New mothers to experience the comforts of home at Atlanta Medical Center 

New mothers will soon experience a warm and welcoming environment at Atlanta Medical Center, courtesy of some thoughtful renovations to the hospital’s labor and delivery rooms. 

The renovations will include improvements such as hardwood floors, Corian countertops, new wallpaper and accent walls in patient rooms and lighted sconces in the hallways.

“The updated features will create a homelike atmosphere for our patients,” said Lisa Brewer Dixon, Atlanta Medical Center’s director of Women’s Services. “Our labor and delivery rooms will reflect Atlanta Medical Center’s commitment to not just meeting, but exceeding patients’ expectations. We want to be intown Atlanta’s choice for OB deliveries.”

The renovation process, which begins this month, will only take three rooms out of service at a time and will be completed by November. 

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com

Media Contact:  Todd Goodall, (404) 265-4202

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Women who undergo routine mammograms at Atlanta Medical Center now have the latest diagnostic technology available to them, digital mammography. The hospital now features the advanced system, Selenia™ digital mammography from Hologic™.

Atlanta Medical Center is pleased to offer patients the newest technology for breast cancer detection. Digital mammography is different from conventional mammography in how the image of the breast is acquired and, more importantly, viewed. The radiologist can magnify the images, increase or decrease the contrast and invert the black and white values while reading the images. These features allow the radiologist to evaluate microcalcifications and focus on areas of concern.

Atlanta Medical Center takes pride in offering high quality, acute health care and preventive medical care in a caring and compassionate manner. For more information, please call 888-457-5204 or visit www.atlantamedcenter.com.

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com  

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach (404) 265-6855

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Atlanta Medical Center Diabetes Educators hosted an event honoring Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) on American Diabetes Association Alert Day, May 20, 2010. Local health care providers, patient advocates and policy makers discussed the alarming number of diabetics in the state and highlighted the importance of prevention education and disease management programs.

In partnership with the American Diabetes Association, Rep. Cooper sponsored Georgia House Resolution 2031, which recognized May 20 as Diabetes Alert Day.

“So many people in Georgia are affected by diabetes,” said Linda Lowey, who expressed her thanks to Rep. Cooper. “We must partner together to raise awareness of how to prevent diabetes as well as teach people with diabetes how to better manage the disease and its complications.”

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com 

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach, (404) 265-6855

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Two newly constructed operating room suites will soon offer orthopedic trauma patients advanced care at Atlanta Medical Center. The larger OR suites are replacing two smaller operating rooms.

“Orthopedic trauma cases require a larger space than a regular operating room because of the type of equipment needed for surgery,” explains Jacqueline Herd, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer. “The new suites can accommodate more stationary equipment and more personnel without overheating.”

The new OR suites feature integrated technology that allows physicians to view x-ray images on flat-screen monitors up close in the surgical field while they work, rather than having to look at a screen across the room. Additionally, a large plasma television screen mounted on the wall will allow medical personnel to view side-by-side images for comparison before, during and after surgeries.

This integrated technology will also benefit physicians and students in other parts of the country, according to Herd.

“Atlanta Medical Center is a teaching hospital, and the new technology will allow us to do tele-teaching across the miles,” she states. “A camera built into the OR light will permit people in remote locations to view what the surgeon is doing — right at the moment it’s happening.”

The new suites opened in mid-May, and the orthopedic trauma staff will spend two weeks training on how to use the integrated technology and equipment before the first scheduled patient case in early June. One of the suites will be set aside for immediate availability to the orthopedic trauma physician on call.

“We are handling a steadily growing number of orthopedic trauma cases at Atlanta Medical Center and found that it was impacting the number of surgery cases waiting to get into an operating room. Some patients had extended length-of-stays simply because they were waiting for surgeries that weren’t emergencies,” says Holly Ervine, Main OR nurse manager. “Having these dedicated ortho-trauma suites increases our efficiency and allows us to decrease the number of those waiting patients.”

Atlanta Medical Center handled 1,800 orthopedic cases in 2009 alone, says Herd, and it is crucial that the hospital be equipped to handle them effectively.

