Author Archives: North Sunflower Medical Center

Twenty-one years ago, Ora Nellum stopped by North Sunflower Medical Center to apply for a job.

“They called me right back and hired me the same day. When I met everyone, they were all nice, like a family. I knew it was the place for me,” Ora tells us.

Since then, Ora has become a respected and longstanding hospital fixture. The mother of four was named Non-Clinical Employee of the Year for 2022.

“I was shocked. I never expected it. They wanted to keep it a secret from me. I was so happy,” says Ora, the Ward Clerk for Acute Care.

Lindsey Flowers had a similar experience about ten years ago when she considered leaving her home health job. She planned to drop off her resume at North Sunflower. Instead, she spent two hours meeting the hospital team—and left with a job.

“They made me feel right at home from that very first day. I’ve had other opportunities, but I enjoy who I work with. I’ve made lifelong friends at North Sunflower Medical Center. I absolutely love it here,” Lindsey says.

Lindsey, the 2022 Clinical Employee of the Year, was also shocked by the announcement.

“I was very, very surprised. I had to pick my mouth up off the table,” says Lindsey, the RN discharge coordinator.

NSMC Employee of the Year Awards for 2022

Both Ora and Lindsey stress that while they appreciate the honors, they consider themselves part of a team united in caring for the community.

The award may have been a surprise to them, but to most everyone here at North Sunflower, honoring the two was a privilege for us. Ora and Lindsey’s dedication is inspiring.

Ora has two sets of twins and a new grandchild born just this month. As a ward clerk, Ora ensures everyone has the supplies they need, and she is a friendly voice for people calling the hospital.

“I like the fast pace here. I get to know the patients. I work with a lot of young people,” Ora says. “I tell everybody this is a good place to work. Everyone here is easy to get along with. This is just a nice place.”

Lindsey remembers the day she decided to become a registered nurse.

“My grandmother got sick and was rushed to the hospital. Seeing the hospital nursing atmosphere, that’s the day I knew where I wanted to be,” Lindsey tells us. “When I look back now, there was no other career for me.”

As discharge director, Lindsey hears feedback from our patients. She says she gets compliments daily about all the staff at the hospital, including the floor employees, doctors, nurses, and dieticians.

“Patients say, ‘it’s just top-notch here.’ I thank them for that because we truly love what we do. It’s a family here and team-oriented,” Lindsey says.

Lindsey tells us that her children, ages 8 and 3, were excited about the goodie bag that came with her award.

Ora says the plaque will have a special place in her home.

“I’m not going to take a chance of ever losing it,” Ora says.

The past couple of years has transformed the North Sunflower tradition of Christmas parties.  In the past, we had huge Christmas parties that brought the entire family together for one big celebration. 

COVID halted that as we opted for gift cards for every member of the NSMC family. This year, by a vote of the vast majority, employees are hosting their own smaller, more intimate Christmas parties for each department.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the spirit of giving that Ruleville is known for this time of year.

The North Sunflower Medical Foundation gives gift cards to every employee who donates to the Foundation. The focus of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation is to provide resources for North Sunflower Medical Center for equipment, educational grants, programs, and services that otherwise would not be possible. Cards can be redeemed at local, Ruleville businesses like Simply Sunflower and other locally owned businesses.

These gift cards also make nice stocking stuffers for friends and co-workers and are an easy way to make giving to the Foundation a gift for the entire Ruleville community.

Another tradition that is not going away, North Sunflower Medical Foundation will also provide gifts to patients in the hospital during the Christmas holidays. We started this tradition many years ago. No one wants to be in the hospital during the holiday season, but this small gesture helps put a smile on our patients’ faces.

And if you think you get busier over the Holidays, imagine what a crazy time of year this is for Santa Claus. 

That is why we feel so special that Jolly Ole St Nick made time to come through town to take a ride on the Firetruck for the Ruleville Chamber of Commerce Ride Around last Saturday. Kris Kringle was in town doing final checks on who had been naughty and nice before heading back to the North Pole to get ready for his trip around the world on Christmas Eve.

