Staying in Touch With the Needs of the Community
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A young patient listens to
his heart, with a little help from an SRMC
nurseby Sheila Phinazee - Photo courtesy of
Southern Regional Health System
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Our local hospitals do more
than tend to us when we're ill or injured, they
take their responsibility to keep us healthy very
seriously. Through involvement with national health
organizations as well as sponsoring community education,
the healthcare systems in Coweta and Fayette counties
help area residents and their families stay in the
best condition possible.
Piedmont Fayette
Hospital
The only hospital in Georgia to be recognized,
Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH) has been named one
of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals ® by Solucient,
an Evanston, Ill.-based healthcare information company.
The award recognizes hospitals that have achieved
excellence in quality of care, operational efficiency,
financial performance and adaptation to the environment.
"This distinction recognizes the extraordinary
work done by Fayette employees, volunteers, medical
staff, management team and Board every day and is
a true tribute to their commitment," says Darrell
Cutts, president and CEO of PFH.
PFH celebrates the triumph of cancer survivors
like Sheri Waynick, who was diagnosed with cancer
in 2000 and has since been in remission, while remembering
others who have lost their fight with the disease.
Sheri has joined the American Cancer Society as
Community Income Manager, serving Fayette and Spalding
counties. Her commitment to the cause is something
that is renewed all too often. "Every time I lose
a friend, it just lights a fire under me to continue
this fight for the American Cancer Society," she
says.
In May 2004, PFH and the Fayette County Chapter
of the American Cancer Society sponsored the fifth
annual Cancer Survivor's Dinner with the theme "It's
a Small World." Some 200 cancer survivors and guests
were honored.
The Fayette County Relay for Life continued the
commemoration on Friday, May 7th at the Kiwanis
Fair Grounds. About 2,000 supporters were there
to encourage the participating runners and walkers.
Each lap around the track gained money for cancer
research and education. Cancer survivors took the
first victory lap while Piedmont Fayette staff members
walked the caregivers lap.
"Piedmont Fayette Hospital has a strong commitment
to cancer survivors and the Relay for Life," adds
Cutts. "We have a heartfelt personal commitment
to our local cancer survivors who have become part
of the PFH family. Our staff enjoys the humbling
experience of serving and celebrating these heroes
of life."
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Piedmont
Fayette honored its Auxiliary volunteers, headed
by John Woody, current Auxiliary President. This
dedicated team of volunteers coordinates ongoing
projects like book fairs, holiday decorations, courtyard
beautification, American Red Cross Blood Drives
and supports local programs, such as the Fayette
Samaritans and the Department of Family and Children
Services.
Local area teens lend a hand, too, by volunteering
over the summer at PFH. Over 100 students from Fayette,
Clayton and South Fulton applied for the eight-week
program last summer which included CPR training,
accompanying hospital staff and auxiliary members
on daily activities and attendance at a state conference.
Although Piedmont Fayette's summer program requires
teens to be at least 14 years old, 11 to 13 year
olds can take Babysitting classes to be better caregivers,
build resumes and learn to market babysitting services.
Participants learn first aid and basic care methods.
Because almost 20 million Americans are diabetic
and another five million Americans have it but are
not aware of it, PFH offers a diabetes care class
certified by the American Diabetes Association.
The course includes an initial one-on-one consultation
with the diabetes-educator, a thorough review of
sound diet principles, self-glucose monitoring and
exercise techniques. Participants are also given
a personalized meal plan and a glucose meter, if
required.
Several times throughout the year, Piedmont Fayette,
in partnership with Georgia Health Decisions, offers
free workshops about advanced directives and other
legal documents relating to end-of-life healthcare
decisions. Making one's wishes known to family members
and healthcare providers helps to ensure they're
fulfilled. Participants learn how to complete a
Directive for Final Health Care Form. This form
combines a living will with a durable power of attorney
for healthcare.
