USA Health System Participates in Heart Walk

Mark Lauteren (center), USA Health System chief information officer and team captain for the Walking Geeks, poses with USA Children's & Women's Hospital Administrator Owen Bailey and USA Medical Center Hospital Administrator Beth Anderson at the American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Sept. 13, 2014. The Walking Geeks team won a trophy for best t-shirt design and fundraising.

Dr. Troy Stevens, director of the USA Center for Lung Biology, poses for a picture at the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk on Sept. 13, 2014.

The American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk in Mobile, Ala., was held on Saturday, Sept. 13. The event raised $256,728.

Dr. Troy Stevens, director of the USA Center for Lung Biology, spoke to participants just before the start of the walk about the importance of research in finding better ways to treat heart disease. Dr. Stevens was among a large group of walkers from the USA College of Medicine.

Throughout the USA Health System, teams walked together in the Heart Walk. Teams wore t-shirts and set a goal of how much money they would like to raise and then work toward that goal.

This year’s winning team for both t-shirt and fundraising was the Walking Geeks. The PC support team designed the t-shirt. The team had 52 participants primarily from the health system information technology department and their friends and family. Their goal as a team was to raise $5,000, and the team raised $4,832. Their team captain, USA Health System chief information officer Mark Lauteren, says that they are still continuing to work toward that goal through the end of the month.

“Our team was highly motivated to meet this goal,” Lauteren said.  “There were several people on the team that really worked to get the department and others engaged and motivated.” Lauteren also offered a $20 gift card to the team member who raised the most for the event.

“I want to thank the entire team for their enthusiasm and efforts on the Heart Walk," Lauteren said. "An extra kudos goes to Claudette Lee, Pam Miles, Craig Matthews, and Reva Hitchcock."

USA Welcomes Dr. Derek Samuels

Dr. Derek Samuels was recently appointed assistant professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and will serve as an interventional radiologist with USA Physicians Group.

Dr. Samuels earned his medical degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed both his residency in diagnostic radiology and his fellowship in interventional radiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.

He is board certified in diagnostic radiology by the American Board of Radiology.

The USA Physicians Group is hosting a welcome reception to honor and celebrate the physicians who have joined the practice during the past year. The event will take place Sept. 23, 2014, from 2-4 p.m. at the USA Children's & Women's Hospital Dining Room and Courtyard. Click here to learn more.

Stephanie Macon Recognized for Customer Service

Stephanie Macon, High Risk Clinical Nurse II in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, was recently presented an Employee Recognition Award for her outstanding customer service skills.

“Stephanie has been a blessing to me and my family. She is has been working hard for me so my baby is born healthy. I can never say thank you enough!”

             -    Excerpt taken from patient’s nomination form

To learn more about the USA Physicians Group Customer Service Performance Recognition Program and to print a nomination form, click here.

USA Welcomes Dr. Ram Bhat

Dr. Ramachandra Bhat was recently appointed assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and will serve as a neonatologist at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Bhat earned his medical degree from the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in India. He completed a pediatrics residency at Maulana Azad Medical College and associated hospitals at the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India, as well as an additional pediatrics residency at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

To contact Dr. Bhat, call (251) 415-1055.

The USA Physicians Group is hosting a welcome reception to honor and celebrate the physicians who have joined the practice during the past year. The event will take place Sept. 23, 2014, from 2-4 p.m. at the USA Children's & Women's Hospital Dining Room and Courtyard. Click here to learn more.

ALREC Celebrates National Health IT Week

To mark the important role health information technology plays in improving healthcare delivery in America, the Alabama Regional Extension Center (ALREC) and others across the United States have joined together to celebrate National Health Information Technology (NHIT) Week, September 15-19, 2014.

With the NHIT Week theme: One Voice, One Vision: Transforming Health and Care, ALREC will provide a different free daily tool or tip each day this week on the Hot Topics section of their new website, www.al-rec.org/member-resources/hot-topics/. These tools are designed to help providers stay informed on the latest developments in Health IT and Meaningful Use.

“Our participation in National Health IT Week highlights our organization’s commitment to ensure health information technology is integrated, interactive, interoperable, and intelligent to achieve the best patient outcomes,” said ALREC director Dr. Dan Roach III. “By working together we can leverage technology to promote for the betterment of our health care system.”