MAMMOGRAM MYTHS EAT TO BEAT HYPERTENSION A LIFETHREATENING INFECTION OXFORD FALL 2022 | TRI HEALTH .COM/MHMH SERVING THE OXFORD COMMUNITY FOR OVER 65 YEARS HEART CARE FOR KIDS BROOKE LEHENBAUER PHOTOGRAPHY
HAVING PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY EXPERTS IN OXFORD IS A “GAME CHANGER” FOR ONE AREA FAMILY. SPECIAL CARE FOR SMALL HEARTS FALL 2022 | TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH2
Jace had a genetic heart condition called subaortic stenosis. “He had a flap of skin, called a subaortic membrane, that was blocking blood flow just below his aortic valve,” says Helton, who works as an infusion nurse at the Good Samaritan Infusion Center at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital | TriHealth (MHMH). To ensure he received the best care, Helton and her family relied on the team at Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute. Their pediatric cardiologists and other specialists monitored Jace for two years, and when an echocardiogram showed his problem was worsening, Jace had surgery to remove his subaortic membrane and restore blood flow. A three-month follow-up uncovered another serious concern: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the thickening of the heart muscle. It remained in check until last August. “That’s when Jace’s heart started racing,” Helton says. “He felt sick to his stomach. When he laid down, he felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.”
Helton is thankful for the highly specialized care Jace received. The only downside was the travel. “I live in Liberty, Indiana,” says Helton. “So, it’s over an hour drive for us to see a provider at Cincinnati Children’s.”
“We’ll do our best to provide all the services children and families need with a same-day clinic visit or a follow-up visit in the Oxford region, so families don’t have to travel for routine care,” says Dr. Marcuccio.
Last November, Jace, now 9, had heart surgery at Cincinnati Children’s to reduce the thickening of his heart muscle. “The surgery was on a Monday, and Jace was home by Thursday,” Helton says. “By the next week, he was starting to get back to normal.”
Mallory Helton with her husband, Travis, and their family. Son Jace (bottom right) is receiving care from the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute at McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital | TriHealth.
Elisa Marcuccio, MD
Now, however, Jace and other children can see Cincinnati Children’s heart experts closer to home in Oxford thanks to a pediatric cardiology clinic that started in January at MHMH.
“That’s a complete game changer for communities around Oxford,” Helton says. “Having Cincinnati Children’s branch out closer to people in our area will be hugely beneficial.”
IN MANY CASES, heart murmurs—a whooshing sound inside the heart—are “innocent,” meaning they don’t indicate a problem with the heart. But for Mallory Helton’s son, Jace, a murmur diagnosed seven years ago was the sign of something more serious.
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY EXPERTS, CLOSE TO HOME Children in the Oxford area who have symptoms of a heart problem—or those already diagnosed with a congenital heart condition—can now see a team of Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute specialists on the MHMH campus in Oxford (101 North Poplar St., Suite 1). Elisa Marcuccio, MD, and Kristin Schneider, MD, provide pediatric cardiology services at the clinic once a month. They’re joined by a pediatric cardiology nurse, EKG and echocardiogram technicians, and support staff.
OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | FALL 2022 3
TO SEE A CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S CARDIOLOGIST AT M c CULLOUGH-HYDE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, CALL 513.636.4432
THE BREATH OF LIFE
FALL 2022 | TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH4
IT STARTED with a sore throat last May. Robin Torbeck, 64, said her voice had been hoarse since she’d had COVID-19 in January 2022. It was a stressful time. The man she’d hoped to marry had fallen and suffered a traumatic brain injury, and Robin had spent long hours at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital | TriHealth (MHMH) from January through May, supporting him. On top of that worry, her job as a member of the professional support staff at the Talawanda School District had become more difficult as students were manifesting the effects of the pandemic by skipping classes and losing the ability to interact well with each other. “I was running myself ragged,” she admits. So she wasn’t really surprised that it all caught up with her in the form of a sore throat and earache.
Nurse Angela Downard, left, and patient Robin Torbeck.
