JOURNEYS
“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice …” – William Jennings Bryan
Visionary Cancer Center
WINTER 2020
You can share in our
VISION for a comprehensive community cancer center
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e’ve announced plans to build a $45 million comprehensive community cancer center in south Lincoln. In just a couple years from now, it’s going to dramatically change how cancer treatments are delivered — but it wouldn’t have been possible without a significant gift from a local family. John Sampson and his daughter, Cori Vokoun, donated almost 30 acres of scenic property near 40th John Street and Rokeby Sampson Road. Cori, who’s vice president of Sampson Construction and daughter of founder John and the late April Sampson, says, “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a toddler. She died in 2016 at age 66, so we’ve lived with cancer pretty much my whole life. That’s why this project is especially important to our family.” “My wife enjoyed life — she enjoyed every day,” John says. The construction firm’s president adds, “This is the right use for this land.” REFRESHING AND UPLIFTING He explains, “To address the journey of health care, particularly when you have cancer, is a very soul searching item. “Right now, families affected by cancer deal with fragmented care; that’s not the fault of any doctor or medical group, it’s just reality. Getting this care under one roof is going to be so huge that generations to come will expect it as an everyday thing. To have it all centralized will be so refreshing and uplifting.” Cori says the donation is a way for her family to give
back to the community. “I think Mom would be really proud of Dad and me for having the vision and then working with Bryan to do this. And I think she really would have appreciated that this is going to make things better for everyone who’s in a situation like hers, because living with cancer is a really tough road. “Anything you can do to make that road a little less rough, she would be happy about.” MEETING NEEDS According to Bryan Health President and CEO Russ Gronewold, “We started thinking about this project nine or 10 years ago, and we’ve been working to put this together for the past three years. Bryan’s decisions reflect what the community needs, and the community says we need this. People are stepping up to make it happen, and nothing says that more than this generous gift of land on which to build this facility. “What Cori we really like Vokoun about this site is the healthy environment it presents. Cancer treatment typically can go on for quite some time, so you want to go to a place that’s the most positive environment that you can have.” Oncologist Joni Tilford, MD, of Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center, points out, “We may not fully understand the mind/body connection, but someone whose mindset is one of positivity tends to do better. Feeling good about what you’re seeing and the environment you’re in can help.” Please turn the page to continue reading this story.
RIGHT HERE AT HOME While Lincoln is fortunate to have many highly skilled cancer professionals, a lack of central access and coordination has been a barrier to optimal care. Healing happens best in the comfort of familiar surroundings — not on the interstate, at traffic lights, in parking garages or in airports. Bryan is answering this need. Our new center will be conveniently located on a beautiful tract of land with comforting, natural surroundings.
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e’ve announced plans to build a $45 million comprehensive community cancer center in south Lincoln. In just a couple years from now, it’s going to dramatically change how cancer treatments are delivered — but it wouldn’t have been possible without a significant gift from a local family. John Sampson and his daughter, Cori Vokoun, donated almost 30 acres of scenic property near 40th Street and Rokeby Road. Cori, who’s vice president of Sampson Construction and daughter of founder John and the late April Sampson, says, “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a toddler. She died in 2016 at age 66, so we’ve lived with cancer pretty much my whole life. That’s why Dr. Joni this project is especially Tilford important to our family.” “My wife enjoyed life — she enjoyed every day,” John says. The construction firm’s president adds, “This is the right use for this land.” REFRESHING AND UPLIFTING He explains, “To address the journey of health care, particularly when you have cancer, is a very soul searching item. “Right now, families affected by cancer deal with fragmented care; that’s not the fault of any doctor or medical group, it’s just reality. Getting this care under one roof is going
to be so huge that generations to come will expect it as an everyday thing. To have it all centralized will be so refreshing and uplifting.” Cori says the donation is a way for her family to give back to the community. “I think Mom would be really proud of Dad and me for having the vision and then working with Bryan to do this. And I think she really would have appreciated that this is going to make things better for everyone who’s in a situation like hers, because living with Dr. Nathan cancer is a really tough Green road. “Anything you can do to make that road a little less rough, she would be happy about.” MEETING NEEDS According to Bryan Health President and CEO Russ Gronewold, “We started thinking about this project nine or 10 years ago, and we’ve been working to put this together for the past three years. Bryan’s decisions reflect what the community needs, and the community says we need this. People are stepping up to make it happen, and nothing says that more than this generous gift of land on which to build this facility. “What we really like about this site is the healthy environment it presents. Cancer treatment typically can go on for quite some time, so you want to go to a place that’s the most positive environment that you can have.” Oncologist Joni Tilford, MD, of Southeast Nebraska Cancer
Center, points out, “We may not fully understand the mind/ body connection, but someone whose mind-set is one of positivity tends to do better. Feeling good about what you’re seeing and the environment you’re in can help.” More than 9,000 people in the four-county service area surrounding Bryan receive cancer treatment each year. But about half of them commute outside Lincoln or Nebraska even though most face very common cancers. A comprehensive community cancer center, like the one we’re planning, uses the same treatment protocols as National Cancer Institute (NCI) facilities, allowing patients to receive care closer to home. CAMPAIGN IN ACTION How will we pay for the 140,000-square foot building? A $20 million fundraising campaign is underway. Half of that will go toward the cost of building the cancer center and the other half will fund an VIDEO endowment to pay for programs. The first $10
WHAT’S INSIDE? This state-of-the-art facility will offer advanced technology and treatment within a healing, comfortable environment.
Treatment n Clinical trials and new treatment options n Treatment planning with evidence-based
national guidelines n Rehabilitation and therapy gym n Genetic assessment and counseling n Specialty pharmacy
Care n Hematologists, oncologists and radiation
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o ncologists are locating their practice within the new center Nurse navigators to guide care Palliative care services to ease discomfort and transitions Wig fitting and styling, breast prosthesis services and cancer-sensitive apparel Social workers Care monitoring and quality improvement
Counseling n n n n
Mental health Spiritual care Financial Nutrition
Volunteers are back!
JOURNEYS
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WINTER 2020
1 FROM OUR PRESIDENT 2 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Amie’s race to beat cancer 6 MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT Ask the Doctor: How would palliative care benefit my loved one? 8
BRYAN HEART Nebraska’s athletes turn to our heart experts for clearance to play sports after COVID-19 Bryan first to earn HeartCARE Center Distinction Farewell, Dr. Hansen Welcome, Dr. Katta
12 REFLECTING ON MEDICAL HISTORY 14 BRYAN WOUND CARE Grateful patients praise teamwork 18 MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE New faces at Bryan • Remembering our colleagues 23 BRYAN TRAUMA Regrowing bones at Bryan: Advanced procedure saves limbs and lives 27 MERRICK MEDICAL CENTER Avila sees bright future 28 CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER New 3D mammography system benefits local patients Boldt leads CAMC 30 VOLUNTEERS & CUSTOMER CARE 31 BRYAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES 33 ACHIEVEMENTS
he COVID-19 pandemic forced us to suspend volunteer services; on March 22, 650 volunteers went on leave — halting service to 125 areas throughout five Bryan campuses. “In my 38-year career, this was something I never dreamed we’d be doing,” says Volunteers and Customer Care Director Ellen Beans. The ensuing months revealed opportunities to completely retool roles and responsibilities of our volunteers. Current volunteers have been kept continuously in the loop, receiving information about Bryan’s ongoing responses to the pandemic. And they learned about new roles for volunteers. “We began building from the ground up,” Beans notes. “We sent a letter to all our volunteers, announcing the restructuring of the service area program. Our plan was carefully chosen, balancing the need to keep everyone inside Bryan’s walls healthy and safe while prioritizing services that benefit patients and their families.” It’s being introduced in three phases, with current volunteers offered these new service area positions first. The Wayfinders Transportation Pool service opened in September; after training, 57 volunteers accepted new positions. Then, four more new service areas opened, including three on campus and an at-home opportunity. Beans says 40 volunteers chose to join in those roles. “We hope to move to phase three after the new year,” she adds. “And when deemed appropriate, we will begin recruiting and welcoming new volunteers to the program. “For many decades, Bryan has had an incredibly strong, servant-driven volunteer program. We see this rebuilding as a gift that will carry into the future with a vital, growing service program that meets the needs for years to come.” n
T H A N K YO U, B RYA N F O U N D AT I O N 2 0 2 0 E V E N T PA R T N E R S Sampson Construction Union Bank & Trust
ASI Signage Innovations Cornhusker Bank Davis Design Eakes Office Solutions
Holmes Murphy Inpatient Physician Associates Lockton Companies Midwest Medical Transport
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 three times a year to the communities we serve.
ON THE COVER This drawing shows the future comprehensive community cancer center. To learn more, go to www.bryanhealth.org/new-cancer-center.
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 402-481-8605, or write to us at: Bryan Foundation 1600 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506 You can learn how to help and make a gift online at bryanhealth.org/bryan-foundation.
NRC Health Sirius Computer Solutions Specialized Engineering Solutions VTI Security Russ Gronewold President & CEO, Bryan Health John Woodrich President & CEO, Bryan Medical Center, and Executive Vice President, Bryan Health Ken Gross, MD Chief of Staff, Bryan Medical Staff Bob Ravenscroft Vice President of Advancement & CDO Edgar Bumanis Director of Public Relations Kevin Rummel, MD Medical Editor Paul Hadley Editor
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
“The future depends on what you do today.”
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oday our dominant priority is for our patients and families dealing with COVID-19, and our team who has responded heroically since last February. However, it is not our only priority. When we all come through the other side of the pandemic crisis, we will emerge stronger, wiser and fully dedicated to our shared future. On the way there, we’ll achieve better outcomes and provide accessible, affordable care. And we’ll continue to attract a strong, qualified workforce and further collaboration with thriving communities throughout the region. These are the tenants of our 2023 Strategic Plan, where we will work every day to elevate the quality of your life through better health. Our new community cancer center, featured on the cover of this edition of Journeys, is part of this three-year plan. So is our new Bryan Imaging and Diagnostic Center that we’ve opened
— Mahatma Gandhi
at Bryan Pine Lake Campus — a convenient, cost effective option that aligns with many payer requirements for outpatient services. We have so much more planned in the next 36 months, and we look forward to experiencing it with you. Gandhi’s words resonate loudly for everyone on the Bryan team at this moment — we know that the future demands our attention, yet we have a responsibility to see our communities through this pandemic. Bryan Health. Forward. Together.
