May 2011 Pulse

May 2011

Network Third ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ for Cancer Program is ‘A Pretty Big Deal’.............1 Endoscopic Procedure is a First for Pennsylvania, Speeds Patient Recoveries.......2 8,000 Mile Bike Ride Shows Gratitude for How St. Luke’s Hospice Helps Families.....3 Chief Academic Officer Led Creation of New School of Medicine.............................4 Foundation’s $1 Million Gift will Support Medical School Scholarships..........................5 A Day in the Life..............................................6 Regional Center for Blood Management Seeks Better Outcomes, Reduced Costs.........7 Quakertown Land Purchase is for Long-term Service to Upper Bucks Region........................8 New President is Proud and Eager to Lead Opening of Riverside Hospital................9 New Practices Build Strength of St. Luke’s Physician Group.........................10 Cryo-ablation is a Promising New Tool to Treat Atrial Fibrillation...............................11

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Third ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ for Cancer Program is ‘A Pretty big deal’ The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has again awarded St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network’s Cancer Program its prestigious 2010 Outstanding Achievement Award. St. Luke’s is the only hospital in Pennsylvania to receive the award in 2010, and it is the first and only hospital in the state to earn the honor in three consecutive, three-year survey cycles.

Furthermore, the recognition is given only to cancer programs earning a “commendation rating” in all eight chapters of the Commission’s book of standards. Programs meeting the standards receive accreditation.

Programs exceeding the standards, as St. Luke’s has done, earn the commendation rating.

“It’s like the professor giving you an A-plus,” says Kathleen A. Hedges, CTR, cancer registry coordinator.

Lee B. Riley, MD, PhD, medical director of oncology services, says, “The first time we got the award was amazing. You must be good at everything. To win it the third time is very rare. This is a national standard, the top award by the biggest agency. It means much more than a slogan on a billboard. This is a testament to our physicians in all of the disciplines, to the nursing staff and to our administrative support, and it recognizes how well we manage data. It’s a pretty big deal,” Dr. Riley adds.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is the highest honor available to U.S. cancer programs.

The Commission sends an on-site surveyor to each hospital or program. In St. Luke’s case, the surveyor was a surgeon, who reviewed the cancer program’s reports and data.

By way of illustrating what the program achieved, Kathleen pointed to the Commission’s cancer research standard. The standard is for 2 percent of cases to be placed in clinical trials. The commendation level is 4 percent, but St. Luke’s sent 4.6 percent of its cases into research trials.

In the area of prevention and early detection studies, the standard is to offer two community education programs per year. St. Luke’s does many more.

Data follow-up is another area the Commission bases performance ratings. It requires 90 percent of cases to be tracked after one year to see whether the patients are surviving, are cancer-free or still ill. St. Luke’s exceeded that rate, Kathleen says.

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Endoscopic procedure is a first for Pennsylvania, speeds patient recoveries A new surgical device and procedure that has the potential to improve patients’ outcomes, reduce recovery times and lower the cost of treatment is now available at St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network, thanks to special training received by surgeon Maher El Chaar, MD, a bariatric surgeon. St. Luke’s is the first and only hospital in Pennsylvania to offer the procedure. The procedure is called NOTES, which stands for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Maher El Chaar and Dr. Leonardo Claros recently at the Allentown Campus. The patient, a Zionsville woman, has had a series of complications and surgeries performed following her gastric bypass many years ago. Dr. El Chaar said another abdominal surgery would have been very dangerous and extremely difficult for the patient. However, the endoscopic tool allowed him to go through the mouth and into the stomach, where he was able to use the tool

to repair the patient’s problem by placing sutures. Dr. El Chaar says, “Basically, I did the same repair I would have done by cutting into the abdomen... I just did it from inside the stomach without placing any incisions or scars on the abdomen.”

Use of the endoscopic suturing device is tightly restricted by the manufacturer. Dr. El Chaar went to Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston to receive training in this procedure. “This is a new technology, so you must be specially trained in using it,” he says.

Dr. El Chaar says a patient, like the woman he operated on, typically would be facing 30 days in the hospital. Most of that time would be spent in the ICU after conventional abdominal surgery because of her extensive and complicated past surgical history. Instead, she went home the next day. She was not in pain and was grateful to have avoided scarring and potential infection from a more involved

To watch a video on Endoscopic Flexible Surgery, please visit http://youtu.be/3NHrqK2w_pY. Get the free mobile app at http://gettag.mobi

procedure. The patient returned to the doctor’s office two days after her procedure for a regular check-up, at which time she was very satisfied and happy with the results. The patient said returning immediately after surgery to her family and work was extremely important to her. This procedure allowed her to that.

Fewer than 10 percent of bariatric surgery patients need revisions after their initial surgery because of complications or weight regain.