And coming up next month …

The very popular Heart Healthy Program is expanding to all year long for 2023 starting in January.  Because heart problems can occur at any age – from infancy to adulthood – North Sunflower Medical Center is committed to helping you take care of your heart with a heart-healthy screening. 

The Heart Healthy Screening can detect your risk for heart disease or stroke. Also, we will perform a high blood pressure evaluation and a calcium score test.  

An order from your primary care physician is required for the Heart Healthy screening, so tell everyone you know to call and ask for a referral today! We also have physicians from Jackson Heart at NSMC each week should you need to see a Cardiologist.

We don’t miss a beat at North Sunflower Medical Center – your heart is in good hands! So, when you need a check-up, follow your heart to North Sunflower Medical Center. We would love to take care of you!

The end of the year means it’s time to vote for who becomes the Healthcare Hero of the Year. 

Everyone who comes in contact with our happy hospital here in Ruleville becomes part of the North Sunflower family in one way or another.  And, like in every family, each person plays a vital role in making us who we are. 

Once a month, we select two people who exemplify this spirit and name them Healthcare Hero of the month – one who works in a clinical role and one who works in a non-clinical position.

Kind of like picking your favorite child; it is a difficult choice every month. This year, another 22 exceptional people were selected from over 500 truly remarkable family members (11 clinical and 11 non-clinical).

In 2021, our clinical Healthcare Hero of the year was Sharon Davis. We talked with both Sharon last week now that their reign as Healthcare Hero is coming to an end.

Sharon said she was proud to be honored, but she was ready for the honor to go to someone else. “Being Healthcare Hero of the Year Made me feel very appreciated.  It made me feel like my work was noticed.  But I want everybody to have a chance to feel like that.”

Sharon told us the secret to being Healthcare Hero of the year is in two words: Patience and Patients.

“You have to have a lot of patience to do this job, or this is not the place for you.  We are here to take care of our patients, whatever their needs.  This is their home, and we are here to care for them.

Ballots will be emailed to all employees with email addresses. You can get a paper ballot through your department if you don’t have an email address.  All ballots must be turned in by the 16th of December.

Dr. Erica Bass went through four years of college, four years of medical school, five years of surgical training, and three years of specialized training in surgery before she began her six years in practice as one of the best cosmetic surgeons in Mississippi.
 
But that is just part of her lifelong training growing up in a medical family that makes Dr. Bass one of the most qualified surgeons currently working in the Delta across any field. “Growing up, my dad was a cardiologist, so I knew I wanted to be a physician. I liked fixing things with my hands, and that made me want to be a surgeon,” Dr. Bass told us.
 
Dr. Bass is the daughter of cardiologist Dr. Gene Hutcheson. “Dr. Hutch”, as most people around North Sunflower Medical Center call him, was part of an innovative program to bring highly qualified specialists to Ruleville a few days a month to provide top-quality specialized care closer to home. He was featured as part of CNN’s online magazine’s profile of our hospital back in 2017.

The program was so successful that Dr. Bass decided to follow in her father’s footsteps a little further. “Through him, I came up to North Sunflower, met the people, and loved them.”
 
Dr. Bass works monthly at the Sunflower Med Spa in Ruleville, providing a wide range of cosmetic surgical services, including Botox, Juvederm, hydrafacials, and others.
 
“More than anything, it’s having her expertise available to us right here in Ruleville,” said Alice Pyles, director of Sunflower Med Spa here at NSMC. “In the Delta, we don’t have a plastic surgeon. So having her come once a month is a huge plus. She has done complex excision with reconstruction on cancerous lesions here at NSMC, which saves a trip to Jackson. This is a big help for our patients.”

“Plastic surgery appeals to the problem-solving part of my brain,” Dr. Bass said. “Using those principles and knowledge of anatomy allows me to find a solution.”
 
“She’s very sweet and very nice, “Alice told us. “She is a very caring surgeon. She listens to her patients very well and provides them with some options. She is very good at finding out from her patients what they are looking for and providing with the best options.”
 
“People want to feel good about themselves as they age,” Dr. Bass said. “When you feel like you are the best version of yourself, it gives you more opportunities because you feel good in your own skin.”
 
If you want to meet with Dr. Bass, contact the Sunflower Med Spa at (662) 756-4000 to make an appointment.

May is always one of our favorite but busy months around North Sunflower Medical Center. The North Sunflower Medical Foundation is excited to be gearing up for our 14^th annual Birdies & Backhands. This May 26 event is a crowd-pleaser that allows the community to get together and celebrate this popular fundraiser for the North Sunflower Medical Foundation.

“We try to make it fun for everyone, not just golf and tennis players,” says Stacy Davis, associate executive director of the Foundation. “The foundation’s work is serious business, but this is an event where we like to get out and have a good time — especially when it is for a great cause.”

Cleveland Country Club will be the headquarters for golfers and tennis players showcasing their skills and supporting the Foundation.

“Having the event at the Cleveland Country Club allows us to bring together the surrounding communities. In addition, it allows us the opportunity to let others know about all the amazing things going on in Ruleville and at North Sunflower Medical Center.   The profits from this fundraiser allow NSMF to continue to support the many needs of our community and hospital,” Davis says.

The combined day of golfing and tennis started in 2008 as the primary fundraising event for the Foundation. Birdies & Backhands continues to be one of the “must-play” tournaments for golf and tennis enthusiasts alike. It is a one-day event that benefits the North Sunflower Medical Foundation and its support of the North Sunflower Medical Center; however, it would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors. Many local businesses and NSMC supporters join together to sponsor this important fundraiser.
 
Last year’s event was a huge success. Davis says keeping up the event’s previous successes is always a challenge. “Every year, it feels like this event gets bigger. And that keeps us motivated to make the event have the same special family and friends appeal that it had when we started almost 14 years ago.”
 
The cost is $100 per player for the 18-hole scramble or $400 for a four-person team. Registration is at 11:30 on the day of the event; the shotgun start is at 1 p.m. Lunch, and snacks are provided.
 
The entry fee for the ladies’ day mixer tennis tournament is $40 per person. Registration is at 3:00 p.m. on May 26, and the first round is at 4 p.m.

Davis says this event would not happen if not for a dedicated group of volunteers. “So many people dedicate their time to allow our Foundation to do the incredible work we do. Without their help, this event would never have been all it has become. Volunteers make up our Foundation – men and women who believe in our community and are willing to spend the time to help make it a little better,” she says.
   
“The mission of the Foundation is to help fund the innovative work our health care heroes do to make North Sunflower Medical Center thrive. Donating to the Foundation returns an investment to the North Sunflower Medical Center, but more important than that, it is a return of investment to you,” Davis says. “Each new piece of equipment the Foundation can help provide, each new class the Foundation’s work allows our employees to take, each new upgrade the Foundation’s efforts allow – it all translates to advancement in the care North Sunflower Medical Center can provide.”
 
For registration forms, go to North Sunflower Medical Foundation’s Facebook page. For event information, contact Davis at (662) 719-4147.

With the ball dropping on New Year’s Eve, 2021 is officially in the books. And in years to come, we will remember these past 12 months for many things. It was a year where we went from hiding from each other to avoid the virus to finally having the tools to fight back against it.
 
Here at North Sunflower Medical Center, we look fondly back at how our community has come together to look after one another during difficult times. We also celebrated shared experiences that make Ruleville a unique part of who we are.

2021 Honors

Any look back on 2021 has to include the honor bestowed on our happy little medical center back in March by Mississippi Blood Services. NSMC was named one of the “Top 10 Best for 2020 – Outstanding Service during the COVID Pandemic.” As we said at the time, we have always known Zaqua Danielle Ervin was the best dang lab director around. Were just glad the rest of the state is finding out about her team’s excellent work.

Our Sleep Center was proud to make our state-of-the-art sleep center the full-time home of pulmonologist Dr. Aman Munir. As the leader of NSMC’s expanded pulmonary practice, he continues to bring much-needed quality care to our region. 
 
“Patients don’t have to go far to get treatment now. We are here at their doorstep providing quality care,” Dr. Munir says. That is what North Sunflower Medical Center has always been about.

