February 2011
Network Network is Monitoring — and Preparing for — Uncertain Future in Health Care Reform..........................1 “E-zine” Version of Network Pulse will Deliver More Information in More Timely Ways...........................................2 “Home Town Guy” Observes 40th Year of Service at Miners Campus..........................2 S.T.A.R. Program’s Goals: Healthier Staff and New Health Coaches.......3 New Ambulances Carry St. Luke’s Colors, Star......................................4 A Day in the Life..............................................5 Network’s CIO Sets High Goals for Electronic Medical Records, Technology.........6 Music Therapy Aids “Client-directed Care”.....................................8 New HealthStar Vans will Help to Serve the Community Better.......................9 Cardiology Chief Wants to Lead Innovation and Improvement at St. Luke’s.......................10 Dr. Stephen Olenchock Introduces miniAVR Surgery to Rave Reviews................11
Network is monitoring – and preparing for – uncertain future in health care reform . merican hospitals — including St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network — are preparing . A for changes in national health care policy and regulations that will affect hospital finances, admissions and the kind of care that is provided. It isn’t certain, of course, that all, or any, . of the provisions in The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be enacted or even repealed. But in the view of experts such as Jane George, the Network’s assistant . vice president for government relations, hospitals cannot wait for the political debate to be settled to take action. Many components of the act already have been implemented, and others will start this year. For instance, effective Jan. 1, Medicare now pays for preventative services. “That means that we may be seeing more patients who have not had preventative tests in many years and who may need additional care,” Jane says. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the law on Jan. 19. However, Democrats still control the Senate, and President Obama says he would veto a repeal measure if it reached his desk, so complete repeal is unlikely. “But, what may happen is that funding for different programs . or conditions will be cut,” Jane says. That could affect the reimbursements St. Luke’s receives for various programs. In addition, certain taxes included in the bill could be repealed, such as the medical devices tax. Jane says instead of repealing . the law, legislators will try to overturn it piece by piece. A committee led by Joel Fagerstrom, chief operating officer, . is monitoring developments and preparing the Network’s responses. The group will address strategies regarding coverage expansions, reimbursement adjustments, quality, delivery system changes, hospital and physician alignment and workforce issues. Watch for regular updates on how health care reform is affecting the Network.
Jane George, assistant vice president for Government Relations
A Publication of St. Luke’s | www.pulsenews.org | 1-866-STLUKES
“E-zine” version of Network Pulse will deliver more information in more timely ways Network Pulse, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network’s employee publication, has become one of the most recognized ways for co-workers to get their information about the Network and each other. In fact, the number of articles and photographs submitted for publication has been steadily growing.
“Home Town Guy” Observes 40th Year of Service at Miners Campus William (Bill) Paslawsky is in his 40th year of employment at the St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital in Coaldale, a longevity and loyalty not commonly seen in today’s fast-changing world of commerce. He serves as Network Patient Privacy Officer overseeing HIPAA regulations, the latest in a series of appointments that date to long before Miners was part of St. Luke’s. Bill is a native of Coaldale. When he graduated from Penn State University in 1970 he took a job in data processing in what was then known as Coaldale State General Hospital. He had been accepted at Duquesne Law School and originally thought of the hospital job as being just short-term. But, he and his family lived only a block away from the hospital. and he liked the feeling of serving a community that he and his family knew well. “This is a small town, everybody knows everybody,” Bill says.