The woman from Zionsville had a gastro-gastric fistula that had caused an ulcer. The ulcer was causing a great deal of pain. The ulcer could not heal as long as the fistula remained. Now, this patient’s fistula has been corrected. “In addition to correcting problems like the one our patient had, this device can be used to address weight regain following gastric bypass surgery in certain patients,” said Dr. El Chaar.

St. Luke’s 2011 employee Bake Off Winners Cookies/Bars • Winner #8: Baklava by Lorraine Kossis, Radiology • Honorable Mention #1: Walnut Crescent Cookies

by Maria Myers, Dietary/Kitchen • Press Choice #2: Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

by Michele Foley, Acute Rehab Center

Cakes • Winner #11: Banana Split Cake

by Eva Seifert, PPHP5 • Honorable Mention #13: Carrot Cake

by Dorothy Smith, Lab • Press Choice #14: Blueberry Sour Cream Cake by Regina Borso, P8

Candy • Winner #1: Flan by Aleida Santiago, Dietary • Honorable Mention #2: Lollipops

by Stephanie Mohler, Outpatient Rehab • Press Choice #3: Buckeyes by Jamie Oravec, Cancer Care Associates

People’s Choice Award Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Butter Cream and Ganache Glaze by Andrea Greene, Purchasing

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Laboratory Medical Technologist Dorothy Smith shows off her carrot cake, which was awarded an honorable mention in the cake category.

A celebrity judging committee consisting of Brian Tallarico of Tallarico’s Chocolates; Dave Rank, owner of Starters Riverport; Andi Stevenson, Nutrition Services Operations Manager; Dana Grubb, Bethlehem Press Photographer; Jan Concilio, AVP Patient Care Services; Starters Riverport Chef Matt Weaver; and Katelyn O’Connell, Bakery Manager from Wegmans Bakery enjoyed the tastes of several delicious baking entries in the recent Employee Bake Off. More than $350 was raised for a local food bank!

May 2011

8,000 mile bike ride shows gratitude for how St. Luke’s Hospice helps families In 2006, Tara Mullin Wright was being cared for by St. Luke’s Hospice, a program of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s.

Tara, 49, was suffering from brain cancer. She received the compassionate care the hospice staff is known for, but her family remembers, just as gratefully, how hospice cared for them.

I learned some amazing facts recently about the St. Luke’s Bariatrics Program at St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus: Since the program began in January 2009, a total of 611 patients have had weight loss surgery at the Allentown Campus.

We currently do eight surgeries per week with our bariatric surgeons — Dr. Leo Claros and Dr. Maher El Chaar.

Total weight loss by the 611 patients is 39,354 pounds.

That is an astounding 20 tons!

Our program is without question the very best in the region in terms of quality outcomes, low readmissions, short length of stay (typically one day), patient satisfaction and friendly, helpful support.

I wanted to share this with all of you so you know some of the great work that is done in your hospital.

Frank Ford President St. Luke’s Allentown

T. hat is why her son, J.W. Frye, is on a continental bicycle ride, pedaling an 8,000 mile route alone, which will take him from Key West, Florida to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. J.W., 28, is stopping at hospices across the country to fund-raise and raise awareness of hospice care. But it was the care given by St. Luke’s Hospice five years ago that set the ”Let Me Go, One Bike, One Cause” charity bike ride in motion. .St. Luke’s Hospice organized the “Let Me Go” ride on April 2 J.W. prepares to lead his at the Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park in Trexlertown to fellow cyclists. coincide with J.W.’s stop here. About 150 cyclists rode 11, 25 or 62 miles in support of J.W. and St. Luke’s Hospice and, about 20 children participated in the Ryan’s Tree Ride for Kids. J.W. rode along and mixed with riders and volunteers throughout the day. It was an emotional event for everyone. J.W. expressed his gratitude for St. Luke’s Hospice and its volunteers, and the riders and supporters got to meet a young man who has undertaken a momentous challenge for a cause that is close to his heart. . eith Boroch, president of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s, says J.W. and his family K remind him of the value of a not-for-profit hospice. He says, “J.W. shows that hospice isn’t about death, it’s about life.” Keith continues, “After the funeral, when the house is quiet, we’re still there.” J.W. describes himself as a volunteer for hospice. Keith says volunteers are very important to hospice and many are family of former patients. “When a volunteer visits, the family knows, ‘She’s walked in my shoes,’ “ Keith adds. . hen J.W.’s mother became ill, she was living in Indiana. She and J.W.’s father, Victor Frye, had W divorced 10 years earlier and had not been in touch. She wanted to visit here, and J.W.’s stepmother, Valerie Frye, insisted that Tara stay in their home. For four months Valerie was Tara’s primary caregiver. “The Hospice healed the wounds of the divorce,” J.W. recalls. “Our family came back to life. We formed new bonds with the tools hospice gave us,” he passionately describes.

What hospice gave the family came into new focus about nine months ago, when J.W.’s father, Victor, died. J.W. decided to step up and care for his younger stepbrother, just as he saw his stepmother do in 2006, and he rededicated himself to the ride. . atch for updates on J.W’s ride in upcoming issues of Network Pulse. You also can follow W J.W.’s trip online at onebikeonecause.org. And, you can show support by liking “One Bike One Cause” on Facebook and following J.W. on Twitter. He also is posting updates on the website of Bicycling Magazine at bicycling.com/blogs/inthebikelane.

Keith Boroch, president of the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Luke’s gets ready to ride.

May 2011

Cyclists make the first turn at Fitness Park in Trexlertown.

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Chief Academic Officer Led Creation of New School of Medicine Dr. Joel C. Rosenfeld, MD, MEd, chief academic officer for St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network, has a good reason to remember the last week of December, 2005. Taking advantage of some downtime in that holiday season, he sent an email to Richard A. Anderson, the Network’s President and CEO, that contained a bold idea: St. Luke’s should consider starting a medical school.

Dr. Rosenfeld knew that the United States was facing a shortage of physicians, and he believed that expanded medical school classes and new medical schools were key to meeting those needs. Practically speaking, he also knew that the most feasible way for St. Luke’s to create a medical school was to find a partner. Based upon a relationship spanning 40 years, the obvious choice would be Temple University School of Medicine.

Anderson encouraged Dr. Rosenfeld to investigate this opportunity and the result was unveiled on Oct. 7, 2009. That was when Dr. Rosenfeld and other leaders from St. Luke’s and Temple University School of Medicine announced the creation of a new medical school program, to be known as The Regional Medical School of Temple University/St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network.

The new medical school now is within months of becoming a reality. Renovations of two floors of the Estes Building at the Bethlehem campus are well under way and should be completed by May. There will be new classrooms, study areas and a simulation lab where students will work with high-tech manikins. There will also be six exam rooms with adjacent observation areas, connected by one-way windows, for professors to observe the students interacting with standardized patients (actors). As of late March, students were being interviewed and faculty was being recruited. In addition, scholarship funds are being raised, Dr. Rosenfeld says.

(Please see article on page 5) The new medical school is the latest effort in medical education to which Dr. Rosenfeld has offered leadership. A vascular surgeon and a member of the St. Luke’s team since 1987, he says he discovered years ago that “Education is my passion.” Looking at his past accomplishments in education, the new medical school is a logical progression.

“Remember, the Latin root for the word ‘doctor’ means ‘teacher,’ ” he said.

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Before he came to St. Luke’s, Dr. Rosenfeld served as director of surgical education at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. His involvement in teaching surgery and in clinical practice at several institutions dates to 1979 and continues today. He also holds the title of associate dean and professor of surgery at Temple University Medical School.

As for building the education program at St. Luke’s, he served as the initial program director for the general surgery residency, which he developed in 1995. Then, starting in 1996, he served on St. Luke’s Trauma Center Steering Committee, and today St. Luke’s is an adult Level I trauma center. Starting in 2000, he served as chair of the Robotics and Simulation Committee, whose work led to acquisition and use of the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System for minimally invasive procedures.

Dr. Rosenfeld’s responsibilities as chief academic officer range from medical school to residency programs to continuing education for physicians and allied professional educational programs, such as physician assistants and technologists. He says that inherent in his love of education is an approach that is forwardlooking. For instance, when St. Luke’s began its Temple Clinical Campus program (for third, and fourth-year students) in 2006, it also developed with Temple an Early Assurance Program for qualified pre-med students at Lehigh University and Muhlenberg and Moravian colleges. The Early Assurance

Program will continue with the new medical school program.

Dr. Rosenfeld continues to practice as a vascular surgeon with Progressive Physician Associates and St. Luke’s Vascular Center.

Away from work, Dr. Rosenfeld summarizes his interests with one word: baseball. A native Philadelphian, he is a lifelong Phillies fan, and he shares his love of the game with his family.

Each year, the entire family attends many Phillies games, starting with a trip to Florida in March to see a few spring training games.

Did you hear?

From patients at St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital: “ Been a patient before — this time was even better!” “ The surgeon was very polite and considerate to my mother and myself. He kept me informed of my mother’s progress and listened to my concerns about my mother’s need for a pacemaker. These are doctors who really care!”

May 2011

Foundation’s $1 million gift will support medical school scholarships

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Efforts to provide financial aid to students at the new Regional Medical School of Temple University/St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network took a big step forward in March when the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation awarded $1 million to establish an endowed scholarship at the new facility.

