NSMC News

You know that feeling when a relative gets married, and all the sudden it feels like you’ve got a whole new part of your family. Pretty soon, you find out you have more in common than you knew. Before you know it, you feel like you’ve been part of the same big family all along? We started the Mississippi Center for Advanced Medicine in 2016 because we saw too many families all over Mississippi not able to get specialty care close to home. Wait times are long, and many families can’t afford to drive to Jackson, Memphis or Little Rock so their children could meet with medical specialists. Having a child with an illness puts an incredible strain on a family. Now add a four or five-hour car ride on top of the financial stress every time your son, daughter or grandchild needs see a specialist. We knew that getting great care right here in the Delta would not only make for healthier children, it would make happier families too. [caption id="attachment_2943" align="aligncenter" width="727"] If you are interested in our new services with Mississippi Center for Advanced Medicine at North Sunflower Medical Center, you can make an appointment by calling us at (601) 499-0935.[/caption] There has never been a children’s pediatric subspecialist in the Mississippi Delta to our knowledge. Too many families in the Delta are forced to let their children’s serious diseases go untreated for too long. That means time out of school and long-term impacts on the child’s health and wellbeing. But mostly, it’s just hard to be a kid when you’re sick. When we wanted to help tackle this problem, there are a bunch of reasons North Sunflower Medical Center just jumped off the page for us. We immediately recognized them as a center of excellence in the Delta. And mostly, their commitment to Ruleville and the surrounding communities was heartening to us. The team at North Sunflower understand how hard childhood illness can be -- on not just parents and their children, but also the strain brothers and sisters as well. When their parents focus all their attention on caring for a sick child that has an impact on the whole family. Anyone can see North Sunflower Medical Center’s commitment to constant innovation and to find new ways to provide the best care possible. They saw this problem just like we did, and we wanted to work with them to help fix it. If you are interested in our new services at North Sunflower Medical Center, you can make an appointment by calling us at (601) 499-0935 or in Ruleville at (662) 756-4000. We are thrilled to be in Ruleville and to be part of the new -- slightly bigger -- North Sunflower family.

By Robyn Marlow

One thing we all love about being part of the North Sunflower Community is the feeling of family. We enjoy giving a little bit of ourselves to help one another. Even when household budgets make it hard to give to all the charitable causes we would like, those of us in the North Sunflower family find a way to help one another when they need it most. This week is a great example of how anyone can help your neighbor without it taking too much time, or breaking your budget.

Mississippi Blood Services Blood Drive

Mississippi Blood Services will be holding a blood drive at North Sunflower Medical Center. Supplies of platelets, O+ and B+ are facing a severe shortage, and supplies of O- are critically low. The Blood Drive is on Thursday, March 23^rd at 840 N. Oak Ave from noon to 6:00. It usually takes about 30 minutes, and we always have friendly staff on hand to provide juice and cookies after you’ve donated.

Mississippi Blood Services Blood Drive

At North Sunflower Medical Center

840 N. Oak Ave, Ruleville, MS

Thursday, March 23^rd from noon to 6:00

How Giving Blood Helps

We all see huge blood drives when there is a natural disaster in faraway places in the world. But blood is such an important part of how we treat patients. The need for blood donors is constant right here in Mississippi. And because blood can only be stored for a limited amount of time, there is a constant need for regular donations. Giving blood helps you as well – not just other people. Giving blood is a great opportunity to get a mini-checkup, check your pulse and blood pressure, and check your iron and hemoglobin levels. Your blood will be checked for any infectious diseases, like West Nile virus. If anything shows up, you’ll be notified immediately. All for free. Blood donated this week at North Sunflower Medical Center will go to help women with complications during pregnancy, children with severe anemia; accident victims with severe trauma, and many complex medical and surgical procedures we do right here at North Sunflower. Studies show that three lives can be saved by one donation. Even if you are not type O or type B, or if you don’t know what type blood you have, the blood you give will help save a life.

A message from North Sunflower CEO, Sam Miller:

We are honored beyond description that the Mississippi Nurses’ Association, and the Mississippi Nurses’ Foundation this week recognized North Sunflower Medical Center as their Hospital of the Year. Of course, it's always a blessing when others take notice of your commitment and dedication. But the Nightingale Award was particularly exciting for our family here at North Sunflower.

North Sunflower Medical Scholarship Program

This award happened because the entire North Sunflower community made a commitment to providing the best care available by hiring good people, and training them to be their best. The North Sunflower Scholarship Program is just one part of that commitment. As Sandra Britt has said, “We want to keep everybody growing and learning. Growing never stops.” As Chairman of the North Sunflower Foundation’s Scholarship Committee, Sandra often says she just loves to “watch people sprout wings and grow."

