10249M HealthyLiving FA15USE.indd

Transcription

Precision
Meets technology
Robotic surgery lends
surgeons a helping hand.
Live well,
take control
Page 27
Classes &
support groups
Try educational classes to
better manage your diabetes.
HealthyLiving
advancing health Fall 2015 • www.Tanner.org
A Miracle
of the
Heart
Great doctors, fast
timing and quick
thinking saved
James Beavers.
page 8
First in
Georgia
Tanner patient is the first to
receive new treatment for MS.
Page 18
Departments:
3 Health News You Can Use / 22 Thank You for Your Support!
26 Awards & Accolades / 27 Classes & Support Groups
12
Contents
16 T
ake Control
Diabetes classes
will teach you
skills to manage
your diabetes.
18 T
railblazer
Tanner patient is
first in Georgia to
undergo new MS
treatment.
4 ROBODOC
The robotic surgery
program at Tanner
increases precision
and positive
outcomes.
8
8 Cover Story
A Miracle of the Heart
Time and expertise were key in
saving James Beavers’ life.
4
20 Le Cirque des Rêves
Annual Magnolia
Ball raised funds
to support
an inpatient
orthopedic and
spine unit.
12 Advancing
Cancer Care
Tanner Cancer
Care offers a
comprehensive
approach to fight
breast cancer.
Let’s Advance Health — Together
T
here are all sorts of metrics —
and technologies — we can
use to monitor our health,
and all sorts of things that can
impact it, from how well we sleep
to what we eat over the course
of a day. But while these ways of
measuring ourselves seem broad, the results are entirely
personal. There are many exercises that burn more
calories than others or are better for your cardiovascular
system, but the best exercises are the ones you’ll do.
There are plenty of healthy recipes out there, but the
best are the ones you’ll actually prepare.
There are a lot of exciting things happening at
Tanner. We’re growing and expanding in a variety of
ways, invigorating our commitment to Advancing
Health with new technologies, new treatments and
new services. On page 12 of this issue of Healthy
Living, you’ll see how we’re growing our cancer
program to provide an incomparable level of care for
our region. And on page 4, you’ll find a feature on
how our robotic-assisted surgery system is allowing
us to better serve patients.
In our cover story on page 8, we feature how
our advanced cardiac program is saving hearts and
2 Healthy Living / www.tanner.org
changing lives in our region. On page 18, you’ll
learn about the Tanner MS Center and how it is
leading the way in advancing treatments for multiple
sclerosis (MS), being the first in Georgia to offer a
new medication and a new approach to fighting the
symptoms of MS.
But we can’t do it alone. That’s why, on pages
16 and 17, you can learn how to take advantage of
programs that will teach you to live a healthy life with
a chronic disease, including diabetes.
And as always, you can learn more about
your health online through Tanner’s recently redesigned
Web site, www.Tanner.org, and at
www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
Sincerely,
Loy M. Howard
President and CEO, Tanner Health System
Tanner Medical
Center, Inc.
Board of
Directors
Daniel Jackson, Chair
Steve Adams
Anna Berry
Jerry Clayton
Mary Covington
Loy M. Howard
Jeffrey Lindsey, DMD
Kyle Marrero
Robert B. Pitts, MD
Howard Ray
Timothy Warren
Gelon Wasdin
Ex-officio Members
Brad White, MD, Chief
of Staff
Christopher Arant, MD, Vice
Chief of Staff
Tanner Medical
Foundation, Inc.
Board of
Directors
Steve Adams, Chair
Tim Brewer
Wanda Calhoun
Guyton Cochran
Woody Cole
Randall Eaves
Clarence Finleyson
Susan Fleck
John Grillo
Loy M. Howard
Barbara Kauffman
Laura Larson, MD
Paul McWilliams
Trent North
Fred O’Neal
Randy Pierce, MD
Randall Redding
Laura Richards
Richard Smith
Bobby Stewart
Bob Stone
Richard Tisinger, Jr.
Tim Warren
Robin Worley
Tanner Among Nation’s
15 Top Health Systems
T
anner Health System is again among
the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems,
according to a report by research
firm Truven Health Analytics.
It’s the third time in four years that the
health system has earned the distinction.
Tanner also earned the honor in 2012 and
2014. No other health system in Georgia
placed among the 15 Top Health Systems.
Among the key findings in this year’s
study, winning health systems achieved
higher survival rates and fewer errors at
a lower overall treatment cost than nonwinning health systems.
The top performing hospitals were
responsible for better survival rates
and experienced fewer deaths, had 5
percent fewer
complications,
adhered more
closely to
patient safety
and core measures — with an almost 11
percent better patient safety scorecard —
and spent 7 percent less per care episode
than nonwinning health systems.
Truven Health Analytics is a provider of
healthcare data and analytics solutions
and services, popular for its annual 100
Top Hospitals list. This is the seventh year
Truven has released its 15 Top Health
Systems report, analyzing data from
more than 340 health systems and 2,841
member hospitals to determine the
nation’s 15 top performers.
All U.S. health systems with two or
more short-term, general, nonfederal
hospitals; cardiac, orthopedic and
women’s hospitals; and critical-access
hospitals were assessed in Truven’s study.
See What Truven Said
Kelly Pittman, an occupational therapy assistant
at the Tanner Rehab Facility at Tanner Medical
Center/Carrollton, helps patient Betty Schnake
back into her wheelchair. For the third time in
four years, Tanner has been named one of the
15 Top Health Systems in the nation based on
clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and other
publicly reported metrics.
HealthyLiving
A PUBLICATION OF
TANNER HEALTH SYSTEM
Loy M. Howard
President and CEO
Denise L. Taylor
Senior Vice President and
Chief Community Health
and Brand Officer
Kelly Meigs
Director of Marketing and PR
Tony Montcalm
Healthy Living Editor
Ronda Faries
Contributor
William Sanders
Contributor
Mary busby
Tanner Medical Foundation
Contributor
More information about the Truven
announcement is available online
at 100tophospitals.com/studieswinners/15-top-health-systems. To
view Truven’s 2015 study overview,
visit: 100tophospitals.com/Portals/2/assets/2015_15_Top_Health_
Systems_Study.pdf. Links to the
information are also available at
www.Tanner.org.
Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton
705 Dixie Street
Carrollton, GA 30117
770.812.9666
Jim Griffith,
Chief Operations Officer
Higgins General Hospital
200 Allen Memorial Drive
Bremen, GA 30110
770.812.2000
Michael Alexander,
Administrator
Villa Rica
601 Dallas Highway
Villa Rica, GA 30180
770.812.3000
Bonnie Boles, MD,
Administrator
Willowbrooke
at Tanner
20 Herrell Road
Villa Rica, GA 30180
770.812.9551
Paula Gresham,
Administrator
Health News You Can Use
Tanner Welcomes
New Physicians
Scott A. Denham, MD
Dr. Denham has joined
Carrollton Surgical Group,
part of Tanner Medical
Group. He earned his
medical degree from the
University of Alabama
School of Medicine and completed his residency
in general surgery with the Quillen College
of Medicine’s Department of Surgery at East
Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn.
For more information, call 770.834.3336 or visit
www.CarrolltonSurgical.org.
Isaac Vargas, DO
Board-certified in family
medicine, Dr. Vargas
has joined Tanner Primary Care of Carrollton,
part of Tanner Medical Group. He earned his
medical degree from the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., and
completed his residency with the Lakeside Medical
Center/Nova Southeastern University College of
Osteopathic Medicine in Belle Glade, Fla. For more
information, call 770.812.5831 or visit
www.PrimaryCareCarrollton.org.
Tanner / Fall 2015 3
Feature
ROBODOC
Robotic surgery program at Tanner leading to positive outcomes
A
robot — and the surgeons at
its controls — is helping local
patients overcome health
issues and get back to their
work and families.
According to the health
and science research site
HealthResearchFunding.org, more
than 400,000 robotic-assisted surgeries
are performed each year in the United
States. The first robotic-assisted surgery
was performed in 1997, and the rate of
procedures that use robotic assistance in
the United States is increasing by about 25
percent each year.
Robotic-assisted surgery can offer a
number of benefits for patients, since
surgeons typically need only two or
three small incisions — usually about
2 centimeters long — to perform a
wide range of surgical procedures with
unparalleled clarity and accuracy.
The da Vinci Si HD robotic surgery system at
Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton.
Help with Hysterectomy
Kelli Whitlock first learned about the robotic
surgery program at Tanner Health System
during an open house to showcase the
new emergency department and surgical
services unit at Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton in 2013.
“I remember seeing how the surgeon
could sit at the controls in one part of the
room and manipulate the robot in another,”
says Whitlock. “It looked fascinating.”
About a year ago, when routine blood
work revealed low levels of hemoglobin
— a product of about 20 years of heavy
menstrual cycles — and treatment with iron
supplements failed to show an appreciable
improvement, Megan Grilliot, MD, a boardcertified obstetrics and gynecology specialist
with West Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology
and a member of the medical staff at Tanner,
suggested Whitlock consider a hysterectomy
as a way to stop her heavy bleeding.
It was an option that could mean no
more iron supplements and a cure for
Whitlock’s anemia.
“I wasn’t nervous, because she had given
me so much information on the front end,”
says Whitlock. “And when I woke up after
the surgery, she was sitting at the foot of
my bed. It was like having a friend there.
She was such a huge support.”
Whitlock lives in Carrollton with her
husband and two children, ages 8 and
10, and works at Greenway Health. She
says the procedure went well and she
recovered quickly.
“I was up walking the hallways in the
hospital that night,” says Whitlock. “I’ve had
two previous C-sections, so I knew that
Mark
Cotton, of
Carrollton,
underwent
robotic
surgery
to remove
about
15 inches of his colon after a routine
colonoscopy found a mass. “The mass
was too big to remove any conventional
way,” Cotton says. “They were going to
have to go in and remove it surgically.”
walking would help. It was a very
quick recovery with very tiny incisions.
It was great.”
