Oak Ridge Today

Construction advisory for Methodist Medical Center

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Methodist Medical Center Main Entrance

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is pictured above.

 

Starting Friday, March 16, construction crews will be working day and night on top of the roof of Methodist Medical Center this weekend to install new air handling units on the hospital’s West Tower. Because of the nature and non-stop timing of this project, there will be activity and lighting on the roof of West Tower around the clock until the work is completed sometime on the evening of Sunday, March 18, a press release said.

For patient comfort, patients and staff currently on 5-West will be moved to another floor to minimize exposure to noise during the project. In addition, a portion of the driveway around the back of the hospital will be closed due to equipment staging. The hospital’s helipad will also be closed to helicopter traffic; however, an alternative landing zone has been coordinated with the Oak Ridge Fire Department for any incoming or outgoing air transport needs.

Emergency services should be accessed via the east side of the hospital nearest the Emergency Department entrance. All private car discharges will occur from the Main Lobby during this period.

This press release was submitted by Crystal Jordan.

2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year announced

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2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year Pastor Wayne Phillips (Submitted photo)

2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year Pastor Wayne Phillips (Submitted photo)

Pastor Wayne Phillips and Main Street Baptist Church have been named 2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year by ASAP of Anderson County.

The Anderson County Ally of the Year Campaign has two goals. One is to increase awareness of the prevention efforts of ASAP of Anderson County, and the second is to raise funds to continue those efforts. In 2018, both goals were accomplished, a press release said.

Candidates Harold Edwards, Leslie England, Stanton Martin, Pastor Wayne Phillips, and Chief James Shetterly were nominated by community members to run for the title, the press release said. Each candidate conducted their own campaign, but they were united by the same goals. In the end, Phillips and Main Street Baptist Church took home the title.

Phillips and his wife have been involved throughout the year through activities such as hosting a participating in listening sessions around Anderson County with Mayor Terry Frank to discuss the current problems of drug misuse in the county and solutions to decrease these problems, the press release said. [Read more…]

Anderson County Schools to close Thursday, Friday

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Information from WYSH Radio in Clinton

Note: This story was updated at 10:55 a.m. Feb. 8.

On Tuesday, Anderson County Director of Schools Tim Parrott announced that the system will be closed on Thursday, February 8, and Friday, February 9, because of widespread illness among students and staff members. One of those days will be made up on Monday, April 2, which had been scheduled to be an in-service day for teachers.

Asked after the announcement why schools would be open today (Wednesday, February 7) when officials already knew they would be out the following two days, Parrott in an email said “there is always a chance that both student and teacher attendance will improve (on Wednesday). The leadership team met and decided that it would be best to close school Thursday and Friday. This will give extra time for the students to get well and to clean and disinfect the schools.” [Read more…]

CWU presentation to focus on domestic violence

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Church Women United will meet Friday, February 2, at United Way of Anderson County, located at 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge. The meeting will initiate the 2018 Blankets+ Campaign to collect bedding and support for those who have lost their homes locally and worldwide, a press release said.

In addition, Rachel Thompson, domestic violence victim advocate for Knox and Anderson counties, will be the guest speaker in a public program, the press release said. Thompson is a culturally specific domestic violence advocate for the African American community. She will talk about domestic violence, how it impacts victims in the African American community, and resources offered through the YWCA for victims of domestic violence, the press release said. [Read more…]

No timetable for return to Anderson County Senior Center

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Photo via WYSH Radio in Clinton

Photo via WYSH Radio in Clinton

 

Information from WYSH Radio

Officials say there is no firm timetable for when seniors might be able to return to the Anderson County Senior Center at 205 Main Street in Clinton.

Anderson County Office on Aging and Senior Center Director Cherie Phillips said estimates are being sought from companies interested in removing black mold from the administrative area of the Senior Center, which was purchased earlier this year for $600,000. Once the bid is awarded and the cleanup completed, another company will likely have to come in and check air quality as well as determine if there are any other issues that need to be addressed before the facility can open back up for daily use. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran has guided gratitude meditation on Saturday

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Linda Doyle

Linda Doyle

 

The Grace Lutheran Mental Health Ministry will host a guided gratitude meditation program on Saturday.

The meditation will be led by retired licensed clinical social worker and CONTACT volunteer Linda Doyle in the church fellowship hall.

The program is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 9, at Grace Lutheran, which is at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue behind Woodland Elementary School in Oak Ridge.

The presentation is free and open to the community, and child care will be provided, a press release said.

It said the guided meditation will be ecumenical in nature and appropriate for people of all faiths. [Read more…]

Health care to be discussed at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Walter Davis

Walter Davis

The speaker for Lunch with the League on Tuesday, December 5, will be Walter Davis, who will discuss health care issues, a press release said. The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Davis has served as executive director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign in Nashville for the past 4.5 years. He previously served as executive director for the National Organizers Alliance in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville (Kentucky Southern College) and served in Colombia in the Peace Corps. He was recognized in February 2017 as the Community Shares’ Danny Mayfield Champion of Change for life achievement in social justice, the press release said.

The mission of THCC, a 28-year-old advocate organization, is to work for affordable, accessible health care for all Tennesseans, the release said. [Read more…]

Presentation on opioid drug epidemic Wednesday evening at RMS

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Chasing the Dragon Flyer Nov 29 2017

There will be a presentation on the opioid drug epidemic this evening at Robertsville Middle School.

