Aspire Winter 2018

ASPIRE Connecting to a healthier you

WINTER 2018 • VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

Another

RUN at childbirth Vaginal delivery after C-section gets the go-ahead p. 6

RAPID RECOVERY FASTER WAY BACK FROM HIP REPLACEMENT

plus

S p. 2 BETTER ZZZ

FLES p. 7 F I N S S U O I SER p. 3 | S P I T Y L E | TIM

p. 4

healthycorner }

Sound Sleep

For healthier rest, you made need to rethink your position Here’s news that might keep you up nights: 70 million Americans have

Dr. Stephen Duntley

trouble sleeping. Missing nightly Zzzs makes it hard to be your best during the day, and impacts your health in the long term.

Growing evidence suggests that sleeping positions also affect our health, says Stephen Duntley, MD, a sleep specialist at Longmont United Hospital’s Sleep Disorder Center.

Conditions impacted by sleep position include:

• Sleep apnea. Long pauses between breaths while sleeping are linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. One study found that back sleepers had more frequent apnea than side sleepers, possibly because back sleeping puts pressure on airways.

• Acid reflux. If you have heartburn, sleeping on your left side is your best bet, studies suggest. Right-side sleeping may make the condition worse by causing the muscle at the base of the esophagus to relax, so it can’t prevent acid from flowing up the esophagus.

• Back pain. Sleeping on your stomach flattens the spine’s natural curve, straining back muscles. If you must sleep on your stomach, put a pillow under your lower abdomen and pelvis.

CPAP masks help you face down sleep apnea Serious cases of sleep apnea call for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. With CPAP, a small mask worn over the nose applies mild air pressure to keep airways open. But adjusting to them can be tricky. Here are five tips for sleeping soundly with CPAP:

1 Make sure your mask is the right size.

2 Humidify your room to prevent dry, stuffy nose.

3 WHICH ONE ARE YOU? 63% Side sleepers: Helps reduce snoring and wrinkles

16% Stomach sleepers: Can lead to spine and neck pain

14% Back sleepers: Prevents reflux, but increases snoring

What’s keeping you up?

Practice wearing the mask briefly while you’re awake.

4 Use the ramp feature to gradually increase air pressure.

5 Reduce noise by keeping the filter clean.

With board-certified specialists, and the latest diagnostic technology, Longmont United Hospital’s Sleep Disorder Center can pinpoint the source of your sleep problem, and design a personalized treatment plan for you. Talk with your family doctor for more information or call the center at 303-651-5126.

ASPIRE is published four times annually by Longmont United Hospital. Executive editor is Kirsten Pfotenhauer. As part of Centura Health, our mission is to nurture the health of the people in our community. The information herein is meant to complement and not replace advice provided by a licensed health care professional.

For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at aspire@centura.org. ASPIRE is produced by Clementine Healthcare Marketing.

1950 Mountain View Avenue | Longmont, CO 80501-9865

2

ASPIRE

| WINTER 2018

LONGMONT UNITED HOSPITAL

COVER PHOTO: ©MATTHEW STAVER; THIS PAGE: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LAFLOR ; OPPOSITE PAGE: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SUBJUG, ILLUSTRATIONS: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ANNA42F, /MISHKOM

{

Fast track to a healthier you in 2018

Investing a few minutes now can save time and health later

New year, new you? That’s probably not a realistic goal, or even a necessary one.

Corinne Brock, NP

A few minutes a day, or a week, can improve health, fitness, even your outlook. Centura Health Physician Group Niwot nurse practitioner Corinne Brock has time-saving tips to help make a great you even better in 2018:

minutes daily:

minutes daily:

Connect. Make one-on-one contact, in person or on the phone. Strong relationships with actual humans can extend life, especially for older adults, Brock says. A five-minute “I’m thinking of you” phone call does it.

Get moving.

Try the 12-move, seven-minute workout from the American College of Sports Medicine for a quick but effective routine that provides the benefits of prolonged endurance training.

(Download for free from your phone’s app store.)

minutes daily:

Crunch an apple, heat up oatmeal, and throw some chia seeds on your cereal. “No one gets enough fiber,” Brock says.

That’s a shame. Fiber helps maintain healthy weight, and reduces colon cancer risk.

minutes weekly:

Exercise the blues away. One hour a week of moderate exercise — you don’t have to break a sweat — has been shown to prevent 12 percent of depression cases.

minutes:

minutes daily:

Stand up. Sitting for hours every day hurts health. But a recent study found cutting chair time by just 21 minutes a day can offset the damage.

Schedule this year’s checkups, screenings, and cleanings. Kids need well-child checkups and, possibly, updated vaccinations. Wellwoman checkups, plus blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screenings can save lives. If you’re a woman 40 or older, ask your doctor about a mammogram. If you’re a man 40 or older, ask about a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. If you’re anyone 50 or older and haven’t had a colonoscopy, book one now. And, everybody needs an annual dental cleaning.

Centura physicians now offer same-day appointments, online scheduling, and shared electronic medical records. Schedule an appointment at centura.org/ sameday.

303-651-5111 | LUHCARES.ORG

3

Back in the

fast lane Different approach to hip replacement speeds recovery

G

reg Kassel’s hip hurt for years, but he was determined to avoid surgery.

Then came the day he could no longer walk two blocks to his mailbox without pain, or stopping to sit down. “I went to my doctor and when he moved my hip, I cried and screamed,” Kassel says, only partly joking.

His doctor sent him to William Cooney, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Longmont United Hospital. Time and pain were already wearing down Kassel’s resistance to surgery. And meeting Cooney was the deciding factor.

“I talked to others who had had hip replacements with Cooney and they loved him, and said he did a great job,” Kassel says.

<< Greg Kassel is ready to hit the road in his 1995 Corvette after hip replacement surgery removed the roadblock of pain.

4

ASPIRE

| WINTER 2018

LONGMONT UNITED HOSPITAL

High-speed recovery

Cooney is one of a growing number of surgeons using a relatively new, less-invasive, and increasingly popular technique for hip replacement, called the direct superior approach.

“Essentially, this is a muscle-sparing approach in which we minimize muscle damage by entering the hip from the top,” Cooney says.

With this approach, the surgeon makes just one small incision in the hip. The entire hip replacement is performed through that single incision, leaving most muscles and tendons undamaged and the hip’s natural alignment intact.

Cooney says there are many benefits to the patient, including: Ü Minimal muscle and soft tissue damage, which means faster recovery Ü Movement isn’t restricted after surgery Ü Less pain after surgery Ü Lower risk of dislocation after surgery After surgery, “people can bear as much weight as is comfortable, and generally make fast progress as far as walking without assistance, and can get back to their routine and usual activities quickly,” Cooney says.

Kassel had his surgery at Longmont United Hospital on a Thursday and was out of bed walking hours later.

The next day, he went home. “They tried to talk me into staying another day, but I wouldn’t have it.”

At home, he had strict orders to complete in-home physical therapy.

The physical therapist who came to his home was not about to let Kassel slouch. “She really put me through the ringer, but it paid off,” says Kassel, who performed his exercises “religiously.”

He’d been assigned an exercise routine of 10 to 12 repetitions. “By the time she finished with me a week later, I was up to 15 reps on everything. I used a walker for three days, and a cane for five days; then I was on my own.”

Kassel was back to work in a friend’s liquor store 10 days after surgery. But the real test sat in his driveway: his beloved 1995 Corvette. Several days after surgery, he was able to get into the low-slung hot rod, “but my wife had to help me get out,” he says.

A month after surgery though, he was slipping in and out of his car easily and back on the road.

Kassel isn’t the only one zooming through life after his hip replacement. “Hip replacement patients are generally very satisfied,” Cooney says. “Most get through it much more easily than they anticipated, and the pain relief is tremendous. So, they are getting back to an active life much sooner than they expected.”

To learn more about joint replacement surgery at Longmont United Hospital, visit luhcares.org/orthopedics.

BIO BOX

4 SIGNS IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR A HIP REPLACEMENT

1 Routine activities have become difficult, if not impossible, to complete without help.

2 You have significant pain, including pain that keeps you awake at night, prevents you from walking or bending, and doesn’t respond to medication.

3

PHOTO: ©MATTHEW STAVER; ILLUSTRATIONS: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/BEZVERSHENKO

Superior approach

Tests show advanced arthritis or significant joint damage.

4

Dr. William Cooney Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Medical school: Saint Louis University School of Medicine Residency: Mayo Clinic, orthopedics Fellowship: Sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery at the American Sports Medicine Institute Clinical interests: Hip, knee, and shoulder replacement surgery

Less-invasive treatments, such as injections, physical therapy, or pain relievers, no longer relieve your pain.

SPEEDING UP. Patients are opting for hip replacement at younger ages. In fact, the number

of hip replacement patients ages 45-64 more than doubled from 2000 to 2010, while the rate for Americans over age 65 decreased, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

303-651-5111 | LUHCARES.ORG

5

BirthRight

Vaginal delivery is now an option for women who’ve had a cesarean section Once a cesarean section, always a C-section, right?

Research tells a different story, and organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommend natural labor as an option for most women, including those with a Dr. Jennifer Blattner prior cesarean section. So, last summer, Longmont United Hospital became the first hospital in Longmont to offer women vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC. The hospital’s decision is one that Longmont United Hospital obstetrician/gynecologist Jennifer Blattner, MD, cheers. “It’s important to offer women that option,” she says. “The more a patient can have control over pregnancy and labor, the more gratification they are going to have.”

Balancing Act In the past, physicians and hospitals worried the cesarean incision could tear during labor, potentially causing a dangerous uterine rupture. But that occurs in less than 1 percent of deliveries, Blattner says.

Avoiding a C-section also reduces the associated risks of:  Potential infection  Blood loss  Longer recovery time than vaginal delivery

VBAC Candidates Still, not everyone is a VBAC candidate. “The reason for the previous C-section is crucial,” Blattner says. VBAC may not be an option if:  The baby was too large to pass through the birth canal in the previous delivery  Pregnancy continues beyond the due date and labor has to be induced  Mom has had multiple prior C-sections or other surgeries on her uterus Dr. Jennifer Blattner, Dr. Heather Bright Hoffmeyer, Dr. Alexandra DiMatteo, Dr. Kristen Wolfe, and Erin Harper-Sanchez, NP and certified nurse midwife, offer VBAC along with full-spectrum obstetrics and gynecology care at Longmont United Hospital.

To learn more about the BirthPlace at Longmont United Hospital and find a list of birth classes, go online to luhcares.org/birth.

6

ASPIRE

| WINTER 2018

NATURAL BIRTH THE SECOND TIME AROUND o Christine Hammond, giving birth vaginally without pain medications was an important part of the experience.

That was the plan with her first child. But when her son flipped into breech position, she wound up having an emergency C-section.

Still, the Boulder triathlete was determined to try again with her second child.

Her doctor supported her with one condition: “If I went more than a week past my due date, we couldn’t do it.”

But baby Cynthia cooperated and last August, she became the first VBAC baby born at Longmont United Hospital.

Hammond says the experience was everything she’d hoped for, and she hopes to try it again with a third child.

T

LONGMONT UNITED HOSPITAL

COLD,

Hard Facts When a sniffle signals trouble It’s winter, also known as Runny Nose Season.

Treat at home

Call the pediatrician

Go to the ER

• Runny nose, congestion, and mild cough can be treated at home with a humidifier, saline nose drops, and a nasal aspirator • Be sure to give your child plenty of fluids

• Your baby has a cold and is under 6 months or is at risk for RSV • Severe congestion interferes with breathing/eating • High persistent fever • Worsening cough, wheezing, or grunting

• Labored breathing or working so hard he won’t drink or eat • Chest caves in while breathing • Lips, gums, or nail beds turn blue or dark purple • General lethargy, weakness, or lack of responsiveness

Time for a teddy bear check-up? Bring your child and their favorite stuffy to our Teddy Bear Clinic on Feb. 10. See back cover for details.

PHOTOS: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/AABEJON, /GREKOFF; OPPOSITE PAGE: ©ELLEN JASKOL, ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DLINCA

In children, runny noses usually mean a cold.

But they also can be a symptom of something more serious, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV occurs nearly as frequently as colds, and often it’s hard to tell the two apart.

Dr. Anne Marsala While RSV most often causes only mild illness and goes away on its own, it can be dangerous for infants and some children. Each year 57,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized with RSV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s especially dangerous for premature infants and babies with lung or heart disease.