“Being a trauma center ensures that we can provide efficient orthopedic care to our patients in the neighborhood as well as those who are transferred here from all over the region,” she explains. “These new OR suites will give our specialists the space, technology and equipment they need to deliver the highest quality treatment and care to orthopedic trauma patients.”

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach, (404) 265-6855

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Lacy Henderson, shown here with daughter Bree, chose to have her baby at Atlanta Medical Center because of its selection of women’s services, including water birthing and midwifery.

Having a baby is one of the most special times in a woman’s life — bringing a new life into the world is a joyful experience, yet it can also be a time of stress. Planning and making certain key choices ahead of time can certainly reduce, if not eliminate, that stress.

Because each woman’s experience is unique, Atlanta Medical Center offers expectant mothers several choices for how they give birth. The hospital’s Women’s Services center has recently expanded its selections beyond natural and traditional birthing to include eight certified midwives on staff, plus water birthing.

An average of 4,000 babies are born at Atlanta Medical Center annually. With such a substantial number of deliveries at the hospital each year, in addition to the growing knowledge among expectant mothers about the various birth options available to them, it makes good sense to offer as many choices as possible, according to Lisa Brewer Dixon, director of Women’s Services.

“Options like midwifery and water birthing allow us to round out our selection of services by providing caretakers who are very supportive of women’s choices in their plans for giving birth,” she says.

Lacy Henderson, who recently gave birth to her fourth child, Bree, says that she chose Atlanta Medical Center not only because it was close to home, but also because the hospital offered the water birth experience and midwifery. In her work as a doula, Ms. Henderson serves as an advocate for expectant mothers, providing them with educational, physical and emotional support, so she is well-versed in the birth options available. She knew that water birth was the only option she was interested in for herself, so she began researching the facilities where it was offered.

“With my first three children, sadly, I didn’t know what my options were,” she says. “But when I became a doula, and through some research, I knew that water birth was a great option, providing a calmer birth for my baby and natural pain relief for me.”

Ms. Henderson, who was already committed to using a midwife for her baby’s birth, took a tour of the birthing center at Atlanta Medical Center and found it to be the perfect fit.

“I was favorably impressed for several reasons,” she notes. “I saw the birthing suites with great views of the Atlanta skyline, and was able to inspect the birthing tubs by getting inside. Also, Atlanta Medical Center is the only hospital inside the perimeter that offers water birthing, plus it offers midwifery, which is not prevalent among intown hospitals.”

Dixon says that while a lot of expectant mothers still choose the traditional bed birth route, there are many others who are interested in alternative options. Therefore, Atlanta Medical Center offers a full complement of birthing choices, excellent obstetricians and well-qualified personnel to meet each individual’s needs.

Today’s midwives must graduate from an accredited education program and pass a certification exam. Once certified, midwives — who work in conjunction with an obstetrician — attend continuing education programs in order to keep abreast of changes in obstetrics.

Many expectant mothers find that they enjoy the individual attention a midwife can provide, according to Dixon.

“One of the characteristics of midwifery is that it offers more personalized care,” she explains. “Certified midwives, under the supervision of obstetricians, perform annual gynecological exams, provide family planning and preconception, prenatal and newborn care, and educate new moms about nutrition, exercise, breastfeeding and infant care.”

Water birthing is the choice of numerous expectant mothers who feel that warm water provides a soothing environment. The buoyant effect of the water helps with repositioning, comfort and muscle support, thereby lessening muscle tension and promoting relaxation during childbirth.

“When a woman in labor relaxes in a warm tub, free from gravity’s pull on her body, with sensory stimulation reduced, her body is less likely to secrete stress-related hormones,” Dixon explains. “This allows her body to produce endorphins, which are pain inhibitors that combat the stress-related hormones that can actually raise blood pressure and inhibit or slow labor.”

Today’s mother-to-be has many choices in how she gives birth. Atlanta Medical Center offers the trained staff, exceptional physicians and depth of resources to partner with the expectant mother in choosing the birth option that’s right for her…resulting in that most important outcome — a healthy baby.

For more information about birth options at Atlanta Medical Center, or for help in selecting an obstetrician or midwife, call 404-265-DOCS or visit the Atlanta Medical Center's Birth Options site.

