PROGRESS 031112 by Lisa Counts

C M Y K 50 inch proGress 2012:

www.herald-dispatch.com

progress 2012:

The Herald-Dispatch’s annual Progress Editions take a look at our Tri-State economy and business community. Today’s sections focus on health and finance. Other topics will be examined over the next two Sundays.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

HealTH

Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

Tracy Hawthorne, center, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, uses a conversation map to discuss diabetes with Judy Little, left, and Kay Adkins at the Erma Ora Byrd Clinical Center in Huntington on Feb. 16.

INsIDe THIs seCTIoN

Early diagnosis, more education essential to treatment of diabetes sTorY BY BeTH HeNDrICKs / THe HeralD-DIspaTCH

Technology, facility offer new options

St. Mary’s Medical Center’s da Vinci surgical system is offering more options for minimally invasive surgeries, and a new emergency facility is nearing completion in Ironton. / 2G

Children’s Hospital work to begin Cabell Huntington Hospital expects to have the first phase of work on its Children’s Hospital finished by fall of this year, and it recently opened a new Center for Lung Health./ 3G

BHENDRICKS@HERALD-DISPATCH.COM

ocal health officials are focusing on a growing health problem reports say could affect more than half of Americans by 2020 and carry a $3.35 trillion price tag. If current trends go unabated, according to a report by health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc., diabetes and pre-diabetes will account for an estimated 10 percent of total health care spending by the end of this decade. The problem could be exacerbated in an Appalachian region already predisposed to risk factors including obesity, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle and poor eating choices. “It is very prevalent in this area for several reasons, but also the population itself — the genetic makeup — just seems to include a lot of people at risk for the development of diabetes,” said Dr. Henry Driscoll, medical director of the Chertow Diabetes Center at Marshall University. Please see DIABETES/6G

“It is very prevalent in this area ... the population itself ... just seems to include a lot of people at risk for the development of diabetes.” Dr. Henry Driscoll

medical director of the Chertow Diabetes Center at Marshall University

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What does comprehensive W cancer care mean? Learn more inside!

C M Y K 50 inch 2G The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch

CT Technician Mindy Faremyer runs a patient through St. Mary’s 64-Slice CT Scanner at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington on Feb. 27. The 64-Slice CT Scanner exposes patients up to 40 percent less radiation.

Technology, new facility offer options

Surgical system making more procedures minimally invasive; center bringing true emergency care to Ironton

St. Mary’s Medical Center ADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS: 2900 1st Ave., Huntington, WV 25702. PHONE NUMBER: 304-526-1234 or 1-800-9ST-MARY. WEB SITE: www.st-marys.org.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Construction continues on the new St. Mary’s Medical Campus in Ironton on Feb. 24. By BETH HENDRICKS The Herald-Dispatch

bhendricks@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — Focusing on the best and newest technologies was the focus in the past year — and the year ahead — for St. Mary’s Medical Center. “Our surgeons have a great reputation for their abilities,” said DougKorstanje,directorofmarketingandcommunityrelations at St. Mary’s. “Now, we’re focused on putting the technology in their hands that allows them to continue leading the way. “We’ve invested ... to make sure patients have access to state-of-the-art surgery options.” Korstanje pointed to the da Vinci surgical system, which is gaining more proficient users and also being used for more types of procedures. According to the manufacturer’s website, the da Vinci overcomes the limitations of both traditional open surgery and conventional minimally invasive surgery. Da Vinci is a robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery. At St. Mary’s, Drs. Mohi Mitiek and Nepal Chowdhury are usingtheroboticsurgeryequipmentforlungcancersurgery;others are performing OB-GYN procedures with the technology. “With the da Vinci system, there’s less bleeding, less recovery time, and that’s important especially with cancer because if you are trying to recover from surgery, you can’t go back to chemotherapy as quickly,” Korstanje said. “I can’t say enough about having it here. “People are shopping around for services because they want minimally invasive surgery. We offer many options here,” he said. “If somebody is telling you you’re going to have to have open surgery, you deserve a second opinion and you deserve a recovery time as short as possible so you can get back to what you’re doing.” Mitiek is also performing esophageal cancer surgery with the da Vinci system, while Chowdhury is using it for heart surgery. “There are very few surgeons in the country with the skill to do that. Only the most skilled surgeons are able to use it,” Korstanjesaid.“Itactuallyevenmakesitabetterprocedurewith

da Vinci because those skilled hands using precision equipment are able to give patients the best service possible.” Another piece of technology that has found a home inside the walls of the hospital is the O-ARM CT scanner — newly placed in the operating room. “What you’re getting with this is real-time X-ray images before, during and after surgery,” Korstanje said. “Our neurosurgeons, in particular, are very excited about this.” The O-Arm assists in providing a real-time, clear picture of very intricate procedures. Using it, Korstanje said, will make sure everything has been done correctly before the patient leaves the operating room. “Sometimes you might have a screw that needs readjusted after the fact. With this, you’re getting it right the first time,” he said of the $1.5 million equipment. Arriving this month at St. Mary’s is a 3-D technology for mammography called tomosynthesis. Korstanje said it will be vital to especially high-risk patients. “The images are clearer and it allows for better assessment of any possible tumors in the breast,” he said. TechnologyhasnotbeentheonlyfocusoftheSt.Mary’sadministration.They’veturnedtheirattentiontoastand-aloneemergency room in Ironton, slated to open in late May or early June. Construction on the $18.5 million medical center started in March 2011. The two-story building is 46,000 square feet and will include a seven-day-a-week emergency room and have imaging and lab services. St. Mary’s physicians from Huntington will also staff the Ironton facility, which is expected to create as many as 75 new jobs. That facility is located at the intersection of Ohio 141 and U.S. 52. “Things are progressing over there very well and we’re very excited about being the only hospital in the area with two emergency rooms,” Korstanje said. KorstanjesaidanyconditionthatcanbetreatedintheHuntington emergency room can be treated in the department in Ironton. “This is stand-alone, 24/7 emergency care,” he said. “Urgent care is more limited in what they can treat — minor cuts, bruises, injuries and illnesses. In the Ironton emergency room, they can handle true emergencies.”

TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 393. NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: 332. NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: 2,470. MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Heart care with a Blue Distinction Cardiac Center for Excellence; CyberKnife technology and 3-D Mammography; stroke center that has been awarded the Gold Plus distinction from the American Stroke Association; neurosurgery; orthopedic care; Level II Trauma emergency care; COPD care; radiology; St. Mary’s Regional Spine Center; maternity care; St. Mary’s Regional Sleep Center; advanced surgery services with all board-certified anesthesiologists; and diabetes education through Joslin Diabetes Education Affiliate. SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS: 1,385,346 (including parking garages) and 1,069,953 (without garages). OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS: WEST VIRGINIA: St. Mary’s Center for Education, 5th Avenue and 29th Street, Huntington, 304-5261426; St. Mary’s Pediatrics, 2828 1st Ave., Suite 305, Huntington, 304-399-7565; St. Mary’s Family Care Centers at Highlawn, 2828 1st Ave., Suite 510, Huntington, 304-529-0483; at Barboursville, One Chateau Lane, Barboursville, 304-736-4700; at Ceredo, U.S. 60 at 4th Street, Ceredo, 304-4533050; and at Hurricane, 147 Willow Tree Way, Hurricane, 304-397-3002; OHIO/LAWRENCE COUNTY: Collaborated with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization to provide specialty medical services at four family medical center sites in Ironton, Coal Grove, South Point and Chesapeake, Ohio. Construction underway on St. Mary’s Medical Campus Ironton, which will provide 24/7 Emergency Care, Imaging and Lab Services as well as care from specialty and family practice physicians. EXPANSIONS SINCE JANUARY 2011: n Opened New Heart Valve Clinic in St. Mary’s Regional Heart Institute. Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons work with cardiologists to diagnose and treat patients with heart murmurs and heart valve problems. n Added millions of dollars in new technology including a second da Vinci HD Si machine, a low dose CT scanner, an O-Arm imaging device that allows neurosurgeons to have real time imaging before, during and after surgery and Tomosynthesis 3-D Mammography to provide state-of-the art imaging. PLANS FOR 2012: n Opening for St. Mary’s Medical Campus Ironton. n Opening of a new Marshall University doctorate program for physical therapy at St. Mary’s Center for Education. Construction will be complete this summer and classes will begin in the fall.

C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Health

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Registered respiratory therapist Terri Turley-Spears, right, works with patient Carolyn Poindexter of West Hamlin at The Center for Lung Health at Cabell Huntington Hospital on Feb. 17.

Children’s Hospital work to begin

First phase of construction slated for this year; comprehensive Center for Lung Health opened in mid-February

Cabell Huntington Hospital ADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS: 1340 Hal Greer Blvd., Huntington, WV 25701. PHONE NUMBER: 304-526-2000. WEB SITE: www.cabellhuntington.org (hospital)/ www.edwardsccc.org (cancer center); Twitter: www.twitter.com/ chhnews (hospital) and www.twitter. com/edwardsccc (cancer center); Twitter: www.twitter.com/cabellchildrens (children’s hospital) Facebook: www. facebook.com/cabellhuntington; YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ cabellhuntington. TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 313 NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: 400 physicians. NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: 2,230. MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Comprehensive cancer care, Level II emergency and trauma care, neurosciences, orthopedics, surgery (general, minimally invasive, robotic, bariatric), critical care, internal medicine, family medicine, geriatrics, diagnostic and interventional radiology, obstetrics (routine and high-risk) and pediatrics (including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS: 717,400 square feet (including Cabell Huntington Hospital, Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center, North Patient Tower). OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS: Four freestanding Family Medical Centers: Huntington: Women’s and Family Medical Center, 20th St. Professional Building, 115 20th St.; Huntington: Family Urgent Care Center, 2 Stonecrest Drive (just off of 5th Street hill); Barboursville: Family Medical Center, 100 Meadow Pointe; Kenova: Family Medical Center, 750 Oak St.; CHH Center for Surgical Weight Control, Cabell Pediatrics and the CHH Center for Wound Healing all are located in the 20th Street Professional Building; CHH Breast Health Center; J. Robert Pritchard Dialysis Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital; CHH Putnam Sleep Lab, Teays Valley; CHH Perinatal Center; CHH Center for Lung Health, Pain Management Center; Cabell Huntington Hospital Balance Center, 1616 13th Ave., Huntington; CHH Cardiac Rehabilitation and CHH Pulmonary Rehabilitation are both located on the ground floor of the Center for Lung Health at Cabell Huntington Hospital located at 1305 Elm St. EXPANSIONS SINCE JANUARY 2011: The Center for Lung Health — located at 1305 Elm St. beside the hospital’s helipad. EXPANSION PLANS FOR 2012: Children’s Hospital groundbreaking.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Tammy Pearson of Vinton, Ohio, holds her daughter, Paisley Pearson, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cabell Huntington Hospital in this March 2, 2009, file photo. The unit was the first phase of the Children’s Hospital. By BETH HENDRICKS The Herald-Dispatch

bhendricks@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — More than a year’s worth of hard work at Cabell Huntington Hospital will be realized soon, when the first phase of construction begins on the Children’s Hospital later this year. David Graley, vice president and chief operating officer of the Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation, said the project has reached more than $11 million of its $12 million goal in approximately four years. “The project can be done in phases. We aren’t waiting to reach our entire goal to get started,” Graley said. “A big part of the Children’s Hospital is the dedicated front entrance off of Hal Greer. We expect it to be finished in the fall.” In late February, hospital officials began advertising to accept bids from contractors for the project, which will include the dedicatedentranceandsignagebrandingitastheChildren’sHospital. Graleysaidheexpectedconstructiontobeginshortlythereafter. The second phase, which includes reconstruction of the hospital’s fifth floor, is expected to be out for bids around the time the first phase is completed. “We’re doing this in phases so we won’t have to displace any more children or beds than necessary,” Graley said. “We could save $600,000 if we could shut down completely, but we can’t do that.” The precursor to the project included the completion of a new, 36-bed neonatal intensive care unit in 2008. The entranceway work will be colorful and child-friendly, leading to a lobby and dedicated pediatric elevator taking patients into the “hospital within a hospital” on the fifth floor. The floor will feature a 26-bed pediatric medical/surgical unit and a 10-bed pediatric intensive care unit. “We’ve touted ourselves as a regional children’s hospital and we’re getting donations from Clarksburg, Ashland, Logan, Charleston,” Graley said. “People say, ‘You guys are the ones taking care of our kids.’” On the opposite end of the age spectrum, the hospital

placed a renewed commitment on caring for the senior population in 2011. The year saw the hospital’s first SeniorFest, which drew more than 600 participants. “In health care, we’ve got a tsunami coming on us with these aging folks and we’re trying to be so proactive in making sure we meet their needs,” said Joy Pelfrey, director of senior services at Cabell Huntington Hospital. “We know our state is aging and we want to keep our focus on health promotion, illness prevention, early detection and prompt and quality treatment for this segment of the population.” To that end, the hospital has started offering geriatric resource nurse certifications for its staff and offering programs such as SeniorWise to give an older population resources such as free exercise classes and other special events to help them lead “meaningful and vital lives,” Pelfrey said. “They’re our VIP customers,” she continued. “It’s not a negative thing to get old. There are all these positive things we must not forget. There’s a whole lot of living to be done between retirement and death.” New at Cabell Huntington Hospital just in the past month is the addition of a Center for Lung Health, which opened at 1305 Elm St., in mid-February. The center offers diagnostic testing, a clinical setting and rehabilitation for patients dealing with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, emphysema and more. “Our goal is to be a comprehensive facility to care for those patients who’ve been traveling a distance to get care,” said Jim Perrine, manager of the Center for Lung Health. “We want to be able to provide the services they need here in Huntington.” Perrine said the center offers diagnostic testing, pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, Better Breathers Clubs and other offerings under one roof with convenient parking. “We intend to help those patients manage their disease more appropriately by providing them needed resources and a comprehensive approach to their care,” he said. “We want to be able to educate our patients, go over their medications, talk to them about their disease and just focus on them and help them manage their illness.”

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The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

What does comprehensive

cancer care mean?

any hospitals claim to deliver comprehensive cancer care, but there’s only one hospital in our region that, under one roof, can provide cancer patients with the extensive level of expertise and broad range of services shown below - the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

www.edwardsccc.org • 304-399-6500

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center (ECCC) Medical Oncology/ Hematology Team consists of highly trained academic cancer and blood specialists on the leading edge of available treatments and research. The ECCC Medical Oncology/Hematology Team includes (from left) Rajesh Sehgal, MD, Aneel Chowdhary, MD, and Maria Tria Tirona, MD. Risk Assessment is an important component of care at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center. Nurse Practitioner Lisa Muto, WHNP-BC, OCN, works in collaboration with oncologists in the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Clinic and the Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Clinic to provide accurate risk assessments for people who might be at increased risk for cancer and to determine if they might beneﬁt from genetic testing. Lisa also organizes and assists with a variety of annual free cancer screenings for the community to help diagnose cancers at their earliest stages.

The ECCC Surgical Oncology Team, the largest, most diverse and most experienced in the region, features highly-trained, academic surgical oncologists from a broad range of subspecialties, including surgical breast oncology, gynecologic oncology, urologic oncology, orthopedic oncology, head and neck oncology and general surgical oncology. The team includes (from left) Felix Cheung, MD, Jack Traylor, MD, Wade Douglas, MD, James Jensen, MD, Shawn McKinney, MD and Gerard Oakley, MD.

Many patients at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center beneﬁt from an extensive array of available clinical trials. The ECCC is part of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group, an international network based at the Mayo Clinic, with more than 1,200 physicians operating in over 375 treatment locations worldwide. As part of this group, the ECCC can work with the Mayo Clinic to bring the newest and most hopeful clinical trials to cancer patients in our region. Here, Clinical Research Supervisor Leann Ross, OCN, CCRP, collaborates with Medical Oncologist Aneel Chowdhary, MD, to explain a clinical trial to a patient.

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The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only cancer center in the region with a Multi-Disciplinary Lung Cancer Program. This innovative program provides lung cancer patients with the ability to be seen by a medical oncologist, a pulmonologist, a surgical oncologist and a radiation oncologist during one visit, in one place. Lung cancer patients are also provided with extensive guidance and support throughout their entire treatment experience by a special nurse navigator. The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only cancer treatment facility in the Tri-State area with a pediatric oncology program to treat children with cancer, blood diseases and bleeding disorders. As an afﬁliate of the Children’s Oncology Group, the ECCC Pediatric Oncology Team employs the latest research and technology to coordinate the most advanced and effective treatment plans available anywhere. Here, a pediatric cancer patient receives a check-up from Andrew Pendleton, MD, pediatric oncologist, and Brooke Bella, RN, pediatric oncology nurse.

Going through breast cancer can be very difﬁcult, but the ECCC’s Breast Health Navigators work tirelessly to make the experience as easy as possible for their patients. Our Breast Health Navigators are all oncology certiﬁed registered nurses, who assist patients through every step of the process, from diagnosis, through treatment and follow-up. Marcia Adkins, RN OCN, Gigi Gerlach, RN OCN and Ronda Sargeant, RN OCN, also provide much-needed education and support, and schedule appointments for their patients.

Cabell Huntington Hospital was the ﬁrst hospital to bring daVinci Surgery to the region. James Jensen, MD, urologic oncologist at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is the most experienced daVinci surgeon in West Virginia and the Tri-State, specializing in minimally invasive treatment of prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. Additionally, Wade Douglas, MD, ECCC surgical oncologist, uses the daVinci Surgical System to perform a wide range of surgical procedures for abdominal cancers.

Above everything at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is our focus on quality patient outcomes. That’s why we work so hard to bring all of the ECCC’s expertise and resources to bear to beneﬁt each of our patients. Our medical oncologists, hematologists, radiation oncologists and surgical oncologists believe in collaboration and communication as the best way to design the most effective treatment plan for each patient. 244290

Cabell Huntington Hospital’s Women’s Surgical Program combines the expertise of the region’s largest, most qualiﬁed and most experienced team of breast and gynecologic surgeons with today’s most advanced surgical facilities and technology - in a comforting environment designed especially for women. Here, Shawn McKinney, MD, surgical breast oncologist, greets one of her patients in the Women’s Surgical Program.

A signiﬁcant number of patients at the Edwards Comprehensive CancerCenter undergo chemotherapy treatment. For many, that means multipleweeks of challenging, time-consuming therapy - a process made easier atthe ECCC by the friendly, experienced Adult Infusion Team and the bright,attractive surroundings at the Outpatient Infusion Center. Here, a patientreceives advanced chemotherapy treatment from Outpatient Infusion NurseHeather Streets, RN.

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center provides a wide range of advanced radiation therapy services to treat patients with cancer. These services are delivered by the ECCC Radiation Oncology Team, led by radiation oncologists Andrew Freeman, MD, and Aamir Hussain, MD

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C M Y K 50 inch 6G The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

“Because of my visits to the center, I have learned to control my blood glucose with weight management, meal planning by reading labels, keeping a balance of carbs, protein, fruit and vegetables in my diet and how important exercise is to maintaining these lifestyle changes.

EducatIon has

changEd EvErythIng.” JUDY LITTLE, who began seeing the

staff at the Chertow Diabetes Center as a pre-diabetic. She has yet to develop diabetes.

Diabetes n Continued from 1G

“Lots of people fail to even go to the doctor to find out because they’re scared or they think they’ll lose all their favorite foods or they can’t keep up with the standards. one of the big things is becoming educated. People need this information. they don’t take advantage of what’s being offered here.” Kay Adkins

a diabetic who says the education at the chertow center has been invaluable for managing her illness

Driscoll and the team at the Chertow Diabetes Center are working with a unique group of patients to combat the disease — patients who have yet to be diagnosed with diabetes and are considered in the pre-diabetic stage. While diabetes affects about 26 million Americans, another 67 million are estimated to be in the pre-stage of the illness and exhibiting few, if any, symptoms. Those with pre-diabetes have elevated blood sugar levels, but not high enough numbers to be diagnosed with diabetes. They often have other risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol and are overweight. “Pre-diabetes is where people have tests which are not completely normal, but don’t yet meet the diagnostic requirements for diabetes,” Driscoll said. “At the diabetes center, most of our patients are past that point. It’s an area we like to focus on, but it’s not a population we see much of. The primary care physicians are the ones who tend to see these folks at the earliest stages.” Judy Little is one whom the diabetes center staff did see. Little, 66, an employee at Marshall University, discovered she was riding the fence after blood work and other tests at her yearly check-up last year indicated she was headed for diabetes. Her mother and sister were both diagnosed with type II diabetes in their 50s. Her sister died waiting on a liver transplant. “She didn’t know until it was too late,” Little said. Little began seeing the staff at the Chertow Diabetes Center to try to get her numbers under control. “Because of my visits to the center, I have learned to control my blood glucose with weight management, meal planning by reading labels, keeping a balance of carbs, protein, fruit and vegetables in my diet and how important exercise is to maintaining these lifestyle changes,” Little said. “Education has changed everything.” Little was able to participate in a PEIA program titled “Face to Face” to help her learn how to manage her health and manage her pre-diabetes symptoms without medication or insulin. “What I had to do was change my whole way of thinking,” Little said. “I really think if I’d gone on the same path I was on, I’d be a diabetic today.” Seventy-three-year-old Kay Adkins was not fortunate enough to catch her disease in the pre-diabetes stage, but said the education component at the Chertow Center has been invaluable for managing her illness. “Lots of people fail to even go to the doctor to find out because they’re scared or they think they’ll lose all their favorite foods or they can’t keep up with the standards,” said Adkins, who lost her husband

dIaBEtEs 411 How to tell if you have pre-diabetes

While diabetes and pre-diabetes occur in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing the disease than others. diabetes is more common in african americans, Latinos, native americans, and asian americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population. this means they are also at increased risk for developing pre-diabetes. there are three different tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have pre-diabetes: n the a1c test (normal is less than 5.7 percent; pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 percent; diabetes is 6.5 percent and higher) n the fasting plasma glucose test (FPg) (normal is less than 100 mg/dl; pre-diabetes is 100-126 mg/dl; diabetes is more than 126 mg/dl). n or the oral glucose tolerance test (ogtt). (normal is less than 140 mg/dl; pre-diabetes is 140-200 mg/dl; diabetes is more than 200 mg/dl). the blood glucose levels measured after these tests determine whether you have a normal metabolism, or whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If your blood glucose level is abnormal following the FPg, you have impaired fasting glucose (IFg); if your blood glucose level is abnormal following the ogtt, you have impaired glucose tolerance (Igt). Both are also known as pre-diabetes.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Registered nurse Gerry Bryant of Marshall University Medical Center gives a diabetes and blood sugar screening to Dotty Brammer of Chesapeake on Feb. 8 during Cabell Huntington Hospital’s Healthy Seniors Wednesday at the Huntington Mall in Barboursville. Slightly elevated blood sugar levels can be an indicator of pre-diabetes. Individuals with pre-diabetes can often take steps to lessen the progression of the disease. to renal failure as a result of diabetes. “One of the big things is becoming educated. People need this information. They don’t take advantage of what’s being offered here.” Tracy Hawthorne is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She has worked with Little and Adkins and a host of others, attempting to educate them to encourage lifestyle changes and prevent advanced diabetes illness. “I have noticed that primary care physicians are sending more patients to us as a preventive measure,” Hawthorne said. “The patients we’re seeing are coming in with lower A1C (a test showing average blood sugar over two to three months) levels than before.” The Chertow Diabetes Center diabetes self management program has been awarded continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association. The program focuses on education in four important areas to help individuals gain control of their diabetes: meal planning, exercise, medication and blood glucose monitoring. Additional topics include sick day management, foot and skin care, preventing complications, eating out, grocery shopping and label reading, coping with diabetes and the impor-

tance of staying healthy. Classes are conducted in both individual and group sessions. “There was a study done about 10 years ago that was very enlightening where they looked at medications and lifestyles changes and compared them both and the people who were able to lose weight did better in avoiding progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes,” Driscoll said. “Just the awareness and what people are seeing has improved a lot over the years. “By avoiding the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes, we can certainly avoid the complications of diabetes — eye damage, nerve neuropathy, kidney damage — that are some of the main killers.” Hawthorne said educating pre-diabetes patients is often a simpler task than might be expected. “I think there’s not that feeling of urgency that overwhelms people who are already into more progressed disease,” she said. “People find out it’s much more manageable than they expected and they always say they are glad they came. Education is key and we’re here to help people learn how to make the proper diet and exercise changes and keep them from moving from pre-diabetes to diabetes.”

Symptoms of diabetes diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its

symptoms seem so harmless. recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes. Type 1 DiabeTes n Frequent urination n unusual thirst n Extreme hunger n unusual weight loss n Extreme fatigue and irritability Type 2 DiabeTes n any of the type 1 symptoms n Frequent infections n Blurred vision n cuts/bruises that are slow to heal n tingling/numbness in the hands/feet n recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms, which is why it’s imperative to have your blood glucose checked by a doctor, especially if you have any of the risk factors (below).

Who is at risk for type 2 diabetes? n People with impaired glucose tolerance (Igt) and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFg) n People over age 45

Courtesy of Metro Creative Graphics

People who are overweight and do not exercise regularly are at a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

n People with a family history of diabetes n People who are overweight n People who do not exercise regularly n People with low hdL cholesterol or high triglycerides, high blood pressure n certain racial and ethnic groups (e.g., non-hispanic Blacks, hispanic/Latino americans, asian americans and Pacific Islanders, and american Indians and alaska natives) n Women who had gestational diabetes, or who have had a baby weighing 9 pounds or more at birth information courtesy of the american Diabetes association, www.diabetes.org.

C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Health

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Teays Valley Hospital marks five-year anniversary, enjoys continued growth By BONNY RUSHBROOK For The Herald-Dispatch

HURRICANE — Charleston Area Medical Center took a risk when it decided to open a community hospital to fill a void left by the beleaguered Putnam General Hospital, which abruptly announced in August 2006 that it would convert to an urgent care center because of plummeting patient intakes, high staff turnover and a $2.4 million operating loss in 2005. The company blamed the hospital’s problems, in part, on a number of malpractice lawsuits involving a former surgeon County residents wondered how Putnam could continue its pattern of growth without a proper hospital. CAMC stepped in and, in November 2006, a certificate of need was approved for the hospital by the West Virginia Health Care Authority. CAMC then purchased Putnam General Hospital, and reopened its doors as a full-service hospital facility. Now, more than five years later, the county’s population continues to explode, and CAMC Teays Valley Hospital has proved it has staying power. Located at 1400 Hospital Drive in Hurricane, CAMC Teays Valley is a non-profit, 70-bed hospital situated on a 64,700-square-foot campus. One hundred ten doctors have privileges to practice at the hospital, and they are supported by 400 nurses and other staff who serve Putnam County and surrounding areas with emergency services and other specialized care. Since becoming a subsidiary of CAMC Health Systems in November 2006, Teays Valley Hospital has continued to grow. Employment has increased by 100 workers during the last five years. The areas of focus for the hospital are: anesthesiology, cardiac rehab, cardiology, dentistry, emergency medicine, family practice, general surgery, internal medicine, medical imaging, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery,orthopedics,pathology,painmanagement, pulmonology, urology and wound. Growth in 2011 included expanded orthopedic and joint replacement services with the addition of Dr. David Felder to the medical staff. Dr. Felder joined Dr. James Cox at Teays Valley Orthopedics. Urology services were added and expanded with the addition of Dr. Frank Richter to the medical staff. Other campuses/clinics include the Teays Valley Hospital Pain Relief Center, which offers an array of interventional pain procedures and rehabilitative procedures; Teays Valley Hospital Physical Therapy, where therapists use the latest techniques and equipment to provide individualized treatments, exercise programs and education on an inpatient, outpatient basis for post orthopedic surgery, work related injuries, gait training, and balance disorder and Teays Valley Hospital Wound Clinic, which meets on Friday mornings. They have also improved and replaced outof-date equipment such as the digital X-Ray Machine and have added a new CT Scanner. In addition, the intensive care unit was moved with two new beds added. Dale Witte, director of marketing and public affairs for CAMC Teays Valley, said when CAMC took over in 2006, the parking lots were nearly empty, but with a large increase in patient care, a new parking lot was added in 2009 that stays full. A utility building was also added in 2009 to consolidate all the utilities in order to make repairs easier. CAMC Teays Valley Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Mary Beth Mullins believes the hospital is a positive force for the area because residents have a local emergency room to take their loved ones when they are ill at any time of the day or night. “This hospital is a valuable asset to our community. Besides offering a variety of critical inpatient and outpatient services, we’re Putnam County’s only 24-hour emergency room,” she said. CAMC Teays Valley President Randy Hodges said the hospital’s five-year anniversary in November 2011 was a major and exciting milestone. “The growth has been extraordinary. We are looking to expand our services to meet the community’s needs. It’s a tremendous benefit to Putnam County to be able to offer specialists in orthopedics, urology and other areas. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished during the past five years and excited to continue serving our community.” “We feel good about the last five years,” Witte said.

ABOVE: CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, located in Hurricane, W.Va., celebrated five years in business in November 2011. RIGHT: Several CAMC Teays Valley Hospital nurses earned the 2011 Award of Excellence in Professional Nursing. Winners, from left to right, were Roseanne Hartsog, Michelle Brock, Lisa Mauch, Linda Dickson, Missy Johnson, Leigh Ann Connett and Denise Hossler. Photos courtesy of CAMC Teays Valley Hospital

CAMC Teays Valley Hospital

First Church of Christ, Scientist

ADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS: 1400 Hospital Drive, Hurricane, WV 25526 PHONE NUMBER: (304) 757-1700 WEB SITE: www.camc.org

538 9th Street, Huntington, WV

Sunday Services and Sunday School 11:00 am

TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 70 NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: 110 NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: 400 employees MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Anesthesiology, cardiac rehab, cardiology, dentistry, emergency medicine, family practice, general surgery, internal medicine, medical imaging, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, pathology, pain management, pulmonology, urology and wound. SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS: 64,700 OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS: Teays Valley Hospital Pain Relief Center, Teays Valley Hospital Physical Therapy and Teays Valley Hospital Wound Clinic EXPANSIONS IN 2011: Expanded orthopedic and joint replacement services by adding Dr. David Felder to the medical staff. Dr. Felder joined Dr. James Cox at Teays Valley Orthopedics. Urology services were added and expanded with the addition of Dr. Frank Richter to the medical staff.

Wednesday Service 12:00 noon

(First, Second and Third Wednesdays ONLY)

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them.” The Bible, Genesis 1: 27

“The divine Mind which created man, maintains His own image and likeness.” “The time for thinkers has come.” Mary Baker Eddy

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JOB: Medical Management Specialist in Ambulatory Care at the Huntington Veterans Administration Medical Center. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? Following graduation from Alderson-Broaddus College in 2000, I began working as a physician assistant at the Huntington VA Medical Center. I obtained a master’s degree in medical science from Alderson-Broaddus College in 2003. I then elected to pursue a more administrative career and was one of five VA employees nationwide selected to attend the Army-Baylor Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration, where I earned MHA and MBA degrees from Baylor University in 2011. SPECIAL SKILLS: Running. FAVORITE MOVIE: “As Good As It Gets.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Seinfeld.”

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The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

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Progress 2012: HeALTH

www.herald-dispatch.com

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Dr. Ali Oliashirazi, left, and resident physician Stanford Israelsen use a plastic model to demonstrate computer assisted knee replacement at the Orthopedics clinic at the Marshall University School of Medicine on Feb. 17.

Marshall’s orthopedics residency program making a name for itself, aims to become top in nation hen Dr. Ali Oliashirazi came to Huntington in 2001, he set a goal of establishing an orthopedics residency program at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine within 10 years. The chairman of the Department of Orthopedics and director of the Joint Replacement Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital knew it would be a Herculean challenge, as the approval of such programs across the United States was extremely rare. But only four years after his arrival, the world-renowned lecturer and surgeon decided that the Department of Orthopedics was ready to move forward with its residency application.

“I called the head of the national residency review committee for orthopedics and stressed that we had a great program established here,” Oliashirazi said. “He said, ‘I hear your enthusiasm, but I want to be realistic. We are a very conservative committee and we have only approved one residency program in 10 years. Right now, we have five applications before us and none of them have what it takes. But it’s a free country, so you can put your name in the hat.’ ” Oliashirazi was frustrated after hearing those words, but he forged ahead with the application process. Not long afterward, he was notified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education that the application was everything that the council was looking for in a new residency program.

Oliashirazi knew the approval would attract more high-quality faculty and students who would generate research and bring national recognition to the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. He also knew it would address an area of great need in any given region of the country, but particularly in West Virginia. When the residency program was announced in August 2007, only Michigan ranked lower than the Mountain State in the number of orthopedic surgeons for its population. Cabell Huntington Hospital had an important role in the development of the orthopedics program as well. It accommodated much of the growth by approving the purchase of expensive surgical equipment and offering

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C M Y K 50 inch 2H The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Resident physician Stanford Israelsen uses a plastic model to demonstrate computer assisted knee replacement at the orthopedics clinic at the Marshall University School of Medicine on Feb. 17.

Program n Continued from 1H

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Dr. Pushpa Nambi-Joseph joined the team at Huntington Internal Medicine Group during the past year. She specializes in interventional pain management of the neck and back. Her speciality veers away from prescribing pain medication and instead focuses on procedural-based pain management coupled with physical therapy.

