System News: September 2024

Atrium Medical Center

Atrium Medical Center received quality recognition for stroke treatment from the American Heart and Stroke Associations. The hospital earned the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll for applying the latest evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes.

A donation from the Middletown Community Foundation has enhanced Atrium’s Level II Special Care Nursery, allowing the nursery to acquire a Giraffe OmniBed Carestation. This advanced medical equipment supports developing and caring for premature and critically ill infants, ensuring the smallest patients receive optimal care without compromising comfort or stability.

On Aug. 3, Atrium Medical Center Foundation hosted its 10th Annual Highway to Help motorcycle ride. The ride benefitted the Adopt-A-Family program, which provides holiday gifts and necessities to families in need. Since 2015, nearly 1,000 people have benefited from this initiative.

Atrium is strengthening its employment pipeline through academic partnerships. It is continuing to collaborate with Middletown City Schools via Premier Health’s Learning Institute. Premier Health representatives attended a recent breakfast for Middletown Schools’ Ready Now partners, learning about the district's efforts to incorporate real-world business experiences into the high school curriculum.

In other community relations activities: Atrium sponsored golf outings held by Chamber45005 and the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance; participated in National Night Out events across various communities; and organized a school supply drive for caregivers' families. Additionally, Atrium’s Level III Trauma Center hosted the Arrive Alive Tour virtual reality simulator in Lebanon as part of Warren County Safe Communities’ efforts to reduce alcohol-related crashes, and Solvita conducted its monthly blood drive at the hospital.

Miami Valley Hospital

Several leaders attended a press conference hosted by Governor Mike DeWine. The conference announced funding for the new Innovation Hub on the site of onMain. The state is seeding the project with an award of $35 million.

Miami Valley Hospital Foundation and Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton distributed nearly ten scholarships to nurses and a physical therapist at Miami Valley Hospital, Miami Valley Hospital North, and Miami Valley Hospital South. Scholarships are provided to staff who are looking to further their education in the health care field. Scholarship opportunities through the foundations for the 2025 school year will be available in the spring.

Miami Valley Hospital Foundation was awarded a $163,000 grant from ALS United Ohio to support patient care for those diagnosed with ALS. A comprehensive care clinic is being developed through a partnership between ALS United Ohio and Premier Health Outpatient Neurological Rehabilitation. ALS patients are seen by a neuromuscular physician and APP, respiratory therapy, physical therapy specialists, and a nurse navigator in one clinic setting. 

Miami Valley Hospital Foundation and Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton distributed more than 75 youth scholarships to employees’ dependents in 2024. The Foundations’ youth scholarship programs offer limited funding grants to the dependent children of employees pursuing training or education beyond high school.

Upper Valley Medical Center

UVMC received the Pathway to Excellence® designation from the American Nursing Credentialing Center in August. The designation is a global credential highlighting the hospital’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued and are an integral part of the health care team with a voice in policy and practice. As a Pathway organization, UVMC leads the effort to enhance the quality of care, patient and nursing safety, and the future of health care delivery. Miami Valley Hospital and Atrium Medical Center also are working toward achieving Pathway to Excellence credentials.

Premier Health Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) now has a permanent station at UVMC. The MICU team occupies office space in the former OB educator’s office, and the MICU truck is parked outside the former OB entrance. 

In August, the UVMC Parent Board of Directors awarded Community Benefit Fund grants to Lincoln Community Center, Miami County Dental Clinic, Health Partners Free Clinic, and the Troy-Miami County Public Library Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Miami County.

The UVMC Trauma team presented a Community Hero Award to an employee at the Lighthouse Cafe in Piqua for his outstanding actions in helping save a heart attack victim outside the restaurant. A man had collapsed in his truck in the parking lot and was pulled from his vehicle by café employee Adam Sargent, who then performed CPR until EMS assistance arrived and transported the victim to the hospital.

UVMC was the presenting sponsor of Miami County Hospice’s Celebrating Life’s Stories Butterfly Release on the UVMC campus on Aug. 17. UVMC leaders also attended the Premier Health African American Wellness Walk held that same day in Dayton.

In other community engagement activities, UVMC leadership members attended the Troy State of Economic Development Luncheon, hosted by the Troy Chamber of Commerce and Development Council on Aug. 22. UVMC sponsored the Miami County Fair held in August and hosted a booth on the square in downtown Troy for the 2024 Tour de Donut on Aug. 23 and 24.

Cierra Heins, director of business development for VanCrest Health (which manages UVMC’s Koester Pavilion), participated in morning show interviews on Troy Power 107.1 and WPTW radio stations to share information related to National Healthy Aging Month and special activities scheduled for the community in September. UVMC’s Healthy Minute radio spot in September also features content related to healthy aging.

Premier Physician Network

Welcome to our new PPN Physicians and APPs who joined us at our orientation on Aug. 21. Please say hello to: Krishna Nimmagadda, MD, Vice-President – Acute Hospital Medicine; Jehad Almasri, MD, Premier Blood and Cancer Center - Middletown; Emery Steele, MD, Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Ty Raterman, CNP, Premier Health Urgent Care; Rachel Vaglienti, PA-C, Comprehensive Burn and Wound; James Pan, MD, Premier Vascular Surgeons; Amanda Kenney, FNP, Premier Cardiovascular Institute/Congestive Heart Failure Clinic; Deanna Boyd, CNS, Comprehensive Burn and Wound; Susanna Siple, CNP, Family Medicine of Huber Heights; Katrina Brandenburg, CNP, Premier Cardiovascular Institute/Congestive Heart Failure Clinic; Samantha Younglove, MD, Lifestages Centers for Women; Austin White, DO, UVMC Hospitalist; Rayna Hall, CNP, Internal Medicine Peds of Centerville; Anna Bergman, CNP, Premier Cardiovascular Institute/Congestive Heart Failure Clinic; and Gina Jones, CNM, Women’s Health Specialists & Midwives of Dayton.  

Thomas Zink, DO, orthopedic surgeon and Upper Valley Medical Center orthopedic department chair, is also known in Ohio Army National Guard circles as Major Zink, and he recently took part in GuardCare. This community event provided free health exams at the Greene County Career Center. GuardCare is a joint effort coordinated by the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Navy, and countless volunteers.  The event takes place in a different part of Ohio each year, and it serves as both a training exercise and a way to give back to the community.

On Aug. 10 and 11, GuardCare was in Green County, and Dr. Zink was there, providing excellent patient care. About a thousand patients came to the two-day event, which offered physical exams, dental cleanings, eye exams, lab testing and more. No appointments were needed, and no insurance was required. Dr. Zink has been serving in the Ohio Army National Guard since 2012, after joining while in medical school. Thank you, Dr. Zink, for your service to our country and to our community.

Learn more about GuardCare by watching this news story from WDTN.

Back to the September 2024 issue of Premier Pulse