Joel Rosenfeld, MD, chief academic officer for the Network and professor of surgery and senior associate dean for Temple University School of Medicine, said, “We are so thankful for this generous gift, knowing it will have a tremendous impact on St. Luke’s ability to provide scholarship assistance to deserving young people.”

Patrick J. Bower, the Network’s vice president for development, said, “We are so delighted that people are willing to join us in supporting this endeavor. The medical school will benefit the entire Lehigh Valley region by training excellent new doctors to help meet a looming shortage of physicians.”

Most future doctors leave medical school owing $175,000, and many also owe $50,000 to $100,000 for their undergraduate degrees. Dr. Rosenfeld says scholarship support like that provided by the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation will help talented individuals to bear the high costs of a medical education. “This gift will certainly make a difference for academically gifted students with financial need,” Dr. Rosenfeld says.

Temple/St. Luke’s Medical Student Andrew Goodbred chats with students about sexual abuse issues during a recent Health Fair at Liberty High School.

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Pennsylvania already is experiencing physician shortages in family medicine, general surgery, gastroenterology and ear, nose and throat specialties. Meanwhile, the Lehigh Valley region is one of Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing areas. Population here is projected to increase 22 percent by 2030, and 37 percent of that population will be older residents. According to the U.S. Census, Pennsylvania is the second-oldest state, with 16 percent of its people age 65 or older. The aging “baby boomer” generation will put a tremendous strain on an already taxed health care system.

Patrick adds, “We want people who are inclined to support scholarships to understand that the need to train new doctors is only going to grow as these demographic trends play out in the Lehigh Valley.”

The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, based in Harrisburg, was established in 1966 by and Mr. and Mrs. Stabler to support a wide range of non-profit organizations, including colleges and hospitals. Prior to his death in 1997, Mr. Stabler, served as the founder, president and CEO of the Stabler Companies, a diversified group of companies involved in transportation related products and real estate development.

Temple/St. Luke’s Medical Student Andrew Ward talks to a Liberty class about smoking.

Did you hear?

From patients at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital: “ I have never been treated better at any other care facility.” “ The food was very good.

I don’t know how they do it!” “ The nurses really did a great job.

The team really made me a priority, and they were quick and efficient. I had a very caring staff.”

Taemin Hwang (left) does a rotation in the Emergency Department. On the right, Tamara Jette works her surgery rotation in the Surgical Clinic.

May 2011

“ I was cared for immediately in the Emergency Room, and the reasons for every procedure were explained.”

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A Day in the Life of... NORMA ROBERTS Manager, Physician Contracts/Administration • St. Luke’s Physician Group Norma Roberts of Hellertown, a manager with St. Luke’s Physician Group, is marking her 30th year with St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network this year, and she considers herself fortunate to have a job that presents different challenges each day where she is surrounded by collegial, friendly and hard-working people. Norma says, “That’s my favorite part — working with all the Network people.” She adds, “I love getting involved, taking the initiative and having very diverse responsibilities. I wouldn’t want to have to do the same thing every day.”

Dean Evans, president of St. Luke’s Physician Group (SLPG), and John Haney, its chief operating officer, agree that it’s good to have a person like Norma at a time when the group is growing at a fast pace. With about 80 physician offices comprising about 300 providers — six new groups were added just this year — Norma’s role in helping to manage an expanding part of Network business is important. (She doesn’t completely agree: “EVERYONE here is important,” she says.)

payroll and handling closings for practice acquisitions. When providers need assistance with immigration procedures, Norma helps with that, too. An additional challenge on the horizon will be working on the paperwork for the recruitment of physicians when the new Riverside Hospital opens as the end of the year.

The growth of SLPG keeps the staff of 12 people busy, but one of the things Norma likes about the office is that they get so much done but still are able to be friendly and enjoy being with each other. “It’s also a good atmosphere because the president and chief operating officer involve everyone — nobody feels left out,” she says. Norma is particularly thankful for Billie Markovich and Michele Zenz, coworkers who help to keep her grounded and make her job easier.

While each day is different, Norma likes to arrive at her office on the second floor of the Third & Polk Street building early, usually by 7:30 am. She gets a lot done before her phone starts ringing.

Norma has seen a lot of changes in her years with the Network. When she started, the organization was much smaller — “really like a family,” Norma says. She started working fulltime splitting her responsibilities in human resources and the former public relations department. Next, she spent 13 years in Risk Management, an assignment she enjoyed a great deal. “I liked sitting in on trials and I even thought I might have liked to be a paralegal.” In addition to her Risk Management duties, she was also with SLPG since its inception in 1989.