And even without a hospital visit, RSV can lead to more serious illnesses, such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia, says Anne Marsala, MD, FAAP, a pediatric hospitalist at Longmont United Hospital.

So, when your child starts sniffling, will she recover on her own, or should she see a doctor? That depends on your child, and how symptoms progress, Marsala says. Here are some guidelines:

BOULDER COUNTY’S ONLY PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL UNIT Through a partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado, Longmont United Hospital now offers Boulder County’s only pediatric inpatient unit. Beginning last summer, board-certified pediatric specialists with Children’s Hospital have been caring for hospitalized children as well as checking on healthy newborns and those in the neonatal intensive care unit. “We are committed to providing outstanding care close to home for our community, and this partnership is one more way of doing that,” says Craig Luzinski, the hospital’s chief nursing and operating officer.

303-651-5111 | LUHCARES.ORG

7

Portercare Adventist Health System NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE

PAID

DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 4033

1950 Mountain View Avenue Longmont, CO 80501-9865

F

or 17 years, professional clown Kathy Shook has brought humor to the healing process, and trained dozens of volunteer clowns at Longmont United Hospital.

Hospital clowns are as different from birthday party clowns as big floppy shoes are from stilettos. The work calls for gentleness, silly jokes, and the ability to discern whether a patient wants entertainment, or just company.

Hospital clowning can be emotional work and isn’t for everybody, Shook says. But for the seven “Caring Clowns” in her current contingent, including Huggy Bear and Dr. I.B. Limpin, the rewards are many.

Shook recalls the teenager hurt bareback riding, whom she made laugh by chiding him for “trying to ride a bear.” She also still remembers one of the first patients she entertained. After he died, his grateful family contacted her, she says.

If you’d like to “They said volunteer as a Caring it was the Clown, contact the last time volunteer office at they saw 303-651-5205. him laugh.”

2018 CALENDAR

BONFILS BLOOD DRIVE

Save a life this February by donating at our next blood drive in partnership with Bonfils Blood Center. This drive is capable of accepting whole blood, platelets, and plasma. Please schedule an appointment for your donation at this drive, as space is limited.

When | Wed, Feb 7 Where | Longmont United Hospital Registration | donors.bonfils.org

TEDDY BEAR CLINIC

Bring the family and enjoy a day of kid-friendly fun! Bring your teddy bear — or stuffed friend — to learn about bike safety, tips on staying healthy, and pediatric services. Health care professionals will be doing teddy bear wellness checkups and providing necessary TLC. Local EMS and Flight For Life will offer car seat safety checks and bring their vehicles for your child to explore. Your family can also enjoy refreshments, interactive activities, tours, our Longmont United Hospital therapy dogs, and more!

When | Sat, Feb 10, 1-4 p.m.

Where | Longmont United Hospital Cost | FREE

FRANK SHORTER RACE 4 KIDS’ HEALTH

Join us in supporting nonprofit organization Healthy Learning Paths, dedicated to improving kids’ health in northern Colorado at the Frank Shorter Race 4 Kids’ Health and Odyssey Expo.

Sign up for the 5K and BolderBoulder qualifier, the fun run, or just check out the expo for an interactive learning experience about health, science, and engineering.

When | Sun, Apr 8, 8 a.m.-Noon Where | 1st Bank Center, Broomfield Cost | Based on race level; expo is FREE Registration | healthylearningpaths.org

CHILDBIRTH PREP COURSES

Our Childbirth Preparation Class is designed to prepare expectant parents for the physical and emotional changes that occur during labor, birth, and the early postpartum period. Emphasis is placed on understanding the stages of labor, the roles of people involved with the birth, and learning various coping techniques and comfort measures to decrease stress of labor and birth.

Classes are offered in three formats, a four-week series, a condensed twoday course on weekends, or an online class. Visit our website for dates and registration.

Where | Longmont United Hospital or online Registration | luhcares.org/events or 303-485-4184

PHOTO: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SUPANEESUKANAKINTR

CLOWNING AROUND

WINTER

Longmont United Hospital is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2018. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 303-485-3439 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 303-485-3439 (TTY: 711).