National Home Care Month

November was National Home Care Month. That allowed us to celebrate the innovative work that Hope Clark at Hospice of North Sunflower and Rodger McClain at Sunflower Medical Equipment provide to our patients’ homes across the Delta. After decades of saying “Take me to Ruleville,” the passion and compassion they bring to their jobs are a large part of how we are now able to bring Ruleville to you.
 
We were also able to celebrate North Sunflower Medical Foundation Board Members’ contributions to our community. North Sunflower Medical Foundation is a large part of what makes this hospital one of the best in Mississippi.
 
And last but not least, 2021 provided us all with the opportunity to gather again and return to some of our favorite local events. That includes North Sunflower Medical Foundations’ fundraiser – Birdies and Backhands, and Ruleville Chamber of Commerce’s festival – The Great Ruleville Roast.

No one is quite sure what surprises 2022 has in store for us. We see a year ahead of promise and perspective. We hope it will give us more and more opportunities to be together as a community and make a brighter future for us all.
 
God bless us all, and have a happy New Year!

This is the third in a series of profiles about the people who are helping make our community better by serving as members of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation’s Board of Directors.

During the holidays, Elise Jenkins is thankful that Ruleville has a small-town hospital with big-city amenities.

“It’s important for people to know what an amazing resource they have here. For such a small rural area, North Sunflower Medical Center has a wide berth of services,” Elise says. “We have things you’d find in a large metropolitan area. And we have it right here without having to travel for miles.”

She is celebrating the success of the North Sunflower Medical Center by finding ways for the North Sunflower Medical Foundation to give back to hospital staff, like holiday gift cards and events.

Elise is a bit of an expert on this. She’s a founding member of the North Sunflower Medical Foundation, which helps the nonprofit hospital raise money for equipment, educational grants, and programs.

“Billy Marlow came to me. He was looking for something to ensure the long-term success of North Sunflower Medical Center. He had me at go.” Elise says. “Billy had a vision that had not been seen here – in putting together people and resources. He was pivotal in seeing that we turned it into the amazing place it is. Our hospital had been through some trying times. We didn’t ever want to see that happen again,” she says.

And the foundation is fortunate to have Elise’s leadership. She retired after a 28-year teaching career at Delta State University. The skills that she used in higher education are now used as she leads the foundation’s main yearly fundraiser, the Birdies and Backhands golf and tennis tournament, and other events.

“I’m deeply rooted in voluntarism. To have a strong viable community, you need community effort and participation,”
Elise tells us.

Elise has seen the benefits of the hospital’s services, through care for her late mother, her husband, and herself. Elise and her husband, Butch, have taken advantage of the wellness center, which she says is a gamechanger for the region.
 
“People look at a hospital and think you only need it when you are sick,” she says. “We were just thrilled when the Beacon Wellness Center was built. It’s an asset. We’re seeing people living longer. There’s so much proof that even in the workplace encouraging wellness saves businesses money.”
 
When Elise is not donating her time in the community, you’ll find her helping Butch at Mississippi Police Supply Company. Her husband of 24 years, Butch is a lifelong Ruleville resident, and Elise also grew up in the Delta.

You may also know her as a celebrity expert in barbecue. She serves on the Memphis Barbecue Network Board of Directors and has been involved in BBQ competitions for several decades.

She says Ruleville is fortunate to have a caring team at all levels at North Sunflower Medical Center. Many employees of the hospital are also donors to the foundation – because they see the benefits of equipment and educational grants for training for staff, Elise says.  “The Foundation is very attentive to making sure we are investing money properly. We are good stewards of every dime donated,’’ she says.

She hopes you consider supporting that work as we head into 2022.

If you are interested in learning more about the North Sunflower Medical Foundation or to make a contribution, contact Stacy Davis at stacy.davis@nsmedicalfoundation.org or call (662) 756-4129.

Hope Clark is offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Hospice of North Sunflower can be essential for your family. She aspires to fix the misconception some have about hospice.
 
“It doesn’t mean a death sentence. We help people who want to live out their life comfortably,” Hope says. “When you get hospice, you are gaining another family. You have someone to come in and help mentally, spiritually, and physically.”
 
Hope has been a nurse for nine years, and her passion is helping people facing serious or life-ending illnesses. The community is fortunate to have her as director of nursing for Hospice of North Sunflower.
 
