St. Clair Hospital HouseCall_Volume IV Issue 2

VOLUME IV ISSUE 2

HouseCall Coach teams with St. Clair to fight cancer

inside

Comprehensive Cancer Care I Colon Cancer Screening I Ask The Doctor I Summer Swing Village Square Outpatient Center Expansion I Peters Township Outpatient Center Groundbreaking Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 2

patient profile

A coach’s greatest

Challenge

2 I HouseCall I Volume IV Issue 2

Mt. Lebanon Football players and Coach Wentzel have fun testing his strength in the weight room.

St. Clair hoSpital deliverS comprehensive care to popular CoaCh diagnoSed with CanCer

A

fter being diagnosed with rectal cancer last spring, one of the first phone calls that Kurt Wentzel, the 67-year-old assistant coach of the Mt. Lebanon Freshman Football team, made was to head Freshman coach, Jeff Donati, to let him know he would understand if he needed to resign.

“My greatest concern was missing so much football,” recalls Kurt who has coached football for 41 years, including 10 years at St. Anne’s in Castle Shannon, before joining the staff at Mt. Lebanon.

“I knew I could possibly miss as much as six weeks because of the chemotherapy alone.”

Jeff says that Kurt called him to explain his treatments and surgery, and figured that he would have to miss some time during the season.

“Kurt is a great coach and wonderful for the kids, so we wanted to do everything we possibly could to

keep him on board,” says Jeff. “He really enjoys coaching the kids. He’s a positive influence on them and the kids absolutely love him.”

Ultimately, Kurt decided to stay on and work through his treatments, which included six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and then surgery, followed up with another four months of chemotherapy.

“All of the physicians involved in my care were very professional and friendly,” says Kurt. “Everything was explained in great detail to me and all of my questions were answered and my concerns addressed.”

Cancer patients at St. Clair are afforded the full continuum of care, without leaving the community.

That was a big plus to Kurt. (Please see related article, page 7.)

“At first I thought I was going to have to go to a cancer center across town or somewhere, but then I learned that St. Clair Hospital has everything I needed to fight cancer right here,” Kurt says.

“

I was really dIsappoInted and surprIsed when thIs was dIscovered . . .

I had no hIstory of cancer In my famIly that I knew of.

”

KURT WENTZEL ASSISTANT COACH, MT. LEBANON

Continued on page 4

In addition to Freshman Football, Coach Wentzel is also a Track & Field coach at Mt. Lebanon. Here, he instructs two athletes on the discus and shot put.

Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 3

patient profile Continued from page 3

“I underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and the surgery. It was very convenient for me and it made things a little easier. Also, everyone from the physicians to the nurses and the support staff made this thing as pleasant as possible. They were wonderful. I don’t understand how they can remain so nice under trying circumstances.”

It was last May when Kurt, also an assistant Track & Field coach at Mt. Lebanon, noticed some blood in his stool, prompting him to schedule a colonoscopy. Five years earlier, Kurt had a polyp removed during a colonoscopy, which gave him some cause for concern. It was during the followup colonoscopy that Kurt’s gastroenterologist found a tumor in his rectum. When a biopsy revealed it to be cancerous, Kurt was referred to Leigh Nadler, M.D., a colorectal surgeon at St. Clair Hospital.

“I was really disappointed and surprised when this was discovered,” recalls Kurt, a retired Social Studies teacher in the Chartiers Valley School District. “I had no history of cancer in my family that I knew of.”

Kurt Wentzel was an accomplished athlete in his playing days at Mt. Lebanon High School in the 1960s.

Head Mt. Lebanon Freshman Football coach Jeff Donati, left, shares a lighter moment on the gridiron with assistant coach Kurt Wentzel.

LEIGH H. NADLER, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.C.R.S. Dr. Nadler earned his medical degree at the University of Health Sciences/ Chicago Medical School. The board-certified surgeon completed a residency and internship at Beth Israel Medical Center Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N.Y. He completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Illinois Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Ill. He practices with Colorectal Surgical Associates, a division of St. Clair Medical Services.

To contact Dr. Nadler, please call 412.572.6192.

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Dr. Nadler says the tumor was in the lower part of the rectum, and extended to the upper rectum, so it was quite large.