Nightingale Award is a Team Effort

Of course, we’re proud of every member of the North Sunflower family. We value the commitment they make to providing the best care anywhere. Awards like this are a team effort and the honor is spread equally throughout this entire community. We know that nurses are most often on the front lines of providing quality health care and personalized service. The commitment and sacrifice to help others is an inspiration to me and everyone else who works here. But it takes a very strong team around them — from the housekeeping staff, to the administrative team, to the doctors and practitioners — all working together with nurses to provide each individual patient the best care possible. That’s what makes this award so special.

RULEVILLE, MS (Ben Caxton) — North Sunflower Medical Center was recognized as the Hospital of the Year at the 2017 Nightingale Awards Gala at the Marriott Downtown Jackson.

By Ginny Pantin, LCSW It feels like just weeks ago, we were ringing in the new year and making resolutions to do better in 2017. Now that the champagne bottles have been carted off, confetti has all been swept up, and you’ve gotten back into your normal post-holiday groove, late January is usually the time people start to fall off their New Year’s resolution wagon.

by Virginia Pantin, LCSW

As the old song goes, It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Holidays are a time to be together with family, exchange gifts and reminisce about Christmases past. Wow, that’s a lot of pressure. We all love the holidays, but the difference between what Christmas is supposed to be and what it usually is can create real anxiety. In spending time with family, there is a tendency to focus on who is NOT with you, instead of enjoying those who are. I talk with a lot of people around the North Sunflower family who tell me they miss the days when Christmas was a time to be a kid again. The parents and grandparents we celebrated with when we were younger are no longer with us, and our own children grow up and start their own families. That can create a sense of loss as we remember the warm glow of Christmases past. Throw on top of that, the pressure of tightened family budgets, the need to give to many charitable causes this time of year and the natural desire to get that perfect gift for everyone on your list, December can turn us all into a bundle of nerves. Ugh.

How to Fight Off Holiday Anxiety

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

First, know that we all feel this way.

To begin to untie that ball of anxiety, understand why its stressful, and know that you are not alone. Talk to any friend, and you’ll find more than likely they feel the same way. Knowing you are not the only one in the world who finds the holidays can be less than postcard perfect may be the best stress reliever there is.

Be mindful of what is causing anxiety so that you can accept the pressure and create a plan to make it better.

Shorter days and less sunlight impact all of our moods in ways that we don’t immediately recognize. Take time throughout the day to get out and see the sun. Go for a short walk around the North Sunflower Medical Center walking track during lunch or go out for coffee during the day. Do that with a friend and not only are you combatting the lack of sunlight, but you’re also fighting off loneliness that hits people this time of year. And exercise can give you a sense of control and power over anxiety any time of year.

If seeing your friends picture perfect posts on social media gives you a fear of missing out, limit your time on Facebook or Twitter.

Use that time to talk to the people around you and hear more about how they are feeling this time of year.

Lastly, own your feelings.

It’s perfectly acceptable to be stressed out over holiday decorations, finding the right gift and getting the decorations just like you want them to be. Enjoy those close friends that are with you instead of lamenting those that can’t be with us. Talk to friends about how you feel. And if you don't feel like talking to a friend, call us here at North Sunflower Behavior Health Services (662-756-1630). We're always happy to talk. It is a magical time of year.  But even Christmas Miracles can’t happen without someone – or something – being in need of a miracle.  Knowing that even Christmas isn’t perfect is the best way to fight off the Holiday blues.

Nancy Moon Director, Sunflower Diagnostic Center Have you ever taken your mom and sister out for a day at the spa, or an afternoon shopping, or maybe just a girls lunch with the women in your family? Well, what I’m going to suggest is not as fun or relaxing as any of those, but it is much more important. Studies show that if a member of your family (sister, mother, or grandmother) has breast cancer, your chances of developing the disease yourself double. That’s right. Double. So, no, I’m not going to try to tell you that an afternoon getting mammography’s with the girls can be like a day at the nail salon. But you should do it anyway, as a family. At North Sunflower Medical Center, we do everything we can to pamper our patients, treat your family like our family, and make it a relaxing, positive experience for everyone that walks through our doors. Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, women can get a mammography for $75. We work with several insurance companies and other local programs to get the cost even lower. We have some of the most advanced medical screening equipment in the Delta, and we have worked hard to make our facilities feel warm and welcoming. And because we know people just don’t have a lot of time, we can make appointments for mammographies, bone density scannings, pelvis ultrasounds and pap smears all on the same day. All of us at North Sunflower Medical Center want to make sure that no mother, sister or grandmother ever has an excuse to NOT get a mammogram. If you had a late pregnancy, no pregnancy, have a family history of breast cancer, or meet other risk factors, your insurance company may pay for annual mammograms over the age of 35. Either way, all women over 40 should have a mammogram annually. Early detection is the key. Our technology can detect a small cancerous mass in the ducts, before it reaches the nodes of a breast, and long before it spreads to other parts of the body. That can make all the difference. That’s why North Sunflower Medical Center is offering mammograms for $75 during breast cancer awareness month. And the rest of the year they are $99. We work hard to keep preventative health affordable. Because, like I said, we want to take away every excuse to NOT get a mammogram.