She says her team has decades of experience and approaches problems from every angle.

Hospice Can Be Affordable

Some people worry that they cannot afford hospice. That worry is unnecessary.
 
Most people who need it qualify for hospice under Medicare or Medicaid, which pays for equipment and medicines. You can ask your doctor or call Hope’s team to get more information.
 
Once hospice arrives, Hope says people realize how much help they need. The team includes nursing staff, a social worker, and a chaplain.
 
“We take care of the whole family, not just the patient,” Hope says.  “When the end of life is approaching, there are signs we know. For someone who has not witnessed that, it can be traumatic. We hold hands. Our chaplain comes out and prays – whatever religion the patient practices,” she says. “We take off some of the burdens and take care of pretty much whatever they need.”
 
Hospice nurses guide and educate families. And a misconception, Hope says, is that it is a negative time.
 
“Most of the patients have lived a full life. It’s a celebration for them to go home,” she says. “You get close because you work with the family every day. We spend time in their homes. They have our personal cell phone numbers. Even the ones that have gone on, we still stay in touch.”

November is National Home Care Month

We celebrate Hope’s work as part of November’s National Home Care month.
 
According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 1.61 million Medicare beneficiaries living with life-limiting illness and their families received care from hospice programs in communities across America in 2019. Hospice provides services like caregiver training, respite care, and bereavement support.
 
“Hospice organizations are some of the best providers of community-based palliative care. In an increasingly fragmented and broken health care system, hospice is one of the few sectors that demonstrates how health care can – and should – work at its best for the people it serves,” according to the resolution for the 2021 hospice month.

Hospice of North Sunflower is Ready to Help

Hospice of North Sunflower goes to private homes and also serves residents of assisted living and nursing homes.
 
The registered nurses and licensed practical nurses at Hospice of North Sunflower share a trait, Hope says, they are compassionate and dedicated to patients.
 
“Compassion and empathy are the main requirements. Patience is important too,” she says. “We have a close-knit team. We all work together. It’s not just one person’s patient. It’s everyone’s patient.”
 
She said in traditional nursing, the goal is to do everything possible to save someone’s life. “In this field, we are here to comfort to the end. We provide all the comfort and needs necessary. We want patients to be pain-free with the limited time left.”
 
Hope and her team are ready to help you.
 
“We’re a small team but give really great care. We go above and beyond.”
 
To reach Hospice of North Sunflower, call 662-756-1700, or go to:
https://northsunflower.com/services/hospice-of-north-sunflower

November is National Home Care Month, and so it makes sense that home care is having a moment right now.  You can think of this as just another way if you can’t make it to Ruleville, we are bringing Ruleville to you.

Over the past few years, the home care industry has been experiencing rapid growth.  It started when insurance companies — as well as Medicare and Medicaid – altered the way they pay for home visits.  That’s where Rodger McClain comes in.

Rodger had been working as a farmer when he found an ad for a position as a service tech for a medical supply company.  That started out as a good, regular job checking on equipment for Rodger.  “I found it was a way to help people. They were mostly older patients and I like being of service to them.”

If a patient has a stroke or a heart attack, they are now able to get much of their treatment at home instead of having to stay in the hospital,” Rodger said.  “Or even simple things like having an unstable gate.  That increases the risk of falling and the patient might not feel safe at home. We can help them with a walker or a wheelchair that allows them to live comfortably at home longer. That makes you feel like you’re really helping people.”

Home care even extends into end-of-life care.  “We have brought in some Home Hospice equipment as we have seen a need for people who want to spend their last months at home.” With a licensed respiratory therapist on staff, Rodger’s team works with the wonderful people at Hospice of North Sunflower, who provide hospice care in the patient’s home.

“It just feels good to feel like you’re helping people.”

For years people have been saying “Take me to Ruleville,” but with the opening of Haire Drug Center in Cleveland, you could say Ruleville is coming to you.
 
Haire Drug Center has been a staple of the Cleveland community for almost 50 years. And according to Zach Warrington, the Haire Drug Center Director, outstanding customer service has been the reason it has lasted the test of time.