“I performed rectal ultrasound, important for tumor staging, and identified enlarged lymph nodes indicating potential tumor spread,” he says. “Tumors in the rectum are initially treated with radiation and chemotherapy, prior to surgery. So fortunately, here at St. Clair, we have the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center with radiation oncology and a team of excellent medical oncologists.”

In addition to Dr. Nadler, Kurt also saw Vincent E. Reyes, Jr., M.D., a medical oncologist at St. Clair. Dr. Reyes says that comprehensive care for the patient is critical to have a successful outcome because it takes coordination to make sure the patient is getting the right care and in a timely manner.

“Rectal cancer requires the coordination of this comprehensive care center because its treatment involves radiation oncology, medical oncology, and surgery,” he says.

“Kurt’s case really exemplifies how you need coordination and cooperation between all these specialties.”

Prior to having surgery to remove the tumor, Dr. Reyes recommended Kurt have a full course of radiation, along with chemotherapy. The chemotherapy primarily involved a drug named Xeloda, which Kurt took in pill form.

“Kurt did great with those treatments and the tumor shrunk down to the point where it was almost gone,” says Dr. Reyes.

“

ROBERT WERNER, M.D. Dr. Werner is board certified in radiation oncology and is the medical director of the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center. Dr. Werner received an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

He completed a residency at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

To contact Dr. Werner, please call 412.502.3920.

The purpose of radiation therapy — which was performed from June through August by Robert Werner, M.D., a radiation oncologist at UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center — is to reduce the size of a tumor, which, in turn, can help prevent the need for a permanent colostomy.

In mid-September, Dr. Nadler performed surgery to remove the tumor. This included preserving important nerves and creating a “J-pouch” out of the colon in order to improve post-operative function and continence with less urgency once the temporary ostomy was reversed. The colon pouch functions as a reservoir, similar to the rectum, he says.

“Kurt did very well following his operation.

Fortunately, there was no tumor spread to any lymph nodes,” Dr. Nadler says. “There was still cancer in the rectal wall, but it was much smaller due to the radiation effects. He had no post-op complications and was discharged home in a few days. The plan from that point was post-op intravenous chemotherapy and then reverse the ileostomy to restore normal bowel function.”

Dr. Nadler agrees that treating rectal cancer takes a team approach — a combination of the medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and surgeon.

“Here at St. Clair all of these team members come together and meet once a week to discuss cancer cases," he says. "Together, we can discuss these cases in a roundtable forum and determine the best treatment approach. With rectal cancer, it is important to determine who needs preoperative treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. State-of-the-art imaging studies available at St Clair, such as rectal ultrasound and PET/CT scanning, help us make that decision.”

Dr. Reyes concurs.

“St. Clair Hospital creates a personal, comprehensive plan where you have coordination of physicians at one site and where a plan can be made up of, and implemented among, the various specialties,” he says. “When you deal with radiation oncology, colorectal surgery, and medical oncology, it’s very complex and time sensitive.”

Continued on page 6

at st. claIr, all of the team members meet once a week to dIscuss cancer cases and determIne the best treatment approach.

”

LEIGH NADLER, M.D., COLORECTAL SURGEON

Kelly Reily, R.N. reviews a patient’s records with Dr. Reyes in the Hematology-Oncology Unit at St. Clair Hospital.

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patient profile Continued from page 5

According to Dr. Reyes, what you need is active involvement from the physicians and support staff.

“Not only is this a comprehensive and stateof-the-art cancer center, but it also gives you a personal touch,” he says. “At St. Clair, we have one singular vision: to get the patient better.”

When you have an environment where you are not only getting great care from the doctors, but you also feel that you are not just a number, but an actual person, Dr. Reyes says, it really makes your treatment more tolerable, and it gets you through it a lot easier.

Kurt, in fact, said he used that support to bolster his own determination to view his treatment as an adventure, of sorts, something to be conquered, like climbing a mountain or completing a triathalon.

Only seven days after his surgery, and two days after his hospital discharge, Kurt was back on the field watching his football team practice.

Jeff, the head coach, and the players were surprised, and thrilled, to see him.

