Franklin Medical Center receives 2013 Franklin Parish Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award.
The staff and administration would like to thank the Franklin Parish Chamber of Commerce for giving us this great honor.
Posted on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2012 at 9:30 AM
To Our Community:
At
the close of another year, I would like to take the time to issue this report
regarding your hospital, Franklin Medical Center. Given the tremendous upheaval
we have seen at the state and federal governments in the last year regarding
health care, it is important for everyone in Franklin, Tensas, and Catahoula
Parishes to stay as informed as possible about what is happening with your
facility.
In
a year where we treated almost 10,000 emergency room patients, over 23,000
outpatient clinic encounters, and upwards of 2,000 inpatient admissions, we are
happy to report that Franklin Medical Center posted its second consecutive year
of profit, finishing over $48,000 in the black. This is the first time your
hospital has accomplished this feat in at least a dozen years. This news was
somewhat bittersweet, though, since we already know that next year will bring
over $1,000,000 in cuts to Franklin Medical Center, mostly from actions taken
at the federal level. The Board of Commissioners, Medical Staff, and
Administration are already forming plans about how to deal with the changing
health care landscape.
In
our continuing efforts to offer the best health care possible to our community,
we have increased our efforts to enhance the quality of patient treatment in
our facility, including participation in a program with the Louisiana Hospital
Association specifically targeting high-priority patient safety issues. Please also
note the following events:
Dr. Gary Baskin,
a residency-trained emergency medicine physician and Franklin Parish native, is
now engaged in our emergency room. He is the first physician with this sort of
training ever recruited to Franklin Medical Center.
Dr. Teresa
Minchew, a family practice physician will be arriving in the summer of 2013 to
begin work in our community. She will be followed by Drs. Logan Atkins, David
Aymond, Tommy Banks, and Mike Kitchell over the following two years.
The Crowville
Health Center is now operational, with Dr. Joel Eldridge, Ms. Eula Coleman, NP,
and Ms. JoAnne Meche, NP, available for all of your primary health care needs.
The Health Center also has a pharmacy courier service to assist any patient
with the pick-up of their medications.
Dr. Jed Robinson, a Franklin Parish native, has committed
to returning to our community in 2014 as a urologist. He is currently
enrolled in the residency program at Cook County Hospital in Chicago but
is excited at the opportunity to come back to this area.
We have expanded our
nuclear medicine program so that those diagnostics may be conducted five days a
week, rather than two as was previously the case.
A glidescope was
purchased to assist physicians and staff with managing difficult airways.
Franklin Medical
Center now offers stress testing services, insuring that our patients do not
have to travel to Monroe to have their heart’s performance level checked.
We have continued
to renovate various parts of the hospital, especially our surgery waiting area.
Our mental health
program now includes tele-psychiatry for patients in Tensas Parish, offering
direct treatment from a psychiatrist that previously would have been
unavailable.
Four of our
current nurses trained and qualified for wound care certification, allowing for
better treatment of patients who are admitted with bed sores or chronic wound
issues.
Our emergency
room now has 24/7 access to a neurologist by way of telemedicine. This will
permit the ER physician to have an on-site consultation with a specialist in
case of a patient suffering from stroke symptoms or other neurological problems.
A portable
ultrasound machine has been acquired, providing a trained physician with
bedside diagnostic capability that was not an option before now.
Franklin Medical
Center met the federal standards and requirements for meaningful use and
operation for our electronic health records under the Affordable Care Act.
These
are just a few of the notable accomplishments from 2012. None of these would
have been possible without the exceptional devotion and heart of the Franklin
Medical Center employees. There is no way to thank them adequately for all that
they do. Likewise for your Board of Commissioners, who perform their duties
without compensation or complaint.
We
hope that our progress has been satisfactory to the members of our community.
Franklin Medical Center strives to be a hospital that inspires confidence in
each and every one of our patients and their families by rendering the most
outstanding level of treatment achievable. As always, I urge anyone who has had
an experience that was problematic or even simply less than ideal to please
contact us and let us know.
In
conclusion, we acknowledge the efforts of our medical staff. We extend our
gratitude to the medical staff for supporting our community hospital- Chief of
Staff Dr. Jeff Combetta, Vice-Chief Dr. Jimmy Coughran, Dr. Gary Baskin, Dr.
Jay Busby, Dr. David Colvin, Dr. Tom Colvin, Dr. Joel Eldridge, Dr. Leigh
Traylor Liles, Dr. Ron Morgan, Dr. Lee Pankey, Dr. Frank Sanfiel, Dr. Roger
Smith, Dr. Tom Wooldridge, and Dr. Scott Zentner.
Everyone
have a joyful Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Blake
Kramer,
Administrator
Posted on Monday, October 15, 2012 at 10:50 AM
FMC Pink Glove Dance!
Please help FMC by voting for our "Pink Glove Dance"!
Click
the link below and select "Organization D-G" from the drop down box.
Then you can scroll down to Franklin Medical Center's video.
Franklin Medical Center has been voted one of the top hospitals in the state!
Franklin Medical Center is proud to be recognized by Louisiana Life
Magazine as one of the top 100 hospitals in the state based on patient
satisfaction scores. The July-August 2012 issue praised the efforts of
those hospitals with a majority of patients ranking them a 9 or 10.
We would like to thank all of our patients for
their kind words and high marks provided on the surveys. For any
patients who feel that they could not give us a 9 or 10, we would like
to hear from you as well. If your experience with us was less than
satisfactory for any reason at all, please call our Compliance
Department at 318-412-5335.
Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Medicaid is changing. You don’t have to.