A good part of her day is devoted to working with physician contracts and amendments, overseeing the continuing education program,

The other end of Norma’s early start to her work day is getting home in time to pick up daughter Taylor, 11, from day care. She and

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Dr. Merola reads to students at Donegan Elementary School.

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her husband, Terry, have been married for 29 years and they also have a son, Kyle, who is 25. Terry owns Advanced Optics, an eye-care service on Hellertown’s Main Street. Four dogs round out the household.

Away from work, Norma enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and traveling, especially to the family’s beach getaway in Ocean City, Md.

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Administrative Rounding: Kevin McGovern meets with the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Trial Department located at the St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center.

May 2011

Regional Center for Blood Management seeks better outcomes, reduced costs St. Luke’s Regional Center for Blood Management is a program that seeks to reduce the use of blood transfusions and blood components. The endeavor, which began as a pilot project in 2008, officially launched in May 2009. It is the only regional blood management program in the Lehigh Valley area, and one of its goals is to develop improved protocols for the use of blood products in both inpatient and outpatient cases.

According to Kathy Ramson, director of patient care services at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus, the blood management program seeks to educate staff, patients and the community about eliminating or reducing the need for donated blood; make better use of a limited resource, namely the supply of donated blood; and improve patient satisfaction by promoting shorter hospital stays and improved outcomes. And, it saves costs. The program has a goal of $300,000 in annual savings, and Kathy says the blood management team is on target to exceed that amount.

St. Luke’s leadership and innovation in blood management have been recognized by the Joint Commission on Accreditation, the national agency that accredits and sets standards for all U.S. hospitals. The Joint Commission is developing new bloodmanagement performance standards and St. Luke’s was one of about 50 hospitals nationwide selected to be a test site.

The outpatient component of the program looks at people (outside of emergency cases) scheduled for surgery, joint replacement and elective open-heart surgery. Candidates are assessed for hemoglobin and iron counts and whether there are any other bleeding issues. A decision is made as to whether the patient needs a hematology consultation and blood-management team members then follow-through in the recovery room, postsurgery, to see if there are any further needs.

The program also works with patients who are members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose faith instructs them not to accept blood transfusions. Kathy says, “We discuss with

May 2011

(L-R): Kristy David, RN, Allentown Coordinator, Regional Center for Blood Management; Claudia Kupec, RN, BSN, Coordinator, Regional Center for Blood Management; Yacoub Faroun, MD, Oncology Services and hemotology leader for the Center for Blood Management, and Kathy Ramson, RN, MSN, NE-BC, director, critical care services.

them whether there are other treatments (such as partial blood products) that they might accept.” Members of the Witnesses are given identifying bracelets so all staff members can recognize them and respect their beliefs.

The program also is working to reduce the number of patients who donate their own blood prior to scheduled surgery. That practice has been greatly cut back, she says.

The program is in place at the Bethlehem and Allentown campuses, and plans call for it to be expanded to the Quakertown and Miners campuses and at least some of the physician group practices. Claudia Kupec, RN, serves as the program coordinator in Bethlehem and Kristy David is the program coordinator in Allentown. Kathy serves as the administrator. James Cipolla, MD, a trauma physician, is the medical director of the Regional Blood Management Program and Yacoub Faroun, MD, is the hematology leader.

There also is an advisory council of about 40 people who represent all Network departments.

Did you hear?

From patients at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus: “ The staff made a bad situation a lot easier to handle. I was a “guest” for 5 days and was treated exceptionally the entire time.” “ The St. Luke’s ER process is about the patient, not the paperwork.” “ The obvious quality of the nursing staff put me at ease, during what could have been a scary, stressful, time.”

“I live one mile from a different hospital but chose St. Luke’s because of past experiences and confidence in its staff.” “ I couldn’t be more pleased with the staff, services and care.”

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Quakertown land purchase is for long-term service to Upper Bucks region Meeting the health care needs of people in Upper Bucks County and the Upper Perkiomen area is the long-term goal behind the decision by St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network in January to purchase 30 acres near the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Quakertown interchange.

The land is at Portzer Road and Route 663 in Milford Township, about a half mile west of Route 309. The Route 663 corridor has been developing at a rapid pace, and, as Ed Nawrocki, president of St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital says, “Land is a finite resource.”

Trustees at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital decided on the purchase after a two-year assessment of space needs at the existing hospital on Park Avenue in the borough, and growth in the region. According to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital was the fastest growing hospital in a seven-county region for two years in a row, and was the fourth-fastest growing hospital in all of Pennsylvania in 2009.

St. Luke’s land purchase in Quakertown, facing west with Route 663 to the left.

