDICARE

Pensacola, FL – Findings of a major new study of hospice care in America show that hospice services save money for Medicare and bring quality care to patients with life-limiting illness and their families. This provides useful evidence to support the many benefits of hospice, reports the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

Researchers found that hospice reduced Medicare costs by an average of $2,309 per hospice patient.  The new study from Duke University appears in the October 2007 issue of the professional journal “Social Science & Medicine.”  Additionally, Medicare costs would be reduced for seven out of 10 hospice recipients if hospice has been used for a longer period of time the study found.

“Given that hospice has been widely demonstrated to improve quality of life of patients and families…the Medicare program appears to have a rare situation whereby something that improves quality of life also appears to reduce costs,” writes lead author Don H. Taylor, Jr., assistant professor of public policy at Duke’s Sanford Institute of Public Policy.

For cancer patients, hospice use decreased Medicare costs up until 233 days of care. For non-cancer patients there were cost savings seen up until 154 days of care. While hospice use beyond these periods cost Medicare more than conventional care, the report’s authors wrote that “More effort should be put into increasing short stays as opposed to focusing on shortening long ones.”

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) reports that 1.3 million patients received care from one of the nation’s 4,500 hospice providers in 2006. This represents a steady increase of more than 100,000 patients than the previous year. Approximately 35 percent of all deaths in the U.S. were under the care of a hospice program.

“The trends for increased usage of hospice are expected to continue as we see an aging generation of baby-boomers face end-of-life situations for themselves and their parents,” remarked J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. “Hospice helps people live with dignity, comfort, and compassion during life’s final journey – to know definitively that it provides a cost savings to Medicare is an additional benefit.”

Hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care that provides pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families. This study is a landmark independent research effort, not only because it shows cost savings for hospice utilization, but because it also addresses research flaws and questionable analyses in previous hospice cost studies. The study used a methodology to match Medicare beneficiaries who used hospice and those who did not in a fashion that could be described as an “apples to apples” approach that yields sound results.

“Given that November is National Hospice Palliative Care Month, it’s most fitting that this valuable study come out now,” added Schumacher.  The study was funded by the Health Care Financing Organization (HCFO) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Further information about hospice care is available locally from Covenant Hospice by calling 433-2155 or by visiting www.covenanthospice.org.

COVENANT HOSPICE OFFERS WORKSHOPS FOR NEW ADULT VOLUNTEERS

Pensacola, FL- Covenant Hospice is seeking compassionate adult volunteers who are interested in making a difference in the lives of patients and families facing end-of-life issues. A volunteer training workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27 at the Pensacola Covenant Hospice branch office, located at 2001 N. Palafox St.

The workshop will educate volunteers on Covenant Hospice services, and prepares them for volunteering in many areas, including patient/family companionship, nursing home visits, fundraising events, administrative support and much more. The workshop is free and open to the public, and breakfast and lunch will be provided.

The contributions made by volunteers allow Covenant Hospice, a non-profit organization, to continue to provide a very special kind of care. To register or to learn more, call Barbara Fike at 202-0924.

DEBORAH L. DICKEN NAMED THE 2007 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSE OF THE YEAR

Registered Nurse Deborah L. Dicken has been named the 2007 Occupational Health Nurse of the Year by the Florida State Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

Dicken received this honor for her work with the Escambia County School Faculty and Staff Personal Wellness Appraisal Program. Dicken is responsible for overseeing 65 school wellness sites where employees are provided with preventative health screenings and education by Baptist Occupational Health staff.

Dicken has served as an occupational nurse for 15 years. She began her career in occupational health at the Williams-Sonoma distribution center in Memphis, Tenn. In 2002, she became manager of the Solutia employee clinic, then joined Baptist Health Care in 2005 as the clinical manager of Baptist Occupational Health. In her current role, Dicken procures clinical and health and wellness services for corporate clients.

Dicken is a certified case manager, certified occupational health nurse – specialist and a certified legal nurse consultant. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Mobile and a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. She is a member of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses and National Alliance of Legal Nurse Consultants.

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY

Baptist Clinical Research is seeking participants for a diabetic neuropathy treatment study. Men and women who have been diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy ages 18 to 70 with a blood glucose level no greater than 300 should apply. Those responding will be screened further to determine eligibility.

Those eligible will take part in a 20-week study that includes six visits at Baptist Clinical Research study center. Study related medical and lab procedures will be performed at no cost. Call Baptist Clinical Research (850) 469-2491 to be screened for participation in this study.