PFH wants residents to "breathe easier" by offering
"Freedom from Smoking" for smokers ready to quit.
Day and evening classes began in October. These
classes are taught by an American Lung Association
facilitator and offered proven strategies with others
on the same journey.
Local residents can also come and break a sweat
at Piedmont Fayette's newly designed Rehab and Fitness
Center. The center, located in the Fayette Professional
Building across the street from the hospital, hosted
an open house in January 2004 featuring free refreshments
and giveaways to the public. The new location offers
an expanded facility, new equipment and additional
services.
The center has treadmills, rowers, ellipticals,
exercise bikes and more. Individual, family and
professional memberships are available beginning
at $35 per month. The Rehab and Fitness Center will
continue to do outpatient physical therapy and speech-language
pathology at its new location. As a new service,
occupational therapy has been added. For more information,
check out the PFH website at www.fayettehospital.org.
Newnan Hospital
The Newnan Hospital Main Campus, located on Hospital
Road, takes responsibility for the health of the
community to heart. Licensed for 243-beds, Newnan
Hospital is a JCAHO-licensed, private, non-profit
facility with the latest in medical technology.
"Super Saturday" is super popular with parents
of school-aged children in the area. This Newnan
Hospital event held in May provides free health
screening services for students involved in extracurricular
athletic activities like band, cheerleading and
team sports. Newnan brings together approximately
150 volunteers and 25 staff members for medical
evaluations. This year's event completed around
1,200 screenings. Of this total, medical staff identified
96 students who needed additional follow up with
their personal physicians, thereby preventing more
serious conditions from occurring in the future.
March of Dimes is a natural partnership for Newnan
Hospital given its commitment to children. As Coweta
County's top fundraiser, the hospital raised $12,000
this year for the March of Dimes Walk America.
Newnan Hospital is also a sponsor of the Southern
Crescent Alzheimer's Memory Walk. According to the
Alzheimer's Association, half of all nursing home
residents suffer from Alzheimer's. This can be financially
challenging for families because the average annual
cost of care in nursing homes is $42,000 but sometimes
costs exceed $70,000.
The 2004 Alzheimer's Walk was held October 2. The
5K (3.1 mile) walk began and ended at Frederick
Brown, Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City, following
the cart path system along McIntosh Trail through
subdivisions and forests. Over 1,000 walkers and
runners from Coweta, Fayette, Henry, South Fulton,
Spalding and Clayton counties participate each year
to raise money for research and increase awareness
of Alzheimer's.
Newnan Hospital has much to offer to help improve
health issues faced by their community. One such
resource is the Diabetes Support Group that meets
monthly. Participants gain important information
in how to manage the disease through healthy lifestyle
changes with the help of others who understand the
challenges of diabetes.
Another support group offered by Newnan hospital
is Joint School NA. Local residents, scheduled for
joint surgery, meet weekly for pre- and post-surgery
education.
Since good nutrition prevents disease, shortens
the recovery time of an illness and increases the
overall quality of life, Newnan Hospital proudly
offers Registered Dietitians for outpatient consultation.
These specialists assist citizens with nutrition,
food chemistry awareness and diet planning.
In May, Newnan Hospital welcomed community members,
residents and staff at its Open House to celebrate
renaming of its nursing home facility. A short ceremony
was held and local guests enjoyed refreshments,
gifts and tours of the facility formerly known as
the Beaulieu Convalescent Centernow named
the Newnan Hospital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
With a focus on rehabilitation, the new name is
"more reflective of the services we offer," says
John Fulop, vice president of Ancillary Services
for Newnan Hospital. Patients live there temporarily
while recovering from a stroke, hip replacement
or other surgeries. They receive physical, occupational
or speech therapy while there to facilitate a speedy
recovery.
Newnan Hospital is on a mission is to enhance the
emotional wellness of local businesses as well.
