System News: May 2023

Atrium Medical Center

The Dr. Percy D. Mitchell, Jr. Foyer in the Atrium Medical Center Behavioral Health Pavilion was recently unveiled. This newly named foyer honors Percy D. Mitchell, Jr., MD, who, for more than three decades, helped individuals overcome addiction, mental health challenges, and ultimately improve their quality of life. At the heart of this occasion is the establishment of the Dr. Percy D. Mitchell, Jr. Behavioral Health Endowment through Atrium Medical Center Foundation. This endowment will provide resources to ensure the community continues to have access to exceptional mental health counseling and support services. To make a gift to the Percy D. Mitchell Behavioral Health Endowment, please visit the site or call the Atrium Medical Center Foundation at (513) 974-5144(513) 974-5144.

Miami University Regionals health care students can now earn a Bachelor of Nursing degree at no cost, thanks to a partnership with Atrium. The hospital has joined Miami Regionals’ Work+ initiative. With Work+, students work part-time – earning a paycheck – while pursuing their degree. The employer pays their tuition. As a partner in the program, Atrium can retain highly motivated employees in positions that experience high turnover, saving on attrition and hiring costs. Kim Hensley, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Atrium, participated in a “signing ceremony” commemorating the partnership.

Premier Health partnered with external organizations in April to highlight events and topics during Minority Health Month to improve positive health outcomes. Andre Harris, MD, chief medical officer at Atrium, discussed health disparities in communities of color with the Dayton Weekly News. Atrium also joined Middletown leaders and residents to tour and discuss three census tracts that are the focus of the city’s Ohio Health Improvement Zone pilot project. This project was designed to foster health equity, address social determinants of health, and improve healthy behaviors through meaningful community engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration.

A partnership between Atrium’s Level III Emergency Trauma Center and the Middletown Division of Police will expand Middletown City School District safety measures. The Barricade Bucket Project involves a simple but effective tool that can easily be added to any classroom for use in an emergency. The five-gallon buckets will include tourniquets, first-aid kits, flashlights, and snacks. Atrium employees raised more than $2,000 to help kickstart the project. Donations, managed by the Atrium Medical Center Foundation, can be made here.  

Atrium and other Premier Health employees picked up litter along roads near the hospital as part of Earth Day events in Middletown. Nearly 20 people were part of Atrium’s efforts, collecting 30 trash bags of litter, dozens of needles safely disposed of in sharps containers, and recycled electronics.

Premier Health’s CareFlight Air and Mobile Services took part in Drive Smart, a mock crash program that gives high school students a real-life look at the consequences of poor choices before getting behind the wheel of a car. In the Atrium market, Drive Smart was presented at Middletown High School. 

Miami Valley Hospital

The third annual Miami Valley Hospital Practitioner Wellness 5K/10K Run/Walk was held at Island MetroPark. Proceeds from the race support Miami Valley Hospital Foundation’s Practitioner Wellness Fund, which benefits provider health and wellness, collegiality, and focuses on building a better workplace.

The requirements for improvement for Primary Stroke Certification at Miami Valley Hospital South and Acute Stroke Ready Certification at Miami Valley Hospital North are compliant. Both hospitals received certification letters for both programs from The Joint Commission.

CareFlight once again launched its Drive Smart program at high schools throughout the Dayton region. For more than 20 years, CareFlight has offered Drive Smart, a nationally recognized mock crash program that gives high school students a real-life look at the consequences of poor choices before getting behind the wheel of a car.

In partnership with the Dayton Weekly News for Minority Health Month, the Premier Health Mobile Clinic hosted outreach events at East End Community Center and Wesley Center. Premier Community Health provided free health screenings, health education, and physician referrals. Additionally, system clinicians provided weekly newspaper content addressing health issues affecting the African American community.

The 2023 annual University of Dayton and Miami Valley Hospital Healthcare Symposium was held on April 1 at the University of Dayton campus. During the event, recently retired system Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marc Belcastro received the Healthcare Impact Award.

Miami Valley Hospital hosted 22 pre-nursing students from Miami Valley Career Technology Center every Friday in April. The students job shadowed several departments throughout the hospital.

Upper Valley Medical Center

In April, the Wound Care Center and Hyperbaric Services at UVMC was the recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. This award recognizes UVMC for achieving outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92 percent.

The UVMC Foundation hosted a Donors Appreciation Reception on April 18. The reception included tours of the Special Care Nursery renovation completed earlier this year.

Scott Kanagy, DO, chief medical officer, UVMC, was joined by Ashley Heitbrink, stroke program manager at UVMC, for local radio morning show interviews on April 24 to discuss National Stroke Awareness Month topics.

UVMC participated in the annual Edison State Community College Health Fair on April 13. UVMC advanced practice nurses provided blood pressure screenings, chronic disease counseling, oncology displays/information, and informational booths.  

In other community engagement, Al-Mouthanna Rajab, MD, anesthesiologist, and Sara Finkes, clinical nurse at UVMC, shared career education information with students at Troy Junior High School. Also, UVMC leaders attended the annual Troy State of the City luncheon hosted by the Troy Chamber of Commerce and the City of Troy on April 20.

The UVMC Laboratory and Patient Service Center team was recognized with the Department of the Quarter honor for the spring quarter. This employee recognition is designed to highlight outstanding quality service and to educate fellow teams about the scope of work performed by the recipient department. 

Premier Physician Network

PPN New Provider Orientation welcomed six new teammates on April 19. Please say hello to (L-R): Pradip Vyas, MD, Premier Health Primary Care – Stanfield; Maryanna Catrine, PA-C, Premier Orthopedics – Breiel; Savannah Hooper, PA-C, SureCare Medical Center; Heidi Reynolds, MD, Liberty Family Medicine; Kay Stewart, CNP, Premier Health Advanced Critical Care – MVS; and Tayler Young, FNP, Upper Valley Family Medicine -Piqua. 

Dayton Magazine’s list of 2023 Dayton’s Best Docs was recently published, and PPN physicians once again took top spots in many medical categories. In fact, 34 PPN physicians were named by readers as the best doctor in Dayton for 41 different medical categories! Congratulations to all our PPN winning doctors and countless others nominated for this list.

On Tuesday, April 25, PPN held a ribbon cutting and community open house for our new medical office building in Xenia at 2066 W. Main St. The 15,000-square-foot building is now home to Premier Health Primary Care – Xenia with Shirelle Applin, MD; Latha Venkatesh, MD; Bryan Schinaman, PA-c; and Jessica Darnell, CNP. The building also includes Premier OB/GYN Greene County with Katherine Lin, MD, and Kevin Edwards, MD. CompuNet Clinical Laboratories will provide lab services at this location as well. 

Back to the May 2023 issue of Premier Pulse