However, there often isn’t enough room in the traditional printed Network Pulse to include all of the interesting and needed information. Sometimes, articles are saved for future issues and when they finally appear, they aren’t as timely. To solve this problem and to deliver even better communications to employees, Network Pulse will become an e-zine (electronic newsletter), delivered by e-mail to every employee who signs up to get it and available online. Kenneth Szydlow, vice president for marketing and public relations, says, “We are enthusiastic about this change because it will enable us to deliver Pulse stories more fully and more quickly. Items in Pulse will be linked to the Network’s Internet site, connecting what’s in the news to all kinds of other information.” Ken continues, “For instance, if we do . a profile of an employee, it will contain links you can click on that will take you continued on page 10
Bill became manager of data processing and moved through other assignments, including the Registration and Switchboard departments, patient safety officer, compliance officer and, most recently, manager of the Security Department. In addition, he works with the Engineering Department regarding emergency operation and management plans and the Safety Committee. There was another big plus: It was at the hospital that Bill met his future wife, Ann Louise. About eight years ago, following adoption of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Bill moved into his current position. Bill says he enjoys patient privacy work the most. He says the new HIPAA privacy requirements have presented learning experiences for him and the rest of the staff. He says when he receives a complaint from a patient, or their family, he finds that people are grateful St. Luke’s cares enough to take corrective actions. Sometimes, he adds, patients are thankful there is someone at the hospital who will listen. The Paslawskys now reside in Hometown and are the parents of two sons. Philip is a golf professional and manages a golf course in Mississippi. Andrew, a student at Penn State, will graduate in May with a degree in psychology. In 2005, Bill was the recipient of a PCRAFT Award for the Miners Campus. Away from the work day, the Paslawskys have been active supporters of the Black Diamond Dinner, which raises funds to enhance Miners. Dinner proceeds have benefited the Geriatric Center and the new Critical Care Unit. This year’s event will be held in June. Ann Louise Paslawsky has been the person in charge of decorations for the dinner. “I’m her go-fer. I carry things,” Bill jokes.
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February 2011
S.T.A.R. Program’s goals: Healthier staff and new health coaches The S.T.A.R. Program, an innovative endeavor that aims to teach nurses to improve their health and then become health coaches for other St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network staff and patients, will be six months old in March, and the people supervising the pilot program are optimistic about its success. Better yet, participants are reporting they are becoming fit, learning a lot and eager to share their . new knowledge and skills. The letters in S.T.A.R. stand for Shed old habits; Take control; Achieve Positive Results; and Reach your health potential. Twenty-five St. Luke’s nurses from all Network sites were selected last year to take part in a regimen of health and fitness, weight management, emotional health, . and smoking cessation. Carol Kuplen, senior vice president and chief nursing officer, said that the Network has two goals for S.T.A.R. “We want to find the most effective method to develop nurses as health coaches, and we want them to improve their overall health status and ability to coach.”
Dr. Bonnie Coyle, director of community health, said that while many hospitals have employee wellness programs, the S.T.A.R. Program stands out. “The intensity of this program is innovative. The level of coaching the nurses get and the amount of data we are collecting are things to be proud of,” . Dr. Coyle says. Amy Previato, program coordinator for S.T.A.R., serves as health coach for the nurses. They meet one-on-one with her . to talk about progress and challenges. Because this is a research program, the nurses are not being identified, but Amy receives informal feedback. One reported, “I’ve lost 43 pounds and am looking and (more importantly) feeling much better. I . am so very grateful to have been chosen . to participate in the S.T.A.R. Program — . it has quite literally changed my life!” Another wrote, “Life in general has hit an . all new stress level in the last few weeks, . so making myself go to the gym is a good coping skill. I spoke with [the trainer] about doing the 5K and he said it was fine and . gave me a training regimen. I plan to start that in the New Year.”
One other nurse commented on looking forward to helping other people to be more healthy. “Learning about all of the new issues related to health care reform, this seems a perfect opportunity to pilot some health coach spots in the Network. I am definitely going to do the certificate program and look forward to obtaining . a job in this area.” The nurses presented results of a physical exam when S.T.A.R. began in September 2010, and their health status will be checked at six-month, one-year and two-year benchmarks. They also will be surveyed . on their satisfaction and reactions to the program. Each was given an individualized health plan. In addition to their one-on-one sessions, they attend eight hours of group instruction per month. Other data will be tracked, such as sick days taken. Dr. Coyle says, “It’s too early to discuss detailed results of S.T.A.R., but we . want all of our people to know about its . broader goal — to improve employee health in general.”
