News
Miller County Hospital is First Facility in Georgia to Deploy FDA Authorized Germ-Zapping Robot
As healthcare facilities look for effective ways to battle bacteria that can lurk on high-touch surfaces, Miller County Hospital has expanded its fleet of Germ-Zapping Robots to include the world’s first FDA authorized Germ-Zapping Robot – the LightStrike+. The hospital is the first facility in Georgia to invest in a LightStrike+ UV device, which is the only whole room microbial reduction medical device authorized by the FDA to be marketed and distributed in the United States. The LightStrike+ robot uses a xenon lamp to create high-intensity, pulsed broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light that destroys pathogens on surfaces and helps break the chain of transmission from surfaces to patients and healthcare workers.
Miller County Hospital is an innovator among rural hospitals. The hospital has a fleet of powerful LightStrike robots that are used throughout the facility to quickly destroy pathogens that may have been missed during the manual cleaning process. With the world’s focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, and recognizing that superbugs are becoming increasingly resistant to cleaning chemicals, antibiotics and even some hand sanitizers, Miller County Hospital is an advocate for technology that enhances their cleaning protocols. Microorganisms that can cause infections, such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), often dwell on high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities. According to the device manufacturer, Xenex Disinfection Services, the LightStrike+’s FDA authorization is supported by rigorous testing performed on over 10,000 samples of vegetative bacteria and Clostridiodes difficile (C.diff) spores.
“Miller County Hospital is committed to evidence-based care, patient safety and the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Shawn Whittaker, CNO at Miller County Hospital. “When it comes to infection prevention, we have a comprehensive program in place that includes antibiotic stewardship, hand hygiene and education, to name just a few of our best practices. We added a LightStrike+ UV-C robot to our disinfection strategy because we want to ensure that we are doing everything we can to provide the cleanest possible environment for our patients and employees.”
LightStrike+ devices are intended to perform microbial reduction on non-critical medical device surfaces free from visual soiling in the healthcare environment following manual cleaning and disinfection practices. They are authorized for use in healthcare facilities, including unoccupied operating rooms, hospital rooms, and other clinical settings where non-critical medical devices may be present.
Operated by facility cleaning staff and nurses, the LightStrike+ robot is being used in a wide variety of rooms at Miller County Hospital including patient exam rooms, isolation rooms, restrooms, pharmacy, radiology, conference rooms, and much more. With as fast as a 2-minute cycle-time for microbial reduction, the LightStrike+ device is built upon accumulated knowledge from more than a decade of best practices implemented at healthcare facilities, 193 patents, and industry leading technical and epidemiological expertise.
About Xenex
Founded in 2008, Xenex is a world leader in UV technology-based microbial reduction strategies and solutions. Xenex is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing products and services that utilize its patented technologies to stop the spread of deadly pathogens that can cause infectious diseases. Many of the world’s leading hospitals, including HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner Health System, Stanford Health Care, and Texas Health Resources, use LightStrike robots as part of their comprehensive disinfection strategy.. For more information, visit xenex.com.
Miller Home Health named as Prestigious 2023 HHCAHPS Honors Award Recipient
Miller Home Health, owned and operated by the Hospital Authority of Miller County, has been named a 2023 HHCAHPS Honors Award recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, the premiere provider of RCM services, CAHPS surveys, and advanced analytics for home health and hospice organizations. This annual review recognizes agencies that continuously provide a positive patient experience and high-quality care as measured from the patient’s experiences and perspective of their home health care. It acknowledges the highest performing agencies by analyzing the performance of the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) survey satisfaction measures.
HHCAHPS Honors acknowledges the highest performing agencies by analyzing performance on the Willingness to Recommend question as a qualifier and then analyzing performance on 18 other questions that comprise the publicly reported measures from April 2022 through March 2023. HHCAHPS Honors recipients include agencies scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Average on at least 85% or seventeen of the evaluated questions.
