FALL 2017 | Volume 3, Issue 4
A Healthier You
St. Thomas More Hospital
When Tomi Vothสนs pregnancy with Addison didnสนt go as planned, St. Thomas Moreสนs Birth Center team was there to help.
Blissful
BEGINNINGS
Finding seamless care from pregnancy through delivery and pediatric care is easier than you think. Page 4 WRITE YOUR WAY TO WEIGHT LOSS Page 2
CREATE YOUR CUSTOMIZED MAMMOGRAPHY SCHEDULE Page 3
KNOW WHEN TO SEEK CARE FOR YOUR CHILD Page 7
PHOTO BY STEVE BIGLEY
inspiring health
A WORLD OF
WISDOM
LAURA WELLS, FNP-C, believes in combining the best of both worlds. A certified nurse practitioner who serves patients at the St. Thomas More Physician Group’s internal medicine clinic, Wells mixes the wisdom of traditional Eastern medicine with the science of Western medicine.
Wells has more than 10 years’ experience as a nurse practitioner, including urgent care, internal medicine, and family medicine. Before earning a master’s degree from Beth-El College of Nursing & Health at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, she worked as a critical care and transplant nurse at Penrose Hospital and University of Colorado Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. Wells holds an orange belt in Nihon Jujutsu and karate, and when she’s not caring for patients, teaches self-defense with her husband, journalist and author Garrison Wells.
To learn more about Laura Wells or our other physician group partners, visit stmhospital.org/physician-group. To make an appointment, call 719-285-2700.
Q
What’s the best way to keep prediabetes from becoming diabetes?
“Study after study shows that even small lifestyle changes — a healthy diet combined with sensible exercise, losing as little as 5 percent of body weight — can make a huge difference, and prevent progression from prediabetes to diabetes,” says St. Thomas More Physician Group internal medicine specialist Laura Wells, FNP-C. Now, researchers are also finding that moderate activity can be more effective than vigorous exercise. A 2016 study by Duke University researchers, for example, found that briskly walking 7.5 miles a week was more effective at helping the body process sugar than jogging 11.5 miles per week. The most effective program, however, was combining a low-fat, low-calorie diet and moderate activity, the researchers found.
2
INSPIRE ST. THOMAS MORE HOSPITAL | STMHOSPITAL.ORG
ON THE RIGHT TRACK Chronicling your diet and activity can jump-start your fitness program IF YOU’RE WATCHING YOUR WEIGHT, or trying to get active, St. Thomas More diabetes educator Shannon Minich, RN, CDE, has some advice: Whenever you eat or move, write it down — either on paper or electronically. “Tracking what you eat helps you eat less,” Minich says. “It keeps you accountable.” If you’re trying to shed pounds, she recommends recording not Shannon Minich, RN, CDE just what you eat, but how much, and when. “If you find you eat at a certain time, you can look at what triggers it.” Personal activity trackers help, too. Minich is a fan of Fitbit, and the feature that lets you “friend” another user. “I’m very competitive. If people can see how much exercise I do, it makes a huge difference.” She also recommends apps, like My Fitness Pal, that track calories and movement for you. While you’re writing things down, include your goals. “Recording calories has more meaning if you can compare your actual consumption to your daily goal,” Minich says.
Get a diet- and exercise-tracking notebook at St. Thomas More’s FREE diabetes education event Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. You’ll enjoy a diabetic-friendly breakfast, and tips for eating to control blood sugar. To register, call 719-285-2712 or visit stmhospital.org/calendar.
PHOTOS: STETHOSCOPE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/HAYATIKAYHAN; DOCTOR ©ADOBESTOCK — MICKEING; TABLET ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/HOWARDOATES PHOTOS (OPPOSITE PAGE): THINKING ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STURTI; RIBBON ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/VIAFILMS; BALL ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/VESNAANDJIC
“This allows me to give balanced information to my patients and Laura Wells, FNP-C empower them to make the right health care decisions for themselves and their families,” she says.
inspiring health
SCREENING OUT CONFUSION
Knowing your breast cancer risk helps guide screening decisions WITH PROMINENT MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS disagreeing about when women should begin getting mammograms and how often they should have them, it’s no wonder women are confused. Diane Bush, mammographer and director of diagnostic imaging at St. Thomas More Hospital, says there should be no doubt about when to have that first mammogram. “We recommend every woman have a baseline mammogram at age 40,” Bush says. “An important risk factor is breast density. And you don’t know if you have dense breasts until you get a baseline mammogram.” Density measures the ratio of glandular and fibrous tissue to fatty tissue. As breast density increases, so does cancer risk. Women diagnosed with dense breasts often require more frequent mammograms and also may need ultrasound screenings. Diane Bush
In April, Colorado lawmakers Every woman should talk with her doctor to develop a customized screening schedule joined 29 other states in based on individual risk factors, including: requiring that a woman be • Family history • Childbirth history notified when a mammogram • Age at first period • Body mass index reveals she has dense breasts. • Menopause after 55 Based on a woman’s risk factors, physicians can calculate the likelihood of developing cancer. “If your risk is over 20 percent, we recommend screening each year, with MRI,” Bush says.
A 3-D mammogram can determine whether you have dense breasts, which is one of the risk factors for breast cancer. To schedule your 3-D mammogram, contact St. Thomas More Hospital at 719-285-2255.
BONE SCREENINGS after A HYSTERECTOMY
The risk of osteoporosis — weak and brittle bones that fracture easily — suddenly increases after a hysterectomy that involves the removal of the ovaries. “Women who undergo hysterectomy (with ovary removal) before they would normally enter menopause are more likely to develop osteoporosis than other women,” says Sherrie Limitone, St. Thomas More Hospital’s bone densitometrist.
PHOTO: SNAKE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/AMWU
For those women, regular bone density tests, or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans, are needed to watch for the onset of osteoporosis. The scan uses X-rays to measure the amount of calcium and other minerals in the bone, and shows the risk for developing fractures. “It’s a good idea to get a baseline DEXA scan the year after ovary removal, with follow-up scans every two years,” Limitone says. Women at average risk for osteoporosis should begin bone density screening at age 65.
To schedule your bone density screening at St. Thomas More Hospital, call 719-285-2255.
STMHOSPITAL.ORG FALL 2017
3
Special Delivery St. Thomas More Hospital’s comprehensive approach offers coordinated care from pregnancy, to birth, and beyond
F
or Tomi Voth, labor and delivery wasn’t quite the by-the-birth-plan experience many new moms dream of. Either time.
With Samantha, now 3, Voth was diagnosed with a group B strep (GBS) infection, and needed IV antibiotics throughout her long labor. With baby Addison, born in July, Voth was hospitalized briefly with contractions at 23 weeks. Then, at 39 weeks, her obstetrician, John Heavrin, MD, of the St. Thomas More Physician Group, induced labor because she was experiencing preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous high blood pressure condition.
Samantha Voth watches over her little sister, Addison, born in July at St. Thomas More's Birth Center.
4
INSPIRE ST. THOMAS MORE HOSPITAL | STMHOSPITAL.ORG
Pregnancy is depicted as a blissful time of picking out booties and bassinets. But for some momsto-be like Voth, it also can be filled with worry. At St. Thomas More Hospital, the teams from obstetrics, labor and delivery, and pediatric care take steps to ease some of that stress by providing comprehensive, seamless care from the first weeks of pregnancy through delivery, infant care, and pediatric care through the age of 18.
PHOTO BY STEVE BIGLEY
It was, Voth says, “very scary.” But throughout, Heavrin kept a close eye on mom and baby. “He was very reassuring that if things got bad, he would take care of it.”
Comforts
CARING FOR MOM
OF HOME
Pregnancy isn’t just a matter of a woman’s belly swelling. A host of changes are taking place — from morning sickness to back aches and ankle swelling — and that can create the unsettling feeling that she has lost control of her body, says St. Thomas More obstetrician Mollie Miller, DO.
Your baby will be snug in a blanket, but mom needs some comfort, too. Make your stay cozier by packing favorite items:
Dr. Mollie Miller
“I encourage patients to read as much as they can about pregnancy and delivery,” Miller says. She believes her role is to monitor vital signs and physical conditions, and it’s also to listen to a woman’s concerns. “We can educate, reassure, and rule out,” Miller says. Miller talks to patients about what to expect throughout the pregnancy and delivery. “We encourage them to create a rough draft of what the perfect labor and delivery would be for them,” she says. But, she always reminds expecting moms to be open to making adjustments to that birth plan if necessary. “Mother Nature will do what Mother Nature will do.”
PLANNING BABY’S ARRIVAL
Z Z
Every other month, St. Thomas More Hospital offers childbirth classes that give expecting parents the chance to talk with the Birth Center care team, and discuss their labor and delivery preferences, says director Shellee Fortune, RN, MSN. “We can go over things like what their desires are for pain control,” Fortune says. And the staff describes how babies are cared for after delivery.
Z
Z
Your own pillow. Nothing else is as comforting. Shellee Fortune, RN, MSN
Fortune says staff can ease one new-parent fear: “We reassure parents that the unit is a locked, secure environment. We have a tracking device system, so we know where baby is at all times.”
Favorite PJs. Hospital gowns are practical during delivery. But later, you’ll want to put on your own jammies.
And, parents-to-be can get a preview of the Birth Center’s features, including: Pain-relief options Nurses educated on natural birth coaching Birthing balls Private birthing suites Private postpartum rooms Skin-to-skin mom/baby contact immediately after birth Delayed cord cutting on request
Cozy socks with slip-proof soles. Keep your feet toasty while your hormones, and your body temperature, go on a roller-coaster ride.
CARE FOR BABIES
Aromatherapy. Candles and flames are a hospital no-no, but scent diffusers are a quick relaxer.
At St. Thomas More Hospital, obstetricians and pediatricians work closely together, says St. Thomas More Physician Group pediatrician Amanda Nedzinski, DO. “There are no barriers between us; there is a lot of great communication.”
PHOTOS: BOOTIES ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ALEXMAX; ICONS ©ADOBESTOCK.COM — SAM
Special music. Create a playlist of favorite tunes — and don’t forget your earbuds.
Obstetricians encourage first-time expecting parents to meet with prospective Dr. Amanda Nedzinski pediatricians and select one before baby arrives. St. Thomas More pediatricians even attend birthing classes and host a monthly open house to meet expecting parents. And Nedzinski says, the pediatrician’s relationship with baby begins in the hospital. “We see all the babies in the nursery within 24 hours of their birth. If they need to be seen sooner, we’re there sooner.” For Voth, there was no question Nedzinski would be Addison’s doctor, just as she has been Samantha’s. “I love Dr. Nedzinski,” Voth says. When Voth worried that Samantha was having sleep and breathing disturbances related to inflamed tonsils or adenoids, she turned to Nedzinski. Without hesitation, Nedzinski responded. “She said, ‘Let’s do a sleep study.’” Sure enough, Samantha had obstructive sleep apnea, which was relieved by removal of her tonsils and adenoids. “Dr. Nedzinski listened to me, and she doesn’t look at you like you’re an overreacting mom,” Voth says.
TO REGISTER for St. Thomas More childbirth classes, visit
EXPECTING PARENTS
can find a provider right for their child at the Pediatric Clinic Meet & Greet, the first Thursday of each month. For more information, call 719-285-2091.
stmhospital.org/calendar, or call 719-285-2043.
STMHOSPITAL.ORG FALL 2017
5
financial fitness
Harvest A HEALTHY
The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado® is Nov. 1, 2017 - Jan. 12, 2018.
Give your health and finances a boost by scheduling year-end procedures
FALL IS A WONDERFUL TIME, filled with tailgate parties, trick-or-treating, and satisfied health insurance deductibles. The first two may do little to benefit your health or your bottom line. But if you’ve met your annual health insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, fall may be a great time to take care of your health and save money by scheduling joint replacements, knee surgery, gastrointestinal tests, bone density scans, carpal tunnel surgery, or other elective procedures you’ve been putting off, says Gwyneth Howard, vice president of finance at St. Thomas More Hospital. “No two health insurance policies are alike,” Howard says. But employee-sponsored coverage typically includes common features. This is a great time to learn about, and take advantage of, those features, including: Gwyneth Howard
DEDUCTIBLES. A deductible is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. If you’ve met your deductible and your out-of-pocket maximum (the most you will pay for covered health care services during the year), schedule elective procedures. Your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum will reset at the beginning of your new plan year. contributed pretax dollars all year, but FSAs have use-it-orlose-it provisions, Howard says. “If you don’t need medical procedures, spend those dollars on eyeglasses, hearing aids, fertility treatments, or even programs to help you stop smoking.” (Health Savings Accounts have much in common with FSAs, but most HSAs roll over unused money to the next year.)
6
INSPIRE ST. THOMAS MORE HOSPITAL | STMHOSPITAL.ORG
PHOTO: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ROMRODINKA
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS (FSA). You’ve
INSPIREKids
HELP FROM HEAD TO TOE Tips for deciding when your child should see a doctor
When your child is sick, it can be hard to know what to do. Does she need to see a doctor? Will he recover on his own? Is it an emergency? St. Thomas More Pediatric Health Services physician Ananya Lusero, MD, helps you make the right call.
Head: If your child seems overly sleepy, is vomiting, irritable, or has a bump after hitting his head, he could have a concussion, and should be seen quickly. Eyes: Pink eye can bePink viral eye or acan bacterial infection. Clear Eyes: be viral or a bacterial discharge may mean viral, so discharge antibioticsmay won’t help. viral, Cloudy infection. Clear means so discharge may mean a bacterial infection as some viruses antibiotics won’t help. Cloudy discharge can mean can causedrainage drainageofofpus, pus,so sosee seeyour your pediatrician. pediatrician.
Tummy: Whether your child needs to
PHOTOS: KIDS ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LONDONEYE; PHONE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/TIYAS
be seen may depend on her age, Lusero says. “If a child under 2 months isn’t keeping anything down, she needs to be seen that day,” she says.
Nose and chest: If your child has a fever, cough,
and congestion, and hasn’t had a vaccine, it could be flu. If so, see your pediatrician within 48 hours of symptoms, when Tamiflu can help shorten the duration of symptoms, Lusero says. Keep sick siblings away from infants, who are at risk of developing bronchiolitis, a viral lung infection, which can cause difficulty breathing. Babies with any difficulty breathing should be seen the same day by a pediatrician.
Ears: Many ear infections are viral, so antibiotics won’t help. “But if we see an ear infection in a child under 1 year, we always treat,” Lusero says. Watch for fever and ear pain. In infants, watch for ear pulling.
SYMPTOMS that always need immediate attention: Dehydration. Your child may be dehydrated if she isn’t urinating regularly, or if you push on her warm fingertips and it takes more than two seconds for the color to return. The younger your child, the more dangerous dehydration is. Labored breathing. Watch for breathing faster than normal at rest, flaring nostrils, using neck muscles to breathe, and sucking in the belly underneath the rib cage. “If it’s during office hours, we can get your child in immediately. Otherwise, go to the emergency room,” she says.
Dr. Ananya Lusero
Always call 911 if your child is turning blue, or is unconscious after hitting his head.
SAME-DAY CARE
St. Thomas More Pediatric Health Services now offers same-day appointments for sick children, and well-child visits within one week. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 719-285-2091.
Q: DOES MY CHILD NEED A FLU VACCINE EVERY YEAR? A: If your child is 6 months or older, the answer is yes, with very rare exceptions, says Melissa Byram, MD, a pediatrician at St. Thomas More Pediatric Health Services. She recommends getting the vaccine in October, because it takes two weeks to develop immunity. The vaccine formula changes each year, to protect against whatever flu strains are circulating. So, your child, and you, need a shot every year. Unfortunately, your child can’t avoid the needle when it comes to the flu vaccine — flu mist isn’t as effective for kids, Byram says.
Dr. Melissa Byram
To schedule a flu shot for your child with one of our pediatric providers, call 719-285-2091.
STMHOSPITAL.ORG FALL 2017
7
$81,000
The St. Thomas More Health Foundation awarded more than $81,000 to local organizations through the Yankton Benedictine Sisters Fund for 2017. The endowment funds are specifically designated to improve the health, safety, and wellness of the people throughout Fremont County. The grants were awarded to 19 community organizations. To see a list of award recipients, go online to stmhospital.org/news.
PAID
1338 Phay Avenue Cañon City, CO 81212
Denver, CO Permit No. 4033
INSPIRATION 6TH ANNUAL MARGARITAS & MAMMOS
Join our health experts to learn how you can make small changes that make a big impact on improving your health! For a complete list of classes and details, visit stmhospital.org/calendar.
New Year, New You!
MONDAY, OCT 23 4:30-7 P.M.
Our signature women’s event offers education on breast health, a delicious dinner, giveaways, (nonalcoholic) margaritas, and prizes. Don’t miss it! Location: Evangelical Free Church, 3000 East Main Street Cost: FREE Registration: stmhospital.org/calendar or 719-285-2179
CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION
TUESDAYS, NOV 7 AND 14 5:30-8:30 P.M.
Prepare yourself, your partner, and your baby for labor and delivery during this two-evening program — what to expect in your third trimester, labor techniques, pain management, breastfeeding, and postdelivery care. Location: St. Thomas More Hospital, Community Room Cost: $25 for you and a support person; scholarships available upon request Registration: stmhospital.org/birth or 719-285-2058
Start the new year off right by attending St. Thomas More Hospital’s FREE tobacco cessation program! This 13-week program, which starts on Jan. 9, 2018, will provide education and support to help you live tobacco-free with weekly meetings, tools to maintain success, respiratory testing, and more! For details, call 719-285-2010.
DIABETES MANAGEMENT
COPING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS
During National Diabetes Awareness Month, learn how to gain control of your diabetes and prevent complications with education from our diabetic experts! Breakfast will be served. Location: Evangelical Free Church, 3000 East Main Street Cost: FREE Registration: stmhospital.org/ calendar or 719-285-2712
The holidays can be a difficult time for those suffering a loss. Learn how to seek support, acknowledge your feelings, and take care of your physical health. Lunch will be served. Location: Garden Park Building, 201 North 6th Street Cost: FREE Registration: stmhospital.org/ calendar or 719-285-2061
TUESDAY, NOV 14 8:30 A.M.-NOON
PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ARTSSTOCK; /MARCBRUXELLE; /R_KOOPMANS; /AJT
INSPIRE
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
St. Thomas More Hospital
THURSDAY, DEC 7 11 A.M.-2 P.M.
INSPIRE is published quarterly by St. Thomas More Hospital as part of our Mission to nurture the health of the people in our community. The information herein is meant to complement, not replace, advice provided by a licensed health care provider. To comment or unsubscribe, email us at inspire@centura.org. INSPIRE is produced by Clementine Healthcare Marketing. Executive Editor: Jillian Maes.
St. Thomas More Hospital is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2017. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-719-285-2209 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-719-285-2209 (TTY: 711).
S T M H O S P I TA L.O R G