TMC recorded $63.6 million of community benefit costs, or 11.9 percent of net revenues of $534 million in 2017, according to the annual Report to Our Community out this month. This percentage is well over the 5 percent average expected for a nonprofit hospital to maintain tax-exempt status. In 2016, TMC reported a community benefit of $58 million, or 11.5 percent of net revenue.

Community benefit covers a full range of services and activities that nonprofit hospitals undertake to improve health in the communities they serve. Community benefit includes providing care for the poor (charity care) but also can be thought of in larger terms to include the promotion of health. In 2017, TMC reported $10.3 million in charity care and bad debt, or about 16 percent of total community benefit, up from $8.4 million, or 14 percent, in 2016.

“As a nonprofit community hospital, Tucson Medical Center proudly supports programs that strengthen the region by building health and connections,” said Julia Strange, vice president of TMC Community Benefit.

Other components of community benefit included $36 million for unpaid costs for AHCCCS/Medicaid patients, or 57 percent of total community benefit, this percentage was unchanged from 2016 where $33 million was spent on these unpaid costs. TMC paid a statewide hospital assessment of $11.0 million, or 19 percent of community benefit, which was about the same for 2016.

Community outreach accounted for $5.4 million, or 8 percent of community benefit in 2017, down from $5.6 million, or 10 percent, in 2016. In addition, TMC’s community outreach directly served more than 167,000 people throughout the region at 1,298 events, including wellness talks, community runs, kids’ safety events, a symposium for cancer survivors, physician education on the opioid epidemic, support of the city’s short-term bike rental service, sponsorship of health literacy through the Festival of Books and more!

The report includes features on how TMC carried out many of its community benefit activities. In addition, the report includes On Center, the annual report of the TMC Foundation, sharing about its charitable mission to raise funds in support of the hospital and community. Click to read the full report.

What exactly is a “superfood?” Is it a special category of food that is unusually high in nutrients? Does it have the power to cure disease?

Although the word does appear in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and all over popular media, it is not recognized by dietitians as a definitive classification for foods or beverages. There are no standards a food has to meet to be called a “superfood.” Rather, it is a descriptive term used by food marketers to promote products with supposed health benefits.

For example, it is true that açai berries are low in calories and high in vitamin A and antioxidants. However, their Amazonian origin does not bestow magical properties upon them. Sweet potatoes, carrots and cantaloupes offer much higher levels of vitamin A at a much lower price. Do you love açai juice or smoothies? Check the ingredients list, because often those drinks are composed mostly of apple, pear or orange juice. Açai is added to boost the color and the price. The same goes for goji berries. Yes, they are full of vitamin A, selenium, riboflavin and antioxidants, but so are lots of other, less expensive foods.

Marketers of these “superfoods” and media-saavy “doctors” may proclaim the powers of these foods to fight disease; control blood sugar, cholesterol  or weight; boost your mood, metabolism or endurance; protect your skin or eyes; and even kill cancer cells. Sadly, there are no good studies to back up those claims. One example of marketing gone wild is the case of POM Wonderful. The company claimed its juice could prevent heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. In 2013, the Federal Trade Commission told POM its ads were “false and unsubstantiated,” and they were violating a ban on deceptive advertising. POM appealed the ruling in 2015 and lost.

Super Good Choice

Sometimes foods or products proclaiming “super” status are a good choice, and they make a nice addition to an overall healthful diet. Here are just a few foods and their positive attributes:

• Flaxseeds – omega-3 fatty acids and fiber
• Quinoa – fiber and protein
• Blueberries – vitamin C, vitamin K and antioxidants
• Avocado – healthy fat and fiber
• Kale – calcium, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K
• Fermented Foods – probiotics
• Pumpkin – vitamin A and fiber

Other “Superfoods” Are Not so Amazing:

• Alkaline Water – there is no evidence that it kills cancer cells or soothes acid reflux; plain old water hydrates just as well
• Apple Cider Vinegar – there are no good studies that demonstrate it can actually control blood sugar or weight
• Lemon Water – does not actually boost your metabolism
• Coconut Oil – high in saturated fat, which is not good for cardiovascular health
• Whole Milk – also high in saturated fat

Super Health Risks

Watch out! Some so-called “superfoods” can pose a potential health risk. Sprouts (alfalfa, radish, broccoli sprouts, etc.) are indeed nutrient-rich, and they can provide a nice crunch in a salad or on a sandwich. Unfortunately, they could be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli or Salmonella. These bacteria love the kind of warm, humid environment in which sprouts are grown. According to FoodSafety.gov, there have been more than 30 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts in the last 20 years. Please consider that when deciding whether or not to include sprouts with your dish.

Another risky “superfood” is raw milk, which is milk that hasn’t been heat-treated to kill bacteria (a process called pasteurization). Proponents claim that this type of milk contains more vitamins, minerals, probiotics and enzymes than pasteurized milk. However, the protein, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D are most likely not affected by pasteurization. Vitamin C will certainly be destroyed, but even raw milk contains relatively little vitamin C. A safer choice would be to get that vitamin, and your probiotics and enzymes, from other foods in your diet.

Everyday Diet Key to Your Health

It is your overall diet and daily habits that have the largest impact on your health. No single food or food group can cure disease, improve your metabolism or give you super-human strength. To satisfy all your nutrient needs you need to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. Think of them as your team of superheroes. You can support this team and protect your health by adopting a routine of healthy habits:

• Move your body every day.
• Get the best sleep you can every night.
• Drink plenty of water.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
• Don’t neglect your mental/emotional/spiritual health.

Laurie Ledford is a registered dietitian from Atlanta, Georgia, the land of grits, collard greens and super-sweet iced tea. She now works as a registered dietitian  in the Tucson Medical Center Wellness Department. She enjoys helping people improve their health through sustainable dietary changes while still relishing occasional indulgences. In her off hours, Laurie engages in foodie pursuits such as sampling unusual flavor combinations (olive oil and basil ice cream was a good one) as well as hiking and cycling.be skeptical of the next “superfood” claim you see or hear!

When Dan Felix received his high school diploma, he couldn’t have been more pleased to be done with school.

The young man couldn’t have envisioned then that he’d be in school for a long time over the course of his career. Felix, who was promoted to director in 2014 over X-ray, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, mammography, CT-scan and MRI, started his master’s program in leadership in 2016, recently completing it.

We caught up with him for a few questions.

What inspired you to go back to school?

There are three reasons. TMC has given me this leadership opportunity so it was really important to me to perform at the level of my peers. My colleagues are a talented group and I respect them for their intelligence, attention to detail and preparation.

Secondly, my team deserves a leader who is committed enough to leadership to undergo formal training. And more so, patients deserve to be cared for by a team with well-prepared leaders.

The third reason was for my kids. I have two young daughters, one is going to be in seventh grade and the other in ninth, so setting that example is important to me.

You have a demanding job already. There must be a number of working professionals out there who are weighing going back to school and trying to figure out how to balance it all.

It was extremely difficult because not only was I balancing the pressures of work, I’m also a volunteer athletic coach for kids, and a husband and father. All of that takes a lot of time. I managed by 30-minute blocks every day: 30 minutes to eat, 30 minutes to read, 30 minutes for school. But I’ve always believed the body and mind are capable of more than we think and will meet any challenge.

Now that you’re finished, you have some of those 30-minute slots reopening. What are you going to do with that time?

The joke is I will get my golf game back. But what I believe and hope I will do with my time is to help others by passing along the skills and knowledge that I’ve learned, whether it’s here with people at work, with the team members I coach or with the parents of those students.

Did any of the content change your leadership approach?

As time went on as I developed my leadership skills at TMC and as I was presented with a variety of challenges and personalities, I often found myself tailoring my approach in order to achieve the best outcome.  That’s when I had my big “aha” moment in leadership training.

This tailoring of my approach is actually referred to as “situational leadership.”  Our jobs as leaders is to use different approaches based on the needs of the employees or situations – not necessarily what’s most comfortable for the leader.

And there lies the beauty of leadership. A good leader will recognize when there is time to carefully analyze certain situations and have thoughtful discussions such as process improvements vs. when it’s important to take control and act quickly.

Any practical tips leaders can try right away with their teams?

The biggest thing for me was reaffirming how important it is for leaders to be good listeners. I have a good relationship with my team so it was easy for me to say, “Here’s what I learned. Let’s give it a try and see if it helps us improve our work together.”

The one thing we really worked on was making sure we heard each other. If you’re already talking before I finished my sentence, that’s a good sign that you’re not listening. So we’ve been very conscious of waiting until we’re done speaking, taking the time to process what we’ve heard and then reply back. It’s led to more efficient conversations because there’s more confidence that we don’t have to repeat key points.

It also reinforced the importance of learning the management styles of members of my team, making sure we hold each other accountable with detailed action plans and making sure we all have clarity on our current and future states. The whiteboard in my office is heavily used.

You probably had learned a great deal through mistakes and successes in practice already – so why school?

It gave me a chance to think deeply about leadership and how my management style lines up with documented leadership theories. It was affirmation that I’m taking the right approach and it gave me confidence that I was connecting the dots.

TMC supported my goals through its tuition reimbursement program and I am grateful that TMC’s leadership has always encouraged continuing education. There are a lot of opportunities to advance if you put in the work and are accountable for that work.

Tucson Medical Center’s pediatric and maternity campaigns won three acknowledgements in the national Healthcare Advertising Awards.

Of more than 4,000 entries, TMC was one of 360 winning the gold for its television ads, based on the findings of a national panel of judges who were looking for creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.

The television campaign, created in conjunction with Hilton and Myers Advertising to highlight TMC’s maternity and pediatric services, won the gold. The overall campaign, which included digital spots and billboards, took a silver.

The campaign separately also won a merit award in what is the largest healthcare advertising awards competition and among the top 10 of all advertising awards.

“It was a lot of fun creating these spots and celebrating the joy of movement and recovery, but what makes these awards particularly meaningful is that the children in our

commercials aren’t actors but children from our own community and the moms and babies who danced together were our own patients,” said Julia Strange, vice president of community benefit, noting TMC physicians and staff also participated.

“They are the face of TMC and they really are the winners of this recognition.”

Strange also thanked the Tucson Twist-Its jump rope team for coming out – this time without the cameras – to help TMC open its new Pediatric Emergency Department within TMC for Children.

Ready for another round? You can check out our pediatric videos here and here, and our maternity video here. And stay posted….We’ve got new spots coming out next week that build on the existing campaign!

On Monday Tucson Medical Center opens its newly relocated Pediatric Emergency Department.

The 14-bed department relocates to TMC for Children, which includes the pediatric inpatient and intensive care units, allowing TMC to better integrate comprehensive children’s services. The new department is accessed by going through the main TMC for Children entrance on the hospital’s south side.

“With all services in the same area, it will allow for more timely collaboration with pediatric specialists and better coordination of care for our youngest community members,” said Dr. Moira Richards, the medical director of TMC for Children.

Staff were recently invited to celebrate the $2.7 million renovation of the new space and share a blessing with TMC Chaplain Mary Klaehn as they prepared to transition from the old space:

May this place be a place of blessing and health.
May these doors be wide enough to receive all those who are in need of healing.
May this be a place of welcome and hope to all those who are hurting…in body, mind, or spirit.
May this be a place of safety for all who enter.
May this be a place where the door is too high to admit complacency, selfishness, or harshness.
May this threshold be no stumbling block to young feet.
May this floor lighten the steps of all who tread upon its surface and be a stable place to stand.
May the foundation upon which we stand sink its roots deep into the earth from which we
sprang and to which we will return.
May these walls soak in the rich sounds of laughter and loving,
            drain away the pain of those who are hurting,
            and be protection from the fiercest winds of adversity.
May this roof hold strong and provide shelter for all who seek it.
May this place be a home to creativity and kindness.
May those who visit here and work here know only blessing and peace.
May it be so.  Amen.

Joby Jacob has been groomed in intensive care units the entire span of her 19-year career as a nurse, witnessing countless moments when patients and families experience their most vulnerable times.

“Over the years, I’ve seen the hard decisions family members have had to make,” said Joby, who came to Tucson Medical Center 18 months ago.

Organ donation is not right for every family, but when there is no hope of recovery for the patient, Jacobs said she has observed that organ donation can bring some degree of comfort to both the health care provider and the family. “In a situation where families and loved ones are in unimaginable sorrow, it seems to bring some degree of peace in their heart to have an opportunity to give and make a difference in the life of someone else.”

She recalls one family in Baltimore, in deep mourning when their healthy son was brought into the hospital in a coma after being mugged by a street gang.  She witnessed how hard it was for a mom to lose her son – and yet bravely decide to use his life to help others awaiting life-saving transplants. The family came back every year to the unit – not only to thank the healthcare team, but to share how organ donation had helped lessen the heartache of losing their loved one.

When Joby came to TMC, she became the chair of the Donor Network Committee, which has a focus on ensuring that both the staff and the family are supported and honored in such situations. The idea of the Garden of Life came to materialize, which was dedicated at a ceremony in mid-April. “I wanted a space where family or staff can sit and respect the choices that are being made, and have that time to reflect in a dedicated area,” she said.

Joby spent her own time and donated some of the plants and flowers to make the garden as inviting as possible. She herself doesn’t have a green thumb, but picked out what the nursery told her would be beautiful – yet hardy – stock for the garden.

Flowers hold a special place for Joby because her 7-year-old son has a routine in which he picks a flower along the way for her on their family walks together. “For me, just a simple flower says so much and has so much meaning, especially because it represents love and appreciation. I want that feeling and ambiance for the patio.”

As a professional development specialist, Jacob said she knew that nursing was the right profession for her.  “No matter how mentally, physically and emotionally demanding our job is, every day as a nurse we are given the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. And for that reason, we are blessed.”