The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) recently recognized Huntsville Hospital with a three-star rating in coronary bypass surgery, the highest rating awarded by the organization. Of the 775 hospitals participating in the national database only ten percent received the three-star rating.

Recognizing the importance of improving patient care and cardiothoracic-surgery outcomes, the STS created the nation’s most extensive data collection on adult cardiac surgery in 1989. Huntsville Hospital has been a participant in the database since 1994. Studies based on information from this database have substantially advanced patient care, research and quality initiatives.

In 2007, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons began using the database to rate hospitals on coronary bypass surgery outcomes, allowing for comparisons among participating hospitals across the country. Huntsville Hospital’s three-star rating was based on the first STS quality assessment for patients who were treated in 2006.

Nathaniel Richardson, Jr., vice president of operations at Huntsville Hospital, commented on the STS recognition. “I am honored to be a part of such a dynamic team, who has worked so hard to accomplish a 3-Star rating. The clinical and medical staff is dedicated to quality cardiovascular care and our community can be confident that their cardiac surgery care will be treated by professionals of a program that has been ranked in the top 10% of all cardiac surgery programs in the national STS database,” said Richardson.

Huntsville Hospital’s Cardiac Surgery program is the second largest program in Alabama, performing nearly 750 open-heart surgeries in the past year. Approximately 16,000 surgeries have been performed at the hospital since 1981.

Cardio-thoracic surgeons on Huntsville Hospital’s medical staff include Richard Clay, M.D., T. Benton Washburn, M.D., Evans Cohen, M.D. and Charles Newton, M.D.

Huntsville Hospital has recognized five managers for demonstrating outstanding character and leadership in 2007. Peggy Matzkiw, surgical service line director, received the Margaret Adams Award for Excellence in Quality. Thomas Fender, surgical services director, received the Fred Crauswell Award for Excellence in Human Resources. Lee Hardison, medical service line nurse manager, received the Lola Stewart Award for Excellence in Customer Service. Rhonda Atchley, imaging services director, received the Patty Bibb Award for Financial Excellence. Tim Adams, construction director, received the Edward D. Boston Manager of the Year Award.

Huntsville Hospital’s Bariatric program has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The ASMBS designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

To earn Center of Excellence designation, a series of site inspections took place during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected.

When you breathe better, you feel better! For a limited time, Huntsville Hospital is offering a free lung function test to access your needs.

Simply call 265-7071 for more information or to schedule your free appointment. Trust the Center for Chest Disease to help you find relief.

Huntsville Hospital’s Cancer Program has been granted Three-Year Approval with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons. Huntsville Hospital’s program is the only CoC-approved program in north Alabama.

CoC Approval with Commendation means the independent physician surveyor who recently conducted an onsite evaluation found no reason to recommend improvements. Approval by the CoC is given only to facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality cancer care and undergo a rigorous evaluation process every three years.

Karen Henry, RN, BSN, Cancer Program Manager, said that what this means to patients is an assurance of comprehensive, quality care. “The fact that our surveyor had no recommendations for improvement tells us that we are not only compliant with CoC standards, but we’re also going above and beyond to ensure quality patient care,” said Henry.

Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program ensures that patients have access to:
• comprehensive care, with a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
• a multispecialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
• information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
• access to cancer-related information, education and support
• a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
• ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
• and, most importantly, quality care close to home.

(left to right) CEO David Spillers, Manager of Human Resources
Nancy Bishop and Vice President Andrea Rosler

Nancy Bishop, office manager of the Human Resources Department, has been named Huntsville Hospital’s 2007 Employee of the Year. Nancy has spent her entire 13 year career at Huntsville Hospital in HR. Employees throughout the hospital continually praise Nancy for her dependability and dedication. Congratulations Nancy!

Huntsville Hospital joined an elite group of healthcare facilities in September when the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations awarded it Primary Stroke Center certification.

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the nation and the leading cause of adult disability. Huntsville Hospital is committed to improving the outcomes for stroke patients by tailoring treatment to individual needs, investing in new technology and meeting nationally established guidelines. It is now one of only three hospitals in the state to achieve the status of a Primary Stroke Center.

“This certification recognizes our ability to treat stroke patients quickly and effectively, improving their chances of recovery,” said Stroke Team Coordinator Mary Brethour, CRNP.

To earn the certification, a hospital must have a rapid-response stroke team that is specially trained to perform quick neurological assessment, obtain emergent diagnostic testing and deliver treatment based on best-practice guidelines.

Because quick diagnosis and treatment greatly improves a patient’s chance of recovery, Huntsville Hospital has been involved in numerous screenings and programs to teach the public how to identify stroke symptoms and the importance of getting to the hospital quickly.

The hospital has also invested in cutting-edge technology, giving clinicians more tools to tailor treatment to individual patients. One of those tools is the state-of-the-art MERCI Retrieval System that allows interventional radiologists to quickly remove some clots with a tiny, corkscrew-like device rather than waiting on traditional drugs to dissolve the clot. For patients that meet specific criteria, this method can reduce brain damage and further disability by quickly restoring blood flow.
It was the MERCI Retrieval System that saved Toney resident Robert Steelman’s life, said his wife, Peggy Steelman.

“When we got him to the hospital, the doctor asked how long he had been showing signs of a stroke, but I didn’t know because he had been napping. Since it’s better to know before using the clot-busting drug, he suggested we use the MERCI retriever,” she said. “He was completely paralyzed on his left side, but now he can walk and has little evidence of stroke. I really do think it was a lifesaver.”

Huntsville Hospital’s Stroke Center underwent an on-site review in July, which included an actual observation of a patient being treated for an acute stroke; interviews with staff, physicians, patients and family members; and assessment of documentation and procedures to ensure compliance with national standards. Certification allows the hospital to display the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval to inform the public of its high level of care for stroke patients.

Huntsville Hospital is one of only three hospitals statewide to be named Consumer Choice Award recipient for 2007 by the National Research Corporation. NRC annually conducts a comprehensive survey of more than 200,000 consumers across the nation to determine which hospitals have the best quality and image in more than 200 major healthcare markets.

Get your team together and lace up your running shoes for the 4th Annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run on October 20th, starting at the corner of Lowe Avenue and Adams Street, and ending at Huntsville Middle School. The Ribbon Run includes a Women’s 5K, Men’s 5K and Survivors’ Walk.

Go to www.lizhurleyribbonrun.org to register your team now. While you’re online you can create a page for your team and send the link to your friends and family. You’ll love how easy it is to raise money for this worthwhile cause! For more information or to volunteer for the event, call the Foundation at 265-8077.

Friday, Oct. 19 - Huntsville Middle School
• 5 – 8 p.m. Final registration for 5K races & Survivors’ Walk
• Spaghetti Supper & Packet Pick-up for race participants
• Memorial/Tribute Luminary Display

Saturday, Oct. 20
• 8 a.m. – Men’s 5K Race
• 9 a.m. – Women’s 5K Race
• 10 a.m. – Survivors’ Walk
• 10:30 a.m. – Awards

Huntsville Hospital offers a comprehensive Speakers Bureau that can bring customized programs to clubs, churches, and other organizations in our community. General presentations on the hospital and on a variety of specific health and medical topics can be provided by speakers who are associated with Huntsville Hospital. If you would like a representative from Huntsville Hospital to provide a program to your organization, please contact Public Relations at 265-8317 or email burri@hhsys.org.

Mark Noble has joined Huntsville Hospital Sports Center as SportsMax program designer and sports performance specialist.



For nearly 20 years, Noble has served as performance enhancement consultant to Duke University and other NCAA Division 1 teams including the University of Alabama. He also helped prepare U.S. Team Handball for the 1996 Olympic games and other international competitions.

Duke University's Coach Krzyzewski said, "Mark has been great and beneficial to work with, supplying us valuable information about our team and allowing us the opportunity to only become better."

Noble will design conditioning programs and work with middle, high school and college student-athletes who choose SportsMax to help them achieve their highest level of performance.

For more information about SportsMax, call 265-5000.

Dr. Stephan Moran, trauma surgeon; ED medical director
Dr. Sherrie Squyres and trauma surgeon Dr. Rony Najjar

The ribbon has been cut and the doors are open on phase one of Huntsville Hospital’s new Emergency Department and Trauma Center! Entry into the new 38,000 square foot facility is from a new garage entrance on Madison Street, just north of the previous facility.

Phase two of the project involves the remodeling and renovation of the existing emergency space. Upon completion of that work next year, the expanded Emergency Department will occupy more than 63,000 square feet, twice the size of the current facility.

The new department was designed with “best practice” ideas from large emergency departments across the country. Treatment rooms in the new ED offer private accommodations and are designed as “universal” rooms, meaning that they can be used for every level of emergency. Six state-of-the-art trauma suites are available with the capability of treating three patients in each suite in the event of mass casualties. StatScan technology provides emergency and trauma physicians with clinical information for the most rapid diagnosis possible. Huntsville Hospital is the first hospital in the state of Alabama to offer the StatScan technology.

