Business News Of The Week

Business News Of The Week
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Seminars Attended

OCEAN CITY — Reese Cropper, III, owner of Insurance Management Group, Inc. in Ocean City, attended the 2012 College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL) Conference from Jan 26-29.

Attendees were lawyers and insurance agents that specialize in condominium risks as well as community managers from across the United States. The law seminar provides a unique learning opportunity to discuss emerging trends and legislative issues important to the practice of community association law.

Croppers also attended the Community Risk Management Specialists, (CIRMS), Masters Insurance Program concurrently with the law seminar. There are only 101 insurance agents that have earned the CIRMS designation in the United States. The CIRMS Program is taught at a “masters” level by community association insurance experts.

Nurse Practitioner Published

BERLIN — Lisa A. Jeffers, a nurse practitioner at Atlantic General Hospital’s Wound Care Center, was recently published in the MEDSURG Nursing Journal. The article is titled “Raising Health Care Provider Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Disease in Patients Over Age 50.”

The article, co-authored by Mary C. DiBartolo, an associate professor of nursing at Salisbury University, sheds light on a growing misconception — not only are more people over 50 having sex, but more of these individuals are getting the sexually transmitted diseases to prove it.

Jeffers started her career at Atlantic General Hospital in September 2002 as a nursing scholarship student. She has also held positions since including nursing tech and registered nurse in the Medical/Surgical Department. She received a Masters degree in nursing and was then offered the Outreach Wound Care position, where she currently is working as a certified registered nurse practitioner.

Jeffers was honored in 2011 as Nurse of the Year for living and working the mission and vision of Atlantic General Hospital.

Hospital Scores Honors

SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) is among the nation’s best hospitals for 2011-2012, and has been named a Best Regional Hospital on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, according to U.S. News & World Report, the publisher of Best Hospitals.  U.S. News editors recognized 247 hospitals outside major metropolitan areas, including PRMC.

Peninsula Regional was named a High Performer in Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics and Pulmonology.

U.S. News evaluates hospitals in 16 adult specialties. To be considered high-performing in at least one of those specialties, a hospital had to score among the top 25 percent of all hospitals evaluated for the Best Hospitals rankings. In the four specialties that base rank on reputation alone, a hospital had to be named by at least 3 percent of the surveyed physicians who responded.

Hospitals like Peninsula Regional offer a high level of medical care to communities, said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “All Best Regional Hospitals are ‘high performers’ in at least one medical specialty,” said Comarow. “They provide first-rate care, even to most patients who have serious conditions or need demanding procedures.”

U.S. News and World Report also named PRMC a Most Connected Hospital in 2011 for its use of technology in support of patient care and patient safety. In its Best Nursing Home Study last year, it provided Peninsula Regional’s Transitional Care Unit at a 5-Star Rating. Additionally, Dr. Daniel J. Kelley, a Salisbury Otolaryngologist on the medical staff at PRMC, was named a Best Doctor in 2011 by U.S. News.

“Organizationally, this is another wonderful national honor to receive from U.S. News,” said PRMC President/CEO Dr. Peggy Naleppa. "This recognition is an acknowledgement of how hard everyone at the Medical Center works, including our Board and volunteers, to maintain the best possible environment for the patients we serve, and it is humbling to know our efforts are paying off.”

Certification Earned

BERLIN – Barbara Riddell, vice president of information services at Atlantic General Hospital, recently achieved certification as a healthcare chief information officer (CHCIO) by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
CHCIO status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development for healthcare CIOs and is the only credentialing program that distinguishes healthcare IT executives from others in the industry. 
“CHIME’s newest CHCIOs are to be applauded for their accomplishment in furthering themselves professionally and defining themselves as industry leaders,” said CHIME Board member and Certification Committee Chair Gary Barnes, CIO at Medical Center Health System. “These CHCIOs are sending a strong message that they have the proven skills necessary to guide their organizations in today’s ever-changing HIT environment."