Medicaid is changing. You don’t have to. As of June 1, the new Bayou
Health networks will begin managing the Medicaid system in Louisiana.
Our community can be secure in knowing that Franklin Medical Center and
our clinics in Tensas and Winnsboro will be accepting all five of the
new Medicaid plans. Whether you are enrolled with LaCare, Amerigroup,
Louisiana Healthcare Connections, United, or Community Health Services,
we are here to serve you and your family. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact us at fmc@fmc-cares.com
Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 3 PM
Letter to Community
At the close of another year, I would like to take the time to issue
this report regarding your hospital, Franklin Medical Center. We hope
that you find this summary of events helpful for staying better
informed of what is happening with your facility.
After experiencing a financial loss last year, our annual audit for
the fiscal year 2010-2011 demonstrated a profit of over $400,000. We
were able to deposit funds into our reserves and meet our expenses,
again without any need for local tax dollars to do so.
We also instituted a full-time hospitalist program with Dr. David Colvin, Dr. Tom Colvin, Dr.
Ron Morgan, and Dr. Tom Wooldridge. This allows our medical staff greater time for seeing
patients in their clinics, as well as providing a higher quality of care for our patients by having a
doctor fully dedicated to their inpatient stay at all times.
The especially difficult process of initiating a fully electronic health record in accordance with
federal mandates continues, with computerized physician order entry set to go live next February.
We have stayed focused in our mission to supply the best health care available in a community
environment so that the people of Franklin and Tensas Parishes are not forced to seek treatment
elsewhere. Please note the following:
The Franklin Medical Center programs for breast cancer awareness and mammography
won the Louisiana Rural Health Association award for Outstanding Rural Health
Program for the entire State of Louisiana.
For the first time ever, patients in our area have regular and reliable access to an MRI.
Our behavioral health program continues to grow at an exceptional pace. Dr. Leigh
Traylor Liles of Winnsboro has returned to provide much-needed services to our
community. No other rural hospital in Louisiana provides such a comprehensive
program, with both licensed clinical social workers and psychiatrists available for the
people of our area. Grant funding is providing a further expansion of the program into the
tele-medicine field, which will allow us to use video conferencing technology to reach
patients in distant locations.
New state-of-the-art beds were purchased, and all old beds for both inpatients and the
emergency room were replaced in order to provide greater comfort for our patients.
Dr. Gary Baskin, a Winnsboro native, committed to returning to his hometown next
summer as an emergency medicine physician. He will be the first resident in the history
of Franklin Medical Center to be recruited exclusively for providing emergency care. His
work in Detroit emergency rooms for the last three years has given him an enormous
amount of experience for dealing with high level emergencies.
Our telemetry system was entirely replaced to allow for better patient monitoring,
especially those patients recovering from surgery. We also installed new cardiac monitors
in the emergency room and ICU.
Construction began on the new Crowville Health Center, which will provide an all-new
access point for health care in North Franklin Parish.
We have continued to work on upgrading our physical plant, with renovations made to
outpatient surgery and an extensive re-design of our flagship clinic in Winnsboro.
Patients requiring wound care can now have their dressings tended and debridements
done locally, without a long drive to another facility.
Our emergency room team and physicians continued their relationship with Tulane
University by attending their simulation center training for critical care scenarios.
A new relationship with Air Evac air ambulance services gives our entire community
greater emergency access to helicopter transport than ever before.
Franklin Medical Center signed an agreement with the William Carey University College
of Osteopathic Medicine to allow medical students to receive their training here in our
community.
We hope this adequately illustrates the extraordinary hard work of your local health care staff and
providers. Our main goal is to give you a hospital that you and your family know will offer the
absolute best treatment available. I again emphasize my request from last year. If for any reason
at all your experience with us was less than ideal, please let us know.
None of this would be possible without the tremendous hearts and compassionate souls of our
team of employees. Thank you all so much for your continued drive to be the best we can be.
In addition, if you see your hospital board members, please thank them for their service. They
have volunteered for an incredibly difficult job, and we hope they are recognized for doing so.
In conclusion as always, we extend our gratitude to the medical staff for supporting our
community hospital- Chief of Staff Dr. Roger Smith, Vice-Chief Dr. Jeff Combetta, Dr. Jay
Busby, Dr. David Colvin, Dr. Tom Colvin, Dr. Jimmy Coughran, Dr. Joel Eldridge, Dr. Leigh
Traylor Liles, Dr. Ron Morgan, Dr. Lee Pankey, Dr. Frank Sanfiel, Dr. Tom Wooldridge, and Dr.
Scott Zentner.
Everyone have a joyful Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Blake Kramer, Administrator
Posted on Thursday, December 21, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Hospitalist Program
Many hospitals have sought to increase their level of patient care by
using hospitalists to provide for the needs of their admitted patients.
As a part of this trend, Franklin Medical Center offers a hospitalist
program featuring physicians who have strong experience in caring for
hospitalized patients, many who often have serious medical conditions
and frequently need a more advanced level of care. It's this expertise
that many primary care physicians have come to trust and rely upon with
the FMC hospitalist program.
Your primary care physician may ask a
hospitalist to coordinate and oversee your hospital care from admission
to discharge. During that time, the hospitalist will give frequent care
updates to your physician. Moreover, there is a hospitalist director to
oversee and assist the entire hospitalist program and, in some cases,
become directly involved with the care provided. I myself currently
serve in the hospitalist director role for Franklin Medical Center.
Many patients often ask, “What does a
hospitalist do?” A hospitalist is involved in every aspect of your
hospital stay, including coordinating and providing your medical care.