Additional features designed to enhance the experience of patients and families include a computer, phone and television in each patient room. There is even a “sound resistant” floor which keeps the facility quieter for patients and visitors while at the same time making it easier on the feet for the staff who work each day providing care to the patients who come to Huntsville Hospital’s Emergency Department.

LifeSouth is trying to avoid an emergency appeal for blood by asking all available donors to give. Currently north Alabama has a small supply, but additional units of O positive, O negative, A positive and A negative are on backorder, as well as platelets.

"We are not getting enough donors in each day," said Tammy Barnes, district director of the North Alabama LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. "We are trying to prevent a major deficit in our blood supply."

Visit LifeSouth for donation locations and hours of operation. Huntsville Hospital main and Women & Children both house a LifeSouth Donor Center.

Maddox Locke, born in early July with a rare low platelet condition called neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, is being cared for in the Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Through the work of his family and the Huntsville Hospital Blood Bank, and also thanks to a large community response to a July 19 Huntsville Times article, several donors of PLA1-negative platelets have been identified.

Maddox is receiving regular transfusions to keep his platelet count in a safe range, and he is expected to eventually outgrow the condition. Even though Maddox's needs are being managed, the need for platelet donation never goes away.

You can make an appointment to donate platelets by calling LifeSouth at 1-888-795-2707. Three local donor centers collect platelets by apheresis:

LifeSouth Donor Center at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, 1st floor
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday and Friday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LifeSouth Donor Center, off of Bob Wallace Avenue (2801 Westcorp Boulevard)
Monday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LifeSouth Donor Center, Clearview Cancer Institute (3601 CCI Drive, Suite 210)
Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please note: Apheresis donation takes approximately two hours.

Since it was established in 1978, Huntsville Hospital Foundation has been blessed by wonderful friends and generous supporters who believe in Huntsville Hospital’s mission and share our passion for this great hospital. Over the past year, our donors have helped us provide another record year of support for our hospital and its patients. Our annual fundraising efforts are not complete yet, as the fiscal year ends on June 30, but we can proudly announce that the Foundation has provided a record $2 million to Huntsville Hospital for the purchase of cutting-edge technology and program support --- that’s an increase of more than $300,000 over last year’s record!!!

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Foundation funded the construction of several areas, and purchased critically needed high-tech equipment as well as “high-touch” items that provide comfort for our patients and their families. View the 2006/2007 Stewardship Report now.

In its 11th year, Community Health Initiative, a Huntsville Hospital outreach program that helps local non-profit organizations by awarding grants for healthcare programs, has awarded more than $4.7 million to 32 local agencies.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients, announced June 27:

The Arc of Madison County, Inc.: $10,000
CASA (Care Assurance System for the Aging & Homebound of Madison County): $65,000
Girls Incorporated - Commit to be Fit: $10,000
HEALS (Health Establishments at Local Schools): $90,000
Lilies of the Valley Foundation: $10,000
Madison City School System: $10,000
Mental Health Center of Madison County: $30,000
Still Serving Veterans: $40,000
The Community Free Clinic: $90,000
The Pathfinder: $20,000
The Riley Behavioral & Education Center: $20,000
United Cerebral Palsy: $10,000

Total awarded: $405,000

The purpose of Huntsville Hospital's Community Health Initiative is to improve the health status of citizens of Madison County through education, prevention and early detection of disease. Each year, the Community Health Initiative committee, comprised of volunteers appointed by the Hospital Board, encourages organizations with new or innovative programs to apply for funds and decides how to allocate available grant monies.

Community Health Initiative committee members include Jean Templeton, Chair; Greg Barnes, Philip Bentley, Jr.; Russell Brown, Nancy Colin, Peggy Fambrough, Jerry Galloway, Jill Gardner, Dale Griggs, Dr. Carl Grote, Jr.; Rev. John Herndon, Anne Marie Lacy, Donna Lamb, Janet Neeley, Dr. Brian Patz, Betty Peterson, Dr. Lawrence Robey, Judy Smith, Maria Taylor and Snyder Washington. Hospital Liaison Burr Ingram and Community Health Initiative Program Coordinator Karen Kiss serve as non-voting facilitators on the committee.

Click here to see a summary of grants for 2007 - 2008 and their descriptions.

Area middle school and high school athletes can take advantage of SportsMax, a new program for professional training, conditioning and strengthening. The program, endorsed by native Alabamian Walter Jones, left tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, is now being offered by Huntsville Hospital Sports Center staff.

Walter Jones visited Bob Jones High School in Madison on June 21 to coach drills and encourage the football team about the importance of reaching athletic goals with the proper training.

With SportsMax, licensed athletic trainers and strength & conditioning specialists prepare sport-specific drills and exercises based on the student athlete’s endurance level. Performance enhancement is monitored as the student athlete progresses toward the goals of increasing strength, speed and agility.

SportsMax training is available for custom team needs at area schools or for groups of students who can train in any of the three Wellness Centers.

Dewayne Manning, director of the Sports Center, said SportsMax is another way Huntsville Hospital is meeting the needs of the community. “Kids today want to take their game to the next level, and we’re proud to teach the right way to help them achieve their goals,” said Manning.

“I know first hand the importance of good training for optimal performance, and who better that Huntsville Hospital, the area leader in health and wellness, to offer this program,” said Jones.

For more information about SportsMax, call 265-5000.

Kids Kamp Gives Pediatric Patients a Great Escape

In 2004, friends and seventh graders, Farrell Robinson and Sam Robinson, organized a group of area students with a mission to raise funds and build a Pediatric play garden for Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. Their “Pocket Change for Peds” committee, comprised of 33 children in 19 elementary and middle schools, proceeded to raise more than $100,000 for the project in just three years.

Kids Kamp reflects the student leaders’ vision to provide an outdoor area where hospitalized children can enjoy fun and fresh air with other children, while also offering a peaceful respite from the hospital setting. Kids Kamp is a special gift from children to children. It comes with the hope of bringing happiness and health to the sick and injured children of north Alabama.

Huntsville Hospital Foundation dedicates Kids Kamp to the “Pocket Change for Peds” kids for their enthusiasm, hard work and community spirit. They are outstanding leaders and have created a wonderful legacy for future generations of children.

Emergency need for all types.

(Montgomery, Alabama) As Alabama faces the worst drought in the United States, another kind of drought is also affecting Alabama – a shortage of blood. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, which supplies more than half the blood components transfused in the state, reports an emergency blood shortage of all types in Alabama regions.

“The shortage is seriously affecting our ability to meet hospital requests for blood – we are hundreds of units behind current demand and we really need Alabamians to come out and support the state’s blood needs,” Judy Russell, district director for LifeSouth’s South Alabama
District, said.

Please call toll free (888) 795-2707 or visit www.lifesouth.org for donor center and blood drive information. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds or more, and show a photo I.D.

LifeSouth is a nonprofit, community blood center that provides a volunteer blood supply for 57 hospitals in Alabama through 15 donor centers in Albertville, Birmingham, Cullman, Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Opelika. LifeSouth, based in Gainesville, Florida, first began serving Alabama in 1994 with a center in Birmingham. The blood center supplied more than 130,000 blood components for Alabama hospitals in the last year.

Huntsville Donor Centers

State Senator Parker Griffith held a press conference on April 19 in one of the Emergency Department trauma bays under construction to discuss the importance of creation of a statewide trauma system.

Griffith chose the Emergency Department as the site of the news conference because Huntsville Hospital is one of only three statewide trauma centers and because the current expansion, which will double the Emergency Department’s patient capacity, demonstrates Huntsville Hospital’s commitment to providing the best trauma care available.

Griffith’s bill that he is co-sponsoring with three other senators calls for creation of a 24-hour statewide trauma dispatch center. Under the proposed system, state dispatchers would know at a glance the patient volumes at local Emergency Departments and be able to make informed decisions about where to send patients for the most immediate care based on their injuries.

View photos from the press conference.

Huntsville Hospital welcomes Sally Warden to the Health Care Authority of the City of Huntsville. She was recently appointed to serve by the Huntsville City Council.

Warden is very involved in the community, serving on the boards of HEMSI, Madison Arts Council and Huntsville Hospital Foundation, among others. She is employed by MarketGraphics of North Alabama, LLC, and is a Madison resident.

Warden replaces Albert McDonald who retired from the board after 12 years of service.

Girls Inc. has been providing academic activities and skill building programs to young ladies in the Huntsville community since 1972. Huntsville Hospital is proud to support the First Annual Mother’s Celebration event so Girls Inc. can continue developing young ladies into leaders – strong, smart and bold.

Join us on May 10 for a garden party gala to recognize our area’s most outstanding mothers. For ticket and nomination information call Girls, Inc. at 851-9911.

Your support today will help build self-esteem, creativity and critical thinking so these young ladies will continue to be… strong, smart and bold.

Learn more about Girls Incorporated. View a video or visit their website.

At Huntsville Hospital, nearly 600 adults and youths volunteer their time to help make our community-owned hospital a great place for healthcare. In 2006, volunteers contributed more than 110,000 hours of service, which equates to 55 full time employees valued at more than $1.9 million.

Beyond the gift of time, volunteers raise needed funds to help Huntsville Hospital accomplish its mission. In 2006, the Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary contributed more than $200,000 from gift shop proceeds and special sales. Total gifts from the Auxiliary total more than $3.5 million!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we value the generosity of our volunteers throughout the year. If you are interested in opportunities to serve at Huntsville Hospital, contact Pat Legg, Director of Volunteer Services, at 265-8013.

April is National Donate Life Month, and you can make a difference by becoming a registered organ donor. Simply visit www.legacyalabama.org. Your pledge to donate life could enhance the lives of up to 50 people. Join more than 100,000 people in Madison County when you officially record your intentions to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

If you and your partner are having difficulty getting pregnant, you are not alone. Huntsville Hospital "Spirit of Women" is proud to present a program on April 19 for couples hoping to become new parents soon.

For more information, click here.

Thanks to everyone who attended Cardiology Update! Presentations are now available for you to download. View the presentations by clicking here.

With supplies of type O blood at emergency levels and a shortage of all other blood types, LifeSouth Community Blood Centers asks all eligible residents to give blood and help bring supplies in Huntsville-area hospitals to safe levels.

“We are just barely meeting minimal demands at our hospitals in Huntsville right now due to donations falling off. If there were a significant local event that required blood supplies, it could create a life-threatening blood shortage for this community,” said Bill Gair, Chief Operating Officer for LifeSouth.

Gair added that it is the blood center’s responsibility to maintain enough blood to respond to normal and emergency demand at the hospitals.

LifeSouth is part of a national network of blood centers and, when supplies are low, asks other centers for help with supply. Currently, because so many centers are suffering with shortages of their own, LifeSouth isn’t able to get help from other blood banks.

All eligible residents are asked to give blood. Please call toll free (888) 795-2707 or visit www.lifesouth.org for donor center and blood drive information. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds or more, and show a photo I.D.

LifeSouth is the primary blood supplier for 11 hospitals the North Alabama Region and provides, on average, 3,000 units of blood each month to local hospitals to meet patient needs.

LifeSouth Huntsville Donor Centers

Regional Donor Center
2801 Westcorp Blvd, SW (off Bob Wallace)
(256) 533-8201

Huntsville Hospital
101 Silvey Road
(256) 265-6340

Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children
911 Big Cove Road
(256) 265-7043

Comprehensive Cancer Inst.
3601 CCI Drive
(256) 539-0741

Kids in north Alabama now have access right here in Huntsville to the resources of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The St. Jude Clinic at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children is now open. More

Huntsville Hospital’s Madison Street Tower, with 84 new private rooms, is now open for treatment of oncology, neuro-surgical, cardiac and surgery patients. The 72,000 square foot Madison Street Tower features the latest in evidence-based design for healthcare settings.

By definition, evidence-based healthcare designs create therapeutic environments supportive of family involvement, efficient for staff performance and restorative for caregivers.

According to Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers, the bed tower was designed with research from around the country and input from our patients, families, nurses and physicians. “It was important for us to adopt a design that has been proven to help speed patient healing and provide the safest environment for patient care,” said Spillers.

Features of the new tower include 250 to 350 square foot rooms with bedside computers for charting and walk-in showers, nursing alcoves near each patient room and a technologically advanced air filtration system to fight bacteria.

The $24 million tower was designed by Huntsville-based Chapman Sisson Architects as part of a master plan to meet the healthcare needs of a growing community. The general contractor was the Robins & Morton Group. Later this Fall, Huntsville Hospital will open a new and expanded Emergency Department with nearly 100 treatment rooms and a 5,000 square foot critical care family/visitor waiting area.

Listen to what CEO David Spillers has to say about the distinguishing characteristics of Huntsville Hospital's new 84-bed patient tower. Click here to listen.

View some basic facts about the new Madison Street Tower here.

Click here.

Click here for this exciting news.

(l to r) Cardiothoracic Surgeons T. Benton Washburn, MD;
Richard Clay, MD; Evan Cohen, MD; and Charles Newton, MD;
lead Huntsville Hospital’s open heart surgery team.

