Health Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Community Wellness Fair hosted by city, schools on May 16

Posted at 2:49 pm April 12, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health are teaming up to host a Community Wellness Fair. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Admission is free and everyone is invited.

The Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Demonstrations, informational booths, and health screenings will be set up inside the gymnasium. According to a press release, topics to be covered include: [Read more…]

Hospital workers to picket Tuesday as contract negotiations continue

Posted at 7:04 am November 7, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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…]

Methodist recognized for ‘Straight A’ status in hospital safety

Posted at 12:04 pm May 1, 2016
By Kelly Goodman Leave a Comment

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge is pictured above.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge has continued its “Straight A” recognition in hospital safety scores that were launched four years ago. MMC has never received a grade lower than “A” since the The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Scores started in June 2012, a press release said.

Also receiving “A” grades in the Spring 2016 scores were Fort Loudoun Medical Center, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, LeConte Medical Center, and Roane Medical Center. The ranking mean the hospitals are among the safest in the United States, a press release said.

“It is gratifying to be a part of an organization with such a long-standing track record of quality,” said Jeremy Biggs, Methodist Medical Center president and chief administrative officer. “To be among such an elite group of hospitals to have received this type of national recognition and validation is truly an honor.”

“Patient safety and a constant focus on the quality of care we provide are top priorities for Covenant Health,” said Mike Belbeck, executive vice president of operations. “We are pleased that five Covenant hospitals received Leapfrog’s highest scores, and we will continue to focus on patient safety as part of our ongoing commitment to excellence in all aspects of patient care.” [Read more…]

Covenant Health has leadership changes, new president at MMC

Posted at 12:16 pm March 1, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Jeremy Biggs

Mike Belbeck, the current president of Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, will become the executive vice president of operations for Covenant Health, and a new president and chief administrative officer will succeed Belbeck at MMC on April 1.

The leadership changes were announced by Covenant Health on Tuesday.

Covenant Health, which is headquartered in Knoxville and the region’s largest employer, had previously announced its current president and chief executive officer, Anthony L. Spezia, will become CEO emeritus, and Jim VanderSteeg, current executive vice president of operations, will become president and CEO.

Belbeck, who is also chief administrative officer, or CAO, at Methodist Medical Center, will succeed VanderSteeg as the health system’s executive vice president of operations.

Jeremy Biggs, president and chief administrative officer of Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville, will succeed Belbeck as president and CAO of Methodist Medical Center. [Read more…]

Video: MIST in Oak Ridge pioneers program for drug-addicted mothers, drug-dependent babies

Posted at 9:12 pm December 9, 2015
By Savanna Schubert Leave a Comment

Screenshot from a video by Savanna Schubert

Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services in Oak Ridge is pioneering a program for mothers who are battling addictions, and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital has a state-of-the-art facility that specializes in helping babies born to mothers who have taken opioids.

Here is a video on the Ridgeview program and Children’s Hospital unit by Savanna Schubert.

Savanna Schubert is a freelance contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Appeals court rules in favor of Covenant Health, other defendants in excessive radiation lawsuit

Posted at 6:29 pm June 25, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A three-judge appeals court panel has ruled in favor of Covenant Health and two other defendants in five lawsuits that alleged that the absence of shielding in part of the emergency department at Methodist Medical Center exposed five X-ray and radiologic technologists, including two who were pregnant, to excessive radiation.

The unanimous opinions by the three Tennessee Court of Appeals judges—D. Michael Swiney, John W. McClarty, and Thomas R. Frierson II—were filed June 9 in Knoxville. They affirmed an order by Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Donald R. Elledge granting a summary judgement in favor of the defendants: Covenant Health, Rentenbach Engineering Company, and TEG Architects LLC.

The lawsuits were filed in January 2014 by Connie Raby, Keith Gillis, Michael Phillips, Mary Ridenour on behalf of her and her child, and Micah Noelle Lewellen on behalf of her and her child.

The lawsuits alleged that the technologists were exposed to excess radiation for several years at Methodist Medical Center because some walls in and around a radiology imaging center in the new emergency department, which opened in February 2006 as part of a hospital remodel, were built without the required lead shielding, elevating the workers’ risk of health problems, including cancer. [Read more…]

City, school employees lose average of 7-10 percent in Biggest Loser challenge

Posted at 10:50 pm April 10, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

City and school officials at Monday’s weigh-out for this year’s Biggest Loser challenge are pictured above. From left they are Chris Marczak, Oak Ridge Schools assistant superintendent; Mark Watson, Oak Ridge city manager; Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools superintendent; Bob Eby, Oak Ridge Board of Education vice chair; and Ellen Smith, Oak Ridge mayor pro tem.

They watched their diets, worked out and walked, and monitored their weights to lose an average of 7 to 10 percent. One unidentified city employee lost 18.44 percent of his weight, the highest percentage lost by any of the 79 Oak Ridge city and school employees who participated in this year’s Biggest Loser Challenge.

The weigh-out for the three-month competition was at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Monday. Results, including the name of the city employee who lost the most, will be announced during a Wellness Fair in the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 11. A winner from each organization will be awarded and so will the overall male and female winner, along with a second- and third-place winner.

The city and schools have both had the weight-loss contest before, but this is the first time they’ve teamed up to have a joint competition. It was coordinated by the City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health.

With one exception, all of those who weighed out on Monday morning had lost weight. [Read more…]

Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert to raise awareness of seasonal affective disorder

Posted at 9:23 pm February 5, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Ridge City Ramblers will play bluegrass and Americana music at the Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert on Saturday. (File photo/submitted)

CONTACT Care Line of East Tennessee will host a Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert on Saturday, February 7, to raise awareness of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

SAD is a subtype of major depression linked to seasonal changes, usually in fall and winter, but more infrequently in the summer, a press release said. SAD may account for one in five cases of depression, and three out of four cases affect women. An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal affective disorder, the press release said, citing a 2006 study. Some symptoms are depression, insomnia, weight loss, and anxiety.

“Commonly known as the ‘winter blues,’ SAD presents a serious health concern that, if left untreated, may lead to complications such as social withdrawal, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts and behavior, the release said, citing a 2015 study. [Read more…]

Hike for Your Heart at Haw Ridge on Feb. 7

Posted at 12:02 am January 22, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Part of the Melton Lake Greenway is pictured above at the Haw Ridge Park parking lot.

Oak Ridge city and school officials will kick off Heart Health Month with a walk and hike at Haw Ridge Park on February 7.

Hike for Your Heart is a 4.2-mile walk with optional trail hiking included. It starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, February 7, and the public is invited. The walk and hike has been organized by the City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health.

The walking path has varied elevations, a press release said. Walkers will leave the Haw Ridge parking area on Edgemoor Road promptly at 9 a.m. February 7. [Read more…]

Baby Dylan rings in new year at Methodist Medical Center

Posted at 8:09 pm January 2, 2015
By Methodist Medical Center Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge

He was due on December 28, and Dylan Cohen Williams was supposed to be one of the last babies of 2014.

But after making Mom and Dad wait a few days longer, on January 1, 2015, at 12:53 p.m. he became Methodist Medical Center’s first baby of the New Year.

Dylan weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and he was 20 inches long. [Read more…]

Covenant Health’s heart surgery program receives highest ratings

Posted at 11:25 am August 13, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Methodist Medical Center Entrance at Night

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

Covenant Health’s cardiac program has received the highest quality designation from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, an organization dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, a press release said. The society represents nearly 7,000 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide.

Based on data submitted from Covenant Health’s elite heart hospitals—Parkwest, Fort Sanders Regional, and Methodist medical centers—Covenant’s cardiac program received a three-star quality ranking in the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, regarded as the world’s premier clinical registry for adult cardiac surgery, the press release said. About 95 percent of U.S. programs that perform adult cardiac surgery participate in the database, but only about 10-15 percent of participants receive the three-star designation.

The cardiac team was recognized for quality outcomes for coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG, a surgical procedure to create new paths around narrowed and blocked arteries to allow blood flow to the heart. The quality designations are based on data measures for U.S. hospitals in several areas related to CABG surgery, including survival and complication rates, use of surgical techniques shown to deliver better outcomes, and appropriate use of perioperative medications. Covenant’s cardiac surgery team performed above national averages in overall composite scores for the study. [Read more…]

MMC receives quality achievement award for heart attack treatment

Posted at 3:50 am July 27, 2014
By Methodist Medical Center 2 Comments

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…]