This may include working with medical and surgical consultants,
physical and occupational therapists, discharge planners, dietitians,
and clergy. It also covers ordering laboratory or X-ray tests and
providing regular updates to you and your family. Everyone recognizes
that this kind of frequent communication and monitoring is important,
and the hospitalist is charged with making sure it takes place.
Many of my patients have found it a great help
having a hospitalist because of the availability he/she offers. Because
hospitalists are primarily located in the hospital, they are more
available most of the day to meet with family members, to follow-up on
tests, answer nurses' questions, and simply deal with problems that may
arise much faster. In many instances, hospitalists may see a patient
more than once a day to assure that care is going according to plan and
to explain test findings to patients and family members.
I often explain to my patients that because
hospitalists are in the hospital most of the time, they are able to
track test results and order necessary follow-up tests promptly. This
is in contrast to the traditional setting where your primary doctor may
come to the hospital the next day to follow-up the results and take the
next necessary step at that time.
The presence of a hospitalist does
not mean your primary doctor is not allowed to admit patients or even
care for his patients while in the hospital. Your primary doctors
privileges remain intact and he/she may see you at any time.
However, your primary doctor relies heavily on the hospitalist to care
for patients while they are away from the hospital, in busy clinics or
nursing homes, or are unable to round. Nevertheless, your primary
doctor can intervene, change or write orders, and order tests at any
time during your hospital stay. It is not uncommon that from time to
time your primary doctor may round with or without the hospitalist to
ensure the best care is being delivered to each patient.
If a patient questions the benefits of having a
hospitalist, I always place emphasis on the on-site care. Since these
physicians are exclusively in the hospital and provide 24/7 on-call
coverage, hospitalists can rapidly coordinate your care and respond
quickly to any changes in your condition. Another plus is a shorter
hospital stay. Patients cared for by hospitalists usually have shorter
hospital stays and are just as satisfied with their care. Easy access
to a hospitalist is priceless. Patients and their families have the
opportunity for more frequent one-on-one contact with the hospitalist,
ensuring that your questions are promptly answered.
Our own program makes sure that your hospitalist
will speak with your primary care doctor on or near the day of
discharge and send a report about your care while at FMC. Although you
will be transitioning back to your primary care physician, it's not at
all uncommon for patients to call the hospitalist back to ask a
question about their care. Of course, if for some reason you're
readmitted, it will likely be the same hospitalist who will again
assume your overall care.
Dr. Jeffery Combetta
Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Franklin Medical Center Breast Cancer Awareness Program Named Outstanding Rural Health Program of the Year
On November 7, 2011, the Louisiana Rural Health Association (LRHA)
named the Franklin Medical Center Breast Cancer Awareness Center the
Outstanding Rural Health Program of the Year Award. This prestigious
award recognizes a regional or statewide program that increases access
to health care services in rural areas. The Louisiana Rural Health
Association received five nominees in this category demonstrating the
outstanding programs being offered throughout rural Louisiana.
The Franklin Medical Center (FMC) Breast Cancer
Awareness Program offers digital mammography to the citizens of
Franklin, Tensas, and Catahoula parishes. Prior to the formation of the
FMC’s Breast Cancer Awareness Program, women in the central part of the
parish faced driving a minimum of twenty-five miles to obtain
mammography services. In addition to bringing the mammography machine
to this area, FMC launched a tri-parish educational campaign
encouraging early detection and breast cancer awareness. The FMC Breast
Cancer Awareness Program reached out to employees of local agencies to
offer mammograms with no out-of-pocket expense. In an effort to
increase breast cancer awareness, they partnered with the Old Post
Office Museum to host a breast cancer awareness gala and art
competition. The program solicited artwork from local breast cancer
survivors as a means for them to tell their stories and promote early
detection. To date, over 400 mammograms have been performed. The FMC
Breast Cancer Awareness Program is positive impact in the fight against
breast cancer.
The dedication of the FMC Breast Cancer
Awareness Program to increasing access to healthcare services in their
rural community stands proof that these programs are not only leaders
within their community, but also across the state of Louisiana.
Posted on Tuesday, November 9, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Breast Cancer Awareness Program
Franklin Medical Center's Breast Cancer Awareness Program was awarded
the 2011 LRHA Outstanding Rural Health Program of the year. This trophy
was presented at the LRHA Annual Awards banquet in Baton Rouge on
November 7, 2011.
Posted on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 3:30 PM
New Clinic in Crowville
After almost three years of delay, construction began this week on the
new Crowville Health Center. Built primarily with state appropriations
secured through the efforts of Representative Noble Ellington, the
Health Center will provide a new access point for health care in
northern Franklin Parish. With Adkins Construction garnering the
winning bid, the clinic will be almost 3,500 square feet and available
to all patients whether Medicare, Medicaid, or those with commercial
insurance.
Franklin Parish Police Jurors and members of the
Franklin Medical Center Board of Commissioners were available for the
ground-breaking ceremony. Pictured above (from left to right) are Alan
Adkins of Adkins Construction, Board Chairman Paul Price, Jr., Board
Vice-Chairman Michael Wright, Police Jury President Rickey Campbell,
Police Juror Troy Hendry, Police Juror “Rawhide” Robinson, Board Member
Dan Warner, Board Member Nick Poulos, Board Member Dr. Jan Hicks,
Hospital Administrator Blake Kramer, Hospital Operations Officer Mark
Spence, Parish Superintendent Greg Humphries, and architect Tommy
Womble.
Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Franklin Medical Center Audit Released
Paul Delaney, a CPA with the firm of Lester, Miller, and Wells,
presented the annual FMC audit at the September 29 board meeting. The
overall bottom line showed a $404,000.00 profit, which is an
improvement over last year’s net loss. This was especially welcome news
considering that the Medicare and Medicaid programs have delayed
payment on over $1.4 million in revenues due to the service district.
As one of only two rural hospital service
districts that receive no local tax supports, we are very proud of the
results and will continue to move forward in providing the most
services and highest quality of care for the citizens of our
communities.
Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Dr. Leigh (Traylor) Liles Serving Her Hometown
Psychiatrist Dr. Leigh Liles is now serving the residents of her
hometown of Winnsboro and our surrounding communities. A Franklin
Parish native, Dr. Liles is currently on the faculty of LSU-Shreveport.
She has graciously offered some of her spare time to assist the rapidly
expanding Franklin Medical Center Behavioral Health Program, as well as
our Intensive Outpatient mental health program for senior citizens.
With Franklin Medical Center as the only
hospital providing behavioral health services in this portion of
Louisiana, we are committed to giving our patients access to the best
physicians available for their health care. Dr. Liles’s skills and
training, not to mention her natural love for her hometown, makes for
the perfect fit for this region’s health care needs.
Franklin Medical Center: Where the Patient Comes First
Posted on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Dr. Ron Morgan Now On-Staff as a Franklin Medical Center Hospitalist
Franklin Medical Center welcomes Dr. Ron Morgan as our newest hospitalist.
The medical field is a fast-paced and highly demanding world. In this
sort of environment, Franklin Medical Center seeks to provide as much
access to direct physician care as is possible. Hospitalists,
physicians responsible for the care of inpatients only, can play a
significant role in enhancing overall patient care and experience. The
hospitalist works with your primary doctor to insure that you are
receiving the best treatment available. If you currently seek care from
a physician who only works in a clinic practice, simply request to be
treated at Franklin Medical Center, and the hospitalist will be
available to admit you to our facility and take care of you until you
are well enough to be discharged back into the treatment of your
primary doctor.
This is yet another step forward in providing the highest quality care for our patients.
Franklin Medical Center: Where the Patient Comes First
Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Dr. Gary Baskin to Return to Franklin Parish
Franklin Parish native Dr. Gary Baskin has agreed to return to his home
parish as an ER physician for Franklin Medical Center. Currently in his
Emergency Medicine residency at St. John’s Hospital in Detroit,
Michigan, Dr. Baskin will be wholly devoted to providing the best in
critical and emergency care to our patients starting next summer.
With an emergency room that sees almost 10,000 encounters a year,
Franklin Medical Center has one of the busiest rural ERs in Louisiana.
As a result, the recruitment of top-flight physicians for ER duty is
one of the most significant decisions our hospital can make, not to
mention the importance of bringing our hometown residents back to the
community. This marks a tremendous achievement for our hospital and
Franklin Parish.
Franklin Medical Center: Where the Patient Comes First
Posted on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Franklin Medical Center Engages Medical Student Teaching Program
It is with great pleasure that Franklin Medical Center announces an
affiliation agreement with William Carey University’s College of
Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Medical students
enrolled in the College will be re-locating to our community in order
to train with local physicians for two years of their education.
We’d like to thank Dr. Joel Eldridge for this
hard work and perseverance in helping to bring this program to our
area. We also express our appreciation to the rest of our staff for
creating an environment of such excellence that we can be considered
for the honor of training the doctors of the future.
Franklin Medical Center is excited to announce the addition of Dr.
Stephen Maguire to our medical staff. As a plastic surgeon experienced
in a wide range of plastic and reconstructive procedures, Dr. Maguire
brings a highly specialized and unique set of skills and talents to our
facility. For a referral, talk to your primary care doctor.
Franklin Medical Center announces Breast Cancer Awareness Event
The Franklin Medical Center Breast Cancer Awareness event theme for
2011 is, “A Woman’s Journey”. The event will be held October 13, 2011
at the Old Post Office Museum, 513 Prairie Street, in historic downtown
Winnsboro. Franklin Medical Center Art Competition winner and honorable
mentions will have their submitted artwork showcased at the event. The
artwork submitted to the Art Competition will be auctioned at the event
and the proceeds will be utilized for providing mammography services to
the indigent population. Contestants should submit original artwork
that displays the contestant's vision of how he/she interprets the
theme “A Woman’s Journey” through the medium of art.
Franklin Medical Center will use the winning
entry in a marketing campaign to promote Cancer Awareness. Entry rules
and an entry form can be requested by calling 318-412-5265 or emailing
cboone@fmc-cares.com.
Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Tulane Simulator Training
It's time again to send our nurses back to Tulane where they will learn
and perfect the latest techniques and best practices for patient care
and safety. The Sim Center takes training beyond individual tasks and
incorporates team training all within a safe, state of art clinical
environment.
Franklin Medical Center Announces The Addition Of A New High-Definition Magnetic Resonance System
WINNSBORO, LOUISIANA (July 1, 2011) –
Franklin Medical Center has incorporated one the most advanced
diagnostic tools for helping physicians reach confident diagnoses to
provide the best patient care. The new Signa LX 1.5T MR system from GE
Healthcare delivers highly detailed images of the human body with
increased speed, better resolution and unique applications. According
to Amber Cummins Radiology Director, Franklin Medical Center, this
advanced technology provides shorter exams and greater comfort for
patients, while providing higher diagnostic confidence for doctors.