“I know Kurt, and I know he’s tough, and he loves being around the kids, but that surgery was pretty extreme for him to come back,” says Jeff. “He originally said he was coming up to say

Coach Wentzel helps an athlete refine his release in the shot put event.

hello to the kids, but he ended up staying the entire practice. The next day he did the same thing, and it turns out that he really didn’t miss much time at all.”

Jeff says the players couldn’t believe it when he came back that quickly.

“It was truly an amazing thing. It just doesn’t

VINCENT E. REYES, JR., M.D. Dr. Reyes is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Reyes completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and his fellowship in hematology and oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He practices with Hematology Oncology Associates.

To contact Dr. Reyes, please call 412.832.1320.

“

at st. claIr, we have one sIngular vIsIon: to get the patIent better.

”

VINCENT E. REYES, JR., M.D. 6 I HouseCall I Volume IV Issue 2

happen,” Jeff says. “What he did and overcame that quickly for the love of being around those kids and for the love of the game is incredible.”

While every cancer patient at St. Clair is unique, everybody gets the best care and the optimal treatment.

“What makes us able to do our job and gives me satisfaction is that not only do our patients get better, people feel like they are part of the family,” says Dr. Reyes. “My patients’ experiences are fantastic at St. Clair Hospital, and it comes down to the nurses, the case managers, everyone who is involved — they are the people who make the Hospital run. Kurt is wonderful and colorful, but his particular story is not unique because everyone with cancer receives the same type of personal care, warmth and empathy, and that is the essence of receiving comprehensive cancer care at St. Clair Hospital.”

Kurt, who underwent his last chemotherapy treatment on February 10, says he recalls a conversation he had with Dr. Reyes when the cancer was first discovered. “Dr. Reyes told me to remember that C is for Cancer, but it also is for Cured. And when I was finished with all of my treatments, I was going to be cured.

That really helped me.” n For more information on comprehensive cancer care at St. Clair Hospital, and to see a video of Kurt Wentzel’s story, please visit www.stclair.org.

Complete Cancer Care at St. Clair Hospital diagnosis

t

surgery

ChemotheraPy

radiation

he St. Clair Hospital Cancer Care Center offers a multidisciplinary approach that provides quality care and treatment for adult patients and their families in all

stages of the cancer continuum — from early detection, to initial diagnosis, through treatment, to palliative care. This approach is designed to assure optimal outcomes, patient satisfaction, and quality of life.

St. Clair Hospital’s Cancer Care Center is accredited as a

Comprehensive Community Cancer Center with Commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the highest rating that can be achieved.

With St. Clair’s highly skilled medical staff and partnership with UPMC Cancer Centers, patients are afforded many of the sophisticated services available at the highly regarded Hillman Cancer Center, without leaving the community. These services are available for patients with cancer of the breast, colon, esophagus, head & neck, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, reproductive system, skin, and other organs. (Please see accompanying story on local colon cancer patient Kurt Wentzel.)

Last July, St. Clair debuted our new Sipe Infusion Center for oncology patients receiving chemotherapy and other treatments. In January, the Hospital broke ground for an addition to the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center, a joint venture between St. Clair Hospital and UPMC Cancer Centers. When completed this summer, the addition will house a second linear accelerator, which will be used to provide cancer patients access to treatments such as image-guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, to help better deliver radiation therapy to cancerous tumors. Our board-certified surgeons provide expert care, using the latest surgical techniques and technology, including robotic-assisted surgery, to benefit patients.

St. Clair’s focus on survivorship is demonstrated through our supportive services for cancer patients. In 2011, more than 1,000 oncology patients received rehabilitative services in the form of ostomy care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. n

Kelly M. Smith, B.S.R.T. (R)(T), Operations Manager, Radiation Oncology, UPMC/ St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center, with a linear accelerator used to deliver radiation to cancerous tumors.

Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 7

preventive MediCine

Eileen Smersky, R.N. convinced her husband Steve to have the test that would save his life.

colon cancer screening:

a lifesaving Tool patients become strong advocates for colon cancer screening For as long as he lives, steve smersky, 53, will never forget what his gastroenterologist, robert J. pagano, M.d. told him following his colonoscopy. “in his exact words — and they’ll probably ring in my head forever — was that if we waited one more year, we’d be having a different conversation,” says steve, a salesman with smart office services in Bridgeville, a local independent office products dealer. “i would have had a different outcome if i had delayed the colonoscopy any longer.”

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hile polyps were discovered during Steve’s colonoscopy, Dr. Pagano was able to snip and remove them — one had cancer. It was patients like Steve who were the impetus for the St. Clair Hospital physician to create an online video at www.stclair.org to urge men and women to undergo colonoscopies to detect colon cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.

“I see a tremendous need for people to be educated and to learn about the risks of colon cancer,” says Dr. Pagano of Upper St. Clair. “It’s so prevalent in this country and it’s so sad to see some people come in

a few years after they should have had a screening. Sometimes, you think to yourself, if they had come in earlier, this would have been a benign little polyp that I could have taken out, and they wouldn’t have had colon cancer.”

With this video, Dr. Pagano says that he just wanted to make people aware that this is a very prevalent disease in our country and a colonoscopy could detect precancerous growths before they become colon cancer.

“When patients have a good experience with their colonoscopy, I want them to go out and recruit other people to have this done,” he says. “When you have a bad experience, you will tell a thousand people.

When you have a good experience, you’re

not going to tell anybody. I wanted to change that.”

The video, entitled “In Their Own Words,” contains patient testimonials, including Steve’s.

“I agreed to do the video because, first, Dr. Pagano asked me if I’d be willing to do it,” says Steve. “Secondly, he basically saved my life. If I can give him an hour of my time, I certainly would. I’m a prime example of why you should get a colonoscopy. If caught early, the beginnings of colon cancer can be removed during the colonoscopy procedure, which Dr. Pagano did for me. Hopefully, through this video, I can help convince someone else to get a colonoscopy.”

Continued on page 10

“

If caught early, the begInnIngs of colon cancer can be removed durIng the colonoscopy, whIch dr. pagano dId for me.

”

COLONOSCOPY PATIENT STEVE SMERSKY

Dr. Pagano follows up with a healthy Steve Smersky after the procedure.

guideLines For CoLonosCoPy sCreening

>

a colonoscopy takes just about an hour, but it can save your life. refer to our chart to know when you should be screened.

initial SCreening: – age 50 with no family history – age 45 if african-american – age 40 or sooner if family history follow up: – every 10 years if initial screening is clear

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preventive MediCine Continued from page 9

“

It can save lIves … you can’t go back and wIsh you had gotten It done. so get It done now.

”

DOLORES GROESCH

Steve’s wife, Eileen, is an endoscopy nurse at St. Clair Hospital who works with Dr. Pagano and understands why many people are hesitant to undergo the procedure.

“Some are afraid that it’s going to hurt and many people just don’t want to go through the preparation,” she says.

The night-before preparation for having a colonoscopy is very important, stresses Dr. Pagano. Typically, patients will have to consume an electrolytebalanced solution to cleanse their bowels.

According to Dr. Pagano, several studies have shown that a "split prep" — taking half of the prep 4 to 5 hours before the procedure — significantly improves the quality of the exam.

“What is most important to understand is that without a good prep, polyps can easily be missed, including the subtle flat polyps which have a high risk for rapid conversion to cancer; the colonoscopy will take longer; and you will need to return sooner for a repeat exam to make sure nothing was missed,” he says.

Besides the prep, Eileen notes that some patients are also afraid of their diagnosis, but the biggest reason people avoid it, from what she has experienced, “is that it’s an embarrassing procedure in their eyes. They’ll avoid it because of that.”

Eileen says that when she works with patients, she explains the entire procedure and reassures them that they’ll be asleep and that the doctor and his or her staff are only looking at their colons.

“We also always tell patients that it’s better to get this done when you’re not having any problems,” she says. “Colonoscopies are for prevention. We encourage people to get it done as a screen.”

a simPLe sCreening Can save your LiFe Steve had some of those hesitations that Eileen mentioned, but she was finally able to convince him.

“He didn’t want to go at all and felt apprehensive,” she recalls. “I told him there was nothing wrong with him and that he was healthy. We went there not expecting anything to be wrong, so I was completely shocked when they found some growth. It was supposed to be a routine screening. So Steve’s the hallmark of why you do a colonoscopy. Had he waited another year, it would have gone into the wall of his colon.”

ROBERT J. PAGANO, M.D. Dr. Pagano earned his medical degree at Rutgers Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J. He completed his post graduate studies, including a fellowship in gastroenterology, at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh.

Dr. Pagano is board certified in internal medicine. He practices with G.I. Specialists, Inc. To contact Dr. Pagano, please call 412.572.6951.

Colorectal Cancer: 10 I HouseCall I Volume IV Issue 2

Michael Weiss, right, is now a patient advocate for screening after surviving colon cancer.

early detection aids cure During his colonoscopy, a tumor the size of a lemon was discovered in the colon of attorney Michael Weiss, 63. The Mt. Lebanon resident waited until he was 57 to have his first colonoscopy.

“My family was after me for some time to get the procedure done and then I was starting to experience some symptoms of colon cancer,” says Michael. “Sure enough, Dr. Pagano found the tumor, and I needed surgery within two weeks of that colonoscopy and then chemotherapy for the next eight months.”

Although Michael is now a patient advocate, he also had some apprehensions about going through a colonoscopy, which is one of the reasons why he waited.

“I would tell others who felt the same way that I did that it’s not nearly as difficult as you might anticipate,” he says. “On top of that, you don’t want to go through what I went through because I waited. It was a difficult period in my life.”

Dolores Groesch also waited to get her colonoscopy. In fact, the Brentwood resident was 71 years old. Like Steve, Dr. Pagano did find cancer in a polyp that fortunately could be completely removed during the colonoscopy.

“Every year, my doctor would give me a prescription to get a colonoscopy and finally I decided to go,” says Dolores. “Luckily, I didn’t wait any longer. It’s important to get this done because it could save your life. If polyps are cancerous they can take care of it immediately.”

a Foundation For heaLth A well-balanced diet of healthful foods, combined with regular physical activity, is the foundation for sustaining good health. By eating whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and limiting consumption of meat and processed foods, you may reduce your risk of many types of cancer.

Continued on page 12

Preventable. Treatable. Beatable.

Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 11

preventive MediCine Continued from page 11

Michael and Dolores also appear in the video to urge others to undergo a colonoscopy.

“It’s an important message to get out there,” says Michael, who also has Type 1 diabetes and is an advocate for the American Diabetes Association. “Get screened early and don’t wait.”

Dolores adds, “It can save lives. My son just turned 50 and I’m on his case to get it done. I have friends who I am also trying to convince. You can’t go back and wish you had gotten it done. So get it done now.”

All of the patients in the video also have high praise for Dr. Pagano. Eileen, the endoscopy nurse at St. Clair, had the unique perspective of working with him and also being the wife of one of his patients.

“He’s an excellent doctor,” she says. “He is very conscientious and stays up to date on all of the different techniques and screenings.

He knew everything about how he was going to take care of Steve. He also keeps you abreast of the latest recommendations.”

Michael can certainly attest to that.

“Dr. Pagano was sensitive and patientcentered,” he says. “He remains focused on the patient, which to me is the distinguishing factor between a good doctor and a great doctor.”

when to get screened A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says that men carry a higher risk of colon cancer than women and should get their first colonoscopy to screen for the disease at age 45, five years earlier than the current recommendation.

“The recent JAMA article and several prior studies show that the risk of colon cancer occurs earlier in males,” says Dr. Pagano.

“But current screening guidelines do not differentiate by gender. We may see the recommendations for colonoscopy adjusted in this direction in the future. Remember, similar observations led to the recommendation that African-Americans start screening with colonoscopy at age 45, not 50.”

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Average Americans who don’t have any symptoms or risk factors should start getting screened by the age of 50, notes Dr. Pagano. The lifetime risk of getting colon cancer for average Americans is about 1 in 20, or 5 percent. Once you start adding risk factors such as family history, colitis, that risk goes up.

“Risk for colon cancer is generated from your genes and what you inherit from your ancestors,” he says. “If it’s in the family, especially a first-degree relative who may have had colon cancer at a young age, then you should have a screening at an age 10 years earlier than the age that relative was diagnosed.”

There are many environmental risk factors associated with colon cancer.

Smoking can increase the risk of getting colon cancer by up to 20 percent. Obesity, lack of exercise, consumption of red meat and alcohol may all increase risk while

consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, multivitamins, calcium, aspirin, and similar medications can decrease risk.

“Living a healthy lifestyle improves many of your health risks,” adds Dr. Pagano. “Colon cancer screening supplements healthy lifestyles to keep you in good health.”

While Dr. Pagano understands that some people might be nervous or afraid about a colonoscopy, he says that patients need to be much more concerned about keeping cancer from growing in their colon than any hesitations they might have for coming in for this procedure.

“This is the best preventative test for cancer that there is and it has been proven in the medical literature that it can lower the rate of death from colon cancer and the incidence of colon cancer,” he says.

“It works.” n

watCh the short insightFuL video Presentation

CoLon CanCer Prevention: in their own words at www. stCLair .org

aSK the doCtor

Ask the Doctor DAVID p. DEMARINO, M.D.

Q A

tonsillectomies used to be so common. But nowadays, you hardly hear any mention. are most people still having their tonsils removed for one reason or another?

A tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils, glands in the upper portion of the throat that help ďŹ ght infection, but, ironically, often become infected themselves. Tonsillectomies were very common in the United States from the 1950s through the 1970s, with more than 1 million being performed each year, primarily on children ages 1-15. Today, there are fewer tonsillectomies due to skepticism in the medical community over its usefulness in infection control and more stringent guidelines.

A tonsillectomy is typically an outpatient procedure in which the tonsils are cut away with a scapel, a laser, or a heated instrument. It is performed for various reasons, including chronic, recurrent tonsillitis, large tonsils, and tonsillar cancer. Tonsillitis can be either bacterial or viral in nature, and the reasons for tonsillectomy vary from patient to patient depending on his or her personal medical history.

The number of infections can vary, and the frequency and severity of the infections are considered very carefully before resorting to surgery.

Other reasons for a tonsillectomy are antibiotic drug allergies or the inability to tolerate various medications used to treat tonsillar infections, halitosis (chronic bad breath), and peritonsillar abscess, which is a severe form of tonsillar infection.

In some cases, oversized tonsils can result in heavy snoring and sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition in which a person literally stops breathing numerous times during the night. Surgical removal of the tonsils has been shown to beneďŹ t patients with these issues.

Lastly, tonsillar cancer is typically treated with tonsillectomy.

Tonsillectomies are avoided if possible, especially in those cases in which other medical issues are involved, such as heart or lung disease, those who are sensitive to anesthesia, and the elderly. n

DAVID P. DEMARINO, M.D. Dr. DeMarino is board certified in otolaryngology. He earned his medical degree at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.

He completed his residency and internship at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y., as well as a fellowship in head and neck oncology at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He practices with South Hills ENT Association.

To contact Dr. DeMarino, please call 412.831.7570.

Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 13

Continued growth

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE CoMprehenSive MediCal ServiCeS available under one roof

W

ith people more pressed for time these days than ever before, everyone is seeking convenience of services, including for their health care.

St. Clair Hospital is responding to this new desire with the creation of a one-stop outpatient center that will allow patients to see a number of physicians and access health care services, in one day, and all under the same roof.

In fact, the first phase of construction projects to expand the St. Clair Hospital Outpatient Center at Village Square is nearing completion with the recent opening of five new suites on the Second Floor.

The new suites mark the beginning of a three-phase plan that will provide more comprehensive outpatient services and will result in the Outpatient Center tripling its size by occupying the first three floors at 2000 Oxford Drive in Bethel Park.

“Today’s health care consumers want to be able to get most,

14 I HouseCall I Volume IV Issue 2

if not all, of the services they need as efficiently as possible,” says Joe Thaner, Director of Outpatient Centers at St. Clair Hospital. “And St. Clair is answering that call by putting key services, including diabetes, occupational medicine, orthopedics, physical therapy, cardiac, and breast care in one convenient location. Patients will even be able to enjoy a specialty coffee at our new café between appointments.”

