Fighting adult and childhood cancers. Preventative care and mending sports injuries. Research and instruction. The medical community of Memphis is one of the best in the country and continues to grow and improve. Where the Medical District, hemmed in by I-240 and Downtown, used to be the epicenter of care, the largest institutions now reach into East Memphis, Collierville, and DeSoto County, Mississippi. Just as their geographic reach has grown, so grows their technology, knowledge, and collaborative care, from installing a mini telescope into the eye to conferring with the top physicians of the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Campbell Clinic opens new spine center
In the spring of 2015, Campbell Clinic opened the doors to a state-of-the-art spine center in response to regional demand from patients for more specialized treatment for back and spine issues. This is the first such sub-specialized facility that Campbell Clinic has operated. The new clinic is located at 8000 Centerview Parkway in the Germantown Park business complex in Cordova. There are also four other orthopaedic clinics and two surgery centers in the Mid-South.
“Optimal spinal health is vital to one’s overall well-being,” says Fred Azar, MD, chief of staff for Campbell Clinic. “Neck and back problems can be debilitating, so it’s imperative that they are treated appropriately. Our new spine center enables patients to receive integrated spine care under one roof. From the visit with their physician to their X-ray, all the way to their physical therapy appointment, this facility combines convenience with high-level orthopaedic expertise.”
Campbell Clinic is one of the oldest medical institutions in Memphis, having been founded in 1909 by Willis C. Campbell, MD, and now serves as a national leader in orthopaedics, sports medicine, teaching, and research in orthopaedic surgery.
Courtesy Baptist Hospital
One of the comfortable waiting areas at the new Baptist Children's Hospital.
New Baptist Children’s Hospital finds its home in Memphis
Baptist Memorial Health Care has unveiled a new addition to the Baptist family — the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital. Located adjacent to Baptist Women’s Hospital in East Memphis, the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital is home to a 17,000-square-foot emergency room, which includes 10 bays for patient care and a 2,000-square-foot diagnostics area. In addition, the pediatric facility offers a 12-bed inpatient unit, outpatient pediatric surgery, and the Pediatric Eye Center, the first comprehensive eye center for babies and children, led by Jorge Calzada, MD, of the Charles Retina Institute.
“Our vision was to bring pediatrics from Baptist Memphis over here to join Baptist Women’s in order to grow these services and be able to provide that continuum of care that our families and pediatricians have continuously asked us for,” says Anita Vaughn, CEO and administrator of Baptist Women’s Hospital.
Pediatric services were originally housed at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis until plans were initiated for the new Children’s Hospital.
The Church Health Center’s Family Medicine Residency
When Crosstown Concourse opens in early 2017, Church Health Center will consolidate its myriad services from disparate properties into this one centralized location, filling 120,000 of the total 1.5 million square feet the citadel on Cleveland Street houses. Within that space will be doctors and nurses, dentistry, space for exercising, and kitchens for nutrition classes.
But there will also be something new for CHC. The Family Medicine Residency is a major initiative aimed at improving health and access to healthcare in Memphis.
In conjunction with Baptist Memorial Health Care, the Residency’s mission is to provide family medicine resident education in an environment of high-quality patient care across clinical continuums, which will emphasize both the holistic approach to comprehensive individual health and the coordination and collaboration required across disciplines to improve outcomes for diverse populations. Graduating family physicians will be prepared to practice the art of family medicine while mastering the science and technology of the evolving healthcare system in order to become leaders in advanced primary care practices for the community.
The Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is building on its strong foundation as home to some of the country’s premier pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgery pioneers by expanding its Heart Institute at Le Bonheur. Programs undergoing expansion include mechanical circulatory support, cardiovascular genetics, adult congenital heart disease, heart transplantation, neurodevelopment, single ventricle, sports cardiology, and obesity.
The 150-member Heart Institute is led by executive co-directors Christopher Knott-Craig, MD, and Jeffrey A. Towbin, MD, an internationally recognized expert in cardiomyopathy and heart failure in children. Knott-Craig has pioneered some of the most complex congenital heart defect procedures and is one of the country’s most successful cardiac surgeons.
Another specialty is cardio-oncology, in conjunction with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where Towbin holds the post of chief of Cardiology. Many Le Bonheur and University of Tennessee Health Science physicians hold joint appointments at St. Jude.
“We have the surgical and medical teams in place to look beyond patient survival — now it’s about lifestyle and giving children and adults with congenital heart defects and heart muscle diseases a great quality of life,” says Towbin.
To build these programs, the Heart Institute expects to recruit 25 cardiologists in the next five years.
West Cancer Center celebrates grand opening
West Cancer Center celebrated the grand opening of its new East Campus located at 7945 Wolf River Boulevard. The 123,000-square-foot facility combines many of West Cancer Center’s physicians and researchers all under one roof. For the first time patients now have access to multispecialty services including medical, surgical, diagnostic, and radiation oncology, in addition to West’s clinical research program, all delivered at one location. The result is a collaborative environment that both fosters West Cancer Center’s comprehensive approach to treatment and transforms the delivery of oncology care in the Mid-South.
“This marks another milestone in the transformation of how we care for and treat our patients,” says Erich Mounce, CEO of West Cancer Center. “By physically combining the forces of our multidisciplinary specialty teams into one facility, we are creating an environment that truly fosters collaboration and produces a unique understanding of what each specialty requires, allowing everyone to perform at their highest level.”