Participants of the S.T.A.R. Program.
February 2011
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New ambulances carry St. Luke’s colors, star St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network has put two new basic life support ambulances in service, one based in Bethlehem and one in Quakertown. The vehicles cost $75,000 each, according to Kermit C. Gorr Jr., executive director of ambulance services. The funds to purchase the ambulances came from the annual Golf Classic and from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The new vehicles will stand out among emergency vehicles in the region because they now carry the Network colors, graphics and logos.
Last year, St. Luke’s ambulances answered 13,390 emergency and non-emergency calls. St. Luke’s Emergency & Transport Services had an increase of 10 percent in emergency volume at the Fountain Hill location. Kermit attributes the increase to the ambulance services being awarded primary advance . life support (paramedic) service in the Eastern Salisbury Township area in January 2010.
Kermit also reports that, based on financial and volume information, St. Luke’s ETS is . the largest hospital based/hospital affiliate service in Pennsylvania. It now has more than 65 EMTs and paramedics providing 911 emergency service in nine municipalities between Lehigh and Bucks counties. The ambulances are deployed in this way: six in Quakertown, four in Bethlehem and one at Miners.
St. Luke’s ETS is the largest hospital based/hospital affiliate service in Pennsylvania. It now has more than 65 EMTs and paramedics providing 911 emergency service in nine municipalities between Lehigh and Bucks counties.
Did you hear? From patients at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital: “ The nurses at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital have to be the best I’ve ever encountered.” “ I am very thankful that I was able to go to this hospital.” “ Everyone was very friendly. The nurses signed a “get well” card and sent it to my home. That was very nice!” 4
By the numbers • Almost every animal has a stomach. • Your stomach needs to produce a new . layer of mucus every two weeks or it would digest itself. • It takes the human stomach one hour to break down cow’s milk. • The stomach is about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide at its widest point. • An adult’s stomach capacity is about . one quart. • Your stomach changes size and shape according to the position of your body . and the amount of food inside. Source: “ www.funfacts.com,” “www.mamashealth.com” and “www.funshun.com”
February 2011
A Day in the Life of... Anne Manno Electrophysiology Lab Nurse • St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus Anne Manno, RN, a nurse in the electrophysiology department at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus, says she loves two things about her job: the skilled and collegial team she works with and being able to make a difference in the lives of patients. She tells the story of getting a phone call from a former patient who received an ICD in the lab who reported “I got shocked today,” meaning the device detected his heart had a potentially lethal fast rhythm. “That means his ICD saved his life... and it’s nice to know I was involved,” Anne says. Anne has been a nurse since she graduated from the Northampton Community College nursing program in 1984 and will mark her 25th year at St. Luke’s this year. She’s been in the catheterization lab and the EP lab since 1992. When Anne heads to work in the morning from her Easton home, she already has a good idea of what kind of day she will have. The staff reviews how many and what kinds of procedures are scheduled the day before. Four procedures per day are typical but five or six per day are not unusual. The team of doctors, anesthesiologists, technicians and nurses perform ablations of blockages in blood vessels and implants internal cardiac defibrillators, or ICDs. Anne’s day usually begins by greeting the first patient and family members to introduce herself and explain what will be happening. The doctors and an anesthesiologist will also talk to the patient and answer questions. “It’s hard for a patient to be told he needs to have work done on his heart, so we try to be as reassuring as we can. We tell patients, ‘Someone will be with you every minute.’ ” Anne says. The procedures typically run two or three hours, but can last as long as six hours. Anne explains that the doctors make sure they know where the family is and know how to reach them with cell phones or the “beepers” the hospital provides. “If we are running long, we always tell the family, ‘Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong, we just want to look at a few more things.’ ” As the day unfolds, Anne and the team bring the rest of the day’s patients in, one after February 2011
“I feel as if I am working on the wave of the future. There’s nothing shadowy with the technology we have today. We can literally look at what’s going on inside your heart.” — Anne Manno another. About half of the patients are already in the hospital, having been sent for an EP procedure from another St. Luke’s department. When the procedure is over, a member of the EP team escorts the patient to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. About half of the EP patients are outpatients, and go home the same day. “It’s a pretty smooth operation. We know what to expect, and we know what to do. And I feel as if I am working on the wave of the future. There’s nothing shadowy with the technology we have today. We can literally look at what’s going on inside your heart,” Anne says. Anne is the mother of two grown and married children — Matthew, who lives in Macungie, and Jessica, who lives in Connecticut. Anne enjoys being grandmother to Jessica’s twins and will soon be a grandmother again, as Matthew and his wife are expecting. Away from work, Anne enjoys meeting monthly with her book club. As for getting away, the beaches in Delaware and the Outer Banks in North Carolina are her favorites.
