Oak Ridge Today

Honors: Hicks named Roane State paramedic student of year

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Terry Hicks Roane State Paramedic Student of the Year

Roane State paramedic student of the year Terry Hicks (center) is congratulated by his mother, Tangiela (left), Dr. Roger Brooksbank with TeamHealth Emergency Medicine (back), and Roane State paramedic program director David Blevins (right). (Photo by RSCC)

 

Terry Hicks of Robbins was named Roane State Community College’s paramedic student of the year.

Dr. Roger Brooksbank with TeamHealth Emergency Medicine presented the award to Hicks during Roane State’s annual Knoxville paramedic program luncheon. Students completing the paramedic program were recognized at the event, which was sponsored by TeamHealth.

Hicks started as a volunteer firefighter. As he worked his way through the ranks, he became interested in pursuing education in emergency medicine.

“It’s been long, committed hours,” Hicks said of the year-long paramedic program. “You have to stay in the books, stay studying, and stay on top of your clinicals. My teachers at Roane State are fantastic. They make sure we are ready, and they do a fantastic job.” [Read more…]

MMC receives quality achievement award for heart attack treatment

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MMC Cath Lab Blurry Action

 

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge has received the Mission: Lifeline Bronze Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

“Methodist is honored to receive recognition from this highly respected organization,” said Dr. Milan Sheth, a board-certified and fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist on the staff of Methodist Medical Center. “We are deeply committed to preventing conditions that can lead to heart attacks and to diagnose and treat even the most critically ill cardiac patients.”

Each year in the United States, approximately 300,000 people have a STEMI, or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to immediately restore blood flow, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals, emergency medical services, and communities improve response times so people who suffer from a STEMI get prompt, appropriate treatment. The program’s goal is to streamline systems of care to quickly get heart attack patients from the first 9-1-1 call to hospital treatment. [Read more…]

Children’s Clinic to donate helmets at Velo Classic bike race, wellness fest

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Oak Ridge Velo Classic

Professional and top amateur males race in a previous Oak Ridge Velo Classic. (Photo submitted by Lou Rabinowitz)

The Children’s Clinic of Oak Ridge is donating more than 20 children’s bicycle helmets to be distributed at the seventh annual UCOR Oak Ridge Velo Classic Bicycle Racing Event and Wellness event this weekend.

The Wellness event is scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at the Horizon Center. It will feature a “Kids Bike Rodeo” that will emphasize safe bicycle handling and skills games for children age nine and under, a press release said. Helmets donated by the Children’s Clinic will be distributed to children who need one at no charge.

In addition, Roane State Community College is giving away a limited number of T-shirts to Kids Rodeo participants, and all children who participate and stay to watch the Pro/1/2/3 criterium race beginning at 1:30 p.m. will be entered to win one of two $50 gift cards donated by R&R Properties.

The Kids Rodeo is a “drop in” event. Parents can bring children anytime between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.. A short “Kids Race” will take place on part of the criterium race course at Horizon Center immediately following the Kids Rodeo. Parents are encouraged to bring a camera to take pictures of children posing on the podium with Velo Classic competitors including 2014 Tennessee State Road Race Champions and 1996 Olympic Bicyclist Kent Bostic. [Read more…]

Methodist ties for fourth in state in best hospital ranking

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Methodist Medical Center Entrance at Night

The main entrance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge is pictured above at night. (Photo courtesy Covenant Health)

 

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge tied for fourth in the state in an annual ranking of America’s best hospitals compiled by U.S. News and World Report.

MMC tied for fourth with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville. Covenant Health’s third major medical center, Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, ranked ninth in Tennessee.

All three were in the Top 10 for metro areas, a press release said. All three were lauded for high performance in a variety of specialties such as gastroenterology and GI surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and pulmonology, among others. All three hospitals also achieved patient satisfaction levels that are higher than national and state averages.
 [Read more…]

ORAU to donate $125,000 to Children’s Hospital expansion

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ORAU Check Presentation to East Tennessee Children's Hospital

ORAU President and CEO Andy Page, left, presents a $125,000 check to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital President and CEO Keith Goodwin in support of the hospital’s $75 million expansion project. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

Oak Ridge Associated Universities will donate $125,000 to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital during the next five years in support of the pediatric facility’s $75 million expansion project.

Children’s Hospital is undergoing a 268,000 square-foot expansion project for a new five-story building located at the corner of White Avenue and 21st Street near downtown Knoxville. The space will serve a 16-county service area by expanding services for children with chronic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and other special needs, a press release said. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2017.

“As a federal contractor and nonprofit focused on strengthening America’s scientific research and education enterprise, ORAU has a strong history for cultivating the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page. “But all that effort would be for nothing if it weren’t for the health and vitality of our children. ORAU has decided to support Children’s in this effort not only because the future of our workforce depends on community assets like this, but also because it gives us the opportunity to invest in our employees’ children.

ORAU has approximately 1,000 employees in 14 locations across the nation with about 850 of those employees in East Tennessee.

Tickets on sale for the Free Medical Clinic’s Atomic Blast

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Tickets are now on sale for the Atomic Blast, Oak Ridge’s one-of-a-kind fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, or FMCOR. The fun-filled event is set for Saturday Aug. 16, in the Parish Life Center of St. Mary’s Church located at 327 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The evening will include dinner, dancing to live music, as well as live and silent auctions, and a Celebrity Dance Contest. Stay tuned to find out who our celebrity contestants will be! Included with wine and beer for purchase will be the new “Atomic Blast Signature Drink.” Dress is casual, but attendees are invited to get all decked in neon colors!

Tickets are $60 and can be purchased on line at www.fmcor.org. Click on the Atomic Blast tab. They are also available at the FMCOR office located at 116 East Division Road (behind Zaxby’s) in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Methodist’s Survivor Sundae proves just how sweet victory can be

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Crystal, Kim, and Shari

Photos courtesy Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge

 

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National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of life where cancer survivors unite to show the world what life after cancer looks like. On Sunday, June 1, life after cancer looked like a warm summer day resplendent in sunshine. It sounded like old-fashioned mountain music being carried on a gentle Tennessee breeze. It tasted like a bowl full of ice cream topped with chocolate and cookies and sprinkles…and a bit of whipped cream for good measure. On Sunday, June 1, life after cancer looked beautiful whether it was still a little weak, still healing a scar, still re-growing hair, or whether it was an old friend that had come many years before, but never looses its sweetness.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge honored these cancer survivors, their family, and friends by holding Survivor Sundae, an ice cream social celebrating National Cancer Survivor Day on Sunday, June 1. Nearly 100 people gathered to enjoy the free event, make ice cream sundaes, connect with other survivors and cancer support organizations, and listen to music by the Mt. LeConte Jug Band, which was sponsored by the Cooperative Agreement of Labor and Management, also known as CALM.

“Sometimes people have a negative idea of what life after cancer looks like,” said Kim Maes, coordinator of the Hospitality Houses at Methodist and event organizer. “But the reality is that more people are living longer and having better quality lives after cancer than ever before. Survivors are showing us that life after cancer can be meaningful, exciting, and filled with joy.” [Read more…]

Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon announces grant program for healthy living

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Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon

Proposals for funding up to $10,000 due by July 31

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon announced on Thursday that it will offer a new grant program targeted at promoting healthy living in East Tennessee.

For a decade, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has been the premier event of the Knoxville Track Club, a press release said. Each year, funds have been set aside for the community contribution program.

In an effort to encourage healthy living beyond race day, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has issued a request for proposals now through the end of July for organizations seeking funding from the program.

“For 10 years, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has served as East Tennessee’s premier event for runners, as well as a healthy and inspiring opportunity for individuals and families of all fitness levels,” said race director Jason Altman. “We are proud that what happens during marathon weekend will be able to further impact our community throughout the year, and we’re excited to expand that to the public in a more formal way through this grant program.” [Read more…]

Spotlight: Methodist recognizes employees during National Hospital Day, Nurses Week

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Thompson Cancer Survival Center

The team from Thompson Cancer Survival Center at Methodist is ready to “strike out” cancer. (Photos courtesy Methodist Medical Center)

 

Methodist Medical Center held a celebratory picnic on the top level of its parking deck earlier this month as a way to say “thanks” to employees, physicians, and volunteers. The annual event coincides with National Nurses Week and National Hospital Day. The hospital’s “Picnic on the Parking Deck” featured a full cook-out, a variety of games, and music. Whether it was on the parking deck or in the Secret City Café, all shifts including evening and midnight staffs had an opportunity to enjoy the picnic meal.

“It’s vitally important to take time to celebrate and recognize those individuals who wake up everyday to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Mike Belbeck, Methodist Medical Center president and chief administrative officer. “They all put forth such a tremendous effort to make sure our patients and guests are given excellent care and service. I feel incredibly privileged to work alongside these professionals.”

In addition to the annual celebrations such as the picnic and end of the year holiday event, known affectionately as “Turkey Day,” Methodist focuses on employee reward and recognition consistently throughout the year. For years, the hospital has honored employees through service award events and employee of the month celebrations. More recently, programs available through the hospital’s system affiliation with Covenant Health have added opportunities to salute individual employee excellence through nomination-generated awards and on-the-spot recognition. [Read more…]

Drug Awareness Day at Oak Ridge Pool on Saturday, June 21

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Drug Awareness Day at Oak Ridge Municipal Pool

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The Oak Ridge Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks will be hosting the second annual Drug Awareness Day at the Oak Ridge Municipal Pool located at 172 Providence Road on Saturday, June 21.

Drug awareness demonstrations will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. inside the pool area. A few of the planned activities include the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Jet Ski simulator and fatal vision goggle demonstrations. “Elroy the Elk” the national mascot for the Elks Drug Awareness Program, will be in attendance to remind kids that hugs are better than drugs. Hundreds of prizes will be given away to those participating in a drug awareness activity. Some of the prizes include T-Shirts, coloring books, Frisbees, and free pool passes that can be used anytime during the summer. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line to offer emotional support through chat, text

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CONTACT Care Line will launch chat and text-based emotional support, the first of its kind in East Tennessee with funding from the Trinity Health Foundation. This summer, CONTACT will pilot the Chat/Text Line in collaboration with community and educational partners in Knox and surrounding counties.

In a similar pilot program, Nevada’s TextToday program found that young people preferred text communication, believing it afforded more privacy and confidentiality than phone conversations. Young people were more likely to seek emotional support from strangers, who they believed would be less judgmental than people they knew, including family and friends.

In our fragmented modern world, the need for online emotional support is critical. Over half of people with mental, emotional, or behavioral health issues suffer their first symptoms in childhood or adolescence, and roughly 14-20 percent of young people experience these problems, according to a 2009 study. [Read more…]

Mindfulness meditation program in Oak Ridge on Saturday

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Claudio Barrientos

Claudio Barrientos

Claudio Barrientos, director of the Mindful Center in Knoxville, will present a program on mindfulness meditation on Saturday, June 7, at Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge. The free 90-minute program, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the fellowship hall, is hosted by the church’s Mental Health Ministry Team.

Grace Lutheran Church is located at 131 W. Gettysburg Ave.

Barrientos will introduce ways to incorporate a few minutes of meditation in one’s daily life to help with many health issues, a press release said. The teachings are non-religious and evidence-based, rooted in the latest science of the mind, body, and brain, according to notes from Barrientos about the program. [Read more…]