GULF BREEZE HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES BENEFIT FOSTER CARE PROGRAM

Gulf Breeze Hospital Christian Heritage Month celebrations will benefit FamiliesFirst Network. The Baptist Health Care affiliate will hold a raffle for a gourmet three-tiered electric smoker and grill donated by the facility’s food service provider Sodexho. Along with the smoker, the winner will receive a rack of ribs, barbecue sauce and mesquite wood chips. Tickets are $1 and all funds will be donated to the foster care program. The drawing will be held Nov. 15.

Christian Heritage Month initiatives also include a community service project to collect toiletry items for FamiliesFirst led by the hospital’s Faith in Action Committee. Toiletry kits will be given to children transitioning into foster care. Items needed include: clear cosmetic bags, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, comb, brush, dental floss, hair gel, hair detangler, wipes, baby powder, baby lotion and diaper cream. All items should be mini or travel size. Donations of completed kits as well as individual items will be taken until Nov. 15.

Raffle tickets can be purchased and items dropped off in Gulf Breeze Hospital’s administration office.  For more information, please call Danielle Luongo at 934-2101 or Sandra Wenner at 934-2320.

SACRED HEART RECOGNIZED FOR HYPERBARIC THERAPY PROGRAM

Sacred Heart Hospital’s Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has been awarded accreditation by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS).

The UHMS is an international professional organization that establishes standards of excellence and quality for hyperbaric medicine programs. There are over 800 hyperbaric facilities in the United States. The Sacred Heart facility is one of only 75 facilities to receive full accreditation by the UHMS and is the only accredited facility in Northwest Florida.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides 100 percent oxygen to patients under pressure, helping to heal damaged tissues, reduce swelling and improve circulation. The therapy increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood, so more oxygen is delivered to injured tissue. In turn, this stimulates small blood vessel and skin growth and helps fight infection.

“The accreditation process for wound care and hyperbaric facilities is a method of identifying those centers that bring together the medical, nursing and technical expertise to provide outstanding care in a safe environment. We’re pleased that our center has successfully passed this rigorous review process and achieved accreditation,” said Debbie Bostic, president of Sacred Heart Hospital.

During hyperbaric therapy at the Wound Care Center, patients sit or lie inside a large, comfortable hyperbaric chamber and receive 100 percent oxygen under atmospheric pressure greater than sea level.  When more traditional wound care does not succeed, hyperbaric medicine is effective in treating many problem wounds such as:
•    Non-healing wounds such as diabetic ulcers and ulcers caused by delayed effects of radiation
•    Radiation damage to bone and tissue
•    Failing skin grafts or flaps

“Our team is highly credentialed and provides excellent customer service to our patients,” said Dr. John May, medical director of hyperbaric medicine at Sacred Heart. “This means less pain, less time and less expense for the patient in recovering from their wound.”

For more information, please contact the Sacred Heart Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at 416-2500 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.

SACRED HEART PROVIDES FLU SHOTS TO THE NEEDY

Sacred Heart Health System’s mobile health unit will provide free flu shots in November at sites in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County to persons who are poor, uninsured, or elderly.

The staff of Sacred Heart’s Mission in Motion bus will have a limited supply of flu vaccine to distribute at the following sites from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
•    Nov. 6 at St. Jude Catholic Church, 132 Mintz Lane, Cantonment
•    Nov. 7 at Wesley Scott Place, 3300 W. Scott St., Pensacola
•    Nov. 8 at Cantonment Council on Aging, 132 Mintz Lane, Cantonment
•    Nov. 13—Bayview Sr. Center, 20th & Lloyd St., Pensacola
•    Nov. 14 at Little Flower Catholic Church, 65th Ave. & Lillian Hwy., Pensacola
•    Nov. 15 at St. John Catholic Church, 303 S. Navy Blvd, Pensacola
•    Nov. 20 at Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen, 257 E. Lee St, Pensacola
•    Nov. 21 at Milton Housing Authority, 6623-A James St., Milton
•    Nov. 27 at the Washburn Center, 31 Murphy Lane, Pensacola
•    Nov. 28 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 401 Van Pelt, Pensacola

Mission in Motion is a community service provided by Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola. The mobile unit’s free services also are made possible by support from the law firm of Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin and McLeod, as well as the Gannett Foundation and other community donors. For more information, call (850) 416-7826.