Methodist Foundation Holds Cancer Center LuncheonThe 12th annual and most recent Cancer Center Luncheon was presented by Methodist Healthcare Foundation and Cigna. It was held on November 22 and featured Academy Award-winning actress, Sally Field. Ms. Field spoke to a sold out audience as she spoke candidly about her life and art. With a crowd of over 1,000 guests in attendance, she shared inspirational thoughts and entertaining stories from her amazing 50 years in Hollywood. All proceeds from this event benefited the West Cancer Center in Memphis.Commission on Cancer Accredits BaptistThe Commission on Cancer has awarded the academic cancer program of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville full accreditation with commendation for three years.CoC-accredited facilities must comply with 36 standards and demonstrate commitment to the community and cancer patients through their organization of cancer services, high-quality care and a program that improves access to care and patient outcomes. Christ Community Health Breaks Ground on Frayser SiteChrist Community Health Services has broken ground on the new Frayser Health Center located at the corner of Thomas St. and Frayser Blvd. The current location, at 3124 N. Thomas Street, has the ability to service approximately 50 patients per day or 6,400 annually.  Once completed, the new health center will substantially increase the number of patients currently being seen in the Frayser clinic.  Christ Community received $5 million grant to build the Frayser center and the land was purchased by a private donor. Scheduled to open late fall of 2014, the 19,000 square foot center will house a health clinic, dental and pharmacy services.Changes Come to Semmes-Murphey Clinic Semmes-Murphey Clinic has announced the addition of three distinguished physicians and a Foundation research assistant as well as the retirement of a long-serving physician.  The new physicians are Dr. John D. Brophy and Dr. LaVerne R. Lovell, formerly principals in the Brophy & Lovell Neurosurgical Clinic, and Dr. Vishad Kumar, a neurologist, formerly with the Wesley Neurology Clinic.Dr. Brophy is a West Point graduate, earning his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia.  He completed a neurosurgical residency at the Walter Reed Army Hospital and served as Chief of Neurosurgery at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with 12 years of active duty.  Dr. Brophy is a board certified neurosurgeon and has maintained a practice in Memphis since 1995. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Member of the Tennessee Medical Association, Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Dr. Lovell graduated from the United States Naval Academy and earned his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  He completed his neurosurgical residency at Bethesda Naval Hospital.  Lovell completed a 30-year military career, retiring with the rank of Captain as the Chief of Neurosurgery, Portsmouth Naval Hospital.  He is a board certified neurosurgeon and has maintained a practice in Memphis since 2000. Lovell is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Member of the Tennessee Medical Association and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.Dr. Kumar completed his neurology residency at the University of Tennessee Memphis in 1998. Prior to that he graduated from King George’s Medical College, India and completed residency in internal medicine and neurology. He is a board certified neurologist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology at U.T.  He did a Research Fellowship, at the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, and is licensed to practice in Tennessee. He is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology, Tennessee Medical Association and Tennessee Academy of Neurology. Andrew Ballard has joined the Semmes Murphey Foundation as a research assistant for the National Neurosurgical Quality Outcomes Database (N2QOD). In this role he will assist in gathering data as a quality outcomes initiative for improving patient care at Semmes Murphey Clinic.Dr. Michael H. DeShazo retired from the Semmes-Murphey Clinic at the end of 2013. In 1977 he finished his residency in Psychiatry and Neurology and was looking to a career in neuroscience.  Semmes-Murphey was the place to be.  With this in mind, he began his long association with the clinic, which has extended through the whole of his career. Dr. DeShazo has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences Department of Neurology.  He was President of Memphis Academy of Neurology from 1987 to 1988 and again in 1997 to 1998.  He was on the Clinical Resource management Committee of Baptist Memorial Hospital in 1994 to 1995, and at the same time he was Chairman of the Communications and Outreach Strategic Initiative of the Neuro Strategic Planning Committee for Baptist Memorial Hospital.  His legacy will continue to inspire and encourage the physicians, staff and interns at Semmes-Murphey Clinic. UT Medical Group Adds Specialist in Burn and Cosmetic SurgeryDr. Michael M. Van Vliet has joined the department of plastic surgery at UT Medical Group and been named assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He has also been appointed director of burn critical care for the Firefighters Regional Burn Center at Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED). Dr. William Hickerson, medical director for the Burn Center, said Van Vliet’s responsibilities there include training staff, establishing protocols, and bringing new technology to the center. Van Vliet earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College in New York and completed plastic surgery training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He furthered his training with a fellowship in burn surgery and critical care at the University of Southern California/Los Angeles County Hospital.In addition to his expertise in burn surgery and reconstruction, Van Vliet has a special interest in laser resurfacing, microsurgery, and cosmetic surgery of the face, breast and body. He cares for patients at UT Medical Group’s offices in Germantown and in the Memphis Medical Center, in addition to the Firefighters Regional Burn Center.Baptist Memorial President and CEO Announces Retirement Stephen Reynolds, Baptist Memorial Health Care’s fourth president and CEO and a 42-year Baptist colleague, announced he will retire in May. Jason Little, Baptist’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, will be the organization’s next president and CEO. See related story on page one.Reynolds began his Baptist career as an administrative resident in 1971 after serving as an officer in the United States Army. After holding a number of leadership positions for 23 years, he was promoted to Baptist’s president and CEO in 1994.Under his leadership, Baptist opened two metro-Memphis hospitals – Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville – as well as the area’s first residential hospice facility and the Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief. Reynolds also oversaw the construction of the NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark., and the creation of the Baptist Medical Group, one of the Mid-South’s largest physician management organizations. Today, Stern Cardiovascular, Family Physicians Group, Memphis Internal Medicine, the Light Clinic and the Boston Baskin Cancer Foundation are among the groups that are part of BMG.Little has been with Baptist since 2002. Before being promoted to his current position, he served as vice president and metro market leader, overseeing Baptist’s seven metro-Memphis hospitals and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. Before that, he served as administrator and CEO of three Baptist Memorial hospitals.Plans for new West Cancer Center unveiledMethodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, in collaboration with The West Clinic and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), today unveiled plans to consolidate cancer services from multiple sites into a single location, which will be called the West Cancer Center.  A rendering of the planned center was unveiled today at the annual Methodist Healthcare Cancer Center Luncheon at the Peabody Hotel.Methodist filed a Certificate of Need (CON) to consolidate the services for the West Cancer Center.  A CON is a permit from the Tennessee Health Services Development Agency (THSDA) that allows for “the establishment or modification of a health care institution, facility or service at a designated location.” The proposed project includes a full array of cancer services and programs and involves approximately 8,050 square feet of new space and 101,235 of renovated space.  Also included is the relocation of diagnostic equipment, including a PET scan, as well as MRI and CT services.  In addition to two ambulatory surgery suites, the proposed plan includes the relocation of one linear accelerator and addition of a second.  This project does not involve inpatient beds or other services for which a CON is required.  The estimated project costs are $60,554,193.If approved, the facility will be located at 7945 Wolf River Boulevard in Germantown and will be operated as an outpatient department of Methodist Healthcare under the name West Cancer Center.