General Surgery Solutions
Carrollton resident Mark Cotton had no
familiarity with robotic surgery until he was
referred to David Griffin, MD, a boardcertified surgeon with Carrollton Surgical
Group, part of Tanner Medical Group.
Among Dr. Griffin’s areas of special interest
are colorectal surgery and robotic surgery.
Cotton was referred to Tanner Cancer
Care when a routine colonoscopy revealed
a mass on his colon. After undergoing
blood tests, lymph node testing and a
CT scan, however, it was revealed that
David Griffin, MD,
a board-certified general
surgeon with Carrollton
Surgical Group, at the
console of the da Vinci Si
HD robotic surgery system
at Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton.
Learn more
about Tanner’s state-of-the-art
approach to surgical care. Click the
“Medical Services” button at
www.Tanner.org then select
“Surgical Services.”
David Griffin, MD, a board-certified general surgeon with Carrollton Surgical Group, and Megan Grilliot, MD, a board-certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist with West
Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology, are both seeing excellent patient outcomes from Tanner’s robotic surgery system.
the presumed tumor was actually a
noncancerous cyst.
“It was great news,” Cotton says. “But
then they told me that, due to the size of
the mass and the way it was attached to
the outside wall, I would need surgery to
remove that part of my colon.”
All told, his physician estimated, about
15 inches of Cotton’s colon would have to
come out.
“The mass was too big to remove any
conventional way,” Cotton says. “They
were going to have to go in and remove it
surgically.”
The idea of having surgery via a robot
had not crossed Cotton’s mind until Dr.
Griffin discussed it with him.
“It was brought to my attention by Dr.
Griffin,” Cotton says. “That was the first I’d
heard of robotic surgery.”
The procedure required a two-night
hospital stay and took Cotton out of his
work as a meter technician for the Carroll
County Water Authority for about 30 days as
he recovered. Returning to work “went well,”
Cotton says.
“When I went to my follow-up visit, Dr. Griffin
said the surgery looked great and everything
looked fine,” Cotton says. “He just told me to be
careful for the next 30 days that I was back at
work, to make sure I didn’t overextend myself or
cause anymore problems. So now, I’m back 100
percent on my job.”
A Growing Resource
Robotic surgery has been a treatment option
for patients at Tanner since March 2013.
The program began with women’s services,
and has since expanded to general surgery
applications and urology care. Surgeons
using the system undergo an intensive
certification program to ensure that they
are well versed in the equipment and its
capabilities.
“Many physicians, like myself, received
training in robot-assisted surgery while in
residency,” says Dr. Grilliot. “Others have
been using minimally invasive techniques
for years anyway, and for them, robotic
surgery is the next step in the technological
evolution that they’ve already been part of.”
Along with tiny, highly dexterous
implements, the da Vinci Si-e high definition
system at Tanner provides a higher level
of visibility for surgeons, who can view a
magnified, high-resolution 3-D image of the
surgical site from the da Vinci console.
“The ability to perform surgery
laparoscopically, with tiny instruments
through small incisions, has been available
for some time,” says Dr. Griffin. “This
minimally invasive approach is safer,
because there’s less risk of infection, and it’s
more comfortable for the patient because
the incisions are smaller. But with robotic
assistance, we’re able to see more clearly
and move more freely during the
procedure.”
The robot’s precise movements and
14-times magnification enable surgeons
to operate with great precision and
enhanced visibility, often leading to faster,
less painful recoveries, according to Dr.
Griffin. The minimally invasive approach
with robotics allows for less pain, less
blood loss and a faster return to everyday
activities for the patient.
The Importance of Screening
Dr. Grilliot and Dr. Griffin both urge people
to receive routine screenings as advised
by their physicians, when problems can be
found early enough that minimally invasive
solutions are an option.
For Whitlock, it was her blood work;
for Cotton, it was his colonoscopy that
revealed the need for surgery.
“I feel like a totally different person,” says
Whitlock. “I had been anemic for so long —
20 years of heavy, heavy periods — that Dr.
Grilliot said I needed something that would
change me for the better. And I feel like a
different person today.”
“Screening colonoscopies should
begin at age 50, or if you have symptoms
that something might be wrong in the
bowel — bleeding, constipation, a
change in bowel habits,” Dr. Griffin says.
Cotton echos that sentiment.
“It needs to be on billboards,” Cotton
says. “Get your colonoscopy. It’s what
saved my life.”
As for the surgery, Cotton says that the
recovery went well and he rarely needed
anything more powerful than Tylenol.
“I’m thankful that I didn’t have cancer,
but I’m also thankful of the way things
worked out,” Cotton says. “Everything
was a success. I didn’t need a colostomy
bag, everything was reattached, and
other than a few scars I look great. I lead
a full life.”
The robotic-assisted surgery suite at Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton provides plenty of space and the latest surgical
technology to help surgeons provide exceptional care.
How Robotic Technology Improves Surgery
Scalpels, dressings and sutures may seem natural
in the operating room. But with advances in
technology, robotic tools are also becoming more
common in surgery.
Not Really Sci-Fi
The word robot may sound straight from science
fiction. But real-life robots are a lot more like
appliances than fill-ins for doctors. These robots
don’t act on their own and are always under human
control. Robots are especially helpful in minimally
invasive surgery. Such operations require a high
level of precision because the surgeon is working
through smaller incisions.
Robotic surgery systems have special
instruments, such as scissors and needle holders,
which are attached to robotic arms. These arms
even have wrists that copy the movement of a real
arm. The surgeon can operate these arms from a
remote area that includes a computer and video
monitor. Combined, these features make it easier for
doctors to do very delicate procedures with greater
precision and dexterity.
A Wide Range of Applications
The first robots were used in heart surgery, but now
they are used for a wide range of operations. Today,
doctors can use robots to operate on the stomach,
pancreas, gallbladder, esophagus, colon, rectum,
liver and other areas of the body. One type of robotic
procedure that has grown significantly in recent
years is surgery for prostate cancer.
Although the field is still new, several studies
have shown that robotic surgery can be safe and
effective for many types of operations. In some
cases, using robots may even lead to better patient
outcomes, such as less pain and bleeding.
Before performing robotic surgery, surgeons
must be specially trained. Patients also must be
properly selected. Not everyone may be a candidate
for this type of surgery.
What the Future Holds
Many experts expect that robots will continue to
improve how doctors perform operations and affect
the outcomes for patients.
The next generation of surgical robots might
be controlled by a surgeon’s voice. A surgeon might
talk to equipment in the operating room to lower
the operating table, raise the lighting or even phone
another doctor during surgery.
Tanner / Fall 2015
7
Feature
A Miracle
of the Heart
A Christmas Eve dash saved James Beavers’ life
J
attack. Tanner’s heart alert protocol was
ames and Pam Beavers had
put into action, which ensures that heart
a split second to answer a
attack patients receive treatment right
question that probably saved
away, by calling in the interventional
James’ life last Christmas Eve.
cardiologists and catheterization lab staff.
“We can take you to one of
James had been feeling a little off for a
three hospitals,” the emergency
couple of days before Christmas, he says. He
medical technician of 32
went to bed on Dec. 23 and had chest pains
years told the Beavers from inside the
on and off that night. He woke up
ambulance. “I believe we can get
on Christmas Eve, and by then,
you to Tanner the quickest,
Pam was not letting him put
probably within 20 minutes.
it off another minute.
And Tanner is good.
“She said I had to go
They’ll have a cath team
“Take him
to the doctor, and I
waiting for you when
wherever
had to go then,” he
we get there.”
says. “But the doctor’s
“Take him wherever
we can get the
office was closed. So
we can get the fastest,”
she drove me to the
fastest.”
his wife said.
emergency room at
James, then 62 years
— Pam Beavers
another area hospital.
old, coded in the driveway
They did an EKG, gave
and six more times within
me some morphine for the
the next few minutes. Time
pain and told me that it was up
was of the essence.
to me — I could go home and come
Time is always crucial with a heart
back the day after Christmas, or stay there.
attack, according to Christopher Arant,
If it was my choice, I was going to spend
MD, a board-certified interventional
Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with
cardiologist with Tanner Heart & Vascular
my grandchildren.”
Specialists, a part of Tanner Medical Group.
By the time James got home, he was
The EKG reading was transmitted
thinking he’d made the right decision.
from the ambulance to the emergency
Staying overnight would have been
department at Tanner Medical Center/
overreacting. He felt good; he’d get
Carrollton, where a board-certified
checked out more thoroughly after
emergency medicine physician
Christmas had come and gone.
determined James was having an STBut those plans were spoiled shortly
segment elevation myocardial infarction,
before Christmas Day officially arrived.
or STEMI, the deadliest kind of heart
“That evening, about four hours after
getting home, my chest started getting
tight, and then pretty quickly, it started
hurting worse and worse, and by 11:30 at
night, Pam said, ‘That’s it, I’m taking you to
the hospital,’” he says.
Before they could get dressed, they
realized that there might not be enough
time for her to drive him. Pam called 911.
She was in full prayer mode by then, fearing
that her husband might die that night.
From the time the ambulance arrived at
their western Coweta County home, the
Beavers’ Christmas miracle began to unfold.
“The emergency medical technician wasn’t
supposed to be working that night,” Pam
says. “He told us that he’d agreed to work for
a colleague so that coworker could be with
his kids. And to be a 32-year veteran and to
recommend Tanner? God put that EMT in
our lives.”
The EMT told the Beavers, “I was
wondering who my Christmas miracle was
going to be. Now I know.”
Once the Beavers got to Tanner Medical
Center/Carrollton, they ran into one
Christmas angel after the next, Pam says.
“Everyone was so nice and helpful and
hopeful,” she says. “They were doing things
to help me that weren’t even their jobs. They
had confidence, kindness and compassion.”
And of course, Dr. Arant’s confidence
and skill were critical components of the
successful outcome.
“I remember him looking down at me and
he said, ‘We’re about to get you some relief.’
Christopher Arant, MD, a
board-certified interventional
cardiologist, was on call
Christmas Eve when the
ambulance brought James
Beavers to the hospital with
a heart attack.