“The addition of the Signa LX 1.5T MR system
complements and extends the range of quality diagnostic services that
Franklin Medical Center offers residents of our community, Amber
Cummins says. “It provides us with vastly improved image quality and
imaging speed, and enhances the overall diagnostic confidence we have
in all of our studies.”
MR exams are used when people are ill or
injured, or when a physician suspects a medical problem that is not
easily detectable from a conventional physical examination. The GE
Signa LX 1.5T MR system non-invasively assists physicians in the
diagnosis of a variety of anatomical areas, such as the head, abdomen
and chest, including detailed imaging of the vascular system and major
organs.
This is the first full-time MRI service that
Franklin Medical Center has ever offered. This is an exceptional
service for our community and this level of technology is not found in
most rural hospitals in this area.
For more information about MR services at
Franklin Medical Center, visit our Web site (www.FMC-cares.com) or call
318-412-5237.
Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Mr. Dwaine Boothe
The Board of Commissioners, Administration and Staff of Franklin
Medical Center would like to extend its gratitude to Dwaine Boothe,
Director of Engineering/Maintenance for his 25 years of service.
Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 9:30 AM
New Hospitalist Program
Continuing its mission to remain on the cutting edge of quality health
care, Franklin Medical Center is proud to announce the start of its new
hospitalist program with Dr. David Colvin of Fort Necessity.
The medical field is a fast-paced and highly
demanding world. In this sort of environment, Franklin Medical Center
seeks to provide as much access to direct physician care as is
possible. Hospitalists, physicians responsible for the care of
inpatients only, can play a significant role in enhancing overall
patient care and experience. The hospitalist works with your primary
doctor to insure that you are receiving the best treatment available.
If you currently seek care from a physician who only works in a clinic
practice, simply request to be treated at Franklin Medical Center, and
the hospitalist will be available to admit you to our facility and take
care of you until you are well enough to be discharged back into the
treatment of your primary doctor.
This is yet another step forward in providing the highest quality care for our patients.
Franklin Medical Center: Where the Patient Comes First
Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Wound Care Clinic Coming To FMC
Franklin Medical Center is proud to announce the opening of its new
outpatient wound care clinic. The wound care clinic is designed to
treat patients with chronic or slow healing wounds that have shown
little, or no signs of healing. The clinic offers to the community
advanced treatments, where only traditional methods had been available.
The staff of medical professionals in the wound
clinic has had extensive training in wound care and brings a
comprehensive range of services to the community. The goal of the wound
clinic is to significantly increase the wound healing rate of patients
and help avoid unnecessary amputations. The wound care team has had a
tremendous success with an average healing rate of 93%, while
decreasing time to heal.
The clinic is managed by Louisiana Wound Care
Specialists, who has been providing outpatient wound care services for
over 9 years. The company provides registered nurses, board certified
in wound care , and has over 67 locations across 7 states. The clinic
at Franklin Medical Center has Dr . Frank Sanfiel as the treating
physician and is located on the 2nd floor of the hospital. To schedule
an appointment, please call Louisiana Wound Care Specialists at
1-877-295-2273.
Posted on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 2:00 PM
To Our Community:
I write to you representing your hospital, Franklin Medical Center. As
the end of the year approaches, we wanted to provide you with a summary
of recent events in order to help you stay better informed of what is
happening with your facility.
Our annual audit for the fiscal year 2009-2010 demonstrated a loss,
despite our restricting expenses to an increase of only 1.8%. This was
basically due to over half a million dollars in reduced revenue from
certain government programs, specifically Medicare.
We also saw the retirement of a community icon in Dr. Vernon
Baldwin. His skills and devotion will be greatly missed. Thank you, Dr.
Baldwin, for all your years of service.
Much work has been done to adapt our facility to the coming
standards of the recent health care reform legislation. We continue to
switch from the old paper system of medical record-keeping to the
electronic formats being required by the government. For any who may
have experienced inconvenience as a result of this change, we
appreciate your patience.
We have continued to provide and promote new services in order to
better care for the Franklin and Tensas Parish community. Please note
the following:
• For the first time in three years, Franklin Medical Center has
the benefit of an experienced, full-time general surgeon in the person
of Dr. Frank Sanfiel.
• Women in our area had been without mammography services for almost a
decade. We now offer the most state-of-the-art digital mammography
system available today.
• Our emergency room team and physicians were sent for high-tech
simulation training at Tulane University in order to sharpen their
skills in critical scenarios.
• We have invested in upgrading our surgery equipment for urology to provide for a higher standard of care for those patients.
• Our mental health program has undergone a rapid expansion, providing
the assistance of licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical
social workers and a board-certified psychiatrist to people of Franklin
and Tensas Parishes, a true rarity for a rural hospital.
• Osteoporosis patients can receive an annual infusion treatment, rather than be tied to a daily routine of pills.
• Our clinic system continues to provide the best in primary care, with
Dr. Jeff Combetta being honored as the Rural Health Practitioner of the
Year for the entire state. Our clinics now provide diabetic foot care
not only on campus, but also to multiple nursing homes all over
Northeast Louisiana.
• All of our emergency room nurses received training and certification in Trauma Nursing and Emergency Nursing Pediatrics.
• We have also moved to make our patient rooms more comfortable by
remodeling the windows, improving our surgery area, upgrading our HVAC
system, renovating the ICU waiting area along with adding new
furniture, and replacing the older televisions with newer flat-screen
models.
• Future news and updates will be provided on our website at
http://www.fmc-cares.com and on the Franklin Medical Center Facebook
page.
We know the difficulties in being forced to travel to Monroe,
Vicksburg, or elsewhere for the health care you need. Our job is to
make sure that you don’t have to do that. We hope that our efforts over
the last year have been satisfactory. If for any reason your experience
with us was less than ideal, please let us know. We are here to help
you.
To our staff, thank you all so very much for your efforts this past
year. Nothing here would be possible without the dedication and
commitment that you provide to our patients.
For our board members, who have assumed the responsibility for
caring for one of our most valuable public assets for no compensation
or reimbursement, we appreciate your service more than you can know.
In conclusion, we extend our gratitude to the medical staff- Chief
of Staff Dr. Tom Colvin, Vice-Chief Dr. Roger Smith, Dr. Jay Busby, Dr.
Jeff Combetta, Dr. Jimmy Coughran, Dr. Joel Eldridge, Dr. Lee Pankey,
and Dr. Frank Sanfiel.
Everyone have a joyful Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Blake Kramer,
Administrator
Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Tommy Banks
I was born and raised in West Monroe, LA. I graduated from West Monroe
High School in 1997 and attended Louisiana State University on a
football scholarship. I graduated from LSU in 2002 with a degree in
Microbiology. In January, 2002, I married my high school sweetheart,
Chrissy Carpenter. And in May, 2003, we had our first child, a son,
Tommy IV, whom we call Tag. My daughter, Isabella Rose, was born in
June, 2005, and around that time I made the decision to pursue my
lifelong dream of attending medical school. I am currently a 4th year
medical student at St. Matthews University School of Medicine and will
be graduating in May, 2011.
Returning to school with a family has been a
difficult but rewarding experience. My mother went to college after
having three children, so I had seen the dedication necessary to make
it a success. My father has always been selfless, particularly when it
came to family and this has been a trait I have tried to emulate. Both
of my brothers are also soon to be physicians. Mark is currently a
surgery intern in Knoxville, TN, and Brandon is currently a 2nd year
medical student at LSU-S.
While undergraduate and medical school have
allowed me the opportunity to live all over the country, I have always
considered Northeast Louisiana to be home. I look forward to the
opportunities provided me by Franklin Medical Center to serve the
medical needs of the great people of Franklin Parish and surrounding
areas.
Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Breast Cancer Awareness
Franklin Medical Center would like to thank everyone who attended the
Breast Cancer Seminar yesterday. Lots of positive feedback has been
mentioned about the education offered. Many women have said "I did not
know that." Through educating a few we hope to save many. We would also
like to thank our partners at NLRA,specifically Charlotte Poland for
helping to make this seminar possible, Celebrations Bakery for the
sweet treats and Brad Fife with GE. Please remember to speak with your
doctor and schedule your mammograms!
Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Congratulations to Dr. Jeff Combetta
Franklin Medical Center is thrilled to annouce that our own Dr. Jeff Combetta was selected by the Louisiana Rural
Health Association as the Rural Health Practitioner of the Year for the entire state. The award is presented
annually to a rural health physician recognized for providing high quality health care in a variety of medical
environments. Dr. Combetta's outstanding work in his clinic, in the FMC emergency department, and in our hospital is
a huge asset to our community, and we are grateful to the LRHA for acknowledging all his efforts with such a
prestigious honor.
Pictured are Dr. Combetta, LRHA president-elect LeAnn Albert, and LRHA Executive Director Stacy Fontenot.
Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 3:00 PM
New digital mammography brings “amazing clarity” for women at Frankin Medical Center
Women deserve the highest quality images from their mammograms. Now they can receive that quality right here at home.
Digital mammography is the latest tool in Franklin Medical Center's
fight against breast cancer. This front line technology creates
superior, high quality images of the breast, thus increasing the
physician’s ability to detect cancer and other abnormalities.
Organizations like The American Cancer Society recommend that women
schedule annual mammograms, beginning at age 40. The society argues
that early detection of cancer by way of mammography leads to earlier
treatment as well as more varied treatment options.
Mrs. Lena R. Price, a breast cancer survivor
was the first patient to receive a mammogram. Mrs. Price was diagnosed
with breast cancer in 1999. Her daughter, Pam Price McWilliams, who was
a teacher in the parish school system, died of complications from
breast cancer in 1988 after being diagnosed three years prior. Mrs.
Price has faithfully received mammograms and had to travel outside
Franklin parish to have them performed. When she heard the good news
that Franklin Medical Center was installing state of the art
mammography equipment , she said “I want to be the first in line”…. and
she was.
Many breast cancer survivor stories began
with, “I went in for a routine mammogram.” Our hope here at Franklin
Medical Center is that some day they will find a cure for this disease.
Until then, our motto is, “Early detection saves lives.” Our commitment
to this community is to treat and prevent. As advancements in
technology move forward, so shall we.
Please call and schedule your appointment today.
Franklin Medical Center-Radiology Department 318-412-5237
Posted on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Logan Atkins' Journey to FMC
I grew up in Crowville, where my father, Sheldon, works in offshore drilling and my mother, Joanne, is a homemaker.
After graduating from Crowville High School, I pursued a BS in Chemistry from ULM. At the time, I had no idea what I
wanted to do as a career. I received my Bachelor’s degree from ULM and, still being undecided on what came next,
tried my hand at graduate school.
I attended the graduate program at Texas A&M University in College Station, where I quickly found out that I missed
Louisiana and that I had no interest in being a chemist. Around this time, I was encouraged by Dr. Tom Colvin to take
a few days in Winnsboro to shadow at Franklin Medical Center and see what medicine was about. Medicine, especially
right here at home, really grabbed my attention right away, and I decided to attend medical school at LSU Shreveport.