The presentation is hosted by the offices of Safe Schools and Coordinated School Health. They are inviting the Oak Ridge community and friends of Oak Ridge Schools to the presentation, which is this evening (Wednesday, November 29) in the Robertsville Middle School Auditorium.

The evening will include a screening of the film “Chasing the Dragon,” a press release said. Following the film, the group will engage in a panel discussion with former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Neil Morgenstern as well as representatives from Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Ridgeview Behavioral Health, and ASAP of Anderson County.

The doors will open at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday to provide those who attend an opportunity to visit with area mental health, drug prevention, treatment, and recovery agencies. The program will start promptly at 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Secret City Half Marathon & 5K helps raise awareness of kidney, organ donation

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Kidney transplant recipient and Harry Connick Jr. show guest Steve Winfree and his wife Heather of Knoxville are walking in the Secret City Half Marathon & 5K in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, to support organ donation. (Submitted photo)

Kidney transplant recipient and Harry Connick Jr. show guest Steve Winfree and his wife Heather of Knoxville are walking in the Secret City Half Marathon & 5K in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, to support organ donation. (Submitted photo)

 

The Secret City Half Marathon & 5K in Oak Ridge today (Saturday, November 18) is helping to raise awareness of kidney donation and organ donation in general, a press release said.

Now in its ninth year, the marathon has grown into one of the largest athletic events in the region, the press release said. An estimated 1,000 participants will run and/or walk their way to the finish line.

Great things are happening at this year’s event, the press release said.

“We are excited to have been mentioned on the Harry Connick Jr. show as Knoxville residents Steve and Heather Winfree’s chosen event to help raise awareness for kidney donation and organ donations in general,” said Lisa Kendall, race director for the half marathon and 5K races and vice president of Explore Oak Ridge. “Steve’s wife, Heather, was a kidney match for Steve and the touching video of her sharing the news with him went viral with media attention worldwide.” [Read more…]

American Cancer Society hosts Night of Hope Dinner in Clinton on Thursday

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The American Cancer Society is hosting the Sixth Night of Hope Dinner on Thursday, November 9, in Clinton.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at 205 Main in Clinton. The dinner will feature special guest Maria Cornelius, who is a breast cancer survivor and author of “The Final Season – The Perserverance of Pat Summitt,” a press release said.

The event has been recruiting table hosts, whose role is to invite seven to eight other people to sit at their table and help in serving dinner. They will also be assisted by high school student volunteers who will be waiting on tables. There is no fee to host a table.

Throughout the fun-filled evening, guests at the table will be encouraged to tip their waiters for good service, and tallies will be run throughout the evening for competition, a press release said. The table with the most tips at the end of the evening will be crowned the 2017 Night of Hope Winner and awarded a prize package. [Read more…]

Hospital workers to picket Tuesday as contract negotiations continue

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Members of Service Employees International Union Local 205 rallied in front of Methodist Medical Center during a heavy rain on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, to protest the state of negotiations on a new three-year contract. The rally included about 150 people, and the crowd stretched over a block. (Photo submitted by SEIU)

Members of Service Employees International Union Local 205 rallied in front of Methodist Medical Center during a heavy rain on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, to protest the state of negotiations on a new three-year contract. The rally included about 150 people, and the crowd stretched over a block. (Photo submitted by SEIU)

 

Hospital workers at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge will have an informational picket on Tuesday as contract negotiations continue.

The picket, meant to educate staff and the community, is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, at Methodist Medical Center, which is at 990 Oak Ridge Oak Ridge Turnpike, a press release said.

Nurses and support staff, along with their allies in the community, will attend, the press release said.

Service Employees International Union Local 205 represents more than 800 registered nurses and service and technical employees at MMC, a Covenant Health facility in Oak Ridge. In a Monday press release, the SEIU said the hospital workers have been working under a three-year contract that is set to expire on November 15.

“Last week, union members voted overwhelmingly to authorize their bargaining committee to issue the hospital a notice of intent to strike if an agreement cannot be reached,” the press release said. “Issues which are in dispute are maintaining safe staffing levels and reasonable working hours, Methodist’s plan to slash wages for new employees, and affordable health insurance on par with other Covenant facilities.” [Read more…]

Dental Hygiene Clinic at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus provides vital service

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Roane State Community College Associate Professor Melinda Gill, director of the college’s highly regarded dental hygiene program, stands outside the dental hygiene clinic, located in the Coffey/McNally Building on the Oak Ridge branch campus. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State Community College Associate Professor Melinda Gill, director of the college’s highly regarded dental hygiene program, stands outside the dental hygiene clinic, located in the Coffey/McNally Building on the Oak Ridge branch campus. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

The doorway into Roane State’s Dental Hygiene Clinic can be overlooked at times. It’s D-107, off the atrium and across from the library of the college’s Oak Ridge campus.

Unbeknownst to the casual passerby, it’s the entrance to a college program regarded as one of the top in the nation.

Inside:

  • a classroom outfitted with the most current dental teaching implements;
  • six spotless operatories/treatment rooms containing dental chairs, computers for inputting patient records, and the latest treatment technology;
  • two X-ray rooms with digital X-ray capability—one with panoramic X-ray equipment—and a room where X-rays are developed; and
  • a receptionist’s area along with a small office.

[Read more…]