Robin has a nursing background, so she put some AN ALERT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TEAM IS QUICK TO PINPOINT A PATIENT’S MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND BEGIN LIFESAVING TREATMENT.
drops in her ear to try to ease the pressure. “But by that afternoon it had turned into the worst sore throat I’d ever had,” she says. She visited a local urgent care clinic, where they told her they thought it was just some fluid trapped in her ear. “They put me on steroids and sent me home,” she recalls, “but the next day was even worse.” She returned to the clinic, where this time they gave her antibiotics.
Robin knows how lucky she was. “My ENT surgeon told my family he’d maybe seen an infection like that only once before, many years ago.” Most likely, she says, the infection was a symptom of long COVID and was the reason her voice had been hoarse from the time she’d been sick with the virus until her hospitalization.
In this case, the gratitude goes both ways. Downard is also grateful to Robin for letting her know how much she appreciated her care. “When we get positive feedback, it’s so uplifting, so healing,” she explains. “The pandemic has been so challenging. So when you get a patient like Robin who comes back to provide positive feedback and say how much she appreciates you, it means the world.”
From left: MHMH President Mike Everett, Patient Access Associate Hope Daniels, Nicole White, MD, patient Robin Torbeck and Angela Downard, RN.
OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | FALL 2022 5
A CRITICAL DIAGNOSIS
ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Robin tried to ignore the pain and get on with her routine. That evening she met some friends in a nearby town. “By the time I came home I couldn’t swallow,” she says. “Water was coming out of my nose. It was horrid.” That’s when she knew she needed to get to the hospital.
A nurse brought Robin a notepad so she could communicate. She was told that her trachea had been over 90 percent blocked, and that the quick intervention had saved her life.
Robin made sure that MHMH knew how incredibly thankful she was that Downard was by her side, a calming presence while she waited for medical transfer, and for the exceptional medical care she received, especially from the MHMH emergency department team. “They recognized it as a life-threatening emergency,” she says. “I would have died if they said I just had a bad sore throat and sent me home.”
At the MHMH emergency department, it was quickly determined that Robin’s windpipe (trachea) was almost completely blocked by infection, and her breathing was dangerously compromised. Her airways (including her pharynx, larynx, tonsils and epiglottis) were badly infected. The emergency doctors realized she’d need surgery to drain the abscess and create a tracheostomy—a temporary, alternative means for air to enter her lungs. And she’d need to be placed on a ventilator to facilitate breathing while her body healed. Cultures later determined that two different bacterial infections and one fungal infection had taken up residence in Robin’s airways. Her condition was dire because the trachea was so close to being completely obstructed. Good Samaritan Hospital | TriHealth (GSH), a sister hospital to MHMH, has ear, nose and throat specialists available to operate on an emergency basis. The MHMH medical team arranged for her to be transferred there as soon as possible. Thankful for the quick, accurate diagnosis and exceptional care she received from the team at MHMH, Robin was more grateful still to see a familiar face as she waited for preparations for her transfer to be complete.
“I remember Angela coming in,” says Robin, adding, “It almost makes me cry to think about it. She assured me I was going to be okay, shouldn’t worry, was in great hands. I just adore her!” Once Robin reached Good Samaritan, the EMTs took her straight into surgery. “I remember two surgeons standing over me. and then nothing until I woke up afterwards on a ventilator.”
“By the time Robin got to us,” she says, “I’m sure she was petrified. I needed to keep her quiet and calm. I told her, ‘We got through this with your fiancé, and we’re going to get through this with you.’ I had spent hours with her when her fiancé was in the hospital, and I knew she trusted me.”
When nurse Angela Downard approached, she looked surprised, then said: “I know you! What are you doing here, Robin?” In fact, the two women knew each other rather well—Downard had been one of the nurses caring for Robin’s fiancé after his injury. Downard realized how serious Robin’s condition was.
BREAST CANCER SCREENING MYTHS, BUSTED 5 FALL 2022 | TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH6
GETTING CALLED BACK IN FOR FOLLOW-UP TESTS IS BAD NEWS.
• Take an over-the-counter nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, 45 to 60 minutes before the mammogram. (Check with your doctor first.)
FACT: You could be called back for a number of reasons—unclear pictures, dense tissue, a possible cyst—so don’t be unduly alarmed. Fewer than 1 in 10 women who are called back for more tests are found to have cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
MAMMOGRAMS CAN CAUSE BREAST CANCER.
FACT: The cost of not getting a mammogram and not detecting early cancer will always be far greater than the cost of the screening. Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance companies cover screening mammograms with no out-of-pocket costs. If you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover a mammogram, check with a local screening facility to find out about free or low-cost screenings.
MAMMOGRAMS HURT.
MAMMOGRAMS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE.
Breast cancer treatment has advanced leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, and many more women are being successfully treated than are dying from it. In fact, there are 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. Finding breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage through screening is critical to a successful outcome should cancer occur: The five-year survival rate for Stage I breast cancer is 98.9 percent. If you’ve been putting off getting screened, learn the facts, then schedule a mammogram—for your sake, and for the sake of those you love.
If you’ve experienced pain during mammograms in the past, there are a few things you can do before your next screening:
• If you’re premenopausal, schedule the mammogram for the time of your monthly cycle when your breasts are least tender.
FACT: A lump might be a sign of breast cancer, but it could be a sign of something else. More importantly, breast cancer can exist without the presence of a lump. Suggested screening guidelines vary, and men should have a mammogram on the advice of their physician. The American Cancer Society says women ages 40 to 44 should have the option to start yearly screenings and get annual mammograms from ages 45 to 54 and every other year thereafter. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says women should be offered screening mammography at age 40, and begin no later than age 50, with screening frequency to be determined based on discussion with a woman’s physician.
• Try concentrating on your breathing—deep breaths in and out—to help you relax, as anxiety can add to your concern about potential discomfort.
OXFORD OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY IS ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS. PLEASE CALL 513.523.2158 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
FACT: Sometime there is discomfort during a mammogram because to get a good image, it’s necessary to gently compress the breasts between two glass plates. The degree of discomfort that a woman will feel depends on many factors, including her own sensitivity to pain and her breast structure (especially if the breasts are cystic).
DON’T LET MISINFORMATION PREVENT YOU FROM GETTING A MAMMOGRAM. 2 Myth 1 Myth 3 Myth 4 Myth 5 Myth OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | FALL 2022 7
The important thing to remember is that a mammogram should never hurt so much that it stops you from keeping up with regular breast cancer screenings. If you’re concerned about pain, talk to your doctor.
GETTING REGULAR screening tests is the best way to detect breast cancer in its early stages, when it’s most treatable. In fact, a recent large-scale study showed that women who got regular mammograms had a 60 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer within 10 years than women who didn’t. Yet many women avoid screenings for breast cancer, often because they’re deterred by one or more of the myths below.
FACT: While a mammogram is a form of X-ray used to take images of the breast, the amount of radiation required is very small. The benefits of mammography outweigh any possible harm from radiation exposure, according to the American Cancer Society. BREAST CANCER CAN ALWAYS BE DETECTED BY A LUMP.
EAT TO BEAT
2.
Yet the average American consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium per day, largely through prepackaged foods.
FALL 2022 | TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH8
Nearly half of adult Americans have high blood pressure, or hypertension, though many don’t know it. Test your knowledge by taking this quick quiz based on information from the American Heart Association.
Prime high-sodium offenders include soup, cold cuts, pizza, cheeses, condiments and even breads and rolls.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, about the equivalent of one teaspoon.
glutamate (MSG), baking soda, baking powder and disodium phosphate.
To avoid sneaky sodium, choose foods with labels that specify 140 mg or less sodium per serving. Check for terms like sodium chloride, NaCl, monosodium HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HYPERTENSION?
TRUE. In 2017, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology said that, based on new information, anything over 120/80 is considered elevated. (The previous standard was 140/90.)
1.
3. TRUE. Do it often, and keep a record of your results. A reading of 180/120 or higher is considered a hypertensive crisis.
WHETHER YOU’VE been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) or not, chances are that you should cut back on salt. Excessive sodium intake causes the body to retain excess water, which means the heart has to work harder to pump blood. That leads to higher blood pressure.
1. I don’t have symptoms and feel fine, so I can’t have high blood pressure. n T n F
2. High blood pressure is anything above 120/80. n T n F
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
AND THE ANSWER IS …
For those with high blood pressure, the recommended limit is 1,500 mg per day.
HOW TO LEARN TO LOVE A LOW-SODIUM DIET— AND WHY YOU SHOULD.
3. Taking your blood pressure at home or using a machine at a pharmacy is a good way to keep track of your numbers. n T n F 4. High blood pressure runs in my family, so I can’t help it if I have it, too. n T n F 5. Certain foods can help bring blood pressure down. n T n F
4. FALSE. Anyone can take steps to improve blood pressure, which include eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising 90 to 150 minutes a week, reducing salt intake and stopping smoking.
The best defense against unwanted sodium is to eat home-prepared, fresh foods as often as possible. Instead of adding salt, you can add something acidic—lime, lemon, vinegar—to make the flavors in a recipe pop. Herbs and spices will also add flavor, enabling you to use less salt. You’ll find two lowsodium recipes on the opposite page that use fresh produce.
5. TRUE. Foods that have potassium—such as bananas, sweet potatoes and dark, leafy greens—help flush sodium out of the body. A daily cup of blueberries has been shown to lower patients’ blood pressure, and fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna) also have cardiovascular benefits, including lowering blood pressure.
FALSE. Many people who have high blood pressure don’t have symptoms. The only way to know for sure is to have your blood pressure checked.
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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 5 sprigs basil ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 red or yellow bell peppers, quartered lengthwise ½ pound small zucchinis, quartered lengthwise 1 bunch scallions, trimmed
Serves
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BASQUE COUNTRY GREEN BEANS
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• On a hot, clean grill, grill the chicken for 3–5 minutes per side and the peppers, zucchini and scallions until well-marked and tender-crisp (3–8 minutes). Remove to a cutting board. (Note: If you don’t have a grill, you can sauté the chicken and vegetables.)
• Stir the tomatoes and salt into the beans. Cook until the tomatoes soften, 2–3 minutes. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, sliced • 1 bell pepper, sliced • 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 pound green beans and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed ½ pound tomatoes, chopped • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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Recipes from Nutrition Action Healthletter, www.nutritionaction.com.
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IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, PLEASE CALL YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN.
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INGREDIENTS: Directions:
GRILLED CHICKEN & VEGGIES WITH TOMATOBASIL DRESSING Serves 4; 380 mg sodium per serving
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Cut the chicken and vegetables into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing. 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
4; 140 mg sodium per serving
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the onion and pepper, stirring often, until they start to brown, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beans and ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook over low heat until the beans are tender, 10–12 minutes.
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OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | FALL 2022 9
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INGREDIENTS: Directions: Combine the tomatoes, vinegar, basil, salt and oil in a blender or food processor. Process into a smooth dressing and transfer to a large bowl. Put the chicken into a zipper-lock bag and pound to ½-inch thickness.
CERVICAL CANCER: HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN
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NEW TRIHEALTH PHYSICIAN PARTNERS PEDIATRIC PRACTICE OPENS IN BROOKVILLE, IN On July 11, TriHealth opened its newest physician practice in Brookville, Indiana: TriHealth Physician Partners Brookville Pediatrics Located at 10058 Cooley Road in Brookville, Drs. Heather Mandrell and Timothy Richmond and Nurse Practitioner Lisa Schultz will offer comprehensive pediatric care to the Brookville community—another step forward in our efforts to deliver the right care at the right time in the right place ! TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. MANDRELL OR DR. RICHMOND, CALL 513.523.2156 (OXFORD) OR 765.328.4324 (BROOKVILLE).
FALL 2022 | TRIHEALTH.COM/MHMH10
Heather Mandrell, MD Timothy Richmond, MD IF I GET THE HPV VACCINE, DO I STILL NEED REGULAR PAP TESTS?
WHO’S AT RISK FOR CONTRACTING HPV AND WHY IS IT DANGEROUS?
Yes. The Pap test (also called Pap smear) enables healthcare providers to detect precancerous cervical changes.
Anyone who is sexually active is at risk. More than 42 million Americans have the virus, which is transmitted through genital and skin-to-skin contact. While there are often no symptoms, it can cause genital warts or lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina, penis, anus or throat. WHY IS THE HPV VACCINE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE UP TO AGE 45?
The CDC recommends that women ages 21 to 29 get a Pap test every three years. Those ages 30 to 65 may choose to get a Pap test alone every three years, an HPV test alone every five years or both tests together every five years.
NEARLY 13,000 U.S. women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 4,000 died from the disease in 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of those cases are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. To help reduce that toll, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved the HPV vaccine for a larger group of people: adults up to age 45. Below, you’ll find answers to some common questions about HPV, its relation to cancer and the HPV vaccine.
The vaccine, which is sold under the brand name Gardasil, was initially recommended for children—both girls and boys—starting at ages 11 or 12.
Recently, research showed that it’s also protective in adults: The vaccine is 97 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical changes in women who have never been exposed to HPV. In men, the vaccine may prevent genital warts, penile cancer, anal cancer and the spread of HPV to sexual partners. If you’re 45 or younger and have not received the vaccine, talk to your doctor about it. PAPILLOMAVIRUS CERVICAL CANCER.
Chard is used as a substitute for spinach; it goes well with vegetables like tomatoes, artichokes, beets and peppers, grains like rice and barley, meats such as bacon and chicken, and cheeses like parmesan and pecorino.
{ POWER FOOD } Taste the Rainbow AND NO, WE’RE NOT TALKING CANDY. WITH ITS VIBRANT MIX OF COLORS AND HEFTY DOSE OF NUTRIENTS, RAINBOW CHARD WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR PLATE AND YOUR HEALTH. OXFORD HEALTH & LIFE | FALL 2022 11
DID YOU KNOW?
BUY/STORE/SERVE When shopping for rainbow chard, avoid bunches that have wilting leaves or brown stalks—seek out ones that have brightly colored leaves and fresh-cut stems. The veggie can be stored in the fridge for a day or two, loosely wrapped in plastic, but if you want to keep it for longer, separate the leaves and stems, then store the stems loosely wrapped in plastic. The leaves, meanwhile, should be rolled up in paper towels and then put in a plastic bag—they’ll stay fresh for about a week. When preparing the veggie, be sure to rinse it thoroughly, or you’ll risk tasting a bit of grit. Sautéing or stir-frying is best—for the most even cooking, start heating the stems before adding the leaves. One of the most popular chard dishes is blissfully simple and quick: Heat some olive oil in a large pan, then sauté two cloves of garlic until they’re fragrant. Add the chard, stir it to coat, then cover and cook for eight minutes.
Just keep one thing in mind: Those healthy betalains aren’t heat-stable, so long cooking times can decrease their presence (and, hence, their benefits).
FOR YEARS, health experts have recommended a diet filled with differentcolored foods to encourage the intake of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. But what if you could dine on shades of red, white, pink, orange, purple and gold (bright and pastel variations included) courtesy of just one vegetable? You can. Rainbow chard—featuring the intense flavor of Swiss chard, the mildly nutty flavor of golden chard, the sweetness of red chard and more—contains a bevy of betalain pigments that provide its eyecatching array of colors. And while it may not be on as many menus as the better-known Swiss chard, it’s certainly worthy of some prime real estate on your dinner plate.
POWER UP One cup of cooked rainbow chard contains just 35 calories and, man, does it pack a nutritional punch: Along with the minerals manganese and zinc, the leafy vegetable contains high levels of vitamins A, C, K and E. Even better, those betalains have been shown to help with the body’s detoxification process and combat inflammation. They also contain carotenoids and flavonoids that help prevent LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) from being deposited in the arteries.
110 N Poplar Street Oxford, OH 45056 NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Harrisburg, PA Permit #324 Proud to be our community’s hospital since 1957! McCullough-Hyde’s 65th Anniversary Oxford Health Ad_65 Year Anniversary_v2_crops.pdf 1 8/4/22 12:56 PM