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
www.atlantamedcenter.com

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach (404) 265-6855

Atlanta Medical Center is going tobacco-free on September 1, 2010. After this date, no tobacco use of any kind will be permitted anywhere on the hospital campus — inside or outside. This initiative will include the elimination of designated areas inside and outside Atlanta Medical Center where employees, patients and visitors had previously been permitted to use tobacco products.

Atlanta Medical Center has joined hospitals across Georgia in an effort to become tobacco-free, and is committed to the health and safety of all of its employees, patients and visitors. Making its campus completely tobacco-free firmly affirms Atlanta Medical Center’s leadership role in major health issues and furthers its support of the community’s health and wellness.

More than 10,000 Georgians die every year from tobacco use. One out of every six people who die have died because they smoked. Smoking costs Georgians $1.8 billion in direct health care costs each year.

In Georgia, 184,000 children under the age of 18 will ultimately die a premature death from the effects of tobacco. Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in the world. Every year, nearly half a million people die from the effects of tobacco.

Atlanta Medical Center is not trying to force anyone to stop using tobacco products. Rather, the tobacco-free initiative is a concrete way to demonstrate the hospital’s ongoing commitment to healthy living.

Atlanta Medical Center is asking for the community’s support of this tobacco-free initiative as it moves forward to making Georgia healthier for all of its citizens.

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach (404) 265-6855

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

New and expectant mothers can stay fit by taking advantage of classes designed just for them — right in the neighborhood. Atlanta Medical Center and Oh Baby! Fitness are partnering to offer water aerobics and yoga classes at Highland Athletic Club on the hospital’s campus:

• H₂Oh Baby!, an action-packed aqua class offered at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, lets the new mother focus on aerobic conditioning and muscle strengthening in the water with her baby floating by her side.
• Pregnancy Water Aerobics, offered on Mondays at 7:15 p.m., gives expectant mothers a fun workout using the water for resistance training. Water exercise may help reduce swelling, an additional benefit of the class.
• Beginning in the fall, Pregnancy Yoga will be offered on Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. This class allows expectant mothers to stretch and soothe sore muscles, as well as learn to relax, breathe and meditate in preparation for the big day.

“These classes are not only a great way to get or stay in shape, but also provide opportunities for mothers to bond with their babies and make new friends,” said Clare Schexnyder, owner of Oh Baby! Fitness. “And Atlanta Medical Center’s Highland Athletic Club offers an intown location that’s convenient for new mothers in the community.”

Each participant must receive medical clearance from her physician.  For more information about these classes and to register, log on to www.ohbabyfitness.com or phone 678.528.1390.

Highland Athletic Club is located on the Atlanta Medical Center campus, 303 Parkway Dr. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30312.

303 Parkway Dr. NE
Atlanta, GA  30312
tel: 404-265-6855
fax: 404-265-3909
www.atlantamedcenter.com

Media Contact:  Kendra Gerlach, (404) 265-6855

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Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Marchers of all ages join in the fight for healthier babies 

Atlanta, GA [April 24, 2010] Despite the rain, an estimated 9,000 metro Atlanta residents joined together in support of the smallest citizens of our community - babies.  In Downtown Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center and  three other  sites in Gwinnett, North Fulton and West  Metro played host to the annual March for Babies. March of Dimes Board members, staff and community partners welcomed the annual brigade of baby strollers, families and corporate teams walking in honor of babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive. 

Special guests at the Downtown event included Atlanta March for Babies Chair, Bill Moore – President and CEO of Atlanta Medical Center, NFL Player Harry Douglas of the Atlanta Falcons and a host of media celebrities: Darik Christopher of Star 94, Siman Baby - Majic 107.5/97.5, Rhodell Lewis – Praise 102.5, Mark Winne and Heather Catlin - WSB-TV Channel 2. The Atlanta  Drumline marching band kicked off the 5.2 mile walk throughout downtown Atlanta and The Divide Band provided the latest hits to keep the energy high.

‘We experienced a downpour of rain at times today, but our gratitude runs deep for the outpouring of support from those walking for babies fighting for their lives in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across Georgia,” said 2010 March for Babies Chair Bill T. Moore. “This has been an incredible event, and I’m so proud to be from a community where people can come together for such a great cause. Helping our babies should be a top priority, and we should be excited about getting closer to our goal of raising nearly $5 million for the state of Georgia including $1.2 million alone in downtown Atlanta.”

Money raised  from the event funds critical research, prenatal wellness education, local community grants and resources such as the Angel II neonatal transport unit and NICU Family Support programs that provide support and comfort to families with premature or sick babies.  Community members unable to participate can still support March for Babies by visiting marchforbabies.org or texting B-A-B-Y to 20222 - a $5 donation will appear on their mobile phone bill. 

The most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth. It affects more than half a million babies each year. The March of Dimes issued a Report Card on Premature Birth, giving the nation a D and Georgia a letter grade of “F.”  Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected. 

In 2010 national March for Babies sponsors are Kmart, the March of Dimes’ No. 1 corporate supporter, CIGNA, Famous Footwear, Farmers Insurance Group, FedEx and Mission Pharmacal. In Metro Atlanta, March for Babies corporate sponsors include State Sponsor – Macy’s; Metro Atlanta Presenting Sponsor – Kaiser Permanente; downtown Atlanta Platinum Sponsor –AirTran Airways; Picnic Sponsor – Publix Super Markets. Media Sponsors include WSB TV Channel 2, Atlanta.MomsLikeMe.com; Star 94 Radio, Daily Report Newspaper, Majic 107.5/97.5, Praise 102.5 and Hot 107.9, Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS Outdoor.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Laura Johnson
(678) 362-8314 | Lljohnson@marchofdimes.com

Tenet Circle of Excellence Award

ATLANTA, Ga. [April 22, 2010] Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) announced today that Atlanta Medical Center has been named to the company’s 2010 Circle of Excellence.  

The Circle of Excellence honors Tenet hospitals that have achieved the highest levels of quality, service and operational performance.  Key metrics used to evaluate the hospitals were patient, physician and employee satisfaction scores, clinical quality and financial performance.  

“The hard work, determination and commitment of the employees at Atlanta Medical Center made 2009 a great year for the hospital,” said Stephen L. Newman, M.D., Tenet’s chief operating officer.  “The staff at Atlanta Medical Center met many challenges during the past year.  They worked together to achieve incredible results through cost-savings initiatives and began a pilot project for a new diabetes initiative.  I’m proud of everything that they’ve accomplished and am delighted to honor them with Tenet’s Circle of Excellence Award.

Atlanta Medical Center Chief Executive Officer William T. Moore added, “It’s the dedication of our nurses, physicians and staff to providing high-quality care that earned Atlanta Medical Center this honor, and I can say without a doubt that it is well deserved.”

Atlanta Medical Center, part of Tenet Georgia, is a 460-bed tertiary care hospital at 303 Parkway Drive in Atlanta.  Atlanta Medical Center has been serving the medical needs of the community and region since its founding in 1901.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a health care services company whose subsidiaries and affiliates own and operate acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers.  Tenet's hospitals and related health care facilities are committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities they serve.  For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com. 

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Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements.  Such statements are based on our current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and periodic reports on Form 8-K.  Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated.  We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.

Atlanta, Ga (March 1, 2010) - March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Talk to your colorectal surgeon or other healthcare provider about colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is preventable, and is easy to treat and often curable when detected early. Ask your healthcare provider what kind of screening test you should have and when.

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 ATLANTA, Ga. (February 2, 2010) – Atlanta Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointments of Kwanza Hall, Brian Leary and Catheren M. Woolard to its governing board.

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Moore, President & CEO of Atlanta Medical Center joins national team of business leaders to launch March for Babies 2010 fundraising campaign

ATLANTA, GA  (February 24, 2010)— In Georgia, eight of every 1,000 infants die before their first birthday and the rate of infants born prematurely increased 24 percent between 1996-2006. Georgia has some of the worst birth outcomes in the nation according to the Annie E. Casey’s Foundation’s 2009 KIDS COUNT report. Local business leader Bill Moore is working with the March of Dimes to change this.

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Atlanta Medical Center garners gold from American Heart Association 

ATLANTA, Ga. (February 12, 2010) – Atlanta Medical Center is one of only three hospitals in the state to achieve Gold status on all three levels of the American Heart Association’s 2009 Scientific Sessions Recognition Awards. The awards were presented to hospitals that realized quality improvements by using the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® initiative.

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