System News: June 2024

Atrium Medical Center

Premier Health’s EMS Center of Excellence recognized four Clearcreek Twp. Fire Department first responders and three Warren County Career Center fire instructors on May 24 for exceptional care of a trauma patient. The recognition stemmed from efforts that resulted in the successful field resuscitation of a 16-year-old cardiac arrest patient. It included the presentation of an Excellence in Trauma Care certificate and Challenge Coin for actions above and beyond normal duties to assist the Atrium Medical Center trauma team.

Atrium’s trauma outreach program was featured at the Middletown Rotary Club meeting on May 14. Claire Cox, trauma program manager, shared information about the hospital’s Level III Emergency Trauma Center. Ann Brock, trauma outreach coordinator, gave a hands-on Stop the Bleed lesson to the club’s members.

Atrium Medical Center Foundation held its 30th Annual James A. Combs Memorial Golf Tournament at Wildwood Golf Club on May 17. The event raises funds for both the foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Middletown. A portion of the proceeds benefits the James A. Combs Family Endowment and the Dr. E. Ronald Oches Endowment for Children's Health, supporting programs at Atrium like the Maternal Health Center, Family Birth Center, emergency and trauma services, and the HEAL program. The tournament also helps the Kiwanis Club in providing health care scholarships and eyeglasses to those in need in the Middletown community.

Middletown Division of Fire Local 336 recently made a gift of more than $2,600 to the Atrium Medical Center Foundation to support the Mobile Mammography Coach and women facing financial barriers in accessing mammograms. This generous donation comes from the fire department’s breast cancer awareness T-shirts and sweatshirts. Since 2017, the Middletown Fire Department has dedicated its pink-themed sales to support breast cancer patient care, providing the proceeds to the Atrium Medical Center Foundation.

In other community relations activities, Atrium sponsored the annual Mother’s Day 5K hosted by Hospice Care of Middletown and the second annual Middletown Rocks concert to benefit the Community Building Institute—Middletown; Premier Community Health offered free health screenings at Middletown’s first family movie night of the summer and at the Lebanon Healthy Living Market; and Solvita returned to Atrium in May for its monthly blood drive.

Miami Valley Hospital Campuses

Celebrating National Nurses Week, Miami Valley Hospital Foundation and Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton received nearly 110 dozen Bill’s Donuts from the Miami Valley Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. These donated donuts were distributed by foundation staff to nurses at all Miami Valley Hospital campuses. Additionally, Miami Valley Hospital Foundation partnered with Panera Bread to deliver 8,000 $5 coupons to nurses and members of the care team across Premier Health.

The four Premier Health hospital foundations’ system-wide annual report, “Because of You: Inspiring Better Health,” was mailed to more than 6,000 donors in May. The report, which highlights initiatives and programs supported by the four Foundations in 2023, provided donors and community partners with insight into how their gifts benefit the community and hospitals.

Miami Valley Hospital Foundation hosted an Emeritus Physician Luncheon. This luncheon offered current and retired physicians the latest updates from the hospital and foundation. Speakers included Andre Harris, MD, chief medical officer, Miami Valley Hospital; Amanda McClure, vice president service integration, Premier Health Emergency and Trauma Institute; and Joseph Mauro, MD, Miami Valley Hospital medical staff president.

Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton received a $30,000 grant from SC Ministry Foundation in support of the Young Children’s Assessment and Treatment Services (YCATS) at Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc. Since 1982, the YCATS program has provided individual and family counseling services, early childhood group therapy, occupational therapy, infant and toddler mental health services, education and training, and mental health consultation and prevention services to more than 52,000 children ages 6 and under experiencing behavioral concerns.

Miami Valley Hospital Foundation partnered with Gionino’s Pizzeria in Bellbrook for a fundraiser that will support oncology programs and the Foundation’s CareFlight campaign. Gionino’s has donation jars available at its three Dayton locations to support these foundation programs.

The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association updated visitor restrictions for area hospitals with recommendations of only visiting the hospital when healthy, using a mask if coughing frequently, and washing hands frequently.

Upper Valley Medical Center

Priscilla Blevins, CNP with CNSI/NEUROne, was named UVMC’s first APP Excellence in Action Award recipient.  The award was presented to Priscilla by Dr. April Anderson, UVMC ED medical director, at a spring management forum meeting.   