Pain management, ease of access areas of focus By BRYAN CHAMBERS The Herald-Dispatch

bchambers@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — It’s been six years since Huntington Internal Medicine Group moved from 20th Street in Huntington to the sprawling 150,000square-foot building on U.S. 60 that used to be occupied by Walmart. In those six years, the regional medical center has evolved into a medical mall of sorts, adding to its number of physicians, partners and community activities. The past year has been no different, says Patty Dickey, director of community and physician resources for HIMG. Often called a “hospital without beds,” the medi“I focus on pain relief and cal center now has 52 physicians who look for how provide an array of my procedures clinical services, are going to including neurolimprove a o g y, o n c o l o g y, patient’s activ- physical therapy, dermatology and ities in their daily life. My cardiology. Altogether, approxigoal is to give mately 220 people them the relief work at HIMG. they need to Ifthere’sathemein enjoy all of new services added the things they during the past year, it’s pain manageare used to ment,Dickeysaid.Dr. doing.” PushpaNambi-Joseph Dr. Pushpa joined HIMG in SepNambi-Joseph tember after her carwho joined HIMG diologisthusband,Dr. in the past year George Joseph, came specializing in interventional pain to HIMG in March management of the 2011. Nambi-Joseph speneck and back cializes in interventional pain management of the neck and back. Her specialty veers away from prescribing pain medication and instead focuses on proceduralbased pain management such as epidural injections, nerve blocks and discograms coupled with physical therapy. “I focus on pain relief and look for how my procedures are going to improve a patient’s activities in their daily life,” said Nambi-Joseph, who is board certified in anesthesiology and pain management and has been practicing for about 15 years. “My goal is to give them the relief they need to enjoy all of the things they are used to doing.” HIMG has also worked to become more accessible to patients, Dickey said. Dr. Russ Snyder, who returned to West Virginia from Clearwater, Fla., about 10 months ago, is now seeing primary care patients until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “More flexible hours for the working person is the way we looked at it,”

ABOVE: Huntington Internal Medicine Center has been in its 150,000-square-foot building on U.S. 60 for six years. The medical center now has 52 physicians that provide an array of clinical services, including neurology, oncology, physical therapy, dermatology and cardiology. The center has worked over the past year to become more accessible for patients, with Dr. Russ Snyder now seeing primary care patients until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

salaries that would attract highquality surgeons. The hospital also covered $600,000 in renovations so that patients could have single rooms rather than doubles. Since its inception in June 2008, the orthopedics residency program has become one of the most competitive — and prestigious — in the country. More than 400 graduating medical students apply each year for three spots. And this year’s graduating class, the residency program’s first, scored in the 99th percentile on the national Orthopedic InTraining Exam. Dr. Oli, as many patients and residents refer to him, credits the success to a few factors. First, the relationship between faculty and residents is drastically different than other orthopedics residency programs, he said. “There is a minimum authority gradient between faculty members and residents,” he said. “There’s not a big wall between the two. They can text us 24 hours a day with questions and they know we won’t make them feel bad or criticize them if they don’t know something. Everyone feels valued because their voices are heard.” The clinical rotations also are unlike other orthopedics residency programs because they focus on a one-on-one mentor i ng env i ron ment , Oliashirazi said. Each resident is paired with an attendee for three months so the attendee can learn how the resident thinks, reads, lectures and studies and correct deficiencies. Over the years, Marshall has grown its orthopedics team. Oliashirazi said he wanted members of the team to have subspecialties in orthopedics who would do the same type of procedure all day long, whether it be foot and ankle surgery, hip or spine surgery. “The residents are learning all of the little things we have learned by performing the same specific operation hundreds of times.” Research is a valued aspect of the residency program as well, Oliashirazi said. Each resident is required to do at least one clinical or one basic science research project during their five years in the program. Residents are exceeding that requirement because faculty make it easy for them to do research, he said. “Among the three residents in this year’s graduating class,

Photo courtesy of HIMG

LEFT: Medical records scanner David Smith gets exercise by walking during a break Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, as part of the wellness program offered to employees of HIMG. Lori Wolfe/The HeraldDispatch

Dickey said. Patients are more likely to walk out of HIMG with a pleasant experience if they are treated and served by happy, healthy doctors and staff, Dickey said. That’s why HIMG will continue to expand its award-winning employee wellness initiative. The program, which includes an endless parade of educational classes, exer-

cise classes and weekly and monthly health screenings, received its third Gold Award from the Wellness Council of West Virginia in 2011. HIMG is shooting for the Council’s Platinum Award in 2012. It has incorporated a beach theme into its wellness program by giving away a three-night stay at Myrtle Beach to one of its employees who walks 500 miles over the next 15 weeks, Dickey said.

JOB: Urologist with Bellefonte Urological Associates. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? I completed a urological rotation in Richmond, Va. FIRST JOB: Kroger’s bag boy. SPECIAL SKILLS: Urodynamics. FAVORITE BOOK: “Cobra Event.” FAVORITE MOVIE: “Shawshank Redemption.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “NCIS” and “Castle.”

they have completed seven publications, two book chapters, 10 podium presentations and three poster presentations,” Oliashirazi said. Stanford Israelsen, a thirdyear resident from San Diego and a graduate of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said Marshall’s orthopedics residency program appealed to him because it is new and values the opinions of the residents. “I was intrigued by the opportunity to participate in molding the program into something that would become beneficial for future residents,” Israelsen said. “I knew that by coming here and working with Dr. Oli that I would have a sense of ownership in the program. The structure is very receptive to resident input in terms of what might give us the best educational opportunities.” Training to become an orthopedic surgeon goes beyond a classroom and the hallways of a hospital, Oliashirazi said. That’s why community service is another graduation requirement of the residents. Thus far, the program has offered free orthopedic clinics at Ebenezer Medical Outreach, sponsored a 5K race with all of the proceeds going toward the Golden Girls Group Home and raised money for the Huntington Area Food Bank. “I have 10 rules of residency. One of those rules is that we owe others more than we think,” Oliashirazi said. “It’s not only about giving back. It’s about giving them time away from the scholastic environment so they can reflect on the impact they can make in the community in which they live.” The program may eventually increase the number of residents who are accepted each year to five, but it will remain at three for the foreseeable future, Oliashirazi said. The program has the financial capacity to expand now, but he doesn’t want to accept more residents until he knows the learning experience will not be diluted. “Our goal is to not only develop well-rounded orthopedic surgeons, but to become the No. 1 program in the country,” he said. “We want medical school students around the country who are thinking about specializing in orthopedics to look at Marshall and say that’s the program they want to get into.” Bryan Chambers is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. Comments may be emailed to him at bchambers@ herald-dispatch.com.

C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Health

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Photo courtesy of Brian “Scott” Arrington, Visual Information Specialist/Satellite Coordinator, Huntington VAMC

The Huntington Veterans Affairs Medical Center is renovating this 1932 building and adding square footage to create its new Women’s Health Clinic, slated to open this summer.

Addressing homelessness, expanding available services, facilities under way This year’s story of progress for the Huntington VA Medical Center is one that began in 2010 with the Department of Veterans Affairs national initiative to end homelessness among veterans by 2015. With an estimated 120 homeless veterans in the Huntington area, the initiative was embraced by local VA staff committed to helping those American heroes who have found themselves homeless, sleeping in shelters, or, even worse, living on the streets. “No veteran should ever be homeless,” said Ed Seiler, director of the VA Medical Center. “I believe that we can make a real difference right here in Huntington, and to do that, homeless veterans needed to have a place where they could go, a place that they could call their own.” In July 2011, the Medical Center opened a new Homeless Veterans Resource Center in downtown Huntington. The center is located in a newly renovated building at 624 9th Street, near other important community resources. The center’s staff provides homeless Veterans and those at risk for homelessness with housing referrals, job assistance and placement, access to counseling and health care services, educational classes, and assistance with personal basic needs such as laundry and shower facilities. The center also houses a large donation room, helping to supply veterans with clothing, personal care supplies, household items and even furniture. On a national level, VA and HUD have reported a reduction in veteran homelessness by approximately 12 percent since January 2010, and are on track for meeting VA’s goal in 2015. Locally, efforts have resulted in an even more dramatic decrease in the number of homeless veterans in the Huntington area, from 120 down to about 60

Debbie

BRAMMER on any given night. This success is due in large part to housing vouchers provided through HUD and the Veterans Supported Housing programs, which have provided many formerly homeless veterans and their families with secure, permanent housing. In addition, VA staff has made hundreds of contacts through outreach to homeless veterans, offering assistance with legal concerns and addressing clinical needs for substance abuse and mental health services.

Construction, expansion continue Ending veteran homelessness is not the only progress being accomplished at the VA Medical Center. As troops make their way home from the Middle East, the Medical Center continues work on construction projects to ensure the delivery of services earned by the newest generation of Veterans. The past several years have been marked by expansion at the Huntington facility, and 2012 will be no different. “Early last year, we opened a new mental health complex on the west end of the hospital campus,” said Seiler. “We have more than 3,800 Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans enrolled for care here and many of them are dealing with mental health issues as well as physical wounds. It was important that we expand our mental health facilities so that we could keep our promise to provide compassionate, timely care.” The mental health complex

Photo courtesy of the Huntington VAMC

The Huntington VA Medical Center opened the Homeless Veterans Resource Center at 624 9th St., Huntington, in July 2011. includes a three-story, 15,000square-foot Mental Health Clinic for outpatient services, and an adjacent, newly renovated building that houses the new Psychosocial Recovery and Rehabilitation Program (PRRC). The PRRC is a day treatment facility for veterans with serious mental illness that allows them to get therapy and assistance with daily living skills without being admitted to the hospital. The medical center currently has $18.9 million in construction

and renovation projects under way. Among the largest of these projects is the renovation of a three-story, 5,800-square-foot building that will house a comprehensive Women’s Health Clinic, also located on the west end of the campus. Female veterans have been involved in the planning process since the beginning of the project, participating in decisions concerning the design, décor and functionality of the facility. “As the number of women serving in the military has increased,

we have seen an increase in our number of women patients,” said Seiler. “Women have unique health care needs, and they deserve a separate space designed especially for their care.” The clinic is anticipated to be completed this summer and will serve the more than 1,200 women veterans enrolled at the VA Medical Center. Debbie Brammer is the Public Affairs Officer for the Huntington VA Medical Center.

is a great support to me and my busy schedule and does his equal share of housework, laundry and parenting. I have a 17-year-old son at Paul G. Blazer who is active in sports year round and sition into this role 18 months ago because I knew a 9-year-old daughter who has a great sense of JOB: Executive director, King’s Daughters first-hand the value of the foundation and the Health Foundation at King’s Daughters Medical humor. The four of us enjoy vacations that keep impact they make in building philanthropic support us on the move such as visiting The Biltmore, Center. for King’s Daughters. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? I Williamsburg and Chicago. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? At 17 and a joined King’s Daughters Medical Center in 1994. I SPECIAL SKILLS: I love cooking southern comlove being involved in health care. I do not provide senior in high school, I was hired as a banquet fort foods. patient care but feel honored to serve our patients server at the Ashland Plaza Hotel and continued FAVORITE BOOK: “The Help” — most recent in this role until I graduated from Morehead State favorite. and families and provide support to my fellow University. This experience gave me my first Team Members at King’s Daughters. During my FAVORITE MOVIE: I watch “The Ten Comcareer at the Medical Center, I have been directly taste of event planning and how to interact with mandments” every year, and I really enjoyed the involved with several projects (such as the KDMC customers. recent “Downton Abbey” series on PBS. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: I will celebrate Hospitality House) that received financial support FAVORITE TV SHOW: “The Middle.” Every workfrom the Health Foundation. It was a natural tran- 19 years of marriage to a wonderful man who ing mother can relate to the storyline.

C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Health

4H The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF THE HEART AND VESSELS:

No pain, much gain Computed tomography of the heart and vessels, also named CCTA, allows for an amazingly clear and detailed three-dimensional visualization of heart, arteries and veins, and their various diseases. Many of these diseases, unless detected early and treated timely, often endanger our lives with disability and/or death. These diseases include aneurysms, blockages in arteries feeding the heart muscle, killer clots in arteries and veins, etc. CCTA, or cardiovascular computed tomography angiogram, is free of pain, very cost-effective and does not require surgery or the insertion into the body of long, thin tubes, called catheters. CCTA can be performed quickly and easily, as an outpatient or inpatient X-ray imaging exam. CCTA has become a most powerful and indispensible diagnostic exam in the national fight to prevent and treat heart attacks, strokes, rupture of arteries, dangerous clots to the lung arteries, and many other life-threatening cardiac and vascular diseases. In years past, CCTA and

Frank

RIVAS

general CT scans were accompanied by the exposure of patients to high doses of radiation from X-rays, which could increase the risk for cancer. However, thanks to the combined efforts of government, industry, a large number of scientific societies (Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, American College of Radiology, American Cancer Society, American College of Pediatrics, etc.) and thanks to present-time vigilant programs of radiation safety, such as Accreditation, Appropriateness Criteria, Image Gently, Image Wisely, Choose Wisely, Dose Index Registry, the dose needed for CT scan has become much lower, thus allowing its performance with a reasonably very low risk for cancer. In spite of the above-mentioned achievements in making CT scans radiation safer, there still remains a sizable percentage of our population

CCTA is beneficial not only to patients and their families, by safeguarding and promoting health and life, but also to our country’s economy, by preventing, through early diagnosis and treatment, very costly disability and loss of lives in the productive years of life. whose fears of cancer from CT scans remain as high as in the past, due to our failure for more effective and farreaching public education, of which the news media is a longtime and well-proven, powerful ally. In conclusion, today’s CCTA has evolved into a robust diagnostic tool that can be performed on all ages, including children, with a reasonably very low risk for cancer. CCTA is beneficial not only to patients and their families, by safeguarding and promoting health and life, but also to our country’s economy, by prevent-

ing, through early diagnosis and treatment, very costly disability and loss of lives in the productive years of life. Our state of West Virginia, and Huntington, in particular, has been blessed with excellent medical facilities, for the high quality and safe performance of CCTA and general CT scans. Frank Rivas, M.D. is a committee member by invitation of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. He has a cardiology practice with main office located on 4th Avenue in Huntington.

JOB: Seamless transition nurse case manager and community health nurse at the Huntington VA Medical Center. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? I was a full-time college student with a major in accounting and worked weekends as a behavioral health technician at a local mental health hospital. The nurses that I worked with inspired me to become a nurse by actively involving me in nursing care and encouraging me to pursue a nursing degree. I enjoyed working with patients and discovered how rewarding the career can be. FIRST JOB: I worked as a cardiovascular nurse in Charleston for one year, then worked for another year as a traveling cardiovascular nurse until I entered into the U.S. Air Force as a commissioned officer. I served as a neonatal intensive care nurse at the Air Force Hospital in Hampton, Va. I spent eight months of service in Germany, working on the flight line transporting wounded soldiers

returning from Iraq and Afghanistan medical staging facilities. FAMILY: I am currently single, with a 2-year-old, fourlegged daughter bull mastiff named Mrs. B (Bella). SPECIAL SKILLS: I enjoy cycling with my mountain and road bike, and skiing during the winter months. FAVORITE BOOK: “The Reader” and/or “The Lovely Bones” (tough choice!). FAVORITE MOVIE: “Nutty Professor: The Clumps.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

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C M Y K 50 inch The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV Sunday, March 11, 2012

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C M Y K 50 inch 6H The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Photo courtesy of King’s Daughters Medical Center

The vascular lab at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland.

Heart, vascular care key priorities By ANGELA HENDERSON-BENTLEY

King’s Daughters Medical Center ADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS: 2201 Lexington Ave., Ashland, KY 41101. PHONE NUMBER: 606408-4000. WEBSITE: kdmc.com. TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 465. NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: 377. NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: 4,200. MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Comprehensive cardiac, vascular, neurological, medical, surgical, maternity, pediatric, rehabilitative, psychiatric, cancer, pain care, wound care and home care services. SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS: 1,332,500 feet or 30.6 acres. OTHER CAMPUSES/ CLINICS: Sixteen family care centers throughout Kentucky and Ohio. Four urgent care centers: Portsmouth and Ironton in Ohio; Grayson and Ashland in Kentucky. Also, King’s Daughters Medical Specialties serves the areas of Grayson, Pikeville, Paintsville, and Olive Hill in Kentucky; and Wheelersburg, Ohio. ADDITIONS SINCE JANUARY 2011: Added King’s Daughters Medical Specialties in Proctorville, which features cardiology and family medicine; King’s Daughters Medical Specialty in Russell, featuring primary care and pediatrics; King’s Daughters Medical Specialties in Maysville, cardiology; Stone Street Primary Care in Morehead; Health Plus Primary Care in Morehead. PLANS FOR 2012: Expand neuromedicine services with the additions of neurosurgeon Dr. Ondrej Choutka and Dr. Clark Bernard. Sports Medicine offerings have expanded with both orthopedic doctors and sports medicine specialists; expanded vascular surgery program. KDMC’s state-of-the-art interventional labs, advanced diagnostic capabilities, hybrid operating room, and cardiovascular operating rooms give the team the technology and resources they need to deliver the safest, most advanced care available.

For The Herald-Dispatch

ASHLAND — During the past several years, King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland has solidified its commitment to health care in the region with its Heart and Vascular Center. Most people are familiar with what the heart part of the center does, but not everyone is familiar with what services the vascular side offers. However, vascular disease is a growing problem that often gets misdiagnosed. “Using the heart as an analog y is a good tool,” said Al Addasi, M.D., one of KDMC’s four vascular/endovascular surgeons on staff. “Most of our patients, even patients who have never been anywhere near a hospital, are familiar with heart and heart symptoms. We just translate them. Well have you ever heard of angina? Oh yeah, chest pains. Angina of the legs, that’s what we have. Have you ever heard of a heart attack? Yes, so and so had a heart attack. He was in the hospital. We get leg attacks. We get blockages in the arteries,” he said. “Bad results of heart disease would be a heart attack or death. Bad results of vascular disease would be the limb becomes ga ng renous a nd t hen a mputation . So there is death of that limb,” Addasi said. “Education is key. Patients really have to know what’s happening, what’s happening to them.” Vascular disease includes atherosclerosis, which is hardening of the arteries; aneurysms which are the weakening and bulging of the arterial walls; venous insufficiency, which is the abnormal blood flow through veins; and varicose veins, which are dilated, elongated veins visible just below the skin’s surface. Addasi said that people often blame other problems for something that is actually vascular-related. “They’re blaming back pain and old age and diabetes as the problem when the actual problem is a vascular problem,” he said. “Things like claudication,” Addasi said. “It means that when you do walk, your calves start to hurt and you run out of gas. ‘Oh, I’m getting old.’ Maybe partially true. But there’s also a vascular supply and demand component there where the supply to the arteries and the muscles in your legs is not being met. Or the demand for the muscles in your legs is not being met by the supply. Why is that happening? As somebody who’s got bad coronary arteries would have angina when they exert themselves, the muscles are pumping more so they need more blood. But because of the narrowing, that more blood is not being provided. That translates to pain,” he said. Services Addasi and the KDMC team provide include bypasses in the lower extremities to improve circulation, angioplasties, balloons and stints. They also do “roto-rooting” for the arteries to clear plaque and catheter-based interventions. The vascular surgeons also help dialysis patients receive better access through the creation of a n a rterio-venous f istula, which reduces complications for the

“We’ve got a very close support system between the different departments — radiology, neurology, vascular, general — it’s all interconnected. So when you do come in, we do have a full approach to your disease. And we’re not going to say, ‘Well this is out of our scope of practice.’ We know somebody that will take care of it, and we will get that person there. So that intercommunication between the different teams is key. It’s here. It’s already up and running. It’s not a work in progress.” Al Addasi

one of King’s Daughters Medical Center’s four vascular/endovascular surgeons

patients. And there is also a cosmetics part to their practice using a variety of treatments for varicose veins. Addasi said patient education is the key to fighting vascular disease, so he encourages people to look for symptoms like discoloration of a limb, especially if it’s one-sided, and stroke symptoms. Addasi also said screening programs are very important. “Go to one of those free screenings,” Addasi said. “Take a look at your carotid, take a look at your aorta, take a look at your circulation down in your legs. It takes an hour of your day and maybe a whole lifetime off your back.” In addition to his work at the Heart and Vascular Center on the main KDMC ca mpus, Addasi a lso sees patients i n Portsmouth and Proctorville. He and his colleagues at KDMC are board certified, the only board certif ied vascular surgeons in the area. Having someone with the extra two years of training certification requires is important, according to Addasi. “During your general surgery training, you would have about a year of exposure to vascular surgery training,” Addasi said. “As there’s been a shift in the training program, fewer hours and less training, that general surgical exposure to vascular surgery has shrunk. You need that extra

training. The training is two years above your five to six years of general surgical training. So you get all that added experience and exposure to specific vascular disease that your regular general surgeon may not have seen.” In addition to experienced surgeons, Addasi said patients can also count on the latest equipment at KDMC. “I’ve been to several conferences over the last three years and every time I go to a conference I come home pretty disappointed. Why? Because I didn’t learn anything new,” Addasi said. “Not because there’s nothing new out there. It’s just that to me it’s not new because we’re doing it here every day. The hospital and hospital policy as a whole is stay up front and push to stay there. And you don’t get that everywhere,” he said. “We’ve got a very close support system between the different departments — radiology, neurology, vascular, general — it’s all interconnected,” Addasi said. “So when you do come in, we do have a full approach to your disease. And we’re not going to say, ‘Well this is out of our scope of practice.’ We know somebody that will take care of it and we will get that person there. So that intercommunication between the different teams is key. It’s here. It’s already up and running. It’s not a work in progress.”

C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Health

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Photos courtesy of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital

Bellefonte Primary Care is now open in Grayson, Ky. Bellefonte Physician Services has 27 locations throughout the Tri-State, part of Bon Secours Kentucky Health System’s commitment to be a regional care provider.

Expanding services, care a top goal By ANGELA HENDERSON-BENTLEY For The Herald-Dispatch

RUSSELL, Ky. — With expanding services and new procedures, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital is continuing to enhance its mission to provide quality health care to the region. That quality was recently recognized by the nation’s largest independent ratings organization. A report from HealthGrades named OLBH No. 1 in Kentucky for general surgery and the best hospital in the region for general surgery for 2012. The hospital was also ranked in the top five in Kentucky for gastroenterology services for the fourth-straight year. Kevin Compton, OLBH communications specialist, said that HealthGrades obtains its information from federal government data that hospitals are required to report. Nearly every hospital in the country gets rated by HealthGrades in some way, according to Compton. “Obviously, general surgery is a big part of the hospital business anymore,” Compton said. “You don’t stay for days and days inpatient like you used to. There are a lot of outpatient procedures, surgeries. So to be ranked so high in what is the bread and butter of most facilities is information consumers can actually use and do something with and make a good decision for themselves.” “To be ranked No. 1 in Kentucky for general surgery and in the top five for GI speaks volumes about the quality of our physicians and staff,” Kevin Halter, OLBH CEO, said in a press release. “Quality is of utmost importance and to consistently rank among the best of the best in the state and around the nation demonstrates OLBH is a quality leader.” To keep that reputation as a quality leader, OLBH has recently begun performing two new procedures. For sufferers of chronic sinusitis, or an inflammation of the sinus lining, OLBH now offers balloon sinuplasty using the Cyclops multi-angle endoscope. Jon A. Brinkman, D.O. and William VanBeneden, D.O., are the two ENTs who perform the balloon sinuplasty. “We have many suffers of sinusitis in our area and this procedure is extremely effective at relieving symptoms of chronic sinusitis,” Brinkman said in a press release. “With this procedure, patients return to normal activities very quickly,” VanBeneden said in a press release. “The quick recovery time is because unlike conventional sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty does not include removal of bone or tissue from the nose.” OLBH is now also offering a new procedure for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, which causes chronic back and leg pain. The Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression is performed by pain management specialist Harry Bell, M.D.

Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital PHONE NUMBER: 606-833-3333. WEB SITE: www. olbh.com; www. facebook.com/ ourladyofbellefonte; www.twitter.com/ olbhbonsecours

Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital was named No. 1 in Kentucky for general surgery and the best hospital in the region for general surgery for 2012 by HealthGrades. OLBH general surgeons are, from left to right, Drs. James Martin, Deborah Chadwick, Mark Pack, Pacifico Dorado and Timothy Jones.

“To be ranked No. 1 in Kentucky for general surgery and in the top five for GI speaks volumes about the quality of our physicians and staff. Quality is of utmost importance, and to consistently rank among the best of the best in the state and around the nation demonstrates OLBH is a quality leader.” Kevin Halter

CEO of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital

“MILD relieves pressure on nerves in the lower spinal canal helping to reduce chronic back and leg pain and improving mobility,” Bell said in a press release. Compton said MILD is an appealing option because it is a same-day procedure. The OLBH Same Day Surgery Center has received calls from as far away as Virginia to ask about MILD. “It can alleviate back pain issues without taking (patients) out of the game of life,” Compton said. Although the new procedures and many of the hospital’s services are done on the OLBH campus in Russell, the hospital’s commitment to quality isn’t exclusive to Kentucky, according to Compton. “We are one region and we need to realize that,” he said. “We’re not just a Greenup County hospital. We’re a regional hospital. That’s why we make an effort to try to locate where we think the need actually is.” Bellefonte Physician Services has

TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 214 NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: More than 200 NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: More than 1,100 MEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS: Orthopedics, cardiology, radiology/imaging, surgery, women’s health, pulmonology, oncology SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS: 687,000 OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS: From primary care to pediatric, urgent and specialty care, Bellefonte Physician Services is a premier group of 65 medical providers offering services at 27 locations throughout the Tri-State. More information at www. bellefontephysicanservices.org EXPANSIONS SINCE JANUARY 2011: Many expansions of Bellefonte Physician Services including the opening of the new Bellefonte Primary Care in South Ashland and the opening of Bellefonte Primary Care, Grayson’s new location.

“Every day of the month that

Cardiologists of Bellefonte Physician Services are, from left to right, van, that giant RV of a thing, is Drs. Yogendra Prasad, Charles Rhodes, Michele Friday and Timothy out there in the community as far Damron. off as Sandy Hook,” Compton said. 27 locations throughout the TriState, including facilities in Ashland, Ironton and Flatwoods, which provide primary care, pediatric care, women’s health services and more. Bellefonte Physician Services, like OLBH, is a member of the Bon Secours Health System. Together, Bellefonte Physician Services and OLBH form the Bon Secours Kentucky Health System. “The concept used to always be come to the hospital and now, in our area particularly, sometimes the access to health care is the barrier that keeps people from being as healthy as they should be,” Compton said. “That is the concept behind

Bellefonte Physician Services. Get out where the people are so they don’t necessarily have to come to the hospital.” OLBH also provides other services to improve access to medical care. A van ministry, supported by the Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Foundation, operates five days a week to transport patients within a 25-mile radius of the hospital to appointments. An urgent care center in Ironton provides consumers with an alternative to going to the emergency room for treatment. And OLBH’s mobile health unit offers mobile mammography exams to women across Kentucky and Ohio.

“It’s great if you can come here and get the services at the Women’s Center, but if you can’t, some of these stops are regular stops that every month the ladies in that community know this day of this month is when they’re here close to me. So there’s never an excuse to not be able to get your annual mammogram,” he said. “Anybody that comes to the hospital itself, it would be deceptive the size of the organization just by what they saw if they just came here on campus,” Compton said. With 27 outlying practices, 1,100 employees, and a couple hundred doctors, we’re bigger than just the little hospital on the hill.”

C M Y K 50 inch 8H

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Low-dose CT screening can reduce lung cancer deaths by up to

20 percent! I

f you’re a smoker or former smoker, you should know that a major study of heavy smokers, called

the National Lung Screening Trial, has shown that screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT scans can reduce lung cancer deaths by up to 20 percent or more. You should also know that the Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program at Cabell Huntington Hospital is now offering these screenings at low cost to

reduced the cost to $99 to make the

Remember, it makes a difference where you get your lung screening done. The Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program at Cabell Huntington Hospital was created more than two and a half years ago, and today, it’s still the only program in Huntington with a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to quick, convenient and comprehensive diagnosis

procedure more affordable.

and treatment of lung cancer.

patients who meet the criteria. To qualify, patients must be 55 to 74 years old, and be either an active smoker with at least a 30-pack per year history or who has quit smoking within the past 15 years. Most

insurance

companies

not cover these screenings, but the Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program at Cabell Huntington Hospital has

Low-dose CT Screening Criteria: • • •

This CT scan shows multiple lung nodules in both lungs of a patient. Low-dose CT scans of appropriately screened patients can detect lung cancer in its earliest stages, when treatment options are most effective.

55-74 years of age 30 or more pack per year smoking history Current smoker or have quit in the last 15 years

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For more information or to schedule your screening, please call HUNTINGTON’S ONLY Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program at (304) 691-1689.

C M Y K 50 inch FIND More PHoTos oNLINe AT WWW.HerALD-DIsPATCH.CoM.

Progress 2012: HeALTH

www.herald-dispatch.com

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Coordinator David Lucas speaks with members of the Lawrence County Health and Wellness Initiative during a monthly meeting at OU Southern in Ironton on Feb. 24. Photos by Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Members of the Lawrence County Health and Wellness Initiative gather for their monthly meeting at OU Southern in Ironton. The initiative is a comprehensive, communitybased effort to improve the health of Lawrence County’s residents.

Community-based group seeks to boost health in Lawrence County David Lucas was sitting in his office in Proctorville last April when a colleague plopped a brochure about county health rankings for Ohio down on his desk and encouraged him to leaf through it. The professor of communication studies at Ohio University Southern searched for Lawrence County but couldn’t find it. He grew concerned as his eyes scrolled toward the bottom of the list. There, in 88th place, dead last, was his home county. “I really can’t explain why it bothered me so much, but it did the trick,” he said. “I wrestled with it for two weeks before this plan started formulating in my brain.” Lucas’ plan has evolved into the Lawrence County Health and Wellness Initiative, a comprehensive,

More sTorIes INsIDe:

n New avenues for workouts maintain Tri-State’s focus on wellness / 2I n Latin-inspired exercise craze getting folks moving to the beat / 6I

community-based effort to improve the health of the county’s residents. He views it as the only way that the quality of life can be enhanced in the county. “I’ve said time and time again that no one from Columbus is going to swoop in here and give us a concrete plan or hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to fix this,” Lucas said. “If we want our health to improve, we’re going to have to do it ourselves.” As Lucas dug deeper into the coun-

Hey! Addicts, derelicts, corrupt CEOs, pimps, narcissists, self-loathers, gossips, cutters, debtors, agnostics, materialistic hedonists, reprobates, back-sliders, alcoholics, egotists, wimps, atheists, back-stabbers, idolaters, gluttons, control freaks, freeloaders, sloths, bigots, sinners, gypsies, tramps, thieves, and other children of God: If you’re looking for healing, forgiveness, and a changed life, so are we. Maybe you and we can strengthen each other as we look. While we’re at it, we’ll keep looking for better ways to see God and to be followers of Jesus. And won’t it be the cat’s pajamas if together we can bring healing, forgiveness, and changed lives for others in the name of Jesus?

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ty’s health ranking, he knew breaking poor health habits wouldn’t be easy. The ranking was part of a national report compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The report ranked counties in each state. The rankings were based on health behaviors, access to health care and quality of health care, social and economic factors and the physical environment. Among the findings for Lawrence County: n 30 percent of adults smoke, double the national average. n 35 percent of adults are obese, 10 percent higher than the national average.

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C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Health

2I The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Prestera Center helping addicts recover Resistance is most always the initial reaction to locating a treatment center in the neighborhood, like the recovery program interested in Buffalo, W.Va., in Putnam County. People may not realize that there are treatment and recovery programs operating quietly around the state already, even though the demand exceeds what is available in bed space. Everyone seems to agree that treatment and recovery saves lives, saves tax dollars and restores individuals. Prestera Center for Mental Health Services, Inc. has provided a range of options in Putnam County for almost 10 years. Two locations are: Hopewell Place at 3772 Teays Valley Road, Suite 2 in Hurricane, W.Va., and 3389 Winfield Road, Suite 8 in Winfield, W.Va. Both Putnam County locations provide

Kim

The demand for addiction treatment services in West Virginia continues to grow while Prestera Center works to respond to meet needs in our communities. The problem of addiction is complex — effective treatment services when and where people need them are one part of the solution.

ter has provided services to people in our area for the past 45 years and plans to continue to be here for you, your friends and your families.

