connect-spring-2010

connect LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Hands-on tips for healthy gardening

Hearts of Gold Ball: A community favorite

Getting to the heart of echocardiography Spring 2010

Hands-on tips for

healthy

gardening Dana White, a certified hand therapist at LMH’s Kreider Rehabilitation Services, offers these tips for healthy gardening this year.

• Limit repetitive activities and sustained positioning to fewer than 30 minutes.

• Work during the time of day when you feel the best.

• Spread gardening and yard activities over several days versus one day.

• Weed your garden when the soil is moist.

• Wear gloves to protect hands and to prevent skin breakdown.

• Listen to your body. Respect your pain.

• If possible, work below shoulder level.

• Limit the amount of time doing activities overhead to five minutes or less.

• Never lock your elbows in a straight position, even when carrying buckets.

• When pulling weeds or bulbs avoid grabbing and turning your palm upwards repetitively.

• Try to work with your thumbs pointing up.

Kreider Rehabilitation Services offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient physical, occupational and speech-language therapy. The center is home to therapists with collective clinical experience of more than 300 years — and an average length of service spanning more than a decade. The staff members of Kreider Rehabilitation Services are highly trained in a variety of clinical areas and have achieved advanced training in a variety of clinical specialties.

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• Look for light-weight and/or large grip tools.

• Look for handles that are not straight, but contour to the shape of your hand, preferably those that are cylindrical in shape.

• Use longer tools to minimize bending.

• Avoid being the painful weekend warrior. Ask for help or spread work out over a longer period of time.

• Try to avoid excessive wrist motions in upward, downward and sideways positions.

• Limit the amount of force used when holding gardening tools.

• Try raised beds that can be accessed at waist level or from a chair.

• Use trellises and containers.

• Use the correct tools — for example, a small spade may work better than a trowel for a certain tasks.

• Avoid being in a position where your spine is in a forward flexed position continuously for more than 20 minutes.

• Practice good posture in all positions.

• Avoid activities that require overextended reaching.

Kreider’s staff members are certified: • In dizziness and balance rehabilitation • By the Arthritis Foundation as an Aquatic Program Leader • With achievement in pelvic pain rehabilitation • In Kinesio® taping • To administer the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) • In manual lymph drainage techniques • In spinal manual therapy • In perinatal fitness by the International Childbirth Education Association

Kreider’s services are offered in two convenient locations.

LMH Main Campus 325 Maine St. Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 505-2712 LMH South 3500 Clinton Place Lawrence, KS 66047 (785) 505-3780

How does your garden grow? Visit www.lmh.org for a planting guide for our area.

© iStockphoto.com/mosquito

Lawrence General Surgery Changes benefit local cardiac patients

Lawrence General Surgery joined Lawrence Memorial Hospital as an affiliated physician practice January 1, 2010. Though the practice itself is new, serving the community is an established tradition.The physicians in the group have more than 60 years of combined experience.

Continuity of care Lawrence General Surgery provides continuity of care by keeping both referring physicians and patients informed. They work closely with patients to review treatment options and provide referring physicians with the information they need to monitor the recovery process. The surgeons perform a variety of surgical procedures in new, state-of-the-art surgical facilities. In order to minimize recovery times and return patients to their highest level of functioning, they focus on minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical interventions. In addition, they specialize in the treatment of: • Breast disease • Hernias • Abdominal issues Meet the physicians Cheryl A. Rice, MD | Dr. Rice is a board-certified general surgeon. She completed an internship and a residency in general surgery at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. She earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. Dr. Rice performs a wide variety of surgical procedures with a focus on minimally invasive surgery.

www.lmh.org

William L. Freund Jr., MD, MBA | Dr. Freund is a board-certified general surgeon. He completed a surgical residency and a master’s degree in business administration in North Carolina. He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas. Dr. Freund performs a wide variety of surgical procedures with a focus on minimally invasive surgery.

Steve W. Myrick, MD, FACS | Dr. Myrick is a board-certified general surgeon. In 1982 he joined a group of surgeons who had been serving the Lawrence community since 1951.

Dr. Myrick grew up in western Kansas, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Myrick performs a wide variety of surgical procedures with a focus on minimally invasive surgery.

Mark A. Praeger, MD, FACS | Dr. Praeger is a board-certified general surgeon. He came to Lawrence in 1977 after serving 10 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Praeger performs a wide variety of surgical procedures.

Lawrence General Surgery is located in the medical building on the LMH campus at 330 Arkansas, Suite 202, Lawrence, Kan., 66044. The phone number is 785-505-2200.

Meet John S. Goza, MD

[ need photo ]

Dr. Goza, a board-certified general surgeon, is joining Lawrence General Surgery.

A native of Atlanta, Dr. Goza has spent the last 12 years in practice in the south Atlanta area.

He earned his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed a general surgery residency at Baptist Medical Centers in Birmingham, Ala. He served as president of the medical staff and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayette, Ga. He was voted by physicians as “Best Surgeon South Atlanta” for the past four years.

Dr. Goza has a special interest in advanced laparoscopic surgery, especially in performing single incision gall bladder removal. He has served as an associate professor for general and laparoscopic surgical resident training at Atlanta Medical Center and as a physician instructor and preceptor.

Lawrence attracted Dr. Goza because he believes it is a great town with a great university and lots of diversity. He and his wife, MarySue, and their eight children — ranging in age from 7 months to 16 years old — also are looking forward to spending time with family in the Kansas City area. Dr. Goza enjoys family time, camping, rafting, bicycling and reading.

To make an appointment with Dr. Goza, call 785-505-2200.

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Hearts of Gold Ball

a favorite

In a town the size of Lawrence, population 90,000, it seems rare that a black-tie fundraiser would become a tradition that keeps people coming back for more and has community volunteers lining up to help plan it. But that is exactly what happens every other year, when the LMHEA sponsors the Hearts of Gold Ball.

Since 1999, the biennial event has retained its status as one of the community’s premier social events and serves as an integral part of the hospital’s fundraising efforts. Each time, it has raised upwards of $100,000 for a specially earmarked project at the hospital, including expanded services in radiology, cardiology, oncology and emergency care, as well as helping with the creation of the special care nursery.

Lawrence resident and former LMHEA Board Member Jan McCullough, who helped pioneer the concept, remembers vividly how the idea came to fruition. After sponsoring a somewhat successful, smaller event that included an Italian buffet and silent auction, she and others on the Endowment Board decided to expand the project.

“We knew that outside the university, Lawrence didn’t have a black-tie event, so we decided to go with something formal,” she says. “We wanted to raise a lot of money, too, so combining a ball with an auction made sense.”

Jan says it was decided from the onset that the ball would be a biennial fundraiser, a concept she believes is key to the event’s success.

“Because our community is not large and local business professionals are continually asked to provide corporate sponsorships for a variety of good causes, it was important to

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ask for their contributions with that in mind,” she says. “We didn’t want to make them feel tapped out with regard to the donations they made, and I think it has resulted in more willingness on their part when the event rolls around once every two years.”

She believes the community continues to rally around the idea — not only because the event is so much fun, but also because there is a strong desire to support such a good cause.

Although her six years of service on the Endowment Board are behind her, she remains actively involved on steering committees and chaired the events in 2003, 2006 and 2008, along with her husband Kent, and Wayne and Donna Osness. She says the ball has gained such popularity that about 100 eager volunteers join the planning committees.

Nancy Longhurst, former member and president of the Board, is another of the Hearts of Gold founders who continues to offer her loyal support. She credits the strong volunteer corps for keeping the tradition intact. In addition to the slew of people working on 12 different planning committees, she says many more volunteers are on board to help the night of the event.

She also praises the outpouring of support from local merchants.

All auction items are donated, as is the food.

She says another measure of the event’s success lies in the robust ticket sales the ball has enjoyed since its inception. About 600 people attended the first Hearts of Gold gala in 1999.

Organizers anticipate this year’s event will draw 750.

“There are some physicians and some hospital staff who attend,” she says. “But primary support comes from the people in the community, who recognize that our local hospital is for everybody, which makes it an extremely good cause.”

www.lmh.org

community tradition Lawrence cardiologist Michael Zabel, MD, can attest to just how great the cause is. Proceeds from the 2003 Hearts of Gold Ball made possible the creation of The Bob Billings Cardiac Evaluation Center, an acute-care diagnostic facility staffed by his practice, Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence.

“The Center allows us to rapidly triage patients and make a plan for their further treatment,” Dr. Zabel says.

He adds that he was thrilled to learn this year’s earmarked project is again targeted at enhanced cardiac services. Proceeds from the ball, aptly named “Hearts of Gold – The Beat Goes On,” will help purchase advanced cardiac monitoring equipment. High on Dr. Zabel’s wish list is a specialized diagnostic camera that offers a quicker, more complete study of blood flow to the heart. He says that although the hospital may have eventually seen these much-needed enhancements without funds from the LMHEA, the earmarked funds will be a pivotal contribution in offering improved care in a much timelier manner.

“Lawrence has a wonderful, highly trained group of cardiologists, but we are only as good as the tools we have,” he says. “It is fantastic that the community values what we do enough to put their own money toward state-of-the-art care.”

Connie Sollars, who is chairing this year’s event with Ann McQueeney and Ardith Pierce, echoes Dr. Zabels sentiment.

“The generosity of our community never fails to astound me,” Connie says. “We braced ourselves for the difficulty of holding the ball and raising money in a challenging business climate, but to date, we have received unparalleled support.”

She says organizers try to make the event bigger and better each time. Planning for this year’s ball began last June. By the event’s end, several hundred people will have had an impact on its success.

“It is a real privilege to be part of an event that could potentially impact the life of anyone living in our community,” she says.

For tickets to the 2010 ball — which will be held Saturday, May 1 — or for more information, contact Melissa Hess, LMHEA development specialist, at 785-505-3317.

Saturday, May 1 6 p.m.–midnight O’Malley’s Beverage Warehouse 2050 Packer Court • Buffet dinner • Live entertainment by Atlantic Express • Dancing • Auction Proceeds will help purchase advanced cardiac monitoring equipment Individual tickets: $125 Tables for 10 (priority seating): $1,500 For information: Melissa Hess, 785-505-3317

Pictured above, from left: Jan McCullough, Mike McGrew and Deanell Reece Tacha, Nancy and David Longhurst, Donna and Wayne Osness, Connie and Gary Sollars Photos by John Gladman Photography

Visit www.lmh.org/hearthealth for info about the cardiology program at LMH.

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DocTalk Charles L. Brooks, MD, FACP Dr. Brooks, a board-certified

[ need photo ] gastroenterologist, is now practicing at Lawrence GI

Chief of staff position one of challenge and privilege Dr. Scott Solcher’s duties at the Kansas Dialysis Center, located at LMH, and at his thriving nephrology practice keep him plenty busy — not surprising, given his 12 successful years in the field. So why would the newest physician to assume the title chief of staff take on this extra administrative task?

Consultants, 346 Maine.

“I was pleased to do it,” he says. “I have always been involved in whatever the current issues are at the hospital, so I consider it a privilege to serve.”

He specializes in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of

Dr. Solcher’s two-year term as chief began in January — and, as was the case with his predecessors, he hit the ground running.

conditions associated with the digestive system, including performing colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures.

Dr. Brooks completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He graduated with distinction, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kansas, and completed his medical degree, internship and residencies at the University of Kansas Medical School, where he also completed a fellowship in general internal medicine. He has practiced in the Kansas City area for the past 25 years.

Dr. Brooks is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

He is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

To make an appointment with Dr. Brooks, call 785-505-2250.

Dr. Solcher

“The landscape of medicine is constantly changing, in terms of technology and procedures,” Dr. Solcher says. “There are always issues to address so that we can stay ahead of the game.”

The chief of staff position entails more than just presiding over regularly scheduled meetings of the hospital’s 228 physicians. The primary duty is to represent the viewpoint of the medical staff to hospital administrators, a task that requires leadership skills and diplomacy. Dr. Solcher is prepared for the job to consume a significant amount of time, including about 20 hours per month in meetings.

He cites the hospital’s plan to convert to exclusively paperless record-keeping as just one example of issues currently facing the medical staff. The conversion will take place this spring and calls for extensive physician training. Another topic of discussion is providing a smooth transfer of care between primary care physicians and the seven hospitalists on staff at LMH. Christopher Penn, MD, internal medicine and infectious disease specialist, served as chief of staff in 2006 and 2007. He says that although the job demanded a fair amount of time outside his regular business hours, he was happy to serve.

“The former chiefs of staff nominate someone for the position, with leadership being one of the desirable characteristics,” he says. “I was happy they trusted me enough to do it.”

Dr. Penn

Movement into the position is a progressive process, whereby candidates are groomed to lead; serving as secretary for two years and vice-chief for two years, before taking over as chief. Although a formal election is held, Dr. Penn says nominees typically run unopposed and election to the position is usually by a consensus type of vote.

Lee Reussner, MD, who served as chief immediately prior to Dr. Penn, recalls presiding over several key issues. One was the decision to move ahead with providing interventional cardiology at LMH and making the important decision as to which cardiologists would provide that care. Another issue was a debate about training and credentialing of doctors performing C-sections. He says that with strong feelings on both sides, these issues were amicably resolved, a testament to the great group of physicians at LMH and their ability to effectively work together.

“My job as chief wasn’t so much to solve a problem, as it was to try to promote the appropriate dialogue,” he says.

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Dr. Reussner

Doctor’s Day is March 30! Want to honor your doctor? Call the LMH Endowment Association at 785-505-3317.

Getting to the heart of

echo echocardiography

Echocardiography (echo) is a painless test that uses sound waves (ultrasound) to create pictures of the heart. Echo is a potentially life-saving test that allows physicians to view the structure of the heart, see how the heart is beating and inspect the valves.

It is widely used for hospital inpatients and outpatients. Because echo doesn’t put the patient in danger and offers quick results — the test usually only takes less than an hour — it is used in the emergency department to quickly diagnose heart issues.

On an outpatient basis, physicians generally recommend echo for patients who exhibit signs and symptoms of heart problems. In general, patients experiencing shortness of breath or swelling of the legs are good candidates for the test.

Physicians generally use echo to view: • Heart size. An enlarged heart can be a result of high blood pressure, leaky heart valves, or heart failure.

• Heart muscles. Weakened areas of heart muscle can be due to damage of the heart. Weakness can also mean the area isn’t getting enough blood supply, which may be due to coronary artery disease.

• Heart valves. This test allows physicians to see if heart valves are opening normally and are forming a complete seal when closed.

• Heart structure. Echo can see issues such as a hole in the wall of the heart that separates the two heart chambers.

• Blood clots or tumors. If a patient has experienced a stroke, echo can be used to check for blood clots or tumors that may have caused the issue.

“This test is unique,” says cardiologist Michael A. Hajdu, MD. “It involves

www.lmh.org

echo·car·di·og·ra·phy n. the use of ultrasound to examine and measure the structure and functioning of the heart and to diagnose abnormalities and disease no risk, is relatively inexpensive, and the patient experiences no bleeding or pain. As a matter of fact, it is the same technology used to view a fetus during pregnancy,” he adds.

The following are the three different types of echo offered at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) This is the most common type of echo. It is painless and noninvasive.

During this test, a device called a transducer is placed on the chest. The device sends ultrasound waves through the chest wall to the heart. As the ultrasound waves bounce off the structures of the heart, a computer in the echo machine converts them to pictures on the screen.

Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) This test allows physicians to obtain a clearer picture of the aorta and other parts of the heart. During this test the transducer is attached to the end of a flexible tube. The tube is guided down the throat and into the esophagus, which

Caption

allows the physician to get more detailed images.

Dr. Hajdu notes that there is no other test to replace a TEE. This test offers the clearest view of many heart structures and is an invaluable tool for physicians.

Stress Echocardiography During a stress echo, you exercise or take medicine to make your heart work hard and beat fast. A technician will take pictures of your heart using ultrasound before you exercise and as soon as you finish. Some heart problems are easier to diagnose when the heart is working hard and beating rapidly.

For more information, visit the news and events section at lmh.org.

We’ve Moved!

Convenience is our top priority. The Echocardiography department is now located next to Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence in the new 4th Street Health Plaza, adjacent to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. This location offers a convenient location for both patients and physicians.

8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday | 1130 W. 4th Street, Suite 2030

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325 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044

LMH joins effort to track benefits to the community Not-for-profit health care organizations like Lawrence Memorial Hospital have a rich tradition of providing health and wellness benefits other than patient care to our community. As of January 1, 2009, LMH joined many Kansas Hospital Association member hospitals in voluntarily tracking, reporting and analyzing activities that provide community health benefits.

Community benefits are defined as programs or activities that provide treatment or promote health and healing as a response to identified community needs.They must meet at least one community benefit objective: improve access to health care services; enhance health of the community; advance medical or health care knowledge; and/or relieve or reduce the burden of government or other community efforts. LMH reports that in 2009 community benefits totaled more than $7 million and impacted the lives of more than 50,000 people throughout the community.

Examples include LMH’s support of Health Care Access, serving as a clinical training site for students, the shortfall between the cost of providing services for Medicaid patients and the reimbursement received, and community education programs. Read on about one in particular.

Support group helps new moms cope After the birth of her son, Nicki* was nearly crippled by anxiety. She was afraid to give her baby a bath in case he might accidentally drown.

She didn’t want to carry him up stairs for fear of dropping him. On walks, she wouldn’t cross the street because she worried that the baby would be hit by a car.

“All I wanted to do was sit and cry,” she remembers.

“I didn’t understand what was happening to me.”

At LMH’s Build Your Village Perinatal Adjustment Support Group, Nicki discovered she was suffering from a postpartum mood disorder. And in this safe, supportive group, she took her first steps toward healing.

“These were moms who were going through the same thing,” she explains. “Sometimes we pass the Kleenex box around and have a good cry, but we feel better when we go home.”

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That’s exactly what Melissa Hoffman had in mind when she launched the Build Your Village support group in 2008. Hoffman, community education spe-

cialist for prenatal and parenting programs at LMH, was inspired by a group she found when she was experienced her own anxiety as a first-time mom.

Each 10-week session of Build Your Village is based on a research-driven curriculum. Moms may join the group, which meets on Monday evenings, at any time. On family and friends’ night, loved ones come to learn more about perinatal mood disorders. In 2008, the program saw 61 visits from moms. One year later, that number climbed to 87.

“This is not meant to be a long-term support system but a bridge to get them through the toughest times, while they take healthy steps outside the group,” Hoffman explains. She recommends each participant also seek a medical and psychological evaluation and treatment plan.

For Nicki, Build Your Village has made a huge difference in her daily life. “The group gave me very simple solutions,” she explains. “My anxiety is not entirely gone, but now it’s something I can live with and get past.” *Last name withheld to protect privacy.

connect is published by Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The information in this newsletter is intended to educate readers about subjects pertinent to their health and is not a substitute for consultation with a personal physician. To have your name added to or removed from this mailing list, please call 785-505-3315.

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Gene Meyer | President and CEO, Lawrence Memorial Hospital Editorial Board | Kathy Clausing Willis, Sherri Vaughn, MD, Janice Early-Weas, Heather Ackerly

Lawrence Memorial Hospital • 325 Maine Street • Lawrence, KS 66044 • 785-505-5000 • www.lmh.org