It takes a team to touch 15,000 lives over a quarter of a century. This is especially true when you are providing life-saving cardiac care.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of cardiac surgery at Huntsville Hospital, we are pleased to recognize the surgeons, nurses and other dedicated professionals who helped pioneer cardiac surgery in North Alabama and who continue today to provide outstanding heart care for our community and region. You make a difference in the lives of families throughout the Tennessee Valley.

Huntsville Hospital has been named one of only two hospitals in the state as recipient of the 2006 Alabama Excellence Award (Level 3), the highest-level Alabama Quality Award conferred by the State of Alabama. Huntsville Hospital also was awarded two silver awards for Best Practice in surgical infection prevention and for the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic.

In its 21st year, this award is the premier honor for top-tier organizations statewide. Organizations named Alabama Quality Award recipients demonstrate excellence in leadership, strategic planning, attention to customers and other stakeholders, market focus, process management and analysis of organizational performance. The award recognizes outstanding qualities that can be shared with other organizations to help contribute to the overall economic well being of the State of Alabama. Additionally, the Alabama Quality Award serves as a stepping-stone for application for the Malcolm M. Baldrige National Quality Award.

The 2006 Alabama Quality Award recipients will be recognized at the Alabama Quality Award Annual Conference and Award Ceremony during a banquet on the evening of November 30. The AQA conference, administered by the Alabama Productivity Center, will be held November 29 through December 1 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa.

View additional information

(Huntsville, AL) In addition to the chest incision scar, a telltale sign of open heart surgery has historically been a scar running the length of the patient's leg where the vein used for the heart graft was removed. This is not the case for patients at Huntsville Hospital because specially trained surgical nurses and physician assistants, under the direction of cardiothoracic surgeons, remove the needed leg vein with instrumentation that barely disturbs the patient's leg tissue.

Mary A. Noland, registered nurse first assistant, who has been with the cardiovascular surgery team since its inception 25 years ago, explains, "We make a small incision that's about an inch long on the inside of the patient's knee. We then use an instrument with a small camera mounted to it that travels up the length of the leg toward the groin, creating a tunnel as the vein is separated from the surrounding tissue. After cauterizing the vein's branches and clipping the top of the vein at the groin, we gently pull it out of the leg through the incision at the knee." The entire minimally invasive vein harvesting procedure takes about 30 minutes to an hour.

Richard Clay, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon, said Huntsville Hospital's open heart surgery program has the most experience in the state of Alabama performing the endoscopic vein harvesting procedure.

Noland said patients, surgeons and post-operative nurses all benefit from this type of vein harvesting. "Patients are ambulating faster, there is much less leg pain after surgery, reduced chance for infection and the incision heals faster since it's so small," Noland said. "Surgeons like it because we're in and out of the leg quickly and able to help them with other aspects of the surgery; and post-op nurses like it because they can get the patients moving around sooner, and they don't have to treat a large leg wound as before."

Huntsville Hospital pioneered cardiac care for patients in the Tennessee Valley in 1981, and since then has earned the reputation as this region's trusted team for providing outstanding cardiac care with the experience of performing more than 15,000 open heart surgeries.

Once again, the Huntsville Hospital Autumn Chase Fun Run, now in its 26th year, was very successful, drawing more than 2,000 preschool through eighth grade kids from local schools. A special thank you must go to all our volunteers who helped out."

View our Fun Run Photo Gallery

Breast cancer doesn’t just affect women. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, in addition to the one woman in eight who either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, 400 men will die this year. Because of breast cancer’s prevalence, virtually all of us have been affected by how breast cancer has impacted a friend or family member’s life. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Huntsville Hospital is raising awareness in new and very visible ways.

The fountain that welcomes visitors to Huntsville Hospital’s main entrance on Gallatin Street has been lit with pink lights, and the water has been tinted with pink gel. Large exterior signs can be seen near the fountain, at the entrance of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children and at the entrance to the Women’s Pavilion. Inside the Women’s Pavilion, visitors are invited to sign a banner in honor of a woman affected by breast cancer.

“For years, we at Huntsville Hospital have been heavily involved in initiatives to battle this killer,” said Jennifer Brewington, RN,MSN, director of outpatient health, Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. “To keep making progress, we believe it’s important to find creative, new ways to keep breast cancer awareness top of mind.” The Huntsville Hospital Breast Center is the most trusted provider of mammography services in the area with two dedicated Radiologists on staff daily with special training in mammography imaging, imaging staff members who are all registered/certified in the field of breast imaging, two certified breast health specialists and perfect quality scorecards for eight consecutive years according to Mammography Quality Standards Act. It is the only facility in Huntsville/Madison that provides digital mammography, the newest and most reliable method for detecting breast cancer.