Sandra Harman, a certified Psychiatric/ Mental Health
Nurse with 28 years counseling experience, directs
Newnan Hospital's Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
services. As a Certified EAP Professional, Harman
is qualified to work with employees and their families
handle today's complex workplace issues.
Harman and Newnan's EAP staff help improve employee
health and work productivity through early intervention
and treatment of mental, physical or social problems.
Their underlying philosophy is "the sooner, the
better." Personal problems need to be resolved before
they turn into workplace problems.
Newnan Hospital recognizes that everyone suffers
when an employee is under stress. There is an increase
in physical illness and calling in sick and more
conflict with peers, supervisors and family members.
Often substance abuse occurs in an attempt to "cope."
With offices conveniently located in Newnan and
Peachtree City, Newnan Hospital's EAP partners with
corporations and small businesses to provide a variety
of resources including immediate crisis response
on-site, crisis intervention, short-term counseling
for employees, supervisory training in identifying
troubled employees and assistance with implementation
of the Drug Free Workplace Designation.
Another resource to improve the health of members,
visitors and employees is Newnan Hospital's fully
equipped Health and Fitness Center. The fitness
center features the latest equipment, along with
qualified instructors and coaches. The Fitness Center
also sponsors educational programs such as cooking
classes, free weight instruction and injury prevention
seminars. Membership is not required--guests may
use the center by purchasing a daily non-member
pass for $5. For citizens who choose to join, student,
individual and family membership packages are available.
As a special service to the community's senior population,
free senior exercise classes are offered weekly.
Newnan Hospital Health and Fitness Center offers
a variety of classes for a diverse population. For
example, Tuesdays' classes begin at 6am with Cardio
Blast for early risers. Later, Power Hour, a group
personal training class, starts at 9:15am. The day
continues with Yoga Lunch Break just after noon
and wraps up at 6pm with Pilates. Other classes
such as step, cycling and circuit training are also
scheduled weekly.
The Family Center at Newnan Hospital sees having
a baby as "a special family experience, so all care
is family-focused and designed to meet individual
family needs." Classes include childbirth, baby
basics, infant feeding and infant CPR & safety.
The Family Center also offers classes to younger
family members. Children that are awaiting younger
siblings can take Newnan's Family Center Sibling
Class to help them adjust to a new baby in the home.
In this course, kids get to diaper and hold baby
dolls, tour the OB Floor and learn about the behaviors
of newborn babies.
Southern
Regional Health System
Southern Regional, in step with current healthcare
issues, offers Diabetes Self-Management Classes.
Kathy Marshall, RN, CDE (Registered Nurse, Certified
Diabetes Educator) at Southern Regional, says, "Our
patient population is getting younger. We're seeing
more and more young people diagnosed with Type 2
Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes was once a disease just
seen in adults." Class participants range in age
from teens to 90.
Marshall adds, "This program is extremely important
because a very small percentage of people with the
disease attend specialized classes." Some people
become very frustrated when they eliminate certain
foods, but do not see a change in their blood sugar
levels. As Marshall says, "The program gives them
the opportunity to learn that diabetes management
is not just about food. There is a need for balance
between diet, exercise, stress levels and medication."
Classes are held each week and focus on balancing
healthy food choices, exercise and medication to
control the disease. Class participants are able
to interact in class through hands-on activities,
such as using food labels wisely and meal planning
with food models. Because diabetes often runs heavily
in families, participants can help family members
prevent the disease by sharing what they learn.
Individual diabetes assessment, support groups and
individual consultations are also available.
In keeping with its commitment to community wellness,
Southern Regional celebrated its 3rd Annual Southern
Crescent Community Health Fair in their education
auditorium in May. Open to employees and members
of the community, the health fair featured screenings
for blood pressure, body composition, bone density,
cholesterol, glucose, foot exams, PSA, TSH, chemistry
profiles with CBC, vision screenings and more.
Southern Regional is also involved in raising funds
and awareness for large annual events including
the March of Dimes' Walk America, the Alzheimer's
Association Memory Walk and the American Cancer
Society's Relay for Life.