Russ Gronewold President and Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Health
SMILE! Co-workers and neighbors cheered our health care workers with signs, cocoa and warm wishes on their way to and from work.
Bryan Journeys 1
PAT I E N T E X P E R I E N C E
2 Winter 2020
Thanks to quickly seeking an evaluation, Amie Harris got treatment in time to beat breast cancer. She’s able to join her husband, Jeff, and daughter, Lexi, in cheering her son Zach, who’s a motocross pro.
PAT I E N T E X P E R I E N C E
Amie’s race to beat cancer When it comes to catching breast cancer early, trust your instinct to get tested. It could help save your life.
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mie Harris, 50, of Lincoln, is by nature an optimist and a fighter. Those qualities, combined with the dedicated support of her family, her Bryan care team, doctors, rehabilitation therapists and her faith community, got her through her recent battle with breast cancer. Amie, a certified medical assistant at Lincoln Pediatric Group, shares her story: “One morning in December 2018, I had an odd feeling in my left breast. I did a self exam and right away I found a lump. I was scared of course, but my first thought was of my family — I decided that if this was cancer, I’d fight with everything I had.” She called her gynecologist, Corwin Friesen, MD, of Bryan Women’s Care Physicians, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network. Dr. Friesen saw her for a breast exam and arranged a mammogram and breast ultrasound to evaluate further. Those tests and a later MRI revealed a solid breast lump one-half inch across. Even Amie’s sneakers declare she’s taking a stand against cancer.
Amie and her family enjoy watching motocross races throughout the Midwest. “Dr. Friesen ordered a biopsy for the next day,” Amie says, “and we got the results a few days later.”
diagnosis she met with general surgeon Greg Fitzke, MD, of Surgical Associates and medical oncologist Nathan Green, DO, of Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center to plan her treatment. The doctors explained that each woman’s breast cancer treatment is tailored to her specific type of cancer and treatment decisions are made in collaboration with the patient. “Amie has a strong mental attitude,” says Dr. Green. “She was very much a partner in her care and eager to get back to her busy lifestyle with her family.” So, together, Dr. Fitzke, Dr. Green and Amie decided on her treatment plan. Amie underwent surgical removal (mastectomy) of her left breast in January 2019, performed by Dr. Fitzke.
In this together The biopsy showed Amie did indeed have breast cancer. “When Dr. Friesen talked with my husband Jeff and me, he said, ‘This is definitely not Corwin Friesen, MD, Greg Fitzke, MD, and Nathan the news I wanted to give you, Green, DO, helped Amie create her treatment plan. but the tumor is small, and we’ve found it early. We’re in Fortunately, her particular type of cancer this together, and we’ll get this taken care did not require postoperative chemotherof.’ Jeff and I have tremendous confidence apy or radiation therapy. in Dr. Friesen, which helped us face this really scary news.” Her mark of courage Fortunately, patients facing breast “I didn’t feel sad at all when I saw cancer can get comprehensive treatment myself in the mirror after surgery,” she here in Lincoln, near their homes and says. “I feel like the scar on my chest is a families. In Amie’s case, the day after her
This story is brought to you by Sampson Construction. Bryan Journeys 3
PAT I E N T E X P E R I E N C E
Nurse navigator Joanna Morgan and oncologist Nathan Green, DO, helped Amie during her treatment and recovery from breast cancer.
mark of courage for a battle won — a reminder to always be a fighter.” Guiding you through cancer care “Bryan’s oncology nurse navigators are a great support to our patients,” says Dr. Fitzke. “They provide information about treatment and aftercare, and they connect patients and families with important resources. So, we always make sure our patients know that Bryan’s nurse navigators are there for them.” Along with Bryan’s oncology social worker Joselyn Hayes, nurse navigators also help with financial and insurance concerns. Bryan’s nurse navigator
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program was started in part through generous support from the Bryan Foundation. Oncology nurse navigator Joanna Morgan worked with Amie beginning right after her surgery, and throughout her recovery. “Joanna had a lot of great information,” Amie says. “For example, she showed me how to use a post-operative camisole to hold the breast prosthesis and post-surgical drain in place, which helped me feel much more confident. She also — and this was a godsend — helped us find financial support to cover part of our medical bills. We were dealing
with back-to-back insurance deductibles because my diagnosis came in late 2018, then my surgery was early in 2019, so our finances were really stretched. And she was extremely knowledgeable about cancer treatment. “It really helped to know she was there when we had questions.” Attitude is key “Patient education is a big part of what we do,” Joanna says. “This includes teaching about physical changes that might indicate problems during recovery. Lymphedema is an important example.” Very briefly, lymph fluid, which
PAT I E N T E X P E R I E N C E
supports our immune function, circulates in our bodies through a network of vessels called the lymphatic system, in a way similar to how blood circulates. “Lymphedema is a type of swelling that can happen in patients’ limbs if the lymphatic system becomes partially blocked, as can happen after cancer treatment,” Joanna explains. “Patients are screened for lymphedema at follow-up visits, and they need to let their doctors know of any swelling they notice between visits. That’s important because if caught in time, therapy may help reverse lymphedema.”
Rehabilitation, then lifelong support Rehabilitation therapists use a combination of exercise and other therapies to help patients regain strength and function after breast cancer treatment. These services and more will be available when Bryan’s comprehensive community cancer center opens in south Lincoln. Services at the new facility also will include patient education about nutrition, stress management and restorative yoga, says Tracy Bender, director of rehabilitation at Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center. In addition to rehabilitation services, Bryan provides long-term support services to patients after breast cancer treatment through the Lifespring cancer survivorship program. Lifespring provides support groups, education about health and wellness, and counseling on body image issues, sexual health and other concerns. Back to doing what she loves Now, less than two years after her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment,
Amie and her family are back to their favorite activities, including Zach’s professional motocross competitions. “I feel so lucky to be healthy again,” says Amie. “I’m tremendously grateful to my family, my doctors, my friends, my church community and others who helped me during my recovery.” Dr. Friesen emphasizes that Amie’s quick action to get diagnosed and treated after she found her breast lump was key to her excellent outcome. “Breast self-examination is something women of every age can do to protect their health,” he notes. “If a woman has a lump, skin dimpling or any other concerns about her breast health, she should always trust herself and contact her doctor. No breast change that makes a woman feel concerned should ever be dismissed until it is checked out completely by her health care provider.” n For more information about breast cancer care, please see your physician. To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, contact the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.
Jeff, Lexi and Amie Harris watch Zach tackle a practice run.
Bryan Journeys 5
MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Ask the doctor: How would palliative care benefit my loved one? Mark Stavas, MD, of Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center is a radiation oncologist who also specializes in palliative medicine. Q: What is palliative care? Palliative care is a comfort and support specialty for people with advanced or complicated illnesses. Essentially, it is a team based approach to optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering. The goal of palliative care is to encourage individuals to live fully until their last breath. Q: How is palliative care different from hospice: Hospice is a subset of palliative care that is intended specifically at the end of life. In contrast, palliative care can occur at any stage of a disease and can be provided alongside curative treatment. For instance, many patients in our oncology palliative care clinic are receiving chemotherapy and radiation. Q: What are common components of a palliative care clinic? • A holistic approach to the stress of illness (physical, psychosocial, spiritual). • Assessment and treatment of pain and physical symptoms. • Psychosocial support for families and care givers.
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MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT • Assistance with coping and decision-making. • Advanced care planning. • Assessing appropriateness for hospice. Q: What are some common questions you ask your patients? • What are your biggest fears or worries about the future? • If your health situation worsens, what is most important to you? • How much are you willing to go through for the possibility of more time? • Do you prioritize more time or more quality of life? • Is there any type of medical care that you would not want? • How much does your family know about your priorities and wishes? Q: Where does palliative care fit into our current health care system? The subject matter behind palliative care dates back to the origins of medicine and in a way reclaims the essence of what health care should be about: service to life. Over the past century, the medical enterprise has grown into a large, hard-to-navigate network of hospitals and payers. We have rewarded volume of care (performing procedures) over value or quality of care. In addition, we have become very effective at diagnosing and treating illness with a strong emphasis on mastery, while oftentimes leaving humanism and mystery behind. The healing experience has become disconnected and we have misplaced the language of ritual, grief and loss. At times, it feels like there are no limits unless you set them. In fact, the default in medicine is to do everything possible even if it doesn’t improve
quality of quantity of life. Palliative care looks at medicine through a different lens. We are focused on the person dealing with the disease, rather than the disease itself. Sometimes, we pump the brakes, step back and ask “does this treatment make sense based on your goals, preferences and individual definition of what life means beyond just breathing.” It’s a way of redefining what matters most in the face of a serious illness without losing hope. It’s a way of finding simplicity on the other end of complexity. Q: We’ve heard that you’ve incorporated music and videos into treatment and coping for your patients. How does this work? After doing this work for some time, I’ve realized the importance of self-care, and that the threshold moments in life transcend words. Sometimes philosophical ideas need to be experienced or lived through in order to be understood, and sometimes we need to lean into art, music, nature or poetry to make sense of the world around us. While working in Nashville, I started a film company documenting the intersection of medicine and art near the end of life. Several of the films are online at www.pallidocs. com. It’s a way of showing rather than telling what palliative care looks like. Q: What can you share about yourself? I’m originally from Lincoln, but I’ve spent time in North Carolina and Tennessee. Before returning home, I was an academic physician at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, where I directed the pediatric and palliative radiation oncology service lines. In my spare time, I am busy raising three young children with my incredibly patient and resilient wife. I have a strong passion for art and music and serve as a board member for Maple Street Construct, which is a creative-art workspace that bridges the gap between West Coast and Midwest artists. n
Dr. Stavas can be contacted at his practice, Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center in Lincoln, 402-420-7000, and through his webpage, leadingcancercare.com/physicians/mark-j-stavas/. Bryan Journeys 7
BRYAN HEART
Dr. Mathue Baker, with cardiology registered nurse Katelyn Peterson of Bryan Heart, left, and Bryan’s noninvasive cardiology manager Cara McMann (seated with cardiac and vascular ultrasound machine) and echo lab coordinator Lynne Nelson, provides Sports Consultations for Cardiac Clearance to athletes at the University of Nebraska and other schools.