“We began our award program more than ten years ago as a way to shine a positive light on those agencies that are truly leading the way in providing and demonstrating quality patient care,” said Ronda Howard, VP, Revenue Cycle and CAHPS, HEALTHCAREfirst. “We are thrilled to congratulate Miller Home Health on their success and are honored they partner with us in helping drive success for their agency.”
DeeDee Widener, Miller Home Health Administrator, credits the hard work and dedication of each home health clinician. She said, “The staff continually seeks the strengths of each patient and caregiver empowering them toward positive patient outcomes. We are thankful to the Hospital Authority of Miller County leading the way by providing such an impactful service as home health for the communities we serve.”
Miller Home Health is a Medicare and Medicaid certified non-profit agency that began in 2021 providing skilled care offered in the comfort of patient homes. The agency offers intermittent services, including 24/7 on-call services, and accepts patients who have a skilled need, an order from a qualifying medical provider, and patient consent.
Additionally, the agency serves Miller, Early, Baker, Calhoun, and Clay counties while providing comprehensive skilled care by disciplines such as, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Miller Home Health accepts Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and private pay payors. Referrals can be made at any hour by contacting the agency at phone number 229-758-2729. Learn more about Miller Home Health at MillerCountyHospital.com/home-health.
Medicaid Redetermination Has Started
Between April 2023 and May 2024, the state of Georgia will be redetermining eligibility for all individuals who currently receive Medicaid or Peach Care for Kids® coverage. This means that you may need to renew your coverage to continue receiving benefits.
To stay informed about any changes that may affect you, we encourage you to visit staycovered.ga.gov. This website provides regular updates with important news and resources to help you navigate the process.
Entre abril de 2023 y mayo de 2024, el estado de Georgia volverá a determinar la elegibilidad de todas las personas que actualmente reciben cobertura de Medicaid o Peach Care for Kids®. Esto significa que es posible que deba renovar su cobertura para continuar recibiendo los beneficios.
Para mantenerse informado sobre cualquier cambio que pueda afectarlo, le recomendamos que visite staycovered.ga.gov. Este sitio web proporciona actualizaciones periódicas con noticias y recursos importantes para ayudarle a navegar el proceso.
State-of-the-Art Child Care is Strategic to Rural Hospital’s Talent Plans
Rural America is facing a child care crisis that’s accelerating worker stress and creating major challenges for employers. In half of all states, the majority of workers live in child care deserts with rural areas underserved far more than urban areas. Critical staffing shortages and the high cost of hiring travel nurses or other contract labor are contributing to rural hospital closures with nearly 30% (631) nationwide at risk of closing because of the rising cost of providing care.
The Hospital Authority of Miller County in rural Colquitt, Georgia, plans to ensure its future with a new state-of-the-art child care center designed to address the unique caregiving challenges of healthcare workers and increase its ability to attract quality staff to continue fulfilling the area’s healthcare needs.
Competition is steep though: out of all states, Georgia ranks near the bottom in its number of active nurses per capita, reports Georgia Public Broadcast News. While 65% of children through age five in Georgia have both parents in the workforce, 89% of parents in rural areas say child care responsibilities influenced their decision to not work.
“We’re all fighting for the same staff, and there’s never enough to go around. We’re about growth here, and while employee benefits play a huge part in our growth, we’re based in rural Southwest Georgia. If you weren’t raised here, you might not want to move to a community that doesn’t afford all the conveniences of a larger city. So, we have to be innovative,” says Karie Spence, Human Resources Director at Miller. “What we’re introducing here is topnotch child care that will give us a big competitive lift because none of our local competitors have this benefit.”
While Miller is the largest employer in the area, it vies with bigger regional hospitals for healthcare talent. Today a staff of 700 provides high quality patient services at a 25-bed hospital, 217-bed long-term care facility, 100-bed ventilator-dialysis unit, multiple medical clinics, and specialized services. With studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that parents who work in healthcare experience high levels of stress and burnout because of personal child care responsibilities, Miller County believes that providing on-site child care will allow it to punch above its weight in attracting and retaining staff by supporting working parents on a whole other level.
“The business case for healthcare systems to invest in child care is clearer than ever. To deliver outstanding care to patients and continue to grow, we need to support our staff. Creating a culture of care for working parents is mission critical for us to attract and retain top talent, combat employee stress and burnout, minimize reliance on travel nurses, and support economic growth in our region. Providing reliable, high-quality early education for children with the extended hours that healthcare workers need is a building block to a strong and stable workforce,” says Robin Rau, CEO at Miller County.
Developed in partnership with Bright Horizons and expected to open later this year, the new center will provide early childhood education plus school age learning for older children during closures for holidays, summer vacations, or other reasons. It will also offer a “mildly ill” room, where professional center staff can care for children who are unable to attend school. So, even an employee with a sick child won’t have to miss work.
With women making up the majority of workers at Miller, solving the child care crisis is critically important, since women most often carry the burden of responsibility when a child is sick. According to recent US Census Bureau surveys, mothers are more than four times as likely as fathers to miss work due to child care.
In addition, the center will accommodate the demanding schedules that often challenge working parents. “Not all child care centers are open 14 hours a day to accommodate 12-hour shift employees. Having a center on-siteallows us to meet the scheduling flexibility our healthcare workers need. Having their child right on campus, so they can check on them or breastfeed, supports employees’ wellbeing and mental health. That results in a positive workforce,” says Spence. She expects it will help strengthen employee recruiting and retention.
Miller embodies a culture of caring, dedication to innovation, and focus on providing benefits that meet evolving employee needs. The on-sitechild care center is strategic to Miller’s growth plans and to helping employees deliver premium patient care. It will enable staff members to come to work without having to worry about the wellbeing of their children, ensuring their own wellbeing, and that of the community.
As Miller County sees it, bringing in a Bright Horizons child care center is not just a way to support the hospital. The center’s high quality, high caliber child care will support the entire Colquitt community as those children head to local schools and beyond.
“Yes, this is a big investment for a small hospital, but our caregivers are like family. Building a family-friendly culture makes sense for us. By all accounts, labor shortages and healthcare worker burnout are here to stay. Younger generations expect employers to help solve personal challenges like child care. We believe our child care center will help us entice early-in-career people to come to Miller to grow their careers and their families with us,” says Miller’s CEO.
This article originally appeared on Bright Horizons.
Pathway to Excellence® Designation Achieved
MILLER COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS ACHIEVED THE PATHWAY TO EXCELLENCE ® DESIGNATION FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO A POSITIVE PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT AND A CULTURE OF SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
Miller County Hospital joins a premier group of organizations that have received Pathway to Excellence® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
The Pathway designation is a global credential that highlights Miller County Hospital’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued. Miller County Hospital’s nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team, with a voice in policy and practice. Pathway nurses are engaged, resulting in higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, improved safety, and better patient outcomes.
As a Pathway organization, Miller County Hospital leads the effort to enhance quality of care, patient and nursing safety, and the future of healthcare delivery.
“I am so excited to see the Nursing Staff of Miller County Hospital being recognized for all the extra work they placed upon themselves (in the middle of a pandemic, I might add), to seek this designation. Many of these Functional Standards that are the premise of the Pathways Organization were already in place when we started this three-year journey, we just had to prove it to the ANCC. It’s amazing the loyalty and the perseverance of the nurses here at the hospital that made this achievement a reality. It is a much deserved honor for this staff. Congratulations, Miller County Hospital Nurses!” said Shawn Whittaker, CNO at Miller County Hospital.
For more information on the Pathway to Excellence recognition program, visit ANCC’s
website at nursingworld.org/pathway.
New Hospital Beds Just in Time for the New Year
The morning of December 29th was like a second Christmas for staff and patients at Miller County Hospital as 26 Stryker Isolibrium hospital beds were delivered and unboxed.