"Pharmacy Brown Bag Day" was one of the highlights
as Southern Regional celebrated National Patient
Safety Week this Spring. Citizens and employees
had the opportunity to bring in their old medications
for a pharmacist to review and discard the ones
that were outdated. Participants were also able
to ask the pharmacist questions. This is an important
component of the National event.
"The Institute of Medicine has reported the incidence
of medical errors rising and it's a serious problem
in the health community today," explains Sue Nemchik,
chairman of Patient Safety at the hospital. "At
Southern Regional we adopted the 'Speak Up' program,
which urges patients to get involved in their own
health care. Asking questions and reading up on
medical procedures are two ways patients can help.
We're striving to create a partnership with our
patients to encourage active participation in the
care provided. An informed consumer will be a vital
member in the health care team."
Other activities for Southern Regional's Patient
Safety Week included free blood pressure screenings,
Adult Health Guides, home safety demonstrations
and a showing of "Living Wills and Durable Power
of Attorney for Healthcare" on video.
In partnership with Babies R Us and the Clayton
County Police Department, Southern Regional Health
System also hosted a free car seat safety check
in the parking lot of its Women's Life Center, which
offers car seat checks twice a year.
Southern Regional's Family Resource Center Coordinator
Stephanie McCumber, RN, explains, "Purchasing a
car seat today is difficult. Our car seat safety
check is a good opportunity for parents to come
out and learn the proper precautions when installing
a child's car seat. Besides installing the seat
properly, parents need to determine the appropriate
size for their child and make sure it's the appropriate
size for the car itself."
According to The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, eight out of every 10 car seats on the
road are not installed properly. Almost half of
all accidents involving children are the direct
result of improper installation. Correctly using
child safety seats can reduce fatal injury by 71
percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.
Also on hand were Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention
Institute's rollover car and the General Motors
sponsored Kids Van to show the proper car seat installation
and to demonstrate what happens when car seats are
not used correctly.
Southern Regional Health System and the American
Cancer Society co-sponsored a series of classes
for people with cancer, their family and friends.
The I Can Cope series offers several courses for
cancer survivors. According to Marty Polovich, RN,
clinical nurse specialist, "By offering the I Can
Cope program, we're trying to help survivors and
their families work through their feelings of fear
and frustration that often come with a cancer diagnosis.
Every topic that we deal with in the seriesfinancial
matters, exercise, relieving cancer painall
of these things will be taught in a straightforward
manner."
I Can Cope also gives participants a chance to
find encouragement and share experiences with others
who have similar concerns. Professionals in the
field of cancer management serve as guest speakers
as participants, family members and friends to gain
current information and take part in class discussions.
I Can Cope gives valuable insight on topics that
matter to cancer patients and their loved ones.
Throughout the year, Southern Regional sponsors
free Lunch and Learn Workshops to keep community
members abreast on the latest health issues. This
Spring, the topic, Hip and Joint Replacement Surgeries,
was covered by Dr. Mark Spivey, orthopedic surgeon
at Southern Regional. Frequently, athletes, the
elderly and sometimes 40 and 50 year olds find themselves
in need of replacement surgeries. Sessions like
these help patients to be more pro-active and improve
their well-being.
Other Southern Regional Lunch and Learn sessions
include Type 2 Diabetes, Early Treatment and Diagnosis
of Alzheimer's, Skin Cancer Awareness and Managing
Migraine Headaches.
Southern Regional's Women's Life Center is a resource
to local families by offering classes that range
from childbirth to quick refresher classes for parents
who already have children. Keeping parents' busy
lives in mind, Quick Prep classes are offered on
Saturday afternoons for those who cannot attend
five week sessions.
Other family resources include tours, sibling classes
and breastfeeding classes. Particularly helpful
to the new parent are daily discharge classes to
attend before leaving the hospital. There are also
breast pump sales and rentals and Lactation Consultants
who are available on an outpatient basis, for concerns
that arise after the nursing baby goes home.