Kim Miller is director of corporate development at Prestera Center. Prestera Center evaluations, psychiatric care, for Mental Health Services referrals to residential and apartments for recovering provides mental health and through Friday. other treatment, outpatient adults, and 18 apartments for substance abuse treatment Long-term treatment and treatment and intensive outlong-term residential addictransitional living services for to over 19,000 children, famipatient treatment services. tions treatment for women men and women are available lies, and adults each year. and their dependent children. in Huntington and Dunbar . Prestera serves everyone Hopewell appointments are seeking help, regardless of The demand for addiction scheduled by calling 304-757- Pinecrest has capacity to serve another 50 men and their ability to pay. With over treatment services in West 8475. The Winfield office is women in short-term residen- Virginia continues to grow 50 locations in Boone, Cabell, accepting new people MonClay, Kanawha, Lincoln, while Prestera Center works day through Friday between 8 tial treatment once funding for staff and other expenses is to respond to meet needs in Mason, Putnam and Wayne and 9 a.m. counties, services are accesour communities. The probMedically managed detoxi- secured. Outpatient and intensive sible when and where you lem of addiction is complex fication services are available outpatient treatment services — effective treatment serat the recently expanded 16need them. Prestera Center vices when and where people has been serving the commubed detox facility at Pinecrest, are available at 3375 U.S. 60 East in Huntington, W.Va., need them are one part of the nity since 1967 and is one of 5600 U.S. 60 East in Hunand at 1143 Dunbar Ave. in solution. As the community’s the largest behavioral health tington. Pinecrest houses Dunbar, W.Va. Everyone concerns about locations for another 24 beds for shortservice providers in the State recovery housing are debated, of West Virginia. Visit www. term residential treatment, 37 is evaluated who walks in permanent housing efficiency between 8 and 9 a.m., Monday remember that Prestera Cen- prestera.org.

MILLER

New avenues for workouts maintain Tri-State’s focus on wellness By GRANT TRAYLOR The Herald-Dispatch

gtraylor@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — In today’s fastpaced world, individuals are on the go so much that one might think that daily chores are their own workout. But when it comes to health from a physical and mental perspective, folks need their own workout program as a way to stay fit and relieve stress in a positive manner. While it is hard to maintain a workout regimen between the bustle of a career, family and even school, one thing is certain: There can be no end results, if there is not first a beginning. The Tri-State area has plenty of programs and locations that offer chances at the beginning to a healthy lifestyle. “The awareness of living a healthy lifestyle has become more apparent to people in the community,” YMCA executive director George Smailes said. “I know a lot of the health insurance agencies are paying part or encouraging the policy-holders and educating them more to exercise at different locations near their home.” Over the course of the last few years, the Tri-State area has seen a major jump in the importance of fitness to its citizens. That resurgence has led to several additional avenues becoming available for patrons to take care of all of their fitness needs. Of course, the YMCA has been a staple in the Huntington community for more than 125 years and continues to offer programs for those of any age to build “Strong Kids, Strong Families, Strong Communities.” The YMCA offers several programs through its staff that allow individuals to grow with people who are of the same fitness needs as what they are. It literally is a “strength in numbers” concept. “With the Y setup, we are able to monitor individuals’ progress, and through the FitLinxx program we can help cater their programs to their needs,” Smailes said. “We have personal trainers that can build programs and nutritionists keep food journals and evaluate those daily. They are pretty intense programs we are trying to develop and there has also been a big increase in our fitness programs.” For those who want a more individualized plan, the YMCA also has personal trainers who can tailor a program to help get patrons in shape.

JOB: Vice President of Patient Services at St. Mary’s Medical Center. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? I really believe it was a calling. FIRST JOB: Borden Burger. FAMILY: Tom, spouse; Meghan, daughter. SPECIAL SKILLS: I transform into Ina Gartin (Food Network) on the weekends. FAVORITE BOOK: “Catch-22” (Heller); “The Fitzgeralds and The Kennedys” (Goodwin). FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy. FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Frasier.”

Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch

YMCA members get in a workout at Huntington’s May Building in this Dec. 31, 2011, file photo. The YMCA is just one of many facilities Tri-State residents can turn to for exercise options. The Huntington YMCA offers three locations — the YMCA May Building, the Phil Cline Family Y and the Kennedy Center. Facility hours vary by location. While the YMCA is more of a family-oriented experience in health fitness, the Marshall Recreation Center offers the community a chance to work out in a state-of-the-art facility while being centrally located on Marshall University’s campus. The Marshall Rec Center is geared toward the entire Marshall community. Heather Smith, senior assistant director of fitness for Marshall Rec Center, said that while many think it is just a student facility, it is about much more than just Marshall students. “That’s a common misconception,” Smith said. “It’s logical because the front door of our building faces campus, but we’re for Marshall folks — not just Marshall students. We are for everybody who is part of the Marshall community.” The Marshall community that Smith

referred to includes students, faculty, alumni and associates of the university, such as donors to the Big Green. Much like the YMCA, there are several programs offered throughout the day, whether it be cardio programs, workout programs or aquatic programs. Building hours can vary throughout semesters, but the building is at least open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week while school is in session. Weekend hours vary. Time is a crucial element of a workout program, but what about the person who simply works late and can’t get finished in time to meet the requirements that their program might entail? Have no fear, American Health Centers are now here. American Health Centers offers an innovative look at fitness with locations staying open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. With five locations in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, American Health Centers offers various programs for

JOB: Urologic oncologist and robotic surgeon — Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center and Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. FIRST JOB: My first job in medicine was following my residency at UCLA. I started a general practice in urology in Salt Lake City, and then went on do some initial work in robotics at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. FAMILY: Adriana Montgomery and I live in Barboursville. I have three great kids, Emilie, Jay, and

Fitness center websites YMCA — http://www. huntingtonymca.org Marshall Rec Center — http:// www.marshallcampusrec.com American Health Centers — http://www. americanhealthcenters.com those with varying workout needs. For those with a fluid schedule that is ever-changing, American Health Centers is a popular choice because one day individuals can work out at 2 p.m. and the next day, if need be, they can be there at 2 a.m. No matter what the location that an individual chooses, there are trained professionals that can help pave the path to fitness based on an individual needs. Those individuals will be there beside as you take the most important steps of your fitness life — the first step.

James. They live in Utah with their mother and my ex-wife. My mother, Bebe Jensen, is 87 and I talk to her every day. I have three brothers and three sisters. SPECIAL SKILLS: Dr. Jensen has performed more than 1,000 robotic surgery procedures using the daVinci Surgical System; he began offering robotic surgery procedures in Huntington in 2006 and he is one of the most experienced robotic surgeons in West Virginia and the Huntington/ Tri-State region.

FAVORITE BOOK: “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” FAVORITE MOVIE: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Judge Judy.”

Lawrence n Continued from 1I

n There are 1,791 residents for every primary care physician, a ratio that is more than double the average for Ohio and almost three times more than the national average. Lucas attributes that largely to when River Valley Health Systems closed its Ironton hospital, formerly known as Lawrence County General Hospital, in 2001, putting some 400 people out of work. n 27 percent of the children in the county are living in poverty, more than two-and-a-half times the national average. Lucas uses the phrase “breaking the cycle” frequently when he talks about tackling Lawrence’s health problems. That can be done by injecting healthful choices into the consciousness of county residents, he said. “I want school teachers to talk about the importance of exercising to children. I want pastors to preach about eating healthy on Sundays. I want to see exercise demonstrations at the county fair, which is something we are actually planning to do. Education and awareness are a major component,” he said. Those involved with the initiative hope to learn from others who have succeeded with implementing healthful habits when they travel to Delaware County, Ohio, on March 26. The county received the No. 1 ranking in Ohio in the health and wellness study. Lucas also wants to establish a health fair in every township in Lawrence County in an effort to reach the county’s most rural areas. “That means we will have health fairs in the basement of a church or at a local fire hall,” he said. “If we have 10 people come out, great. If 100 show up, great. There’s an attitude we have to take that small successes are better than nothing at all.” The Health and Wellness Initiative now conducts monthly meetings with attendance growing from one meeting to the next, Lucas said. City National Bank has donated a building at the corner of Park Avenue and 5th Street in downtown Ironton that will give the initiative a physical presence. The building will be used to conduct meetings, host health fairs and store materials, among other things. Eight subcommittees have been formed to work on a variety of topics. One of those “action circles,” as they are called, is focused on building two community parks, one on each end of the county. Lawrence County doesn’t have a large park or YMCA like neighboring Cabell and Boyd counties do, Lucas said. “We have Lake Vesuvius, which is a wonderful asset, but the trails are so rugged out there that it’s difficult to take a family on a nice walk,” he said. “Our residents should not be cheated out of the opportunity of having a place to walk or jog. We have to challenge property owners to say that they will donate some land so we can establish community parks.” Lucas also sees strides being made in the quality and access of health care that is provided in Lawrence County. St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington and the Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization are pooling resources to open up an emergency room complex in medical offices being built along Ohio 141 in Ironton. And last year, King’s Daughters Medical Center opened an urgent care center on Park Avenue in Ironton. The key is stitching these facilities together with primary care providers in the county, Lucas said. “When we lost our hospital more than 10 years ago, it hurt the psyche of the county. It was part of our cultural fabric,” he said. “These new centers coming in may not be a full substitute for a hospital, but if we can bring them together I think people will adopt them as cornerstones of our community.” The initiative has formed a nonprofit organization to accept donations and seek grants to improve the county’s health ranking. The Lawrence County Commission made a donation of $1,500 last November to kickstart the fundraising effort. The Initiative has raised an additional $2,000 since then. “I have to give the commissioners credit,” Lucas said. “We didn’t ask them for money. They voluntarily stepped up to the plate.” With all of the planned changes, Lucas hopes Lawrence County will move up in the rankings by at least five spots over the next three years. “It’s not just about improving a number. It’s a matter of life and death,” Lucas said. “So far, I think we’re on track to do some dramatic and historic things for Lawrence County.” Bryan Chambers is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. Comments may be emailed to him at bchambers@herald-dispatch.com.

C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

New facility in Putnam expands services By WHITNEY JOHNSON The Herald-Dispatch

wjohnson@herald-dispatch.com

HURRICANE — An expansion for Valley Health has given the health care facility the ability to broaden the services available to residents of the Putnam County area. ValleyHealthinHurricane,W.Va.,first opened its doors to patients in 2007 in a two-story office building, where it shared the building with other medical offices. A short move on Teays Valley Road, literally seconds from its former location, has given Valley Health the room to offer more services to the community and assist more patients, while being more visibletopassingdrivers.Itisnowlocated next to NAPA Auto Parts. “What brought on the expansion is the visibility of our old location,” said Lanie Masilamani, chief operating officer of Valley Health. “Folks in the area just did not know we were there. That was one of the biggest issues.” Doctors began seeing patients at the new location on Oct. 10, 2011. Masilamani said construction began in the middle of last year. The new facility is 5,500 square feet but will eventually be expanded to a total of 7,800 square feet. That expansion is expected to be complete in April. Valley Health shares its new location with CDC Engineers & Associates LLC, but has roughly twothirds of the building for their facility. The previous location offered services for family medicine and pediatrics, but the move has allowed Valley Health to incorporate psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology. “(The expansion) allowed us one more pediatrician, an ob/gyn and all of the psych,” Masilamani said. “It just about doubled our capacity. We are also expanding a little bit more, so that we can provide more.” Valley Health offers preventive screenings and physicals for both adults and children, treatment for short-term illnesses, chronic conditions in pediatrics, routine gynecological exams and surgeries, obstetric and menopausal care, and treatment for behavioral health disorders and substance abuse. The current physician staff at the HurricanelocationincludespediatriciansMatthewMorris andJaneNicholas,withDrs.

Bailey

Baisden

Bukovinsky

Keller

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch Masilamani

Valley Health moved to its new location on Teays Valley Road in Hurricane, W.Va., last year. The new location has allowed for the expansion of services in Putnam County.

Morris

Charles Bukovinsky and Shelley Bailey practicing family medicine. Dr. Andrea KellerjoinedValleyHealthinitsnewlocationtoofferOB/GYNservices.Pediatrics will experience changes in providers in the coming months. “Valley Health is committed to the pediatricpracticeithasdevelopedinHurricane and is actively working to secure therightfull-timephysiciantofilltherole that Jane Nicholas will vacate in April,” said Susan Barnes of Barnes Agency, the firm handling Valley Health’s marking and public relations. “Until that position can be filled, Valley Health has resources in its staff of nearly 30 pediatricians and family medicine providers to ensure that Dr. Nicholas’ patients receive uninterrupted care in Hurricane.” Dr. April Baisden currently offers psychiatric services one day a week. She also practices internal medicine and sees patients during the office’s after hours, which is one of the bigger

services used by the community. Duringthosehours,ValleyHealthdoes notchargethenormalcostofotherurgent care locations. However, the services offeredduringafterhoursarenotintended for emergencies. The after hours care is walk-inandfirstcome,firstserve.Patients can be seen for minor illnesses such as a fever, strep throat or ear infection. Drs. Sanjay Masilamani and Kiran Devaraj, both psychiatrists, will join the practice in April, which will allow Valley Health to begin offering psychiatric services five days a week. There also will be psychiatric services available for adults and pediatric patients in the area. “With the psychiatry in general, it seems like an area in general that can use somebehavioralhealth,”Masilamanisaid. “There will also be psychologists.” Otherservicesavailableatthenewlocationincludefamilyplanning,suchasbirth control and care for STDs, either free of

charge or available at a substantially low cost. A cervical and breast cancer screening program is also available to patients. Valley Health is currently working to create a suboxone program to assist with opiate addictions. According to the Food and Drug Administration website, suboxone is a prescription medication that is used to treat adults for addictions to different opioid medications. “The patients that come (to Valley Health) or have family members that have issues is what we’re going to target,” Masilamani said. “I don’t think it’ll take long to fill up.” The difference between methadone, another treatment for opiate addiction, and suboxone or the similar formation, subutex, is that there are a limited number of offices or clinics that can distribute methadone. “Subutex and suboxone are the first narcotic drugs available under the Drug Abuse Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000

ConstruCting the

for the treatment of opiate dependence that can be prescribed in a doctor’s office,” according to www.fda.gov. In the future, the Women, Infant and Children program could potentially be added to the new facility. WIC is currently located in the Putnam Village Shopping Center. The goal of Valley Health is to “provide quality health care to all with emphasis on those that are uninsured,” Masilamani said. A sliding fee is offered at Valley Health, which is a reduced rate. Costs could be as low as $25 for qualified patients. Vaccine programs are also available to pediatric patients for those either uninsured or under insured. Payment programs are also available for those who do not have insurance. Regular operating hours for appointments are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.AfterHours Care isavailablefrom5p.m.to8p.m.Mondaythrough Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

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The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Valley Health facility was conducted on Aug. 12, 2011, in Huntington. Once constructed, the $8.7 million facility will become the new administrative headquarters for the organization as well as its largest comprehensive health center.

Won’t you help to provide Meals on Wheels to our at risk and frail Cabell County Seniors.

New U.S. 60 headquarters to merge Valley Health’s physical, behavioral efforts The Herald-Dispatch

gtraylor@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — As drivers travel along U.S. 60 near Walmart, they will notice that there is a major construction project that will be taking shape over the next few months. And what is being built is not just another large building. It is the construction of a new and innovative way for Tri-State residents to receive their health care. Valley Health’s new $8.7 million facility will join together well-being in both the physical and behavioral realms of health care. “The most important and impressive thing is that we are on the same campus as Prestera,” Valley Health chief executive officer Steve Shattls said. “That is a great partnership.

They have their business and we have ours, but we will integrate some things to maximize our opportunities and services to the Tri-State.” The importance of this building is evident through statistical data, which shows that West Virginia is 41st nationally in overall health. West Virginia is 50th out of 51 states or districts (Washington, D.C. also included in studies) in depression and other mental health statistics, according to data collected from the United Health Foundation. These statistics make it all that much more important for West Virginians to get a grip on their health issues, and there’s no better way than to have all of a person’s needs — both from a physical and behavioral standpoint — addressed from one location.

The location of the new $8.7 million facility is adjacent to the Prestera Center and the new Valley Health headquarters will work closely with Prestera to offer special programs and integrate Prestera’s behavioral health services with primary medical care services already offered by Valley Health in its various locations around West Virginia. “Sometimes the stigma of behavioral health prevents people from seeking care, but bringing these ventures closer together will definitely improve our ability to accommodate our patients,” Shattls said. In addition to Prestera’s behavioral services provided, Valley Health provides everything from general practice to

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C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Health

4I The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Headquarters n Continued from 3I

specialized services like dentistry and psychiatry. There will also be an urgent care center and pharmacy on location, along with administrative services to make it a one-stop shop for health care. While the statistical data still shows West Virginia as one of the lower-tier states in terms of overall health, the 2011 numbers by United Health Foundation also show a significant improvement from the 2006 statistical data in which West Virginia reached an alltime low in overall health and was last in the nation. With the construction of this new facility, Shattls hopes that thenumberscontinuetheirsteady climbandWestVirginiabecomes a healthier place to live. “It will be a practice where you can have all the things you may need, including dentistry in one location,” Shattls said. “Integrating those services with additional providers and new technologies that we may not have had in the

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JOB: Vice president, chief nursing officer, King’s Daughters Medical Center. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? The reason I chose nursing as a profession stems back to my childhood. My father suffered a stroke when I was 12 and he had several other co-morbidities. I spent copious amounts of time in a hospital growing up. It was at a young age that I realized a profession in health care was the right choice for me. As cliché as it sounds, I truly enjoy helping people and contributing to restoring one’s health. That gives me purpose. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? My very first job was teaching piano lessons to beginners. I worked for my piano instructor. My first “real” job in the nursing profession was working as a nurse extern while in nursing school. I was employed on an orthopedic nursing unit. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: I’ve been married 16 years to a guy that’s smart, funny, and laid back. We have two children, a boy who’s 15 and a girl who is 9. My son is a football player at Paul Blazer High School and keeps us hopping here and there with practice and weightlifting. Some days I feel like a taxi service! My daughter attends school at Hager Elementary. Her activities are tumbling and JFL cheerleading. Both my children and my husband have a great sense of humor and we always have fun together. We love being outdoors and enjoy boating in the summer. My mother and my mother-in-law serve as a great support system. WHAT SPECIAL SKILLS DO YOU HAVE: I can play the piano and I can sing. FAVORITE BOOK: “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman. FAVORITE MOVIE: “Forrest Gump.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: My favorite TV show is the “Big Bang Theory.” You have to appreciate the genius and socially inept qualities of Sheldon!

past, we will be able to bring health care to a population that is largely looking for services in a categorical way.” Ground was broken on the new facility in August 2011 and construction of the facility was originally slated for completion in December 2012 with an expected opening date of January 2013. However, the winter climate was conducive for construction and allowed things to advance a bit ahead of schedule, meaning Shattls and his staff are looking intothepossibilityofthingsoccurring sooner than expected. “The winter has been mild and the construction folks have been out so my guess is that the completion date might be revised,” Shattls said. “Once we get a better gauge on the completion date, we will have more information as far as when services might begin being provided.” Valley Health is in its 37th year of providing care to those in southern West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. In all, there are 28 current locations that are servicing 68,000 patients per year.

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C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Health

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

JOB: President, Pallottine Health Services. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? It was a calling. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB: Development Director for Pallottine Renewal Center in St. Louis, Mo. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: Mother: Georgina (still lives in Huntington); Father: Rolland (deceased, employed by ACF). SPECIAL SKILLS: Photography, animals. FAVORITE BOOK: “Markings” by Dag Hammarskjold. FAVORITE MOVIE: “Babette’s Feast.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “NCIS.”

JOB: Gastroenterologist, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR CAREER? Great teachers. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Veterinary assistant. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: Wife — Katrina, stepchildren — Evan and Lauren. SPECIAL SKILLS: Therapeutic endoscopy, biliary endoscopy. Also coaches softball, plays guitar, works out, travels. FAVORITE BOOK: “Tuesdays with Morrie.” FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Godfather.” FAVORITE TV SHOW: “The Voice.”

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JOB: Professor and chairman — Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience / medical director of the Back and Spine Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital. FIRST JOB: Assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va. FAMILY: Two children.

HEALTHSOUTH REHABILITATION HOSPITAL OF HUNTINGTON

TO EXPAND

Hospital Adds 10 New Beds

received permission from West Virginia Health Care Authority to complete a 10-bed expansion project. The new 6,300 square-foot expansion will raise the hospital’s patient bed count from 52 to 62. In addition to all private rooms, the project includes a new dining room and an updated therapy gym, along with other aesthetic improvements.

Patient-Centered Care Offered At HealthSouth Huntington, patient care is led by rehabilitation physicians with special experience in rehabilitation medicine. These doctors provide close medical management for each patient and supervise patients’ rehabilitation treatment plans. The medical team is led by Medical Director Timothy Saxe, M.D., Internal Medicine, who has been on staff at HealthSouth Huntington for 17 years. Admitting/attending physicians include: Physician

Specialty

area for more than 20 years and look forward to expanding

Rabah Boukhemis, M.D., Associate Medical Director

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

access to our high-quality care in an updated environment,”

Ronald Barebo, M.D., Program Medical Director

Neurology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Ahmed Abdelgaber, M.D.

Family Practice

Shawn Coffman, M.D.

Internal Medicine

Jacqueline Cole, M.D.

Family Practice

Thomas Dannals, M.D.

Family Practice

Randall James, D.O.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Suresh Kumar, M.D.

Neurology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Jeffrey McCormick, D.O.

Family Practice

Scott Mitchell, M.D.

Family Practice

Cynthia Pinson, M.D.

Family Practice

David Steele, M.D.

Family Practice

“We have been privileged to serve patients in the Huntington

said Michael Zuliani, HealthSouth Huntington CEO. “The decision to expand was made to meet the needs of our area and align our hospital’s interior with the current trends of �� Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2012, and the hospital expects the new beds and therapy areas to be �� and grand opening ceremonies will be held.

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Huntington HealthSouth Huntington is a 52-bed rehabilitation hospital that offers comprehensive inpatient services. Serving patients throughout the tri-state area, the hospital is located at 6900 West Country Club Drive in Huntington and on the Web at www.healthsouthhuntington.com. For more information about our rehabilitation programs, contact Kim Cummings, director of marketing operations, at 304 302-7804 or kim.cummings@healthsouth.com.

Years on Medical Staff

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C M Y K 50 inch 6I The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Health

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

People do Zumba during a class at the St. Mary’s Wellness Center on Feb. 23 Photos by Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

Toni Karle teaches a Zumba class at the St. Mary’s Wellness Center. The Latin-dance-inspired fitness craze has taken the Tri-State area by storm.

Latin-inspired exercise craze getting folks around the Tri-State moving to the beat By WHITNEY JOHNSON

MORE ONLINE: Search for Zumba classes and other ways to stay fit with our online calendar. Visit www.heralddispatch.com, click on “Features,” then “Calendar.”

The Herald-Dispatch

wjohnson@herald-dispatch.com

“It’s exercise without even knowing it. It’s Latin-inspired exercise. It’s an aerobic fun party. It’s a social event.” That is how Toni Karle defines Zumba, a dancecrazed workout that has been taking the Tri-State area by storm. Karle has been a Zumba instructor for almost five years, after participating in the class one year prior to getting certified at a course taught by Zumba creator Beto Perez. The number of classes taught throughout the area has been increasing regularly, and for those who prefer to exercise at home, DVDs and video game versions of the fitness program also are available at most retail stores. It has been around since 2001 but has been hitting the local area in full gear for just a few years. Within a five-mile radius around Huntington, therearemorethan50differentZumbaclassescurrently being held, according to the official Zumba Fitness website. Increase that distance to 25 miles, and the total number of classes increases to more than 200, with 134 instructors located within that same area. Some instructors do not hold regular class but help substitute for others when needed. “I had lost 100 pounds in 2000 and I did that by just changing my whole lifestyle. The way I was eating, exercising more. It was getting boring,” Karle said. “I fell in love with the music (for Zumba) and was like this isn’t like exercise. This is fun.” With Zumba, Karle found different parts of her body benefiting and getting more toned than with her previous workout routines. Between that and the fun she experienced with the program, she was hooked. Not only has the program helped keep Karle in shape, it has also helped her get through what most people would find to be a hard time. She was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. A lumpectomy, chemotherapy and 54 days of radiation did not hold her down or prevent her from instructing her classes. “I didn’t miss a class,” Karle said. “I told my oncologist there’s this crazy thing called Zumba that’s keeping me going.” During the year she was diagnosed, Beto Perez came to Huntington. Karle had been working with Zumba Fitness for almost six months to bring him to town, and St. Mary’s Medical Center sponsored the event. “It was really odd when I got diagnosed. It was the day of a Zumba class and I sat everybody down after class and told them,” Karle said. “About three or four people came forward and said they’d had breast cancer.” While Karle was experiencing medical

Zumba combines dance and aerobic elements for a workout. Squats and lunges are also included. treatments, her daughter Francesca Karle decided to get certified as a Zumba instructor as a way to help her mother. Jodie Miller, Zumba fitness instructor for Arumba Fit, also has a breast cancer survivor participating in one of her classes. “We have a breast cancer survivor that had great support from all the ladies in class during her ordeal,” Miller said. Miller and her class will be participating in the Paint Charleston Pink event in March, with their caravan name Debbie’s Divas, named for the breast cancer survivor from her class. Miller became a certified fitness instructor 25 years ago and decided she had to become certified in Zumba as soon as she learned what it was all about. “Participants in a Zumba class initially join with hopes of losing weight,” Miller said. “But the truth is that Zumba gives you so much more than just a way to lose weight.” There is a variety of Zumba courses taught, including Aquazumba, where the class is conducted while participants are in water. Zumbatomic is a class just for kids and Zumba Gold targets elderly participants. “A lot of people wait until summer (to participate) because they have knee or hip issues and the water is low impact,” Karle said. Basic Zumba is Karle’s personal favorite because she can do so much with it. Zumba classes are supposed to be 75 percent of the Zumba music that instructors pay for and the other 25 percent can be modern music.

There is also a Zumba toning course that allows participants to use weights, helping to tone their bodies. Regardless of the class, participants have a variety of reasons that keep them going to Zumba each week, sometimes more than once or even twice a week. Miller asked some of her participants what they think Zumba has given to them and they gave responses such as more energy, a reason to laugh (at the instructor and themselves), less aches or pains, emotional support and physically feeling better and stronger. Mary Lee Glaser of Huntington started attending Karle’s classes in January. She had been wanting to give Zumba a shot but after noticing stories that had been in the media, she and two of her friends decided to finally sign up. “I feel like I’m at a party every week. The class has new dancers, as well as experienced dancers, but we’re all getting to know each other and having a great time,” Glaser said. “I always leave there smiling.” Just keep moving. That’s all Karle asks for from her participants. They do not need to know how to dance or have any rhythm. As long as the participant keeps moving, that’s all that matters. “The Zumba theme is ‘Ditch the workout, join the party,” said Jenny Moosa, another participant in Karle’s classes. “Once the music starts, you can’t help but move.” Each class typically last 60 minutes, depending onthetypeofclass.Karle’sbasicreviewclassisusually 30 minutes but she stretches it to be longer. “A lot of people are timid about starting Zumba

because they think they should know already how to dance,” Karle said. “I try to ensure them no, not at all. Moving is what matters. (Participants) get in there and discover they have rhythm.” Miller said her class has participants whose ages range from their 20s up to their 70s. Karle also has participants within the same age range and said occasionally participants may bring their children. Zumba is not just for women either. Karle said she usually has three or four men who attend her classes regularly. “My wife Sheri Solochek and I have talked about doing something physical and fun for most of the 50 years that we have been together,” said Marc Solochek, a participant in Karle’s classes. “But we never found something that both us enjoyed. Then, Sherri signed up for the 2012 Zumba Challenge that Toni leads. She came back from her first three sessions tired, sweaty and with a big smile and sense of satisfaction.” After Mrs. Solochek suggested to her husband that he go with her the next time, he decided to give it a shot. With the initial belief that Zumba was a “chick thing,” Mr. Solochek soon decided that he enjoyed it, too. “I found it extremely invigorating and a challenge to all my muscles and endurance,” Mr. Solocheck said. “Now we have that fun, physical time we have been looking for and expect to continue doing it twice a week. And you won’t believe how guilty we feel if we have to miss a session.” The 2012 Zumba Challenge is closing on its final days of competition. The challenge began January 2 and ends March 24. It requires participants to attend at least two Zumba classes per week. At the end of the challenge, there is a monetary reward. The winner of last year’s challenge lost a total of 28 pounds. That person is also participating in this year’s challenge. Zumba has become a popular way for people to get fit, have fun and also to build a support group around themselves, especially if they’re experiencing a hard time, such as the cancer survivors who attend the classes. “I love everybody that comes,” Karle said. “They’re like participants, but they’re like family to me. They tell me how I’ve inspired them, but they’ve inspired me. The interview with Zumba’s creator Beto Perez, filmed by Karle’s daughter Francesca when he came to Huntington, is available at www.youtube.com/tristatezumba.

C M Y K 50 inch 7I

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FT/PT Direct Care Staff positions available. No experience required. High School Diploma/GED are preferred. Current WV Drivers License is required. We have a variety of positions for Huntington and Lesage areas. Please apply online at www. rescare.com or for more information 304-522-3548.

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The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV Sunday, March 11, 2012

HOME SUPERVISOR

Home Supervisor positions available. Must have 2+yrs. experience in I/DD ﬁeld. High School Diploma/GED and Current WV Drivers License are required. Please apply online at www.rescare.com or for more information 304-522-3548.

Coding Educator & Coding Specialist Holzer Clinic of Gallipolis Holzer Clinic is accepting online applications from qualiﬁed coding professionals for the positions of Coding Educator and Coding Specialist.

The positions are based in Gallipolis, OH. Holzer Clinic provides excellent benefits and competitive pay for work in a challenging and supportive environment. Employees enjoy opportunities for career growth and professional development. Certified Coders no experience starting wage is $17.00 per hour. Non-certified Coders with experience starting wage is $15.00 per hour.

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RESIDENTIAL DIRECTOR Residential Director Position available. Must have 2+yrs. Supervisor experience in Title XIX Waiver I/DD ﬁeld. BA required, Masters preferred. High School Diploma/GED and Current WV Drivers License are required. Please apply online at www.rescare.com or for more information 304-522-3548. EOE m/f/v/d

Registered Nurse/Clinical Supervisor needed for busy surgeons ofﬁce. Monday-Friday. Must be able to travel between Charleston-Huntington. Management experience preferred. Competitive Salary and Beneﬁts.

Email resume to trmiller@suddenlinkmail.com

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The Coding Specialist is primarily responsible to assist with the development and submission of coding curriculum for CME and CEU designation for coding and documentation workshops, seminars and publications.

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Requirements are as follows: Associate degree preferred, in addition to one year of coding education and auditing experience required. Professional designation such as RHIA, RHIT, CPC, CSS-P, CPC-H, or CSS preferred or able to attain within one year with one or more specialty proficiency preferred. Working knowledge of coding/documentation guidelines required. Proven proficiency of CPT4, ICD-9-CM 1-2-3, HCPCS required. A working understanding of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology required. Experience with third party payor reimbursement required. Ability to interact with administration, clinical and operational managers, healthcare professionals and other clinic employees. Ability to identify and cultivate strong professional relationships emphasizing service excellence with Holzer Clinic customers, working as a liaison between internal and external customer groups. Excellent communication skills (oral and written) with a proficiency in public speaking. Professional bearing and appearance. Proficient with specialized coding software, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as other software products utilized (Pinpoint, IDX, etc.) The Coding Educator is primarily responsible to provide assistance to the Coding Education Coordinator and Physician Liaison to assist with the development and submission of coding curriculum for CME and CEU designation for coding and documentation workshops, seminars and publications. In addition, the Coding Educator is responsible for assisting with and participating in the audit processes including appropriate physician feedback and educational in-services based on audit findings with an overall goal of improving coding accuracy and the promotion of service excellence. The Coding Educator will be directly responsible for working with the Claims Manager Edit Education program and will be expected to attend/participate in Department meetings. Special reimbursement and/or coding related projects as assigned.

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Raleigh General Hospital, the leading healthcare provider in beautiful southern West Virginia, is seeking full time Registered Nurses to be a part of our Angioplasty program. Enjoy the opportunity to develop professionally in a high tech and friendly environment. Raleigh General Hospital offers competitive wages and beneﬁts, including a 401(k) savings plan, paid vacation and sick leave and sign-on bonus. We’re less than thirty minutes from America’s best whitewater rafting, ski slopes, mountain bike trails, and more. This is a dream job for the right candidate. For additional career opportunities visit our web address@ www.raleighgeneral.com Apply on-line Human Resources: 304.256.4190

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Cabell Huntington Hospital has an immediate opening for a full-time Nurse Practitioner in the Pain Clinic. The Nurse Practitioner assists the physicians by seeing their patients in clinic for: • Post-op follow up - NPs see 20-25 patients per day to check outcomes of block procedures and treatment progression • Performing less invasive procedures - trigger point injections, joint injections, IM injections, and nerve conduction studies • Developing treatment plans-NP helps steer patient care by determining if treatment course is effective and makes adjustments to the plan as needed. Education/Certiﬁcation/Registration: RN with WV license, Master’s degree required. Nurse Practitioner Certiﬁcation Must have a minimum of 2 to 5 years of position related experience with 5+ years preferred. Pain Management experience preferred. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: -Excellent assessment, communication and organizational skills -Demonstrated ability to problem solve and work in an interdisciplinary setting. -Demonstrated ability to communicate appropriately and effectively. -Computer skills, especially word-processing and excel spreadsheets. -Pleasant attitude and ability to deal with people from all lifestyles. -Neat, business like appearance -Willingness to educate staff in health maintenance and the role of the health care team. -Ability to stay on task For immediate consideration, please apply online at www.cabellhuntington.org Diana Carter, Professional Recruiter Cabell Huntington Hospital - Human Resources Department 1340 Hal Greer Blvd Huntington, WV 25701

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C M Y K 50 inch The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

BUT FOR OHIO STATE,

I’D STILL BE PUTTING UP WITH THE ARTHRITIS PAIN IN MY KNEE. After being told he needed a full knee replacement to stop his constant arthritis pain, Tom went to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for a second opinion. There, he learned that he was a candidate for a less invasive option called MAKOplasty® partial knee replacement. Tom underwent surgery with the most experienced MAKOplasty surgeons in Ohio. Now he’s back at work and his life is pain-free. “I wish I would have done it sooner.” Hear more of Tom’s story at osu.edu/butforohiostate.