“It has been 20 years since new beds have been purchased for the hospital,” Shawn Whittaker, CNO tells. We’re excited to offer our patients some of the most sophisticated beds on the market. These beds include features such as built-in scales for weighing patients without having to get them up and out of bed, the capability to program the bed to turn bedbound patients at specified intervals to alleviate pressure, and the ability to set alarms to alert nursing staff if a patient at risk for falls is trying to exit the bed. In addition to these advanced functionalities, the new beds are more mobile and less cumbersome to move if a patient should need transporting to other parts of the hospital. There are multiple aspects in the design of this bed for patients’ comfort and safety, along with those that will protect the employees from back or other body injuries when providing patient care.
We’d like to thank everyone who played a part in this project from acquiring the beds to transferring current patients. The transferring of current patients in the hospital to these new beds required staff members from various departments and it was a huge coordinated effort led by BJ Grubbs, BSN RN, Med Surg Nurse Manager.
Final Push: Pathways to Excellence Designation
This morning at 6:30 am in the hospital lobby, all Miller County Hospital Nursing Staff were invited to participate in the final push to get us to the goal of achieving Pathways to Excellence Designation. The staff were made aware that three years of working towards this initial designation is coming to an end. The writing and the documented evidence that proves Miller County Hospital Nursing Staff are supported to make changes for a positive practice environment have been submitted to the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center ©). The final steps to ensure a successful survey in January 2023 by the ANCC include an educational-type competition among the nursing staff. The Council chose to do a “college football-themed contest” for each department of nursing to fulfill their role in ensuring all staff are knowledgeable of the 60 EOPs (Evidence of Practice) that are required for this award.
Pathways to Excellence is the premier designation for healthy work environments and recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate a commitment to establishing the foundation of a healthy workplace for staff. Pathway evaluates nurses’ participation and involvement and considers how this has improved outcomes, not only for patients but staff as well. The evidence-based Pathway Standards provide an essential foundation for creating a culture of sustained excellence- a critical goal for any organization in this value-based industry and play a key role in the successful recruitment and retention of high-performing nursing staff.
Shawn Whittacker, CNO, shares her thoughts below:
“This has been a nurse-driven initiative and three-year project commitment by our nursing staff members through a Pandemic, which is an achievement in itself! If this designation is awarded, to me it will just verify what I already know- Miller County Hospital is blessed to have some of the most highly skilled, committed nursing staff in this area. “I believe our staff will have earned this recognition as a Pathways to Excellence© facility simply because of the hard work and dedication that they show each and every day in this difficult work they do at a time when it has not been easy to be a nurse. These past three years have been the most tragedy-filled, stressful days of my 37 year career as a nurse and I know I am not the only one that has felt this way. For these nurses to have continued to show up knowing what they were walking into each day, yet still trying to make improvements for the patients and lend support to each other deserves a recognition such as this.”
HAMC’s Jill Brown Awarded 2022 CFO of the Year by HomeTown Health
HomeTown Health, an organization of 70 rural hospitals in the Southeast, announced Jill Brown as the 2022 Chief Financial Officer of the Year at the HomeTown Health 23rd Annual Fall Conference held at Callaway Gardens October 19-21, 2022. HomeTown Health recognizes hospital leaders who are dedicated to the cause of rural healthcare through their proven service to their hospitals at its annual awards presentation.
“For outstanding leadership in sharing best practices in the revenue cycle, her commitment to excellence in all manners of her influence and her commitment to the financial stability and success at her facility, HomeTown Health is proud to honor Jill Brown as the CFO of the Year,” shares Kristy Thomson, COO of HomeTown Health.
Included with nominations from the Miller County team were testimony of support,
- “Jill Brown, CFO at MCH is a hardworking individual that works to improve the business performance of the hospital. She is a goal-oriented leader that works to help provide the best practice for our patients by committing to the financial success of our facility.”
- “Jill provides incredible leadership during the most trying times. Her level-headed, non-panicky personality keeps things running smoothly in the accounting department, and in other departments as well. It is a pleasure working for her and with her.”
- “Jill Brown is a remarkable leader. Although she is a very busy lady as our CFO, she always makes time when requested. As a brand-new nurse manager in 2016, she took the time to help lead me through processes and aspects of billing that was necessary for me to understand to do my job. She has always been a phone call away. Through the COVID-19 Pandemic she was a firm foundation in ensuring the processes at Miller County Hospital. We have not gone without anything we needed and that is a true blessing. Mrs. Brown definitely deserves recognition for her hard work, kind heart, and willingness to teach others and grow us within this organization.”
