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Meet the Mako Experts
Rehabilitation Services at Penn Highlands
19 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS CLOSE TO HOME
The Rehabilitation Center has doctorate-trained Physical Therapists and consistently scores well above the national averages in Outcome Surveys for returning our patients to proper function, reducing their pain, and providing excellent customer service.
When recovering from joint replacement surgery, The Rehabilitation Services at Penn Highlands Healthcare will help you improve mobility and get you back to the quality of life you’re used to.
“Seeing our patients return to the life they love is what gives our therapists purpose every day,” says Mark Hoffman, Penn Highlands service line director of rehabilitation services and occupational health. “It’s especially great to be part of their progress following their robotic arm-assisted joint replacement procedures. Our team has worked closely with our Penn Highlands Orthopedics surgeons to prepare patients to reach their goals in the most efficient timeframe, while honoring each patient’s own journey to healing. Having the Mako robots here is a win for our patients—and that makes it a win for us, too.” Visit www.phhealthcare. org/rehab to learn more about our rehabilitation services.
Beginning in 2022, the orthopedics program will be headquartered in the Penn Highlands DuBois Center of Excellence, for which construction got underway this summer as part of the Master Facilities Plan that the health system announced in 2018.
However, patients looking for stateof-the-art services and high-reliability joint replacements don’t have to wait. On Saturday, August 15, Stryker was onsite at PH Clearfield to present a certification training for five Penn Highlands Orthopedics surgeons: Dr. Mark Nartatez, Dr. Ashish Kumar Patel, Dr. Mitchell Rothenberg, Dr. Matt Varacallo, and Dr. Keith Zeliger. Several patients have already undergone hip and knee replacement procedures that have been assisted by Mako at Penn Highlands DuBois and Penn Highlands Clearfield. “So far, our patients have been thrilled to experience joint replacement with Mako,” Varacallo says. “Our goal is to see them getting back to what they love, as soon as possible.”
Penn Highlands has six Orthopedic and Sports Medicine clinics throughout the region. Find one near you by clicking here.
Mark A. Nartatez, DO Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Offices in Clearfield and Philipsburg
Ashish Kumar Patel, MD Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Offices in Brookville, Clearfield and DuBois
Mitchell Rothenberg, MD Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Office in DuBois
Matthew A. Varacallo, MD Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Office in DuBois
Keith L. Zeliger, DO Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Office in St. Marys
Family Matters: Genetic Testing for a Range of Cancer Risks
With October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month upon us, many Penn Highlands Healthcare patients are growing more aware not only of the importance of breast cancer screenings, but also of an important service that we at Penn Highlands offer to help patients learn whether their personal biology puts them at risk for breast cancer and other types of cancers.
Penn Highlands General Surgery physician assistant Melissa Hilliard first observed the need for genetic testing in our region while working in women’s health. Five years ago when she joined the practice of Dr. Kelley Smith, Penn Highlands general surgeon and women’s breast specialist, the high incidence of breast cancer patients who came oncology. Now she is actively through the practice reinforced that working toward a certification in need. “With our practice having Cancer Genetics and High Risk such a high predominance of breast Breast Assessment through the cancer,” Hilliard says, “so many of National Consortium of Breast those patients had a strong family Centers. history”—which “has such an important impact on what decision to make.” How does genetic testing work? Knowing this, Hilliard led the accreditation and approval process • To undergo testing, patients need for extensive genetic testing to a referral and then can build their become available at Penn Highlands pedigree online using a secure Healthcare. Previously, BRCA 1 and portal with a username and BRCA 2 were the most common password that Hilliard provides. genes to be tested for, but those • The test is usually done via a only reveal a limited finding for most simple saliva sample. In most patients. Since Hilliard introduced the cases, patients can expect to program in 2016, the panel tests for receive their results in three to a wide range of cancer genes such as four weeks (except when the those affecting the breasts (including family risk factors dictate a faster for males), the colon, pancreas, turnaround). uterus, ovaries, kidneys and thyroid, • When the results return, Hilliard as well as melanoma and leukemias. meets with the patient to Today, the Penn Highlands genetic test’s findings, whether that’s testing program has gained such an important interventional momentum that Hilliard, who procedure or increasing the studied at Bucknell and obtained her frequency with which the board certification from the patient undergoes certain National Commission of screenings. Certification of Physician Assistants, recently earned a certificate of achievement from Click here to learn more about Harvard University’s Genetic medical school in cancer Testing. genomics and precision develop a strategy based on the