Did you hear? From patients at St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital: “ Excellent nursing care, great employees across the disciplines.” “ The food was very good, and I was happy with the way the physician explained everything to me.” “ I was in Philadelphia, Los Angelos, Temple and Englewood as a patient, but the ICU in Miner’s was the best by far!” “Home care was very good.”
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Network’s CIO sets high goals for electronic medical records, technology Chad Brisendine, vice president and chief information officer for St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network, arrived in Bethlehem in September 2009 intending to use his extensive experience in information technology, or IT, to “make a difference.” His goals included improving the Network’s IT systems, improving customer service, increasing performance and reducing downtime. Simply modernizing the system in place would be a big challenge. St. Luke’s has more than 300 applications, with about 5,000 computers across 160 sites. But a major change and opportunity also arrived in 2009 with provisions in the new Federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, known as the HITECH Act. The Federal government is providing funding incentives to hospitals like St. Luke’s to take steps toward a system of electronic health records. Chad said St. Luke’s is in line to receive about $25 million in these incentives and will begin rolling out its IT stimulus plan in 2011. The EHR, or electronic health records initiative, will continue in stages through 2014. An IT Steering Committee has been convened and has been charged with guiding the IT strategic direction. Chad plans to begin making announcements about the overall project by the end of 2010. The changes will take place first at the Bethlehem and Allentown campuses through 2012. A strategy to implement the initiative at the Miners and Quakertown Hospitals is still being developed. Chad says his goal is for a patient’s records to be available, in the same form, no matter where the patient goes for care within the St. Luke’s Network. Eventually, that will include ambulatory care and care provided in any of the St. Luke’s Physician Group offices. “A patient record should provide our caregivers access to real time patient information anywhere in our Network in order to improve quality and patient outcomes,” he explains. In fact, integrating the in-patient records system with records for ambulatory patients will be chief among the improvements Chad wants the Network to make. One important initial step will be to create a single system for viewing and retrieving patient records across the Network, and give patients electronic access to their own records. The concept of EHR has been a part of health care for more than 10 years, Chad says, and it’s still developing. He estimates that less than 10 percent of U.S. hospitals have full EHR capability, while less than 20 percent have electronic physician order entry. St. Luke’s is rapidly increasing the percentage of physician orders that are electronic by adding equipment and improving the system’s performance and reliability. “The end game is to improve care. To do that we need to optimize our systems in order to provide real time to information, a superior Help Desk and high-level technical support 24/7. The goal is to achieve
minimal downtime, excellent performing systems and continual system and process improvements. We want to be pro-active, to be able to fix problems before employees know they have occurred,” Chad says. Chad came here from Texas, where he had served as corporate director for new systems and technology at CHRISTUS Health, a 44-hospital network, as well as CIO for CHRISTUS Health Southeast Texas, a network of three hospitals. Chad says, “I think this is a good fit because St. Luke’s has good values, a great mission and it cares about its employees and patients. We are in a growing market and St. Luke’s is growing. This is an exciting time to be at St. Luke’s and in health care IT. I know I can help to make a difference for our employees and our patients.” Readership Survey Suggestion
“The end game is to improve care. To do that we need to optimize our systems in order to provide real time to information, a superior Help Desk and high-level technical support 24/7. ” — Chad Brisendine, vice president and chief information officer, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network 6
February 2011
Ob-Gyn staff honors soldier with luncheon
Peggy Bennett Elmore with son Pfc. Spencer Elmore.
