Download Insight Dec

ArnotHealth
INSIGHT
Did You Know?
Spotlight on Bariatric Surgery
Arnot Health, in conjunction with
Bariatric Surgical Associates Robert
Cole, MD and Douglas McKane, MD,
recently received designation as a
Bariatric Center of Excellence
from the American Society for
Bariatric Surgery.This follows
the elite Center of Excellence
designation from Excellus
BlueCross BlueShield for
Bariatric Surgery Program of
Excellence.
This Center of Excellence designation
recognizes surgical programs with a
demonstrated track record of
favorable outcomes in Bariatric
surgery. To earn this designation,
Arnot Health underwent a series of
site inspections during which all
aspects of the program's surgical
processes and data on health
outcomes were closely examined.
According to the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, the
number of U.S. Bariatric surgeries
more than quadrupled between 1998
and 2002 - from 13,386 to 71,733.
Faced with clinical evidence that the
most experienced and best-run
Bariatric surgery programs have by far
the lowest rates of complications, the
American Society for Bariatric Surgery
Centers of Excellence is to recognize
surgery centers with high
performance standards.
For more information call Health on
Demand at 607-737-4499.
ArnotHealth
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
January - February
2006
Clinical Research Close to
Home
Arnot Health's Clinical Research
department has grown steadily in
its five years of existence. Within
the last year, the department has
grown into an entity all its own,
managing a dozen studies under
physician-investigator, Dr. Frederic
Skinner.
As a participant in important
national and worldwide clinical
research trials and studies, the
department serves as the main
conduit for helping to connect
patients and staff interested in
clinical trials, including cutting-edge
experimental treatments.
News and Information
for Physicians and
Medical Professionals
ArnotHealth
INSIGHT
In this issue:
Arnot Health is a community-based,
not-for-profit healthcare system
operated for the public benefit.
Contents may not be reproduced
in whole or in part without written
permission. 607-737-4100 or
www.arnothealth.org
New PET/CT System
Page 1
•
Making Hospitals Safer
Page 2
•
DVD Aids Flouroscopy
•
Dialysis Services
•
Clinical Research
Close to Home
New Appointments:
•
Anyone interested in learning more
can call 607-271-7000.
600 Roe Avenue
Elmira, New York 14905
•
First PET/CT System
in Region
Departments / Issues:
All of the trials and studies are run
in compliance with FDA, HIPPA
and good clinical practice guidelines.
In-house research coordinators
facilitate studies with various
physician offices, making the
process as easy as possible for
physicians and staff.
ArnotHealth
January - February
2006
INSIGHT
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Elmira, NY
Permit No. 157
VP of Medical Affairs
William E. Huffner, M.D.
•
Jay K. Mehta, M.D.
•
Charles Raudat, DO
Arnot Ogden Medical Center now offers
a PET/CT system completely optimized
for cancer care and much more.
PET creates images of high metabolic
activity in the body, while CT scans allows
doctors to see the internal structures
within the human body. This hybrid
technology combines those strengths into
one imaging session to more accurately
diagnose and locate cancers while
increasing patient comfort. This allows
physicians to develop more targeted
treatment plans, and do better, lessinvasive treatment monitoring, which
should result in improved patient
outcomes. Scans can be beneficial for
early detection, staging of cancer, checking
for recurrences and accessing the
effectiveness of chemotherapy.
A PET/CT scan is non-invasive, painless
and takes about 30 minutes. The
procedure is covered by private insurance
and Medicare.
"The PET/CT is another example of Arnot
4
Ogden Medical Center’s commitment to
innovation and technology for early
disease detection, supporting physicians in
improved diagnosis and treatment," said
Anthony Cooper, President and CEO.
While PET/CT is primarily used in cancer
treatment, it also has applications in
cardiology and brain imaging, and it will
help physicians better understand the
workings of neurological disorders
such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
Before having a PET/CT scan, the patient
receives a dose of a radiopharmaceutical
tracer containing substances that mimic
those normally used in the body. These
tracers accumulate in diseased cells.
During the scan, the tracers are detected
by the system and highlight any abnormal
physiology. This image helps physicians
determine if disease is present, the
location and extent of disease, and track
how rapidly it is spreading.
Call 607-735-4646 for more
information or to schedule a scan.
ArnotHealth
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
INSIGHT
December 2005January 2006
Quality Measures
Department News
Making Hospitals Safer:
Rapid Response Team Makes a
Difference
Device Aids Fluoroscopy
Focus on Dialysis Services
The Video Fluoroscopy Swallow
Study (VFSS) is now done using a
more convenient and transferable
digital videodisc (DVD) recorder.
Arnot Health’s Dialysis services are the
largest provider of dialysis services in
the region, with multiple locations
available to meet needs of dialysis
patients within our service area.
Cardiac arrest or shock occurs in 0.6
percent of medical patients and 0.5
percent of surgical patients. Despite
advances in treatment only 17 percent
of patients who experience cardiac
arrest survive to discharge.
evaluating all of a patient's drugs to
prevent adverse events; and using
science-based methods to prevent
central line infections, ventilatorassociated pneumonia and surgical site
infections.
According to some less-frightening
In an effort against such statistics,
statistics, having an RRT in place can
Arnot Health's Rapid Response Team
mean a 50-percent reduction in non(RRT), consisting of an experienced
ICU arrests, can
ICU nurse and a
At-risk patients generally exhibit contribute to reduced
respiratory therapist,
post-operative
can be called into
subtle symptoms six to eight
emergency ICU
action. Our team,
hours prior to an arrest. ICU
transfers (58 percent)
formed as part of
admissions
and
arrests
may
be
and deaths (37
Arnot Health's efforts
percent), as well as a
in the "100,000 Lives avoided by an early response.
reduction in arrests
Campaign," will
prior to ICU transfer.
contribute to the campaign's goal of
reducing the number of unintended
Such circumstances that would require
deaths nationwide by 100,000 over
calling the RRT include, when the RN is
the course of 18 months.
worried about a patient or has a "gut
feeling" about the patient; acute change
Arnot Ogden Medical Center is
in heart rate; acute change in systolic
among some 2,000 hospitals from
blood pressure; acute change in
around the nation that have
respiratory rate; acute change in O2
implemented some or all of six
saturation; and/or acute change in level
interventions recommended by
of consciousness.
campaign sponsor Institute for
Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The
If you have questions, contact
six interventions include deploying
Clinical Nurse Specialist Cheryl
rapid response teams at the first sign
Meyer, MS, RN, CCRN, at
of patient decline; delivering [email protected] or
based care for patients with acute
607-737-4610.
myocardial infarction; implementing
medical reconciliation; listing and
Fluoroscopy is a continuous beam of
X-rays that help the radiologist and
speech therapist evaluate structures
and movements within the body.
These examinations are recorded
and used for further patient
education and assessment.
VFSS can be used for a wide range
of diagnoses including stroke, head
and neck cancers or evaluating a
patients’ status after larynx surgery.
In addition, patients with progressive
neurological disease, patients with
worsening muscle strength
coordination can also benefit from
this study.
“It is used to visualize the passage of
liquids, pureed food and solid food,
all mixed with barium, to assess the
pharyngeal phase of swallow,” notes
speech therapist Sarah Mucenski, MS,
CCC-SLP. “This can help us to
understand the cause of potential
aspiration or discomfort felt by the
patient during a swallow.”
A microphone records the therapist’s
voice, stating the consistency of the
swallowed liquid, which helps
determine appropriate dietary
changes or postural strategies that
may be helpful in decreasing
pharyngeal stage dysphagia.
The DVD recording can be stored in
a patient’s file and shared with other
doctors or transferred electronically.
For more information or to schedule
a VFSS call 607-737-4131.
2
New Appointments
"In addition to being the largest
provider of dialysis services, we pride
ourselves on providing high quality
dialysis care to the patients we serve,"
said Timothy Doty, Dialysis Unit
Director.
"Quality measure results provided by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) indicate that Arnot
Health Dialysis services consistently
exceed the established Quality
Measures standards. Our results are
benchmarked versus facilities at the
national, state and local levels and they
demonstrate very favorable
comparisons" added Doty.
The array of dialysis services offered by
Arnot Health includes outpatient
hemodialysis, inpatient hemodialysis,
inpatient continuous renal replacement
therapy and home peritoneal dialysis.
experience. Dr. Mehta completed his
medical training in India before
receiving five years of residency
training at Interfaith Medical Center in
Brooklyn.
William E. Huffner, MD, was
recently named as Arnot Ogden
Medical Center's Vice President of
Medical Affairs.
Dr. Huffner's experience includes eight
years at Arnot Ogden Medical Center,
serving as Chair and Medical Director of
the Emergency Department from 1990
to 1994 and as Vice Chair and a
physician in the Emergency Department
from 1986 to 1990.
Dr. Huffner earned his Medical Degree
at the SUNY Health Science Center at
Syracuse in 1983 and completed his
Internal Medicine Residency and
Internship at Upstate Medical Center.
In addition to his experience at Arnot
Health, Dr. Huffner was a physician at
Mercy Hospital in Watertown, Lee
Memorial in Fulton and St. Joseph's in
Elmira.
Facilities in Corning and Elmira are
easily accessible and designed to
optimize patient safety and comfort.
They feature state-of-the-art dialysis
equipment, comfortable waiting areas
and ample parking. Medical care is
provided by board-certified
nephrologists and is available 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
For more information call our Ivy II
Dialysis Center at 607-737-4186,
or visit www.arnothealth.org.
Dr. Mehta's services include
gynecologic surgery including
laparscopic, laser and vaginal surgery,
infertility management, birth control,
PMS, menopause and osteoporosis
management. Dr. Mehta will have
office hours in Canton/Troy, PA,
Elmira, Van Etten, and Painted Post,
NY. For an appointment at any location
call (607) 734-6544 or (800) 952-2662.
Charles William Raudat, DO,
specializing in Cardiac,Thoracic and
Vascular Surgery has joined the team
at Arnot Medical Services and the
Heart and Vascular Institute.
Dr. Raudat completed his internship at
the Hospitals of the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine, a
General Surgery residency at Fairview
Health System/Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in Cleveland, OH and a
Cardiothoracic Surgery residency at
University of Missouri Hospital and
Clinics in Columbia, MO.
Jay K. Mehta, MD, specializing in
Obstetrics and Gynecology for Arnot
Medical Services, officially joined the
group on Jan. 1.
Dr. Mehta, a board-certified obstetrician
and gynecologist since in Elmira since
1987, brings 20 years of private practice
Dr. Raudat specializes in minimally
invasive chest and vascular surgery and
has extensive experience in beating
heart surgery and is board certified by
the American Board of Surgery and
the American Board of Thoracic
Surgery. For an appointment or more
information call 607-737-7788.
3
ArnotHealth
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
INSIGHT
December 2005January 2006
Quality Measures
Department News
Making Hospitals Safer:
Rapid Response Team Makes a
Difference
Device Aids Fluoroscopy
Focus on Dialysis Services
The Video Fluoroscopy Swallow
Study (VFSS) is now done using a
more convenient and transferable
digital videodisc (DVD) recorder.
Arnot Health’s Dialysis services are the
largest provider of dialysis services in
the region, with multiple locations
available to meet needs of dialysis
patients within our service area.
Cardiac arrest or shock occurs in 0.6
percent of medical patients and 0.5
percent of surgical patients. Despite
advances in treatment only 17 percent
of patients who experience cardiac
arrest survive to discharge.
evaluating all of a patient's drugs to
prevent adverse events; and using
science-based methods to prevent
central line infections, ventilatorassociated pneumonia and surgical site
infections.
According to some less-frightening
In an effort against such statistics,
statistics, having an RRT in place can
Arnot Health's Rapid Response Team
mean a 50-percent reduction in non(RRT), consisting of an experienced
ICU arrests, can
ICU nurse and a
At-risk patients generally exhibit contribute to reduced
respiratory therapist,
post-operative
can be called into
subtle symptoms six to eight
emergency ICU
action. Our team,
hours prior to an arrest. ICU
transfers (58 percent)
formed as part of
admissions
and
arrests
may
be
and deaths (37
Arnot Health's efforts
percent), as well as a
in the "100,000 Lives avoided by an early response.
reduction in arrests
Campaign," will
prior to ICU transfer.
contribute to the campaign's goal of
reducing the number of unintended
Such circumstances that would require
deaths nationwide by 100,000 over
calling the RRT include, when the RN is
the course of 18 months.
worried about a patient or has a "gut
feeling" about the patient; acute change
Arnot Ogden Medical Center is
in heart rate; acute change in systolic
among some 2,000 hospitals from
blood pressure; acute change in
around the nation that have
respiratory rate; acute change in O2
implemented some or all of six
saturation; and/or acute change in level
interventions recommended by
of consciousness.
campaign sponsor Institute for
Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The
If you have questions, contact
six interventions include deploying
Clinical Nurse Specialist Cheryl
rapid response teams at the first sign
Meyer, MS, RN, CCRN, at
of patient decline; delivering [email protected] or
based care for patients with acute
607-737-4610.
myocardial infarction; implementing
medical reconciliation; listing and
Fluoroscopy is a continuous beam of
X-rays that help the radiologist and
speech therapist evaluate structures
and movements within the body.
These examinations are recorded
and used for further patient
education and assessment.
VFSS can be used for a wide range
of diagnoses including stroke, head
and neck cancers or evaluating a
patients’ status after larynx surgery.
In addition, patients with progressive
neurological disease, patients with
worsening muscle strength
coordination can also benefit from
this study.
“It is used to visualize the passage of
liquids, pureed food and solid food,
all mixed with barium, to assess the
pharyngeal phase of swallow,” notes
speech therapist Sarah Mucenski, MS,
CCC-SLP. “This can help us to
understand the cause of potential
aspiration or discomfort felt by the
patient during a swallow.”
A microphone records the therapist’s
voice, stating the consistency of the
swallowed liquid, which helps
determine appropriate dietary
changes or postural strategies that
may be helpful in decreasing
pharyngeal stage dysphagia.
The DVD recording can be stored in
a patient’s file and shared with other
doctors or transferred electronically.
For more information or to schedule
a VFSS call 607-737-4131.
2
New Appointments
"In addition to being the largest
provider of dialysis services, we pride
ourselves on providing high quality
dialysis care to the patients we serve,"
said Timothy Doty, Dialysis Unit
Director.
"Quality measure results provided by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) indicate that Arnot
Health Dialysis services consistently
exceed the established Quality
Measures standards. Our results are
benchmarked versus facilities at the
national, state and local levels and they
demonstrate very favorable
comparisons" added Doty.
The array of dialysis services offered by
Arnot Health includes outpatient
hemodialysis, inpatient hemodialysis,
inpatient continuous renal replacement
therapy and home peritoneal dialysis.
experience. Dr. Mehta completed his
medical training in India before
receiving five years of residency
training at Interfaith Medical Center in
Brooklyn.
William E. Huffner, MD, was
recently named as Arnot Ogden
Medical Center's Vice President of
Medical Affairs.
Dr. Huffner's experience includes eight
years at Arnot Ogden Medical Center,
serving as Chair and Medical Director of
the Emergency Department from 1990
to 1994 and as Vice Chair and a
physician in the Emergency Department
from 1986 to 1990.
Dr. Huffner earned his Medical Degree
at the SUNY Health Science Center at
Syracuse in 1983 and completed his
Internal Medicine Residency and
Internship at Upstate Medical Center.
In addition to his experience at Arnot
Health, Dr. Huffner was a physician at
Mercy Hospital in Watertown, Lee
Memorial in Fulton and St. Joseph's in
Elmira.
Facilities in Corning and Elmira are
easily accessible and designed to
optimize patient safety and comfort.
They feature state-of-the-art dialysis
equipment, comfortable waiting areas
and ample parking. Medical care is
provided by board-certified
nephrologists and is available 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
For more information call our Ivy II
Dialysis Center at 607-737-4186,
or visit www.arnothealth.org.
Dr. Mehta's services include
gynecologic surgery including
laparscopic, laser and vaginal surgery,
infertility management, birth control,
PMS, menopause and osteoporosis
management. Dr. Mehta will have
office hours in Canton/Troy, PA,
Elmira, Van Etten, and Painted Post,
NY. For an appointment at any location
call (607) 734-6544 or (800) 952-2662.
Charles William Raudat, DO,
specializing in Cardiac,Thoracic and
Vascular Surgery has joined the team
at Arnot Medical Services and the
Heart and Vascular Institute.
Dr. Raudat completed his internship at
the Hospitals of the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine, a
General Surgery residency at Fairview
Health System/Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in Cleveland, OH and a
Cardiothoracic Surgery residency at
University of Missouri Hospital and
Clinics in Columbia, MO.
Jay K. Mehta, MD, specializing in
Obstetrics and Gynecology for Arnot
Medical Services, officially joined the
group on Jan. 1.
Dr. Mehta, a board-certified obstetrician
and gynecologist since in Elmira since
1987, brings 20 years of private practice
Dr. Raudat specializes in minimally
invasive chest and vascular surgery and
has extensive experience in beating
heart surgery and is board certified by
the American Board of Surgery and
the American Board of Thoracic
Surgery. For an appointment or more
information call 607-737-7788.
3
ArnotHealth
INSIGHT
Did You Know?
Spotlight on Bariatric Surgery
Arnot Health, in conjunction with
Bariatric Surgical Associates Robert
Cole, MD and Douglas McKane, MD,
recently received designation as a
Bariatric Center of Excellence
from the American Society for
Bariatric Surgery.This follows
the elite Center of Excellence
designation from Excellus
BlueCross BlueShield for
Bariatric Surgery Program of
Excellence.
This Center of Excellence designation
recognizes surgical programs with a
demonstrated track record of
favorable outcomes in Bariatric
surgery. To earn this designation,
Arnot Health underwent a series of
site inspections during which all
aspects of the program's surgical
processes and data on health
outcomes were closely examined.
According to the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, the
number of U.S. Bariatric surgeries
more than quadrupled between 1998
and 2002 - from 13,386 to 71,733.
Faced with clinical evidence that the
most experienced and best-run
Bariatric surgery programs have by far
the lowest rates of complications, the
American Society for Bariatric Surgery
Centers of Excellence is to recognize
surgery centers with high
performance standards.
For more information call Health on
Demand at 607-737-4499.
ArnotHealth
Quality Healthcare Close to Home
January - February
2006
Clinical Research Close to
Home
Arnot Health's Clinical Research
department has grown steadily in
its five years of existence. Within
the last year, the department has
grown into an entity all its own,
managing a dozen studies under
physician-investigator, Dr. Frederic
Skinner.
As a participant in important
national and worldwide clinical
research trials and studies, the
department serves as the main
conduit for helping to connect
patients and staff interested in
clinical trials, including cutting-edge
experimental treatments.
News and Information
for Physicians and
Medical Professionals
ArnotHealth
INSIGHT
In this issue:
Arnot Health is a community-based,
not-for-profit healthcare system
operated for the public benefit.
Contents may not be reproduced
in whole or in part without written
permission. 607-737-4100 or
www.arnothealth.org
New PET/CT System
Page 1
•
Making Hospitals Safer
Page 2
•
DVD Aids Flouroscopy
•
Dialysis Services
•
Clinical Research
Close to Home
New Appointments:
•
Anyone interested in learning more
can call 607-271-7000.
600 Roe Avenue
Elmira, New York 14905
•
First PET/CT System
in Region
Departments / Issues:
All of the trials and studies are run
in compliance with FDA, HIPPA
and good clinical practice guidelines.
In-house research coordinators
facilitate studies with various
physician offices, making the
process as easy as possible for
physicians and staff.
ArnotHealth
January - February
2006
INSIGHT
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage
PAID
Elmira, NY
Permit No. 157
VP of Medical Affairs
William E. Huffner, M.D.
•
Jay K. Mehta, M.D.
•
Charles Raudat, DO
Arnot Ogden Medical Center now offers
a PET/CT system completely optimized
for cancer care and much more.
PET creates images of high metabolic
activity in the body, while CT scans allows
doctors to see the internal structures
within the human body. This hybrid
technology combines those strengths into
one imaging session to more accurately
diagnose and locate cancers while
increasing patient comfort. This allows
physicians to develop more targeted
treatment plans, and do better, lessinvasive treatment monitoring, which
should result in improved patient
outcomes. Scans can be beneficial for
early detection, staging of cancer, checking
for recurrences and accessing the
effectiveness of chemotherapy.
A PET/CT scan is non-invasive, painless
and takes about 30 minutes. The
procedure is covered by private insurance
and Medicare.
"The PET/CT is another example of Arnot
4
Ogden Medical Center’s commitment to
innovation and technology for early
disease detection, supporting physicians in
improved diagnosis and treatment," said
Anthony Cooper, President and CEO.
While PET/CT is primarily used in cancer
treatment, it also has applications in
cardiology and brain imaging, and it will
help physicians better understand the
workings of neurological disorders
such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
Before having a PET/CT scan, the patient
receives a dose of a radiopharmaceutical
tracer containing substances that mimic
those normally used in the body. These
tracers accumulate in diseased cells.
During the scan, the tracers are detected
by the system and highlight any abnormal
physiology. This image helps physicians
determine if disease is present, the
location and extent of disease, and track
how rapidly it is spreading.
Call 607-735-4646 for more
information or to schedule a scan.