“It is truly our pleasure to work alongside hospital leaders throughout the state that serve in rural facilities. It is an even greater pleasure to be able to recognize those leaders as they excel in their facilities and positively impact their staff and their communities each year.” says Kristy Thomson, COO of HomeTown Health.
About HomeTown Health:
HomeTown Health, LLC, celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year, serves more than 70 hospitals throughout the Southeastern United States. HomeTown Health, LLC offers advocacy, education, business partner service indexing, industry conferences, and strategic support to its member hospitals as well as expansive grant-based resources through key partnerships with the Department of Public Health and Department of Community Health in many states. HomeTown Health’s mission is to do everything legally, morally and ethically possible to promote, sustain and maintain rural healthcare in the communities which its member facilities serve. Learn more at http://www.hometownhealthonline.com.
For more information contact:
Jimmy Lewis, CEO HomeTown Health, LLC – 470-655-6950
Jimmy.lewis@hometownhealthonline.com
Community Health Survey
Dear Community Member,
Miller County Hospital has asked the Center for Public Health Practice and Research (CPHPR) to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment. This Center is within the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University. Your say is vital for this study. So, we are inviting you to complete this survey. The survey should take about 15-25 minutes to complete.
Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You must be 18 years old or older and you will not receive any financial or other payment. Please note that the hospital will not have access to your actual responses. Your privacy will be guaranteed. All data will be held in a safe file by the lead investigator at Georgia Southern University. All responses will be reported in a combined form, and no individual information will be reported. Your participation in this study will have no unfavorable effect on you or your relationship with the hospital. We also do not expect you suffer any discomfort or risk as a result of your participation in this study. However, if you do, you may stop participating at any time you wish.
If you have any questions or concerns about this work, please contact any of the faculty below. This work is approved by the Georgia Southern University Institutional Review Board (#H21417). If you have questions about your rights as a participant, you can call Georgia Southern University Office of Research Services Sponsored Programs at 912-478-5465.
Title of Project: Community Health Needs Assessment
Investigators:
Bettye Apenteng, PO Box 8015, 912-478-2416 bapenteng@georgiasouthern.edu
Charles Owens, PO Box 8015, cowens@georgiasouthern.edu
Completing this survey means you agree to participate in this work.
Thank you for participating.
Bennett Sworn in to Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce
Dr. Garrett Bennett has been sworn in to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce by Governor Brian Kemp.
The purpose of the 15 member Board is to see that Georgia communities, especially in medically underserved areas, have improved access to needed physicians and other health care practitioners.
Originally started in 1978 as the Joint Board of Family Practice, it was changed to the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce in 1999. In 2011, the powers and duties of the State Medical Education Board were transferred to the GBPW. Then, loan repayment programs for dentists were added to the Board in 2016, and programs for physician assistants (PA) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) were officially added to the Board’s jurisdiction in 2017. To reflect its more inclusive nature of other health care professions, it became the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce in 2019.
A native of central Florida, Dr. Bennett is a graduate of Richmond Hill High School in Bryan County, Ga., the University of Georgia and Mercer University School of Medicine. Currently, he is an attending physician at Miller County Medical Center in Colquitt. He previously practiced at Lifebrite Community Hospital of Early in Blakely.
Dr. Bennett is the son of Gary and Donna Bennett of Morriston, Fla. His wife, the former Dana Ginn of Calhoun County, is a graduate of Southwest Georgia Academy and is a physical therapist at Colquitt Therapy Services. The Bennetts live in Early County with their daughters Devyn, Blaire and Brynley.
Editor’s Note [Early County News]: Our area is historically underrepresented in state government. It is a credit to us to have such a capable, compassionate doctor from our area serving on this important board. This seat can have a great impact on healthcare in rural Georgia. We are grateful Dr. Bennett accepted the Governor’s Appointment. Our community is in his debt.