Feature
He asked if I was hurting, and I said yes. He
asked me a few minutes later, and I said no.
He’d gotten a clot out,” says James.
Dr. Arant and the staff performed a
percutaneous coronary intervention,
otherwise known as angioplasty, along with
inserting a stent.
“Within a minute or two of him putting the
stent in, I was out of pain,” James says.
“A key statistic for quality cardiac care
is ‘door-to-balloon’ time — the time from
when the patient hits the hospital door to the
time the balloon on the end of the catheter
is inserted into the coronary artery to clear
Know the
Warning
Signs of Heart
Attacks
More than 1 million Americans have a heart
attack each year. Yet a phone survey of more
than 70,000 adults found that only 31 percent
knew the five warning signs of a heart attack,
and as many as 22 percent of those surveyed
in one state did not know to call 911 if someone
was having a heart attack. Knowing the warning
signs and calling 911 right away are vital
because survival depends on getting help fast.
The five major warning signs of heart
attacks are:
1. Pain or discomfort in the jaw,
neck or back
2. Feeling weak, light-headed or faint
3. Chest pain or discomfort
4. Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders
5. Shortness of breath
the blockage and restore blood flow to the
heart,” says Dr. Arant. “The American Heart
Association recommends a door-to-balloon
time of no more than 90 minutes. At Tanner,
the average is about 50 minutes.”
James’ door-to-balloon time was
35 minutes.
During that time, the cardiac waiting
At Tanner,
door-to-balloon
times beat the
national
average.
room had filled up with 20 or so family and
friends. Dr. Arant told them that James was
on the verge of dying when he arrived and
that now would be a good time for them to
unite in prayer, Pam says.
But not only was James going to live, he
had an excellent chance at rehabbing his way
back to a completely normal life. It wasn’t
going to be easy. But it was there for the
grabbing.
Within a week, he was back at home and
ready to start regaining bits and pieces of his
life again.
James doesn’t drink or smoke, and he is
not overweight — at least not significantly,
he says with a chuckle. He was active on
both the golf course and a farm where he
ran a small feed and seed business. But he
had one huge risk factor: genetics.
“My uncle died young from a heart attack,
my cousin had a heart attack relatively young
and my dad died from one, but he was 80,”
James says. “I felt like I’d kept myself in good
shape, but I knew my family history was a risk.”
Dr. Arant says family history of heart
attacks is a big red flag, but it only means
the person should try to eliminate other risk
factors and talk with his or her doctor on a
regular basis.
“Not everyone who has a family history
of heart attacks should be walking around
waiting for theirs,” Dr. Arant says. “Science
and medicine and diagnostics are all better
today than a generation or two ago. But
family history does matter.
“That’s the one you cannot control,
though,” says Dr. Arant. “So the best thing
for those people to do is to not smoke,
don’t drink alcohol in excess, don’t eat a lot
of fatty and fried foods and exercise on a
regular basis.”
The fact that James didn’t have other risk
factors likely aided in Dr. Arant being able to
save his life.
The science behind James’ heart attack,
and most, is fairly simple. During a heart
attack, one of the coronary arteries that
supplies oxygen to the heart becomes
blocked. It deprives the muscle of oxygen,
“My uncle died young from a heart attack, my cousin had a
heart attack relatively young and my dad died from one, but
he was 80,” James Beavers says. “I felt like I’d kept myself in
good shape, but I knew my family history was a risk.”
Advancing
Heart Care in
Villa Rica
Angioplasty
now available
Tanner is expanding life-saving heart care, with
angioplasty and stenting services now available
at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica. That means
closer, faster access for residents in northern
Carroll, western Douglas and southern Paulding
counties at one of Truven Health Analytics’ 100 Top
Hospitals. That’s heart care beyond measure.
causing the chest pain and pressure that
are so synonymous with heart attacks. The
blockage is often a result of atherosclerosis
— a buildup of plaque composed of fat
deposits, cholesterol and other substances.
When the plaque ruptures, a clot quickly
forms. The clot is the actual cause of the
heart attack, and eliminating the clot is the
first thing Dr. Arant did to bring James relief
from his symptoms.
When the heart is deprived of oxygen,
the cells that make up the muscle begin to
die. Muscle is lost by the minute during a
heart attack, and if blood is not restored to
the heart quickly, it can lead to irreversible
damage to the heart and, sometimes,
death. That’s why the door-to-balloon
timing is so critical.
“Ninety minutes is the industry standard,
and we try to beat that,” Dr. Arant says. “We
were able to do this with Mr. Beavers, and it
mattered significantly to his recovery.”
Limiting damage to the heart — and
saving the life of the patient — requires
opening the blocked coronary artery to
restore the flow of oxygen-rich blood to
the cells of the heart muscle.
By this spring, James could look back at
the time leading up to Christmas and see it
for what it was — a life-altering event, but
not a life-defining one.
“It’s night and day from where I was
almost six months ago,” he says. “It was hard
emotionally, as well as getting my strength
back. Neither of us slept well for several
weeks, because it was always in the back of
our minds. When you’re told how close you
were to dying, it takes a while to bounce
back. Plus, I had to wear the external
defibrillator for the first six weeks, and that
made the sleeping a little hard, too.”
Dr. Arant says the emotional recovery
almost always takes longer than the
physical recovery. Once a patient feels as if
he or she can breathe a sigh of relief, that
the trauma is behind him or her, it can be
hard when life doesn’t automatically get
back to normal.
“Some patients have short-term
depression that needs to be treated. Most
experience it on a level that doesn’t require
medical intervention, but you cannot ignore
it, either,” says Dr. Arant. “It’s part of the
educational prep work we do at Tanner
before patients are discharged, and even
during rehab. The body has undergone a
serious trauma, and that almost always has
some effect on the mental, emotional or
spiritual parts of the patient.”
James admits he wasn’t thrilled about
the rehabilitation at first. He had no energy
and his motivation was lacking. That didn’t
last for long, though.
“As it turned out, rehab went great,” he
says. “I didn’t get started until February, but
then went three times a week for 12 weeks.
I didn’t want to do rehab, but I knew I had
to. By the end of it, I could exercise for over
an hour, and I credit them for getting my
strength back.”
James completed his rehab at the
John and Barbara Tanner Cardiac Rehab
Center at Tanner Heart and Vascular Center
in Carrollton.
Nothing is exactly like it was before his
heart attack. Maybe it’s not supposed to
be exactly the same. But the Beavers are
living a good life, happy and thankful, and
with each passing day, their new normal
resembles the old normal a little more.
Neither Pam nor James believes life
would be like this if it weren’t for the
doctors and staff at Tanner.
“Dr. Arant, he’s my doctor now. Tanner is
my hospital,” James says.
“I will never quit singing the praises of
that hospital,” Pam says.
Feature
Advancing
Cancer Care
Christie Rainey found a comprehensive approach to
fighting breast cancer with Tanner Cancer Care
S
he knew something was wrong.
“I found it myself, during a
self-exam,” says Christie Rainey,
of Heflin, Ala.
Rainey teaches at Ranburne
High School — a school from
which she herself graduated.
She’s been married for more than 25 years.
Her daughter is 25 and her son is 16. This
year, she’ll be teaching science. She has
a lot of people who rely on her — a lot of
people, besides herself, to worry about.
“Without early diagnosis,
it can spread and cause a much
larger problem with more areas
that require treatment.
That’s why we recommend
women get a screening
mammogram every year,
beginning at age 40, or even
earlier, depending on her
medical and family history.”
-Raul Zunzunegui, MD
There was a small lump, which Rainey
found during a self-exam. She told the staff
at Tanner Breast Health in Carrollton about
it when she went for her annual screening
mammogram in August 2014. The
mammogram results didn’t indicate that it
was breast cancer, but Rainey followed up
again in six months just to be sure.
“When I went back, it had gotten larger,”
she says. “That’s when they referred me to
Dr. Z for a biopsy.”
Raul Zunzunegui, MD — “Dr. Z” to his
patients — is a board-certified surgeon,
fellowship-trained in breast surgical oncology,
with the Comprehensive Breast Care Center,
part of Tanner Medical Group. The results of
the biopsy he performed on Rainey showed
the lump in her breast was malignant.
The good news: It was also
very early.
“The earlier we can detect cancer, the
better,” says Dr. Zunzunegui. “Without early
diagnosis, it can spread and cause a much
larger problem, with more areas that require
treatment. That’s why we recommend
women get a screening mammogram every
year, beginning at age 40, or even earlier,
depending on her medical and family history.”
The news nonetheless did not
come easy.
“The day Dr. Z called me with the results,
I was by myself,” says Rainey. “That was
tough. But he reassured me. He said, ‘I don’t
want you to worry. We’re going to take care
of this. Everything’s going to be fine.’”
Finding the cancer early, before it could
even spread to the lymph nodes, enabled
Dr. Zunzunegui to perform a lumpectomy,
a surgical procedure removing only the
cancerous tissue and leaving the rest of the
breast intact.
Following surgery, the patient care team
at Tanner Cancer Care recommended that
Rainey receive radiation therapy to destroy
any lingering cancer cells and protect
against the cancer’s return.
Christie Rainey and her husband of more than 20 years,
Greg, celebrated her final radiation treatment this summer.
J. Richard Bland, MD, a board-certified
radiation oncologist, oversaw Christie Rainey’s
radiation treatment for breast cancer. Rainey
was one of the first patients to receive
treatment on Tanner’s new, state-of-the-art
linear accelerator, offering more precise
treatments than ever before.
Tanner
Cancer Care
Promise
There is nothing more frightening than a
diagnosis of cancer.
When Rainey learned she had breast
cancer, she was made a promise -- the
same promise Tanner has made, and kept,
with residents throughout west Georgia and
east Alabama.
The Tanner Cancer Care Promise: 3
Days from Diagnosis to Treatment Options
is Tanner’s commitment to relieve the fear,
ensuring that newly diagnosed patients are
seen quickly by someone able take the time
to answer questions and explain options.