Nebraska’s athletes turn to our heart experts for clearance to play sports after COVID-19
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he COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact studentathletes, as well as the general public throughout America, with people who tested positive for the infection being quarantined and sports events being cancelled or put on hold. With COVID-19’s potential to have long-term negative effects on athletes’ hearts, Bryan Heart and Bryan Medical Center are working with the University of Nebraska Husker teams, as well as This story is brought to you by Union Bank and Trust. 8 Winter 2020
private colleges and other universities across the state, to provide Sports Consultations for Cardiac Clearance, so athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 can safely return to play. Myocardial injury or damage to the heart due to COVID-19 is still being investigated, and researchers say there’s a relationship between having COVID-19 and conditions known as cytokine mediated cardiomyopathy (an immune system response that causes the heart to become enlarged, thick or rigid), acute
BRYAN HEART coronary syndrome (sudden reduced blood flow to the heart) and myocarditis (inflammation of heart tissue). Individuals who have inflammation of the heart due to the COVID-19 virus can increase their risk of damaging their heart during exercise — so testing is extremely important. Bryan Heart cardiologist Mathue Baker, MD, is a physician champion for the field of sports cardiology. Over the past decade, part of his practice has included caring for athletes at all levels of competition. His own experience as a collegiate athlete sparked his interest in sports cardiology. Dr. Baker is the team cardiologist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and he serves on the Big Ten’s Cardiology Subcommittee. No matter the sport or size of school, the athlete’s health is the top priority. Sports Consultations for Cardiac Clearance evaluate an athlete’s heart to help keep that individual safe. Bryan Heart and Bryan Medical Center, in conjunction with team physicians, athletic trainers and/or athletes’ primary care physicians, have the tools and expertise necessary to meet return-to-play criteria and guidelines set forth by various conferences and associations. Besides the Huskers, Sports Consultations have been
provided and are available to student-athletes at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Doane University in Crete, Hastings College, Peru State College, Concordia University, Nebraska, in Seward and other local schools. What’s involved? Consultations have five major components: • High Sensitivity Troponin T – This lab test evaluates levels of cardiac enzymes that indicate potential heart damage. • 12-Lead EKG – Testing, using electrocardiography, evaluates electrical signals in the heart to help detect irregularities. • Limited Echocardiogram with Strain – This is a comprehensive evaluation of the heart’s function and structure, including its chambers and valves. Strain imaging evaluates the function of the heart muscle (myocardium), using cardiac ultrasound and identifies subtle changes. • Office Evaluation. • Cardiac MRI (if deemed necessary) – Noninvasive imaging test uses radio waves and powerful magnets to create a detailed image of the heart. This is available at Bryan Medical Center. Athletes needing Sports Consultations for Cardiac Clearance should contact Bryan Heart at 402-483-3333. n
Bryan first to earn HeartCARE Center Distinction
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ryan Medical Center is the first hospital in Nebraska to earn the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence. According to the ACC, only 28 hospitals in the United States have earned this award, signifying Bryan’s commitment to high-quality cardiovascular care. “Being a HeartCARE Center is one more way patients and families can be assured they are getting leading heart care in our region,” says Bryan Heart executive medical director Matt Johnson, MD. “To be the first in Nebraska is a tremendous accomplishment that reflects our passion for patients and their care.” Last spring, the electrophysiology and cardiac cath labs at Bryan Medical Center received accreditation from the ACC. At
the end of July, Bryan Medical Center was notified it also had met the criteria to achieve certification as a HeartCARE Center. Bryan is the only hospital in Nebraska to earn this designation while also achieving EP and cath lab
accreditations. Bryan director of cardiac and vascular services Jennifer Preston notes, “This truly was a team effort. The accreditation process not only validated our wonderful care, it also set our heart services on a course for continual improvement.” The ACC says the award shines a light on an elite group of hospitals that are going above and beyond to ensure each patient has access to consistent, highquality cardiovascular care. The collaboration among providers, department leaders and staff to achieve these accreditations and the certification has been amazing, say Bryan Heart and Bryan Medical Center officials. n To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Heart, call 402-481-8605.
Bryan Journeys 9
BRYAN HEART
Farewell, Dr. Hansen
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hen cardiologist Dale Hansen, MD, retires at the end of the year, he will leave Bryan Heart with a great sense of satisfaction. He says, “I came to Bryan in 1989 after beginning my career in Omaha. When some of the doctors left to open their own practice in 2001, I chose to stay. This was right for me, and I’ve never looked back.” Having served Nebraska’s heart patients for 35 years, Dr. Hansen has many memories of patients whose lives were forever changed because of care they received at Bryan. He recalls a patient who was having a very large heart attack and whose heart kept stopping. “Nowadays we usually open an artery within 20 to 30 minutes, but we worked on him for six hours and shocked his heart more than 30 times. Because of that, we were able to get his artery opened and he was able to go back home to lead a normal life,” Dr. Hansen says. “It was just amazing to see that.” Those early years were exciting and innovative. “We were just starting the field of interventional cardiology, and I was able to be part of that. We were learning on the job and it was a lot of fun.” Another patient, a young woman, suffered a rare post-partum cardiomyopathy. After delivering her child, the woman’s heart became so weak her survival seemed unlikely. Dr. Hansen says, “We inserted what’s called a balloon pump to help her heart cope. We stabilized her, and she recovered. Her child must be about 25 now.” Of course, not all stories end so well. When asked his advice for the next generation of cardiologists, Dr. Hansen says, “Two words: Resilience. Patients. You won’t always have success. In the end, it is the patient who matters.” This native Nebraskan, who grew up in the village of Coleridge, extols the advantages of attending a small school in a close-knit community. He notes, “I was in the band, played sports and was on the debate team. Math was my favorite subject.” His decision to study medicine, however, had more to do with family than with schooling. “My mother was a nurse,” he says. “I would hear interesting medical stories from her. My father had complicated health issues and the medical people who cared for him inspired me. That’s why I decided to go into medicine.” He enrolled at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine. He planned to go into family practice, but his plans changed when he came to Lincoln for a rotation in cardiology. “I just loved it, so I switched,” he recalls. After graduating in 1980, Dr. Hansen did a residency at UNMC and fellowships there and at Creighton University. After that, he worked as a cardiologist at Clarkson Hospital in Omaha for about four years, but 10 Winter 2020
Cardiologist Dale Hansen, MD, is retiring after more than 35 years of caring for Nebraskans’ hearts.
he never forgot that rotation at Bryan. When a position in cardiology opened here, he eagerly accepted. “There’s a wonderful environment at Bryan. The hospital is always willing to get the most up-to-date technology for diagnosis and treatment, and we have a very good working relationship with the administration.” Dr. Hansen adds, “The nurses are excellent. You get a small town feeling from the way they treat their patients.” He’s excited for the future of cardiology and is pleased that Bryan Heart recruits outstanding physicians from around the country. He also is grateful the medical staff has a wide range of subspecialties. “In cardiology we see very sick patients with serious illnesses. At Bryan, we work together on complicated cases and offer the best in cardiac and non-cardiac care. Meld all of this together and our group is excellent.” As much as he’s loved his work, he’s looking forward to retirement. “I’m not going to rush into anything. My wife, Sandy, and I plan to drive cross country to visit our three daughters and five grandchildren,” says Dr. Hansen. n
BRYAN HEART
Welcome, Dr. Katta
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nterventional cardiologist Natraj Katta, MD, has joined Bryan While in Omaha, Dr. Katta worked with cardiologists at Bryan Heart. Heart. Dr. Katta grew up in southern India and attributes his He says, “I was impressed with how they cared for their patients interest in medicine to his father. “My dad had a tenant, a and were using advanced technology to offer state of the art doctor,” he says. “In a small town treatment.” like ours, the doctor got a lot of Dr. Katta believes that the respect, so my dad said maybe I physician and patient relationship Dr. Natraj Katta is Board certified should go into medicine, too.” should be based on trust. His goal in cardiovascular disease and Mr. Katta was right. His is to achieve optimal well-being for specializes in interventional son, Natraj, followed his advice his patients. cardiology. and this fall became Bryan “My role is to provide my Heart’s newest interventional patients with an accurate diagnosis cardiologist. and the best possible care,” he The road from India to says. “It is extremely gratifying Lincoln was circuitous and filled when your patients have recovered with many years of intensive and are living their life to the medical training. fullest.” After earning his medical Dr. Katta is living his life to the degree from Siddhartha Medical fullest in Lincoln, as well. He and College in Vijayawada, India, Dr. his fiancée, Katelynn, are runners Katta decided to pursue further and appreciate the area’s welleducation in the United States. maintained trails. A self-confessed He completed his residency movie buff, he likes to relax with in internal medicine at St. a good film and enjoys visiting Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, restaurants both in Lincoln and in Pontiac, Michigan. There he Omaha. became interested in the field of Dr. Katta misses India and cardiology. had planned to visit his family This avid “During my residency, I last summer. Like so many other runner enjoys had the opportunity to observe people, he had to cancel those Lincoln’s cardiologists performing angiotravel plans because of COVID-19. well-maintained plasty and stenting procedures. His parents hope to visit in March, trails. I was fascinated by how they and he is looking forward to could instantly improve patients’ welcoming them to Lincoln. lives,” he says. He says, “I want to be settled He completed a residency by then and have a real home.” n in cardiovascular disease at the To see an introductory video, University of Missouri School go to bryanhealth.org/DrKatta. of Medicine in Columbia, and To learn how you followed that with a fellowship in can support the work of interventional cardiology at the Bryan Heart, please call VIDEO University of Nebraska Medical 402-481-8605. Center in Omaha. Bryan Journeys 11
REFLECTING ON MEDICAL HISTORY
Retired doctor now a patient
He witnessed decades of change
W
hen retired physician John Finkner of Minden began experiencing shortness of breath, he went to see his cardiologist in Kearney, Dr. Sean Denney. John, 93, had a pacemaker from a previous surgery, and his doctor had been monitoring him for aortic valve stenosis, a narrowing of the valve which prevents it from opening properly. Dr. Denney was concerned, so he scheduled an appointment for John with Dr. Matt Johnson at a Bryan Heart outreach clinic in Henderson. After reviewing an echocardiogram, Dr. Johnson determined that John’s aortic valve would need to be replaced, and he recommended the minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, also known as TAVR. “There are a lot of benefits and very little risk involved with this procedure,” Dr. Johnson explains. “Most patients can be back at home after spending just a day or two in the hospital.” On February 11, Dr. Finkner had his valve replaced at Bryan Heart. Two days later, he was ready to go home. Dr. Johnson says the collaborative effort between Bryan Heart and cardiologists across Nebraska helps patients achieve successful recoveries like Dr. Finkner’s. “They have a lot of great programs throughout Nebraska, including in Kearney,” says Dr. Johnson. “There are a few things that we offer at Bryan Heart, such as the TAVR, that may not be readily available at smaller hospitals, but once patients have had the procedure, they can go home and have the follow-up testing and surveillance done with their local cardiology programs, rather than having to travel.” John says he’s thankful for his outcome. “I’m glad to have my heart situation under control,” he says. “Thank you to Dr. Johnson and everyone at Bryan. I really appreciated the professionalism and the special care that they gave me, and I’m getting along quite well.”
