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Messenger
Madison, Alabama
Spring 2016
Madison Hospital deserves own traffic light on U.S. 72
I want to use this space to
make you aware of a situation
that should concern every
supporter of Madison Hospital.
left into our side entrance and then go past the Emergency
Department and Wellness Center to reach the main parking
lot. That adds about 3/4 mile to the trip compared to using the
median crossing.
As you are probably aware,
the Alabama Department of
Transportation (DOT) plans
to widen U.S. 72 West from
the Providence area to the
Limestone County line. But you
might not have heard that as part of the project, the state wants
to close the busy median crossing used by drivers coming and
going from Madison Hospital’s main entrance.
While we respect the opinion of DOT officials, we believe the
current plan would hinder access to your community hospital.
Rather than closing the median crossing, we have asked the
state to consider adding a new traffic light at the hospital’s
U.S. 72 entrance.
If that happens, our patients, visitors and employees would
have no direct access to the hospital from westbound U.S.
72. Instead, they would have to drive past the hospital to the
Balch Road intersection, wait for a green light and then make
a U-turn to get back to the main entrance. That adds about
1/3 mile to the trip.
The other option for westbound drivers trying to reach the
hospital would be to turn left on Balch Road, make another
Healing Garden
in bloom
Madison Hospital’s Healing Garden offers
respite year round, but a visit in the springtime
is especially enjoyable. Located behind the
hospital, the garden was designed to surround
patients and their families with the quiet beauty
of nature. Be sure to take a stroll through the
walking labyrinth, modeled after the famous
labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.
Thanks to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation for
bringing our beautiful garden to life.
Hospital traffic is not the same as retail traffic. People coming
to our campus are often distracted, thinking about the loved
one they are about to visit or the procedure they are about to
have. For that reason, we need the easiest access possible.
If you would like to help, please contact your elected state
representatives and tell them Madison Hospital deserves its
own traffic light on U.S. 72.
President, Madison Hospital
Reflecting on four years of remarkable growth
cardiologists, gastroenterologists, general surgeons, ENTs
and other specialists.
“It’s really turned out even better than what we envisioned
four years ago,” said Madison Hospital Board member Taron
Thorpe. “It’s a true community hospital that takes care of a
wide array of needs in a way that’s professional, kind and
courteous.”
The hospital’s growth has mirrored that of Madison itself.
The latest Census update pegged Madison’s population
at 46,450, making it the 11th-largest city in Alabama. The
Huntsville metro population (Madison and Limestone counties)
overtook Mobile in 2010 and is gaining on Birmingham.
Madison Hospital President Mary Lynne Wright remembers
the scene vividly.
It was Feb. 28, 2012, a Tuesday morning. Wright and other
employees of the city’s brand-new, eagerly-anticipated
hospital gathered to welcome the first patient. Around 9 a.m.,
a woman suffering from bronchitis walked into the Emergency
Department.
After years of meticulous planning and construction, Madison
Hospital was open for business.
Four years later, the hospital has become an indispensable
resource for thousands of families in Madison, Monrovia,
Harvest and surrounding areas. The Labor & Delivery
Department will bring more than 800 babies into the world in
2016. The ED will treat nearly 50,000 patients. The Imaging
Services area recently performed a record 290 diagnostic
studies in a single day.
“The growth has just been remarkable,” said Wright. “It’s kind
of like that ‘Field of Dreams’ movie line: If you build it, they
will come. I think it’s a testament to our exceptional customer
service and efficient, high-quality care.”
That success has transformed the stretch of U.S. 72 West
near Balch Road into a vibrant medical community of OBGYNs, radiologists, family doctors, orthopedic surgeons,
The aerial photo above shows Madison Hospital under construction in
April 2011. The photo at right shows the campus today, with U.S. 72
West in the foreground.
Thorpe said the opening of the hospital in 2012 contributed
to that momentum.