That helps patients gain an understanding
of what they’re facing and how Tanner will
help every step of the way.
Tanner / Fall 2015
13
Feature
Radiation is a standard treatment for
cancer, prized for its ability to destroy the
DNA in cancer cells, thereby destroying the
cancer. Often, the radiation is delivered to
the site of the cancer on a machine called a
linear accelerator, which delivers a precise
beam of radiation to the cancerous tissue.
A nearly $6 million upgrade to Tanner
Cancer Care’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer
Center outfitted the center with a new,
state-of-the-art linear accelerator from
Varian Medical Systems, featuring the
TrueBeam radiotherapy system.
“The TrueBeam system is a radiotherapy
system that uses noninvasive, tumordestroying radiation to treat cancers
throughout the body while minimizing
exposure to surrounding healthy tissue,”
says J. Richard Bland, MD, a board-certified
radiation oncologist with Tanner Radiation
Oncology and medical operations leader
for Tanner Cancer Care, who oversaw
Rainey’s radiation treatments. “Our ability
“The level of care we’re able to provide at
Tanner is really second to none,” says Dr.
J. Richard Bland. “Our ability to deliver
cancer treatments is on par with anyone
in the Southeast.”
to administer to cancerous cells while
preserving healthy cells in the vicinity of the
cancer is unparalleled on this new platform.
“Compared to older treatment modalities,
it’s the difference between administering
radiation with a shotgun or a laser,” Dr.
Bland explains.
The TrueBeam system can be used
for all forms of advanced external-beam
radiotherapy, including image-guided
radiotherapy and radiosurgery (IGRT and
IGRS), intensity-modulated radiotherapy
(IMRT), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
and RapidArc radiotherapy. The product line
includes TrueBeam STx, specially configured
for advanced radiosurgery.
Along with the Varian Trilogy with RapidArc
linear accelerator that Tanner brought online
in 2009, Tanner Cancer Care now offers
some of the most advanced, sophisticated
radiation therapy services available.
“The level of care we’re able to provide
at Tanner is really second to none,” says Dr.
Bland. “Our ability to deliver cancer treatments
is on par with anyone in the Southeast.”
Rainey says her radiation treatments on
the new linear accelerator took only about
five minutes, as it precisely delivered the
treatment to the affected tissue. She said
knowing that she was receiving treatments
on the most advanced radiation delivery
system available was a comfort.
Think You Don’t Need to Worry About Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer
occurring among American women, not including
skin cancer. According to the American Cancer
Society, one in eight women will develop breast
cancer in her lifetime.
However, many women have a misconception
about the risk: If no one in their family has breast
cancer, there’s no need to worry about it.
“The majority of cancers have no family
history,” says Dr. Raul Zunzunegui,
a board-certified surgeon,
fellowship-trained in breast
surgical oncology, with
the Comprehensive
Breast Care Center,
part of Tanner
Medical Group.
“They occur
sporadically. So
while having
a relative — a
mother, aunt,
grandmother or
sister — with breast cancer is a risk factor for
developing the disease, not having a relative with
breast cancer does not mean you’re in the clear.”
The American Cancer Society and Tanner
Cancer Care recommend yearly screening
mammograms for women starting at age 40 and
continuing for as long as they are healthy. Women
at higher risk for breast cancer should consult
their physicians regarding the optimal age to start
getting yearly mammograms. Depending
on specific risk factors and
family history, some women
might need to get yearly
mammograms starting between ages 30 and 35. In
addition, some women might benefit from annual
breast MRI testing in addition to yearly mammograms.
Tanner offers screening mammography services
at Tanner Breast Health locations in Carrollton and
Villa Rica, the diagnostic imaging department at
Higgins General Hospital in Bremen and aboard the
Mammography on the Move mobile mammography
unit at convenient locations throughout west
Georgia and east Alabama.
Learn more about mammography services at
Tanner at www.TannerBreastHealth.org.
Tanner Cancer Care goes beyond technology to treat
the whole person, not just the disease. Along with
specialists in treating cancer with surgery, radiation
and medicine, Tanner Cancer Care offers patient
navigators, registered dietitians, chaplains, support
groups and more, along with the Tanner Cancer Care
Promise: 3 Days from Diagnosis to Treatment Options.
Learn more about the Tanner Cancer Care difference at
www.TannerCancerCare.org.
Christie Rainey’s family and friends were her biggest source of support while she underwent breast cancer treatment. Many of them were present when she rang the Bell of
Hope after her final radiation treatment at Tanner Cancer Care’s Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center.
“It’s just amazing to see that machine,”
says Rainey. “It’s fascinating, the way
technology is today, the speed of it, all that
it can do; it just amazes me.”
Dr. Zunzunegui reiterates that routine
screening is what gives much of today’s
technology an advantage.
“We have so many tools available to us
now, so many options for going about
treating cancer,” says Dr. Zunzunegui. “It’s
very impressive, but none of it does us
any good without detection. That’s why
self-exams are so important, that’s why
annual mammograms are so important and
that’s why seeing a primary care provider
is so important — so you can find these
problems earlier.”
“When you hear ‘cancer,’ you
automatically think it’s a death sentence,”
says Rainey. “But it was a blessing the way
everything played out. My family has been
very supportive. My kids are older now and
able to mostly take care of themselves. My
students and everyone at the school was
supportive. We found it early. And I had all
these services at Tanner available to me.
“I know, though, that without prayer,
without God and without people praying for
me, it would’ve been very difficult,” she says.
Down the hall at the Roy Richards, Sr.
Cancer Center, a bell rings. Someone
has finished his or her radiation therapy.
At Tanner Cancer Care, when someone
finishes a stage of the journey, be it
radiation or chemotherapy, they ring a
bell to celebrate. Many bring their whole
families to celebrate the end of treatment.
The sound makes Rainey reflective.
She pauses and listens to the ringing and
cheers. Less than a week later, she finished
her own 33 prescribed radiation treatments.
Rainey rang the bell herself.
“I know there was a reason for this,” says
Rainey. “I know, somewhere down the line,
I’m going to cross paths with someone
who needs me to tell them how it was
for me. And I can say that everyone I’ve
come into contact with through Tanner
— from the ladies at the breast health
center, at Dr. Z’s office, everyone I’ve seen
during my radiation treatments — they’ve
been a blessing. It’s been a very positive
experience. Everybody is so friendly and
encouraging. They pick you up when
you’re having a bad day. Tanner has been
wonderful from day one.”
Rainey knows that follow-up care
will be necessary, with more frequent
diagnostic scans to ensure that the cancer
has not returned. These are all matters
she’ll discuss with Dr. Zunzunegui when
she follows up.
But she’s glad to know that Tanner
will continue to be with her, every step of
the journey.
Tanner / Fall 2015
15
Feature
Take Control
Diabetes education classes can help
you manage your disease
T
he goal of diabetes
 Signs of diabetes-related health
education is to teach
problems, such as foot wounds and high
you how to manage
blood pressure.
your disease. A study
 What a diabetes diet is and how to follow
published in the journal
it. A dietitian or nutritionist can help you
Diabetes Care shows that
put together a meal plan that prevents
attending any type of class
diabetes complications and helps you
or educational session for diabetes might
reach or maintain a healthy weight.
reduce your risk of going to the hospital.
 Adjustments you might have to make
to your daily routine. These might
include eating appropriately when you
In diabetes education sessions,
exercise and making healthy choices at
you’ll learn:
restaurants.
 To recognize when your blood sugar is
high or low and what to do about it.
Diabetes education is not just for
 How to take your medications.
those newly diagnosed — scientists
 Where to buy supplies and how to
and researchers are always making new
store them.
discoveries about diabetes and there’s
ample opportunity to learn something new.
At Tanner, diabetes education is offered
in group or one-on-one settings. You might
have more fun in a class with other people,
or you might learn more during a personal
visit. There’s no one right way to learn —
speak with your primary care provider and
pick what is most comfortable for you.
Tanner offers a wide range of
educational opportunities for residents
who are newly diagnosed with diabetes or
eager to learn new ways to take control of
their conditions.
Need Additional
Support?
Endocrinologists,
ophthalmologists, podiatrists and
other medical professionals can
be part of your medical team for a
comprehensive approach to
managing your diabetes, and
they’re all on staff at Tanner. To find
a specialist near you, call
770.214.CARE or visit
www.Tanner.org.
Diabetes Self-management
Education
Tanner’s Diabetes Self-management
Education Program is certified by the
American Diabetes Association.
Each patient’s needs are assessed by
a registered nurse who is also a certified
diabetes educator.
Initial appointments include a brief
exam, a check of your blood sugar,
weight and blood pressure, as well as a
comprehensive medical history. You’ll
learn more about diabetes, the symptoms
of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, how
to treat hypoglycemia, target ranges for
blood sugar results and more. During the
appointment, you’ll learn the importance of
physical activity in controlling blood sugar,
basic carbohydrate counting and meal
planning. Follow-up appointments will be
scheduled to evaluate your progress and to
provide additional education as needed.
A physician’s referral is required. Most
services are covered by insurance, and
Tanner will handle insurance billing. For
information, call 770.812.8285.
Diabetes Self-management
Education Group Classes
The Diabetes Self-management Education
Group Classes provide intensive,
comprehensive instruction on how you can
live healthy with diabetes and effectively
manage the condition.
The five-hour class is led by a registered
nurse and certified diabetes educator. It
covers a number of topics, including an
introduction and overview of diabetes,
medications that can help control the
condition, how to monitor your diabetes, the
importance of exercise, stress management
techniques and healthy living with diabetes.
Each participant will receive a comprehensive
diabetes self-management workbook.
A physician referral is required for the
Diabetes Self-Management Education
Group Class, which is offered monthly
in Carrollton and Villa Rica. For more
information, call 770.812.8285.
Diabetes Support Group
Get to know others with diabetes and pick up
some advice from those who know and share
your own perspective on living with diabetes
through Tanner’s Diabetes Support Group.
The group meets at 7 p.m. on the first
Monday of every month, from October
through May, at the Health Education
and Wellness Learning Center at Tanner
Medical Center/Carrollton. A registered
nurse facilitates the discussion, and topics
include items of interest to those living with
diabetes. If you like, bring a loved one, too
— the group is open to anyone.
Outpatient Nutrition
Therapy Services
Often, the most challenging aspect of living
with diabetes can be the dietary changes
the condition requires. However, diabetes
doesn’t have to be the death knell for all
your favorite foods, and a little one-on-one
with a registered dietitian can help you find
ways to make moderate changes that can
have a positive impact on your health.
Registered dietitians are medical
professionals who specialize in nutrition
science. Along with an array of other
conditions and diseases — from cancer to
weight management — registered dietitians
are an excellent resource for people living
with diabetes.
Get advice on preparing a menu, eating
at restaurants, easy steps you can take to
help control your blood sugar and more
with a one-on-one outpatient nutrition
therapy session with one of Tanner’s
registered dietitians. Group nutrition classes
are also available at Tanner to help you set
achievable goals for your health.
With a physician referral, most insurance
covers dietitian consultations. Medicare’s
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) program
also covers outpatient services provided
by dietitians for beneficiaries with diabetes,
along with a number of other diseases
and conditions. For more information, call
770.812.6166.
At Risk?
It can be easy to prevent diabetes if
you make a few simple changes to your
lifestyle. You can get a head start by
learning the ABCs of diabetes prevention.
Get Healthy, Live Well offers free
National Diabetes Prevention Program
classes that can help. These classes
combine coaching from a certified
lifestyle educator, proven learning
materials and small-group support to
help get you on the path to better health.
You will learn easy strategies to eat
healthy and add physical activity to your
daily life.
Participants in the Diabetes
Prevention Program typically experience:
M
easurable weight loss — an average
of 5 to 7 percent of total body weight
 Improved glucose levels and reduction
in medications
 E nhanced physical fitness and
increased stamina
 A n eating plan based on real strategies
for improving nutrition
Learn more
about how Get Healthy, Live
Well can help you take charge
of your health by clicking “Be
Well” at www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org, or call
770.214.CARE.
Living Well with Chronic Disease
and Living Well With Diabetes
Many people with diabetes struggle with ongoing
symptoms of chronic illness, such as fatigue, pain,
stress, anxiety, tense muscles and difficult emotions.
Get Healthy, Live Well offers free, six-session Living
Well workshops to help manage any chronic disease,
including hypertension, arthritis, cancer, depression,
heart disease and more, as well as one focusing
exclusively on diabetes. Participants and their caregivers
learn ways to manage symptoms with the support of
trained coaches and other workshop attendees facing
similar health concerns. Living Well workshops can
help participants learn effective strategies to deal with
symptoms; cope with pain and fatigue; improve nutrition
through healthy eating; gain skills in managing your
medications; work through feelings of anger, fear and
frustration; and improve communication with family,
friends and health professionals.
For more information or to register, visit
www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org or call
770.214.CARE.
Tanner / Fall 2015
17
Feature
Trailblazer
Tanner Patient is First in Georgia to
undergo new MS treatment
J
ust a few years ago, Paul Meier
was working as a corrections
officer in Las Vegas. A onetime Marine, he was pursuing
his career in law enforcement,
with experience in several
agencies around Atlanta.
“It was a great job,” Meier says. “I loved it.
I made good money and got to work with
great people.”
Standing from his chair at the Tanner
MS Center’s infusion facility inside the
MS Center of Atlanta, he has the straight,
tall posture of a Marine and the firm
handshake of someone with years of law
enforcement experience.
About this time last year, Meier was in
a wheelchair, debilitated by the multiple
sclerosis he’s battled for six years. Now,
Meier is the first person in Georgia to
undergo the most aggressive treatment for
MS thus far approved by the FDA.
For five days, from 6:30 in the morning
until 2 in the afternoon, he has taken his
seat in the Tanner MS Center’s infusion
facility at the MS Center of Atlanta. The
infusion center, owned and operated by
Carrollton-based Tanner Health System,
is the only infusion center in Georgia
offering treatments of the groundbreaking
drug Lemtrada. The drug only received FDA
approval in November 2014.
In MS, the body’s immune system attacks
the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Lemtrada
suppresses the immune system by targeting
a protein on the surface of immune cells
and reducing the number of white blood
cells in the body. However, since the
suppressed immune system can lead to
a higher risk for infection and other side
effects, it’s considered a “last, best chance”
for helping some patients control the
symptoms of MS.
“
Dr. Stuart is one of only a couple of doctors I’ve had since I
was diagnosed who has really listened to me,” Paul Meier
says. “I’m fortunate to have someone like him who will take
the time and listen. When I said I wanted to be aggressive in
my treatment plan, he told me about Lemtrada.
For some, the condition can be benign
with very little impact; for others, it can be
devastating. When Meier was diagnosed
with MS in May 2009, the condition left him
unable to move his left arm and his right
leg. He also lost vision in his left eye.
“It hit me like a truck,” Meier says.
On his fourth day of the five-day course
Board-certified neurologist Doug Stuart, MD, worked
with patient Paul Meier to develop an aggressive
approach to addressing Meier’s MS symptoms.
”
of the initial infusion, however, Meier, 36, of
Conyers, says the benefits of Lemtrada have
been well worth the risks.
“My sense of balance has improved,”
Meier says. “I can stand with my eyes
closed. Both my legs seem to be working
at the same speed. I’ve got feeling back in
my fingers and toes. I didn’t realize it before,
but I haven’t felt my toes in six years.”
Meier also says he doesn’t feel like he
walks with a pronounced limp anymore and
even his vision has improved.
Doug Stuart, MD, a board-certified
neurologist with Peachtree Neurological on
the medical staff at the Tanner MS Center,
has been overseeing Meier’s care.
“Paul is the ideal patient for this
treatment,” says Dr. Stuart. “He’s very
compliant, and we know he’s going to
follow up like he should.”
The treatment is aggressive — which was
just the approach Meier wanted to take.
Meier has tried other medications to
cope with MS before, having the most
success with a drug called natalizumab —
brand name Tysabri — that is often used
when other medications have failed. Meier
moved back to Atlanta from Las Vegas in
2012, and in January 2014, his neurologist
at the time switched him from natalizumab
to another medication.
He experienced a significant relapse,
in April 2014, causing him to miss all but
10 days of his present employment as a
corrections officer. He spent three months
New Drug Received
FDA Approval
Late Last Year
Paul Meier received infusion treatments
of the new multiple sclerosis medication
Lemtrada at the Tanner MS Center
infusion facility at the MS Center of
Atlanta. The infusions were administered
daily for five days. He was the first in
Georgia to receive the new treatment.
in a wheelchair and five weeks using a
walker. Meier was finally able to return
to work in November, but his work was
impacted and he didn’t feel he was able to
give it his best.
“I had been able to work out a lot,” says
Meier. “I felt like I was putting MS in my
rearview. Just when I thought I was getting
ahead of it, I had that relapse. I just want to
put MS behind me. I want to be able to sit
all the way through a movie without having
to go use the bathroom. I want to be able
to just step up on curbs without having to
plan for how I’m going to do it.”
Most MS drugs, according to Dr. Stuart,
are not immunoresponsive. That is, they
don’t affect the immune system. Since
Lemtrada does, it requires an extensive
commitment on the part of the patient to
follow up routinely. That means four years
of monthly blood tests to check thyroid
and kidney function, annual consultations
with a dermatologist to check for skin
problems and skin cancer — and another
three-day round of infusions 13 months
after the initial five-day course.
“People need to understand that this is
a drug with a very high efficacy rate, but
you have to be committed not only to
the treatment, but to the follow-up care
as well,” says Dr. Stuart. “This drug can be
handled safely, but you have to have a plan
and you have to follow the plan.”
That’s the reason only a few infusion
centers throughout the country are now
offering Lemtrada, Dr. Stuart explains.
And the Tanner MS Center and the MS
Center of Atlanta developed a strong and
comprehensive plan for follow-up care.
“This is the drug that everybody who treats
MS is talking about,” says Dr. Stuart. “ But
not everybody is prepared to use it. It takes
a certain amount of courage to be the first.
MS is a disease that can have very serious
consequences, but this drug helps us push
the ball down the field.”
For Meier, sleeping more than 90
minutes without having to run to the
bathroom is a win. Seeing so many
other benefits also makes the
treatment worthwhile.
“I know there’s no cure for MS,”
in the Hospitals and
Meier says. “Lemtrada isn’t going
Facilities menu at
to cure me. But if it can help me
www.Tanner.org to
get to a point where I don’t have to
learn more.
worry about my MS symptoms, I’ll
call that a cure. I don’t have to be 100
percent again. If I can get back to living
normally, that’s cure enough for me.”
Select “Tanner
MS Center”
Tanner / Fall 2015
19
Feature
Le Cirque des Rêves
Celebrating 25 Years of Magical Memories
T
he 25th annual Magnolia Ball brought the glittering spectacle “Le Cirque
des Rêves” (Circus of Dreams) from the best-selling novel “Night Circus”
to the grounds of the Richards family’s Carrollton estate on April 25.
Under the direction of Co-chairs Mrs. Tina Reid and Mrs. Erica Tisinger,
more than 200 volunteers brought the Magnolia Ball to life. Generous
financial and in-kind support from more than 300 community members
and organizations ensured that nearly $475,000 was raised.
The proceeds will support an inpatient orthopedic and spine unit at Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton that will feature a highly specialized surgical and nursing care team. The new unit
will ensure that spine and orthopedic patients will receive the care, knowledge and support
they need to recover faster and regain quality of life close to home.
Tanner Medical Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the sponsors, volunteers,
auction donors, reception hosts and Tanner team members who made the 25th annual Magnolia
Ball an extraordinary event.
If you would like to support the orthopedic and spine unit at Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton, please send your gift to Tanner Medical Foundation at P.O. Box 695,
Carrollton, GA 30112. You also may call 770.812.GIFT (4438) or make a gift online at
www.TannerMedicalFoundation.org.
Mrs. Susan King Plaxico and Mrs. Joan
Worthy served as co-chairs of the first
Magnolia Ball in 1991. Twenty-five years
later, they were selected as honorary
chairs of the 2015 Magnolia Ball in
appreciation for their longstanding
support of Tanner Health System.
The 25th annual Magnolia Ball Executive Committee (from left): Decorations
Vice-chairs Julia Wilson, Erica Greene and Susan Stone Adams; Co-chairs Tina
Reid and Erica Tisinger; Auction Vice-chairs Emily Garner, Kristen Gill and Ann
Newman. (Not photographed: Sponsorship Vice-chairs Jim Gill and Tim Warren.)
Tanner Medical Foundation and the 25th annual
Magnolia Ball committees would like to thank:
Primary Sponsors
Addison Smith Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
Advantage Office Solutions / L. Mark Camp
Mrs. Jackie Carden / JHC Outdoor Agency
Community & Southern Bank
Tommy and Betty Green
Greenway Health LLC
Hospital Authority, City of Bremen,
County of Haralson
RA-LIN
Southeastrans, Inc.
Southwire Company
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Stone
Tanner Heart & Vascular Specialists
University of West Georgia
West Georgia Ambulance, Inc.
Platinum Sponsors
American Commerce Bank
BB&T
Bank of North Georgia
Dr. and Mrs. Anthony W. Colpini
Dr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Fleck Jr.
Jim and Cheryl Gill
Dr. Mark and Laurie Gustafson
J. Smith Lanier & Co.
Lakeview Farms
Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, P.C.
Susan and David Plaxico
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Pope
R.K. Redding Construction, Inc.
Cornelia and Tom Richards
Greg and Angie Slappey
SMI
Southern States Bank – Rocky Lipham
Tisinger Vance, P.C. - Attorneys at Law
United Community Bank
Wells Fargo / John and Tammy Paulk
West Georgia Urology Associates, P.C.
Joan and Peter Worthy
Gold Sponsors
Almon Funeral Home / The Times-Georgian
Dr. and Mrs. Brian Barden
Barnes Van Lines
Brandall Lovvorn Drugs / Turner Pharmacy
C. M. Tanner Grocery Co., Inc.
Carroll County Nephrology, P.C.
Carroll EMC
Carrollton Emergency Physicians, P.C.
Carrollton Surgical Group
Die-Tech Industries, Inc.
Dixie Converting Corporation
Fairfield Friends of Tanner
Friends of the Hospital
Georgia Power Company
Georgia West Imaging, P.C.
Dr. Elizabeth Gorey / Dr. and Mrs. John Pezold /
Dr. and Mrs. Brad Gambrell
Grillo & Associates
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Harris / Mr. and Mrs. Rick Hayden
Heart Strings
Dr. and Mrs. David G. Helton
Mr. and Mrs. Loy Howard
Dr. and Mrs. Charles Hubbard
Annette and Dennis Jones – West Georgia Electric
Jones-Wynn Funeral Home / Sonny and
Cecelia Brown
Rob and Patti Pitts
Professional Park Medical Services, P.C.
Mrs. Ruth Reeve
Scott Evans Chrysler Dodge Jeep Nissan
Southern Therapy Services, Inc.
Sherry and Lee Stringfellow /
Simone and Bill Berard
Tanner Department of Anesthesiology
Walker Cadillac Buick GMC, Inc.
West Georgia Lung and Sleep Dr. Jeff Reid and Dr. Lindsey Roenigk
The Magnolia Ball theme “Le Cirque
des Rêves” was inspired by a mystical
circus in the best-selling novel by Erin
Morgenstern, “The Night Circus.”
Tanner / Fall 2015
21
Thank You for Your Support!
Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue to deliver quality
care to our community. The following pages list the donors of gifts received
between October 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015.
Each year, the Tanner Activities Committee
raises funds through T-shirt sales to support
a specific area of community need through
Tanner Medical Foundation. Sales for the
popular “Rally for a Cause” T-shirts helped
the committee raise more than $30,000 in
2014 in support of Tanner’s Mammogram
Assistance Fund, and exceed more than
$100,000 raised and donated during the
past seven years. Pictured from left: Melinda
Kilgore, Becky Grizzard, Regina Shelnutt,
Courtney Morgan (mostly hidden), Janet
Daniels, Debbie Walker, Venita Steed,
Dathan Sorrow, Suzanne Mock, Danna
Deering, Shirley Hamil, Kim Thomas, Mary
Busby, Clint Meigs and Ronnie Farmer.
CANCER INTITATIVES
Bikers Battling Breast
Cancer Fund
Bikers Battling Breast Cancer, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Jake H. Haslam
In memory of:
Indulge Salon & Day Spa
•Mr. Harris “Bodie” Boyd
Ms. Patricia Y. Stevens
•Mikki Sewell Burns
Rotary Club of Bremen, Inc.
•Mr. Horace Carden
Mrs. Jackie W. Carden
JHC Outdoor Agency
•Mr. Blake Carroll
Ms. Michelle Messner
•Mrs. Nancy Gilbert
Ms. Scarlet G. Lanier
Mr. and Mrs. Merrill R. Law
Mr. and Mrs. Gregg Ledbetter
Cancer Patient
Assistance Fund
Dr. and Mrs. John T. Lewis
Mr. Steve R. Adams
Mrs. Andrea Long
Advantage Office Solutions
Dr. Edith Maxwell
Mrs. Joyce A. Allen
Mr. and Mrs. George A. McCall
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Almon
The Nest
The Family of Chick and Virginia Almon
Park Place Grocery
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Almon
Plates on the Square
Anonymous
Mrs. Faith Pullen
Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Bell
RA-LIN
Dr. and Mrs. William T. Calhoun
RepSouth Fitness
Ms. Barbara Camp
Fred and Anne Richards
Carrollton Civic Woman’s Club
Simply Cupcakes of Carrollton
Carrollton Community Choir
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Smith
Ms. Elaine Chandler
Mr. and Mrs. David E. Smith
Mrs. Gwyn C. Chesnut
Ms. Joanna L. Smith
The Cole Family Charitable Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Randall T. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Grady W. Cole
Southeastrans, Inc.
Ms. Susan Logan
Dr. Karen A. Curtis
Hearts for Him Bible
Study at SHCC
Dr. and Mrs. Bryan P. Kirby
•Mr. Allen Kaylor
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick
W. Martin
•Mr. Charlie W. O’Neal
Fred and Lillian O’Neal
•Mr. William H. Onken III
Dr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Fleck Jr.
•Mrs. Ann Pack
Mrs. Ruth Langdon
Mr. and Mrs. Warren Daubenspeck
Southwire Company
Rev. and Mrs. Gerry M. Davis
Tisinger Vance, P.C.
Mrs. Nancy J. Tunnell
The Busby Family
Dr. Bradley H. Edwards
Catherine McCrory Saravia
Mr. and Mrs. Ettore G. Fazio
Vape N Stead
Clarence and Helen Finleyson
Wayne Davis Concrete Company
The Busby Family
Ms. Patty Frizell
Ms. Denise Worthington
Ms. Betsy Griffies
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart A. Yahm
•Mr. Albert Palladino
•Mrs. Margaret M. Palladino
•Mrs. Gail C. Settles
Mrs. Linda S. Camp
•Mrs. Anne Davis Sewell
Anne Davis Sewell Estate
William G. Sewell
•Mr. Freddie Smith
•Mrs. Phyllis Gail Smith
Synectic Research and Analysis
•Mr. Charles F. Stein
The Busby Family
•Ms. Patricia Vickerstaff
Mrs. Ruth Langdon
•Mr. H. Parker Ward
The Busby Family
•Mr. Curtis White
Mr. and Mrs. Troy Boatwright
•Mr. M. C. Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. Guy E. Mathis
•Mrs. Sandra S. Milford
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Martin
•Mr. John Sewell
•Mr. William Sewell
•Tanner Breast Health Staff
Mrs. Linda W. Craven
•Mr. Gene Vineyard
•Mr. Vince Vineyard
•Ms. Robyn Watts
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Martin
•Dr. Ryan Weber
Elite Healthcare Physician Medicine
•Ms. Kathy Yates
•Mr. Willie Wilson
In honor of:
•Ms. Janet L. Daniel
•Mr. John Fletcher
•Mr. Garrett Goldin
•Bill and Ruth Holcomb
Rick and Kathy Mathis
•Mrs. Ruth W. Holcomb
Gift-in-Kind:
The Carrollton Menu
Gradick Communications, LLC
Keep Carroll Beautiful
KENN Productions, Inc.
PHD Systems
Rejoice 89.1
The Times-Georgian
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. William Curtis
Dr. Christopher B. Arant
•Mr. Daniel Disharoon
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Troy Dodson
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Sabrina Driskell
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Dan Driver
•Mr. James Evers
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Grace June Fincher
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Della Frazee
Dr. William E. Rogers
•Mrs. Ingrid George
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Harold A. Griffith
Alabama Chivers
American Pie Pizzeria
Body and Mind Pilates
The Breast of Times Foundation
The Brickyard
Carroll County Fire Officers
Association
Chick-fil-A of Carrollton
Richard and Beverly Colditz
Etrenzik / Dixie Care Foundation
Golden City Cruisers Car Club, Inc.
Mr. Shawn R. Lovill
The Plantation Women’s Club
Mr. and Mrs. Barry C. Robinson
South Paulding Touchdown Club
Steps To Help
SWAGG Homemakers
Tanner Activities Committee
The Times-Georgian
West Georgia Ambulance Service
West Georgia Technical College
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Overton
•Dr. and Mrs. Eric A. Heine
•Mr. and Mrs. Greg Shilling
•Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Smith
•Dr. and Mrs. Lee Stringfellow
Mobile Mammography Unit
Patient Care Products
Gift-in-Kind:
Ms. Donna Bacon
Ms. JoAnn Mann
Mrs. Helen O. White
Johnnie and Edna Huey
Harold and Jeanette Janney
•Mrs. Helen R. Hightower
Mr. Chuck Huey
Mr. Gary Moore
Bobby and Betty Smith
Carrollton Auxiliary
•Mrs. Phyllis Gail Smith
Ms. Alice H. Fountain
Haralson County
Dr. and Mrs. J. Howard Mills
Office of District Attorney
Tallapoosa
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Willis “W.L.” Huckeba
•Ms. Sallie Belle Hudson
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Gordon Johnson
•Mr. Hugh Key
•Ms. Sara Kimbrell
•Mr. Wilbert King
•Ms. Anne Hendrix
ED Fish and Turtle Habitat
•Mrs. Ruth W. Holcomb
Carrollton Emergency
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Abell
Physicians, P.C.
Drs. Brenda and Tom Fitzgerald
Mrs. Mary Busby
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Mary Lolley
•Mr. Donald Jesse Lord
•Ms. Alice Mann
•Ms. Fayenell Marshall
•Mr. Rayburn McCormick
•Mrs. Vivian W. McGhee
•Mrs. Luvain Miller
•Mr. Hugh Nelms
Mrs. Janet A. Couch
Tanner Heart &
Vascular Center
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
Ms. Barbara R. Tanner
In memory of:
•Mr. Billy G. Agan
•Mr. Hugh Akin
•Mr. Forest Baker
•Ms. Elvira Ballenger
•Mr. Kenneth Batchelor
•Ms. Ida Mae Beck
TANNER MEDICAL CENTER/
CARROLLTON
Capital Improvement
In memory of:
Tommy and June Forte
•Mr. Roy Howard
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
Stacey C. Morin Fund
Dr. and Mrs. Denis M. Morin
•Mrs. Brenda S. Arthur
Ms. Bonnie Farmer
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. James D. Head
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Ms. Peggy J. Arledge
Bremen CertusBank Teammates
•Mr. and Mrs. Wade F. Douthit
Foundation
In memory of:
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Catherine Handley
•Ms. Rena Heggs
In honor of:
Mrs. Janet L. Whitt
•Mr. Jimmy Houston
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Janet S. Deese
Mrs. Jennie L. Redmond
•Mr. Charles Leach
•Mr. Thomas Hamilton
Mr. Steve R. Adams
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
Mammogram
Assistance Fund
Mr. and Mrs. John Fitzgibbon
•Mr. James Griggs
•Ms. Alice Hall
The SWAGG Homemakers Club of Wedowee, Alabama, raised funds for Tanner Medical
Foundation’s Mammogram Assistance Fund. Gail Deering (left) presented the check to Tanner
Medical Foundation’s donor relations coordinator, Carla Duncan.
Mrs. Carla A. Duncan
Gift-in-Kind:
Mrs. Donna F. Maner
Dr. T.M. “Mac” Martin Jr.
Mrs. Jennie L. Redmond
•Ms. Thelma Bowen
•Mr. Calvin L. Carroll
•Mr. Ethan A. Chambers
•Ms. Alberta Clark
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Marion Clintion
•Mrs. Dorothy Cohran
Barbara Cavender (left) and Marsha McGahee (right) of the West
Georgia Quilt Guild presented two handcrafted quilts to Tanner
Medical Foundation’s Mary Busby in celebration of National Quilt
Day, March 17. The quilts were given to the first babies born on
March 17 at the W. Steve Worthy Maternity Center at Tanner
Medical Center/Carrollton and the Maternity Center at Tanner
Medical Center/Villa Rica.
•Ms. Ruth Nicholson
•Mr. Raymond Otwell
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mr. Willis Parsons
•Ms. Doris Patterson
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Mrs. Willie Virginia Thompson
•Ms. Sarah Frances Walker
•Mr. James Lee Watson
•Mr. Charles Webb
Dr. and Mrs. Christopher B. Arant
Atlanta Electrical Distributions
Bank of North Georgia
Dr. and Mrs. Brian E. Barden
Barnes Moving and Storage
BB&T
Mr. Luke Beverly
Mr. and Mrs. Larry B. Boggs
Capt. and Mrs. Sonny T. Brown
•Mrs. Edith Pearson
•Mrs. Marie Whitaker
C. M. Tanner Grocery Co., Inc.
•Mrs. Jeanette Pearson
•Mr. Stanley Peterson
•Mr. Charles Pierce Sr.
Dr. Onaje D. Greene
•Ms. Sandra Williams
•Mr. Willard Wilvert
•Mr. Dallas Young
•Ms. Emma Pike
•Mrs. Edna Polk
•Mrs. Lutrell Prince
•Mr. Horace Rowland
•Mrs. Era Sanders
•Ms. Lois Screws
•Mr. Delma Shoemake
In honor of:
•Mr. J. W. Andrews
•Mr. Danny Jones
•Mr. Guy Mathis
•Mr. Bobby Ragan
•Rev. Mike Roper
•Dr. Larry Wilson
•Mrs. Lee Hope Spake
•Mr. Willie Springer
•Mr. Bernard Stringfellow
•Mr. Jerry Thomas Summerville
Tanner Orthopedic
and Spine Unit
Alex Roush Architects, Inc.
Almon Funeral Home & Chapel
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Almon
American Commerce Bank, N.A.
Anonymous
Carroll County Nephrology, P.C.
Carroll EMC
Carrollton Emergency
Physicians, P.C.
Carrollton Surgical Group
Mr. and Mrs. Bo Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Cleghorn
Dr. and Mrs. Anthony W. Colpini
The Community Foundation of
West Georgia
Dr. and Mrs. Ryan D. Cortez
Dixie Converting Corporation
Dr. Steven A. Eubanks and Dr. Amy
J. Eubanks
Clarence and Helen Finleyson
Dr. and Mrs. William B. Gambrell
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Gill Sr.
Dr. Tunicia A. Giron
Dr. Elizabeth R. Gorey
Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Green Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Onaje D. Greene
Greenway Health LLC
Grillo & Associates, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. John Grillo
Dr. and Mrs. L. Mark Gustafson
Mr. and Mrs. George B. Hamil Jr.
Bill Stone (left) and Kimberly Grisham (center) of SMI presented a check
for Mammogram Assistance to Mary Busby, director of Tanner Medical
Foundation. SMI employees raised funds throughout the quarter to
support local patients who could not otherwise afford mammograms.
Dr. and Mrs. Barry F. Harris
Dr. and Mrs. John C. Pezold
Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Harris Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Pitts
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Hayden
Dr. and Mrs. David Plaxico
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Pope
Dr. and Mrs. Charles N. Hubbard
Primary Care Group of West
J. Smith Lanier & Company
Dr. and Mrs. Mujeeb A. Jan
Dr. and Mrs. Rajat Jhanjee
R. K. Redding Construction, Inc.
Jones-Wynn Funeral Home
RA-LIN
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Redding
Ronnie and Debra Jordan
Mrs. Ruth H. Reeve
Dr. Shazib B. Khawaja and
Dr. and Mrs. T.E. Reeve III
Kinney Taylor Edward
Jones Investments
Dr. and Mrs. Jeff S. Reid
Renaissance Charitable
Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas T. Richards
Marnie and Rocky Lipham
Alex and Susan Roush
Maxwell Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Scott Evans Chrysler Dodge
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron McWhorter
Services, P.C.
JHC Outdoor Agency
Dr. Afsheen Khawaja
Employees of West Georgia Ambulance, left to right, Suzanne Rogers, Sherrie Richardson, Sharon
Stanford, Dawn Jacobs, Shane Bell, Kel Grier and Dawn Jacobs, present a check to Tanner Medical
Foundation director, Mary Busby (far right, holding check), from their annual fundraising yard sale in
memory of Ruby Sue Green, a paramedic for West Georgia Ambulance who lost her battle with breast
cancer. The funds make mammograms possible for area women who could not otherwise afford this
life-saving screening.
Georgia, P.C.
Professional Park Medical
Jeep Nissan
Malinda and Paul McWilliams
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Shilling
Mrs. Julie Miles
Southern States Bank
Dr. and Mrs. Alexandre F. Morin
Southern Therapy Services, Inc.
Ms. Ann A. Newman
Southwire Company
Northwest Georgia Oncology
Dr. Kirsten Spraggins
Centers, P.C.
Dr. and Mrs. Jon L. Stanford
O2 Plus, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Stone
The Parian Law Firm, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Lee E. Sundberg
Mr. and Mrs. Cade Parian
Systems & Methods, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. John Paulk
COMMUNITY
BENEFIT
Grants
Get Healthy, Live
Well Grant:
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Mobile
Mammography
Unit – Indigent
Mammograms
Grant:
It’s the Journey, Inc.
Reach out and
Read Grant:
Target
W. Steve Worthy
Maternity Center
In memory of:
•Ms. Emily W. Nisbet
Ed and Inge Grant
Tabernacle Baptist Church
Gift-in-Kind:
Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Vance
Carol L. and Katherine
E. Martin Endowment Fund
Carol L. and Katherine E. Martin
In honor of the birth of:
•Miss Emma Caryann Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Maddox
•Miss Hayden Katherine Meigs
Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Meigs
•Master Aiden Benjamin Muse
Ms. Crystal Cline
•Miss Chloe L. Rush
Mr. and Mrs. David W. Rush
•Miss Anna Lynne Scott
•Ms. Eris Alma Thornton Porter
Indigent Care
•Mr. Sammie Amos Yates
Frank and Libby Thomasson
Charitable Trust
Oppenheimer & Company, Inc.
Mrs. Laura M. Brown
Ms. Glenda Hammock
•Ms. Charlotte Cobb
Mrs. Laura M. Brown
Raymond L. Abernathy
Ms. Brenda K. Hammock
Family and Dale Howard
Ms. Glenda Hammock
Nursing Education Fund
In honor of professional nurses
who practice the art and science
of caring
•Mr. Stacey A. Nuckolls
Mrs. Laura M. Brown
Get Healthy, Live Well
Initiative Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Eggleston
In memory of:
Frank and Libby
Thomasson Fund
Mrs. Laura M. Brown
Ms. Glenda Hammock
Memorial Trust
•Miss Maddie Paige Bell
Mr. and Mrs. Heath J. Bell
Ms. Glenda Hammock
Get Healthy West
Georgia Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Gelon Wasdin
The Community Foundation for
Greater Atlanta
Mr. and Mrs. Teddy A. Howard
Mrs. Gena A. Little
•Miss Eden Olivia Swafford
Mr. and Mrs. Randall K. Buchanan
•Miss Jocelyn Yuvonne Turner
Ms. Patricia Y. Stevens
•Master Lewis Shaefer Vance
Mr. and Mrs. Casey Vance
Practice
Transformation
Network Grant:
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services
•Master Landon Keith Woodring
Mr. and Mrs. David W. Golden
•Miss Emberlyn Journey Yates
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Yates
Gift-in-Kind:
GA Alpha Alpha Chapter of Alpha
Delta Kappa
Tanner Department of
Anesthesiology
Tanner Heart &
Vascular Specialists
Tanner Investment Company
Mr. Kinney Taylor
Tisinger Vance, P.C.
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Tollerson
Turner Pharmacy
University of West Georgia
Foundation, Inc.
Villa Rica Drugs
Mr. and Mrs. Gelon Wasdin
John and Mitzi Wasdin
Wells Fargo
West Georgia Electric
West Georgia Internal
Medicine, P.C.
West Georgia Lung and Sleep
Medicine, LLC
Mr. Jerry Wood and Mrs. Mary
M. Covington
Dr. and Mrs. T. Peter Worthy
Gift-in-Kind:
CC Printing Co., Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Trey Fleck
Dr. and Mrs. Charles N. Hubbard
Mrs. Donna F. Maner
Willowbrooke at Tanner
Expressive Therapy
Program
Anonymous
TANNER HEALTH SYSTEM
Capital Improvement
Anonymous
Doug and Emily Cole
Mr. and Mrs. Don A. Custard
Ken and Mary O’Neill
Rotary Leadership Institute
Sunshine Division
In memory of:
•Dr. H. L. Barker
Angie Barker
•Mr. Stephen Booth
Johnny and Joyce Johnson
•Mrs. Susan Harman
Mr. W. S. Harman
•Mrs. Newton
Aetna Group USA
•Mr. Claude Wheeler
Mrs. Cynthia S. Cain
In honor of:
•Dr. Bryan P. Kirby
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Maddox
•Mrs. Elizabeth McCollum
Charles and Faye Reese
•Mr. Ken R. McGowan
Local Thirty-One Gifts consultant, Jenny Kelley, brightened the day of Lillian Strickland, her mom,
Elizabeth, and other pediatric patients at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton with a gift of Easter baskets.
Awards & Accolades
•15 Top Health Systems from
•
•
•
Truven Health Analytics,
Tanner Health System, 2012,
2014, 2015
Top Performer on Key
Quality Measures from The
Joint Commission, Tanner
Medical Center/Carrollton,
Tanner Medical Center/Villa
Rica and Higgins General
Hospital, 2012, 2013, 2014
Top Georgia Hospitals
from Georgia Trend, Tanner
Tanner Medical Center/Villa
Rica and Higgins General
Hospital, 2012, 2013, 2014
Georgia Hospital Association
Community Leadership
Award, Tanner Health System,
2010, 2014
•iVantage Health Analytics’
•
•
•
•
HEALTHSTRONG Hospitals,
Carrollton and Tanner Medical
Center/Villa Rica, 2014
Hospital of the Year from the
Georgia Alliance of Community
Hospitals, Tanner Medical
Center/Carrollton, 2014
Truven Health Analytics’
100 Top Hospitals, Tanner
Medical Center/Villa Rica,
2014, 2015
Everest Award from Truven
Health Analytics, Tanner
Medical Center/Villa Rica, 2014
Top 20 Best Practice in
Financial Stability from
the National Rural Health
Association, Higgins General
Hospital, 2014, 2015
•Best Places to Work in
•
•
•
Atlanta among large
employers from the Atlanta
Business Chronicle, Tanner
Health System, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
Top-Performing Hospitals in
Metro Atlanta from Atlanta
magazine, Tanner Medical
Center/Carrollton and Tanner
Medical Center/Villa Rica, 2014
Becker’s Hospital Review 100
Great Community Hospitals,
Villa Rica, 2014, 2015
Becker’s Hospital Review 100
Best Hospitals for Patient
Engagement, Tanner Medical
Center/Villa Rica, 2014
•Press Ganey Guardian of
•
•
•
Excellence Award, Tanner
2013, 2014
Press Ganey Beacon of
Excellence Award, Tanner
Medical Center/Carrollton, 2014
‘A’ for Patient Safety from the
Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety
Score, Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015
HEALTHSTRONG Top 100
Critical Access Hospitals
from iVantage, Higgins
General Hospital, 2012, 2013
Quality Care, a Click Away
How does Tanner compare with other hospitals? See for yourself at
www.TannerQuality.org. Research how Tanner rates on a number of
nationally recognized benchmarks for quality care, compare Tanner with
other hospitals in the region and use the Patient Finance Center to check
prices on some of our services.
Register Today!
Are you interested in
any of the classes or
support groups you
see here? For details,
view the Classes &
Events calendar at
www.Tanner.org. To
register, call 770.214.
CARE (2273).
Classes & Support Groups
A complete list of health education opportunities, special events and support groups is available
at www.Tanner.org. Our classes, meetings and events are updated frequently, so check back often!
Blood Drives
Save a life. Give blood.
Location: Tanner Medical Center/
Carrollton, Tanner Medical Center/Villa
Rica and Higgins General Hospital
Mind Over Cancer
Support Group
Location: Roy Richards, Sr.
Cancer Center in Carrollton
Cost: Free
Cancer
Cardiovascular
The Art of Healing
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Location: Tanner Medical
Center/Carrollton
Cost: Free
Breast Cancer
Support Group
Location: Tanner Breast Health
in Carrollton
Cost: Free
Look Good …
Feel Better
Location: Tanner Breast Health
in Carrollton
Cost: Free
Carrollton
Cost: $50
Maternity
Maternity Center Tours
Carrollton and Tanner Medical Center/
Villa Rica
Cost: Free
Prenatal, Newborn,
Breastfeeding and
Sibling Classes
Diabetes
Villa Rica
Cost: Free
Diabetes
Prevention Class
Music Therapy
Diabetes Support Group
Carrollton
Cost: Free
Location: Various locations
Cost: Free
Carrollton
Cost: Free
Living Well with Diabetes
Location: Various Locations
Cost: Free
Harmony for Healing
TOBACCO Cessation
Fresh Start Smoking
Cessation
Cost: Free
Wellness
Stretch and Tone
Carrollton
Cost: Free
Living Well with Chronic
Disease
Cost: Free
Kids N Fitness
Carrollton
Cost: Free
Safety
Safe Sitter
Villa Rica
Cost: $30
Tanner Medical Center
705 Dixie Street
Carrollton, GA 30117
Non-Profit Org
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Tanner Medical Center
HEALTHY LIVING is published by Tanner Health
System. The material in HEALTHY LIVING is not
intended for diagnosing or prescribing. Consult
your physician before undertaking any form of
medical treatment or adopting any exercise program
or dietary guidelines. To request permission to
reprint any portion of this magazine, please call
770.812.9687. To give us a new address, let us
know you are receiving more than one copy or
if you would prefer not to receive HEALTHY LIVING,
please call 770.812.9687.
Go Tanner Green! Help us maintain the environment.
After you’ve read this magazine, please share it with
a friend or recycle it.
Advancing Health
ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.
For
Forthe
thethird
thirdtime
timeininfour
fouryears,
years,Tanner
Tannerhas
hasbeen
beennamed
namedone
oneof
ofthe
the15
15Top
TopHealth
Health Systems
Systems in
in the
the nation
nation by
by Truven
Truven Health
Health Analytics.
Analytics.
This
Thisisisimportant
importantbecause
becausehealth
healthcare
careisischanging.
changing.Bigger
Biggerisisno
nolonger
longerbetter.
better. Our
Our success
success will
will not
not be
be defined
defined based
based on
on how
how many
many
people
peoplewe
weserve;
serve;our
oursuccess
successdepends
dependson
onhow
howwell
wellwe
weserve
servethem.
them.That’s
That’swhy
whythis
thisachievement
achievement —
— aa product
product of
of the
the hard
hard work
work and
diligence
of ourofmedical
staff, clinical
care team
and all
of all
Tanner’s
teamteam
members
— matters.
and diligence
our medical
staff, clinical
care team
and
of Tanner’s
members
— matters.
AsAsone
top-performing
health
systems
the
nation,
Tanner
HealthSystem
Systemhas:
has:
oneofofthe
thethe
top-performing
health
systems
in in
the
nation,
Tanner
Health
• • Saved
more
lives
and
caused
fewer
patient
complications
Saved more lives and caused fewer patient complications
• • Followed
industry-recommended
standards
of of
care
more
closely
Followed
industry-recommended
standards
care
more
closely
• • Made
fewer
patient
safety
errors
Made fewer patient safety errors
• • Released
patients
one-half
day
sooner
Released
patients
one-half
day
sooner
• • Had
a
7
percent
lower
cost
per
care
episode
Had a 7 percent lower cost per
care
episode
• Scored nearly seven points higher on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey for
• Scored nearly seven points higher on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey for
overall patient rating of care
overall patient rating of care
No other health system in Georgia scored among the 15 Top Health Systems. Not one.
No other health system in Georgia scored among the 15 Top Health Systems. Not one.
We’re advancing health to our community one service at a time, one treatment at a time, one person at a time. Because, according to the
We’re advancing health to our community one service at a time, one treatment at a time, one person at a time. Because, according to the
research, that’s how the top health systems do it.
research, that’s how the top health systems do it.
truvenhealth.com
10249M
www.tanner.org

10249M HealthyLiving FA15USE.indd

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