Tippah County Hospital Continues to Care

Tippah County Hospital Continues to Care

By: Karen Yancey

Tippah County Hospital continues to care for our community with quality here at home.  We continue to maintain and improve health and prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Tippah County.

Rapid COVID-19 testing and Flu Vaccination is available at Tippah County Health Clinic. Please call 837-2202 to make an appointment.  Appointments are vital in keeping our patients and employees safe. Same day appointments are available. We are taking all COVID-19 safety measures.  

Flu season is upon us and the COVID-19 Pandemic is ongoing. The flu vaccine is more important than ever.  Flu vaccination is especially important for people who are at high risk for flu; many of whom are also at high risk for COVID-19 and serious outcomes. Getting vaccinated yourself will not only protect you but also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions. Despite the many benefits offered by flu vaccination, only about half of Americans get an annual flu vaccine. Flu continues to cause millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths. Many more people could be protected from flu if more people got vaccinated. Help keep our community healthier by getting the flu vaccine.

New Services:

Tippah County Hospital is very excited to offer new programs: Telehealth, Senior Intensive Outpatient Program and Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Tippah County Hospital Telehealth in partnership with North Mississippi Medical Center will connect area patients to specialty health care providers through quality two-way audio and video connections. Nurses at the telemedicine sites use FDA-approved video examination tools for ear, throat and skin examinations, as well as FDA-approved telestethoscopes for heart and lung examinations. The telehealth consult visit is transmitted via a secure Internet source through special video equipment and computers in the exam room that are connected to the providers’ laptops or tablets.

From the patient’s point of view, the benefits of telehealth include the convenience of receiving specialty care close to home, less travel time, and reductions in lost work or school time. TCH’s Telehealth Services enhance the primary health care provider’s role in patient care by bridging the distance between hometown providers and specialty practices through technology.

This service connects area residents with specialty care including:

• Psychiatry
• Infectious Disease
• Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine
• Geriatrics/Dementia
• Osteoporosis
• Genetic Counseling
• Bariatrics
• Pain Management
• Neurology

They will work closely with referring health care providers to connect area residents to specialty care in a setting that is conveniently located near their home and includes input from their regular health care providers. As Telehealth Services grow, additional specialties and specialists will join this program.

Tippah County Hospital Senior Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is a counseling center that assists the senior adult population in restoring emotional and mental well-being. The psychotherapy program is designed to provide outpatient therapy in a comfortable, home-like environment. Patients are provided three group sessions per day with a licensed therapist. A board-certified psychiatrist and nurse practitioner will oversee the clinic. Medication management and individual sessions will be provided by a licensed professional as needed.

All services provided by the Tippah County Hospital Senior IOP are ordered and reviewed by our psychiatric nurse practitioner. Patients participate in the program for approximately three hours, two to four days per week, as deemed appropriate by the provider and the patient. Services are offered Monday-Thursday.

Retirement, changes in finances, loss of loved ones, loneliness, and even the physical changes associated with growing older can be overwhelming, emotional, and stressful.

Tippah County Hospital Senior Intensive Outpatient Program is a counseling center that assists the senior adult population for adults ages 60 and over.  Patients learn to facilitate changes in their daily lives so they can become emotionally and mentally stronger as they face life’s challenges.

During the pandemic, we are currently providing telehealth services. Patients from home are welcome to visit the clinic in person or via computer/tablet. Nursing home residents can connect via telehealth which enables them to remotely connect with a licensed therapist for group psychotherapy sessions each week and a chance to meet with the provider as well. This service allows patients to see and speak with the provider or therapist all in real time while being respectful of social distancing practices from their own place of residency.

Struggling with:

• Grief
• Anxiety
• Sadness
• Giving up
• Confusion
• Loneliness
• Tearfulness
• Lack of trust
• Mood swings
• Hopelessness
• Hallucinations
• Loss of energy
• Loss of interest
• Loss of appetite
• Trouble sleeping
• Poor appearance

If you do, Tippah County Hospital Senior Intensive Outpatient Program can assist you. Working together, we can help seniors and families restore the lifestyles they deserve.

Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation

The number one cause of death in Mississippi is heart disease; the second is cancer with lung cancer being the number one diagnosed. Data collected between 2011-2015 shows 30.9% of residents in Tippah County are smokers. The percentage for the state is 24.2%. There is a direct correlation between smokers and lung cancer as well as smokers and COPD patients.

Cardiac Rehabilitation doesn’t change your past, but it can help you improve your heart’s future. This program is a medically supervised program designed to improve your cardiovascular health if you have experienced heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery.

Cardiac rehab helps lower the risk of heart disease due to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, excessive weight, diabetes, smoking, and stress. It is also beneficial for patients after surgery. Patients can experience improved outcomes and are able to manage their condition proactively when they participate in a rehabilitation program following diagnosis or surgery.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a program of exercise, education, and support to help patients learn to breathe and function at the highest level possible.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common and preventable disease that is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation improves symptoms, quality of life, pulmonary function, and health care in patients with chronic respiratory disease. Pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the most cost-effective therapies for individuals with a chronic respiratory disease.

Community Priority Planning

On October 6, 2020 Tippah County Hospital conducted a Town Hall Meeting Virtual Community Connect session assisted by the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program with joint partners to discuss Community Priority Planning. We were able to determine our community’s priority needs.  More planning sessions will be planned in the future.  We are so excited to work with our community sponsors on improving our community.

We desire the feedback of our community.  Please participate in our health questionnaire focused on community, health, COVID-19, telehealth, and gather the concerns and priorities of community members. The responses will be used to guide a virtual priority action planning event with joint partners and marketing efforts of the hospital.  It shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to complete. Take survey at https://ruralcenter.research.net/r/DRCHSD_TCH

(Link is also available on our Facebook page.)

More information on our new services is available on our new website: tippahcountyhospital.com.  Please let us know if we can assist you in any manner – 662.837.9221.