Pictured left to right: Dr. Joseph Mirro, Jr., St. Jude Chief Medical Officer;
Dr. William Evans, St. Jude Director and CEO; country music legend Randy Owen;
David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital CEO; Kelly (Mrs. Randy) Owen; the Honorable Loretta Spencer,
Mayor of Huntsville; Dr. James Gilbert, Huntsville Hospital Medical Director for Pediatric Surgery.

At a recent news conference, David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital CEO announced a partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to open a local clinic in January 2007. The clinic will be called the St. Jude Clinic at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. This will be the fifth St. Jude affiliated pediatric hematology/oncology clinic in the United States and will serve children in the region of north Alabama and south central Tennessee. It is the first new affiliate to join the St. Jude family in more than a decade.

"We are very pleased today to announce a partnership that will bring a new level of medical care for children in north Alabama who have cancer and catastrophic blood disorders," said Spillers.

St. Jude director and CEO William Evans, Pharm.D, speaking at the official announcement commented, "We are very, very selective about where we open clinics," He said this was the perfect fit. "When we met the leadership and clinical staff of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, we knew that we had found a partner that shared our mission and values."

They were joined at the news conference by country music star Randy Owen - the lead singer for the group Alabama - and his wife Kelly, who spoke emotionally about when their infant daughter Randa was born with severe pneumonia and spent days in the Huntsville Hospital neonatal intensive care unit. Randa is now a healthy high school senior, and some of the nurses who cared for her attended the announcement and were embraced by the Owens.

Randy Owen said he became interested in St. Jude after meeting Danny Thomas, and he began urging radio listeners to donate to St. Jude. "This is a dream come true," he said to smiling St. Jude and Huntsville Hospital officials on the platform behind him. "God bless whoever made this decision."

"We're tying our partnership to Huntsville Hospital because we think they have the right leadership, mission and medical staff," said Joe Mirro, MD, St. Jude Chief Medical Officer. "Having the children treated close to home is better for the child, better for the family, and can aid in better treatment outcomes."

The new clinic will be managed by Lucille Ferrante, MD a former Huntsville pediatrician who recently completed her fellowship in pediatric oncology and hematology at the Medical University of South Carolina. She and her staff will have full access to St. Jude's research labs and diagnostic services, and St. Jude will provide special training for nurses and staff at the clinic.

Huntsville Hospital was established in 1895 and is the largest community-owned, not-for-profit hospital in Alabama, serving as a regional referral center for ten counties and south central Tennessee.

View our St.Jude Photo Gallery

September is Baby Safety Awareness Month so now is a good time for anyone with child safety seats to have them inspected by trained professionals to ensure that the littlest passengers would be protected in the event of a collision. For a limited time, the “Car Seat Fitting Station” is provided free by appointment on Tuesdays and Fridays by Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children.

Car Seat Fitting Station
420 Lowell Drive
Ground floor parking level of Professional Office Building
(behind Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children)
Call (256) 265-7296 to make an appointment.

Russell Brown, Chairman of Huntsville Hospital's Board, David Spillers, Hospital CEO,
Dean Fay Raines, UAH College of Nursing and UAH President, Frank Franz.

Huntsville Hospital has provided a $75,000 gift to The University of Alabama in Huntsville that will allow the university to hire more nursing faculty to help educate additional nurses to meet the growing demand of health care professionals in the greater Huntsville area.

The recent $75,000 donation brings Huntsville Hospital’s total gifts to more than $200,000 during the past three years, according to Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers.

“Huntsville Hospital is honored to be a long-time partner with UAH’s College of Nursing,” said Spillers. “With nearly 2,000 nurses working in our hospital, Huntsville Hospital and hospitals throughout the region depend on UAH to train quality nurses for our patients today and for the future.”

Huntsville Hospital serves as the primary clinical teaching site for UAH’s nursing program and employs more UAH nursing graduates than any hospital in Alabama with more than 360 alumni working at Huntsville Hospital.

“Huntsville Hospital has long shown a willingness to work closely together with UAH in our efforts to produce high-quality nurses and health care professionals,” said Fay Raines, Dean of UAH’s College of Nursing. “It’s a well-known fact that nurses are going to be in great demand in the future, and this generous gift by Huntsville Hospital will help us meet that growing demand.”

The UAH College of Nursing had more than 120 graduates earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing last year and an additional 44 earned a master’s degree.

Sonya Greck has joined Huntsville Hospital as Chief Operating Officer. Sonya comes to Huntsville from Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC where she most recently served in the dual-role of chief executive officer of the Mission-owned McDowell Hospital in Marion, NC, as well as the vice president of heart services for the Mission system. Sonya brings a wealth of talent, experience and enthusiasm to our hospital. Welcome Sonya!

Effective September 1, Huntsville Hospital returns to the Tricare network of hospital providers. The new agreement between the hospital and Humana Military Healthcare Services, which administers the Tricare insurance program, offers active-duty military personnel, retirees and their families full access to the services at Huntsville Hospital.

“This is great news for our community and for Tricare beneficiaries,” said David Spillers, CEO of Huntsville Hospital. Orie Mullen, vice president and COO for Humana Military, echoed Spillers’ comments. “We are pleased to welcome Huntsville Hospital into our robust network in Alabama,” he said.

Tricare beneficiaries with questions about services should call the Humana Military Customer Service Line at 1-800-444-5445 or Huntsville Hospital at 533-8280.

Individuals with chronic heartburn, occasional difficulty swallowing and/or non-cardiac chest pain are benefiting from a new type of diagnostic equipment only available statewide at Huntsville Hospital’s Endoscopy Center.

ManoScan, an innovative type of esophageal manometry equipment, uses high-resolution technology to determine if there is a problem with the way a person’s esophagus, or swallowing tube, propels food from the mouth into the stomach. With ManoScan, muscle contraction and relaxation of the esophagus are now more accurately measured resulting in a more accurate diagnosis. The physician can therefore develop a more individualized treatment plan based on the patient’s unique needs.

According to Angi Achenbach, nurse coordinator of Huntsville Hospital’s Alabama Heartburn Treatment Center, both doctors and patients are excited to have this technology resource available at Huntsville Hospital.

“With other types of esophageal manometry equipment, the exam takes about 45 minutes to an hour and is rather uncomfortable,” said Achenbach. “With ManoScan, the exam takes about 10 minutes and patients are much more comfortable.”

For more information on ManoScan or acid reflux, please call Huntsville Hospital’s Alabama Heartburn Treatment Center at 265-GERD (4373). Education and ongoing support are provided to patients at no cost.

While women may think of their hearts everyday in the romantic sense, many women neglect their hearts when it comes to health. Less than half of all women can name heart disease as the leading killer of women. Because of this, the Go Red for Women campaign will let Madison county women know the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The Go Red for Women event, “Black, White & Red All Over”, on Tuesday, October 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Von Braun Center will include live and silent auctions, special entertainment and a local celebrity fashion show that features heart and stroke survivors. The fashion show will combine style with substance by incorporating messages about empowering women against heart disease.

Chairman, Sandra Steele, president of Enfinger Steele Development, recognizes the importance of making women aware of their hearts and their risks for cardiovascular disease—her mother, Olga Marie Kent Pike, died much too soon of a massive stroke.

Go Red for Women is a national movement by the American Heart Association to raise awareness for the affects of heart disease on women. Every year about 500,000 women die from cardiovascular disease, but less than 13 percent of American women view heart disease as a serious problem. Funds raised from Go Red for Women events will go toward research for women’s cardiovascular issues.

Go Red for Women is sponsored nationally by Macy’s and Pfizer. “Black, White & Red All Over” is presented locally by Huntsville Hospital, Enfinger Steele Development, Lockheed Martin, Wachovia and WAFF-48.

The Health Care Authority board, the governing board of Huntsville Hospital, has elected new officers. Elected chairman was Russell G. Brown, who previously served as vice chairman. Mr. Brown is CEO of D.P. Associates. New vice chairman of the board is Jean W. Templeton, CEO of Wesfam Restaurants. Elected secretary-treasurer was Philip W. Bentley, Jr., president of Bentley Automotive Group. Mr. Bentley served as chairman of the hospital board for the past two years.

Voluntary Hospital’s of America has awarded Huntsville Hospital the 2006 National Leadership Award in Cardiac Excellence for Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack). This recognition is for Huntsville Hospital achieving consistently high levels of care as measured by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The Congestive Heart Failure program at Huntsville Hospital received the 2006-2008 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s Certificate of Distinction with a Gold Seal of Approval.

Huntsville Hospital Laboratory earned national accreditation from the College of American Pathologists for the fourth consecutive 2-year cycle. The national accreditation is based on an unannounced, on-site inspection of the hospital lab’s quality, staff qualifications, equipment, safety record and the facilities. This stringent inspection is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for patients.