The staff at Valley Ob-Gyn (shown above) recently honored Pfc. Spencer Elmore — a young man who “grew up” in the practice — with cake and a pot-luck lunch. Spencer is a son of Peggy Bennett Elmore, who has been with the office for 14 years and serves as practice administrator. Spencer is on duty as an intelligence officer with the Army and stationed near Kandahar, Afghanistan. He has since returned to duty there. Peggy has another son in the Army — Lt. Jason Bennett. Jason is scheduled to go to Afghanistan in April, and both men will be there for at least a short time before Spencer returns to his home base at Fort Carson in Colorado.
Riverside HOspital (Richard A. Anderson Campus)
construction Photos
February 2011
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Music therapy aids “client-directed care” Suzanne Makary is a music therapist and case manager in Innovations, St. Luke’s partial hospitalization program for people receiving behavioral health care. She was recently named “Practitioner of the Year” for 2010, a recognition bestowed by Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania and the counties of Lehigh and Northampton. The presentation took place at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel and Conference Center. This is the third year for the program, which honors providers and consumers who are involved in recovery. Suzanne also received a citation from the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The awards were created to promote “the recovery model,” an approach to behavioral health care that focuses on and gives control to the people who are in recovery. Another term for it is “client-directed care.” Consumers are given tools and education to help them achieve wellness. One of those tools can be music therapy, Suzanne explains. For example, she recently led a group of Innovations clients in a discussion of the words of the Simon and Garfunkel song, “Bridge Over
Suzanne Makary (left), Virginia Wagner (center), Network Administrator for Behavioral Health and Geriatric Services and Amie Allanson-Dundon, MS, LPC, CCDP, Clinical Supervisor, St. Luke’s Behavioral Health, take a break from the awards ceremony for a photo.
Troubled Water.” She adds, “It was a way for them to discuss the triggers that lead . to their troubles.”
Did you hear? From patients at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus: “ I’ve been a patient here many times and I always got the BEST of care! The doctors are excellent, the nurses are kind and dependable.” “ The food staff that delivered the trays were wonderful!” “The Trauma team was great!” “ Pre admission was fantastic! The man who cleaned my room in Recovery VERY pleasant. Thank you St. Luke’s for a wonderful experience!” 8
Earlier this year, Suzanne went to Pittsburgh to make a presentation on how she uses music therapy in the recovery model. The occasion was the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of the American Music . Therapy Association. Suzanne says while she is being recognized, she shares the honor with the team working with her in Innovations. It includes Patricia Moser-Lerch, RN; Marliese Walter, licensed clinical social worker; and Terry Trittenbach, a certified occupational therapist-licensed. Credit also goes to medical director Carmen Diaz-Burney, MD; clinical supervisor Amie Allanson-Dundon and intake coordinator Linda Middleton. “I wouldn’t be getting . this honor without them,” Suzanne adds. Virginia Wagner, St. Luke’s administrator . for behavioral health and geriatrics, says
Suzanne and the Innovations team work . to give consumers “a sense of hope.” . Virginia says, “If people don’t have access to tools or programs, they can feel lost. We give them tools — education, job training, physical therapy and so on. The goal is . for a consumer to “feel like a whole person.” Suzanne adds, “The recovery model focuses on wellness. People are . not their illnesses.” Suzanne has been a music therapist for . 14 years and has been with St. Luke’s and the Innovations program for almost 10 years. She also serves as a case manager in Innovations, working with individual clients. She earned her degree in music therapy at Marywood College in Scranton. She and her family — husband Ross, son Reece and daughter Rachel — live in the Weaversville area. Away from St. Luke’s, Suzanne serves as the organist and music director at Christ UCC in Schoenersville.