“It helped attract shopping centers and retail outparcels and
additional medical facilities nearby,” he said. “We didn’t have
a medical base in Madison before, but we have it now.”
Hospital leaders are keenly aware of demographic
projections showing continued population growth in Madison,
and they are determined to stay ahead of the curve. Plans
are being reviewed to expand the Emergency Department
by two additional rooms, and Labor & Delivery triage rooms
are being converted into three private labor rooms. Also, the
hospital has unfinished shell space on the fourth and fifth floors
that can be developed as needed.
“Our community is getting larger,” said Thorpe, “so we have
to become a larger community hospital.”
Level II nursery:
A higher level of care,
closer to home
Madison Hospital’s well-baby nursery has been reclassified as
a Level II “special care” nursery.
Level II is an intermediate step between a well-baby nursery
and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). That means the
Madison Hospital nursery can now look after premature
infants born as early as 32 weeks and babies with moderate
health problems.
Pediatrician Stephanie Israel, MD, said the switch to a Level II
nursery is already benefiting families in and around Madison.
Some babies that previously would have been transferred to
the Level III NICU at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children
can now receive high-quality care closer to home, said Dr.
Israel. That makes it easier for parents to visit the nursery often
and for new moms to stop by to breastfeed.
“The closer you are, the more time you can spend with your
baby,” said Dr. Israel. “That’s huge.”
In addition to looking after children born at Madison Hospital,
the nursery now accepts NICU babies from the Madison
area who no longer need the highest level of care, said
Renee Colquitt, Madison Hospital’s Lead Coordinator of
OB Services.
The move to Level II did not require a physical expansion of
the nursery. That’s because healthy, full-term babies born at
Madison Hospital spend as much as 23 hours a day in their
parents’ hospital room.
Pediatrician Stephanie Israel, MD, examines a baby in Madison
Hospital’s Level II nursery.
By contrast, Level II infants “stay in the nursery so they can
be closely monitored by our trained staff,” said Dr. Israel.
“They just need a little more help and will stay in the hospital a
little longer.”
In addition to a dedicated team of registered nurses, care is
provided by Dr. Israel and neonatologists Thomas Davison,
MD, Meyer Dworsky, MD, Lee Morris, MD, and Zuzana
Novak, MD. Dr. Dworsky is medical director of the Madison
Hospital nursery.
Level II babies may be suffering from an illness or have other
needs such as supplemental oxygen, intravenous therapy or
specialized feedings.
Is a VBAC delivery right for you?
If you’ve had a previous cesarean delivery, you have two
choices for subsequent deliveries at Madison Hospital: a
scheduled C-section or a vaginal birth, called a vaginal birth
after cesarean (VBAC).
The benefits of a VBAC delivery may include a shorter recovery
period, reduced risk of infection and less blood loss compared
to a repeat C-section. In addition, VBAC may help you avoid
bowel and bladder injury and placental complications linked
to multiple cesareans.
During a VBAC delivery, the primary concern is possible
rupture of the cesarean scar on the uterus. While this
happens in less than 1 percent of patients, it can be serious
for both mom and baby. That’s why the American College
of Obstetrics and Gynecologists recommends hospitals have
surgical and anesthesia personnel “immediately available” to
perform an emergency C-section if complications arise during
a VBAC delivery.
With 24/7 anesthesia and operating room coverage,
Madison Hospital performs an average of one VBAC per
month. Whether you choose a VBAC or scheduled C-section,
we are proud to offer choices to our patients. Consult with
your physician on which delivery option is best for you.
Douglas Downey:
A surgeon with the heart
of a veteran
As an Air Force veteran, general surgeon Douglas Downey,
MD, feels right at home in Madison.
The city is teeming with military veterans, and Dr. Downey
know what’s it’s like to care for them. Before joining Huntsville
Hospital Surgical Associates of Madison, he spent five years
as a general surgeon at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton
Beach, Fla. His medical training included stints at Keesler Air
Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base in Dayton, Ohio.