PAPP Clinic
To long time residents, PAPP Clinic is as familiar
as the Coweta County Courthouse clock on the square.
However, there's nothing dated about their healthcare
services. Today, PAPP combines the expertise of
40 highly trained, highly skilled physicians in
eleven areas of medical specialties and sub-specialties
and offers a full range of diagnostic testing services
and treatments. PAPP operates six neighborhood locations
in the county, serving approximately 186,000 patients
annually.
PAPP's origins actually date back to 1919, when
Dr. Joseph Peniston returned to Coweta County to
practice medicine, as his father, Dr. Paul Peniston,
had done before him. Dr. Peniston was later joined
by Dr. James Arnold in 1939 and Dr. Joe Parks, Jr.
in 1946. After completing his surgical residency
at Emory University in 1956, the fourth physician,
Dr. Jack H. Powell, Jr., joined the group.
In 1961, the PAPP Clinic partnership was incorporated,
deriving its name from the first letters of the
last names of the four founding physicians. Today,
it is a thriving multi-specialty clinic that offers
the benefits of key medical specialties - Cardiology,
Family Medicine, General Surgery, Ophthalmology,
Internal Medicine, Obstetrics / Gynecology, Otolaryngology,
Pediatrics, Pulmonary Medicine and Urology - all
within one organization.
The people of Coweta County and the surrounding
area know that they can rely on PAPP Clinic for
easy access to advanced, quality comprehensive healthcare.
And all this comes with the comfort of dealing with
friendly people who simplify the process of getting
the health services you need.
Despite the clinic's growth, one thing has stayed
constant. At PAPP Clinic, the physicians and staff
have only one focustaking care of you.
Cardiac Disease
Specialists
Since 1980, Cardiac Disease Specialists (CDS) has
served patients in metro Atlanta and delivered high
quality cardiovascular care with a full range of
clinical, non-invasive and interventional services.
They continue to provide the best possible service
to all patients in communities throughout Georgia
with physicians, nurses, technologists and physician
assistants who are highly-trained in nuclear cardiology,
echocardiography and other specialized procedures.
Some of the diagnostic services at CDS are EKG
and exercise/treadmill EKG, echocardiography, vascular
ultrasound testing, stress echo, transesophageal
echocardiography, nuclear cardiac imaging, and cardiac
catheterization. Therapeutic services include coronary
angioplasty, coronary atherectomy, pacemaker and
pacemaker monitoring, implantable cardioverter defibrillators
(ICD) and coronary stents.
The staff at CDS shares a commitment to wellness
and disease prevention. They achieve this through
personalized screenings and patient-tailored risk
reduction programs. CDS also has a cardiac research
center, staffed by specialized nurses, so patients
have access to new developing drugs, products and
procedures.
OutPatient Imaging
At OutPatient Imaging, you'll find the latest state-of-the-art
in medical imaging. Their superior diagnostic radiology
includes digital xrays and fluoroscopy, vascular
and general ultrasound, CT (Computed Tomography)
and a high field 1.5 T MRI. Board certified and
subspecialized radiologists provide interpretations
and details of each exam.
The considerate, helpful staff at OPI is dedicated
to assuring each patient has a relaxed, comfortable
experience. Exams are scheduled with the patient's
convenience as the first priority and to prevent
long waits.
OPI is providing residents of Coweta and Fayette
counties, as well as surrounding areas, with advanced
and expert medical imaging in a friendly setting.
The staff is committed to providing you with the
best technology and the best experience possible
including short waits, convenient appointment times
and rapid reporting of exams. Ask your physician
to refer you to OPI.
Radiation Oncology
Services
One of only a few freestanding radiation oncology
services, Radiation Oncology Services (ROS) has
full accreditation. Technological advances occur
quickly, so ROS employs the most up-to-date, computerized
instrumentation and participates in national clinical
trials. The staff's expertise in both external therapy
and radioactive seed implants ensures preeminent
care.