February 2011
New HealthStar vans will help to serve the community better Two new HealthStar vans — one outfitted for medical care and one for dental care — are being added this year to St. Luke’s Community Health Department’s program of taking services to school children and others in the community. The new vehicles and two older vans will make it possible for more care to be provided in more places around the Lehigh Valley. All of the services are free. The Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, a regional non-profit agency based in Allentown, raised $1.5 million to acquire the vans. The vans are big Winnebagos that measure 39 feet by 11 feet. The dental van will have three chairs (the old dental van has two) and the medical van is configured to provide two separate examination and treatment areas. Next year, two more vans will be added.
with most often include diseases related to being overweight or obese. More and more children need to be on medication to control high blood pressure, but they aren’t. Another rising concern is tuberculosis; again, a condition that can be treated once a child is taking the proper medication. The van staff helps children to get the care they need. Melissa Craig, RN is the van program coordinator. In addition to doing routine exams, a lot of her time is spent educating students about smoking cessation, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and other issues. And, she listens.
“A lot of secondary school students feel when they step on the van they are in a safe place. They know I will keep their confidences, I’m a nurse. So they open up about personal things: dysfunction in their families, addiction and their health concerns. Even when I tell them up front that child abuse is the one thing that I must report, they open up. For many of these problems, we provide connections to services in the community. But the van is where we start a student on the way to getting help,” Melissa says.
Bonnie S. Coyle, MD, is director of the Community Health Department, and is proud of the staff and services the vans provide, mostly to children. Dr. Coyle says, “The new dental van is very important because we find while many families have some kind of medical insurance, dental insurance is more difficult to get. So, we see children who have never been to a dentist, or not for a long time. The condition of their teeth is just tragic. They are in pain and sometimes it is so bad they miss school. When I do physical examinations, one in three of the children has visible decay.” Dr. Coyle estimates 40 percent of the children seen are without dental insurance. Last year, the two-chair dental van had about 3,000 child visits, mostly in Bethlehem. Having a second dental van will allow one van to be assigned to Bethlehem and the other to Allentown, where services at Raub Middle School have started. The dental van is staffed by a dentist, a hygienist, a dental assistant and Northampton Community College students who provide sealant treatments to protect children’s teeth from future problems. The medical van’s work is also concentrated at the Bethlehem Area School District’s middle schools and high schools. About 1,300 students were served in 2009. The medical van also serves Valley Youth House, Head Start children and makes visits to schools in the Slate Belt and Easton. The issues the van staff deals
February 2011
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Cardiology Chief Wants to Lead Innovation and Improvement at St. Luke’s Raymond A. Durkin, MD, has been chief of cardiology for St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network since 2008. He came here as chief after 14 years of experience in a large Lehigh Valley private cardiology practice, something that amounts to “a career change” for a physician, he says. The perspective of those years and the current atmosphere in which he works lead him to observe that cardiology continues to change rapidly. Cardiology came into its own as a specialty in the 1960s with the advent of coronary angiography and coronary bypass surgery. In the 1970s, the first angioplasties were performed, and in the 1980s it was confirmed that thrombosis, or clots, were the cause of myocardial infarction. Throughout this period, there was vigorous development of various pharmacologic therapies and interventional techniques and tools to open vessels. In 1995, about the time Dr. Durkin was entering practice, cardiologists first were using
stents to keep vessels open. And, in the early 2000s, drugs were applied to stents and used along with intervention techniques to keep vessels open. General cardiologists see people for a broad range of heart disease in both hospital and office settings. Many specialize in non-invasive testing and disease prevention. Electrophysiologists focus on the heart’s electrical stimuli and controls and work with pacemakers and similar devices. “They are the electricians,” Dr. Durkin explains. Then there are interventional cardiologists, “the plumbers.” Interventionists concentrate on opening clogged vessels, a passion and specialty of Dr. Durkin’s. Dr. Durkin says that during rotations in medical school (Hahnemann University School of Medicine), “cardiology found me.” He said he believes the specialty is attractive to competitive, “Type A” people like himself. “I want to make an impact on people’s lives.”
At St. Luke’s, the cardiology team tries to meet a high standard: The vessels are opened within 90 minutes of heart attack. “And, it is a team, not just cardiologists, but includes the emergency department staff, nurses, nurse-practitioners and physician assistants,” Dr. Durkin says Dr. Durkin is proud of innovations in cardiology and heart care at St. Luke’s. For instance, the congestive heart failure program now uses innovative ultra-filtration equipment that removes excess fluids from a patient’s blood. A medical director, Prasanna Sugathan, MD, was hired last year, and plans are in place to open an out-patient clinic for people to receive ultra-filtration therapy without being admitted to the hospital. “This is important because it improves the quality of life, it extends life, and it reduces costs (by enabling people to avoid re-admission to the hospital). I want our program to be in the forefront. I want to do education. Other hospitals already are coming here to see what we are doing,” Dr. Sugathan says. Away from work, Dr. Durkin’s time centers around his children, sons Ray and Matt, and daughter Olivia. His family follows the boys’ sports activities and Dr. Durkin helped to coach their football teams when they were younger. His daughter’s passion is horseback riding, and she participates in jumping events at horse shows. Together, the family enjoys downhill skiing, and each year they pick a different destination to ski in the western United States. “The boys are snowboarders, and I’ve tried that, but I think I’ll stick to skis,” he says. Readership Survey Suggestion
E-zine cont. to stories and background about that employee’s department, its services and related material.” To encourage people to sign up for the e-zine version, the first 100 employees . who register for the e-zine will be entered into a drawing for 10 gift cards for the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, . worth $50 each.
Network Pulse is following the model of most print publications — newspapers and magazines — to provide content both in . print and electronically. All employees . are encouraged to register to receive the e-zine version of Pulse or read it online (www.pulsenews.org), however, as this may take some time Pulse still will be printed for distribution on a limited basis. “We know that one challenge is that employees’ families enjoy reading the Pulse mailed to their homes, so we also will send the e-zine
to the e-mail addresses of family members that are submitted,” Ken says. While the printed Pulse has been appearing about four times per year, the plan is to produce eight e-zine issues per year plus special editions. By moving to . an electronic version of Pulse, we’ll save the costs of printing and postage, shorten the time it takes to produce the newsletter and apply the savings to other needed projects,” Ken says.
Visit www.pulsenews.org to sign up for the E-zine and register to win a $50 gift card to the Promenade! 10
February 2011
Dr. Stephen Olenchock Introduces miniAVR Surgery to Rave Reviews When James Layton of Quakertown awoke after having an aortic valve in his heart replaced at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus in September 2010, he was surprised to see that his bed was surrounded by people in white coats. “They told me I was . a celebrity,” James recalls, “and the care . I got made me feel like one.” Dr. Stephen Olenchock, the surgeon who performed the valve replacement, says James was the first patient at St. Luke’s to undergo an innovative, minimally invasive procedure. Dr. Olenchock, who is chief . of cardiovascular surgery at St. Luke’s, explains that instead of dividing the entire breastbone, a 3-inch incision and a much smaller disturbance of the sternum shortens the hospital stay, lowers the risk of infection, reduces recovery time and spares the patient pain and loss of blood. James, 49, is an aquatic biologist who works for a large company that produces fish pond and fish tank supplies. He had not had any pain or other symptoms, but his wife, Barbara, told him she thought he wasn’t himself. She suggested he see . the family doctor in Quakertown, Dr. Paul Marion. Dr. Marion heard what sounded like a leaking heart valve, or a “murmur.” Next, James went to see cardiologist . Dr. Marcus A. Averbach, who recommended that he meet with Dr. Olenchock. As James describes the meeting, “Dr. Olenchock was very friendly and he explained everything. I had no worries with him or . St. Luke’s, and when I went in, everybody made me feel as good as possible.” Dr. Olenchock says, “Valve problems can be hard to diagnose because the patient may feel no pain. So when a patient who feels relatively well is told he needs heart surgery, I want to be reassuring and to explain the procedure fully.” While James thinks the care he received post-surgery was exceptional, Dr. Olenchock says it was actually much like the care every surgery patient receives. “One of the things St. Luke’s does well is to bring the whole team to see a patient. There’s the surgeon, nurse practitioner, physician’s February 2011
Dr. Olenchock (left) and the surgical team.