Dr. April Anderson, emergency department medical director, UVMC presented a continuing education seminar titled Understanding Heart Failure for Nursing Professionals at UVMC on May 15.

Checks were presented in May to seven community organizations that help with food insufficiency in Miami County. Funding was provided via the UVMC Board of Directors Community Benefit Fund to St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen, Troy; Bethany Center, Piqua; Needy Basket/Shared Harvest, Tipp City; New Path/Miami County; First Place Food Pantry, Troy; Salvation Army, Piqua; and Meals On Wheels, Piqua.

A graduation open house for UVMC interns in the Upper Valley Career Center Launch program was hosted at the UVMC Farmhouse on May 15. Launch is a unique business-led one-year high school transition program for individuals with disabilities ages 18 to 22 to receive career exploration, training, and education, leading to employment.

The UVMC Center for Sports Medicine announced its Edge Camp Jr. summer sports performance program, which will be held from June 3 through July 18 at Tippecanoe High School. Edge Jr. is designed for athletes in grades 6-8 who want to focus on functional ability, speed, power, and agility.

UVMC was the presenting sponsor of the Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County 2024 Remembrance Walk, held May 18 on the UVMC campus. Hospital leadership accepted an award at the kickoff, and UVMC Campus Police helped on site to ensure the safety of all walkers. 

UVMC was the presenting sponsor of the Taste of Tipp & Business Expo hosted by the Tipp Chamber of Commerce on May 2 at the Tipp Center. The hospital partnered with SpringMeade on a booth presence in a prime location at the event. In other community relations activities, UVMC sponsored the Strawberry Kids Activities at the Troy Strawberry Festival June 1-2 in Troy, the Miami County All In for the Kids event held May 9 at Lost Creek Reserve, and the Miami County Excellence In Education Awards Dinner held May 15 at A Learning Place in Piqua.

The UVMC Surgery team was recognized with Department of the Quarter honors for the spring quarter. This award highlights outstanding quality service and educates fellow teams about the scope of work provided by the recipient department.

Premier Physician Network

PPN’s Premier Health Senior Health Connect palliative care program for Medicare Advantage patients is off to a successful start, with more than 250 referrals for the program within the first two months. “We knew there was a huge need for this program, and we are seeing early proof,” said Joseph Allen, MD. PPN’s primary care team partners with local nurse practitioners, RNs, and social workers led by Mazin Alhaj, MD, our palliative care physician medical director. The Premier Health Senior Health Connect palliative care program is available to qualifying Medicare Advantage patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides frequent home visits to help relieve patients from symptoms of their serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart failure, or COPD. It’s a collaboration through which the primary care and palliative care teams partner  to support the patient’s goals. Please reach out to any member of our PPN primary care team to learn more about the Premier Health Senior Health Connect Palliative Care Program.

Several new PPN team members joined PPN in June! Please help us welcome: Cheyenne Waddell, MCR, Huber Heights Family Care; Cynthia Díaz Santiago, CMA, Magnolia Women's Health; Rebecca Schlick, MCR, Premier Health Family Care Vandalia; Skye Felty, MCR, Franklin Family Practice; Joan Rose, Practice Administrator, Premier Cardiovascular Institute – MVHN; Darrin Roth, MCR, Premier Orthopedics – Englewood; Brittney Whitlock, PPN Manager, Miami County Internal Medicine; Sandy Hofacker, PPN Manager, Premier Orthopedics Centerville; Lyla Keil, MCR, Premier Health Union Village; Lindsie Harrington, PCA, Middletown Cardiology Associates; Tiffany Schiessler, CMA, Premier Cardiovascular Institute – MVHN; Mackenzie Lyons, MCR, Lifestages Centers for Women; Riley Slyder, MA, Beavercreek Family Medicine; Wendy Tipton, PPN Manager, Premier ENT Associates – MVH; Emily Newman, RN, Lifestages Centers for Women; Nicole Hediger, LPN, Beavercreek Family Physicians; Brian Cavaliero, RN, Clinical Neuroscience Institute; and Tara Smith, MCR, Magnolia Women's Health. Welcome to the team!

Back to the June 2024 issue of Premier Pulse