On Wednesday, September 15, Baptist hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the freestanding ER, the first of its kind in Shelby County. The hospital bought 80 acres at the site in 2003.

Hayley Arceneaux — a former St. Jude patient who now works as a physician assistant at the hospital — is poised to become the youngest person to ever orbit the Earth when Inspiration4 rockets into space Wednesday. Arceneaux says that representing St. Jude patients on the mission is “the biggest honor of my life.”

Portal for applying will open Sept. 29; no date yet on when funds will arrive.

ConveyMD podcasts helps health care professionals fulfill continuing education requirements on the run.

In the first of two parts, leading physicians speak to the history of COVID-19, its possible origins, the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and the the role of masking, among other topics. 

Sites across the nation were asked to recruit more 5- to 11-year-olds to get a broader look at vaccine side effects.

Women in the U.S. die at higher rates in childbirth than many other developed nations. For women of color, the rate of death is at least four times higher. To chisel away at the gap, in January CHOICES is starting a fellowship to coach two Black midwives a year.

In Shelby County, about one in five (23%) or 1,185 of the daily cases reported in the last month have been breakthrough cases. 

“Why are we now debating whether children should be protected amid a raging pandemic that has killed more than 600,000 in the U.S. alone?”

Nurses have until Sept. 10 to sign up for the two-year program. The first $10,000 installment will be paid Sept. 24.

Travel nurses filling the gaps make two to three times more an hour than staff RNs; it rankles, nurses say. But there are other reasons, including appreciation, exacerbating the nursing shortage.

The Monday, Aug. 23, county commission meeting also includes a resolution calling for a countywide mask mandate and another resolution calling on Tenn. Gov. Bill Lee to rescind his executive order that outlaws mask mandates in schools.

“The patent is the backbone of our platform of solutions we are going to launch in the future,” says Esra Roan, co-founder of SOMAVAC Medical Solutions. 

The CEO of the region’s trauma center and safety net hospital said national competition among hospitals for the skilled specialists needed to put 21 beds back in use at Regional One is intense and costly. 

“I anticipate, honestly, that everyone that got the vaccine is going to want the booster. That is the feedback I have been getting,” says Melanie Keller, CEO of Meritan.

In 24 states, nurse practitioners are allowed to practice independently, without supervision by physicians. During the pandemic, 15 other states loosened restrictions to give them more autonomy.

“With the growing threat of COVID-19 variants and our duty to provide a safe environment for vulnerable patients, a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for our employees is the responsible and right thing to do.”

No decision yet at Baptist, the area’s largest system; 58% of its 19,000 employees are vaccinated.

Pediatric hospitalizations reflect COVID, rising number of respiratory infections.

Related story:

Masks will be required in all K-12 schools in Shelby County

Attorney Ralph Gibson said in a letter that Christopher Rowland did not participate in the meeting: “While the meeting was happening, Mr. Rowland had dinner with his children, took an important phone call, and dealt with the dogs which needed to be let out during the meeting.”

Shelby County had 1,051 active pediatric cases as of Tuesday, Aug. 3. The largest contingent is among 15- to 17-year-olds, who account for more than a fifth of cases.

Sunday, the situation was dire enough that Regional One Health diverted trauma cases to other emergency rooms.

“We have an untapped resource of labor that they can get, and they probably are not aware of that,” says Troy Allen, director of employment for Shelby Resident and Vocational Services.