Early connections John grew up on a farm outside of Adams, and his interest in medicine began after he suffered a leg injury playing high school football. “A country doctor came to my home to check on me once a
This story is brought to you by Inpatient Physician Associates. 12 Winter 2020
Dr. John Finkner of Minden, now living at the Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney, practiced for 50 years. This heart patient reflected on changes he witnessed over his lengthy career.
week, and I developed a respect for physicians,” he recalls. In 1944, the 17-year-old received a Regents Scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In 1945, as World War II was nearing an end, John noticed an advertisement for U.S. Navy hospital corpsmen. He enlisted, and on his 18th birthday shipped out for boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois. By the time he finished corps school, the war was over. He was sent to the Naval Ammunition Depot near Hastings and served
REFLECTING ON MEDICAL HISTORY in the medical records department. During his time off, he would hitchhike to Adams to visit his high school sweetheart, Phyllis. After completing his service, John returned to Lincoln to finish his undergraduate degree. In 1948, he and Phyllis married, and he enrolled at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in Omaha that fall. He graduated in 1952, and the couple moved back to Lincoln so the new doctor could do a one-year internship in family medicine at Bryan Memorial Hospital (now Bryan East Campus). While there, he heard about another opportunity. “I had a close friend — Dr. Robert Butler — who was interning at Methodist in Omaha,” John says. “He said he had gotten word of a couple of doctors in Minden who were wanting to sell their practice. We went back there on a Sunday with our wives to learn more.” After discussing it, the two families decided to go for it. “It was sort of scary, but the people in Minden made us feel welcome and needed. We were busy right from the day we got there”.
From polio to smartphones John remembers the medical world being different back in those days. Because there were so few specialists, family doctors did more. “We did a lot of our own surgeries,” he recalls. “It just scares me to think of it now, but we got along pretty well.” Starting in the 1950s, emergency medical services became more standardized. Minden acquired an ambulance (they previously used a hearse for emergencies), and several Minden firefighters took EMT training courses. “That was a big improvement,” John says. “Otherwise, we would have to go out to the site of the accident. Now we could meet them at the hospital where there’s specialized equipment.” The family medicine specialist faced other challenges. “It was pretty hairy that first year because of polio,” he remembers. “The year before we arrived, one child died from it, and others were affected in their arms and legs.” Vaccines have all but eliminated polio in America. He also witnessed communication evolve throughout his career. In the beginning, a switchboard operator would track him down
when he was needed. Later on, John would use pagers, bag phones, mobile radio telephones and finally, smartphones. He says cell phones were huge for obstetric care: “What a blessing that was. We tried to be there for each delivery, and that really helped.” Advancements over 70 years are almost unbelievable. “There has been so much improvement and so much more is available, but there’s also so much more to know,” he says. Certain memories from his career stick out, but John especially loved getting to experience the joy of a birth. “That first baby cry — I always said that was the sweetest music this side of heaven,” he says.
Grateful to his community In 2002, Dr. Finkner retired after serving for 50 years as a family doctor, and his influence led others in his family to pursue careers in medicine. His son Michael practices family and emergency medicine in Alma and Kearney. Dr. Finkner’s daughter ZoAnne became a nurse. One of his granddaughters, Amie Jorgensen, is an obstetrician in Kearney. Another is a cardiac nurse, and one is an orthopedic sales representative. Some of this influence came full circle at that recent appointment with Dr. Matt Johnson in Henderson. Dr. Johnson grew up in Alma, where Dr. Michael Finkner practices, and was friends with Dr. Finkner’s grandson, John. In addition, one of the current physicians in Henderson, Dr. Jim Ohrt, did his residency training with the younger Dr. Michael Finkner. (Dr. Johnson also knew Dr. Ohrt as a kid; the two played baseball together.) “It really is a small world,” Dr. Johnson says. Looking back over his career, John says he feels a sense of gratitude. “I’m thankful God opened the door to allow me to become a doctor, and that he’s led me all the way up until now,” he says. Dr. Finkner also appreciates the community where he and Phyllis raised their four children. “They were very kind to us in Minden,” he says. “They were not only my patients, they were my friends and neighbors.” n To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, contact the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.
Bryan Journeys 13
BRYAN WOUND CARE
Grateful patients praise teamwork
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t’s no surprise that poorly healing wounds can drastically reduce one’s quality of life. Just ask Michael Roselius or Gene Bruder of Lincoln, who recovered from severe, slowly healing wounds with the help of doctors and staff at Bryan’s wound clinic. The wound clinic has expanded its services on Bryan East Campus. Several local surgeons worked to establish the clinic over the past two decades, and podiatrist Jeffrey Wienke, DPM, CWS-P, of Capital Foot and Ankle joined the team six years ago with the goal of becoming part of the multidisciplinary wound center. Bryan Heart vascular surgeons Sarah Ongstad, MD, and
Sara Hargreaves, MD, also recently joined the team, which includes wound, ostomy and continence nurse Amanda Paprocki, wound treatment associates Alli Selig and Patti Holloway, and the staff of Bryan’s Specialty Clinic. “Drs. Ongstad, Hargreaves and Wienke are averaging about 160 patient visits a month at the clinic,” says Specialty Clinic manager Sharon Hagelgantz, RN. “We care for patients who have chronic wounds from many causes. Some have wounds related to diabetes, but we also treat slow-to-heal bedsores, infected wounds, those involving exposed bone or tendon, and wounds caused by blood flow insufficiencies, trauma
Anne Krause, RN, and Jeffrey Wienke, DPM, meet with Michael Roselius — who credits the staff with “saving my foot and going above and beyond to help it heal.” This story is brought to you by Davis Design. 14 Winter 2020
“I appreciate the doctors and all the staff at the wound clinic. To my great relief, they saved me from needing an amputation.” — Michael Roselius
and other problems.” The team offers sophisticated wound healing technologies, including skin grafting, ultrasonic mist therapy, negative pressure dressings, and specialized dressings and casts. “Our multidisciplinary approach gets at problems underlying chronic wounds,” says Dr. Wienke. “For example, relieving pressure is essential to healing diabetic foot ulcers. We have many ways to do that, from total contact bandage casts to leading-edge surgical procedures. After patients heal, we can arrange custom shoe-fittings to reduce their risk for repeat problems.” Dr. Ongstad and Dr. Hargreaves provide the first line of attack when poor wound healing is due to blood flow problems. “Wounds develop or worsen when artery blockages keep tissues from getting the blood flow and oxygen they need,” Dr. Ongstad explains. “And, if veins aren’t functioning well, blood can pool in the extremities, causing swelling, heaviness,
He immediately went to the Emergency Department at Bryan East Campus, where doctors found a serious infection in his foot had spread throughout his body, causing a life-threatening bloodstream infection. “My full recovery took four months — first there was hospitalization with intravenous antibiotics for the bloodstream infection, then surgery to remove the dead tissue and bone in my toe,” Michael remembers. “At first, my doctors thought they might need to amputate my toe, but to my great relief they saved it. The next step was surgery by Dr. Ongstad to get better circulation to my foot, because poor blood flow caused the tissue under my toe to die in the first place. “The final step in my treatment was
“Our multidisciplinary approach gets at problems underlying chronic wounds.” Bryan Heart vascular surgeons Sara Hargreaves, MD, left, and Sarah Ongstad, MD, are helping make a difference in outcomes for patients in the Bryan Specialty Clinic’s wound clinic. pain and ultimately, tissue breakdown.” “For patients who have blocked arteries, we use tools such as stents and natural or synthetic bypasses to reopen or go around blocked vessels, improving blood flow to the wound,” says Dr. Hargreaves. “We also surgically close unhealthy veins so blood is sent into healthier vessels, reducing swelling and pain in the extremities. When blood flows well to and from the wound, healing improves.”
Patients share their stories
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ichael Roselius, 54, and Gene Bruder, 73, both had severely infected leg wounds related to blood flow problems and diabetes. Michael, a Lincoln business analyst, believed his diabetes was under control. But one morning in March 2020 he noticed a dry piece of skin under his left small toe that peeled back, revealing, to his shock, an area of hard, black tissue.
— Jeffrey Wienke, DPM
“Wounds develop or worsen when artery blockages keep tissues from getting the blood flow and oxygen they need.” — Sarah Ongstad, MD
Bryan Journeys 15
BRYAN WOUND CARE wound care at home with weekly visits to the wound clinic. There, Dr. Wienke checked the progress of my wound healing and fitted me each week with a new total contact bandage cast and a walking boot that took pressure off the healing part of my foot. “When my wound finally healed, Dr. Wienke referred me for custom-made shoe orthotics to prevent further problems.” As another important part of prevention Michael learned to do extremely careful foot care, including checking for sore spots and other signs of trouble. Michael says, “I appreciate the doctors and all the staff at the wound clinic and especially want to thank the nurses there. As you’d expect, they’re experts in the new dressing and wound care technologies. But they also were really supportive and, when need be, they were tough on me to do my part. I feel like, first, my doctors and Bryan saved my life by curing that blood infection. Then, they saved my foot from amputation by going above and beyond to help it heal.”