Richey Wood – Certified Physical Trainer

“How could my child have a concussion? He was never knocked out.” As a certified Athletic Trainer, I’ve seen otherwise caring parents push their child back into a competition, believing their young athlete to be fine. Our parents and coaches used to tell us, “you just got your bell rung". We now know it’s much more serious. The clearest sign we can offer of an athletic head injury is the feeling that something just isn’t quite right. Some symptoms are more obvious. It's easier to spot a headache or dizziness. But frequently, only family members can detect the most troubling signs of a head injury. They know their young athlete is reacting or behaving ‘off-their-game’. With the fall season, a host of youth sports activities return. Coaches, trainers, and school administrators have been closely studying the impact of head trauma related to soccer, softball, diving, cheerleading and a host of other competitive collision sports following the growing awareness of football concussion dangers.

Concussion Guidelines

Certified Athletic Trainers work with schools and athletic leagues. They help protect our young men and women competing in any sport from injury. Every year, the Mississippi High School Activity Association (MHSAA) updates their concussion policy and protocol for any head injury involving a young athlete. These guidelines will continue evolving as we learn more about the causes and impacts of concussions. For these guidelines to be most effective, parents and family members must be aware of concussion signs and symptoms. Familiarity will help identify when the child should see the doctor. It also aids collaboration with the coach, who ensures schools follow proper protocols and procedures at school. With any injury, rest is the most effective treatment. Resting a brain means avoiding stimulation from brightly lit rooms, video games, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Well-established guidelines for return-to-play exist across the state. Unfortunately, research around return-to-learn is still evolving for student-athletes. Forcing athletes to miss a test or skip homework because they were injured in an extracurricular activity is academic punishment. When is it OK to start exercising the brain after an injury? For now, the answer is unknown. Richey Wood is a Certified Athletic Trainer with the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. To request an appointment at MSM’s Ruleville clinic at North Sunflower Medical Center, go to www.mississippisportsmedicine.com.

I wanted to take a minute to tell you about a pretty special day we had this week. On Tuesday morning, a good number of the amazing people on what we like to call “Team North Sunflower” took a few minutes to celebrate North Sunflower Medical Center being named the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Outstanding Rural Hospital of the Year.

In the Beacon Wellness Center, we welcomed MHA president and CEO Timothy Moore, a number of local dignitaries from all across the Delta and some from even further across Mississippi. We had some wonderful cake and summer-tea. I especially enjoyed sharing my sincere thanks with the truly dedicated professionals who consistently come to work every day fully committed to making North Sunflower what it is today. They make real the vision of Mr. Billy Marlow, our Executive Director. He is a very humble and capable soul who has been the architect of our entire system. Thru his dedication and tireless efforts have improved the lives of so many.

Mississippi Hospital Association – Outstanding Rural Hospital Award Video from Jim Burt on Vimeo.

The Highest Levels of Service and Quality

And then (as soon as lunch was over) we went right back to work, providing the highest levels of service and quality – EVERYDAY, EVERYWHERE, TO EVERY PERSON, IN EVERYTHING WE DO. You see, we recognize there are a number of good healthcare providers in the Delta. But you put your trust in us. To keep it, North Sunflower Medical Center will continue to invest in technology and specialty services. Our goal is to enhance the overall health of Sunflower County and the many surrounding communities. We believe in exceptional patient-centered care, utilizing current clinical best practices, expanding clinical services through partnerships, and remaining a vibrant Community Health Organization centered on improving the lives of people in the Delta. We maintain our commitment to provide excellent, predictable and measurable health care services delivered by competent and compassionate professionals. As an old man once said, “If we’d wanted applause, we’d have joined the circus". We’re proud of the recognition, happy that people beyond Ruleville see our hard work, and are always pleased to celebrate as a team. We know sustaining your trust is a tall order. Our dedicated team members commit themselves to consistently maintaining these principles. They show up daily, work hard and are passionate about our mission. And I’m truly blessed to be a part of their team. Thank you. Sam Miller, CEO