The facility is a tangible result of an innovative partnership between Methodist Healthcare, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), and West Clinic, who joined together in January 2012 to form West Cancer Center.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Last year was one of transformation on several fronts for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), which annually educates approximately 4,000 students, is responsible for 26,700 jobs across Tennessee, and contributes $2.7 billion to the state’s economy.
With record enrollment in many programs, expanded educational locations, updated teaching methods, stronger clinical partnerships, broadened research activities, and unprecedented construction, the 105-year-old university has moved aggressively to boost its presence on the state, national, and global stage as a healthcare educator, provider, and innovator.
“We think we’re in the best position we’ve ever been in,” Chancellor Steve Schwab, MD, told faculty and staff in his annual State of the University Address last year.
Notably, the College of Pharmacy expanded into Nashville and a stronger alliance with Saint Thomas Health system there; UTHSC achieved a graduation rate of 96 percent and a first-time board pass rate of 97 percent; research dollars rose to more than $92 million; demolition and construction changed the face of the campus; and students, faculty, and staff provided hundreds of hours of community care at health fairs, fundraisers, and special events.
Regional One Health expands its footprint across town
Regional One Health has embarked on a journey of growth and expansion. Throughout its more than 180-year history, the institution has provided a wide range of health services to citizens of the Mid-South. Until recently, though, the majority of these services were offered on the main campus where its flagship acute-care hospital, Regional Medical Center, is located. In 2015, Regional One Health expanded its footprint in the Mid-South, opening new locations and services from Downtown’s Harbor Town on Mud Island to a new campus on Quince Road near Kirby Parkway and Highway 3815 in East Memphis to better serve the healthcare needs of the community. A long-range goal is to help individuals manage their health to avoid preventable hospitalizations. To meet this goal, Regional One Health is focusing on creating convenient health services in an outpatient setting.
“We are creating an innovative model for providing access to a modern and convenient healthcare campus where you not only go for your primary care but your specialty care, too,” says Reginald W. Coopwood, MD, president and CEO of Regional One Health. “To be able to take our world-class expertise and offer services into another geographical location will greatly benefit Memphis as we introduce a different model for delivery of outpatient services.”
Saint Francis Hospital successfully implants mini telescope in the eye
Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis was host to a team of Mid-South vision specialists who successfully implanted a mini telescope in the eye of a patient with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The patient, 74-year-old Peggy Ryan, was the first patient in Tennessee to receive this revolutionary device since it received FDA approval. It was surgically implanted by Saint Francis Hospital-affiliated ophthalmologist Subba Gollamudi, MD, with a medical team that included Cynthia Heard, OD, and Orli Weisser Pike, OT.
Approximately 500 patients around the country have received the telescope implant, and the Memphis team is one of 100 teams nationwide to offer the procedure.
The first-of-its-kind telescope implant is FDA approved for patients age 65 and older, and is currently the only surgical option that improves visual acuity by reducing the impact of the central vision blind spot caused by end-stage AMD.
“This telescope technology can completely change an AMD patient’s life,” says Gollamudi. “For those patients who are candidates for the procedure, it truly is a miracle. We are honored to be the first team in Memphis and Tennessee to make this gift available to one of our patients.”
Dreamstime
The Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Proton Therapy at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
The first proton therapy center in the world dedicated solely to children with cancer can be found at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The $90 million center is sponsored by Red Frog Events.
Patients are now being treated at the center using precisely delivered, high-energy particles called protons to kill or shrink tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue and organs. For patients with brain tumors and certain other cancers, research suggests proton beam therapy may be more effective than conventional radiation at preventing the growth and spread of tumors while reducing the risk of treatment-related side effects.
The center includes the linear accelerator, a synchrotron, a three-story rotating gantry, powerful magnets, and other equipment necessary to generate and deliver high-energy protons to tumors using small, carefully calibrated beams.
“St. Jude researchers first used radiation therapy to turn the tide against pediatric cancer decades ago and have continued to help define its optimal use in treatment,” says James R. Downing, MD, St. Jude president and chief executive officer. “The opening of the St. Jude Red Frog Events Proton Therapy Center marks the next chapter of radiation therapy at St. Jude — one that I believe will be another milestone moment in our fight against pediatric cancer.”
Methodist Healthcare joins the Mayo Clinic Care Network
Methodist Healthcare has become the first healthcare organization in Tennessee, and the Mid-South, to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a national network of healthcare providers committed to better serving patients and their families through collaboration. This collaboration gives Methodist Healthcare access to the latest Mayo Clinic knowledge and promotes physician collaboration that complements local expertise. Through shared resources, more patients can get answers to complex medical questions while staying close to home.
“The relationship with Mayo Clinic places physician-to-physician collaboration at the pinnacle of providing high-quality, patient- and family-centered care for all of Methodist’s patients,” says Michael Ugwueke, president and chief operating officer of Methodist Healthcare. “More than a relationship between two well-known organizations, this is truly a collaboration for sharing medical knowledge and Mayo Clinic expertise, while providing tools and resources for our physicians to further enhance patient care.”
To receive a Mayo consult, patients must go through a Methodist-aligned physician, and the physician will send the patient’s medical records to the appropriate Mayo physician to review. The two physicians will schedule a time to discuss the patient’s medical care. After this consultation, the patient’s local physician will share the results and discuss the next steps.
