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Schwartz Center honors Boyte for compassionate care

Schwartz Center honors Boyte for compassionate care

Dr. Rick Boyte, professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric palliative medicine at Batson Children's Hospital, has been named one of six finalists for the 2015 Schwartz Center National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award. 

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Front and Center: Keith Armstrong

Front and Center: Keith Armstrong

What do chainmaille jewelry and the armor medieval knights wore to protect themselves in battle have in common? 

Everything, says a University of Mississippi Medical Center senior systems administrator.

Keith Armstrong crafts beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets from metal rings of many sizes, using the very process employed to create heavy chainmaille shirts, leggings and coifs during the Middle Ages for military knights who could afford it.

"It's actually all the same thing," Armstrong said. "Jewelry came about from the leftover rings from the making of chainmaille armor. They'd put the rings together in different configurations to make jewelry out of it. It's one of the oldest forms of jewelry-making."

Armstrong has tried his hand at many crafts, including decorative knots and leather work. Making chainmaille is a great creative outlet, he said.

"I call myself a jeweler, and my specialty is chainmaille," he said. "I had a friend in college 20-something years ago that actually did chainmaille armor as a hobby. I got bored one night and started making the jewelry as gifts and to keep myself occupied. Then I started giving away pieces, and then people started offering to pay for it."

Armstrong uses pliers to fashion rings made of soft metals, including silver, gold, stainless steel and aluminum. "I use a lot of surgical steel. It's hypoallergenic and strong," he said.

The ring sizes vary, with the most common size being about 16 millimeters. "There's no limit on a size, other than it being practical," Armstrong said. "The size of the rings depends on how complicated the pattern is. The thickness of the rings also plays into it."

There are dozens of patterns that chainmaille jewelers can use in making jewelry, but the most common one - the four in one - was also the most common pattern used to make actual armor.

"It's four rings linked into a ring, with four connections per ring," Armstrong explained. "You start with one ring, and you connect four rings to it. Everyone starts with that, because it's the most simple. You use different patterns, because it gets boring to do the same thing over and over."

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UMMC staff receive service recognition

The Medical Center is proud to acknowledge those employees who will celebrate service anniversaries this week:

25 Years

Therman Luckett, materials distribution assistant manager, Shipping Receiving

20 Years

Stephanie Jackson, nurse, University Physicians (Lakeland Otolaryngology)

Diane McBride, central services supervisor, Sterile Processing

Carolyn Tate, food preparation specialist, Food and Nutrition Services

15 Years

Mark Randall, flight transport nurse, Helicopter Transport

10 Years

Amy Adcox, orthotist, School of Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery)

Carrie Colbert, administrative assistant, Heart Transplant

Angela Compere, volunteer coordinator, Volunteers

Sallye Greene, education administrator, School of Medicine (Surgery Education Office)

Bruce Hollingsworth, communications specialist, Mississippi Med-Com

Christiann Jackson, pharmacy tech, Pavilion Retail Pharmacy

5 Years

Sandra Browne, utilization review nurse, University Hospital (Coordinated Care)

Carolyn Butler, participant recruiter, School of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)

Krissa Daniels, diagnostic sonographer, University Physicians (Women's Mirror Lake)

Lisa Jackson, nurse anesthetist, School of Medicine (Anesthesiology)

Ashley Johnson, researcher, School of Medicine (Pharmacology and Toxicology)

Tara Mays, neurophysiology technician, Neurophysiology

Christopher Mosley, technician, Nuclear Medicine

Dr. Satira T. Perry, physician, Rural Health Clinics

Rachel Spencer, diagnostic sonographer, University Physicians (Women's Mirror Lake)

Lou Wells, inpatient nurse, Antimicrobial Services

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UMMC staff receive service recognition

Blood drive, Edelman Lecture highlight week's events

Blood drive, Edelman Lecture highlight week's events

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

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