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244293

C M Y K 50 inch progress 2012:

www.herald-dispatch.com

progress 2012:

the Herald-Dispatch’s annual Progress editions take a look at our tri-state economy and business community. today’s sections focus on health and finance. other topics will be examined over the next two sundays.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

FINaNCe

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

ed davis of the Financial Stability partnership talks with clients during a financial planning class at healing place of huntington on Feb. 21.

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lose that drawer of bills and pay yourself first. That’s the golden rule of personal finance, according to Bob Kopp, regional vice president for Householder Group, one of the largest independent financial planning firms in the nation. “We’ve all got bills to pay and things where we spend money, but in most cases people don’t know where it goes,” said Kopp, who has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. “The general idea for people to follow is to pay yourself first. What is the most valuable thing in your lifetime? It’s your life, yourself. Invest in yourself first.” Paying yourself first doesn’t mean purchasing that new pair of shoes or new motorcycle. It’s a targeted plan for saving and building a long-term nest egg. “When you do that, use tax-deferred accounts or contribute to an IRA,” Kopp said. please see PLANNING/2J

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C M Y K 50 inch 2J The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Progress 2012: Finance

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Consumer watchdog: Following law not enough By CANDICE CHOI The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A company’s obligations don’t stop with the law. It also needs to be fair and upfront with customers. That’s the message from Richard Cordray, who was named by President Barack Obama in January as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Frankly there’s a lot of fraud that’s committed in the marketplace that is not on its face necessarily technically illegal,” Cordray said in an interview with The Associated Press. Such practices will now be a target for the CFPB. The agency and Cordray’s

appointment are both controversial. The CFPB was created as part of the overhaul of the nation’s financial regulations, with a mandate to police the array of financial products marketed to consumers. Republicans blocked Cordray’s appointment for months, saying the agency would have far too much power with too little accountability. Then earlier this month, Obama installed Cordray when Congress wasn’t in session. With a director finally in place, the CFPB is moving quickly to flex its full authority in policing businesses such as mortgage brokers, student lenders and other businesses

that previously escaped federal scrutiny. In January, the agency released a field guide for its examiners to analyze practices at payday lenders, which essentially offer customers advances on their paychecks for a flat fee. It will mark the first time the industry will be subject to such oversight. The CFPB has started collecting public comment to help simplify the disclosures consumers receive with credit cards, mortgages and student financial aid. It will take months or even years before consumers see how these efforts play out. But here’s what Cordray had to say about how the agency will impact consumers:

QUESTION: A major focus for the CFPB has been on improving the transparency of a product’s fees and terms, and the disclosures consumers receive. Are there instances where this won’t be enough and more aggressive regulatory action will be required? ANSWER: Let me answer that question in two parts. On transparency and disclosure; a key insight here is that more disclosures don’t always make things better. As it accumulates, there can be so much dense fine print that it can actually make things much worse — consumers find it hard to penetrate and they often will not read it. That’s a concern and that’s

why we’re trying to make things more transparent, simpler and clearer with our “Know Before You Owe” project. However, simply making things clearer to consumers is not enough if people aren’t actually playing by the rules and defrauding consumers. There we have to enforce the rules and we have to do it fairly, even handedly, but with rigor so that everybody understands that they have to follow and respect the law. Q: Are there practices that are technically legal yet require regulatory action? A: If something is technically legal, that’s one issue. But we also have the authority to deter-

mine that practices are unfair, deceptive and abusive. That’s where our authority can be used to try to protect consumers, even though maybe the technicalities of pre-existing laws have been followed. So that’s something we’re going to have to be careful about — the use of that authority. But it certainly is necessary to protect consumers and frankly there’s a lot of fraud that’s committed in the marketplace that is not on its face necessarily technically illegal. But when you see how a product is marketed, you can see what the effect is on consumers.

Please see WATCHDOG/8J

“It sounds like a no-brainer, but I always encourage people to take advantage of the free access to their credit reports. Educate yourself — not only you, but your family, on the basics of financing and budgeting. Create a net worth statement so you know if you’re doing better or worse than last year.

People were unprepared for the recession. Get financially smart.”

ED DAVIS, wIth thE fInAnCIAl StAbIlIty pArtnErShIp

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Ed Davis of the Financial Stability Partnership talks with clients during a financial planning class.

Planning n Continued from 1J

Ed Davis at the Financial Stability Partnership teaches financial literacy after retiring from the banking industry. He said the rule of paying yourself first is one of the first lessons he tries to teach those who seek him out for advice. “Absolutely pay yourself first. Max out your 401K especially if you have matched savings from your employer. Never, never, never turn away free money. It’s so important to do that,” Davis said. “Set up automatic deposit for savings. If you don’t see it, you’re not going to spend it.” Both Kopp and Davis offered some advice and strategies for protecting and growing your wealth in a variety of life stages, including young professionals, working parents, middle age nearing retirement and the newly retired.

Be aggressive early Kopp said investing in an education is the best way to set yourself up for success. “If it costs money to go to college, go on and do those things. Invest in education or training. Buy good quality clothing you can wear into the market to promote your image,” Kopp said. Young professionals in the accumulation stage of life are better able to invest aggressively, he said. “The greatest value you have at this stage is not in what you have, but in what your earning power might be,” Kopp said. “You’re in the accumulation stage of life.” “The younger you are, the higher risk tolerance you have for your investments. If you’re young and want to invest in the market or even if you’re going to be participating in your 401K at work and the option to choose your own investments, you should really be more aggressive,” Davis said. “The market is the for long-term. It’s easy to look back at 2008 and say, ‘I don’t want to take that chance. I’ll put my money in savings,’ but savings is earning

around one percent. The market, historically, is paying five to six percent from World War II to today.” Kopp agreed. “Avoid reacting to short-term moves in the market. Two emotions run the market — fear and greed, and people are always reacting based on those emotions,” he said.

Kids in the picture The period of time that includes raising children involves some important financial decisions, including paying down debt, saving for college and possibly refinancing your mortgage. Another smart financial move, Kopp said, is considering the purchase of life insurance. “It’s pretty easy. You want to pay off the highest interest rate debt first and then take the monthly savings you gain from that and apply it to the second highest interest rate debt. Your mortgage is the last thing you pay off because there are tax advantages to interest payments on mortgages,” Kopp offered. “I think for working parents, invest in home improvements that improve the comfort and convenience of your home and add value to it.” Davis said refinancing a mortgage can save an incredible amount of money. “This is a fantastic time to refinance. If you can go from a 30-year to a 15-year mortgage, it sounds kind of aggressive, but you’d be surprised taking a 30-year mortgage at six or eight percent and refinancing it to a 15-year at three or three-and-a-half percent, you’re going to save yourself an incredible amount of money and your payments won’t be that much higher.” Davis advised the use of a 529 plan for your children’s future education. “It’s such a great way to save money. If you put away $100 a month and it’s paying 3 percent, within 10 years you’ll have approximately $15,000 for your child’s education, tax-free.” Kopp suggested investments inside IRAs, individual company stocks and mutual funds, as well as life insurance

that builds up cash value for future needs with a death benefit to pay off any debts, and disability and long-term care insurance. “It’s important in a household, should one of the spouses lose their job that the income is provided for with some kind of disability insurance,” he said.

Retirement time The period of life approaching retirement creates a shift in approach to investing and financial planning. “In middle age you’re going to look at specific investments, annuities, things to provide a growing income stream you can count on throughout retirement,” Kopp said. “Re-evaluate your life insurance. Does it still serve the same purpose for you? Long-term care is also something important to consider.” Kopp said variable and fixed annuities can provide guaranteed income throughout retirement and protection of assets for spouses and beneficiaries. “You want to protect those assets. And, if there’s an estate problem, sometimes life insurance can be purchased to reduce or eliminate any taxes on your heirs,” he said. This is the period of life to protect your investments and invest more conservatively, Davis said. “You want to protect the investments you’ve had up to this point by becoming a little more conservative, maybe looking at Treasury bills or a long-term CD,” he added.

Educate at any age One of the best things to do, Davis said, is simply educate yourself. “It sounds like a no-brainer, but I always encourage people to take advantage of the free access to their credit reports,” he said. “Educate yourself — not only you, but your family, on the basics of financing and budgeting. Create a net worth statement so you know if you’re doing better or worse than last year. “People were unprepared for the recession,” he continued. “Get financially smart.”

Mobile apps trending in banking world By GRANT TRAYLOR The Herald-Dispatch

gtraylor@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — It’s almost scary to think that your money is literally just a click away these days. But that’s the reality of banking technology in the 21st century. Gone are the olden days in which a bank drive-thru was the most popular place on a Friday evening at 5 p.m. Now, the days of direct deposit and electronic transfers have paved the way for people to cut the bank out of one of their millions of stops during the week. Still, banking technology comes at the general public like a cash loan. It is often high-risk, high-reward, but regardless of the outcome, it has generated plenty of interest. “Trend-wise, what we are seeing is that they don’t want to have to see you unless they absolutely have to,” said Robert Whitley, chief operating officer and technology director at Metro Community Federal Credit Union. “No one has time these days to come here from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. so a lot of banking is done while you are at work or in the middle of the night when you have a chance to catch up.” Whitley has been hard at work over the last few months completing Metro Community’s emergence into the technology age. After years of the traditional service where clients come in or call for ba n k ing needs, Metro Community launched its online application at the beginning of March. “With us, t he model we take is n o ph o n e automation. If you call, we answer the phone because people want to talk with a human — no one wants automated calls,” Whitley said. “We still put a human with the credit union, which is what you need in this area.” Whitley said Huntington is a unique dynamic and all TriState area banks are running into the same issues as they try to bring the best possible banking options for all citizens — young and older. “What we are running into is that you have the older group that still wants that human contact and the younger group that could care less about associating with anyone,” Whitley said. “We have to have all products for every age group. It’s very expensive but we are trying to get it going.” Security was once thought of as a major issue, but now the norm is not whether folks will use online banking, but what medium that they will use to incorporate their online banking needs. Banking has taken off over the last few years, starting with Internet technology that led to several virtual banking affiliates that are strictly online banking services. Now, Internet banking is being taken to a different level with mobile applications for iPhones or Android users, along with tablets. What’s impressive is that Whitley said the older generations are becoming more acquainted with the mobile applications because the touch-screen methods feel more like actually using an ATM on location than with point-and-click uses of a mouse. “The older generation is opting more for touch-banking than the younger generation because they feel it’s more interactive,” Whitley said. “It’s not what you would think, but it’s interesting.” Many banks, including Metro Community, are offering classes for the older generation on how to get started in the online or mobile application of banking. For more information on online banking, customers should contact their branch location and inquire about available options.

C M Y K 50 inch Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

Progress 2012: Finance

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Ease of getting small business loan depends on variety of factors

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Fred Kitchen is the director and owner of Henson Mortuary in Barboursville. Kitchen recently experienced the process of lending when he purchased the mortuary in May 2010. The funeral home was already an established business at the time of purchase, which gave Kitchen the ability to show prior history of the business.

What to include in a business plan InTroDucTIon Detailed description Goals Skills/experience you have Advantages over competitors MarkeTIng Products and services to offer Market (ie. size, location, etc.) Pricing FInancIaL ManageMenT Predicted returns for investment Balance sheet and compensation Problem scenarios and outcomes operaTIons Day-to-day production Hiring process Issues such as insurance and rental agreements Required equipment concLusIons Summarize business goals/objectives Show passion and commitment to business

aDDITIonaL ITeMs For neW busInesses Projected balance sheet for opening day aDDITIonaL ITeMs For exIsTIng busInesses Financial statements Schedule for term debts Information for accounts receivable/ payable Requirements for each bank may vary, contact lender for specifics. More information is available at www.sba.gov. source: W.Va. sba small business resource guide

The Herald-Dispatch

wjohnson@herald-dispatch.com

The likelihood of being approved for a small business loan can depend on a wide variety of elements, but as the economy improves, so do the chances for approval. “I would say right now, it’s a little less stringent,” said John Bauer, commercial business banker for Huntington Bank. “There was a period there when things were kind of tight because there was so much uncertainty.“ Bauer said customers were waiting for the “storm to blow over” before seeking new endeavors, such as starting a new business or expanding a current one. “I’ve noticed in the last six months, we are seeing more activity and we are getting more people that are interested in pursuing things.” Whether the applicant wants to purchase an established business or start a new one, there are several things that banks must take into consideration before approving a loan. Someone applying for a loan to use to purchase an already established business has the ability to show how the business has done in the past, unlike a new business. “Generally we ask for the last three years of tax returns for existing businesses and three years of tax returns on any of the owners,” Bauer said. “Then we would ask for a personal financial statement of any of the owners and then we would ask for financial statements on the business as well.” For any kind of small business loan request, a business plan is a must — especially when establishing a new business or purchasing one that has not done well in the past. A business plan allows loan seekers to show how they would anticipate any changes to a current business and to also show how they anticipate a new business to run. The plan should include best- and worst-case scenarios when it comes to how a person projects a business to do in the future. Bauer suggests that customers create their plans to be concise and accurate with proper projections. Any projections made in the plan should also include information that backs up what the person is projecting. “Do your homework on the industry and emphasize your advantages that you may have over the competitor,” Bauer said. “Express your passion in it and your willing to have your equity put into the business.” The willingness to put your own funding toward the business rather than placing all the risk on the bank or Small Business Administration may affect your chances of approval. Fred Kitchen, owner of Henson Mortuary, experienced the process of lending when he purchased the mortuary in May 2010. The funeral home was already an established business at the time of purchase, which gave Kitchen the ability to show prior history of the business. “The bank was looking at financial data. It’s been in business 40 years,” Kitchen said. “It’s got some longevity behind it. I didn’t really

“I’ve noticed in the last six months, we are seeing more activity and we are getting more people that are interested in pursuing things.” John Bauer

commercial business banker for Huntington Bank

have any problems from that standpoint.” During the process, Kitchen had a business evaluation conducted by a consulting company and accountants for the funeral home, and the bank lender had appraisers involved, too. The entire purchase process took about three months for Kitchen, but he was informed within two weeks of application that he was approved for the loan. “If I would have gone in and wanted to start a new business, they may have been hesitant,” Kitchen said. The process of being approved for a business loan was not very difficult for Kitchen, he said. However, he believes being able to show that the business was already established and on solid ground assisted with this process, as well as its location. “Where we’re located at here in East Huntington (and bordering with Barboursville), this is where some of the growth is at and they looked at us as a more economically stable area,” Kitchen said. “(The bank) didn’t feel like we were in a neighborhood that was declining and people were moving out of.”

The type of business in need of a loan also plays a part in the process since some industries are higher risks, Bauer said. Restaurants were an example of a high-risk industry Bauer discussed. “Even in good times, it’s hard to write restaurant loans,” Bauer said. Some people decide they want to start a new restaurant but they may not have an official background in cooking or business. The person may believe he or she is a good cook, but have no actual experience to prove it, which creates a risk for banks. “Any experience of key people you have is good to emphasize (in the business plan),” Bauer said. There are small business companies that can be hired to assist with creating a business plan and project to use during the loan process. The involvement of an SBA-type loan gives banks more comfort when approving people for new business loans. The SBA loan is a guaranteed loan that reimburses a bank with a portion of the loan amount if default occurs, Bauer said. “Underwriting off a new credit request is always a little more difficult and those are usually the times when we may use a government guarantee program (such as SBA loans),” Bauer said. Huntington Bank is currently ranked No. 1 in West Virginia by the SBA for small business loans lended. Bauer estimates that the Huntington Bank location on Fifth Avenue receives between 20 to 25 credit requests each month, which also includes simple inquiries.

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suggesTeD ITeMs To brIng To LenDer: Purpose for loan Business history Lease information Amount invested in business Income, expenses and cash flow projections Personal financial statements for owners Resumes for owners and managers

By WHITNEY JOHNSON

C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Finance

4J The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

From saving For college to teaching Fiscal responsibility:

It’s never too early to start

Experts say if you wait until your children are teenagers, you’ve waited too long By BRYAN CHAMBERS The Herald-Dispatch

bchambers@herald-dispatch.com

There’s a lot to think about when couples welcome their first child into the world. In addition to learning the parenting gig on a trial-by-fire basis, it’s also important to start saving for the bundle of joy’s college tuition, local financial planners say. The most popular savings option today is a 529 plan, says Caleb Gibson, a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments in downtown Hunting“Exercises like this ton. A 529 plan is an education (allowing your children a savings plan operated by a set amount of money to state that is designed to help spend in a given situafamilies set aside funds for tion) will turn them into future college costs. All 50 discriminating or bargain states now have at least one shoppers earlier. I always plan available. With most 529 plans, where say let your kids make you reside and where you go financial mistakes early to school does not have an and learn from them so impact on which state’s plan when they get older and you choose. For example, you have more money, they can live in West Virginia, choose Ohio’s 529 plan and aren’t going to make a send your child to college in really big mistake.” North Carolina. However, if Bret Hensley you choose the 529 plan from a certified financial planner and co-owner of Creative Financial your home state, you can use contributions as deductions on Solutions LLC your state income tax return, said Bret Hensley, a certified financial planner and co-owner of Creative Financial Solutions LLC. These 529 plans are attractive because you are not taxed on the interest or earnings if you use the proceeds on qualified higher education expenses such as tuition, books or room and board, Hensley said. “Another attractive feature is the parent maintains control of the 529 plan,” he said. “It doesn’t become your child’s money when they turn 18 or 21, so you’re not turning them loose with a large pile of money.” These plans also are not counted as assets on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Hensley said. And if your child decides that a four-year institution is not for them, that’s not a problem, Gibson says. A 529 plan can also

be used for two-year degrees, junior college, vocational and trade schools, he said. Zero coupon municipal bonds are also worth consideration, Gibson said. While most municipal bonds provide semiannual interest payments, zero coupon bonds have no periodic interest payments. Instead, the investor receives one payment at maturity that is equal to the principal invested plus the interest earned. If you wait until your child is a teen before you start saving for college, time is not on your side, Hensley said. But it’s still important to set up a 529 plan and contribute what you can without compromising your own retirement plans, he said. “Under these circumstances, you have to stress the importance of academics to your child and the impact it can have on the number of scholarships available to them,” he said. Hensley also advises that parents start teaching financial-management skills to their kids when they reach the age of 9 or 10. He used to give his daughters a set amount of money when they went on beach vacations. His daughters got to decide how to spend it, but they knew it was all they were going to get. “Exercises like this will turn them into discriminating or bargain shoppers earlier,” Hensley said. “I always say let your kids make financial mistakes early and learn from them so when they get older and have more money, they aren’t going to make a really big mistake.”

A 529 education savings plan is operated by a state and is designed to let families set aside funds for future college costs. You are not taxed on the interest or earnings if you use the proceeds of the plan on qualified higher education expenses such as tuition, room and board or books, and the 529 plans can also be used for two-year degrees, junior college, vocational and trade schools. Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Futuretrust

For college bound, a look at financial aid changes The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The mad dash to cobble together college funding will soon be under way. To help navigate this process, here’s a look at what’s behind the recent changes:

Interest rates

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Taking out a student loan to attend college has become the norm, with two-thirds of g raduates leavi ng ca mpus in debt. But not all loans are alike. So it might have caught your attention last mont h when Obama said in his State of the Union address that the fixed interest rates on student loans are set to double in July if Congress fails to act. Before you panic, keep in mind that there are primarily two types of federal student loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. The difference is that the government doesn’t start charging interest on subsidized loans until the student graduates. With unsubsidized loans, interest starts accruing right away. The loans also come with different interest rates. Unsubsidized loans currently charge a fixed rate of 6.8 percent. The interest rate on subsidized loans was gradually lowered to its current fixed rate of 3.4 percent over the past few years. But the law that temporarily reduced the rate sunsets in July. So unless Congress extends the reduction, the rate on subsidized loans will snap back to 6.8 percent. This may affect even families that are relatively well off; not everyone who qualifies for a subsidized loan is from a low-income household. This could be the case for students who are attending expensive schools or have other siblings in college. Eligibility is based on financial need, which is determined by a formula on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Then there are private stu-

dent loans, which come with entirely different terms. These are widely considered to be an option of last resort since the interest rates tend to be higher and variable, mean-

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C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Finance

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

RetiRees’ withdRawal syndRome:

How much is enough to live on? By DAVE CARPENTER The Associated Press

CHICAGO — Avoiding the nightmare financial scenario in retirement — running out of money — is getting trickier. Rising life expectancy means having to pay for a longer retirement. The lack of a pension or frozen benefits translate to fewer, smaller checks from ex-employers. And the days of being able to count on averaging 10 percent annual returns from the stock market are over. All that makes it even more important for retirees to know just how much they can take out of their portfolios every year without drawing them down too fast. There isn’t one model that fits all. It depends on individual circumstances, best reviewed with a financial adviser. But the classic guideline long followed by many, and still respected, is widely known as the 4 percent rule. It holds that “People retir- if you withdraw no more ing today have than 4 percent from your savings the first year of to very care- retirement and adjust the ful. they may amount upward for inflabe better off tion every year, you can be not retiring confident you won’t run for a couple out of money during a 30of years. the year retirement. The strategy is credited greatest asset to financial planner Wilyou have in an liam Bengen, who pubenvironment lished his research in the like this is a Journal of Financial Plangood-paying ning in 1994. The twist is this: The job so you’re not dependent father of the 4 percent rule on the stock says the complete number actually 4.5 percent. market or the is “A 4 percent rule is just bond market to so easy to think about. support you.” People just kind of ignore William Bengen the extra half,” chuckles Bengen, 64, who operates financial planner Bengen Financial Services and originator of the 4 percent strat- in La Quinta, Calif. egy for retirees Bengen spoke about his rule and the proper approach to withdrawals in a recent interview. Edited excerpts follow: QUESTION: How did the rule come about? ANSWER: I started getting clients who were thinking seriously about retirement. They asked me, ‘How much can I take out of my portfolio when I retire?’ I really hadn’t a clue. So I started looking and I found no substantial information anywhere. I looked at data on investments and inflation going back to 1926 and reconstructed the investment experience of retirees over the decades. Q: The Wall Street Journal characterized your findings at the time as “scary for retirees and depressing for everybody else” because they suggested you can’t squeeze nearly as much income out of retirement savings as had

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Careful planning is needed to avoid the nightmare financial scenario in retirement — running of out money — and that planning is getting trickier. One model doesn’t fit all, and retirees’ individual needs are best reviewed by a financial adviser, but the classic guideline is to withdraw no more than 4 percent from your savings the first year of retirement and adjust the amount upward for inflation every year. been thought. Did financial planners resist the new number? A: It met a lot of resistance initially. I was surprised, too. People were assuming it was 6 percent, 7 percent. But they were using average rates of return, which is very dangerous. It’s like the guy who drowned in a lake with an average depth of 3 feet. You go out to the middle of the lake and it’s 10 feet. So that doesn’t help you to know what the average depth is. You have to be able to survive worst-case scenarios. Q: What has changed, if anything, since you did your research? A: Not much. I still think the rule is valid, although we’re in a period of time which may challenge it. People who retired in 2000 are of the greatest concern. They’re the ones who started and had two major bear markets, which is unprecedented — two big 50 percent drops in the market. A lot of it depends on what happens to stock market returns and inflation over the next five years. The real problem will come about if we get a big boost of inflation (well above its historical average of 3 percent), in that retirees are required to increase their withdrawals. That may make it hard for the 4Ω percent rule to fly.

Q: What about the outlook for those retiring now? A: If you’re retiring today, you probably can’t expect much more than 5 percent a year from U.S. stocks over the next five to seven years. That’s a pretty bad start to your retirement. Bonds also don’t look very good. People retiring today have to be very careful. They may be better off not retiring for a couple of years. The greatest asset you have in an environment like this is a good-paying job so you’re not dependent on the stock market or the bond market to support you. Q: You mentioned having enough money in your scenarios for a 30-year retirement. With lifespans lengthening, is that a long enough period to use as a base? A: If you feel you could live for 40 years in retirement, either because you’re retiring early or you have an exceptional genetic predisposition, you wouldn’t want to take 4.5 percent, you’d want to take 4.1 or 4.2 percent. If on the other hand you expect a very short retirement — you have bad health — you could think about taking out 6 percent or 7 percent. Q: What else can retirees do to help their savings last besides sticking to the withdrawal strategy? A: Besides cutting back on expenses, there’s

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a couple of things they can look at. One is to utilize the equity in their home and consider a reverse mortgage. That could take the pressure off their withdrawals. If they can get some money out of their house, they can take less out of their investment portfolio. The other is maybe convert a portion of their portfolio to a fixed annuity. If you’re age 80, you can get a fixed annuity paying you 8 percent, and if you’re 85, almost 10 percent. So you could take 10 or 20 percent of your investment portfolio and convert it to a fixed annuity and get a very high payout. Q: Do you have any other financial advice for retirees? A: Be conservative in both your living expenses and your investments. It’s also a good time to actively manage your portfolio. Buy and hold in this environment probably is counterproductive. It worked in the ’80s and ’90s and I think it’ll work again someday, but not in this environment, where there are so many risks and threats to capital. Protect your nest egg. Don’t let anyone step on it.

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C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Finance

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

RetiRees’ withdRawal syndRome:

How much is enough to live on? By DAVE CARPENTER The Associated Press

244342

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C M Y K 50 inch The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

244344

Strayer University/ West Virginia

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Assistant Campus Dean Full-Time – Teays Valley, WV The Teays Valley,WV Campus of Strayer University is seeking a Full-Time Assistant Campus Dean, who will serve as a Dean-in-Training and teach two courses per quarter. In addition, the incumbent may perform a variety of other academic functions such as student advising and/or academic administration in support of a campus; and developing position-speciﬁc knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare him or her for a Campus Dean role. A terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution, previous college level teaching experience and previous management experience are required. Qualiﬁed candidates should please visit: http://bit.ly/zsnSgu. No phone calls, please. EOE

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C M Y K 50 inch The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV Sunday, March 11, 2012

244345

The West Virginia Council of Churches, a cooperative ecumenical body of fifteen Christian communions, seeks a full-time Executive Director. This motivated, creative, and administrative individual will work with a Board of Directors and leaders of the various communions. The Council offices are located in Charleston, West Virginia. This position requires knowledge and experience in ecumenical relationships, administrative skills, networking ability, communication and writing skills. Awareness of governmental work and nonprofit organizational experience is helpful. The Executive Director serves as the executive officer of the Board of Directors; assists in development of goals, priorities and objectives; provides oversight and direction in their implementation. Total salary and benefits package up to $65,000.

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HSC is accepting applications for an Outside Sales Associate to support their Building Automation & Controls Division. Job Requirements & Responsibilities: This position will require extensive travel. Candidate will be responsible for covering HSC’s Automated Logic dealership territories in West Virginia, as well as out-of-state sales responsibilities for additional lighting and solar products and/ or systems. Speciﬁc responsibilities include: identifying and targeting new client markets based on division business goals, developing sales plans, reports, and monthly forecasts.

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Special Metals Corporation, a division of PCC, a world leader in nickel based alloy production, is accepting resumes for the following positions based at its Huntington, WV facility

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C M Y K 50 inch Progress 2012: Finance

8J The Herald-Dispatch — Huntington, WV, Sunday, March 11, 2012

Watchdog n Continued from 2J

Q: So in those situations, what is the most important thing consumers need to know about what the CFPB can and cannot do? A: Consumers should know that when they feel they’re being treated unfairly, they have the opportunity to come and tell us about it. And I mean the 300 million consumers all across this country — they can come to our website at consumerfinance.gov. If it’s a mortgage or credit card issue, they can file a complaint with us. If it’s any other kind of issue, we will be able to take those complaints eventually. Q: Once those complaints are in hand, what are the limits of what the CFPB can do? A: We have three different sets of authority that Congress gave us and that we are by law responsible to carry out. We have rule making authority. And we particularly are going to be active in trying to correct some of the problems in the mortgage markets over the next year or two. We have supervision and examination authority, which is new but very important. It’s the ability to actually go into these institutions, look at their books and records and ask questions about what they do, and really get to the bottom of things. This means both working with them where that’s possible and or bringing enforcement actions where that’s necessary. And the third is the ability to actually enforce the law — which is clearly needed if you’re going to have a marketplace that actually works. Q: One of the first industries the agency will be looking at is payday lending. A concern for consumer advocates is that customers often roll over the loans, meaning they repeatedly take out new loans to repay previous loans. What practices in the payday industry raise concerns for you? A: One of the things we’re very concerned about is making sure that those products actually help consumers and don’t harm them. So the possibility that consumers end up rolling loans over and over, and end up in this sort of debt trap where they’re living off of money at 400 percent interest rates is a concern and it’s something we’re going to look at very closely. Q: Suze Orman has a prepaid card and Amex last year rolled out a prepaid card. Do you see any risks with celebrities and major banks backing prepaid cards, or are there upsides? A: We generally think consumers need to take care when they’re attracted to a product for reasons that might obscure the actual price and risk involved. People want think carefully about what they’re getting into here. In the prepaid space in particular, there’s a lot of evolution and there are a lot of new products coming out. Some have appeared to be terrible products and some may be pretty good. We’re monitoring that and as

I say, it’s a fast moving market right now and we’re going to consider carefully how to address those issues as they arise Q: A lot of major banks have adopted this theme of transparency. Chase rolled out new checking account disclosures and Citi has its Simplicity credit card. How much faith do you have that the market can “right itself” in terms of transparency? A: I have a lot of faith in the market if it is backed by evenhanded, comprehensive rules of the road that everyone knows they have to live by. If the market is left to its own devices or if we regulate part of the market and leave the rest unregulated, as happened with the mortgage market, that created, in my view, a lot of what caused the financial meltdown — that’s never going to work. It is our view that what we do will actually strengthen markets. It’s quite possible that banks would have been moving to more transparency and simpler terms on their own. I happen to think some of that is in reaction to knowing that the consumer bureau is now in place, that it’s something we’re emphasizing. Q: Student loans were a big issue during the Occupy protests and graduates are burdened with more and more debt. Do you see any parallels to the mortgage industry? A: I’ve read a lot that suggests that student loans may be a bubble that is developing. Obviously the major driver of the total amount of student loans is the rapid increases in tuition and the costs of higher education in the last 10 years. We don’t control that. What we can control and what we can affect is the choices that consumers make. That they know what their choices are, that they know the difference between federal loans and private student loans — how that can affect terms of repayment, how that can affect the price and interest rate. These are important things for consumers to know. We’re working right now with the Department of Education on an easy to navigate shopping sheet for students and their families. Q: Are companies changing their practices just because they know that the CFPB is out there? A: I think that you are seeing change in these markets. I think you’re seeing it on three sides. One side is you now have a bureau with some good tools to actually affect these markets in a constructive way. On the business side, many of them are recognizing that they should get out in front of it. They’re trying to see what they can change on their own to either head off the enforcement or to try to improve things because they’re persuaded that it needs to be done. The third side is consumers themselves. And it’s very important for consumers to recognize they have a lot of

power in the market. Especially with social media, as they group together and it’s not just an isolated complaint but a group of people with a similar complaint. They can affect these businesses and how they respond to them. It’s important for consumers not only to look to the bureau for help but to look to themselves and help themselves.

Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2798 www.herald-dispatch.com

“I have a lot of faith in the market if it is backed by evenhanded, comprehensive rules of the road that everyone knows they have to live by. If the market is left to its own devices or if we regulate part of the market and leave the rest unregulated, as happened with the mortgage market, that created, in my view, a lot of what caused the financial meltdown — that’s never going to work. It is our view that what we do will actually strengthen markets.” Richard Cordray

director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Candice Choi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ candicechoi.

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4000

ALL PRICES INCLUDE REBATES AND ALL INCENTIVES. PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE TAX, TITLE AND OTHER FEES. ADVERTISED PRICES AND SPECIALIZED RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CREDIT AND BANK APPROVAL. PICTURES ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. OFFERS EXPIRE 3/31/12

Courts Motors, Inc. Exit 34 off I-64 • Next to Super WalMart • Hurricane, West Virginia 25526 888-417-4309 • 304-562-9011

Charleston

64 Exit 34 Huntington

Hours: M-F 9am-7pm • Sat 9am-6pm Closed Sun • Service Hours: M-F 8am-5pm

See our complete inventory at www.CourtsMotors.com

QUALITY LUMBER

FOR LESS

Providing the Tri-State with helpful, knowledgeable service and a great price, guaranteed for 117 Years.

Open: Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm

Hardware Commercial Locks Steel Doors Building Materials Custom Millwork & Mouldings • Hard to Find Specialty Woods

Box &

• • • • •

304-522-7391

244245

244274

Banking

MSRP $25,765

244271

7700

NEW 2012 CHRYSLER 200 TOURING

SALE SAVE

�� First State Bank ��

3750

NEW 2012 DODGE RAM 2500 SLT CREW CAB LT

#600430

On the Go

MSRP $30,285

1034 14th St W, Huntington, WV