Spring Issue

In the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Feb. 14, 2012 report on central line-associated blood stream infections, DeKalb Medical ranked as the best hospital in the Metro Atlanta area. Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that DeKalb Medical had zero central line-associated blood stream infections. No other hospital in the area reported zero infections.

“This accomplishment did not happen without intentional focus and cooperation from the medical staff.” says Duane Barclay, D.O, chief medical officer. “We look forward to continued quality improvement and thank each of the physicians who help us in these efforts.”

When the construction is complete in late May, 2012, DeKalb Medical at Hillandale’s new breast center will not only have larger, more comfortable waiting and exam rooms, but the additional digital mammography room will make it possible for needle localizations to be performed as surgeons need them to be, without creating a backlog of patients waiting for routine mammograms. Another benefit for physicians will be the presence of two breast sonographers five days each week compared to the three days sonographers are currently available, says Ellis Carter, RTR, radiology manager at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale.

The DeKalb Medical Physicians Group welcomes two new doctors.

Daniel Tesfaye, M.D.

The DeKalb Medical Physician Group welcomes Daniel Tesfaye, M.D., a neurologist who will join Neurology Specialists of Hillandale located at 5910 Hillandale Drive, Suite 205, Lithonia, GA on May 1. He completed his internal medicine and neurology residencies at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Dr. Tesfaye is certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry with a Special Qualification in neurology. He has been in private practice in North Carolina since 2000 and offers general adult comprehensive neurology care with special interest in headaches, stroke, sleep medicine, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, movement disorders, dementia and complex neurological patients.

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Improving operational processes to make it easier for physicians and employees at DeKalb Medical to provide top quality care is the goal of Dane Henry, DeKalb Medical’s new executive vice president and chief operating officer. Henry most recently served as vice president of operations for Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) in Gainesville, Ga. "Dane Henry brings to DeKalb Medical a wealth of experience leading hospital operations. He has a proven track record in driving results, and his insight will contribute to the growth of our organization," said John A. Shelton Jr. FACHE, president and chief executive officer, DeKalb Medical.

The first eight months of the Heart and Vascular Institute’s percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) program has seen an increasing number of patients and quality outcomes. Statistics for the months of May 2011 through December 2011 include:

*Catheterization Lab procedures increased from 90 to 126 per month.
*220 PCIs performed during eight month period.
*Only two hematomas occurred.
*Six deaths during admission, none of which were procedure related. This represents 2.6% of PCIs and all were emergent cases. Five of the deaths were in patients presenting with
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who were treated for salvage due to ST segment elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI) and one was due to unexpected myocardial rupture proven by autopsy.

Thanks to the efforts of physicians and employees at DeKalb Medical at Hillandale, the Joint Commission surveyors not only had positive remarks but also asked hospital representatives to submit two items to the Joint Commission’s Leading Practice Library, a compilation of best practices identified by surveyors.

The two items that surveyors identified as best practices were: