ATLANTA — FEMA announced nearly $15 million in funding for eight recovery projects to help Tennessee communities recover from the severe winter storm and Hurricane Helene.
This funding is part of more than $348 million that FEMA announced for almost 170 projects nationwide.
FEMA is awarding these funds through its Public Assistance program to reimburse Tennessee for the costs of debris removal, emergency protective measures and infrastructure repairs. Notable projects include:
• $4.8 million to Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative to repair the electrical distribution system.
• $3.3 million to the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga to repair the electrical distribution system.
• $2.1 million to Hendersonville for debris removal efforts.
• $1.9 million to Fairview for debris removal efforts.
• $1 million to Nashville-Davidson County for emergency protective measures.
• $861,000 to Savannah for debris removal efforts.
These projects are the latest examples of billions of dollars in disaster recovery provided by FEMA to support state and local communities as they work to rebuild from recent natural disasters.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Maury Regional Health has expanded diagnostic capabilities for lung health with the addition of the Ion® robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system. The advanced technology from Intuitive is designed to help physicians reach small or hard-to-reach lung nodules that are difficult to biopsy with traditional methods. Maury Regional Health is the only health system offering this technology in southern Middle Tennessee along the I-65 corridor between Nashville, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama.

Lung nodules are small areas of abnormal tissue in the lung that can appear as spots on an imaging scan. When a nodule appears suspicious, physicians may recommend a biopsy to determine whether cancer is present. Nodules located deep within the lung or in peripheral areas can be difficult to reach with traditional biopsy approaches, making it more challenging to obtain tissue for diagnosis.

Jon L. Freels, MD, a pulmonologist at Maury Regional Health, performed the first Ion procedure, marking the technology’s first use at the health system.

Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy provides physicians with a computer-generated map of the patient’s airways and a navigational path, as well as a small flexible catheter that is guided toward a suspicious nodule. the Ion® approach is minimally invasive, performed under anesthesia and allows most patients to return home the same day.

The Ion system’s ultrathin, flexible catheter, guided by three-dimensional airway mapping and shape-sensing navigation technology, allows physicians to reach targeted nodules deep within the lung and obtain tissue for testing.
Ion® Robotic Bronchoscopy uses a flexible catheter guided by three-dimensional airway mapping and shape-sensing navigation technology to reach targeted nodules deep within the lung and obtain tissue for testing. The minimally invasive procedure is performed under general anesthesia and allows most patients to return home the same day.

The Ion system joins Maury Regional Health’s growing portfolio of robotic and advanced surgical technologies, expanding the diagnostic and treatment capabilities available to patients throughout the region.

To learn more about technologies and capabilities at Maury Regional Health, visit www.mauryregional.com.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Maury Regional Health earned the Leapfrog Full Transparency Badge, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to publicly reporting information about patient safety and quality through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

The Full Transparency Badge is awarded to hospitals that complete, affirm and submit all sections of the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, one of the nation’s leading voluntary reporting programs focused on patient safety, quality and transparency.

To support this goal, Maury Regional Health strives to foster a culture of continuous learning and proactive communication across every level of the organization. Team members in both clinical and non-clinical roles are empowered to prioritize safety in daily operations, identify potential risks before they reach a patient and maintain rigorous quality standards. This organization-wide commitment ensures that safety remains at the forefront of every patient interaction, creating a reliable and supportive environment for the community.

The Leapfrog Full Transparency Badge appears on Leapfrog’s public ratings website and identifies hospitals that have committed to openly sharing information about their performance.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Maury Regional Medical Group has added internal medicine specialists Jacob L. Daniel, DO, Alexander Scavo, DO, and Arie Szeinfeld, MD, as well as critical care specialist Jayesh Patel, MD, to the medical staff at Maury Regional Medical Center.

Maury Regional Medical Group, an affiliate of Maury Regional Health, provides hospital medicine physicians for Maury Regional Medical Center and Marshall Medical Center. These physicians are specialists who devote their time and expertise to adult and pediatric patients exclusively within the hospital setting. Hospital medicine physicians are trained in internal medicine and pediatrics and can care for patients ranging from infants to the elderly.

Dr. Daniel received his medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. He completed his residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dr. Scavo received his medical degree from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He completed a residency at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dr. Szeinfeld received his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Miramar, Florida. He completed his residency at HCA JFK Hospital, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine GME Consortium, in Atlantis, Florida.

MRMG Critical Care is a specialty practice dedicated to providing care to patients who are hospitalized in the Critical Care Unit at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Dr. Patel received his medical degree from B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, India. He completed a residency at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, New York. He also completed a fellowship in critical care at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. He is board-certified in nephrology and internal medicine.

For an overview of physicians and Advanced Practice Professionals specializing in internal medicine and critical care, visit MauryRegional.com/providers.