Douglas Downey, MD, at home with his family.
“There certainly was a bond that you felt caring for soldiers
and airmen who wore the same uniform,” Dr. Downey said.
He is board certified in general surgery and is available to
perform a wide range of general surgical procedures.
“Surgery is a field that’s forever changing,” said Dr. Downey.
“It’s rich with historic figures and milestones, but there is
also the very new, with technology continually pushing the
boundaries of what is possible. What I like best about it is
being able to help people feel better or live longer.”
Call (256) 265-5951 to schedule an appointment with Dr.
Downey. Huntsville Hospital Surgical Associates of Madison
is located in the Madison Medical I building on the Madison
Hospital campus and has a second location on the campus of
Huntsville Hospital.
Last name proved prophetic for Madison physician
Keta Vaidya, MD, seemed destined from the start to become
a physician.
his family in Atlanta. One of her
first phone calls was to Dr. Kinzel.
Born in western India, her last name means “doctor” in the
Sanskrit language. Her great-grandfather practiced herbal
medicine.
“I’d heard great things about
the Huntsville area from him and
others – how it’s a great place to
raise a family,” she said. “I came
down for a visit and felt I had a
good connection with the rest
of the Digestive Disease Center
partners. I moved here last August
and am really happy. Everybody
has been great.”
She set out to become an engineer but said “something
clicked” during a biology class at Stony Brook University on
Long Island, which led her to pursue a career in medicine
instead. She was eventually accepted to medical school at
Drexel University in Philadelphia and went on to complete her
residency in internal medicine at Boston University Medical
Center and fellowship in gastroenterology at Yale University
School of Medicine.
During her fellowship at Yale, Dr. Vaidya crossed paths with
Jason Kinzel, MD, now a physician with Huntsville Hospital
Digestive Disease Center.
Last year, Dr. Vaidya and her husband began talking about
escaping the cold New England winters and moving closer to
Keta Vaidya, MD
Dr. Vaidya sees patients on Mondays and Wednesdays at
Digestive Disease Center’s Madison office in the Progress
Bank Building, 8337 U.S. 72 West, Suite 302. She is one of
only three female gastroenterologists in Madison County and
says she “looks forward to serving the community.”
Helping mothers breastfeed is her passion
Ramirez and Anne Sheaves, breastfeeding
rates are higher in Madison than in most other
parts of Alabama. About 80 percent of women
who give birth at Madison Hospital start their
newborns on breast milk.
Kristine Taff is one of three international
board certified lactation consultants at
Madison Hospital.
Alabama lags well behind the national average when it comes
to breastfeeding rates, but Kristine Taff is determined that it
won’t stay that way.
A registered nurse and international board certified lactation
consultant at Madison Hospital, Taff has spent most of her 17year medical career encouraging new mothers to breastfeed.
“Breast milk is the perfect first food for a baby,” said Taff. “It
imprints the immune system of the mother onto the baby and
helps reduce the incidence of allergies. There are just so many
benefits for the baby as well as the mother.”
Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Taff and the hospital’s
other international board certified lactation consultants, Stacy
Statewide, just 67.3 percent of babies born in
2011 were ever fed breast milk compared to
the national average of 79.2 percent. That’s the
most recent data available from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, which
ranks Alabama’s breastfeeding rate 44th out of
50 states.
Madison Hospital has a simple recipe for
improving breastfeeding rates in the community:
educate new moms about the benefits of breast milk,
remove the barriers and encourage women to reach their
breastfeeding goals.
“All three lactation consultants volunteer our cell phone
numbers for guidance after discharge from the hospital,” said
Taff. “We are available to reference medications, check a
baby’s weight and offer breastfeeding assistance. We also
invite each mother to our breastfeeding support group where
a village of support exists for her.”
The breastfeeding support group meets at Madison Wellness
Center on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and on
Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meetings are open to
all pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Quicker psychiatric screenings
Madison Hospital has a new telemedicine screening protocol
in the Emergency Department.