Actually, the Network already has invested $17 million in new outpatient facilities: the St. Luke’s Bone & Joint Institute near the hospital in Quakertown, and the St. Luke’s Upper Perkiomen Outpatient Center at Route 663 and Geryville Pike in Pennsburg. However, the six acre site on which St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital sits is landlocked. “A new central location would create convenient and easy access to health care services for residents in the community,” Ed says.

The Network bought the new tract from LifeQuest, the same organization from which it purchased Quakertown Community Hospital in 1995. The original building was constructed in 1930, and St. Luke’s has invested more than $60 million in improvements and modernization there.

Regarding the eventual use of the new land, Ed adds, “We are very excited by the possibilities and the impact on the region.”

Meet the staff of Broadheadsville Family Practice

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Broadheadsville Family Practice physicians (L-R): William Martucci, MD, Donald Hiemenez, MD and Ranvir Sandhu, MD.

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Broadheadsville Family Practice staff include (front row, L-R): Doris Hartley and Gwendolyn Weiss. (Back row, L-R) Donna Snyder, Robin Snyder and Linda Corbo.

May 2011

New President is Proud and Eager to Lead Opening of Riverside Hospital Edward “Ed” Nawrocki has been appointed as the first president of the new St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital. For the past seven years, he has served as president of St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital and he has been with the Network since 1999. The announcement is the latest development as preparations continue toward opening the new hospital later this year. Ed says, “It’s an honor and a privilege, and an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

The Riverside Hospital will be Pennsylvania’s first new acute-care hospital since the 1960s that is not a replacement for an existing hospital. Plans call for an opening in mid-December.

In addition to the naming of the Riverside president, two other key appointments have been made. Darla Frack, RN, BSN, has been appointed vice president of patient care services. Rebecca Pequeno, MD, has been appointed medical director of emergency medicine.

Ed Nawrocki will continue to serve as president of St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital as he assumes his new responsibilities at St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital. He has served as president of St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital since 2004, a tenure that has seen St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital become the fastestgrowing hospital in a seven-county region and the fourth-fastest growing in all of Pennsylvania. Key accomplishments there include the opening of St. Luke’s Bone & Joint Institute in Quakertown, the Upper Perkiomen Outpatient Center in Pennsburg and the purchase of 30-acres in Milford Township for future needs.

In announcing Ed’s appointment at St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital, Network President and CEO Rick Anderson said, “Ed’s experience will serve him well as he assumes responsibility for our new St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital. It has been 50 years since a new acute-care hospital was opened in Pennsylvania. There is no guidebook, no blueprint... we are fortunate to have someone of Ed’s exceptional skills to lead us on this exciting historic journey.”

May 2011

Ed Nawrocki, president, St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital

“We are fortunate to have someone of Ed’s exceptional skills to lead us on this exciting historic journey.”

— Network President and CEO Rick Anderson Rick added, “St. Luke’s Riverside Hospital will provide the region, especially Northampton and Monroe counties, with an exceptional health care experience. We are confident Ed is fully prepared to lead this journey, which will require unwavering leadership and a heartfelt commitment to excellence.”

He also has served as interim president of St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital.

Ed comments, “I think that creating a team at the new hospital is the greatest opportunity.

This brand new building is so well designed.

It is built to be patient-friendly and to provide good service to consumers.”

Darla Frack has served as patient care manager of the PPHP8 for four years. In that capacity, she has been credited with fostering a “comfortable and collaborative” work environment and has consistently improved employee and patient satisfaction scores. She also has served as the interim manager for two additional nursing units until positions in them were filled. She will transition to her new role at Riverside in the coming months.

Ed came to the Network in 1999 from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, where he served as director of network development. Before moving to Quakertown, he served as vice president of operations in Bethlehem. His other responsibilities have included overseeing several departments in Bethlehem and for the Network, including radiology, laboratory, geriatrics, psychiatry, St. Luke’s Emergency & Transport Service, Women’s and Children’s Services, Cancer Service Line, diagnostic cardiology, respirator, St. Luke’s North, clinics, outpatient rehabilitation, dialysis and Occumed.

Dr. Rebecca Pequeno is a Bethlehem native — in fact, she was born at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus. As a teen, she earned EMT certification at Northampton Community College and volunteered with the Bethlehem Township Fire Company. She earned her undergraduate degree at Juniata College and her medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine. She then performed her residency in emergency medicine at St. Luke’s and served as chief resident. She has been a physician in the Bethlehem emergency department for the last three years.

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New practices build strength of St. Luke’s Physician Group Six new physician practices have joined the Network or merged with other practices within St. Luke’s Physician Group. Since last year, about 80 doctors offices have joined the Network to serve more people in the Lehigh Valley. The new practices range in location from southwestern Lehigh County to northern Northampton County and include a mix of primary care and specialist physicians.

