Sweetwater Hospital Acquires 24 Hour Monitoring System for All Patients

Sweetwater Hospital Association recently added the Nihon Khoden monitoring system to all the patient rooms. The $450,000 purchase will allow nurses and physicians to monitor patients’ vital signs and heart rhythms 24 hours a day with

minimal interruption to the patient.

Sweetwater Hospital is one of the �rst hospitals in East Tennessee to include this technology in every patient room. Andrea Henry, Director of Nursing, states ,“The monitoring system will allow nurses to monitor and trend patients throughout their stay, which, in essence, gives the nurse a ”live” view of the patient’s vital signs. If a patient’s oxygen saturation and blood pressure start to decline, nurses can intervene and notify the patitent’s physician before a life threatening event can take place”.

Physicians will also have access to the patient’s vital signs and heart rhythms via their smart phone, home computer or ipad. This connectivity will allow physi-cians to make decisive and critical decisions about the patient’s current condition. This system will aid and equip the physician and the nursing teams to intervene in a timely and, possibly, life saving manner.

Sweetwater Hospital contin-ues to strive to add technology that enhances the patient’s care and safety throughout the organization. By adding this technology, SHA is o�ering the highest quality of care of any medical/surgical �oor in East Tennessee.

SHA Opens New Administration & Ancillary

Building SHA has opened their new main entrance, which contains a new state-of-the-art laboratory, imaging department, and administration o�ces. The new entrance will allow patients to easily gain access to outpatient services such as x-ray, lab, or registration for other services that might be utilized during their visit.

Sweetwater Hospital is a licensed general commercial contractor which allows SHA to do the construction and renovation work at the hospital. Many are surprised to �nd that SHA does most of its own work. Sweetwater Hospital also focuses on keeping the subcontract-ing work available to those who reside within the Monroe County area.

Did you know?

Sweetwater Hospital Provides Extraordinary Women’s Health Services with The Imaging Departments State-of-the-art Technology in 4D Ultasound,

Digital Mammography, Bone Density Exams, Breast MRI & BiopsyExample of the 4D technology

available at Sweetwater Hospital.

Above, is a breast MRI. The ability of the MRI technology is unprecedented. One can clearly see questionable areas .

Sweetwater Hospital’s Outstanding Performances for 2013Advanced Practitioner

of the Year

Bill Dawson, PA-C, MS

Sweetwater Hospital Donates $10,000 to Help Kids Get Out and Play

Scott Bowman and Melissa Harris, MSN, with Mayor Doyle Lowe in presenting a check for $10,000 to the playground fund.

Doctor of the YearChris Shamblin, MD

Award of Excellence

Shelia Yarber

Volunteer of the year

Jerri Hauk

Sweetwater Hospital Association through its Long Range Planning Committee and Board of Directors donated $10,000 to Sweetwater’s playground grant fund. SHA’s commitment to the community and its concern for lifestyle related diseases, such as childhood obesity, prompted the organization to support the commu-nity in a way, which would give parents alternatives in motivating their children to become physically active. SHA’s community health

assessment prompted the Long Range Planning Committee to put into action the organization ‘s vision for our community. Giving this donation to match the grant funds that Sweetwater City had received was “the right thing to do” according to the hospital’s administrator, Scott Bowman. “The matching funds that Sweetwater Hospital donated helped the park become a reality for the community and we are very proud to be able to do this for the families we serve. Many organiza-tions in health care are struggling; however, SHA is �nancially strong

and debt free, which allows us to make better long-term decisions for the organization and the commu-nity”, stated Bowman.

Employee of the Year

Cindy Dexter, Certi�ed Pharmacy Technician

SHA Celebrates with the City of Sweetwater at Small Town

Christmas

“On October 18, 2013, my daughter was taken to SHA emergency room with a very serious condition. The nurses and doctors in the ER, ICU, OR and “Little Bill” could not have been more compassionate and professional. We are lucky to have a hospital like Sweetwater Hospital in our community”. Milly Bryant

What Our Patients are Saying!

Post Sweetwater's Christmas Parade, I ended up in the emergency room with a kidney stone. I knew immediately what the problem was; I was glad to have the Sweetwater Hospital so close to my home! I just wanted to take a minute to thank nurse Debbie Albright in the emergency room. She was professional, caring, and worked promptly to help me! What more could anyone ever ask? Nurses and staff like Ms. Albright are what has made and continues to make SHA the crown jewel of Sweetwater. Lance Cavett

Pictured L to R: Brooke Veal, Joe Anderson,Ben Camp, Melissa Harris and Bobbie Arp.

Pictured LtoR: Lucretia Santelli, Emily Allen and Bobbie Arp

Sweetwater Hospital celebrated with the City of Sweetwater during the city’s small town Christmas

celebration. Hospital employees handed out �ve hundred Rice Krispie treats during the event. SHA is proud to support and participate in local events that promote the community.

Sweetwater Hospital continues to grow and impact the community positively. SHA continually makes acquisitions that bene�t not only the organization, but also the community as a whole. Seeing growth in SHA’s nationally ranked and recognized Home Health Department, SHA seized the opportunity to acquire the old FSG Bank.

Since that time SHA has been working to totally renovate the bank into o�ce space for Home Health and Physical Therapy Home Health. In addition, the hospital has renovated the bank lobby area Into a conference area that will accommodate 60 people. The conference area is equipped with two large screens and projectors to be used for presentations and educational symposiums.

Sweetwater Hospital recently donated an automatic external de�brillator (AED) to the Cora Veal Center in Madisonville. Members of the Cora Veal Center will be trained to use the AED by Monroe County Ambulance Service in case of an emergency. The Center has over 300 members and is very active in providing activities for seniors in Monroe County.

Sweetwater Hospital Donates Life Saving

AED to Coral Veal

New Main Street Conference area and Home Health O�ces Being Renovated and

Revitalized Before....

After

After

Before

After

Sweetwater Hospital's Commitment to Education Continues to Grow

Sweetwater Hospital’s commitment to education continues to grow as SHA partners with many higher learning programs, colleges and universities in the region. SHA had 152 students in health related �elds train within the organization this past year.

Tennessee Technology Center:• LPN Students – 20• Pharmacy Tech Students – 4Cleveland State Community College:• RN Preceptors – 7• Transcription Program – 1Roane State Community College:• Radiology Tech – 2• Physical Therapy Assistants – 2• Health Information Technology – 4ETSU: • Physical Therapy – 1South College:• Physical Therapy Assistants – 3• Physician Assistants – 24• Pharmacy Students – 3LMU/DeBusk School of Osteopathic Medicine:• Medical Students – 20Pelissippi State Community College:• RN Students – 30LMU:• RN Students – 30 Sweetwater High School:• Health Occupation Class: 10 studentsSamford University:• Pharmacy – 4Kaplan:• Health Information Technology – 1Monroe County Summer Youth:• Workers – 6

New Equipment Expands Capabilities

OB Sta� Congratulated on Successful Campaign of Reducing Early Elective

Deliveries

Sweetwater Hospital continues to invest in technology that will improve the care and lives of those in Monroe County and the surrounding area. In the �rst quarter of this year, Sweetwater Hospital has invested $1 million in equipment to update and provide the best and latest technol-ogy.

SHA’s Latest Additions

Philips Veradius C-Arm will be used for vascular, urological and orthopedic procedures.

The Epiphany Cardio Server is a state of the

art storage and retrieval system for EKG’s, pulmonary function test, sleep studies and Holter monitor studies. It also allows physicians to access EKG’s , interpret and document their �ndings via secure Internet access any where in the world. The system also allows

physicians to access EKG’s via their smart phone which can speed up critical decisions that need to be made about

a patient’s care and treatment.

The new Stryker HD 1488 camera system will give surgeons involved in laparo-scopic procedures the clearest and best de�nition of internal anatomy available. The enhanced de�ni-tion will enhance the safety and outcomes of the simplest to the

most complex laparoscopic and arthroscopic procedures performed.

Sweetwater Hospital joined the national initiative to reduce elective early deliveries. Research has shown that early elective, induced or c-section deliveries, increase the risk of brain injuries and long-term neurodevelopemental abnormali-ties.

A baby’s brain at 35 weeks weighs only two-thirds of what it will weigh 39 and

40 weeks.

35 weeks 39-40 Weeks

SHA OB Sta�

The Research

New Physician O�ce Building

Starting April 2014

The Continued Growth and Changes at Sweetwater Hospital Association

Sweetwater Hospital Association and the Board of Directors are proud to welcome and announce the appoint-ment of Dr. Terry Adams and Dr. Thomas Layman to the Medical sta� at Sweetwater Hospital. Dr. Adams is a Board Certi�ed General Surgeon who has been practicing general and vascular surgery in Knox-

ville for over 25 years. Dr. Adams performs all general surgery with an emphasis on minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, vascular surgery (including carotids), aortic aneurysms and leg arteries.

Dr. Adams is a Monroe County native where he graduated from Vonore High School and then attended Hiwassee College and King College for his undergraduate degrees. He received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee at Memphis and trained at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Being a Monroe native, Dr. Adams still has friends and family in the area. His mother, Betty Ruth Adams, resides in the Hopewell Springs Community in Madisonville, while his grandmother, Maude Owenby, lived in the Tellico Plains area. Dr. Adams has three children; Shari, Nicole and Amber. Dr. Adams looks forward to serving the citizens of Monroe County and the surrounding areas for any of their surgical needs.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): Show Me Your Feet!

Dr. Terry Adams General & Vascular Surgery

Dr. Layman is a Board Certi�ed General Surgeon who has been practicing general surgery in McMinn County for over 18 years. Dr. Layman performs all general surgery.

Dr. Layman is a McMinn County native where he graduated from McMinn County High School and then attended Tennessee Wesleyan College for his undergraduate degree. He received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee at Memphis and trained at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.Dr. Layman resides in Etowah and has three children James, Ryan and Elizabeth. Dr. Layman looks forward to serving the citizens of Monroe County and surrounding areas.

Appointments for these surgeons can be made by calling their respective numbers below:

Dr. Terry Adams (865) 218-7470 Dr. Thomas Layman (423) 745-2344

Do you have trouble walking because of pain in your legs? Sweetwater Hospital and Dr. Terry Adams are working to bring to the area the latest and most advanced treatment for peripheral arterial disease. Sweetwater Hospital has invested in state-of-the -art equipment to bring minimally invasive endovascular procedures to its facility. Peripheral arterial disease or PAD, a�ects up to 12 million Americans. Many do not even know they have the disease. PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become clogged with fatty deposits. If left untreated, PAD may lead to a poor quality of life, disability, or even amputation.

Dr. Terry Adams, with years of experience performing minimally invasive endovas-cular procedures, is bringing those services to Sweetwater Hospital. Dr. Adams expertise and Sweetwater Hospital’s state-of- the art equipment will bring to the region an outpatient procedure that will improve many lives in Monroe and surrounding counties.

Dr. Thomas LaymanGeneral Surgery

The Continued Growth and Changes at Sweetwater Hospital Association Sweetwater Hospital Welcomes New Medical Sta�

Community Service and Continuing EducationContinuing Education January – February

Ultrasound Seminar – Physics and Specialty – Birmingham, Alabama – Sherry Vogt –

- CPSI Physician Documentation Webinar –

THA Webinar – “Applying Critical Thinking skills at the Bedside and Beyond” –

Live Audio conference – Injections and Infusions for Hospitals – Substance Abuse for Employees and Supervisors DVD – (to be used for mandatory annual training) HHC Teleconference – “Conditions of Participation Sanctions” – Presented by The Tennessee Association of Home Care March Regional networking Meeting – Tennessee Center for Patient Safety – Knoxville, Tennessee – Dawn Carpenter, Shannon Anthony and Andrea Henry THA “CMS Mandated Reporting Update for PTs, OTs, and STs – Physical TherapyOccupational Therapy and Speech Therapy

Deana Duggan and Millie Knight – Therapeutic Taping, Posture, and Positioning Techniques – Knoxville, Tennessee –

Flu Vaccine Reporting Webinar – Shannon Anthony and Bobbie Arp

APIC Meetings – Shannon Anthony and Bobbie Arp – 1st Tuesday of each month

March - June

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic 2013 Symposium: Charleston, SC - Darla Warfield - June 7 and 8. Premier Regional Food Service Meeting – Charlotte, NC – Frankie Blackwell. University of Tennessee 36th Annual Pharmacy Update

Patti Thompson April 6 and 7. Outpatient Therapy, CPT Coding, Billing, and Documentation for Rehab Reimbursement – Knoxville – Susan Atkins, Roger Evans, Leslie Lindsey. Monthly APIC Meetings – Knoxville – Shannon Anthony and Bobbie Arp. “Meeting the RAC Challenge” Webinar – Dawn Carpenter – April 9. Critical Care Nuts and Bolts In-service – Chattanooga – Alex Mahery – May 29 and 30. 2013 G Codes Webinar for Physical Therapy – April 24. Tenn.Care Training Session – “Transitioning to the Right Care after Hospital Stay” – Knoxville – Sheila Yarber – April 30.

TSHHRA State Conference (Human Resources) – Gatlinburg – Lucretia Santelli

Dysphasia in the Trach/Vent Population – Journal for CEU Credit – Heather West. Smoky Mountain APIC (Infection Control) Fall Conference – Pigeon Forge – Shannon Anthony and Bobbie Arp

AHIMA (Health Information Management) – Convention and Exhibit – Atlanta – Dawn Carpenter. The Supervisor Toolkit for Training – Lucretia Santelli. CPR Instructor Renewal – Shannon Anthony and Carol Ware. Community Service Shannon Anthony – United Way Board Meeting

SHA provided $500 sponsorship to the United Way 5K MedVance MLT Advisory Board Meeting in Cookeville – Lacey Teague and David Wiggs Bonnie Furrow Scholarship Presentations were made at Sequoyah High School by Shannon Anthony, Sweetwater High School by Bob Wilkins, and Tellico Plains High School by Kassie Gregory.

In Need of Making an Announcement?

Sweetwater Hospital is o�ering space on its digital sign to non-pro�t organizations for making announce-ments to the public. If you have an announcement, you can e-mail your announcement and/or artwork to

Joe Anderson at material@sweetwaterhospital.org

Dawn Carpenter – CDIP (Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner) – earned March 30, 2013

Dawn Carpenter – CHDA (Certified Health Data Analyst) – earned February 28, 2014

Lorrie Viar – CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) – earned November 8, 2013

Megan Boles – RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) – September 28, 2013

Congratulations!

Sweetwater Hospital Association304 Wright Street Sweetwater, TN 37874Scott Bowman, Administrator

Gauzette Publication CommitteeJoe Anderson, MHA

Bobbie Arp, RRTPatti Montooth

Millie Knight, PTAShannon Anthony, RN

Debbie ThompsonScott Bowman

Sweetwater Hospital Association’s continued growth has been seen outwardly for the past few years by watching the hill side community hospital transpose itself into a modern regional facility. In the last five years, Sweetwater Hospital Association has constructed a new sixteen bed state-of-the-art emergency room, new operating rooms and materials management area. This year, the hospital completed a new main entrance, laboratory, imaging center and administrative addition. Several million dollars have been invested in providing a modern, comfortable and safe environment for the patients in this region. Nevertheless, the investments don’t stop there; healthcare technology continues to be added to provide advanced services at a local level.

w w w . s w e e t w a t e r h o s p i t a l . o r g 8 6 5 . 2 1 3 . 8 2 0 0

April 2014

The

Openingof our Newest Additions

• New Administrative O�ces

• New Registration Area

• New state of the Art Lab

• Enhanced Radiology Area

We are Proud to Announce...

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAID SWEETWATER TN

PERMIT NO. 7