Behavioral health staff and physicians at Decatur Morgan
Hospital’s West campus are using live, two-way video to assess
psychiatric patients in the Madison Hospital ER. Previously,
Decatur West screeners were driving to Madison for a faceto-face evaluation.
“This eliminates that travel time, so patients are being seen
more quickly,” said Ryan Murray, Madison Hospital’s
director of emergency, imaging, cardiopulmonary and
registration services.
Following the video evaluation, screeners collaborate with
psychiatrists and Madison Hospital ER physicians on where to
Madison Hospital Director of Clinical Operations Melissa Taylor, left,
and Ashley Burns, RN, demonstrate the new telescreening process for
psychiatric patients.
send the patient for treatment. The telescreenings are available
around the clock.
“Since Madison Hospital does not have inpatient psychiatric
services, the goal is to get the patient to the appropriate level
of care they need,” said Murray. “It’s working really well.”
Baby Friendly USA journey
nears successful conclusion
Madison Hospital is on track to become just the fourth Baby
Friendly USA hospital in Alabama.
A global initiative of the World Health Organization and
UNICEF, the Baby Friendly designation recognizes birth
centers and hospitals that offer optimal support for infant
feeding and mother/baby bonding. About 340 U.S. hospitals
have earned Baby Friendly status.
Renee Colquitt, Madison Hospital’s Lead Coordinator of OB
Services, likened the program to a Good Housekeeping seal
of approval for maternity care.
“It’s not going to change the care that we’re providing, but it
assures a mother looking for that special birth experience that
we are the right place for her and her infant,” said Colquitt.
“Women in our community look for that.”
Colquitt said she knows women from Madison who chose to
have their children two hours away at Anniston’s Regional
Medical Center because it is a Baby Friendly USA hospital.
UAB Hospital in Birmingham and East Alabama Medical
Center in Opelika are the only others in Alabama.
Madison Hospital was accepted into the initial phase of the
program in December 2014 and has taken a number of steps
to demonstrate its commitment, including the launch of a
Baby Friendly task force, joining the Alabama Breastfeeding
Initiative to expand lactation coverage, and implementing
policies that promote mother-baby bonding.
“Every baby goes skin to skin with mom right after delivery
unless there is a health issue that needs attention,” said Colquitt.
“We also support keeping babies in the room with their
parents as much as possible. They need togetherness to learn
those feeding queues.”
Athens resident Sarah Bigelow cradles her two-day-old daughter,
Emily Mae, at Madison Hospital in April.
Huntsville Hospital Foundation helped Madison Hospital
secure one of the nation’s first EMPower Initiative grants,
which paid for the services of two Baby Friendly coaches to
encourage the hospital on its journey.
Colquitt said the hospital has completed most of the required
steps and is preparing for a site visit from Baby Friendly
representatives.
If everything goes as planned, she said, Madison
Hospital should achieve Baby Friendly USA status no later
than December.
Party in the Park will benefit ER expansion
Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s 2nd Annual Party in the Park
benefiting Madison Hospital is set for Friday, June 3.
All proceeds from the event at the Jackson Center in Cummings
Research Park will go toward a planned expansion of the
hospital’s Emergency Department, which is on pace to treat
more than 50,000 patients in 2016. Money raised at last
year’s inaugural Party in the Park helped convert several
hospital triage rooms into Labor & Delivery rooms.
Party in the Park guests will be treated to beer, bourbon and
wine tastings, music by Cadillac Sparrow, games, drawings
and other entertainment. Radio personality Mojo from 104.3
WZYP-FM will serve as emcee. Dress is casual. Tickets are
$75 per person. For more information, call the Foundation at
(256) 265-8077 or email [email protected].
Madison Hospital launches innovative
telemedicine program for stroke patients
Madison Hospital is on the front lines of a new telemedicine
program that aims to improve stroke care across the region.
One of Huntsville Hospital’s six staff neurologists will remotely
examine the patient – day or night – using live, two-way video.
Huntsville Hospital launched the North Alabama NeuroStroke Network in early April at Madison Hospital, Marshall
Medical Center North in Guntersville and Marshall Medical
Center South in Boaz.
The high-definition “tele-stroke” camera system allows
neurologists in Huntsville to see and talk to the patient in
real time, review their CT scan results and collaborate with
emergency room physicians and nurses at Madison Hospital
on a treatment plan.
“We’re excited to offer this important new service,” said
Madison Hospital President Mary Lynne Wright. “Without
a doubt, it will improve care and lead to better outcomes for
stroke patients in our community.”
“Using telemedicine, we can help the local hospital make a
timely decision,” said neurologist Amit Arora, MD, medical
director of the North Alabama Neuro-Stroke Network. “This
gives the patient a chance to receive treatment faster.”
When a stroke patient arrives at Madison Hospital, emergency
room physicians and nurses gather the person’s medical
history, conduct an initial stroke assessment and order a CT
brain scan. The scan provides detailed images of any blood
clots, damage or bleeding within the brain.
The telemedicine program comes along at a critical time:
Stroke is now the fifth-leading cause of death nationally and
the leading cause of serious, long-term disability.
If the hospital does not have a neurologist available to see the
patient, the telemedicine component of the program kicks in.
Alabamians are particularly at risk due to lifestyle factors such
as fried foods and lack of exercise. The state is part of the socalled Stroke Belt – a region of high stroke mortality stretching
from Texas to the Carolinas.
HUNTSVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INVITES YOU TO
F R I DAY
JUNE 3
T H E J AC K S O N C E N T E R
TICKETS $75 PER PERSON
This indoor event will feature
b e e r , bo u r bon an d w i n e tast i n gs
m us i c by cad i l l ac s par r ow
f u n gam es , d r aw i n gs an d e n t e rtai n m e n t
fo r m o r e i n f o r m at i o n ca l l
(256)265-8077
or email
sar ah . b e d s o l e @ h h s y s . o r g
B E N E F I T I N G M A D I S O N H O S P I TA L
TO P U R C H A S E T I C K E T S O N L I N E , V I S I T
8375 Hwy. 72 W.
Madison, AL 35758
www.madisonALhospital.org
www.facebook.com/MadisonHospitalFan
@MadisonHospital
Chamber volunteer work ‘a perfect fit’
Few people know Madison’s
health care needs better than
Madison Hospital President Mary
Lynne Wright.
But in order to more fully immerse
herself in the community, Wright joined
the Madison Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors in 2010.
Last fall, Wright succeeded ServisFirst
Bank executive Amanda Weaver
as 2016 chamber president. She has
also been filling in as the chamber’s
volunteer executive director since
early February.
“It’s a lot of work right now, but it’s also
a lot of fun,” Wright said. “Helping promote small businesses
and all that Madison has to offer is just a perfect fit. It’s
important for me to be involved in the good things happening
in our city.”
Wright’s latest Chamber project is overseeing the rollout of
Trains on Main, a downtown scavenger hunt that kicked off
May 9. Clue cards are available at most downtown businesses,
Madison City Hall and the Chamber office inside the Hogan
Family YMCA.
Follow the clues to find the 10 miniature bronze trains hidden
throughout downtown. If you find them all, you can redeem
your clue card for a free train whistle.
As Madison Chamber of Commerce president, Mary Lynne Wright is
working to bring more people to the historic downtown area.
Trains factor heavily into Madison’s history. In the 1850s, the
Memphis & Charleston Railroad created a passenger stop at
what was then a tiny village known as Madison Station. The
town that sprung up along the iron tracks was incorporated in
1869 and renamed Madison.
Sculptor Everett Cox created the miniature trains for the
scavenger hunt at his Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment studio.
“We’re so excited about Trains on Main,” said Wright. “It’s
really about bringing people into downtown Madison to learn
more about our community.”