Health Headlines

Blood Assurance announces Back to School Giveaway and August Blood Drive events (Media Release) Blood Assurance is giving two winners a Dell Inspiron Netbook and a backpack of school supplies during the regional blood center’s August promotion.

In addition to the prizes, the recipients will be able to donate an additional netbook and backpack of school supplies to the school of their choice.

Recipient schools must be located in the Blood Assurance service region. Blood Assurance is the exclusive provider of blood components for more than 50 area hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Visitors at any Blood Assurance location or blood drive during the month of August can register to win the giveaway.

To be eligible to donate, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. The process takes about 30 minutes and includes a complimentary snack and t-shirt. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids - avoiding caffeine - and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating.

For more information about Blood Assurance, please visit www.bloodassurance.org

-Complete list of NW Georgia area blood drives for August. List

Dr. Kristine Briones Mull Joins Floyd Primary Care Network
(Media Release) Kristine Briones Mull, M.D., has joined the Floyd Primary Care Network as a family medicine physician. She will practice medicine at 319 Redmond Rd. beginning August 1.

Dr. Mull earned her medical doctorate from the Medical University of the Americas, Saint Kitts and Nevis. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Georgia, Athens. A 2010 graduate of Floyd’s Family Medicine Residency program, Dr. Mull was previously selected by faculty and her peers to serve as a Chief Resident at Floyd Medical Center. In this role, she served as an overseer of first and second year residents, interns and medical students.

Dr. Mull has volunteered at Shorter University’s annual health fair, has served as a team physician for the Rome High School football team and has performed sports physicals at Darlington High School and Berry College. In addition, she recently presented the Tar Wars Program promoting tobacco-free education at West End Elementary School.

Dr. Mull is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association. She and her husband Logan, reside in Rome with their son Jackson.

-Latest updates from the Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition: Report outlines local screenings, upcoming health events. Click

-Aug. 26: Redmond Regional Medical Center is offering a seminar called Are you Fit to a T that will focus on bone health and osteoporosis education for men and women. The seminar will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Redmond Regional in the lower level classrooms. The event is free and open to all. Reservations: 800-242-5662 or sign-up online by Monday, Aug. 23. Lunch will be served. 

According to Blood Assurance, blood donors at Floyd ranked as the largest donor group in the service region. Click

Aug. 10/Redmond's 'Wellness Works' looks at healthy eating

(Media release) Redmond Regional Medical Center is offering a new health and wellness seminar series titled “Wellness Works” to educate participants on enhancing wellbeing through everyday choices.  This series includes six physician led seminars and will be held monthly May through October 2010.   The fourth seminar, Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth about Healthy Eating, will be held at Redmond Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, Aug.10 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the lower level classrooms. This seminar will be led by Dr. Paul Walker who will be giving valuable information on what to eat and not eat as well as discussing how to make the best wellness-based decisions in order to enjoy a fuller, healthier life.   The event is open to the public and is free of charge, however space is limited.  For reservations please call Medline at 800-242-5662 by Thursday, Aug. 5.

Floyd on of six Top Quality Award winners: (Media release) Floyd’s efforts to improve quality have earned one of six Top Quality Awards from the Healthcare Management Council Inc. Floyd was recognized with the Top Quality Award for Most Improvement.

“Quality scores are an indicator to our patients that we put them first,” said Alison Land, the Floyd vice president who oversees the organization’s quality initiatives. “This award recognizes that patient safety is a priority at Floyd. Our efforts to improve quality go hand-in-hand with our compassion and medical expertise in providing the best possible experience and the best possible outcomes for our patients.”

Quality in patient care is a driving factor in the health care industry, according to HMC, given the prevalence of easily accessed data sources about hospital performance. Quality comparisons are readily available online to the public from a variety of web sites, and consumers are more likely than ever before to evaluate quality in making their healthcare decisions.

“Over the past several years the microscope has been increasingly focused on improving quality in healthcare,” said John Whittlesey, HMC principal.

And, he noted, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have adopted
standards for uniform reporting on patient safety and inpatient quality for all hospitals in the United States.

“There’s a strong incentive to reduce these events and improve patient outcomes,”
Whittlesey said.

HMC implemented the Quality Benchmark tool in 2008 to help clients achieve their
performance initiative goals, and considered performance on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality inpatient quality indicators in determining award winners.