When Angel Allen and her 13-year-old daughter Alauran visit Dr. Shannon Pittman at the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Flowood Family Medicine clinic, they're among friends who know them well. 

"I was looking for someone who could give me continuous care," Allen said of first seeing Pittman, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, about five years ago. "Her bedside manner is so nice and personable. When she interacted with my daughter, I was so amazed that she would be so open and friendly. She makes you feel at home. You're not intimidated."

Building such close relationship requires providers and staff members to be organized in a way that maximizes coordination of care, communication between patient and caregiver, and accessibility of treatment. "She listens to all of your concerns, and she works hard to make sure she understands what's going on with you so she can give you the treatment you need," Allen said of Pittman. "You feel so comfortable when you leave."

It's that attention to detail, and to giving patients the best experience possible, that led to the Department of Family Medicine's recent recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the private, nonprofit National Committee for Quality Assurance based in Washington, D.C. The honor singles out Flowood Family Medicine and Lakeland Family Medicine, both under the Department of Family Medicine umbrella.

It goes to primary care clinics that are the go-to "home" for their patients' entire continuity and spectrum of care, said Dr. Diane Beebe, professor and chairman of the Department of Family Medicine.

A group of 82 University of Mississippi Medical Center managers are leaders in their departments - and they're about to get better at it.

They're the new members of the second cohort of the UMMC Leadership Program, which kicked off in July under the direction of Dr. Helen Beady, a human resources service partner in development and management consulting. Those taking part were nominated by their superiors.

The goal is to teach existing managers, both middle and upper, to grow as leaders through the new initiative that aims to enhance essential workplace skills and knowledge. The Leadership Program, which included about 100 employees in the January cohort, is better preparing managers and potential managers to carry out the Medical Center's strategic plan, UMMC 20/20.

"We are about the business of helping leaders understand organizational policies, procedures, and processes that impact all three missions - health care, research and education," Beady said. "We provide an experiential learning opportunity to bridge new information with simulation activities and team engagement."

This year's class draws from the Jackson, Grenada and Holmes County campuses, Beady said. Over the next 12 months, she said, "they'll receive a little under 40 continuing education credits through courses including Strategic Vision and Values, Business Communications, Resolving Conflict in the Workplace and Sustaining a Learning Organization."

Participants also will get a review of UMMC's code of ethics and are hearing from speakers that include former Vice Chancellor and School of Medicine Dean Dr. James Keeton, who recently delivered a lesson on UMMC's 60-year history. Coming up this fall are other leadership-building topics, including unleashing your unconscious biases, the wave of the future in the health-care profession, and values-based leadership.

Classes are being taught through a partnership with the state Department of Health's Office of Health Disparities, Beady said. "I'm expanding our reach to leverage partnerships with sister state agencies who have expertise in various areas," she said.

Although the program began anew six months ago, it's descended from LAMP, the Leading Through Applied Management Principles program that originated in 2007 among UMMC's nursing professionals.   The new version spans the entire Medical Center and operates through Human Resources.

Dr. Meagan Brown, a faculty member in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, is a member of the first cohort. Brown will give the current cohort her perspective on that experience and said she learned valuable lessons that are helping her improve as a leader.

"This program has been very effective in exposing us to information and resources at UMMC that contribute to our ability to do our jobs well and expand the opportunities for collaboration across disciplines," Brown said.

For more information about the Leadership Program, contact Beady at 5-8065 or hbeady@umc.edu            

A number of interesting events is scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.

The Medical Center is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff: