Journeys Spring 2014

SPRING 2014

JOURNEYS “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice …” – William Jennings Bryan

Trust affirmed

JOURNEYS SPRING 2014

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FROM OUR PRESIDENT

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THE BRYAN EXPERIENCE Trust affirmed: For rare condition, he finds best care available close to home

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THE BRYAN WAY Walking humbly beside our heroes

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GASTROENTEROLOGY & ONCOLOGY Colorectal cancer screening: It’s a life-saving decision

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BRYAN LUNG CANCER CENTER New use for radiating mesh in treating lung cancer BRYAN HEART Heart care at Bryan forges bond with visitors: From Horns to Huskers Bryan Health and Mary Lanning Healthcare partner to create new cardiology clinic

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MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE New faces at Bryan

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MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT Ask the doctors: Would I benefit from 3D mammography?

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PASTORAL CARE Chaplains share our mission: Healing body and soul UROLOGY & PEDIATRICS Lincoln’s urologists offer full range of pediatric surgeries Clinic helps children overcome bedwetting BRYAN LIFEPOINTE Triathletes enjoy friendly competition indoors

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CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER ALS Intercept Program: Primed to save lives in Crete area

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VOLUNTEERS & CUSTOMER CARE Picking you up: Courtesy vehicle transports guests to our front door BRYAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

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ACHIEVEMENTS

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BRYAN STERLING CONNECTION

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Video tributes retell Champions’ stories During our annual Tribute to Trauma Champions, we recognized trauma survivors Cindy Renner of Hickman and Rodney Krogh of Lincoln and hundreds of professionals throughout the statewide trauma system who were involved in saving their lives. This year’s event was April 24 at The Rococo Theatre.

Go to bryanhealth.com/trauma-champions-2014 to hear their inspirational stories. n

ALL ABOUT JOURNEYS

STAY IN TOUCH

Statesman William Jennings Bryan, one of the original benefactors of Bryan Health, said:

We welcome your comments. For more information about Journeys, contact the Advancement team by calling 402-481-8674.

To learn more about Bryan programs and services, visit us online at bryanhealth.org.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

Journeys tells our story of how Bryan chooses to achieve. This free publication is mailed quarterly to our employees, physicians, volunteers and the communities we serve.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT Your contributions help us care for those who come to Bryan at every stage of life. To find out how you can participate, call the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605, or write to us at: Bryan Foundation 1600 S. 48th St. Lincoln, NE 68506

VIDEO

Go to bryanhealth. com/traumachampions-2014 to see inspiring videos about Marv and Cindy Renner (top) and Dawn Pawlewski Krogh and Rodney Krogh (bottom).

Kimberly Russel President & CEO, Bryan Health John Woodrich President & COO, Bryan Medical Center Gary “Gus” Hustad, MD Chief of Staff, Bryan Medical Staff Bob Ravenscroft Vice President of Advancement & CDO Edgar Bumanis Director of Public Relations Paul Hadley Editor

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

“We were on the Honor Flight to give care and assistance, but in the end, we were the recipients. To share this experience with Nebraska’s Korean War veterans was a gift I will forever cherish.”

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n March 25, four Bryan Health team members — Brenda Lieske, RN; Tim Lieske, MD; Pam Marco, RT; and Michelle Parris, RT — served as medical guardians on an Honor Flight that took Nebraska Korean War veterans to Washington, D.C. That same day, adult psychiatric unit assistant nurse manager John Fahrnbruch, as a supervisor of a military service member at Bryan Medical Center, received a Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

These individuals, through their spirit and compassion, exemplify our Bryan culture that values and respects military service.

I’m pleased to recognize them in this edition of Journeys, which is all about giving.

We’ve inserted our annual report on giving and community benefit. In this special publication, you will read about gifts your friends and neighbors have made to help Bryan further its mission. You also will read about our commitment to support and collaborate with those who work so hard to make our community safe, vital and welcoming.

Our total quantifiable community benefit of $71 million in the past 12-month period attests to our unwavering promise, as your Nebraska owned and governed, not-for-profit health care system, to always be there for all who turn to us for care.

— Brenda Lieske, RN, Bryan Medical Center I hope you enjoy reading about ways in which our Bryan staff members, physicians, volunteers and students share their talents in support of our mission and commitment.

Forward. Together. Helping you prepare for what’s next in your life will always be what’s next in ours.

Kimberly A. Russel, President and CEO, Bryan Health

Michelle Parris, Brenda Lieske, Dr. Tim Lieske and Pam Marco help salute Nebraska’s veterans on the final Korean War Honor Flight.

Bryan Journeys 1

Trust affirmed Kent Seacrest pauses in the elegant stairway of Fairview, historic home of Mary and William Jennings Bryan. As a boy climbing trees on his grandparents’ nearby property, Kent could spot Fairview among the complex of medical buildings which would become today’s Bryan East Campus.

Seacrest’s appreciation of medical care in Lincoln was confirmed during his recent diagnosis and treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

2 Spring 2014

THE BRYAN EXPERIENCE

For rare condition, he finds best care available close to home

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ent Seacrest has long believed Lincoln is blessed with sophisticated medical care. This fourthgeneration resident and son of former Lincoln Journal newspaper editor Joe R. Seacrest recalls his father being impressed with the quality of medical care in Lincoln — a point of view the attorney also developed through the years while working on land-use projects with local medical providers.

So, when faced with the rare and difficult-to-diagnose GuillainBarré Syndrome, Kent didn’t hesitate to place his trust in Bryan Health.

“When it comes to treating difficult medical problems, I think of Bryan — it is so specialized,” Kent says. “And for some reason, I knew that was precisely what I was going to need.”

Kent, who has spent his career championing the redevelopment and revitalization of the city, had taken only two “sick days” since he started his law practice 33 years ago. “I would get a cold and the flu about once a year, but it didn’t keep me home.”

This past spring, though, his yearly cold didn’t go away. He began experiencing blurry vision and became so weak his wife, Ann, and daughter Ella had to help him to the car, draped over their shoulders like an injured football star, to make the trip to Bryan Medical Center.

Making the diagnosis “They kept running tests — and each one came back negative,” Ann recalls. “They were being methodical in their approach but it felt like they were trying to find a needle in a haystack.” A registered nurse, Ann jumped in and became Kent’s personal navigator, conducting research on her own and reaching out to colleagues across the country for assistance.

“Do you think he could have Guillain-Barré?” Ann asked as the emergency physician and hospitalist at Bryan discussed Kent’s condition. Guillain-Barré Syndrome had indeed been rising to the top of physicians’ potential diagnoses through a process of elimination and was confirmed through testing of spinal cord fluid.

This is a rare disorder in which a person’s own immune system damages nerve cells, causing extreme muscle weakness and even paralysis. Kent had Miller-Fisher Variant, a rare version of Guillain-

Barré Syndrome, where symptoms paralyzed his legs, skipped over his lungs and went into his head, leading to double vision but avoiding his respiratory system. Doctors don’t know what set the syndrome in motion — Kent’s trigger could have been his cold or another infection.

Once the diagnosis was confirmed, nephrologist Les Spry, MD, stepped in as quarterback, assembled the team and helped Kent and his family better understand the condition and treatment protocol. Hospitalist Lance Schupbach, MD, Tiffany Bohn, RN, and physical therapist Barry Rutt worked closely with Dr. Spry and neurologist James Bobenhouse, MD, to facilitate Kent’s care.

Kent was impressed with the teamwork among physicians, nurses, technicians and therapists.

“I work with a lot of community processes where communication is key, but it is impressive to experience systems working flawlessly in such a pressure-packed environment. I felt safe that Bryan had such a sophisticated system in place,” he says.

Ann adds, “Bryan took a challenging situation, and its staff really stepped up to the plate and did a beautiful job of addressing not just the complexities of the medical situation but also all the complexities of the family support system.”

Throughout this journey to diagnosis, Ann sought validation from physician acquaintances at larger medical centers that Kent was receiving appropriate care. She says, “The Bryan team welcomed my participation, and care manager Etta Tucker, RN, really went out of her way to support me, telling me that Bryan would help me do what I needed to do, even if it meant helping to transfer Kent somewhere else.”

Treatment at Bryan There is no cure for Guillain-Barré; however, there are two therapies — plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin — that often lessen the severity of the illness and accelerate recovery.

Kent’s physicians preferred plasmapheresis, a therapy available at only two facilities in Nebraska — Bryan Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Since the antibodies attacking Kent’s body were being transmitted through his plasma, the plasma needed to be replaced.

His blood was sent through the apheresis machine where it was spun at high speed into a parfait of different layers: red blood cells,

Bryan Journeys 3

THE BRYAN EXPERIENCE

He’s back to family, fishing, normalcy An important part of community

white blood cells, platelets and plasma.

The top layer — the plasma — was removed and replaced with a plasma substitute (albumin) that was mixed in with his blood and then returned to his body. This process, which took about 90 minutes, eliminated about 75 percent of the misdirected antibodies with each treatment.

Kent endured five of these treatments in seven days. Feeling drained and unable to even sit up on his own, he began the rehabilitation process.

Rehabilitation and recovery After being in Bryan Medical Center for 11 days, Kent was expected to be at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital for another 6-12 weeks. Everyone was amazed when four weeks later he walked out on his own — no walker or wheelchair — with no prescribed medications.

Kent attributes his faster-thananticipated recovery to Bryan’s quick intervention and treatment selection.

“There are two types of treatment, and the Bryan physicians gave me the right one at the right time,” he notes.

Within three days of finishing his inpatient rehabilitation, Kent was fishing in rock-bottomed stretches of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. And there’s more to the story: Kent and fellow Cornhusker Fly Fishers’ team members won national runner-up honors in a major trout fishing tournament — the Jackson Hole One Fly event — just a month later.

“That was part of my motivation to get better as I was working through the tough weeks of rehab. I thought, this is summer and I am supposed to be fly fishing. I’ve

4 Spring 2014

Kent’s able to return to fly fishing. loved this sport since my family started taking me fishing when I was just 6 years old — I didn’t want to miss out.”

Though able to go about his life almost normally now, Kent still is considered to be in the healing phase for another year.

“The final check off will be when I get my energy back and get rid of my numbness in my feet and hands,” he says.

“Even if that doesn’t happen, I still feel very lucky.”

The Seacrest family has been a part of the Lincoln community for many years, dating back to the late 1800s.

Later, their family farm shared a border with William Jennings Bryan’s farm, Fairview. When he was a little boy, Kent used to climb a pine tree in his greatgrandparents’ yard near Antelope Park and look to the east where he could see William Jennings Bryan’s former home as part of the Bryan Memorial Hospital campus.

As the city has grown, Bryan Health has developed into a statewide provider, bearing little resemblance to the image Kent saw as a boy, but still embracing the historic residence and commitment to the community.

Kent’s parents, Joe and Beatrice (Mike) Seacrest, set an example for strong community service that Kent and Ann continue to nurture through their own professional, volunteer and charitable activities. Empty nesters after having raised four children (Brook, Devon, Connor and Ella), Kent’s revitalization activities and Ann’s position as executive director of MilkWorks, a nonprofit breast-feeding center, provide support for a better community.

Kent understands what it takes to make a community vibrant. And one very important component, a high-quality health system, stands out.

“I have an even greater respect for the quality of medical care Bryan Health is delivering in the city that has been my home for most of my life,” he says. n To learn how you can support Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.

THE BRYAN WAY

Walking humbly beside our heroes As a senior manager, I have the privilege to circulate among Bryan co-workers and patients in a process called rounding. These behind-the-scenes visits help us better understand the needs of our team and the people they serve. I wrote the following letter to Kelli Klopfenstein, nurse manager of our intensive care unit, after a recent visit to the ICU. Here’s what a typical day is like for our team at Bryan.

— Bob Ravenscroft, Vice President and CDO

team enter the room next door and heard her say to a patient there, “I’m going to close the curtain and shut your door so some of the activity on the unit isn’t distracting for you. Is there anything you need while I’m here?”

At the nurses’ station, they briefed chaplain Dennis Smith on the situation, and off he went to minister to the family.

Everyone was doing all he or she could, and all any patient or family could hope for. The team restored the patient after 13 or Kelli, thank you for the time you took to round with me. What 14 minutes of compressions, shocks and heaven knows what else. a humbling and proud day to say I am part of the Bryan Health However, even then their experience and skill didn’t take them team. from the bedside: They knew the process could quickly begin During my visit, we heard a code called, indicating a patient again. needed serious help right away. It was evident how your staff reUp to this point, to call it incredible would be an understatesponded to that crisis was not uncommon. ment. After a second round of what When I reached that patient’s room, would be life-sustaining efforts, Dr. Lieske Dr. Stephanie Randall (anesthesia) was returned to share that the family did not already doing what she was so superbly want the staff to continue. trained to do. Dr. Timothy Lieske (pulOur Bryan team shined even brighter. monology) looked like a quarterback as he Some began exiting the room knowing directed the team. I believe I counted 15 they had done everything possible. I could people in that room. This all happened in tell they were refocusing for what might a matter of seconds. If one ever wanted a be ahead, as they knew the ICU was filled glimpse of the comprehensive nature of with patients, as it is every day.

Bryan Health and Bryan Medical Center A few people stayed behind to unhook resources, skill, compassion and the trainthe patient from the myriad things coning we provide, this was a great example. nected to her, clean her up, straighten the Some of the finest technology in the bed and get her a new gown. world was being made available for this This final touch of dignity offered to patient, with hands and minds of great the patient and family was, again, routine physicians, nurses and therapists all for you, but profound to me. working in concert. And I believe I I wanted to keep watching your team counted seven future caregivers from our work all day as I know there is a story in Bryan College of Health Sciences looking every room, and I so very much respect on, with a faculty member calmly what you all do. And, I wish more than teaching. What a rich educational a precious few of our 4,000 employees experience! Some students even took a could witness what I did. stint administering chest compressions.

Every day I truly enjoy representing I could see admiration in their eyes for Bryan in my capacity, but that brief time I Rounding among our guests and co-workers those they aspired to be like. was fortunate to spend with my colleagues with nurse manager Kelli Klopfenstein in the However, please know the teamwork on the Bryan West Campus ranks among intensive care unit was a humbling and didn’t end there. my most proud. n enlightening experience.

I watched another member of your

Bryan Journeys 5

GASTROENTEROLOGY & ONCOLOGY

Delivering Al’s future UPS driver Al Chambers is a cancer survivor who knows firsthand the importance of colonoscopies for screening and treatments.

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GASTROENTEROLOGY & ONCOLOGY

Colorectal cancer screening

It’s a life-saving decision

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olorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and/or rectum) is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States — but it doesn’t have to be.

Although colorectal cancer kills about 50,000 Americans each year, almost nine out of 10 of these deaths could be prevented by colonoscopy screening, a procedure that allows early detection and removal of colorectal polyps (abnormal growths in the colon or rectum that could one day turn into cancer). Colonoscopy also helps doctors find colorectal cancer early on, when the odds for successful treatment are best.

Doctors recommend screening for men and women once they reach age 50. This screening can be done yearly using tests to detect blood in the stool, every five years by sigmoidoscopy or every 10 years by colonoscopy. The American College of Gastroenterology considers colonoscopy the “gold standard” for screening for colorectal cancer because it lets physicians, during the same procedure, look at the entire colon and remove any polyps present.

Among those battling colorectal cancer is Al Chambers, a driver for the United Parcel Service in the Lincoln and Seward areas. Al was diagnosed and treated in 2013 by gastroenterologist Andrew Coen, MD; oncologist Stacey Knox, MD; and surgeon John Fallick, MD. This is his story.

Thanks to a timely colonoscopy and appropriate follow-up, Al Chambers is back on his route for UPS.

once I got back home to Lincoln, I went to see the doctors at the emergency room at Bryan Medical Center because I was still so short of breath and tired all the time.

“My trip to the emergency room turned out to be a shock, because the doctors found that my fatigue and shortness of breath were because I was losing a lot of blood internally, and a colonoscopy the doctors did afterward showed that the bleeding was caused “My colonoscopy by a tumor in my colon. had a real wake-up call with colon cancer,” “The thing is,” Al says, “it turned out that the was painless and says Al. “I knew testing is a priority once you colonoscopy was painless and no big deal at all. no big deal at all. hit age 50, but just like everybody else, I have I was under anesthesia when it was performed, so many things I want and need to do in my so all I remember is that I met the doctor who If I’d known that the day-to-day life — and frankly, I didn’t want to get the was going to do the procedure. The next thing screening would colonoscopy. I felt fine healthwise, so I put off doing I knew, I was on my way back to my room to the screening. watch the Huskers’ game on TV. If I’d known that be that easy, I’d “As it turned out, one day I couldn’t put it off colonoscopy screening would be that easy, I’d have had it done a anymore. The day after the Michigan-Nebraska have had it done a long time ago.” football game in 2013, we went to Chicago to see Dr. Coen, who performed Al’s colonoscopy, long time ago.” the Detroit Lions play. I’d been tired a lot at home, explains that patients are under conscious and at the game I was so out of breath that I had sedation — often called “twilight sleep” — during trouble walking up to our seats. colonoscopies, so usually they have no memory “It was getting to be the Christmas season — our busiest of the procedure. time at UPS — and I knew I had to be on top of my game. So “Colonoscopy is easier than it’s ever been,” Dr. Coen says. “It

“I

Bryan Journeys 7

GASTROENTEROLOGY & ONCOLOGY involves a day of a clear-liquid diet and laxative use the evening and morning before the procedure. Most patients have no pain at all after their colonoscopies; the most common after-effect is some abdominal bloating and intestinal gas, which resolves after about an hour. Patients usually feel tired or drowsy because of the sedation they’ve received, so they need to have someone drive them home after the procedure and should rest for the rest of the day.”

Al thinks back on his experience and has advice to give to people considering putting off screening for colorectal cancer.

“I would say ‘You are gambling with your life, period.’

And I would ask them, ‘What’s worse, death or this screening procedure, which turns out to be not a big deal?’

“In my case, if I’d made my health more of a priority, we might have found the cancer during a routine screening, before my symptoms got as severe as they did. Now that I’ve had my surgery, things look pretty good, so that’s as good an outcome for this story as we could hope for.”

Al adds, “My personal motto is this: ‘It’s not what you become in life, it’s what you overcome in life.’ This is my third go-round with cancer, and I’ve recovered both times before.

I’ve chosen to take things head-on in recovering from colon cancer, too.

“I’m strong, and I know I’ll overcome it.” n

What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer usually has no symptoms in its early stages. The following symptoms do not always mean that colorectal cancers or polyps are present, but they should be discussed with your doctor: • Rectal bleeding • Blood in your stool or in the toilet after a bowel movement • Prolonged diarrhea • Change in the shape or size of your stool • Cramping pain in your lower abdomen • Urge to have a bowel movement when there is no need Arranging for colonoscopy screening is easy “If you are age 50 or older you can simply call our office to arrange colonoscopy screening through the Bryan Gastrointestinal Specialties lab,“ says Coleen Goertzen, RN, of Gastroenterology Specialties in Lincoln. “We don’t require a referral from your doctor, and the colonoscopy procedure is covered by most insurance programs.”

For more information, see your doctor, or contact the staff of Bryan Gastrointestinal Specialties by calling 402-481-3580.

Dr. Andrew Coen and Bryan Gastrointestinal Specialties manager Penny LeDuc show off one of the fluoroscopy rooms shortly before the new unit opened this spring on the Bryan East Campus. The 5th Floor area has 11 rooms for patients and five procedure rooms.

8 Spring 2014

BRYAN LUNG CANCER CENTER

New use for radiating mesh in treating lung cancer

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Richard Thompson, MD

Joeseph Kam Chiu, MD

pening its doors in early 2014, the Bryan Lung Cancer Center is making another advancement available to improve patient outcomes and push the boundaries of lung cancer treatment.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Thompson, MD, head of the lung cancer program at Bryan Health, is excited about possible breakthroughs with the new Cesium-131 brachytherapy mesh.

“Historically, lung cancer is best treated through surgery,” Dr. Thompson says.

“Many patients, however, don’t have that option if the cancer has progressed too quickly or they have other conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that don’t allow for a lobectomy.”

Introduced to Bryan Health by radiation oncologist Joeseph Kam Chiu, MD, the brachytherapy mesh focuses radiation directly on the high-risk area and allows surgeons to remove lung cancer that is at risk of residual disease.

“If the tumor is close to the chest wall or great vessels, the patient often will need postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There are many side effects, and these can lead to further deterioration of lung function,” says Dr. Chiu. “The brachytherapy mesh is an effective new option to reduce external radiation doses for these patients.”

How does it work?

The Cesium-131 brachytherapy mesh contains a specific number of radioactive seeds. This premeasured, precut mesh is developed four to five days before

surgery. During the procedure, the surgeon performs a resection, removing a portion of the lung tissue containing the tumor.

The mesh is sewn directly over the incision area, delivering a continuous dose of radiation to the cancerous tissue for 90 days.

While successful in focally delivering radiation to a high-risk area, the mesh also can serve as a marker for future treatment.

“With the mesh as a marker, we can limit our overall radiation volume,” says Dr. Chiu. “If the patient needs further treatment, we don’t have to second-guess where the high-risk area is.”

Candidates for this new treatment are discussed during the biweekly cancer conference held at Bryan Medical Center, where practitioners from several medical specialties discuss patient diagnoses, treatments and prognoses.

“If a patient is a good candidate for this treatment, we’ll introduce it at the conference and then speak with the patient about the procedure,” Dr. Thompson says.

National research has shown significant improvements in patient outcomes using the Cesium-131 brachytherapy mesh, decreasing recurrence of cancer in the same place from 16-20 percent without the mesh to just 5-6 percent with the mesh. n To learn more about the Cesium-131 brachytherapy mesh, contact the Bryan Lung Cancer Center at 402-483-3255.

To find out how you can support Bryan Health, please call the Bryan Foundation staff at 402-481-8605.

Bryan Journeys 9

BRYAN HEART Heart care at Bryan forges bond with visitors

From Horns to Huskers

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illy and Annie Dragoo never imagined they would be Nebraska fans, living deep in the heart of Texas and teaching in Austin, the home of the Texas Longhorns. But after Annie’s sudden cardiac arrest in Lincoln last June, they can’t say enough good things about the Huskers who saved her life.

Annie and Billy and their three children, Joshua, Haley and Sadie, were attending the International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln last summer, an event in which the couple and their theater students participate annually.

While walking through campus with her daughters, Annie collapsed.

Haley frantically called 911 and sent Sadie for help. After quick response from Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Annie was taken to Bryan East Campus where she remained in the intensive care unit for the next 2½ weeks.

Saving Annie Annie was in critical condition when she arrived at Bryan. A team of cardiologist Ryan Whitney, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon Robert Oakes, MD, and pulmonologists Ellen Miller, MD, and Douglas Fiedler, MD, worked to save her life. Her condition called for extreme measures, so Dr. Oakes performed the procedure to place her on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine (ECMO). This allowed Annie’s lungs to rest and heal while it oxygenated her blood and returned it to her body.

Once Annie was stabilized, cardiologist W. Michael Kutayli, MD, implanted an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) in Annie’s chest to keep her heart beating. An ICD is similar to a pacemaker; it’s designed to detect very fast, abnormal heart rhythm and then correct it by delivering a small, but powerful, shock that causes the heart to return to a normal rhythm.

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Network of support Billy and his family and friends kept watch over Annie as she struggled to recover. And they were impressed with Bryan.

“Every member of Team Bryan we encountered was unbelievably talented, confident and positive and provided very calming influences for someone in a near state of shock,” Billy says. “And I appreciated that Dr. Whitney shot straight with me while at the same time being reassuring.

“One of our close friends from Austin who is a renowned pediatric radiologist jumped in the car with her husband and drove to Lincoln to help me better understand what was happening. She was surprised a city the size of Lincoln had such a highlevel tertiary hospital, and she told us Annie’s care was the best she had ever seen.”

A strong bond was formed between the Dragoos and many of the Bryan staff who participated in her care, including Mona Reynolds, RN, clinical nurse manager of the ICU. “They were an amazing family with wonderful friends and support,” Mona says. “It is important that we get to know our patients and their families so we can provide the best possible care, and this family, being far from home, truly appreciated the friendship and warm environment.”

Grateful for caregivers Now back at work teaching and directing high school theater, Annie is still recovering. But even on difficult days, she is thankful to be alive. According to the American Heart Association, less than 8 percent of those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive. Her cardiologist in Austin was amazed after looking over Annie’s file from Bryan, remarking, “I cannot believe you are sitting here in front of me! It’s obviously due to the phenomenal care you received in Nebraska.”

When Annie showed her special education theater students a

BRYAN HEART video clip of herself on the ECMO machine, they told her she now has a second birthday, on the anniversary of her trip to Lincoln.

“That was a special moment that made me even more thankful,” Annie says. “I’m looking forward to my special birthday party when we are back to attend the festival this June.”

Annie and Billy also will go by the hospital “for a quick hello.”

He says, “Now, not only do I know exactly how to get to

Bryan East Campus, but it will forever be indelibly burned in my consciousness as home to the incredibly talented caregivers who saved Annie’s life.” n

To learn how your gift can support Bryan Health and the work of the Bryan Heart team, please call the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.

Bryan Health and Mary Lanning Healthcare partner to create new cardiology clinic

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hrough a joint venture, Bryan Health and Mary Lanning Healthcare have established a new, full-service cardiology clinic: Bryan Heart Mary Lanning Cardiology offers a full array of services, 24/7.

“Bryan Heart is committed to the Hastings community, and this new venture with our partners at Mary Lanning will give patients more options to receive exceptional cardiac and vascular care without having to leave the area,” says Keith Miller, MD, executive medical director of Bryan Heart.

Pradipta Chaudhuri, MD, formerly of Hastings, returns as a member of Bryan Heart. He will perform a full spectrum of procedures at Mary Lanning, including transesophageal echocardiograms (TEEs), catheterization, pacemakers, defibrillators and stress echocardiograms. Bryan Heart is Cardiologist Pradipta Chaudhuri, MD, is a new member of Bryan Heart. actively recruiting a full-time interventional cardiologist to join Dr. Chaudhuri. In Bryan Health. We share a philosophy of local addition, cardiothoracic ownership and decision making,” notes Mary surgeon Richard Thompson, Lanning Healthcare President and CEO Eric MD, is holding an outreach Barber. clinic in Hastings each Dr. Chaudhuri is certified by the American month.

Board of Internal Medicine in internal “I look forward to returning to Hastings, a community that I’ve medicine and cardiovascular disease. grown very attached to, and working with the exceptional team at The new clinic is in the Medical Services Building adjacent to Bryan Heart to serve the heart care needs of the region,” says Dr. Mary Lanning Healthcare, 715 N. Kansas Ave., Suite 206. To make Chaudhuri. an appointment with the physicians at Bryan Heart Mary Lanning “Mary Lanning Healthcare is pleased to formalize, through Cardiology, call 402-460-5555. n this new joint venture, our historically strong relationship with

Bryan Journeys 11

MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE

New faces at

Bryan

Welcome these colleagues to the Bryan medical community Casey Burg, MD, pediatrics, is associated with Children’s Specialty Physicians at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha, 402-955-7378.

Dr. Burg earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at South Dakota State University, Brookings, in 1995 and a medical degree from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, in 1999. He completed a pediatric internship at the Navy Medical Center, San Diego, Calif., and was a naval flight surgeon at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute at Pensacola, Fla., before serving on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in Japan.

He returned to the Navy Medical Center for a pediatric residency and directed the pediatric department at the Naval Health Clinic New England in Newport, R.I., before moving to Colorado in 2008.

Dr. Burg completed fellowships in pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine through the University of Colorado. He practiced in the Children’s Hospital Network of Care in Colorado, at Highlands Ranch and Denver, and was a commander of the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps before becoming director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in 2012.

He is an assistant professor of pediatric pulmonology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he also is assistant director of the UNMC Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program.

12 Spring 2014

Sabrina Cerny, MD, family medicine, is a new faculty member of the Lincoln Medical Education Program and is associated with the Lincoln Family Medicine Center, 402-483-4571.

Dr. Cerny graduated from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1999 with a B.A. in French, completed coursework at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and in 2008 earned a medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University at Richmond.

She completed the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program, San Antonio, Texas, in 2011 and a University of North Carolina Faculty Development Fellowship at Chapel Hill in 2012. Before beginning her medical career, she taught high school in Liberty, Mo., and was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Missouri. Before moving to Lincoln, Dr. Cerny was a faculty physician in the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program.

Kasturi Ranga, MD, nephrology, is associated with Nebraska Kidney Care, 402-466-8259.

In 1990, Dr. Ranga earned his medical degree at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India, where earlier he completed a 12-month internship. He was accepted in 1994 for membership in the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom. He completed an internal medicine residency in 1997 and a nephrology fellowship in 1999 at the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as a fellowship in transplant medicine in 2000 at the Oregon Health Sciences University at Portland.

He is certified in internal medicine and nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Ranga served as a transplant nephrologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Transplant Program, Omaha, and was a member of the Division of Nephrology at UNMC. During his medical career, he also has been an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, director of transplant medicine at Hartford Hospital of Springfield, Mass., medical director of the Kidney Transplant Program at Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Ill., and was an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the

MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE University of Arizona Medical Center at Tucson.

Before joining Nebraska Kidney Care, Dr. Ranga was an associate professor of internal medicine/nephrology at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center/Methodist Healthcare at Memphis.

Jessica Sandmeier, DO, obstetrics & gynecology, has joined Integrated Women’s Health, 402-484-3199.

Dr. Sandmeier earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1999 and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, Iowa, in 2005.

Her initial training in obstetrics & gynecology was in Evanston, Ill., at Saint Francis Hospital, which is affiliated with the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Medicine. She completed her residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2009. Before joining Integrated Women’s Health, Dr. Sandmeier practiced in West Des Moines and Davenport, Iowa. She is board certified and has received additional training in endoscopic surgery and da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical procedures.

Abby Soterin, MD, hospitalist, is associated with Inpatient Physician Associates, 402-481-4136.

Dr. Soterin earned a bachelor’s in biology and chemistry from Doane College, Crete, in 2004 and a medical degree in 2010 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine at Omaha, where she also completed an internal medicine residency.

Jackie Tran, MD, physiatry, has joined Madonna Rehabilitation Specialists, 402413-3531.

Dr. Tran earned a bachelor’s in political science in 2005 at Rudgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., and a medical degree in 2009 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey at Newark.

She completed an internal medicine

We remember Dr. Youngberg, longtime nephrologist Nephrologist Stephen Youngberg, MD, of Lincoln died Nov. 11, 2013, at age 67.

This native of Sioux City, Iowa, earned a bachelor’s in chemistry and biology at Morningside College, Sioux City, in 1968 and graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, in 1972.

Dr. Youngberg was an advanced clinical resident in nephrology in 1975-1976 at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, Minn., and completed a National Kidney Foundation Fellowship in 1976-1977 in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation.

He was a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and received the AMA Physicians Recognition Award four times.

He practiced in Texas and Louisiana before moving in 1986 to Nebraska, where he practiced in Lincoln and had privileges and consulted in several other communities.

Dr. Youngberg was the principal investigator for MDS Pharma Services in Lincoln before accepting a similar position with Celerion in 2010.

He is survived by his wife, Margy, a son and daughter, a sister and four grandchildren. n

internship in 2010 at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at New Brunswick, N.J., and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2013. n

Bryan Journeys 13

MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Ask the doctors: Would I benefit from 3D mammography?

Bryan Medical Center is pleased to bring 3D (threedimensional) mammography to the region. This new technology, in combination with current 2D digital mammography, increases breast cancer detection by up to 40 percent. Radiologists Janet C. Matthes, MD, and Jeff Matthes, MD, explain the revolutionary new diagnostic procedure.

Q: What is 3D mammography?

JM (Dr. Jeff Matthes): Traditionally with 2D mammography you have two flat views of the breast: from top to bottom and from side to side. With 3D mammography, you can see the breast in 1 mm slices in an imaging process known as tomosynthesis. If a suspicious finding is hiding within breast tissue, we have a better chance of locating it with 3D. JCM (Dr. Janet Matthes): We are pleased to have this new technique at the Bryan Pine Lake Campus at 40th and Pine Lake Road.

since we can see in 1 mm slices. It’s also good for women with a family history of breast cancer because it helps with early detection of breast cancer. Three-dimensional mammography can detect 10-40 percent better than 2D and reduces the chances that women will receive callbacks for more pictures.

Overlapping breast tissue can hide things or make it look as if there is something there that is not; this is solved with 3D mammography.

JM: We can find smaller lesions with 3D images.

Q: What guidelines should I follow for regular mammograms?

JCM: Bryan’s radiology department follows the American College of Radiology recommendations, which say you should have an annual mammogram beginning at age 40.

JM: High-risk patients with a family history of breast cancer tend to be fairly informed about the potential risks of cancer and may come to us in their 30s for baseline mammograms.

Q. Do I need a doctor’s referral to get a 3D mammogram?

JCM: Yes, just ask your doctor to order a 3D mammogram, and the Scheduling Center will help schedule an appointment that’s

Q: Are there advantages over my usual mammogram?

JM: Traditional digital mammography creates twodimensional pictures of the breast and is still an advanced tool in detecting breast abnormalities. However, 3D mammography differentiates lesions from normal overlapping tissue seen in 2D. We have already seen the benefit of 3D firsthand. In the first days after installing this technology, we discovered two early cancers that were very small and not visible with standard 2D techniques.

These women now have a much better chance of survival, thanks to tomosynthesis.

Q: Who is 3D mammography for?

JCM: Every woman can benefit from a 3D mammogram. It is especially helpful for women who have dense breasts

14 Spring 2014

You can reach Dr. Janet Matthes and Dr. Jeff Matthes of Lincoln Radiology Group at 402-420-3500.

MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT convenient for you at the Bryan Pine Lake Campus.

Q; How safe is 3D mammography?

JCM: It was approved in 2011 by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, so patients should take assurance from that.

JM: It is safe for women who have had breast implants. If you do both a 2D and a 3D mammogram, you still would only be receiving half of the radiation that the FDA allows. By July, when we can generate a 2D image from a 3D mammogram, you’ll only be getting a fourth of what the FDA allows.

possible. Before I leave, every mammogram from that day has been read. Getting results depends on the various physicians’ offices.

VIDEO

Q: How soon will results of the 3D mammogram be known?

JM: It’s important that results are available as soon as

Go to www.bryanhealth.com/ 3d-mammography to see a video about the new 3D mammography technology on Bryan Pine Lake Campus.

Q: Do you need special training to read 3D mammography images?

JCM: The board-certified radiologist and the technologist performing the mammogram receive special training.

JM: The FDA requires us to read 80 3D mammography exams during the training.

Q: Please tell us about your careers. What interested you in the field of radiology?

JCM: I liked the technology. I liked the problem-solving role. I liked the everdeveloping techniques, which are exciting.

JM: I’ve always loved technology. Radiologists are consultants to other physicians, so you have to know multiple fields. We cover the gamut of the human body. All fields are constantly changing, and that’s fun.

Q: Where did you go to medical school?

JM: We both went to the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in Omaha. We did our residencies at the University of Texas in San Antonio.

JCM: We were given enormous responsibility, so it was a great place to train. But we are Midwesterners at heart, and it was natural to move back to Nebraska.

Q: On a personal note, you are among the few married couples in the area where husband and wife are working in the same medical practice. Was this always a plan for you?

JCM: We came to radiology separately, although we knew one another in medical school. I did a year of fellowship in MRI at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

JM: I went into psychiatry and then switched to radiology.

Q: What’s 3D mammography going to do for mammography?

JCM: Without a doubt, it will revolutionize it. This seems to be the wave of the future.

JM: Within five years, 3D mammography is going to be the standard.

To learn more about 3D mammography, please call 402-481-6050.

Bryan Journeys 15

NEW AT BRYAN

A few minutes... for a lifetime.

Have you scheduled your annual screening mammogram?

Choose Bryan Medical Center Mammography Services for this very important part of your health care. With Bryan, you have the choice to receive your mammogram at any of our three locations. All use full-field digital mammography, and 3D mammograpy is available on the Bryan Pine Lake Campus. You can make your own appointment to fit your schedule.

Three easy steps: 1. Call your doctor’s office for an order.

2. Call the Bryan Health Scheduling Center at 402-481-5121.

Tell the scheduler if you have a pacemaker, breast implants or an insulin pump.

3. Choose the time and location of your mammogram.

Bryan East Campus 1500 S. 48th St.

Bryan West Campus 2300 S. 16th St.

Bryan Pine Lake Campus 3901 Pine Lake Rd. 3D Mammography at Bryan Pine Lake Campus ASK YOUR SCHEDULER

Bryan Medical Center follows the American Cancer Society guidelines which recommend that women 40 years of age and older should have a mammogram and a clinical breast exam (CBE) performed by a healthcare professional every year.

16 Spring 2014

PA S TO R A L C A R E

Chaplains share our mission

Healing body and soul

A

day in the life of a hospital chaplain is anything but predictable or simple.

By 9 a.m., chaplain Dennis Smith already may have prayed with a family on the verge of losing a loved one and helped another navigate the murky waters of a traumatic injury.

Chaplain Nina Redl may have sat with the family of a woman going into labor far too early, or helped a happy, but anxious, first-time mother talk through anxieties so that she wouldn’t worry her loved ones.

You might find chaplain Jonathan Bergman in the room of a World War II veteran who has no family but simply wants someone to talk with and to share his story.

Chaplain Cathy Regush may have already led one group session on the mental health unit and provided “tough love” to a patient in acute rehab, pushing that patient toward lifestyle changes that will help her get better.

And, any one of these chaplains might be found talking with staff members after a particularly difficult situation on their unit, such as the loss of a premature infant or the death of a parent after a car crash.

Chaplain Jonathan Bergman visits with patient Marie Kimminau at Bryan Medical Center.

Caring touch Bryan chaplains are available for patients and staff members 24/7, 365 days a year. And while their job may center on spiritual guidance and support, their caring touch and impact go much deeper and branch out in ways that few expect. They are, at any given time, people with whom to pray or to share joy, or with whom to trust with personal thoughts or deep fears, or someone simply to lean on.

“Many people view a chaplain as a religious person who comes in to do religious rituals and prayers, and of course we do that, but much of what we do is more spiritual in nature and not religious,” says Nina. “And that means not judging, but being with someone no matter where they are emotionally or spiritually. It’s nice to help patients discover that even on their weakest day they have worth, and they can find and build meaning and strength.

“Obviously that can come with a prayer or a ritual, but

Bryan Journeys 17

PA S TO R A L C A R E

Chaplain Dennis Smith debriefs staff nurses after a difficult case in the ICU at Bryan West Campus.

Chaplains serve patients, families, co-workers often it’s just being there without saying anything and letting them know they’re not alone.”

At Bryan, chaplains are an integral part of the health care team. Bryan has four, full-time chaplains of varying faith backgrounds, and four who are on call for off hours and holidays.

Nina and Jonathan work at Bryan East Campus; Dennis and Cathy cover Bryan West Campus. Depending on the situation, there may be overlap or times when they take calls for any location.

Luxury of time In addition to their individual religious studies, all are certified or working to become certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains. They are involved in many patient cases, respond to all trauma calls and are present for patients, family members or staff at any time. As they point out, they have the time to just sit and be with patients; it’s a luxury that many on the clinical side, such as nurses and doctors, do not often have.

Kelli Klopfenstein, RN, agrees. “Nurses have so many other tasks to tend to,” says Kelli, who is nurse manager of the Bryan West Campus intensive care unit. “It’s amazing how the chaplains help take care of patient and family needs, outside of the spiritual component. They get snacks, blankets; they are liaisons between family and clinical providers in trauma cases.”

18 Spring 2014

Kelli notes chaplains are always there for staff, especially during difficult times. They do what is called a debriefing after hard cases — for instance, when a patient passes away. They get together and talk about the case, which helps ease sadness and stress, so nurses with clear heads can move on to other patients.

“They are really good at picking up on things,” Kelli says.

“They’ll ask, ‘Is the staff OK? We know you’re struggling,’ It’s terrible when outcomes aren’t great, but the chaplains are an absolute rock for us.”

Jerome Barry, director of pastoral care and the Bryan Independence Center, echoes those sentiments. Chaplains play an important role in being there for patients and their families, who often are going through life’s most intimate and sad moments, and for staff members, who are experiencing these things right along with patients and loved ones.

“They go through some tough, tough days,” Jerome says of Bryan staff members. “To have someone who will come and talk it through with them, it can mean a world of difference.”

And, he adds, pastoral care has been shown to be a factor in successful patient outcomes.

“We know it’s important to take care of the whole person, physically and spiritually. This is the part that sometimes keeps patients alive — or if not provided, may allow them to give up,”

PA S TO R A L C A R E Jerome says.

“It’s been proven many times. The belief and hope that there is meaning and purpose — that there is something beyond, or that the person has worth — is one of the ways in which hospital chaplains are key, and I think it says something about Bryan’s core values, that we want to treat the whole person and not just his or her physical illness.”

Draws on faith Some statistics suggest that roughly 70 percent of people who go through health crises get through them by drawing on their faith, says Jonathan.

“It’s really important for people,” he says. “The emotional and spiritual side is connected to stress and how patients heal. If the spiritual side is taken care of, there can be less stress and more optimal conditions for healing. It’s a more holistic approach.”

Dennis, who is the chaplain coordinator, and Cathy agree that listening is the key component of their work.

“We can help patients find meaning,” Cathy says. “Attitudes can change, and they can become more receptive and responsive to treatment and care. They become a more willing participant in their recovery. We also can help them find sources of strength. Sometimes we see people who are not religious or are not of faith. We are able to help them to see that their strength can come from within, or from other sources around them such as caring family members. It can really have an effect on healing and their recovery from illness.”

Dennis adds that some patients may come into the hospital with an injury or illness that completely alters that person’s identity. Perhaps they will no longer be able to play a beloved instrument, or do their job as in the past.

“If they come in thinking they are a burden, or if their condition is a life-altering one, how do they find meaning and a new purpose? We want to help them find their value and new ways to live and contribute,” he says.

The chaplains have other roles in the medical center. They bless babies, perform the occasional wedding ceremony, lead religious services in the medical center chapels, provide information on advance directives, are part of the organ donation process and help patients and their families with the journey called “compassionate withdrawal,” which means the end of life.

They do these things with cultural and religious sensitivity at the forefront. They even have led funeral services for staff members’ loved ones.

As Dennis puts it, “We minister to two flocks: patients and our own staff members. It’s all very sacred ground for us.”

For Jerome, the thing that stands out is the chaplains’ compassionate hearts. “They have this empathy and ability to be present for those alone and in pain, and have figured out a way to do their work without burning out,” the director says.

How do they do that? Each has his or her way of preparing for the day and for decompressing at day’s end. Time for personal daily prayers, contemplation, physical exercise — and knowing that they can rely on one another, are some of the ways these “givers of strength” take care of themselves.

“My faith helps; if I thought it was all on me to fix the world, it would be overwhelming,” Dennis says. “I realize it’s bigger than me. It’s in God’s hands.” n To learn how your gift can support the work of Bryan Health, please call the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.

Help us remodel chapel at Bryan West Campus

O

This is a preliminary drawing of how the new chapel may appear.

ur chapels at Bryan Medical Center are always open for prayer, meditation and reflection. However, the Bryan West Campus chapel has become outdated and is not easily accessible.

We see a critical need for patients and families, as well as Bryan co-workers, to have access to a more welcoming chapel.

Its new location will be more centralized. The Bryan West Campus chapel will be near the surgery waiting

area on 1st Floor, close to the main entrance and closer to trauma services and the emergency department.

To help construct a new chapel on the Bryan West Campus, contact the Bryan Foundation. This $250,000 project is entirely dependent upon private support.

For more information, please call Valerie Hunt at 402-481-3168 or email valerie.hunt@bryanhealth.org or DeEtta Mayrose at 402-481-8287 or deetta. mayrose@bryanhealth.org.

Bryan Journeys 19

UROLOGY & PEDIATRICS

Lincoln’s urologists offer full range of pediatric surgeries

P

eter Howe, MD, and his colleagues at Urology, PC — Don Henslee, MD; Lance Wiebusch, MD; David Wiltfong, MD; and recently retired urologist Sushil Lacy, MD — have provided children in the Lincoln community a full range of urologic surgical services for nearly 40 years.

Pediatric surgeries can range from simple surgeries, like circumcisions, to more complex procedures, such as: u Hypospadias repair, u Hydrocelectomy, u Ureteral reimplantation, u Pyeloplasty, u Partial nephrectomy, u Orchiopexy, u Orchiectomy and u Kidney stone procedures.

“We are very pleased to provide these services in our community,” says Dr. Howe,

“because children who need urologic surgery can receive this care right here in town, where they can be near their homes and families. Not having to travel to an out-oftown hospital makes things much easier and less stressful for children and their parents.

And children can more easily visit with their siblings and other family members if they have to be in the hospital for any length of time. “ He notes, “We do refer patients with very complex or unusual urologic conditions, such as bladder extrophy to the university hospital setting.

But those are very rare, so referral is necessary only for a small number of our patients.

The great majority of the time we can keep our pediatric patients right here in town with their families.”

“We use minimally invasive technologies that can dramatically shorten pediatric patients’ recovery times.”

20 Spring 2014

Urologist Peter Howe, MD, greets patient James Steenson during an office visit at Urology, PC. Drs. Howe, Henslee, Wiebusch and Wiltfong use the latest minimally invasive surgical technologies. These innovative approaches require very small surgical incisions and can dramatically shorten children’s postsurgical recovery times, compared with open surgeries.

“We have used minimally invasive robotic laparoscopic

technology during pediatric surgeries for more than 10 years. When we perform a surgery, like ureteral reimplantation robotically, our pediatric patients typically require just an overnight stay in the hospital, so they can be home with their families the next day,” Dr. Howe says.

“Caring for children is a very rewarding part of my

UROLOGY & PEDIATRICS work. It’s quite gratifying that, because most children are healthy and resilient, their ability to recover from surgery is great, and within two or three days they can be back playing, often with little need for pain medication. So that is very satisfying.

“It’s also rewarding to see the relief parents experience as they see how quickly their child becomes well.”

Dr. Howe and his colleagues at Urology, PC also

care for children as part of their work with Bryan Medical Center’s Enuresis Treatment Clinic. (Please see the related article below.)

“Enuresis, which is commonly called bedwetting, affects about one out of every 20 school-aged children, and is sometimes not an easy fix,” says Dr. Howe. “That’s because effective treatment requires regular weekly follow-up with doctors and nurses — something that

can’t always be accomplished in a busy office practice. The Enuresis Treatment Clinic uses a multidisciplinary approach that includes intensive weekly follow-up with families that makes it very effective in helping children who have trouble with bedwetting.

“Our role as pediatric urologists includes doing an initial evaluation of children who have enuresis, providing education to children and their families, and performing

urologic studies when needed.

If untreated,” notes Dr. Howe.

“Bedwetting can last into adulthood — about 1 percent of adults in the military actually have trouble with enuresis — but it can be very effectively solved during childhood with the right treatment.

“So, successful enuresis treatment makes a very positive difference in patients’ lives, and we’re pleased to help provide that care.” n

Clinic helps children overcome bedwetting Bryan Medical Center’s Enuresis Treatment Clinic began more than a decade ago in response to great interest among families about how to solve the problem of bedwetting.

“Most people aren’t aware of just how common enuresis is — up to 2 million children in the United States are affected, and it’s quite common during the school-aged years,” says Kim Dierks, nurse manager of pediatrics and women’s health at Bryan.

“We’ve helped hundreds of children overcome bedwetting since we first opened in the 1990s, and the difference successful enuresis treatment makes in the lives of children and families can be profound,” Kim says. “We see improved self-esteem on the part of the child, which is our most important goal, and more normal sleep for parents, as they no longer have to change wet bedsheets at night. Also, children can finally have

sleepovers and go to overnight camps without being afraid of wetting the bed.”

The clinic, which is under the direction of Lincoln pediatricians Brent Willman, MD, and Heather Dews, MD, treats patients 5-18 years of age and requires a physician referral. Services are provided using a multidisciplinary team approach involving pediatricians, pediatric urologists, pediatric nurses and child psychologists.

Dr. Willman explains, “Our nurses and doctors meet weekly with families to provide education about enuresis, and to teach children skills like bladder exercises that help them stay dry at night. We also recommend lifestyle changes such as avoiding caffeine and limiting fluids after suppertime.

"And we discuss what’s worked well for patients, why problems might have occurred and how to solve them.

We occasionally recommend enuresis

alarms or medications for patients, but those are only necessary less than 10 percent of the time because our other interventions work so well.”

“We don’t recommend the use of pull-ups, as that doesn’t solve the problem,” Kim says. “Instead, we help children develop skills to solve their problem themselves. This is very important, because placing responsibility with the child usually leads to highly successful treatment.”

“We’re quite pleased with the success of the clinic,” says Dr. Willman, “and have found that kids who are very motivated about becoming dry are almost 100 percent successful.” n The Enuresis Treatment Clinic is held the first Tuesday and Thursday of every month from 3 to 7 p.m. For more information, please call 402-481-7238.

Bryan Journeys 21

BRYAN LIFEPOINTE

Triathletes enjoy friendly competition indoors

W

hile many around Lincoln spent February 15 attempting to figure out how to recover from Valentine’s Day chocolates, 145 dedicated souls took action, and their athletic endeavors helped make the 2014 Bryan Health Indoor Triathlon a success.

“It’s a good event for anybody and everybody, of all skill levels,” says Edgar Bumanis, Advancement director at Bryan Health. “There were people who were really competitive, as well as people who just wanted to participate to say they did a triathlon.

“We had people who walked up and down the pool as beginners. And if you’re training for something, you can check your progress in a safe atmosphere.”

The triathlon, in its second year, is contained entirely within Bryan LifePointe Campus and gives folks young and old the chance to get their blood pumping in the spirit of competition when frigid winter temperatures say it should not be possible.

Participants compete individually or as part of three-person teams, where each member completes one leg of the competition. And all participants benefit from a safe, costfriendly environment.

“There’s a bit of cost in getting into triathlons,” Edgar notes. “This is an affordable way to test out the waters, no pun intended.

An indoor triathlon can be kind of a challenge for some, but it’s meant to be fun. It’s a good way to stay motivated during the cold months. Not everyone wants to go outside, so they can come inside and do this.”

One participant who has become quite familiar with dodging the cold by working

22 Spring 2014

Bryan LifePointe member Laura Thomsen enjoyed competing in all three sports disciplines — running, biking and swimming — at the triathlon. out at LifePointe is Laura Thomsen. The Bryan Health Indoor Triathlon marked her first try at a three-tiered competition. Though she wasn’t quite sure what to expect, at the end of the day Laura enjoyed it. “It was a fun,” she says. “It was a good challenge.”

This mother of four works out at LifePointe on a daily basis. Whether it’s spin class before the sun rises or working out while her two-year-old plays in LifePointe’s day care, Laura is able to fit in getting fit without missing a beat on the parenting side. And she works to

keep the rest of the family active.

“I make it work into our schedule pretty good,” Laura says. “The kids love being active. I take them out on bike rides all the time. Our (5-year-old twin) girls like to run, so they do the little kids’ mile runs and races. They all think it’s fun to come watch me compete, and they like to be involved in that stuff, too.”

Laura and Edgar emphasize the importance of the work of the LifePointe staff and event volunteers in making the triathlon a success.

BRYAN LIFEPOINTE “Many have told us they’re really pleased with how smoothly the triathlon is run,” Edgar says. “Everything has to start exactly on time. All of the volunteers know that. If one thing starts 30 seconds late, that means the next thing is going to start a minute late, and then two minutes late, and then four minutes late.”

While the spirit of health and competition are at the forefront of the annual triathlon, Edgar stresses that the fun that comes with the event isn’t far behind.

This year, that included a little more Valentine’s Day chocolate, with chocolate fondue available to all participants once they finished competing. Safe to say, participants were surprised.

“Some said, ‘Well, now that we just went as hard as we could for 60 minutes, you give us melted chocolate?’ You know, that’s your reward for participating.

That’s your congratulations,” Edgar says.

And it’s a well-deserved reward at that! n

How did your friends do?

Here are the top finishers at the 2014 Bryan Health Indoor Triathlon: 1st Place All-male Team: Spooky Tooth: Rob Livermore, Adam Sauter and Cody Williams 1st Place All-female Team: Triple Threat: Stacy Burenheide, Abigail Burenheide and Danielle Stedman 1st Place Coed Team: Fast Gas: Ken Gross, MD, Joel Johnson, MD, and Stephanie Randall, MD Individual Female: 1st: Brienne Splittgerber 2nd: Adeline Hohman 3rd: Brandy Nielson Individual Male: 1st: Philip Hohman 2nd: Corey Knop 3rd: Juan Florez

Hooray for Mommy!

Triathlete Laura Thomsen (center) comes to the Bryan LifePointe Campus with her own cheering section: husband Jason and children Haley (left), Blake, Brooke and Avery.

Run to Overcome Sunday, Sept. 28 Kids’ Run and 5K and 10K Join us for the fourth annual Bryan Health Run to Overcome.

This event features a 1-mile kids’ run, and 5K and 10K runs.

Shirts are included in your registration fee if you sign up by Sunday, Sept. 14. Final registration deadline (no shirt guaranteed) is 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26.

Everyone is welcome to participate — from beginner to experienced road runner. Proceeds provide education about depression and mental health.

Cost: Kids’ Run: $10 fee includes a short-sleeve cotton shirt. 5K and 10K races: $20 fee includes shortsleeve cotton shirt or $25 for a short-sleeve dri-fit shirt.

Where: Lincoln Southwest High School, 7001 S. 14th St. For more information or to register, go to bryanhealth.cvent. com/2014run or call 402-481-8855.

Bryan Journeys 23

CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER

ALS Intercept Program

Primed to save lives in Crete area

CAMC paramedics (light blue shirts) from the new ALS Intercept Program travel to emergency scenes to assist rescue squads from Crete, DeWitt, Dorchester, Friend and Wilber. The unique collaboration brings advanced life support to communities surrounding Crete.

A

t 3 a.m. on a midDecember night shift, a 911 call tones out over the radio at the Crete Area Medical Center (CAMC): “Wilber resident unconscious in bedroom.”

Local volunteer rescue squad members rush from homes to the ambulance; at the same time, paramedic Phillip Oelschlager gathers his gear, rushes out of the medical center and drives a shiny white CAMC emergency vehicle to the scene. Upon arriving, he works with the rescue squad to stabilize the patient and begin an IV. Minutes pass agonizingly slow when you are injured and in need of pain medications that local volunteer rescue squads are unable to give. Every second counts when dealing with a trauma or heart attack. That 3 a.m. call was the opening run of the Advanced Life Support (ALS)

24 Spring 2014

Intercept Program, a quiet kickoff to a new level of emergency care in Saline County spurred from the desire to respond more quickly and effectively.

“About three years ago, we started diving into the idea of really expanding our paramedic services and working with area rescue squads to improve outcomes.

We found that ALS intercepts are a great tool in rural emergency care systems,” says Amy Vertin, MD, Emergency Department medical director and the ALS Intercept Program director.

“There are a lot of small communities in our area without the capabilities to staff and support full paramedic ambulances.

Even if they had the money to pay for all of the equipment and training needed for paramedics, they may not have the call volume needed to keep the paramedics busy and their skills sharp.

“That’s why consolidating the

paramedics and sharing them among services in smaller surrounding areas makes sense. The community volunteers respond as an initial stabilization, and a faster, more mobile unit with higher skills runs out to meet them. It’s a tiered response system.”

Paramedics provide ALS Specifically, the program sends CAMC paramedics on potentially time-sensitive rescue calls to provide Advanced Life Support in conjunction with Basic Life Support provided by rescue squads from Crete, Wilber, Dorchester, DeWitt and Friend.

“We have very dedicated rescue squads who are doing everything they can for their communities, and they do a fantastic job,” says Phillip, one of the two full-time paramedics at CAMC who took the lead in getting the program off the ground.

CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER

The scope of medical procedures that local rescue squads can do before getting to the hospital is limited to procedures such as supplying oxygen, splinting fractures, administering CPR and controlling bleeding.

By adding a paramedic, care advances to include sedating patients, securing airways, stopping seizures, starting IVs and administering medications. A paramedic from the ALS Intercept Program is able to obtain EKGs (an electronic tracing of the heart), interpret them and send the readings ahead to the hospital, providing vital information before the patient arrives.

“Great patient care is always provided, but the ALS intercept just takes it to the next level by being able to meet additional patient needs,” paramedic Jay Beavers says. “Working with the local squads is awesome. When I arrive at the scene or climb onto their ambulance, they have

a full report ready, so I can do what is needed for the patient immediately.”

Unique program The collaboration makes the program unique — the first and only one of its kind in the state. It pairs at least one of the medical center’s five paramedics with rescue squads in surrounding areas.

While the squads continue to provide ambulance services, the paramedics travel in the emergency vehicle funded

by Saline County. The arrangement makes CAMC the first Nebraska medical center to provide ALS intercept services as a nontransporting agency.

For medical calls in Crete, the paramedic usually meets the rescue squad at the scene with a bag of equipment and medications typically needed in the first 30 minutes of an emergency. For calls from some outlying communities, the paramedic

Paramedics Jeff Hays (left), Phillip Oelschlager, Jay Beavers and (not pictured) Troy Peterson and James Yost work with Dr. Amy Vertin (right) in the ALS Intercept Program.

may arrange to meet the squad and begin providing advanced care at that point.

Most small towns have volunteer rescue squads of emergency medical technicians. The minimum training to become an EMT in Nebraska is around 180 hours, while training for paramedics requires about 2,000 hours. With a 2,000-hour time commitment, paramedic training often means moving to Lincoln, Omaha and other urban areas where more employment is available. The ALS Intercept Program provides new opportunities, right at home.

Meanwhile, the Saline County Board of Commissioners says this is proving to be a worthwhile expenditure.

“This was a medical service we could provide for the entire county, a small investment for a huge service. And the response from the rescue departments has been very positive,” says Commissioner Willis Luedke.

In only a few short weeks, the program has shown its value. Now, paramedics are able to deliver the level of care needed within the critical “golden hour” — the period with the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death. Bringing ALS to the scene often saves precious time.

“For example, we can do an EKG in a patient’s living room now rather than having to wait to do that testing until we can get to a hospital — we bring the hospital to them in a sense and make them comfortable,” Phillip adds.

“Saving precious minutes is what the new ALS Intercept Program is all about.” n

Bryan Journeys 25

VOLUNTEERS & CUSTOMER CARE

Picking you up

Dan Parker in the electric courtesy vehicle is a familiar sight on the Bryan East Campus

26 Spring 2014

VOLUNTEERS & CUSTOMER CARE

Courtesy vehicle transports guests to our front door

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his flat-nosed, futuristic vehicle zooms around like something from “The Jetsons” TV show. As it scoots about the Bryan East Campus carrying passengers to their destinations, the electric car is really repeating the past.

Bryan Health has a long history of courtesy car vehicles.

Years ago, the volunteers operated a station wagon that took patients and visitors to and from their cars to the front door.

Then during a major construction project, the hospital had a van that shuttled people back and forth. When the walkways and covered garages were built, that service was discontinued.

As part of a customer care initiative, the hospital and the Volunteers and Customer Care department decided there was a transportation need at the 40th and Pine Lake location, where Bryan has services and the parking lot is far from the door.

Research was done and a nifty little vehicle was purchased: an electric car.

“We reached into the past and added a twist,” says Ellen Beans, director of Volunteers and Customer Care. “We found the electric car to be a good option.”

Volunteer Dan Parker began driving the Polaris Global Electric Motorcar (GEM) in October 2012. He transported people from their cars to the front doors of the Bryan Pine Lake Campus and back.

“Dan’s been a trooper,” Ellen says. “He’s offered feedback and advice. He’s been a great person for this service.”

The car served Pine Lake for a year. “We realized we had a greater need to assist patients at Bryan East,” says Ellen. So the car began serving on the Bryan East Campus in October.

Dan notes these features: The four-seat vehicle plugs into a regular electrical outlet, and having an electric motor means there’s no gas tank, radiator or coolant needed. It has lights and turn signals, as well as a distinctive flashing yellow light on top.

It has a 20-mph top speed, but the engine is silent.

“I think it’s a needed service,” Dan says. “Walking can be quite a chore for some people who need a ride from the handicapped parking to the front of the hospital.

“Every day you meet different people who appreciate getting a ride. You see everybody, little children all the way up to adults.”

Regardless of age, reactions to the car are the same: “People think it’s cute.”

Riders and passersby like to visit with Dan. He says some share why they’re at Bryan and others want to talk about the car. He looks at people’s license plates to see where they’re from and asks questions. He feels good providing the service.

Dan transports people who have leg problems or breathing problems, mothers and babies, as well as the elderly.

“It could be anybody, and I’m glad to take them,” says Dan. “We are very much in need of more drivers,” Ellen adds.

Right now only three volunteers are available to drive the car — the other two are Woody Yoder and Roger Nelson — so there are only three two-hour shifts. The goal is to have 10 volunteers “on the road” transporting patients, family members and visitors. Eventually, after filling the slots at Bryan East Campus, Volunteers and Customer Care would like to expand this service to Bryan West Campus.

“I’m retired,” says Dan. “Volunteering gives me something interesting to do. It’s an opportunity to be outside. If you have time and want to volunteer, this is a good place to do it.

“I find it to be fun. I come back every week.” n If driving an electric car is a volunteer position you would like to find out about, please contact Volunteers and Customer Care at 402-481-3032 or at volunteers@bryanhealth.org.

Here’s a new volunteer opportunity! We’re looking for volunteers to be Pediatric Unit Ambassadors. Available shifts are Monday through Friday at 7-9 a.m. and 6–8 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to partner with pediatric nurses to welcome patients, families, visitors and physicians to the unit and to provide information. Please contact Volunteers and Customer Care at 402-481-3032, or go to volunteers@ bryanhealth.org to learn more.

Bryan Journeys 27

BRYAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Camp impacts career plans

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rittany Siepelmeier approaches every day with the same attitude: She wants to help. For this 2016 Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, it’s a perfect fit. It’s also an attitude that was crystalized when she attended the Bryan College of Health Sciences Health Career Camp years ago.

Health Career Camp — with sessions offered July 7-11 and July 21-25 this summer — allows high school students ages 16 or older to immerse themselves in the roles of health professionals and experience a wide variety of hands-on health care activities. Brittany attended the camp when she was 16.

She left with certainty that nursing was the career for her.

“There were so many hands-on activities (that made me like nursing),” Brittany says. “That’s what I wanted — to be right up front with patients. I wanted to be able to provide more compassionate care.”

“Our biggest goal is to bring awareness about health careers in general and also show what it takes to go into the health care field,” says Kelli Backman, director of admissions at Bryan College of Health Sciences. “We’re trying to help young people understand what is necessary and what kind of personalities fit with different fields, and the academic rigor that is required.”

After learning about the camp through her school guidance counselor, Brittany applied, in part because of an interest in radiology. One week at Bryan Health Career Camp, however, helped her realize that she truly loved the interaction nurses have on a daily basis.

Students at the camp, which averages about 30 participants each session, experience everything from starting an IV to running an ultrasound. State-of-the-art simulators give attendees the chance to see what it’s like to resuscitate patients and even deliver babies.

“One thing that really stuck out to me was the simulation lab,” Brittany says. “That’s really what brought me to Bryan. It was a really cool experience.”

Another valuable part of the camp is job shadowing, which Kelli cites as a favorite among attendees year after year.

“Participants always think it’s really a good experience to be on the floor and to see what happens in the day-to-day life (of a health professional).”

Health Career Camp influenced Brittany’s choice to pursue a nursing degree — and the experience continues to influence her decisions. “I’m planning on going back to my high school and recommending it,” she says. “Plus, I want to help out with the camp, just because I loved it so much.”

For more information on Bryan College of Health Sciences Health Career Camp, contact Kelli at 402-481-8698 or kelli.backman@bryanhealth.org. n

Health Career Camp was a big influence on nursing student Brittany Siepelmeier’s career decisions.

To learn how your gift can support Bryan College of Health Sciences, please call the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.

28 Spring 2014

BRYAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Four join nursing faculty Bryan College of Health Sciences welcomes a quartet of new faculty members to the Bryan School of Nursing.

Janelle Francis, MSN Janelle Francis graduated from Bryan College of Nursing in 2000. She’s back at her alma mater as an assistant professor teaching Community Nursing.

After graduating, Francis worked at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, first on the surgical floor before moving in 2002 to the Education Department. There she facilitated New Employee Orientation and Nurse Orientation as well as other educational and training programs for employees.

In 2005, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Nebraska Wesleyan University, and in 2008, she earned a Master of Nursing from Norwich University of Northfield, Vt. She has served as education director for the Nebraska Community Blood Bank and in 2011, Francis taught as an adjunct faculty member for Nebraska Wesleyan’s BSN program.

She notes that she’s always enjoyed teaching and is very excited to be back at Bryan. She plans to begin work on a doctorate within the next year.

Libby Mollard, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC, IBCLC Libby Mollard teaches the obstetrics and postpartum clinical portion for the Family Health Nursing course.

She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s in psychology and earned a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a master’s in women’s health nursing from the University of Cincinnati.

Mollard is a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) and an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

She is pursuing a PhD at UNMC and has three scholarly publications in press.

Kendra Piening, MSN Kendra Piening completed the Diploma of Nursing Program at Bryan College of Health Sciences in 2004. After graduating, she worked in the orthopedics patient care unit at Bryan East Campus before moving to the nursing float pool. Piening earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2009; she has worked as an advanced practice registered nurse for the past five years and continues to serve part time in that role while transitioning to her position of nursing instructor for Nursing Care 1.

Piening and her husband have a child and are expecting another.

Piening’s hobbies include reading, running and spending time outdoors.

Jessica Warren, MSN Jessica Warren received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, in 2008 and in 2013 earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Bryan College of Health Sciences.

While working on her bachelor’s degree, Warren was a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in the Hematology/ Oncology Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. Following graduation, she worked for four years as an RN in the Neuro/Trauma ICU at Bryan West Campus.

Warren joined the Army National Guard in 1999 and served as a combat medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004-2005.

She then worked in the operating room at the Lincoln Surgical Hospital before transitioning to an education coordinator position. After earning her master’s, Warren joined the faculty at the Bryan College of Health Sciences.

She is an assistant professor of nursing and the simulation coordinator.

Warren says she enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and their two children.

Bryan Journeys 29

COLLEGE ALUMNI NEWS

Events for you June 6-7

Alumni Weekend nears

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he Bryan College of Health Sciences Alumni Association is pleased to be hosting reunion events Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, for graduates of Bryan School of Nursing, Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing and Bryan College of Health Sciences.

Fifty-year reunions of the 1964 graduating classes from Bryan School of Nursing and Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing are among the special events.

Here’s a list of Alumni Weekend activities.

Remember: Reservations and prepayment are required.

Friday, June 6 Presidential Teas n

n

Bryan School of Nursing Class of 1964, 10-11 a.m., Fairview (Bryan East Campus) Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1964, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Alumni Museum (Bryan West Campus)

Saturday, June 7 Bryan College of Health Sciences, 5035 Everett St. n n n

10:30 a.m. — Annual Business Meeting in Classroom 200 11 a.m. — Registration Noon — Alumni Day Luncheon and Program in Classroom 204

To make reservations or learn more about these events, please contact Brenda Neemann by calling 402-481-8692, or email her at brenda.neemann@bryanhealth.org.

30 Spring 2014

Share memories and catch up with friends, like these members of the 50-year classes from Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing (above) and Bryan School of Nursing (below) did in 2013.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Assistant nurse manager John Fahrnbruch received the Patriot Award from ESGR’s Walter Zink.

Dawn Carta (left) accepts a trophy from JA special events director Jessica States.

Margaret Woeppel is serving on the Nebraska Rural Health Association Board of Directors.

Military honors Fahrnbruch

Bowl-A-Thon Woeppel Neemann gets fundraiser tabbed for President’s earns JA praise statewide board Award

Assistant nurse manager John Fahrnbruch, adult psychiatric unit, received the Patriot Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Army Reserve member McKenzie Johns Nelson, RN, nominated Fahrnbruch. She says her supervisor “has gone above and beyond his obligations while I have been mobilized. His dedication to my service gives me one less thing to be concerned with during deployment.”

Bill Nelson of Nebraska ESGR says, “Although this is an individual award, it is representative of the corporate culture of Bryan Health, where military service is valued and respected.” n

Clinical nursing assistant Dawn Carta is captain of an award-winning Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon team effort.

The Bryan team won the prize for highest percentage increase in participants for the annual fundraising event.

Carta helped recruit six bowling teams, which raised more than $3,100 for JA. She’s been active in the JA youth program in several ways, including six years as a JA instructor at Holmes Elementary School.

“The greatest reward is the excitement we get from the kids in JA,” she says.” n

Bryan Health regional services consultant Margaret Woeppel, MSN, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Rural Health Association.

This nonprofit organization works for the improvement of rural health in Nebraska.

As the regional services consultant, Woeppel helps ensure quality care through external programs designed to provide support and facilitate collaboration among hospitals in the Bryan Health Critical Access Hospital Network and the Heartland Health Alliance.

She also is a clinical research liaison for Bryan. n

Brenda Neemann won the first President’s Award from Bryan College of Health Sciences.

Student services/alumni development coordinator Brenda Neemann is the first recipient of the Bryan College of Health Sciences President’s Award. This recognizes a faculty or staff member who exemplifies the college’s mission and who lives out its values.

Her nomination says, “Brenda definitely is a huge part of the team and is responsible for all the behind the scenes stuff that often goes unrecognized.

Whenever I go by her office, there’s always someone there, who she’s helping.

“That, to me, is caring like crazy, one team — one purpose!” n

Bryan Journeys 31

BRYAN STERLING CONNECTION

Your connection to fun and friends Upper Abdominal Pain Seminar

The Oasis Bluegrass Band will perform at the Sterling Connection Ice Cream Social.

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oin other Sterling Connection members Sunday, June 22, for our annual Ice Cream Social. Register now for an afternoon of socializing, enjoying ice cream and listening to the wonderful music of the Oasis Bluegrass Band.

This year’s event is 1:30-4:30 p.m. in the Bryan Medical Plaza Conference Center.

Bring your spare change! Join The Big Change Challenge to collect one million coins in support of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Funds will help purchase specialized equipment, such as a sophisticated noninvasive vein-finding scanner that will be used in the NICU and pediatrics unit. (See related story at lower right on this page.)

Containers for your donations of coins are located in the Bryan Medical Plaza lobby.

To register for the Ice Cream Social, go to bryanhealth.org/calendar, or call 402-481-8355.

32 Spring 2014

Thursday, July 10, 6:30-8 p.m.

Bryan East Campus, in the Plaza Conference Center, 1500 S. 48th St. Gastroenterology specialist Douglas Dalke, MD, presents this free presentation; pre-registration is required.

Register by calling 402-481-8886 or online at bryanhealth.org/calendar.

Travel with Sterling Connection One-day tours

Puppies and Pie Thursday, Sept. 11 Discover how service dogs are trained to help people. Visit the Marcon Pie Company of Washington, Kan., and Herr’s Memory Lane.

Extended vacations Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Saturday-Saturday, Oct. 4-11 See more than 800 hot air balloons ascend into the clear New Mexico sky at this one-of-a-kind event! Take an allday steam train ride and tour a pueblo.

Sterling Connection

Homesteaders to Church Pews Thursday, July 17 Relive the pioneer spirit at the Homestead National Monument. You also will visit a church pew manufacturer, Beatrice Bakery — home to Grandma’s Fruitcake — Yesterday’s Lady and more.

Like more information? Visit bryanhealth.org/travel to download brochures or call 402-481-3355 or 800-742-7844.

The Big Change Challenge Join THE BIG CHANGE CHALLENGE to collect ONE MILLION COINS in support of the neonatal intensive care unit at Bryan.

Funds raised will help purchase specialized equipment, such as a stateof-the-art vein finder for the NICU and pediatric programs.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Bryan Health cordially invites you to

•••

An evening of wines, food, art and entertainment for a tremendous cause – the Bryan Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Saturday, May 31, 2014 7-10 p.m.

Kiechel Fine Art Building 1208 O Street Lincoln, NE Tickets $85 per person.

Tickets are limited.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit bryanhealth.cvent/sweetbb, or contact the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-3139.

Bryan Health Bike Bash Sunday, May 18, begins at 8 a.m.

Join us to watch the inaugural Bryan Health Bike Bash! This family-friendly cycling event is open to all ages and skill levels on 10-, 25-, 30- and 50-mile routes.

Cyclists will compete individually or in the Business Bike Challenge, where they will earn points for their company team based on number of riders and miles ridden. It’s a great way to show you’re a wellness champion.

Registration has closed, but all are welcome to watch and cheer on the cyclists!

Where:

Bryan Pine Lake Campus, 3901 Pine Lake Road.

Go online to bryanhealth.cvent.com/2014bike or call 402-481-8855 for more information.

Kids’ Health & Safety Fair Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join us for our 18th annual Bryan Kids’ Health & Safety Fair and learn about health and safety topics through fun displays: n 50 interactive exhibits teach about nutrition, exercise and other health topics. n Giant inflatables. Dunk Tank! n Look inside a fire truck and the Fire Safety House from Lincoln Fire & Rescue. n Learn about electrical safety from Lincoln Electric System. n Learn about other safety issues involving animals, bikes, seat belts and water. n Meet Oliver, our Kids’ Club mascot. n Test your strength on the Hi-Striker Clown. n Get fitted for an affordable new bike helmet. n There’s face painting and electronic basketball. n Enjoy live entertainment and demonstrations. n Every child 12 or younger receives a free prize!

Remember to bring your camera.

Cost: It’s free!

Where: Zone B Parking Garage, Bryan East Campus, 1600 S. 48th St. You don’t have to register! For information, call 402-481-8855.

Bryan Journeys 33

1600 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506

Skill

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