assistant, nurses, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pharmacist and . case managers. It’s not about us. It’s . about addressing the patient’s needs and answering questions,” Dr. Olenchock says. James spent only five days in the hospital. He had been fairly active, walking and doing light cardio and weight workouts at a gym . he belongs to. He soon was walking on a treadmill again and happy to have very little pain and only a small scar. He didn’t go for physical therapy because he was feeling better than he had in some time. “When a visiting nurse came, she was surprised that I was the guy who had heart surgery because I looked so healthy,” James says. Best of all, James was able to return to his job at Mars Fishcare in Chalfont after a month away from work. Dr. Olenchock explains that James received . a mechanical valve partly because of his relatively young age. “The mechanical valve can serve him well for the rest of his life. Tissue valves also can be used, and often are the choice for older patients,” he says. The minimally invasive valve replacement is good for patients who have a constricted or leaking valve without other cardiac-related symptoms. Because it is a less stressful procedure, it is also good for older patients who might not be candidates for traditional
valve-repair surgery. He says, “This is great surgery for anyone who needs aortic valve surgery.” Adds James, “I would tell anyone who is considering this kind of surgery — go to St. Luke’s!”
Did you hear? From patients at St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus: “ I’ve never seen staff work so well together!” “ I have shared my great experience at St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus with many people. I would absolutely recommend the hospital and Lehigh Valley Women’s Medical Specialties.” “ All the staff acted as if they were treating their own family. I love St. Luke’s. It’s a place I would like to work!”
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Network Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #275 Bethlehem, PA
801 Ostrum St. • Bethlehem, PA 18015 Our Mission:
The mission of St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network is to provide compassionate, excellent quality and cost-effective health care to residents of the communities we serve regardless of their ability to pay. Our Strategic Focus: People and Relationships • Physicians, Employees and Volunteers — our most important assets. • We will be the region’s health care employer of choice. Simplicity • Continue to simplify management structure. • Promote efficiency and effectiveness. Integrity • Transparent, accountable management. • Ongoing adherence to our Management Philosophy. Quality • Focus on clinical process improvements using national benchmarks and appropriately share the outcomes of our ongoing focus on quality. • Perform in the top decile in national pay-for-performance programs.
Physician Group welcomes internal medicine specialists in Bath St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network welcomed a new practice to its physician group with a holiday get-together at St. Luke’s Internal Medicine – Bath. Below, staff members gather around a Christmas tree decorated in “St. Luke’s Blue and White.” From the left are Marjorie Gross, practice manager; Dr. Jane Garnjost; Alicia Kesack, medical assistant; and Dr. Linda K. Blose. The office is at 6649 Chrisphalt Drive, Bath. Watch future issues of Network Pulse for more details about St. Luke’s Internal Medicine – Bath and other SLPG Practices.
Cost • Perform in the top decile in Thomson criteria for cost-effective management. • Continue to be the region’s low-cost tertiary hospital. Network Pulse is a periodic publication for the employees of St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network. Ken Szydlow Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations Executive Editor: Stephen Andrews Network Director, Marketing and Public Relations Contributing Writers: Glenn Kranzley Design Supervision: Lori Diehl Network Director of Graphic Design Photography: Joseph Klepeiss Director, Media Production Services Betsy Toole • Anne Kemp
St. Luke’s strives to be the region’s health care employer of choice.
Haven’t seen St. Luke’s 2010 Holiday Card? Get the free mobile app at http://gettag.mobi