Jason Chandler/Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation
Accelerating access to quality healthcare has always been what the Gwinnett Medical Center is all about. In recent years, they have transformed the healthcare landscape of Gwinnett by adding the Concussion Institute, the Center for Weight Management, Graduate Medical Education, an expansion of their Cancer Institute, the Strickland Heart Center, and the Circelli Newborn Intensive Care. “Imagine what we can continue to do together.”
The ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign was developed by the American College of Surgeons in 2013 – just a few months after the active shooter disaster that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Connecticut. ACS convened a joint committee to create a protocol for national policy to enhance survivability from active shooter and intentional mass casualty events. In addition to physicians, this group included representatives from the federal government, the National Security Council, the U.S. military, the FBI, and emergency medical response organizations. This effort served as the
genesis for the Stop the Bleed campaign, which was officially launched by the White House in 2015.
The Stop the Bleed campaign trains, equips, and empowers people to help during a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives – keeping in mind that a person can die from blood loss
within five minutes. With the support of MAG’s Medical Reserve Corp and other key stakeholders, the Georgia Society of the American College of Surgeons secured a grant from the American College of Surgeons to promote the Stop the Bleed campaign in Georgia. The Georgia Trauma Commission subsequently added one million dollars to its budget to purchase trauma kits for public schools and other public places in the state.
Each Stop the Bleed kit contains a CAT tourniquet, an emergency trauma dressing, compressed gauze, two pairs of gloves, trauma shears, a marker, and instructions. The Stop the Bleed campaign is also designed to train school nurses and administrators in proper hemorrhage control techniques.
Dr. John Harvey is the medical director of the Medical Association of Georgia’s Medical Reserve
Corps, which is prepared to respond to natural disasters and disease outbreaks in the state. Dr.
Harvey has been a general and trauma surgeon for more than 25 years. MAG’s former president is
the chief of surgery at the Gwinnett Medical Center. He is also a colonel and command surgeon in the
Georgia State Defense Force.
Kathy Browning is the executive director of the Georgia Society of the American College of
Surgeons, which is the largest professional organization for surgeons in the state. She oversees the
organization’s legislative, communications, marketing, and grassroots efforts.
Dr. Shoheb Ali is a resident in internal medicine at Gwinnett Medical Center. As a member of the MAG
MRC, he gave a Stop the Bleed presentation and training demonstration during MAG’s legislative
seminar in June. It is also worth noting that Dr. Ali is the chair of MAG’s Resident Section.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has approved MAG’s request to form the nation’s first medical society-sponsored statewide volunteer medical reserve corps (MRC). MAG and the Georgia Department of Public Health would oversee MAG’s MRC. MAG is now eligible for limited federal capacity building funds and has in fact received a 2015 grant for $2,500 – though the MAG MRC will require funding from private sources to fully maximize its vision.
The MAG MRC will train physicians to respond to declared emergencies in Georgia, and it will establish a system to coordinate the deployment of those physicians during any such emergencies. The MAG MRC will supplement the official medical and public health and emergency services resources that are available in the state. MAG MRC units will be capable of setting up mobile hospital systems. And under extreme circumstances (e.g., a shortage of health care providers in a given area), MAG MRC units can be called upon to perform some of the functions that would otherwise be performed by the full-time emergency medical response personnel in the state. MAG formed the MRC as a result of 2013 House of Delegates meeting action.
The MRC is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises 993 community-based units and 207,783 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories. Georgia has 19 approved MRCs.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to community health activities that promote healthy habits.
The designated point of contact is the Director of Health Protection with DPH. The MAG MRC may also be activated by MAG MRC leadership team as necessary. The MAG MRC Unit will supplement the State of Georgia Public Health Emergency Preparedness’ and Response Unit. The unit will not replace or supplant the existing emergency medical response system or its resources including locally based MRC units.
Special Guests:
John S. Harvey, M.D.
Susan Moore
Susan Moore has been MAG’s Director of Health Policy and Third Party Payer Advocacy since 2013. She helps MAG members resolve third party payer claim disputes and grievances. She has spent 30 years in the health care industry – more than half of those focused on patient safety and health care quality. Moore has a degree in nursing from the Emory University School of Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Yale School of Public Health at Yale University.
Paul Hildreth
Paul Hildreth is the emergency management coordinator/grant coordinator for REMS for the Fulton County School District. He has 14 years of experience in emergency response and crisis management. He is a certified emergency manager and master certified emergency manager. He has been an integral part of the Georgia State Defense Force for 10 years. He has a degree in business operations from DeVry University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
This week we are highlighting several medical practices and services that the community could benefit from knowing about. Salude is an upscale transitional care and rehabilitation facility focused on providing specialized short-term, in-patient rehabilitation care in a state-of-the-art environment. Atlanta Heart Specialists’ physicians deliver a full range of cardiology services, including state-of-the-art prevention, consultation, diagnostic and treatment, and rehabilitation care. Gwinnett Medical Center’s Hospital Medicine program helps optimize the patient’s health outcomes by providing round-the-clock physician oversight of care for patients during their stay in the hospital.
Special Guests:
Dr. Alan Wang, MD, Medical Director of Salude 
Dr. Binu Kunjummen, MD, Interventional Cardiologist, Atlanta Heart Specialists
Dr. Martin Austin, MD, Hospital Medicine, Gwinnett Medical Center
Maria Chininis/The Concussion Institute at Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth
As part of their initiative to improve the treatment of concussions, Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth is pleased to announce the opening of the Concussion Institute at Gwinnett Medical Center–Duluth.
With the latest state-of-the-art technology and a team of highly skilled experts from across the country, they are committed to raising the standard of care for athletes who suffer a concussion.
With the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) program, they can diagnose concussions sooner and with greater accuracy. They offer treatment paths for neuropsychology, visual therapy and vestibular therapy to help athletes successfully recover in order to get back on the field and court safely.
In addition, they have placed certified athletic trainers in numerous high schools across Gwinnett and North Fulton. Their mission is to reduce the chance of follow-up concussions, thereby helping the student athlete’s performance both on the field and in the classroom.
At Gwinnett Medical Center, they understand the competitive nature of sports, but they always hold the athlete’s health and safety first — this is one more way they’re Transforming Healthcare.
Testing the Experts, presented by Confirmatrix Laboratory, introduces you to the top physicians, treatment centers and rehabilitation facilities, researchers, law enforcement personnel and other organizations in Atlanta to discuss their work and examine how drug testing and trends in patient care as well as drug usage plays a part in their day to day operations. Testing the Experts is co-hosted by Wes Warrington and Tracy Youngblood-McDaniel and airs each Friday at 1:00pm EST.
To anyone that speaks to Sandi Thurber, it is apparent that she loves her job, and is personally motivated by helping families in times of crisis and need. Educated in Sociology at the University of Southern Mississippi, Sandi began working with older adults on a part-time basis as the Activities Coordinator in a nursing home. After many years at both Meadowbrook and Delmar Gardens, she accepted her current position as a social worker at Gwinnett Extended Care Center (GECC) about six years ago.
Elizabeth Joseph came to the US from India twenty five years ago. When she came here, she intended to be a teacher. When she found it difficult to find a teaching job, she went back to school, and earned her RN degree. She moved to Atlanta 17 years ago, and accepted a position with the Gwinnett Medical system 14 years ago. Though she wears a multitude of hats, her primary role at GECC is to assist patients with their Medicare and insurance needs.
GECC is an 89 bed facility located adjacent to the main Gwinnett Medical Center campus in Lawrenceville. Sandi tells us this that being a part of the Gwinnett Medical system, and being co-located with the campus is a tremendous benefit for their patients, in that, there are a host of resources available that would not be easily accessible in another location. To find out more information about GECC, please call them directly at (678) 312-3000, or visit them on the web here.
We want to thank Griswold Home Care for sponsoring today’s show. Griswold Home Care has been a preferred provider of high quality, affordable in-home senior care in Atlanta for 20 years.
Dr. Marshall Nash is the founder and CEO of Neurostudies.net. Dr. Nash is also Director of Stroke and Neuroscience Research at Gwinnett Medical Center. His work focuses on cutting edge research around Stroke, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s diseases. Dr. Nash became interested in medicine, particularly neurology, as a teenager when he was called in by one of the doctors to observe memory loss in one of his grandparents. Now, he offers research treatments to many who might otherwise have no hope of relief from their disease. Dr. Nash and his team can be reached at either 404-475-0552 in Decatur, or in their Lawrenceville office at 770-339-3312. You can also visit their web site: www.neurostudies.net.
Kiva Schindler began her career in healthcare working as an emergency room nurse. During her tenure in the ER, she saw how critical timing was in treating stroke victims. While still at Dekalb Medical Center, she met Dr. Nash. Today Kiva is the Site Director for Neurostudies.net, managing nine research coordinators and five other staff members. She is passionate about educating families about the importance of quickly recognizing signs of stroke and getting expert treatment within the first three hours after the stroke occurs.
Though one of the newer members of the team, Corie Lynn brings anotherimportant dimension to the Neurostudies team. She is their Recruitment Specialist, and is charged with educating and advising families and patients that might benefit from the new treatment options being made available through the group’s reasearch work. Corie is well prepared for this position, having earned a BS degree from Seton Hall, and working on both sides of the research fence, first at Merck, then at the University of South Carolina. Corie and Kiva can also be reached at the numbers listed above.
Thom Corrigan led off today’s show representing both Metta Johnson and Associates and The Elrod-Hill Law Firm. Thom has served the senior community as a social worker and a geriatric care manager for thirty years. Though the two organizations he works with represent different disciplines within the senior services arena, both share the common objective of providing a comprehensive assessment of a client’s situation and providing solutions to meet each client’s unique requirements. Thom is active in Cobb County Services for the Elderly, Senior Services of North Fulton, and serves on the board of the Georgia Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association. 
Thom can be reached at (404) 791-8234, or via email at thomcorrigan@bellsouth.net. Visit the Elrod-Hill Law Firm at www.Elrod-Hillfirm.com, and Metta Johnson & Associates at www.mettajohnson.com.
Next, we spoke to Sandi Thurber, Director of Social Services at Gwinnett Extended Care Center, a subacute facility that is part of Gwinnett Medical Center’s Lawrenceville Campus. To anyone that speaks to Sandi, it is apparent that she loves her job, and is personally motivated by helping families in times of crisis and need. Educated in Sociology at the University of Southern Mississippi, Sandi began working with older adults on a part-time basis as the Activities Coordinator in a nursing home. After many years at both Meadowbrook and Delmar Gardens, she accepted her current position at Gwinnett Extended Care about four years ago. Sandi tells us that one of her key roles is as a discharge planner, and that planning begins the day a patient is admitted to her facility. Her advice to our listeners is that they should do the same, so that a family doesn’t have to make key decisions in the midst of a crisis. Sandi can be reached at (678) 312-3064, or via email at cthurber@gwinnettmedicalcenter.org. To visit Gwinnett Extended Care’s web page, click here.
Finally, we spoke to a lovely duo representing Gwinnett Hospital System’s Congregational Ministry for Health & Wellness. Debra Herring-Gates is the Congregational Health Nurse for Hopewell Missionary 
Baptist Church. Starting in 1996, Debra was one of the very first nurses in this unique program. Joining the program seven years ago, Jean Holley is Director for the Congregational Ministry for Health & Wellness. This program forms partnerships with faith communities to establish and support interfaith health ministries led by a parish nurse/health minister. The program supports parish nurses as they offer an array of services, including health counseling for individuals, health education for congregation and community, coordination of volunteer services, health promotion programs and support groups. Debra can be reached at her church at (770) 448-5475, or via email at dherring@hopewellmissionarybaptist.org. Visit their website at www.hopewellmissionarybaptist.org. Jean can be reached at (678) 312-2467. To visit the web page for the Congregational Health Ministry, click here.
Our first guest was Sharon Hansen, of Glancy Rehabilitation Center. Starting her career as a 4-H program coordinator, she has held a number of jobs that all contributed to preparing her for her current role. Listen as Sharon shares her passion for serving seniors both in her job as a Clinical Evaluator for Glancy, and also in her work with the Gwinnett Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. Find out more about Glancy’s services at www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/Glancy-Rehabilitation-Center. Sharon can be reached at shansen@gwinnettmedicalcenter.org.
Next we spoke with Adrienne Simpson, President and CEO of Smooth Mooove Senior Relocation Services. Leaving the “corporate” world nearly a decade ago, Adrienne was compelled to start Smooth Mooove by a personal experience moving one of her own family members. Recognizing an opportunity in the market, Adrienne was one of the first in Atlanta to offer a full suite of senior relocation services. Her story is a real treat to hear! For more on Smooth Mooove, visit her website at wemoveseniors.com, or email her at sales@wemoveseniors.com.
Today’s final guest was Jacquelyn Evans. Jacqueline is a Community Liaison for Compassionate Hospice of North Georgia. Originally from Rhode Island, Jacqueline graduated from North Georgia College with a degree in Marketing. As she began to pursue a marketing/sales career in healthcare, she realized how much she enjoyed helping people, especially those in the final stages of their journey. Listen in as she talks about the role hospice can play for her potential patients and their families. Please visit Compassionate Hospice’s website at www.chcmg.com. Jacquelyn can be reached via email at jevans@chcmg.com.