The overall project is well underway. In January, the Hospital’s Diabetes Center, along with Associates in Endocrinology, P.C., moved from the First Floor to a newly renovated Second Floor suite. This change in location allowed for an increase in exam rooms and a more modern waiting area that includes a flat panel television dedicated to diabetes education programs.

St. Clair’s Occupational Medicine program also moved to the Second Floor, netting more space and a better design.

Occupational Medicine includes the treatment and management

RECENTLY RENOVATED EXAM AND WAITING AREAS ENHANCE THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE.

of work-related injuries, pre-employment and executive physicals, work-related drug screenings, physical therapy, and travel health services.

South Hills ENT Association and John L. Bobby, D.O. of Preferred Primary Care Physicians also moved to new suites on the Second Floor.

South Hills Orthopaedic Associates will be moving to the Second Floor by the end of May and will bring closure to the first phase of construction projects.

The second phase involves First Floor re-construction, which began in March with the creation of a new and much larger space for Rehabilitation Services. Physical Therapy will move to its new suite at the end of April.

Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy will follow shortly thereafter. The remainder of the First Floor project includes more space

for Laboratory services, new locations for EKG and Ultrasound services, a registration/ waiting room area with better patient flow, and new dressing and waiting room accommodations in the imaging area.

Completion of the First Floor renovations is scheduled for November.

The final construction phase will occur on the Third Floor with the creation of a comprehensive Breast Center that will include both women’s imaging and the office of breast surgeon Raye J. Budway, M.D. A Cardiac Diagnostic Center will be built at the other end of the Third Floor and will include Nuclear Cardiology and Echocardiography, as well as other modalities. The breast and cardiac centers are slated to open this fall. The remaining Third Floor space will house other specialty practices. n

“

st. claIr Is puttIng key servIces, IncludIng dIabetes, occupatIonal medIcIne, orthopedIcs, physIcal therapy, cardIac, and breast care, In one convenIent locatIon. patIents wIll be able to enjoy a specIalty coffee at our new café between appoIntments.

”

JOE THANER, DIRECTOR OF OUTPATIENT CENTERS, ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL

Volume IV Issue 2 I HouseCall I 15

St.Clair Hospital 1000 Bower Hill Road Pittsburgh, PA 15243 www.stclair.org

General & Patient Information 412.942.4000

HouseCall Save the date for t h e 15t h annual

Physician Referral Service 412.942.6560

Outpatient Center – Village Square 412.942.7100

is a publication of St. Clair Hospital. Articles are for informational purposes and are not intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult your personal physician.

Medical Imaging Scheduling 412.942.8150 Follow us on twitter at: www.twitter.com/stclairhospital

Summer Swing to benefit St. Clair hoSpital

Friday, July 13 – Benefit dinner – st. Clair Country Club Food station dining l Cocktails l silent auction l entertainment For more information regarding reservations, sponsorships, or underwriting opportunities, please contact St. Clair Hospital Foundation at 412.942.2465 or schfoundation@stclair.org, or visit us online at www.stclair.org/82/foundation. Thank you!

ConstruCtion underway at Peters townshiP outPatient Center St. Clair Hospital conducted a groundbreaking on March 29 for its new Outpatient Center in Peters Township. When completed in Spring 2013, the 40,000-square-foot, two-story building along Route 19 will be St. Clair’s second all-inclusive outpatient center with a comprehensive line of diagnostic services, physicians’ offices, free parking, and an onsite café.

Pictured tossing the first shovels of dirt for the St. Clair Hospital Peters Township Outpatient Center are, left to right, Jim Collins, President and CEO, St. Clair Hospital; Jack Piatt, Chairman of the Board, Millcraft Industries; Barry Zaiser, Sr. VP Operations & Strategic Development, St. Clair Hospital; Mel Rex, Chairman, Board of Directors, St. Clair Hospital; Tom Medwig, Chairman, Board of Directors, St. Clair Health Corporation and its subsidiaries; Barry Deems, Facilities Consultant, St. Clair Hospital; John Schrott, President, IKM, Inc.; and Ray Volpatt Jr., President, Volpatt Construction.