Restoring blood flow — and life
G
ene’s story is equally dramatic. This retired dentist now enjoys building model ships and cars, and with his wife, Diann, deals in rare coins from around the world. “Before my wound happened,” he says, “we went to dozens of coin conventions every year, so we had a fun, busy life with lots of travel. Everything changed in February 2019 though, when I hurt my left ankle when I slipped on the winter ice.” His leg injury seemed at first to be healing, but then became a painful, infected open wound. When the infection did not improve with routine care and antibiotics, he consulted several wound care specialists, including at a regional
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Retired dentist Gene Bruder enjoys making models of ships, planes and cars — the hobby helped him develop dexterity needed in his former career. This patient says, thanks to the wound clinic team, “My wife and I have our life back. I can walk again, so we’re looking forward to travel and exercise.”
BRYAN WOUND CARE medical center in another state. “Unfortunately, none of their treatments helped much. The wound was still quite large and so painful that sleeping in bed was impossible — I couldn’t elevate my leg at all, so the best I could do was sit upright in a chair, which I did for 15 long months. We were just struggling day to day, waiting for my leg to heal.” Early in 2020, Gene consulted Dr. Hargreaves, who found his healing difficulty was due in part to poor blood flow through veins in his leg. She performed surgery to divert blood from damaged veins into healthy vessels in his leg; this reduced swelling and brought healthy blood to his wound. With better blood flow, Gene’s wound began to heal. Dr. Hargreaves used additional healing techniques during his follow-up visits at the wound clinic, including total contact bandage casts and the MIST Therapy system, which delivers an ultrasonic saline mist to clean wounds and promote healing. Around that time, Gene learned he was diabetic and that this was likely slowing his healing, as well. “Over several months I lost 40 pounds. My weight loss definitely stabilized my diabetes, which helped my wound heal,” he points out. Now, after Gene’s surgery and followup care with Dr. Hargreaves and the clinic team, his wound is 95 percent healed. “When I had that big unhealed wound I had to take medical supplies with me everywhere so we couldn’t travel, plus I needed pain medication that made me sleepy much of the time,” Gene says. “Diann and I finally have our life back — I can walk again so we can do things we want to do, and we’re looking forward to travel and exercise. “Dr. Hargreaves and all the wound clinic staff have been incredibly supportive, and
we’re so grateful.” n For information about Bryan’s wound clinic, contact Sharon Hagelgantz, RN, at 402-481-8688.
To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation staff at 402-481-8605.
Dr. Sara Hargreaves discusses Gene’s progress during a follow-up visit to the wound clinic at Bryan East Campus.
Bryan Journeys 17
MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE
New faces at
Bryan
Welcome these colleagues to the Bryan medical community
Sara Bakhtiar, MD, family medicine/ hospitalist, has joined Inpatient Physician Associates, 402-481-8566. Dr. Bakhtiar earned her medical degree from Rawalpindi Medical College in Punjab, Pakistan, in 2003. She completed her residency in family medicine at the Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, in 2020. Christian Berg, MD, internal medicine/ hospitalist, has joined Inpatient Physician Associates, 402-481-8566. Dr. Berg earned his medical degree in 2017 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, and completed a residency in 2020 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City. Michael Bokemper, MD, orthopedic surgery, has joined Lincoln Orthopaedic Center, 402-436-2000. Dr. Bokemper graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2014. Subsequently, he completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, and
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in 2020 he completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa. Adam Brank, MD, PhD, internal medicine, has joined Southeast Lincoln Family Medicine & Internal Medicine, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network,402-483-8500. In 2005, he earned his medical degree from the University of Florida School of Medicine in Gainesville, where he also completed a residency. Dr. Brank has been providing care in Lincoln for more than 12 years. He treats the multiple health issues and chronic conditions that can arise as we age. T.J. Clark, MD, ophthalmology, has joined Eye Surgical Associates, 402-484-9000. Dr. Clark is Board certified and specializes in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery. He earned his medical degree in 2014 from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his internship and residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where he was inducted into the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Gold Humanism Honor Society and awarded the foundation’s Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award for Outstanding Resident Role Model. He completed a fellowship in Orbital and Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in 2020. Logan Collins, DO, internal medicine/hospitalist, has joined Inpatient Physician Associates, 402-481-8566. Dr. Collins completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and in 2017 earned his Doctor of Osteopathy from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colorado. He completed an internal medicine residency at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 2020. Dr. Collins is Board certified in internal medicine.
MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE Mitchell Hervert, DO, internal medicine/hospitalist, has joined Inpatient Physician Associates, 402-481-8566. In 2017, Dr. Hervert earned his Doctor of Osteopathy from Kansas City University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. He completed an internal medicine residency at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 2020. Dr. Hervert is Board certified in internal medicine. Madeline Jones-Ryan, DO, endocrinology and internal medicine, has joined Complete Endocrinology, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network, 402-405-0500. Dr. Jones-Ryan earned her medical degree from the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Mesa, Arizona, in 2015. She completed her residency in internal medicine with HCA HealthONE at Sky Ridge Medical Center, Parker, Colorado, in 2018 and a fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, in 2020. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Natraj Katta, MD, interventional cardiology, has joined Bryan Heart, 402-483-3333. Dr. Katta graduated from Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, India, in 2002. He completed an internal medicine residency at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, Pontiac, Michigan, then a residency in cardiovascular disease at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, and in 2020 he completed an interventional cardiology fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. Dr. Katta is Board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. Heather Kleeman, DO, family medicine, has joined Bluestem Health, practicing at Health 360, 402-476-1455. Dr. Kleeman received an undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She earned her doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri, in 2013. She completed the Lincoln Family
Medicine Residency Program in 2016. Dr. Kleeman is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Meggan Linck, MD, obstetrics and gynecology, has joined New Life Obstetrics & Gynecology, 402-486-4800. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she attended Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, graduating in 2010. She then completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita. After residency, she practiced in Casper, Wyoming for several years before moving back to Lincoln. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Ryne Marshall, MD, surgical critical care/general surgery/ trauma, has joined Bryan Trauma, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network, 402-481-5860. Â Dr. Marshall earned his medical degree from Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, in 2014. He completed a residency in general surgery at the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, and a fellowship in surgical critical care at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020. Matthew Maslonka, MD, pulmonary & critical care, has joined Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties, 402-483-8600. Dr. Maslonka earned his medical degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2014 and completed a residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In 2020, he completed a pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During his fellowship, Dr. Maslonka became interested in lung cancer with a focus on bronchoscopy for diagnosis and treatment of lung lesions in addition to providing a full spectrum of care for pulmonary and sleep disorders.
Bryan Journeys 19
MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE Minh Yen Mays, MD, pathology, has joined Pathology Medical Services, 402-465-1900. Dr. Mays is certified by the American Board of Pathology. In 2015, she earned her medical degree from the Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, where she also completed a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. She completed a fellowship in hematopathology at the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City, in 2020. Adam Rasmussen, MD, family medicine, has joined Southeast Lincoln Family Medicine & Internal Medicine, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network, 402-483-8500. Dr. Rasmussen graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2014 and completed the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program in 2017. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Ryan Santin, MD, psychiatry, has joined Bryan Heartland Psychiatry, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network, 402-483-8555. Dr. Santin earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2014. He completed his residency at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, in 2018. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Andrew Shahan, MD, family medicine, has joined Bluestem Health Piedmont Clinic, 402-480-7380. Dr. Shahan earned his medical degree in 2008 from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, and completed a residency in 2015 at Lincoln Family Medicine Education Partnership. Dr. Shahan is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Â Robert Szalewski, MD, internal medicine, has joined Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Associates, 402-464-5969. Dr. Szalewski graduated from the University of Nebraska-
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Lincoln, where he studied biology, then earned a medical degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2015. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, where in 2020 he also completed an allergy/immunology fellowship. Dr. Szalewski is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Anthony Tabatabai, DO, general surgery/bariatric/weight loss surgery, has joined Surgical Associates, PC, 402-441-4760. Dr. Tabatabai earned his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Missouri in 2014. He completed a general surgery residency at the Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan. in 2019, and a fellowship in advanced gastrointestinal/minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2020. Dr. Tabatabai is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. Tyler Teichmeier, MD, surgical pathology, has joined Pathology Medical Services, 402-465-1900. In 2015, Dr. Teichmeier graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, where he also completed a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and a fellowship in 2020 in surgical pathology. He is certified by the American Board of Pathology. Samuel Thomsen, MD, internal medicine and ophthalmology, has joined Eye Surgical Associates, 402-484-9000. Dr. Thomsen completed his undergraduate degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln. He earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2015 and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the Mason Eye Institute at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a fellowship in 2020 at the
MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE Dean McGee Eye Institute-Oklahoma Health Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Thomsen specializes in glaucoma, cataracts and laser vision correction. He is a member of the American Glaucoma Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Kimberly White, MD, pediatrics, has joined Complete Children’s Health Northwoods, 402-465-5600. Dr. White earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, in 2016 and completed her residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, in 2020.
Welcome, advanced practice providers and independent practitioners These advanced practice providers and independent practitioners are working at Bryan Medical Center: Jeffrey Austin, APRN-NP, Bryan Heartland Psychiatry, part of the Bryan Physician Network Katherine Barnard, APRN-NP, Nebraska HematologyOncology Emma Edwards, PA-C, Innovative Pain and Spine Specialists Sebastian Edwards, CRNA, Associated Anesthesiologists Katelyn Espinoza, PA-C, Bryan Trauma, part of the Bryan Physician Network Kylee Fitch, APRN-NP, Gastroenterology Specialties Nicholas Genrich, APRN-NP, Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties Kimberly Hill, PA-C, Southeast Lincoln Family Medicine & Internal Medicine, part of the Bryan Physician Network Duong Hoang, CRNA, Associated Anesthesiolgists Lacey Hutcheson, APRN-NP, Bryan Heart Vascular Surgery Eric Johnson, CRNA, Associated Anesthesiologists Rhonda Keyes, APRN-NP, Heartland Neonatology Associates, part of the Bryan Physician Network Thien Kieu, APRN-NP, Bryan Heart Nicole Loseke, APRN-NP, Bryan Women’s Care Physicians, part of the Bryan Physician Network Lauren Meeker, PA-C, Bryan Heart Cardiothoracic Surgery Breann Miller, APRN-NP, Bryan Trauma, part of the Bryan Physician Network Baylee Mink, DDS, Lincoln Pediatric Dentistry Kirby Staroscik, CRNA, Associated Anesthesiologists Zachary Strohm PA-C, Bryan Trauma, part of the Bryan Physician Network
Remembering our colleagues
Bryan medical community notes four physicians’ passing Heart surgeon Robert Buchman, MD, of Lincoln died August 4, 2020. He was 91. Born in Paola, Kansas, Dr. Buchman earned his medical degree from the Creighton University School of Medicine and completed an internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha. He served as a general practitioner in Spaulding and was the first general surgery resident at Saint Elizabeth Hospital, Lincoln. He received additional training at William Beaumont Army Hospital, Texas. While training in cardiovascularthoracic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he consulted with heart transplant pioneers Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley. While in medical school, Dr. Buchman joined the Naval Reserve. He served on active duty in the U.S. Medical Corps, first in the Air Force and then in the Army. This included a tour in Vietnam as an Evac Hospital Commander in Qui Nohn. The Army honored him with its highest noncombative award, the Soldier’s Medal, for risking his life to remove a live grenade from an enemy soldier. After 36 years of active and reserve duty, Dr. Buchman retired with the rank of full colonel. In 1972 he came to Lincoln and worked as a cardiovascular-thoracic surgeon at Lincoln General Hospital until 1989. The son of an agronomist, Dr. Buchman planted trees and flowers across the United States and in Vietnam. He and his wife, Claire, were generous supporters of Creighton University, the University of Nebraska, Madonna Rehabilitation Foundation and many other organizations. John Schrekinger Campbell, MD, of Lincoln, died on September 19, 2020. He was 74. Dr. Campbell was a family physician for 26 years, 23 of them in Lincoln. He received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 1973
Bryan Journeys 21
MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE
and completed a pediatric preceptorship at Guys Hospital, London. He was a Pediatric Resident at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) and the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center in Portland. Dr. Campbell also served as a Commissioned Officer with the rank of Surgeon with the U.S. Public Health Service. In 1979, Dr. Campbell joined the staff of Bryan Hospital when he began working at Health Central in downtown Lincoln. Board certified in Pediatrics and Family Medicine, he added obstetrics in 1986. Dr. Campbell served as a member of the board of several organizations including the Childbirth and Parent Education Association, the Rape Spouse Abuse Crisis Center (now Voices of Hope) and the Lincoln Chapter of the American Heart Association, where he was President from 1985 to 1987. Governor Robert Kerrey appointed him to the Statewide Health Coordinating Council in 1984. In 2002, Dr. Campbell was diagnosed with a severe chronic illness which forced him to retire. Following his diagnosis, he did extensive research and spoke to several professional and private groups on the subjects of chronic illnesses, grieving and learning to live with illness. In 2006, he published the book, A Journey: Creative Grieving and Healing. Dr. Campbell is survived by Meredith, his wife of 47 years, two sons, two grandsons and a brother. Orin (Bob) Hayes, MD, of Walton died October 11, 2020. He was 95. Born in Trinidad, Colorado, Dr. Hayes grew up in York, Nebraska. After graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, Dr. Hayes pursued his education at the University of Nebraska and in 1952, he graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical School (UNMC). He completed his internship at Lincoln General Hospital and set up a family practice in Kearney, Nebraska. In 1963 he entered the residency program of pathology at Clarkson Hospital in Omaha, and in 1967 he joined Pathology Medical Services in Lincoln. During his tenure, he served on the Board of Trustees and as Chief of Staff at Bryan Memorial Hospital. He retired in 1992.
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Dr. Hayes enjoyed his 28 years of retirement. He and Helen, his wife, traveled extensively to visit family and friends and he was finally able to indulge his childhood passion for hunting and fishing. Dr. Hayes remained active in his community and church. He was chairman of the Overland Trails Council and Boy Scouts of America and volunteered with the School Backpack Program and Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach. In appreciation for his commitment and leadership support of UNMC, Dr. Hayes was recently inducted into the prestigious Edward A. Holyoke Society. Dr. Hayes is survived by Helen, his wife of 72 years, and a large extended family. John McGreer III, MD, of Lincoln, died on April 21. He was 86. Born in Montreal, Canada, Dr. McGreer attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and earned his medical degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha. He completed his residency in pathology and radiology at the University of Michigan, then moved to Texas where he served as a captain in the U.S. Army. When Dr. McGreer returned to Nebraska he joined Radiology Associates (now Advanced Medical Imaging) in Lincoln. He was the president of the practice for several years. In 1965, he joined the staff of Lincoln General Hospital (now Bryan West Campus) and was its chief of staff in 1978-79. In 1970 he joined the staff of Bryan Memorial Hospital (now Bryan East Campus) and was a member of the medical staff until his retirement in 2000. Dr. McGreer believed in the importance of preparing the next generation of physicians for professional success and mentored many radiology students. He was a dedicated leader in the Boy Scouts and a life-long supporter of his fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. He received multiple awards for his service to the community. Dr. McGreer is survived by a large extended family, including daughters and sons-in-law Jane and John Sinovic of Omaha; Julie and Mike Sullivan of Lincoln; Mary and Craig Schmidt of Tennessee; daughter-in-law Connie (Redding) McGreer. His wife of 64 years, Marilyn (Brewster) McGreer, passed away on June 11.
BRYAN TRAUMA
Regrowing
bones at Bryan
Advanced procedure saves limbs and lives
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seven-year-old, with almost four inches of bone missing from his leg — my very first consult at Bryan was probably one of the worst cases I’ll see in my career,” says Steven Shannon, MD, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Bryan Trauma, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network. In the summer of 2019, young Simon Matveyuk was on an American vacation with the rest of his Russian family when a car crash put him and his brother Timothy in the intensive care unit. Timothy was unconscious for nine days with a head wound and broken leg and pelvis, and Simon’s fracture was so severe they thought he might lose his right leg. “It was more than just a broken tibia,” says Simon’s father, Paul. “There was a hole in his leg. He was missing muscle, skin. The procedure Dr. Shannon offered was the last option.”
Special training put to use Dr. Shannon was fresh from a fellowship in orthopedic trauma at the world-renowned R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. There he gained experience in a rare technique called distraction osteogenesis. The procedure helps regrow bone using a spatial frame with pins outside the body.
Russian Simon Matveyuk (left) and Wesley White became friends while undergoing distraction osteogenesis. Bryan Journeys 23
BRYAN TRAUMA
Distraction osteogenesis saves patients’ limbs The surgeon cuts the bone above the injury to create a growth edge and uses the pins to move the healthy bone one millimeter a day. “It’s essentially growing entirely new bone,” Dr. Shannon says. “It takes time and compliance and several surgeries, but it’s the gold standard for extremely traumatic bone loss.” Paul and his family were overjoyed to have a solution for Simon. “They said this doctor started on Monday, and he’s ready to take your child and do a treatment if you want to talk to him. We said of course. We’re going to do that. That’s what we’ve been waiting for,” Paul remembers. Because of Simon’s infection, Dr. Shannon started the treatment with another unusual procedure called the Masquelet technique, where special, antibiotic-infused cement fills the bone defect. “It’s like a super strong mixture of antibiotics. — you simply can’t get that high of a dose through an I.V.,” he notes. “After about three weeks, a membrane forms like a tunnel. We come back in through surgery to remove the cement and fill the space with antibiotic beads that gradually dissolve, and we apply the spatial frame at that time.”
Slow but steady progress At only one millimeter a day, it took months for Simon’s bone to grow back in the spatial frame. Timothy had long since recovered, so the family decided to return home for Christmas and get Simon’s last surgery in St. Petersburg. “When the two bone fragments finally
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Dr. Steve Shannon and a bashful Simon pose with his family and Emily Hemberger, RN, left, and Casie Tucker, PA-C. Simon wore a spatial frame on his right leg for almost a year while undergoing a procedure known as distraction osteogenesis. meet, they’re fibrous and have trouble joining on their own,” Dr. Shannon says. “We perform a final surgery to create a bleeding edge on both pieces that allows them to come together.” After almost a year of surgeries and treatments, Simon’s spatial frame came off in June. “He walked maybe a month with
crutches, and then he threw them away,” Paul says. “We were visiting friends, and when we came back, he was walking by himself. Great news for us.” In the year since his first case with Simon, Dr. Shannon performed distraction osteogenesis on six more patients. Before he joined Bryan, those patients’ closest option for the procedure would have
BRYAN TRAUMA been 400 miles away at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where Dr. Shannon completed his residency. He came to Bryan to fill that need, but admits he didn’t anticipate he would be employing distraction osteogenesis this frequently. “Orthopedic trauma procedures like this are very specialized and rare,” Dr. Shannon says. “It’s hard to get enough experience to be fully trained on them outside the major trauma centers.” Orthopedic surgeons typically repair
fractures with missing or irreparable bone using either bone grafts or by inserting a steel rod through the bone. Both procedures have limited efficacy for large defects though, and the infection rate is high. One of Dr. Shannon’s other patients, Wayne Brabec of Shelby, underwent the distraction orthogenesis after a failed rod placement.
Spatial frame to the rescue “In September 2018, I got my lower left leg caught in a wheel while riding on
an antique tractor. They put a rod in, but it never did grow back right. I kept getting infections,” Wayne says. By February of 2020, Wayne’s infection was so severe he was hospitalized for three days. Dr. Shannon performed surgery to take out Wayne’s rod along with several inches of infected bone and place the antibiotic cement. He put the spatial frame on Wayne two weeks later. “After about June or July I could really feel a difference,” Wayne says. “With the
Dr. Shannon uses telemedicine to consult with other providers and talk with out-of-town patients, such as Wayne Brabec of Shelby.
Bryan Journeys 25
BRYAN TRAUMA rod I had been eating so much ibuprofen it gave me a bleeding ulcer. But I don’t need to take anything for pain with the frame. I can stand there and even stomp on it, and I can’t feel it.” Wayne notes that initially the spatial frame was painful, but after 18 months of struggle with the rod, it seems reasonable. “You gotta be willing to go through the long haul,” Wayne says. “It’s not a quick fix, but it’s the right fix.”
Good reason for hope Wesley White of Beatrice, another of Dr. Shannon’s patients, had a similar struggle with infection before starting his
distraction osteogenesis. His compound fracture from an ATV crash was so drastic that Bryan doctors put him in a medically induced coma for three days while they performed multiple initial surgeries to debride and set pins in the bones. “Two weeks later I found out that I had an infection in my leg. It was my choice to pick the frame or amputate it,” Wesley says. “I was in so much pain. I honestly considered the amputation. I was afraid of how bad the frame might be, and I just wanted to get it over with.” Wesley says that the spatial frame was not easy, but he often put on a brave face because he knew he would see young Simon in the waiting room.
“He’s so little. The first day we met he was a little shy. He didn’t really want to show anything off,” Wesley says. “When he saw me walk in with a smile, he’d have a little hope.” With Simon, Wayne, Wesley and several others walking on legs that they might have lost had their injuries occurred just a year earlier, before Dr. Shannon joined Bryan, there’s good reason for hope. n To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation staff at 402-481-8605.
Meet Bryan Physician Network’s trauma surgeons Steve Shannon, MD, works alongside Alesha Scott, DO, another board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic trauma surgeon. They belong to Bryan Trauma, which is part of the Bryan Physician Network. This growing practice includes three general surgeons — Jordan Bowling, MD; Brad Kuhn, MD; and Ryne Marshall, MD — who specialize in trauma surgery and surgical critical care.
Alesha Scott, DO
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Steve Shannon, MD
Their expertise, coupled with Bryan’s broader trauma program, provides comprehensive and state-of-the-art trauma care to injured individuals from across hundreds of miles of the Midwest. In addition to this team, Bryan’s trauma program relies on numerous community physicians to ensure a full spectrum of specialty care is available at a moment’s notice. n
Jordan Bowling, MD
Brad Kuhn, MD
Ryne Marshall, MD
MERRICK MEDICAL CENTER
Avila sees bright future
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atrick Avila, who became president and chief executive officer of Merrick Medical Center in August, is embracing his new community with open arms. “I am impressed with the high energy of Central City,” he says. “There is a lot of pride and big plans for this community to grow and evolve.” Patrick adds, “There are a number of people on the staff who are from this area and wanted to come home and be a part of Merrick Medical Center, and that is great.” His journey to CEO began on the West Coast. As a middle schooler, Patrick already knew he wanted to be a physical therapist. A move from California to Kansas brought him to where he would finish high school and move forward with his dreams, earning a bachelor’s at Kansas State University and a master’s in physical therapy from Kansas University Medical Center. When he entered the health care world he realized he had a passion for the administrative side, so he earned his MBA at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Most of Patrick’s career has been at hospitals in the Kansas City area. He was a vice president and ethics and compliance officer at Research Medical Center, then at Belton Regional Medical Center in Belton, Missouri, he served as vice president of operations and then chief operations officer/ethics and compliance officer.
After 25 years in the field and 15 years in administration, Patrick looks forward to starting a new chapter in Central City with his wife, LaVonn, and their two children. “I’ve been fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to start in new facilities and communities,” he says. “How this community has welcomed and included me has been amazing. From a physician and staff perspective, I have never worked with a more engaged and talented group. “Whether it was fate or good fortune, I saw the Merrick Medical Center job posted. I was very impressed with Central City. My wife has family in Nebraska, so there is some tie there, but the deciding factor was the opportunity to come to this great community and work for a great system. “It is a challenge to start a new position during a pandemic, but the employees, physicians and board have been supportive.
It’s an exciting time to be part of Merrick Medical Center and Bryan Health.” With a quality staff in place and a new hospital on the way, there is plenty for the new CEO to be excited about. Ground breaking for the new hospital took place Sept. 28, groundwork is underway, and Patrick expects construction to be completed in the spring of 2022. “My goal is making sure construction stays on track,” he says. “While we have an amazing staff, we look forward to being able to recruit more specialists so that we can provide expanded care and procedures and keep as much health care local as we can.” With the community’s dream of a new hospital becoming a reality, quality staff in place and a new leader for the team, all the pieces are in place for Merrick Medical Center to usher in a new generation of health care. n
Our Sept. 28 groundbreaking ceremony signalled exciting days ahead for Merrick Medical Center and our patients and families. Bryan Vice President Pat Ganyo, (left) Bryan Health CEO Russ Gronewold, Merrick Medical Center CEO Patrick Avila, benefactor Sid Dinsdale, Merrick Medical Center Foundation Board President Sam Krug, Chief of Staff Traci Dieckmann, DO, and Merrick Medical Center Board Chair Ray Huggett did the honors.
Bryan Journeys 27
CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER
New 3D mammography system benefits local patients
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ith support from the Crete Area Health Care Foundation and its many loyal donors, Crete area patients are receiving 3D mammography near home. COVID-19 restrictions limiting vendors to the Crete Area Medical Center delayed installation at first, but the equipment has been in use for screening and testing since July. This advanced imagery procedure is touted for providing better detection and accuracy than its predecessors. “We are so fortunate to be able to bring this level of technology here, particularly for patients with a higher risk of breast cancer who in the past may have traveled to larger communities multiple times for 3D mammograms,” says Crete Area Medical Center CEO Stephanie Boldt. “This allows us to continue to advance
Radiologic technologists Connie Schnuelle and Nancy Grimaldo demonstrate the new Hologic 3Dimensions mammography imaging system at CAMC. the health of our communities through collaboration and prevention.” The Hologic 3Dimensions combines multiple X-rays to create a threedimensional picture of the breast with minimal overlapping of breast tissue, which can lead to earlier diagnosis. Its images provide better detection in dense breast tissue that can hide some small tumors, and improved accuracy when diagnosing abnormalities, says radiology manager Cathie Boyle. “That, in turn, reduces the number of unnecessary callbacks. Plus, it’s more comfortable for patients,” she explains. “It has a curved compression paddle that mirrors the shape of the breast to provide even compression, and its fast scan times
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CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER help reduce motion, leading to fewer retakes and less compression time.” The equipment — which cost more than $407, 000 — will benefit a significant number of patients. About 950 mammograms are performed each year at CAMC. The Crete Area Health Care Foundation provided more than half of the funds for the purchase, contributing $240,000 from
its 2019 Care & Share Campaign and other unrestricted gifts from previous years. The donation is the latest example of the Foundation’s support for CAMC’s mission to provide care close to home, notes Foundation Treasurer Jeff Schultz. The Foundation has granted more than $2.5 million toward medical equipment, professional development scholarships and high school scholarships since it was formed
in the mid-1990s. “We appreciate the Foundation’s support and financial contribution to 3D mammography,” says Stephanie Boldt, CEO of the medical center. “We continually evaluate our services to identify new and better ways to provide care to our community — 3D mammography is a great example of that.” n
Boldt leads CAMC
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tephanie Boldt is Crete Area Medical Center’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Before accepting this new role in May, Stephanie was the chief operating officer at Thayer County Health Services in Hebron. Where is she from? “I grew up in Morrowville, a small town in north central Kansas. After graduating from college, I moved to Lincoln and lived there all but the last couple of years. Throughout my childhood, I looked for opportunities to lead others and take on responsibility. By growing up in a small community, I was fortunate to be involved in a wide variety of activities,” she says, adding, “My parents raised me to be hard working and respectful.” She and Mark, her husband, have an 11-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter. Stephanie points out, “We have family in Lincoln and Kansas, so Crete is a great location for us.” Where did she go to college? “I went to Colby, Kansas, to become a physical therapist assistant. While working as a therapist, I went to school at Bellevue University and earned a bachelor’s in health care management, then a masters in business administration with a concentration in health care.”
She continues: “I worked in therapy for 10 years and took on progressive leadership roles. After receiving my MBA, I transitioned from therapy to a broader health care scope and began working in a hospital setting.” Her roles as vice president of clinic services and then chief operating officer at Thayer County prepared her for her current role at CAMC.
“By having experience in most aspects of the hospital, I gained great respect for the various departments and roles within a rural health care system,” she says. What’s impressed her about the staff and patients here? “Moving into a new community and starting a new job during the pandemic has been unique, but CAMC and the community have made my family and me feel right at home,” Stephanie says. “I am honored to be leading CAMC. This medical center has highly engaged, dedicated staff who are committed to providing ongoing, excellent quality care.” What’s on the horizon? Stephanie notes, “CAMC will be initiating a building addition and renovation to enhance Family Practice, Labor and Delivery, Surgery and Outpatient/Specialty areas of the hospital. “We also will evaluate our services, looking for areas of opportunity to enhance current services and add others that will benefit our community, and we will explore options in our continuing efforts to support the community.” n
Bryan Journeys 29
VOLUNTEERS & CUSTOMER CARE
Sleeping bag project turns trash into treasure
Surgical nurse James Oxford shows off sleeping bags fashioned from blue wraps.
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lue wraps. James Oxford, RN, sees them every day in the operating room. These paper-thin wraps protect surgical instruments after they’ve been sterilized. When the sterilized equipment goes to the operating room, the blue wraps are thrown away, even though they have not had contact with patients or soiled tools. Oxford, a surgical nurse, wondered if the wraps, which are made from nonwoven polypropylene (the same material that reusable totes and shopping bags are made from) could be rescued from its landfill fate. “I found our organization doesn’t use enough for a recycling company to take it. But when I searched for alternatives online, I saw another hospital was upcycling wraps for a better cause,” he says. The cause? Sleeping bags for the homeless. Wraps are about four and a half feet square and waterproof; two sewn together correctly can be used as sleeping bags and 30 Winter 2020
mats for people in need. Oxford suggested a process to Volunteers and Customer Care director Ellen Beans. Surgery could provide materials. Would Beans recruit volunteers to do the sewing? Beans liked the idea of upcycling (giving new life to items that would otherwise be discarded). The VCC department created a kit of instructions, wraps, thread and elastic. In March, VCC invited Bryan employees to participate, and got 10 quick responses. VCC emailed additional invitations, and more than 100 bags already have been completed. Sewers work at home and track their own hours. Those in the Professional Development Program for RNs, for example, use the experience to meet requirements for volunteer service. Completed sleeping bags are distributed through organizations serving the homeless in Lincoln. CenterPointe outreach and peer support specialist Cole Dickes sees a lot of people who seemingly have fallen through the social service cracks. His job is to
provide resources to the needy and to raise community awareness. Dickes says, “Sleeping bags are one of our most needed items. Having these is a huge blessing. Seeing the community come together to address this issue is very uplifting and provides me with hope.” Oxford sees the project as a four-way victory. “When people do even just a little bit to help, and then others do the same, the outcome is synergistic. Those who contribute are enriched, the environment benefits, the organization spends less on waste disposal, and most importantly, the lives of those who receive the blankets are improved. It’s a winwin-win-win solution,” he says. If you would like to participate in this project, please contact Volunteers and Customer Care at 402-481-3032. Learn about additional volunteer opportunities at bryanhealth.org/applyvolunteer. n
BRYAN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Lloyd leads Bryan and Hastings colleges, announces dual degree with Concordia University
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wo major developments occurred this fall that are impacting students at three colleges in Nebraska. Bryan College of Health Sciences President Rich Lloyd, PhD, became executive president of Hastings College in September, and later announced a new partnership with Concordia University Nebraska. Dr. Lloyd is an alumni of Hastings College, where he served two decades as an English professor, vice president of academic affairs and vice president of college initiatives. “As a graduate, it truly is a special honor to have the opportunity to serve my alma mater in this way,” Dr. Lloyd says. He’s been president of Bryan College of Health Sciences since 2016. During this time, the college has set record enrollments, and students continue to exceed state and national board pass rate averages. “Often, we see colleges competing against one another,” he notes. “In this case, two amazing private colleges are modeling
innovative ways to work together.” He says Bryan and Hastings College are focused on meeting the needs of students and the future workforce in Nebraska’s communities. They will open a second Bryan College of Health Sciences location in Hastings, with a goal of holding the first classes by fall of 2022. “My role is as connector, supporting and meeting the mission of both institutions and keeping conversations going,” Dr. Lloyd adds. “One goal is clear — to create educational and career pathways of benefit to both campuses and the communities we serve.” Bryan’s college and Concordia have partnered so that students can receive both a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a Bachelor of Science in nursing while adding only a semester to their college time lines. “This partnership with Concordia builds on our focus to help more students achieve their BSN,” says the president. How will this work? Students will begin at Concordia, then
become dual-enrolled at Bryan College of Health Sciences in their second semester. They will be able to receive financial aid, live on Concordia’s Seward campus and participate in co-curricular activities as they earn a bachelor’s in biology. When students begin Bryan classes, they will be classified as both a Concordia and Bryan student while they pursue a BSN at one of the top nursing programs in the state. “Nursing already is Concordia’s principle pre-health program,” Concordia provost Dr. Tim Preuss points out. “This partnership will provide access to a well-established, highquality nursing program, streamline the process for our students and provide them flexibility to pursue vocations in nursing or natural sciences as they receive a degree from each institution.” n For more information about programs and degrees at Bryan College of Health Sciences, go to www.bryanhealthcollege. edu/bcohs/about. To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please call 402-481-8605.
The Rev. Russ Sommerfeld, interim president of Concordia, (left) and Bryan College of Health Sciences President Rich Lloyd sign a partnership agreement establishing a dual degree in biology and nursing.
Bryan Journeys 31
ACHIEVEMENTS
CRRN ADVOCACY AWARD – The Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board recognized Bryan’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit for encouraging nurses to become certified. Our CRRNs include manager Christie Bartelt, Stephanie Everett, Wendie Nash, Stefanie Staab, Michelle Frederick, Autumn Jay and Tricia Bruha.
COVID TESTING EARNS PRAISE – Nebraska Hospital Association Vice President Margaret Woeppel (left) presents a Quest for Excellence Award to the Bryan team that developed Nebraska’s first drive-through COVID testing station. Pictured are Kevin Yeakley, Christi Moock, Jason Maple, Tammy Fandrich and Jen Anderson.
THEY’RE HEARING CHAMPS – For its screening efforts, Women’s and Children’s achieved Newborn Hearing Hospital Champion status from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
32 Winter 2020
Dr. John Trapp is Physician Advocate of the Year.
Janelle Bray, RN, received the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.
Peers salute Dr. Trapp
Bray receives leadership award
Medical Affairs Vice President John Trapp, MD, is the Nebraska Medical Association Physician Advocate of the Year. “Dr. Trapp is relentless in his efforts to advocate for the patient. His leadership during the COVID pandemic has been most helpful and reassuring while navigating these uncharted waters,” says a nominator. Another doctor adds, “He has tirelessly worked to advocate for physicians, patients and the community.” The vice president is a past chief of staff. He practices at Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties and is medical director of Bryan Health Pulmonary Rehabilitation. n
Medical/Renal/Progressive Care Unit manager Janelle Bray, RN, MSN, received Bryan’s annual DAISY Nurse Leader Award. Her nomination notes, in part, “Janelle leads by example. She is an advocate for her nurses, and she holds us all to a high standard, which sets up the whole unit to succeed.” DAISY stands for Disease Attacking the Immune System and was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Bryan has presented this international award to a staff nurse every month since 2010 — and the Nurse Leader Award recognizes a leader who is a mentor and motivator and creates an environment fostering care and compassion. n
ACHIEVEMENTS
Jan Buchanan of Crete Area Medical Center, Melissa Gragg of Merrick Medical Center and Taylor Straube of Bryan Medical Center are this year’s Caring Kind Award winners.
Ruth Van Gerpen’s and Jennie Ong’s research was published.
Bryan Health’s Buchanan, Gragg and Straube earn NHA Caring Kind Awards for 2020
Article influences practice standards
They’re the Caring Kind! The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) recognized Jan Buchanan of Crete Area Medical Center, Melissa Gragg, PT, of Merrick Medical Center and Taylor Straube, RN, of Bryan Medical Center with Caring Kind Awards. Materials manager Jan Buchanan has worked at CAMC for 26 years. Her nomination says, “Although Jan doesn’t always work directly with patients, her daily work affects every patient that comes through the door. During this pandemic, materials management is crucial to ensure our facilities have protective equipment necessary to perform our duties. She’s a valuable member of our team.”
Physical therapist Melissa Gragg “does her absolute best to ensure her patients get the best experience possible,” according to her nominator. “She is very thorough, making sure she addresses patients’ needs not only in the clinical setting, but also addressing care giver needs, emotional support and whether patients have contact information to obtain community resources. “For these reasons, many request Melissa by name for their therapy needs. She is so much more than a physical therapist — she is a fantastic asset to Merrick Medical Center and the Bryan family.” Critical care RN Taylor Straube was recognized by the
Bryan Medical Center Board with a resolution “thanking and congratulating Taylor for dedication, passion and service she brings to her role.” Her Caring Kind nominator notes, “Taylor is truly deserving. In her work on the airborne isolation unit and with COVID patients, she demonstrates tremendous courage and outstanding leadership. “When a COVID-positive patient passed away and loved ones were unable to visit, Taylor took it upon herself to learn that patient’s personal and religious customs and assured those were followed for post-mortem care. This is a simple example of what she does on a day to day basis for patients.” n
The Journal of Infusion Nursing published an article by clinical pharmacist Jennie Ong, PharmD, and clinical nurse specialist Ruth Van Gerpen, MS, RN-BC, APRN-CNS. “Management of Noncytotoxic Vesicant Extravasations” helps clinicians know which antidote or hot/ cold skin therapy prevents injury when non-chemotherapy drugs leak from veins during infusion. Bryan’s new evidence-based extravasation order set is the first of its kind worldwide. The article’s influence on the 2021 Infusion Standards of Practice will lead other institutions to adopt similar treatments. n
Bryan Journeys 33
PUBLIC NOTICE
Discrimination is against the law
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ryan Medical Center complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Bryan Medical Center does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. If you have questions about the law, please contact our Patient Experience Officer. You can either call at 402-481-0139, write to Bryan Medical Center, Attn: Patient Experience Officer, 1600 South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506 or email patientexperience@bryanhealth.org. Bryan Medical Center Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as: • Qualified sign language interpreters • Written information in large print, audio, accessible electronic formats or other formats Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as: • Qualified interpreters • Information written in other languages If you need these interpreter services, contact our Administrative Managers 24/7: 800-742-7844. You may also email a request for interpreter services: communicationassist@bryanhealth.org If you believe Bryan Medical Center has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with: Patient Experience Specialist 2300 S. 16th Street, Lincoln, NE 68502 Phone 402-481-5761 — TTY 800-833-7352 — Fax 402-481-8306 patientexperience@bryanhealth.org You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Patient Family Relations Representative is available to help you. Please see the contact information above. You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/ portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1-800-368-1019 — TTY 800-537-7697 Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
LifePointe Fitness & Spa Holiday Specials SPA SPECIALS
FITNESS SPECIALS
• Peppermint Pedicure, $55
• Fitness Class Punch Card, 12 classes for $50
• Sugar Plum Body Scrub, $100 • Holiday Mind and Body Detox, $110 • Winter Warmth Facial, $110 • Hot Cocoa Indulgence, $150
• InBody & Coaching Session, $65 • 12 Days of Fitness, $72 • Cryotherapy, 5 sessions for $125 • 90-Day Accelerated Fitness Program and Membership, $300
For complete details of each special go to: bryanlifepointe.com/holiday-specials
The Spa Brya n LifePoin te
Purchase In-Store or Online 7501 S. 27th St. • 402-481-6321 bryanlifepointe.com/holiday-specials
CRUCIAL NUMBERS EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW Podcast with Sara Hargreaves, MD, Bryan Heart Vascular Surgery
Find out what they are, what they mean and how you can improve them.
Listen now at: bryanhealth.org/podcasts
Bryan Journeys 35
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 267 Lincoln, NE 1600 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506
Address service requested
Great care, shorter wait, lower cost & now open late! Turn to Bryan Urgent Care at 84th & Pioneers, open till 11 p.m. When you’re sick or hurt, the last thing you want is a long wait for care. For minor illnesses and injuries, turn to Bryan Urgent Care. You’ll get great care with a shorter wait and lower cost than going to an emergency room.
Get care at 3 locations across Lincoln O LAPEN TE Bryan Urgent Care
Bryan Urge
nt Care
Southwest Lincoln
Northwest Lincoln
Southeast Lincoln
South of 27th & Pine Lake Rd. 7501 S. 27th St. 8 a.m.–8 p.m., daily
27th & Fletcher 5901 N. 27th St. 8 a.m.–8 p.m., daily
84th & Pioneers 4333 S. 86th St. 8 a.m.–11 p.m., daily
Learn more: bryanhealth.org/UrgentCare 402-481-6343