Now I’m in my 3rd year here at Shreveport, and just completed my first rotation in surgery. I’ve seen a lot of
interesting people who bring a variety of personalities and problems to our attention here, and it’s been a great
learning experience to start preparing me for anything I might find there in Franklin parish.
Posted on Friday, August 20, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Dr. Frank Sanfiel
Franklin Medical Center welcomes Dr. Frank Sanfiel, a board certified and highly experienced general surgeon.
During the past five years Dr. Sanfiel has been the attending surgeon and chief of surgery at Washington County
Hospital in Washington, Iowa.
Dr. Sanfiel practices a broad range of general surgery including, colorectal, breast, endoscopy, bariatrics, and
laparoscopy. He and his wife, Glenda have two children ages 13 and 15. They are originally from New Orleans and
have family living in New Orleans and in the Jackson area. We are very excited to welcome them back to Louisiana
and to Winnsboro. We know Dr. Sanfiel and his family will be an asset to our community and our hospital.
Posted on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Dr. Jeff Combetta
Congratulations to Dr. Jeff Combetta on his first anniversary of
service to the Franklin Parish community! Here's to many more
outstanding years of personal exemplary care for Franklin Medical
Center patients from a fantastic physician.
Posted on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Winnsboro Native Plans To Return Home To Practice
I grew up in Winnsboro, where my Grandparents, and then later my
parents, owned and operated Kitchell Printing. My brother and I were
raised in the printing shop, but we both understood that our family
wanted something different from us. We were both encouraged to go to
college and enter the medical field, which we both did.
In 2001 I graduated from Winnsboro High School, and began college
at ULM. While I was there I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca Lynn
Cranston. We began dating and in February of 2004 she became Rebecca
Lynn Kitchell. I had tossed the idea of medical school around some in
High school, but it wasn't until college that I finally began to
seriously pursue it. There is no longer a degree strictly known as
"Pre-med", so students are encouraged to enter the undergraduate degree
of their choosing. My choice was Radiologic Technology, a degree which
allows one to take x-rays in a hospital. I chose this not only for the
experience, but also because it required most of the same classes which
I needed to apply to medical school. My brother and I both graduated in
the class of 2005, each with a Bachelors of Science in Radiologic
Technology. I worked for two years as an x-ray tech while finishing the
classes I needed to apply. In 2007 I began medical school at LSU in
Shreveport. I am now beginning my final year of medical school and will
graduate in May of 2011.
During my second year of medical school, God blessed our family
with the birth of Robert Henry Kitchell, our first child. While having
a child does make medical school a little more interesting, I wouldn't
trade him for the world. In fact, I am proud to say that we are
expecting our second child in November of this year.
After medical school new doctors attend a residency program to
further specialize into the field they choose. I have chosen Family
Medicine, which is a 3 year residency. I will spend this year applying
to different programs and trying to decide which program is the best
fit. After residency, I look forward to returning to Franklin Parish to
practice.
Mike Kitchell
Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Franklin Medical Center Adds Powerful New Tool In Fight Against Breast Cancer
By Adding GE Healthcare’s New Senographe® Essential System, Digital Mammography Arrives at FMC.
This
year in America, more than 184,450 women will be diagnosed with breast
cancer. Last week, Franklin Medical Center advanced the fight against
this pervasive disease by acquiring a new cutting edge digital
mammography system for its patients.
This system, a GE Healthcare Senographe Digital Mammography system,
provides physicians with clear and precise all-digital images, rather
than images on X-ray film. What’s more, the system provides the largest
field of view currently available, which can be extremely helpful for
precision imaging of patients with diverse shapes and sizes.
“This is new and powerful technology for the detection and fight
against breast cancer,” says Julie Collins, FMC Director of Radiology.
“This system will allow us to offer our patients state-of-the-art
mammograms that are fast and easy. And it gives our referring
physicians accurate images to use in diagnosis.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, Louisiana has one of the
highest death rates in the entire nation for breast cancer . Mammograms
are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women
40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram, according to the
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
“This new digital technology will provide both accuracy and increased
ease of use for our patients,” says April Winborne, Director of
Nursing. “Providing outstanding diagnostic equipment for patients is a
vital step to good preventive health, and one we take very seriously.”
There are many advantages to a digital system. The images are clear
and easy to read, and it offers an excellent view of the breast,
especially near the skin line, chest wall and in women with diverse
breast tissue types.
The digital image is ready to read within 10 seconds – there is no
longer a wait for films to be developed to be sure the images are
usable. Digital mammograms take as little as half the time of film. And
if a second opinion is needed, the image can be sent electronically to
a consulting physician virtually instantaneously.
The process for installing the system is underway. Be sure to check
back for updates on our progress in implementing this critically needed
service for our community.
Posted on Monday, May 03, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce votes Franklin Medical Center May's Business of the Month
Franklin
Medical Center has proudly provided healthcare to Franklin Parish for
40 years. As an integral part of our community, our mission is to
provide the highest quality health care and customer satisfaction to
all those we serve. We are committed to delivering compassionate,
capable, and personalized treatment to our patients and their families,
always keeping in mind that our responsibility is to the health needs
of the people.
We are dedicated to providing the citizens of Franklin Parish with the
latest medical techniques and equipment. Franklin Medical Center is one
of the leading medical facilities in this region. Our hospital offers
many services to our patients: Behavioral Health, Intensive Care,
Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Telemedicine, and Family Practice. Last
year brought many new beginnings to the employees and Administration of
Franklin Medical Center. We have built a team of healthcare
professionals the citizens of Franklin Parish can depend on. Franklin
Medical Center is, “Where the patient comes first.”
Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Franklin Medical Center helps tame cancer
Franklin
Medical Center will sponsor a booth at the 2010 Franklin Parish Relay
for Life, May 8, 2010, 6 pm until 10 pm. Please come join us and bring
the whole family. Our booth will be full of fun and surprises. Bring
the kids, have a snack and play some games. It’s all in good fun and
for a great cause….
Posted on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Take a look at how Franklin Parish native Teresa Minchew describes her path to the medical field and her plans to return
My
mother, Sissy Underwood, was a CNA from Winnsboro as was my grandmother
Modene, who worked at Franklin Medical Center. My sister, Tracy Jordan
and I grew up there and she is currently an RN at Franklin Medical
Center. After graduating from Winnsboro High, I received a BA and
Masters in Psychology from ULM. I worked for the Wellspring in
Winnsboro and Tallulah. Then with a little encouragement from Dr. Tom
Colvin I decided to attend medical school at LSU Shreveport. I will
graduate May 29th then head to Jacksonville Florida for a family
medicine residency.
I interviewed at 12 family medicine residency programs in Texas,
Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. I interviewed at
private community institutions and large university hospitals. I chose
to be at a private community hospital because I felt it would better
prepare me to practice in a rural hospital like Franklin Medical
Center. I chose St Vincent's Medical Center in Florida (to my sister's
dismay because it is so far from home) because it is a family oriented
program that encourages the residents to spend time in the community.
It serves Medicare and Medicaid patients and allows for volunteer
experiences. The residency program benefits from affiliations with
Ascension Health, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Wolfson Children's
Hospital, FSU and the University of South Florida. It's also an
unopposed program. As the only residents in the hospital I will have
more training opportunities than I would at a university hospital where
I would be competing with residents of different specialties for
training opportunities and procedures.
Over all I felt it would better prepare me to practice at home in Winnsboro. Being by the beach for 3 years didn't hurt either!
Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Franklin Medical Center Celebrating 40 years of Community Service
The
last few weeks of 2009 brought many positive changes for the employees
and Administration of Franklin Medical Center. We have a newly elected
Administrator, and a new outlook on the future. We have discovered in
all the changing and moving some wonderful memories preserved in the
hopes of being discovered just as they were this past week. Pictures
and newspaper articles all bring us back to the beginning of our
hospital.
Such hope and anticipation is evident in every sentence of each
article written. So, many smiles and so much pride in every picture.
The anticipation of what this hospital could mean to Franklin Parish
was more than anyone could have ever truly imagined. Here we are 40
years later. Again, looking forward with so much pride, hope and
anticipation of what this change will mean to the citizens of Franklin
and Tensas Parishes.
On December 7, 1967, The Franklin Sun reported on the new
multi-million dollar hospital that would be constructed in Franklin
Parish as soon as the Johnson Administration released the federal
funds. Congressman Otto E. Passman was quoted as saying “I will do
everything in my power to get the funds released for the hospital
project as quickly as possible.”
True to his word the 56- bed Franklin Parish Hospital’s groundbreaking
took place in April 1969. The hospital opened to patients January 15,
1970. The architects of this “ultra modern hospital” are John T. Womble
and Don Mathis. A dedication ceremony with all the pomp and
circumstance of the era was held on January 11, 1970. Mayor “Frenchie”
Marioneaux welcomed the many visitors and dignitaries on hand for the
dedication. Guided tours of the facilities were to conducted by the
Ladies Hospital Auxiliary. Special guest speaker was none other than,
Charles Gage, executive director of the Louisiana Hospital Association.
The ribbon cutting was performed by the President of the Franklin
Parish Police Jury, George Allen Price and Chairman of the Board of
Directors, W. M. Snyder, Jr. A dedication in Franklin Parish would not
have been complete without the wonderful sounds of the Winnsboro High
School Band.
Proudly we will celebrate 40 years as part of this community. Please join us in our celebration and remembrance.
Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 12:00 PM
2010 Catfish Festival
We
had a great time Saturday visiting with people in the community. We
would like to congratulate Mrs. Janet Jarrette on winning the "Catch
the Big One" raffle.
Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training
Last
week, six members of the Franklin Medical Center Emergency Room staff
took part in the Rural ED Training at Tulane University in New Orleans.
The staff members including Joel Eldridge, DO, Mark Todd, RN, Glynn
Day, RN, Brandy Harris, RN, Denise Mcnease, RN, and Jason Emfinger, RN,
spent two days at the Tulane Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and
Team Training.
During their time at the center they were able to participate in
simulations that included Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS),
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Obstetric and Postpartum
emergencies, Neonatal rescusitation, and Rapid Response Team Scenarios.
The group also participated in some hands on activities such as central
line and chest tube placement, intubation and airway management,
paracardiocentesis (removal of fluid from around the heart), and
cricothytotomy ( emergency placement of a trache to assist with
breathing) all under the guidance of physicians from Tulane University
Health Science Center. The scenarios were simulated with the assistance
of the SIMSMan robotic mannequins that are able to mimic the human
body.
Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 8:00 AM
You can now pay your bill online
FMC
is proud to provide secure online payment service to its patients. Now
24 hours a day, 7 days a week you can pay on your hospital account
online. Access here.
Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Franklin Medical Center launches new website!
Franklin Medical Center (FMC) has announced the launch of a brand-new website.
Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Franklin Medical Center joins facebook
FMC
is happy to join the facebook family and welcomes all to become a
"fan". This new and valuable resource will provide you, our community,
with the most current facts and news about your facility, the services
we offer, and health care in general. Check it out here.