“Our customers expect that from us,” Zach said.  “There is a trust factor that has been built up for years, which is ingrained in the culture of North Sunflower. Here at Haire Drug Center, want to continue the tradition.”

Zach is a Cleveland, MS native and grew up in a family of health care professionals.  When he graduated from Pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee, he wasn’t sure this new chapter in his life would lead him back to the Delta.  But when North Sunflower Medical Center Pharmacy director, Mike Gilbow offered him a job in 2014, it was an easy decision.

“I have a young family,” Zach said. “The delta is just a great place to raise a family.”

One additional piece of the North Sunflower culture that has translated to the Haire Drug Center is the longstanding tradition of building improvement. “Just like he’s done in Ruleville, Billy Marlow believes that by making the building look better, it makes our community feel like a better place to live. After remodeling, Haire Drug Center is top of the line with all the modern conveniences, including free home delivery and a new drive-up window.”

But while some things have changed, some very important things remain the same.  “Nancy Pate has been a pharmacy tech here for over 40 years. People come in just to see her,” Zach told us.  “She’s always been a huge part of the store, and we’re glad she’s going to be here for a long time to come.”

In November 2010, Sheila Guest felt a lump in her breast.

Within months she’d had a mastectomy and was undergoing chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer. Her husband shaved her head, and with his help she determinedly fought the disease that claims about 43,000 lives each year in America.
 
Now cancer-free, Sheila credits the staff and technology at Sunflower Diagnostic Center for keeping her healthy.
 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Thanks to the North Sunflower Medical Foundation, patients’ have access to a Sunflower Diagnostic Center’s 3D Hologic Mammogram Machine.

“I have so much confidence in the NSMC team. They always have the latest updates and the latest technology,’’ Shelia tells us. “Even a few years ago I was telling my cousin who lives in Missouri that we have first-rate equipment and top experts right here in the middle of the Mississippi Delta.’’
 
The NSM Foundation paid for the October lease of the mammogram machine, which Sheila calls a life-saver. The money saved on this lease provides educational material to supply to women about the signs of breast cancer. 
 
“If that machine had been developed before I was diagnosed, they would have caught my cancer during my routine mammogram a year earlier, instead of me finding the lump myself. You can see everything on those things. There is no doubt this machine will save lives,’’ she says.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

NSM Foundation is not only the way that Sunflower Diagnostic Center has funds to offer services to the community, the Breast and Cervical Cancer program (BCCP) provides women that are uninsured, and medically underserved free mammograms and pap smears. 
 
At North Sunflower Medical Center this month you will see employees wearing pink on Fridays to raise awareness of breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. (skin cancer ranks first). The CDC also reports that Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than White women.
 
Each year in the United States, about 255,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,300 in men.

This month Sunflower Diagnostic Center is raffling off a Susan G. Komen bike in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. Sunflower Med Spa clients can also enter to win.

Sunflower Diagnostic Center

Sheila, a retired teacher who mentored many children in her 32 years in the classroom, has her calendar marked each year for a mammogram at Sunflower Diagnostic Center.
 
“They have wonderful diagnostic technicians. They are very thorough and friendly and nice. They make you feel at home,’’ she says.
 
The Sunflower Diagnostic Center offers Mammograms, Sonograms, Ultrasound, Bone Density and yearly gynecological screenings.
 
Sunflower Diagnostic Center accepts Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance, and private pay. The center also participates in the Breast & Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP), and patients may qualify for free treatment through that.
 
Sheila underwent three months of chemotherapy and was losing clumps of hair when she asked her husband to shave her head. “He was sweet. He didn’t really know how to do it. We could have been on America’s Funniest Home Videos,’’ she jokes.  Even today, and her husband work out regularly at the NSMC gym as she continues her healthy lifestyle. Back to her diagnosis, she
 
Now Sheila offers advice to friends and community members facing cancer. She encourages all women to look into their mammogram options, especially if they have a history of breast cancer in their family or if they are over age 40.
 
She says people can feel confident in the care they will receive in Ruleville.
 
“I feel so secure and at peace,’’ she says.
 
For more information, contact the Sunflower Diagnostic Center at 662-756-2100 and for a full list of services, visit www.northsunflower.com.