With a full-time Quality Improv-ement Coordinator
and active financial counselors, the healthcare
team at ROS puts patients needs and comfort at the
forefront of their care. There are five facilities
conveniently located throughout Atlanta; area physicians
refer 1,700 new patients to ROS each year.
Women's Therapeutic
Specialists
For women of all ages, the experience of an uncontrolled
loss of urine can be an uncomfortable and embarrassing
problem. Aging, pregnancy, childbirth, chronic constipation
and chronic coughing can weaken the pelvic floor
muscles and lead to urinary incontinence.
The healthcare professionals at Women's Therapeutic
Specialists can help. "We have a commitment to women's
health," says owner Karen Barber, P.T. "Through
our physical therapy techniques, we can teach women
how to manage their urinary incontinence so they
can lead a more fulfilling lifestyle."
Women's Therapeutic Specialists, a member of the
American Physical Therapy Assoication, also address
other health concerns that women have, from osteoporosis
and menopause to a host of issues related to pregnancy
and childbirth.
Summit Healthplex Brings It All Together
These days, there's a lot of talk about total health
for the whole person. Summit Healthplex has been
operating with that concept since it opened.
The 82,000 square-foot facility on Highway 34 in
Newnan offers a full range of health services, from
preventive care to pain management. Among the many
services available at the Healthplex are Georgia
Bone & Joint, Georgia Rehabilitation Center,
Summit Occupational Medicine, Summit Urgent Care,
Summit Family YMCA, Southern Crescent Pain Center,
Summit Care Pharmacy, Newnan Medical Imaging and
PAPP Clinic Internal Medicine. Patients have a one-stop
location with all the individual services working
together for optimum care.
As an affiliate of Newnan Hospital, Summit Healthplex
extends its reach throughout the community. By working
hand in hand with other healthcare facilities, the
residents of Coweta County and the surrounding area
receive the best, most complete healthcare possible.
Slender Lady Fitness:
The Little Gym for Women that Does it All!
Slender Lady is Peachtree City's premier women's
workout facility offering total fitness and nutrition
in a unique spa atmosphere. They were the first
in Peachtree City to offer the 30-minute body sculpting
circuit along with Disco Fitness, Booty Bootcamp
classes and affordable personal trainers. Spa amenities
include a radiant heat sauna, Cell Detox and healthy
airbrush tanning.
The staff of certified personal trainers at Slender
Lady is dedicated to the total fitness of women.
They accommodate women of all ages and fitness levels.
"Our body sculpting circuit burns up to 650 calories
in 30 minutes," says owner Angie McCarl, "it is
an excellent workout for the woman on the go."
"Our members love the results they are seeing,"
adds co-owner Mollie McCarl, "and our Mother-Daughter
specials are very popular. We provide one-on-one
nutritional counseling and personal training to
help women achieve their goals for a healthy lifestyle."
Slender Lady makes fitness fun!
Improve Your Smile
An attractive smile is one of the hallmarks of
beauty, and with modern dentistry, it's readily
available.
There are several ways your smile can be improvedby
bleaching, recontouring or a complete smile makeover
with laminate veneers.
Bleaching the enamel layer of the teeth is very
safe and inexpensive. This conservative procedure
will brighten your smile.
Your cosmetic dentist can determine if you're a
candidate for bleaching and will oversee the process
for optimum results and safety. Your teeth can then
be recontoured or reshaped to enhance the overall
effect of bleaching.
Porcelain laminate veneers cover any imperfections
on the front of the tooth; they can close spaces,
change the shape or color and appear to straighten
the teeth. It only takes two appointments with your
cosmetic dentist to achieve dramatic results.
Talk to an experienced cosmetic dentist to find
out the best ways to bring out the full beauty of
your smile.
Shrenna L. Clifton, DDS, General Member of the
Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