John Haney, Chief Operating Officer for St. Luke’s Physician Group, says there are two reasons for SLPG’s continuing expansion. “We want to broaden our reach in the community, to raise our availability to patients,” he says. “And, we want patients and families to build long-term relationships with St. Luke’s.”

New SLPG Practices St. Luke’s Macungie Medical Group, 3760 Brookside Road, Macungie, joined SLPG on Jan. 1, 2011. The practice formerly was known as Macungie Medical Group and was founded in 1973. It moved to its current location in 2002 and expanded the office in 2009. The practice physicians include Hal Bendit, DO; William Liaw, DO; Michael O’Connor, DO; Jill Bortz, DO; Eric Cochrane, DO and Todd Zoltack, PA-C. In addition, the office has specialists seeing patients at the practice location: For cardiology, St. Luke’s Cardiology Associates, and for podiatry, Robert Diamond, DPM. Dean Evans, president, St. Luke’s Physician Group

The total includes community and hospital-based specialty practices that are more concentrated in and around Network facilities. With more than 1,000 employees, SLPG represents the third- largest network entity. John says the number of SLPG practices has doubled since 2007 and they include about 38 primary care practices John Haney, chief operating officer, throughout a seven-county area.

St. Luke’s Physician Group

Dean Evans, president of SLPG, says the practices are important to the overall strength of St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network. He estimates that two-thirds of all Network activity comes from SLPG practices. “SLPG primary care represents grass roots market share, and the majority of those patients will utilize other St. Luke’s specialists and services.”

As Dean explains it, public policy and the economics of modern American health care contribute to the reasons that doctors want to be part of the Network. He says, “The combination of increasing administrative complexity, stagnant payment rates, rising support service costs and Pennsylvania’s medical malpractice situation has created a very difficult environment for physicians.” This renders the ease and stability of practice within a larger organization very attractive. “Then there are younger doctors who have very large education debt who welcome the steady income of being employed,” he adds.

Primary care doctors, too, find that overhead costs of operating a practice can be prohibitive. Spreading those costs across a larger organization makes sense to them, Dean says. The most frequent reason cited by physicians for wanting to join SLPG is that, “They

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Respected medical oncologists Drs. Subhash Proothi, Neil Belman and Yacoub Faroun, formerly of oncology hematology — Lehigh Valley, have joined Drs. Sanjiv Agarwala and Hikaru Nakajima at St. Luke’s Cancer Care Associates – Medical Oncology. The new team also includes Michelle Peartree, PA-C, Rita Holden, CRNP, and Susan Gorman, CRNP. The practice has five locations in Allentown, Bethlehem, Quakertown, Coaldale and East Stroudsburg.

St. Luke’s Walbert Avenue Medical Center, located at 2428 Walbert Ave. in Allentown, is operated by Gregory S. Todd, DO; Leo W. Todd, DO; and Frank P. Matrone, DO. St. Luke’s Family Practice – Nazareth features the services of Dr. Catherine Schrei Broadt, DO, and Dr. Christopher M. Pogodzinski, MD. The practice is located at 25 South Broad Street, Suite 104, in Nazareth. It is a family practice that features procedures such as lesion removal, suturing, osteopathic manipulations, pediatric and well adult immunizations, and treats patients of all ages.

St. Luke’s Internal Medicine – Bath joined the SLPG at the end of 2010. It features the services of Dr. Linda K. Blose, MD and Dr. Jane K. Garnjost, DO. The practice is located at 6649 Chrisphalt Drive, Suite 102, Bath. Among the services it offers are well adult employment physicals, immunizations, and pre-op clearances.

St. Luke’s Bethlehem Internal Medicine features the services of Jay B. Berger, MD. It is located at 77 W. Broad St., Unit 14-1.

The office accepts patients age 14 and older. just want to return to seeing patients and want someone else to handle the business end of the practice.”

John adds that at a time of shrinking reimbursements from government health care programs, doctors want help with the costs of paying staff and the transition to electronic health records, among other day-today expenses.

Another trend that is becoming evident as SLPG expands is a deepening shortage of doctors. As a result, it is expected that the practices will increase the utilization of more physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the future.

May 2011

Cryo-ablation is a promising new tool to treat atrial fibrillation The Electrophysiology Program at St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network is employing a new technique for atrial fibrillation that Darren M. Traub, DO, says is “a promising new technology” to help patients. St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus is the first hospital in the Lehigh Valley region to offer cryoballoon ablation for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is the condition of irregular and rapid contractions in the atria, or upper chambers of the heart. Some patients with atrial fibrillation are asymptomatic, while others have fatigue, palpitations and shortness of breath. For many patients, atrial fibrillation can be a debilitating disease The traditional way of catheter ablation for treating atrial fibrillation, Dr. Traub explains, is with radio-frequency energy, delivered by a catheter to electrically isolate the pulmonary veins from the left atrium. Radio-frequency ablation uses heat to disable unwanted electrical impulses in the pulmonary veins that cause atrial fibrillation.

By contrast, the cryoballoon uses refrigerant inside the balloon to freeze the vein tissue.

“Instead of cauterizing, we’re freezing,” Dr. Traub says. Contact with the refrigerant draws heat out of the vein tissue, causing scarring and ending its ability to conduct electrical impulses. More importantly, Dr. Traub says, the balloon is inflated with liquid nitrous oxide to fill the inside of the vein, potentially enabling him to treat, or isolate, the entire vein at once. With radiofrequency ablation, doctors make a series

Dr. Traub (left) and Dr. Hummel perform a procedure in the EP lab.

of smaller lesions, requiring them to keep moving the head of the catheter.

compared to 7 percent of patients remaining symptom-free after receiving drug therapy.

Dr. Traub says the cryoballoon procedure is indicated for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal (which comes and goes on its own) atrial fibrillation who have not responded to treatment with suggested medicine. The procedure involves making a small incision in a patient’s groin area and threading the catheter through veins to the left atrium, where it connects to the pulmonary veins.

Dr. Traub says the ablation success rates are similar with cryo-ablation and radio-frequency ablation. The inherent differences in the energy source make the nature of the procedure and potential risks a bit different. He believes this is a promising technology, which may prove quite beneficial to patients in the long run.

The cryoballoon is made by Medtronic Inc. A 2010 study called STOP-AF, for Sustained Treatment of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, looked at the cases of 245 patients treated with the cryoballoon procedure. The lead research done at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that 70 percent of the patients were free of atrial fibrillation symptoms after one year,

You Won! Now It’s Time to Shop!

To encourage you, the readers of Network Pulse, to sign up for the e-zine version of the newsletter, we entered the first 100 employees who registered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card for The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

To date, at total of 906 employees have registered for the e-zine. In order to help reduce costs and improve our carbon footprint, St. Luke’s has printed only a short run of Network Pulse newsletters which will be distributed to central Network locations. No newsletters were mailed to employee homes. In order to continue enjoying Network Pulse, please register to receive the e-zine version, which will allow you to read it online or print and take with you. You can do both at www.pulsenews.org.

May 2011

He adds that having the cryo-ablation machine at St. Luke’s allows us to ablate many arrhythmias besides atrial fibrillation in patients as young as 14 years old that would not be amenable to catheter ablation with standard radiofrequency catheters.

Dr. Traub and James P. Hummel, MD, the cardiac electrophysiologists at St. Luke’s, strive to offer patients the forefront of ablation technology.

The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley Gift Card Winners: Kathy Nase

Edith Quiteles

Cindy Hercik

Mary McCafferty

Sherri Heffelfinger

Anita Rohrbach

Jennifer Giering

Cynthia Kashlak

Sherrilee Intrepido

James Owens

Congrats! Your gift cards will be sent to you through interoffice mail.

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Network Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #275 Bethlehem, PA

801 Ostrum St. • Bethlehem, PA 18015 Our Vision: St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network will forever change the perception that health care is difficult to access by making it EASY for patients, physicians and staff to use our services.

St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network will perform in the top decile for each diagnosis in national pay-for-performance programs.

Our Values: • Pride We take pride in our accomplishments and our organization.

• Caring We show consideration for others and their feelings, and treat others as we want to be treated.

• Respect We recognize the value, diversity and importance of each other, those we serve and the organization.

• Accountability We are responsible to make decisions and solve problems in a timely and effective manner.

• Flexibility We adapt to changing needs and the expectations of those we serve.

• Teamwork We work together to improve quality.

Radiation therapist is honored as “Emerging Leader” The Hal Dolenga Emerging Leader Award for 2010 was presented in January to Ashli Rusmisel, BS, RT, a radiation therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network in Bethlehem.

The annual award is presented by the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executive Network in conjunction with DeSales University, Center Valley. It is named in honor of Hal Dolenga, who was instrumental in creating the MBA program at DeSales in 1990.

Ashli, a radiologic technologist and radiation therapist, is a graduate of the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where she earned a B.S. in radiologic science. She earned her certification in Radiation Therapy from Ohio State University. Ashli is now pursuing her MBA at DeSales University.

Ashli was chosen for the award in recognition of her scholastic achievements and for her contribution to the field of health care administration.

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.

Theresa Koller (right), president of the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executive Network, presents the 2010 Hal Dolenga Emerging Leader Award to Ashli Rusmisel, a radiation therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus.