It s PRIME time! We are pleased to welcome Nason Hospital to the Conemaugh Health System family. For those of you familiar with Nason Hospital you already know what a gem it is! The physicians and staff are known for their compassionate care and positive outcomes. The pride Nason employees take in their hospital shows in the spotless facilities and smiling faces. Prime [prahym] adj.- of first importance; demanding full consideration noun - 1. most flourishing stage or state 2. the best choice or part of anything As part of Conemaugh Health System, now a Duke LifePoint Healthcare System, we hope to help Nason, a LifePoint Hospital, continue to grow and flourish by sharing our expertise, providing physician specialists at nearby locations for Cove Area and Blair County residents, and working together to introduce new technology and programs. Together, we have great opportunities to transform how healthcare is delivered in this region and strengthen the network of medical services provided now and in the future. Dr. Shaun Jester, OB/Gyn Healthier together! Quality. Expertise. Commitment. On February 1, 2015, it became official Nason Hospital was purchased by LifePoint Hospitals and became a member of the Conemaugh Health System. COMMITMENT TO QUALITY As community leaders, the Board felt strongly that we needed to find a partner who could help us strengthen our services, says Doug Mingle, Chairman of Nason Hospital s Board of Trustees. A leading goal of this partnership is to continue to enhance the quality and patient safety initiatives at Nason. Nason will participate in the LifePoint Quality Program which is driven by the Duke Quality Network. Under the terms of the acquisition, LifePoint will invest $8.5 million in capital improvements at Nason over the next 10 years. The proceeds from the acquisition will be used to retire the hospital s financial obligations, and approximately $3 million will fund the hospital s charitable foundation. Scott A. Becker, CEO Conemaugh Health System We are excited about this new partnership, says Mingle. We have been looking for the right partner and this is a great fit. I believe our patients and employees will quickly see the benefits of this decision. The future of Nason Hospital is bright! Doug Mingle, Board Chairman, Nason Hospital 2 www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh
This partnership promises: EMPLOYEES LifePoint has committed to hiring all active Nason employees in good standing. GOVERNANCE Nason will maintain a local board, which will include local community members and medical staff physicians. SERVICES LifePoint, Conemaugh and Nason will maintain and expand the type and scope of existing clinical services. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LifePoint has committed to Nason becoming part of Conemaugh s Epic information system and related technology infrastructure. CHARITY CARE LifePoint is assuming Nason s charity care policy. ECONOMIC BENEFITS As part of LifePoint, Nason will become a local taxpayer, which will provide a new source of revenue to support its local community. Dr. Steve Um, Medical Director, Occupational Health and Chris Panero, PA-C with staff Dr. Angela Rowe, Orthopedic Surgeon and members of the surgery team Dr. Christopher McClellan, Orthopedic Surgeon, examines a patient Nason Wound Healing Center staff celebrating 10 years of caring About Nason Hospital Located in Blair County in a peaceful, scenic region of the Southern Alleghenies, Nason Hospital, now a LifePoint Hospital, has been caring for patients since 1900 building its reputation on quality, safety, and compassionate care. Many services are provided at Nason including general surgery, orthopedic surgery, 24/7 emergency care, cardiology, wound healing and OB/Gyn. Quality. Expertise. Commitment. I have great faith in Nason Hospital, says Ron Ensley, a long time Wound Healing Center patient. My wife Barbara and I go there for all of our blood work and x-rays, and the staff is wonderful. They treat us like a friend, not just a patient. Barb and Ron Ensley www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh 3
Josh Petrisko was on the phone with his dad Mike when something odd happened. He just stopped talking and I heard the phone drop. It was really weird, says Josh. I got a very bad feeling. Josh then called his sister Becky, who lives with their parents, and asked her to check on their dad. Becky found her father slumped over a chair. His color was ashen and he had no pulse. I heard Becky scream, so I hung up and called 911, says Josh. Luckily for the family, 24-yearold Becky is an ER nurse at Conemaugh Miners Medical Center. She immediately started CPR on her dad and Kathy, Mike s wife, called 911. Nothing prepares you for something like that, says Becky. He went from being my dad to being my patient. I knew he needed my help and time was critical. 5Important Cardiac Risk Factors 1. Smoking 2. Hypertension 3. Diabetes 4. High cholesterol 5. Family history The Spangler Fire Department and Veteran s Ambulance quickly arrived, using difibrillators on Mike to regain a pulse. They transported him to Conemaugh Miners Medical Center where Dr. Weber, Dr. Dvorchak and the staff took control, they were wonderful, says Becky. Mike was then flown by MedSTAR to Conemaugh Memorial, where two stents were placed in his heart, to open up two blockages one 60% and one 90%. We are so thankful, says Kathy. Everything worked out just perfectly and we can t say enough about the care Mike received at home, at Conemaugh Miners and at Conemaugh Memorial. The staff in the Cath Lab and Progressive Care Unit were wonderful and now Mike is in Cardiac Rehab at Conemaugh and they too are terrific! It sounds kind of corny, says Becky, but Excellence. Every Patient. Every Time. was really what we experienced. Everyone who treated my dad did their very best that day and we are so thankful to have him here. Both Josh and Becky encourage others to get trained in CPR. People are sometimes afraid of the thought of having to do CPR, says Becky, but it works and it really can save a life, maybe that of someone you love! Pictured above: Mike visits with the Emergency Medicine team at Conemaugh Miners Medical Center. 4 www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh
I think the most important message for patients is to recognize the impact of cardiac risk factors. Dr. Robert Stenberg Interventional Cardiologist Mike had no symptoms leading up to his cardiac arrest. He felt fine immediately before he collapsed. Sometimes that is the case, says Dr. Robert Stenberg, Director of the Cardiology Division at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. It is surprisingly common for patients to present with a heart attack as the first manifestation of coronary artery disease. Some past studies have reported that up to 50% of people can present that way. Only a portion of those will be large, major heart attacks. But still, it is quite common, says Dr. Stenberg, Mike s Interventional Cardiologist. Not all heart attacks present with sudden cardiac death as Mike experienced. It is a much smaller percentage of patients, probably somewhere in the range of 10 to 20% of first heart attacks. Most of those patients never make it to the hospital. Mike was very fortunate. Patients may have warning symptoms before their heart attack occurs but not recognize those symptoms to be heart related. They may think they have reflux or musculoskeletal aches and pains. But, there still is this small minority of patients, like Mike Petrisko, who truly had no warning symptoms at all prior to the the onset of a heart attack. The most important message for patients is to recognize cardiac risk factors. When an individual has multiple risk factors for coronary disease, it markedly increases the chances that some warning symptoms are due to coronary heart disease. Individuals with three or more cardiac risk factors experiencing symptoms involving chest, back, jaw, arms, or abdomen, should consider those symptoms to be heart-related and should consult their physician immediately. Pictured above: Mike began his cardiac rehabilitation at Conemaugh Memorial and now continues closer to home at Conemaugh Miners Medical Center. www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh 5
back in the GAME! Herbert Moore Windber, PA 50 years! That is how long Herbert Moore has been donning the stripes, running up and down the basketball court. In a typical season, Herb referees more than 100 games and can also be found on the baseball field. I just love being part of the game. I played full court basketball until age 64 and then the wear and tear started to catch up with me, says Herb. By age 65, Herb was struggling. I couldn t stand for more than 20 seconds, I knew I could not make it through another season without doing something. Sharon Kaseler, PA-C Joint Replacement & Geriatric Fracture Program Manager Herb attended Conemaugh Memorial s Joint Adventures seminar, a program designed to help people learn about knee and hip pain, management of pain and what options they have to fix it. Herb and his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Brian Gunnlaugson, opted for hip replacement surgery using the anterior approach, a procedure which offers less pain and a faster recovery. The anterior approach is a minimally invasive procedure which allows the surgeon to work between the muscle and tissue, causing less trauma to the muscle and therefore a quicker recovery, says Dr. Gunlaugson. Herb had his surgery in January and refereed a double header basketball game two months later. I feel great! I am so thankful to be able to get back to doing what I love. The Joint Adventures program began at Conemaugh 10 years ago. In that time, orthopedic surgeons at Conemaugh Memorial have done more than 8,000 joint replacement procedures. Education and group support are a big part of the program, says Sharon Kaseler, PA-C, Manager of the program. We have great success and many active patients like Herb who are happy with their results. To learn more about Joint Adventures, call Sharon Kaseler at 814-534-5276. The region s most experienced Anterior Hip Program; over 500 hips replaced over the last 5 years. 6 www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh
Time for Spring Cleaning Screening! It s the time of year for Spring Cleaning but how about Spring Screenings? If you re a smoker or former smoker over 55, ask your doctor about a Lung Cancer Screening with Low Dose CT This is a perfect time of year to take advantage of potentially lifesaving screenings that you may have been putting off. If you are a smoker or former smoker, between the ages of 55 and 77, you may qualify for a free screening with Low Dose CT technology. This screening is available for current smokers, or those who have quit in the past 15 years, with no current signs or symptoms of lung disease. Low dose CT technology offers a superior image quality with 40 to 70% less radiation than a standard CT, says Dr. Stan Golden, Radiologist, Even the smallest nodules are easily detected with Low Dose CT, so we can help find cancer early when it can be successfully treated. Did you know? 85% of lung cancers are related to smoking. If you are a smoker and need help quitting, call 814-534-1990. www.conemaugh.org www.facebook.com/conemaugh 7
1086 Franklin Street Johnstown, PA 15905-4398 Trust your Weight Loss Surgery to a Center of Excellence Congratulations to the Weight Management Team at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, named a Comprehensive Center of Excellence by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. For our patients this means: Safe, high-quality care Care that meets the highest standards Care that is rigorously reviewed D Arcy Duke, MD Stanley Zagorski, MD Conemaugh Physician Group - Surgery We can help you safely and permanently reach a healthy weight through three types of weight loss surgery options GASTRIC SLEEVE, GASTRIC BYPASS and LAP BAND. To learn more or to attend one of our FREE upcoming weight loss information sessions, call 814-534-1650.