Health in General Spring 2015

A PUBLICATION OF LAFAYETTE GENERAL HEALTH

SPRING 2015

Lifesaving Tips About Stroke ADVANCES IN WOUND CARE

NO PLACE LIKE A “MEDICAL” HOME

INTEGRATIVE M.D.’S MEDICAL DETECTIVES

A Non-Profit, Community-Owned Health System

HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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Urgent Care Center at River Ranch

Urgent Care Center at Sugar Mill Pond

(THEpulse) NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Detection Now at LGMC

LAFAYETTE GENERAL OFFERS

Certified Urgent Care Centers

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t seems walk-in medical clinics are on every block these days. But, if you’re not sure where to go, there is a trusted name in Acadiana offering this important service – Lafayette General Urgent Care Centers.

Urgent care centers treat, without an appointment, illnesses and injuries that are time sensitive but non-life threatening and do not require emergency care.

These ailments include aches, sprains, cuts, burns, infections or fractures, etc.

More than 9,000 of these clinics operate across America. This makes it difficult for consumers to know which centers offer the highest standards of care when they cannot wait for a scheduled appointment with their regular physician.

To help identify the most qualified centers, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAA) established Certified Urgent Care to identify facilities whose operating model is consistent with consumer expectations of quality urgent care. The certification is divided into two categories, Category 1 and Category 2, to distinguish the availability of a licensed physician at a clinic. Category 1 means there is a licensed physician on-site at all hours of operation.

Lafayette General Urgent Care Centers – at River Ranch in Lafayette, Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville and coming soon to Carencro – are Category 1 centers that provide walk-in, extended-hours treatment. These

clinics are always staffed with a physician, unlike many walk-in clinics that only staff a nurse practitioner on site.

“Being certified in Category 1 means we have a physician at each location at all times, and that separates us from most other walk-in clinics,” explains Stacy Mistric, Physician Service Leader for Lafayette General’s LGMD Physician Group.

Lafayette General Urgent Care Centers earned certification by meeting UCAA criteria, which includes services like accepting patients with no appointment; providing X-ray and lab services on site; being able to administer IV, perform minor procedures (stitches, incisions, drainage and cyst removal) and offer oxygen and an automatic defibrillator, among many other criteria.

Mistric says Urgent Care patients can expect the same culture of patient-centered care offered at any Lafayette General Health facility. “We also share medical records, so if you’ve been treated recently at Lafayette General Medical Center, your record will already be here and current. If you go to LGMC after coming to us, doctors will be able to see what you had done at our clinic,” adds Mistric.

Lafayette General Urgent Care Centers offer convenient evening and weekend hours. The Urgent Care Centers are only closed four days a year – Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and Easter. They are open every other day of the year.

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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HEALTH IN GENERAL

The same 3D mammography mentioned among The Top 20 Cancer Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report is now available at LGMC. The Selenia Dimensions mammography machine, by Holigic Corp., has been installed at the hospital, with radiology staff trained to put it to use.

A Selenia Dimensions mammography produces an exceptionally sharp 3D image, much more detailed than traditional 2D mammograms. By detecting breast cancers earlier, these mammograms help prevent unnecessary biopsies. Its high-resolution technology also detects 41% more invasive breast cancers at earlier stages than 2D mammography alone.

Telemedicine Reaches Parish Government Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open its Telemedicine Clinic on March 27. The clinic, located inside the main government building on the corner of St. Landry Street and University Avenue, is open to the approximate 2,200 employees of LCG. The clinic saw its first patient on March 16.

The LCG Telemedicine Clinic, powered by LUS Fiber, will link to physicians at Lafayette General Health’s two Urgent Care Centers and to the Family Medicine practice of Fallon McManus, M.D., a member of the LGMD Physician Group. The clinic is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Telemedicine allows a doctor to visit with a patient in a different location in real time using virtual tools, such as a digital stethoscope or otoscope, to transmit accurate and real-time readings to a physician’s office.

A Registered Nurse at the clinic aids the patient and serves as a communication liaison for the physician.

Renovations: Mother/Baby Suites Lafayette General Medical Center celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Oil Center location on April 15 by dedicating a time capsule and announcing new plans for renovations at a public ceremony.

At the ceremony, LGMC CEO Patrick W. Gandy, Jr., unveiled plans that will add 18 more beds to its existing 365 staffed beds, to include: six beds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; six beds in Labor & Delivery; and six beds in the Mother/Baby suites. These added beds are in response to tremendous growth the hospital has seen, from delivering 1,843 babies in 2013 to 2,536 babies in 2014. Families choosing to give birth at LGMC has increased 37 percent in just two years.

Another expansion will involve the hospital Chapel.

The Ladies’ Auxiliary, commonly known as “The Pink Ladies,” donated approximately $300,000 to fund this expansion. The chapel is located on the first floor of the hospital near the Gift Shop, down the same hall as the cafeteria.

SPRING 2015

A PUBLICATION OF LAFAYETTE GENERAL HEALTH PAGE 2: NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

URGENT CARE CENTERS GET CERTIFIED

PAGE 6

PAGE 4: PARTNER SPOTLIGHT PAGE 5: NEW APPROACH TO UTERINE TUMORS PAGE 6: TEACH YOUR CHILD TO SWIM PAGE 7: WOUND CARE AND HYPERBARICS EXPANDS SERVICES PAGE 8: LIFESAVING TIPS ABOUT STROKE PAGE 10: UHC OFFERS FREE BREAST SCREENINGS PAGE 11: PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOME IS HERE

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PAGE 12: INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE COMES TO LAFAYETTE PAGE 13: COOLING BLANKETS FOR NICU PAGE 14: BCBS BLUE DISTINCTION CENTER

HEALTH IN GENERAL

IS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 551 Jefferson Street Lafayette, LA 70501 phone 337.988.4607 fax 337.983.0150 MEDIA

LGH SVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

Allen Meadows LGH SYSTEM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Daryl Cetnar PUBLISHER

Odie Terry ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Drue Kennerson PRODUCTION MANAGER

Melissa Hebert

PAGE 12 PAGE 14

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Brian Bille Patrice Doucet Gus Fontenot Leslie Primeaux

HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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PARTNER SPOTL IGH T

ABBEVILLE GENERAL HOSPITAL

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or Abbeville General Hospital (AGH), the commitment to maintaining quality health care for residents of Vermilion Parish has opened opportunities for new services to the area that otherwise might not be possible.

Abbeville General was one of the independent hospitals recognizing early on that sharing clinical best practices with a larger hospital would create even better outcomes for patients. One such example: partnering with Lafayette General Medical Center in 2012 brought cancer treatment services to patients without having to travel as far.

Cancer Center of Acadiana (CCA) has a satellite location at AGH. The medical oncology clinic includes a six-chair infusion center providing intravenous infusion treatments and injections – from chemotherapy to iron deficiency management. Residents of Vermilion Parish have access to the same clinical treatments as in renowned cancer centers in Houston and throughout the country. Board-certified oncologists/hematologists, including Dr. Michael Cain and Dr. Molly Thomas, spend time working at CCA at Abbeville General.

Further collaboration between the two hospitals resulted in the joint purchase

of an established laboratory service in Abbeville two years ago. The lab provides outpatient lab services to nursing homes throughout Vermilion Parish, furthering Lafayette General Health’s (LGH) goal to better manage population health.

The clinical linkage with Lafayette General Health has also brought AGH significant discounts with large group purchases of medical supplies and services, consequently reducing costs in the delivery of care.

No doubt, partnering with LGH has had positive effects for Abbeville General, improving health outcomes and access to care for patients closer to home.

$70,500,000 Amount of charitable care provided to our community by Lafayette General Health

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HEALTH IN GENERAL

Removing

Fibroid Tumors Without Surgery

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It is estimated that 40 percent of African American women, before menopause, suffer with fibroid tumors.

any women have long referred to their gynecologic conditions discreetly as “female problems.”

But, the latest treatment to cure one condition that has plagued them for decades has stirred more open discussion about fibroid pelvic tumors.

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a new approach to treating fibroid uterine tumors, growths that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. While patients cringe at the word “tumor,” the good news is that fibroid tumors are most often noncancerous - in fact, those cases are extremely rare.

For many women, fibroid tumors cause no problems. However, it is estimated that 40 percent of African American women, before menopause, suffer with fibroid tumors.

Candidates for this newest procedure experience heavy menstrual periods, to the point of causing anemia, increased urination and the sensation of pelvic pressure. “The symptoms, the location and size of the fibroid, and a woman’s childbearing potential determine the course of treatment,” says Moises Yoselevitz, M.D., interventional radiologist at Lafayette General Medical Center. Dr. Yoselevitz has been performing the procedure since the mid ‘90’s.

There was a time when a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus, was the only “cure” for fibroid tumors. Many women still undergo the procedure today not knowing the option of UAE. Then, the myomectomy made it possible to surgically remove each individual tumor without damage to the uterus. However, fibroids will often grow back, and although it is possible to have a myomectomy repeated, multiple myomectomies can cause scar tissue to develop, which may interfere with fertility.

Uterine artery embolization leaves the uterus intact in a non-surgical procedure. During the procedure, Dr. Yoselevitz makes a small nick in the groin, placing a catheter with polyvinyl particles into the uterine artery at a point just before a network of vessels spreading out into the uterine tissue. The particles flow into the vessels and clog them. This prevents the fibroids from receiving the blood supply they require and causes them to shrink over time. Almost immediately, the symptoms of heavy bleeding and pelvic pressure are significantly reduced.

Most women go home the next day. Recovery time is also shorter than surgical options; allowing patients to return to work in one week.

Dr. Yoselevitz says UAE is often a more appealing option for patients who wish to avoid the possibility of blood transfusions for health or religious reasons. Patients with intolerance to general anesthesia might also benefit from UAE. Keep in mind that not all uterine fibroids can be treated by UAE. Patients should be evaluated with ultrasound or MRI to see if they are a candidate for the procedure. “Uterine artery embolization is becoming more popular as more women are learning about it and its success,” says Dr. Yoselevitz.

If you are experiencing chronic, painful symptoms, talk to your gynecologist about whether you’re a candidate for uterine artery embolization.

For more information on the procedure, call Dr. Moises Yoselevitz at (337) 289-7970.

HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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ParentsDontFret.net

Water Safety In The Wettest State In The Union O

SCOTT HAMILTON, M.D. Scott Hamilton, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatricians and medical advisor in Lafayette General Medical Center's dedicated pediatric treatment area within the Emergency Department. Dr. Hamilton is a Pediatric Advanced Life Support course instructor.

His blog is available at ParentsDontFret.net and through a link at LafayetteGeneral.com, where it is accessible to parents anytime, anywhere there is an Internet connection.

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HEALTH IN GENERAL

ne day, the ambulance brought in a 13-year-old who almost drowned in a local hotel pool. He was awake on arrival, but everyone had a good scare. The pool had a deep end, but no lifeguard.

The boy could not swim, the parents told us, but enjoyed bobbing in the shallow end, going to the bottom and then pushing up out of the water. This time he had bobbed and bobbed his way into the deep end until he couldn’t bob up high enough to reach the surface. The boy remembers looking up and seeing his parents helplessly looking down at him.

They could not swim either.

Eventually, a capable adult jumped in and rescued the boy.

This story illustrates several points for swimming safety. Water is fun and inviting. If you don’t know how to swim, however, water is deadly when you get in (literally) over your head. Being safe means knowing how to swim. Summer is coming and it is time to sign your kids up for swimming lessons. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have excellent swimming programs.

One of the first things a Boy Scout learns is not just how to swim, but how to swim safely. The lessons I learned at Scout Summer Camp stick with me today.

The first safety principle is to swim at a pool with a lifeguard.

Lifeguards have training to save drowning kids without endangering others. There are too many stories in the news about people who jump in to save a floundering child and end up drowning, too. It takes training and equipment to safely rescue a swimmer in trouble.

Next, swim with a buddy. If one gets in trouble, the other is there to help. It is also good sense to have someone account for you.

Lastly, have flotation devices at the pool. If someone gets in trouble, throwing them a float to hang onto is safer than offering your hand. You might get pulled into the water and taken to the bottom by a panicking victim.

There are two groups of kids that tend to drown more: toddlers in water at home and teenagers in open water, like lakes and rivers.

The best way to prevent a toddler from drowning is not to have a

pool or pond on your property.

Everyone loses track of their little one sometimes. They are natural explorers and poor listeners (they barely speak English yet!). They are going to get out and into things – the street, cleaning products, the backyard pool. If you don’t have a body of water at home to fall into, you eliminate the risk of them falling in and not being able to get back out – water doesn’t have to be over the child’s head to be deadly!

If you already have a pool or pond, the next best thing is to fence it on all sides. The fence should be toddler-proof, meaning it can’t be climbed and has a lock too high for the toddler to reach.

There should be no back door access to a pool.

Talking to your toddler about safety only helps a little, but talking to your teenager works (somewhat) better. Despite what we say about teens, they do listen, particularly when we talk directly to them about safety. It helps to talk to them earlier – at ages 10-12 – about not drinking while swimming or boating, not diving into shallow water and about swimming with buddies who are also safe and responsible. Take the eye rolling and “you’ve told me this a thousand times” in stride. Teens do this even when they are listening.

Drowning is preventable – do your part. Let them get wet this summer, but safely!

LGMC WOUND CARE

Expands Scope of Services

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dditions to Lafayette General Medical Center’s (LGMC) Wound Care and Hyperbarics Department are seeing results. New technology and advanced techniques are leading more patients and physicians to discover the benefits of Lafayette General’s specialized wound care capabilities.

The Wound Care and Hyperbarics Department treats all types of wounds, from chronic ulcers and infected sores to burns and post-operative incisions.

Since June 2014, LGMC has teamed up with Wound Care Associates (WCA), a company that utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to wound healing. WCA staffs physicians and a nurse practitioner for the department, along with leading products and technology. WCA currently has four physicians at LGMC, Drs. Rochelle Duplechin, who is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Shaun Carpenter, Roy Brabham and Leslie Greco. They offer a broad range of experience and expertise.

The doctors not only see patients in the clinic, but also see patients throughout the hospital for various issues if consulted.

“There’s so much potential for what we can do here,” explains Dr. Duplechin. “We want doctors to get us involved early in their patients’ wound care. We want the wounds or ulcers before they get out of control,” she says. Dr. Duplechin

says a multitude of patients can benefit from their department, ranging from those with diabetic foot ulcers, recent amputations, traumatic injuries and flesh-eating skin infections.

Christine Simon, Clinical Nurse Manager of the department, points out several other changes that bode well for patients and the department itself.

One improvement has been in documentation. The department now photographs all wounds and stores the photos in a secure wound analysis software program.

“We can visibly see the progress of a wound and measure it over time,” explains Simon.

Simon mentions several other pieces of technology that have the department implementing new techniques in healing, including: an ultrasonic debriding machine, which uses low frequency ultrasound energy to remove damaged tissue while sparing healthy tissue; a Bovie Unit, an electrosurgery tool, typically used in the operating room, to cut and dissect unhealthy tissue while controlling bleeding; and three different skin substitutes, using biologic tissues to assist wound closure.

Other modalities include a TCOM (transcutaneous oximetry) device, which is a screening tool

to measure oxygen concentration around a wound to gauge its potential to heal; Negative Press Wound Therapy, a vacuum or sub-atmospheric pressure device applied to the open wound to assist with closure; and a casting technique called “Total Contact Cast” which is used to heal diabetic foot ulcers by distributing weight along the entire sole of the foot.

The department also utilizes hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

A hyperbaric chamber delivers oxygen at high levels under high atmospheric pressures. This increases oxygen delivery to wounds, which helps them heal by speeding up growth of new blood vessels. Patient demand for the department’s two hyperbaric chambers has increased so much that the hospital is purchasing a third chamber. This new chamber will be more comfortable for larger patients.

“More physicians are using the hyperbaric chambers as they become aware of its benefits,” says Simon.

“We just want people in the community to know we are here, know what we have and what we can offer,” adds Dr. Duplechin.

Hyperbaric Chamber HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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C OVE R STORY

LAFAYETTE GENERAL HEALTH

HEALTH IN GENERAL

Lifesaving Tips About Stroke

Ruptured Vessel (hemorrhagic)

Blood Clot (ischemic)

It’s said that life is all about timing. If so, this saying couldn’t be truer in the case of a stroke, because the most important step is getting to the hospital as soon as possible.

According to American Stroke Association (ASA) data, approximately 87 percent of all stroke cases are ischemic, when a vessel is blocked by a blood clot. During an ischemic stroke, it’s vital that patients be evaluated and diagnosed within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms so that they are eligible to receive the powerful clot-dissolving drug “tissue plasminogen activator” (tPA). tPA works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the part of the brain deprived of blood. The faster tPA is administered, the greater the chance for recovery.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issues eight Clinical Quality Measures for stroke patients. These are tools that help measure and track the quality of health care services. Lafayette

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General Medical Center (LGMC) posted phenomenal results, nearing perfection, in fiscal year 2014. The biggest breakthrough was administering tPA within three hours of the onset of symptoms to patients who suffered an ischemic stroke.

LGMC earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for certification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

The hospital is highlighted by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association as providing next generation stroke care. This certification means Lafayette General has the ability to provide effective, timely care to stroke victims and can significantly improve outcomes.

The stroke program at Lafayette General Medical Center specializes

Blood vessels that carry blood to the brain from the heart are called arteries. The brain needs a constant supply of blood, which carries the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function.

– National Stroke Association in the comprehensive assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with stroke symptoms.

LGMC offers a team of professionals who are highly skilled and dedicated to improving the care and ultimate outcome for stroke patients. Their approach incorporates a rapid triage response and evidence-based treatments. Staff in LGMC’s Emergency Room act swiftly, following nationally developed standards of stroke care.

Joanna Oubre knows, firsthand, the importance of tPA. In 2009, Oubre was in

F AS T SPOT A STROKE

FACE

ARMS

SPEECH

TIME

NEUROSCIENCE CENTER OF ACADIANA (337) 289-8282

– Sudden numbness or weakness of the FACE, ARMS or legs – Sudden confusion, slurred SPEECH or understanding – Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes – Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination – Sudden, severe headache with no known cause – Call 9-1-1 now, TIME loss is brain loss

David Weir, M.D.

Gulf Shores, AL, on vacation when she showed symptoms of a stroke and was taken to a hospital. She says physicians there misdiagnosed her as having had a seizure and she missed the small window of opportunity to have tPA. Consequently, Joanna has permanent deficit in one arm.

When stroke patients arrive in the ER, they are rated according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). When discharged, the patient is rated again to determine any long-term effects of the stroke. A NIHSS score of 0 represents no stroke symptoms, 1-4 a minor stroke, 5-15 a moderate stroke, 16-20 a moderate to severe stroke and 21 or greater is considered severe.

Two case studies from Lafayette General in 2014 demonstrate the effectiveness of tPA when given in a timely manner. A 68-year-old man came to LGMC’s ER within one hour of his first stroke symptoms. He was admitted with an NIHSS of 23, given tPA and discharged four days later with an NIHSS of 0. Similarly, an 89-year old woman was brought to the ER less than one hour from the onset of stroke symptoms. She was admitted with an NIHSS of 22, was given tPA and

discharged three days later with an NIHSS of 1.

An Easy Way of Remembering the Signs of a Stroke are F.A.S.T.: - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is numb?

- Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?

- Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred; are you unable to speak or are you hard to understand?

- TIME TO CALL 911: Even if symptoms go away, tell the dispatcher if you suspect a stroke.

Note the time of the beginning of the stroke and wait for paramedics who can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital. Don’t try to drive yourself or have someone drive you.

As Joanna learned, recovery from a stroke may not always be 100%. That’s when survivors like her join LGMC’s Acadiana Stroke Support Group, helping them understand what they are going through. Regular meetings, on the second Tuesday of each month, are inspiring, encouraging and educational.

Register online or, for more information, call (337) 289-7740.

Visit: LafayetteGeneral.com/Stroke.

Damon Patterson, M.D.

Adam Foreman, M.D.

Virginia Kellner, M.D.

HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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UHC Offering Free Screenings to Eligible Patients

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niversity Hospitals & Clinics (UHC) is offering a free screening program for women through a grant funded by the Center for Disease Control in conjunction with LSU’s Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The screenings, administered under the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program (LBCHP), are available to eligible women in need of breast exams, mammograms, breast ultrasounds, pelvic exams, pap smears and cervical and breast biopsies.

Patient eligibility depends on various factors, including age, financial status and insurance coverage. The program is directed at low-income women who rarely or never receive screening services.

Income eligibility is limited to those with an income at or less than 200% of the national poverty level (an annual salary in 2015 of $23,540 or less, or $1,960 per month for a family of one).

Age restrictions also apply. Cervical cancer screenings are restricted to women between the ages of 21 and 64. For mammograms, patients must be between the ages of 50 and 64.

Clinical breast exams are also covered for women in their 40s.

However, a woman of any age with a complaint about breast symptoms (mass, pain, etc.) may also be referred for a free diagnostic exam.

Eligibility is also determined through insurance status. Uninsured or underinsured women may be eligible. Women who carry insurance that does not cover pap/mammogram screenings, or who are deterred from early detection screenings because of their deductible or copay, could qualify.

UHC staffs a Patient Navigator to assist patients with making or rescheduling appointments and overcoming any obstacles that may prevent them from accessing the screening process. While the program does not cover treatment for women diagnosed with cervical or breast cancer, the Patient Navigator can assist such patients in applying for Medicaid “Fast Track to Coverage” enrollment.

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Since July 2014, UHC has performed more than 358 mammograms and more than 500 pap smears resulting in more than 2,009 procedures on over 622 women. Among those patients, two were diagnosed with cervical cancer and one with breast cancer.

Patients can check their financial eligibility by visiting UHC’s Financial Screening Department on the 7th floor of the hospital, located at the corner of Congress Street and Bertrand Drive.

To schedule an appointment, call (337) 266-4838 or 261-6140.

No referral is required. For more information on LBCHP, visit lbchp.org.

PATIENT-CENTERED CARE IS HERE

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here’s a new approach in medical care – a medical practice that is a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The “Home” is not an actual location, nor does it require signing up. A PCMH is a physician’s office that implements a team-based approach to care, assuring that you receive exceptional care, information or assistance, whenever or wherever you need it.

A PCMH makes your physician a partner and leader in coordinating or developing a plan for you at any level of care. This can range from disease prevention, prescription management, to management of complex medical conditions. Through a PCMH, an alliance of providers can guide you towards the best evidence-based treatments to address your specific needs in a timely fashion.

Local PCMH offices affiliated with Lafayette General Health (LGH) include the Internal Medicine practices of Drs. Michael Alexander, Juan Perez-Ruiz, Bradley Chastant II, Milton Jolivette, Jr., and Thomas Voitier II, and the Family Medicine practice of Dr. Brent Hebert. These PCMH offices indicate the physician’s dedication to far exceeding traditional expectations of a primary care physician. Visit any of these physicians to put the PCMH to work for you.

The best part of the PCMH is that you are in the driver’s seat of your individualized health care plan. The PCMH teaches you ways to improve your health and prevent illness. You will receive assistance in developing agreed-upon treatment goals.

Michael Alexander, M.D.

Juan Perez-Ruiz, M.D.

And, you will be made aware of screenings or tests you might need to help prevent conditions before they happen.

With a PCMH: ✔ Y ou have input on your plan and will understand how care is delivered ✔ C are is individualized by the entire care team ✔ C are between specialists is coordinated and the results are tracked by the primary physician ✔ Access to care is timely ✔ Disease prevention is a priority ✔ Q uality and improvement of care is a focus Your PCMH team consists of your clinical provider or primary care physician, nurses, medical assistants and office assistants. The physician helps you coordinate and manage your care, address any health-related issues and will lead the team in delivering compassionate, comprehensive care. Nurses and medical assistants provide you with education, documentation or assistance in arranging services (i.e. visiting specialists, getting tests done, making sure reports/ results get delivered, etc.). Office assistants help schedule appointments and get the most out of time spent with your providers by efficiently coordinating tests, referrals, procedures and documentation.

A member of the team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including holidays). LGH’s Urgent Care Centers are also an extension of the PCMH to provide emergent, non-life threatening care.

Your information is always available

Bradley Chastant II, M.D.

Milton Jolivette, Jr., M.D.

through an integrated electronic medical record, a cornerstone of the PCMH. Your team will understand your health risks and problems. Plus, your physician will be aware of any treatments you receive or require as your record is updated.

The better coordinated the physician is with hospitals and insurers, the easier it is to keep you healthy, and minimize medical expenses.

Another PCMH advantage is that it is proactive care. The PCMH supplies you with appropriate self-management tools and notifies you when you are due for check-ups, shots or tests.

Prevention is a priority of LGH to improve community health. The PCMH is the ideal pursuit of that. For more information about the PCMH, visit LafayetteGeneral.com/ PrimaryCare.

Thomas Voitier II, M.D.

Brent Hebert, M.D.

HEALTH IN GENERAL SPRING 2015

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Treating “Why”

We’re Sick A

“Nothing in a can, box, jar and no cellophane is what I tell my patients.” ­— Elizabeth McLain, M.D.

caused by pharmaceuticals have all been researched by Dr. McLain.

2013 Mayo Clinic study found that 70% of Americans While she says that prescriptions are necessary for some ailments, are taking at least one prescription drug and 20% like high blood pressure, getting to the “root” of a problem helps her of U.S. patients are on five or more prescription prescribe a more effective treatment. medications. We go to the doctor and get medication Take the case of a female patient in her late 40’s who had come when we’re sick, but do we think about “Why we’re to Dr. McLain not knowing where else to turn. “She was very thin, sick?” Finding that reason or reasons is the philosophy exhausted, depressed, her hair and skin were dry and she was behind integrative medicine. experiencing muscle pain. Lab tests she’d taken in the past were Integrative medicine makes use of all appropriate therapeutic normal, yet she knew something was wrong. She had a thyroid approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing. It combines traditional medicine with not- problem, but was taking the wrong medication, for one thing,” says Dr. McLain. “We agreed on a plan of probiotics, made some changes so-traditional ways of bringing about healing. to her diet and her lifestyle. Two months later, she was a new woman, Elizabeth McLain, M.D., is certified by the American Board of with a different level of satisfaction and happiness in her personal and Integrative Holistic Medicine. She is the only Family Medicine work life. It was amazing.” physician who practices integrative medicine in Acadiana — Nutritional medicine entails eating clean, healthy foods. “Nothing specifically functional and nutritional medicine. in a can, box, jar and no cellophane, is what I tell my patients,” says Functional medicine, according to Dr. McLain, is very much like Dr. McLain. Practicing what she preaches, you’ll find her shopping detective work. “I’ll spend about 45 minutes getting information from at the farmer’s market in The Oil Center on Saturdays, buying the patient — their family history, any risk factors, major stressors in grass-fed beef and other foods that are locally grown and their current life, including their relationship status, lifestyle hormone free. habits, and sleeping patterns, all to understand why the How do patients react to her methods? From Sulphur to patient is sick. I can tell a lot by reading their expressions New Orleans, and cities in between, patients are coming, during the course of the conversation and address what I having heard by word of mouth of Dr. McLain’s practice. see.” Dr. McLain says with integrative medicine, the focus “They’re enthusiastic and relieved at the prospect of becomes more on the relationship with the patient and finding answers and getting better,” she says. “Patients working with him/her to make lifestyle changes. want knowledge; many are tired of taking several “I look for the things that our bodies lack that could medicines with no results. If we can find and fix the ailing ultimately lead to breaches in our powerful immune part(s) of a system in which all the parts are intertwined, system,” she says. Deficiencies in our foods, age-related Elizabeth McLain, M.D. we are on the way to real health and healing.” deficiencies, genetically-modified foods and deficiencies (337) 289-8478

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HEALTH IN GENERAL

Foundation Brings Cool Touch to NICU

I

n a remarkable display of philanthropy, Lafayette General Foundation (LGF) recently worked with Kiwanis Club of Lafayette to acquire a critical piece of equipment for newborns. Through these efforts, Lafayette General Medical Center (LGMC) is now able to purchase a Total Body Cooling system, which will be one of only a handful in Louisiana.

Babies deprived of oxygen to the brain during complex deliveries are sometimes at risk for brain injury and poor neurodevelopment. Decreasing a baby’s core body temperature immediately after birth slows metabolic rate and brain activity, reducing the amount of energy the baby normally requires. This allows the newborn’s body to continue its development while limiting injury to the brain. Babies born at LGMC who might

benefit from total body cooling are flown to New Orleans to receive this treatment.

Once LGMC has its system in place, which includes always having pediatric neurologic support around the clock, the medical center is expected to draw even more neonatal transports from hospitals across South Louisiana.

“This is an important service to provide here in Acadiana since cooling should begin as soon as possible and no later than six hours of age,” states Dave DeIulio, M.D., medical director of LGMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “Since this is largely a neurologic problem, it is also important to have pediatric neurology support immediately available as well. I’m excited, as Acadiana’s leading not-for-profit community hospital, to be able to offer this service to other

community hospitals in this region.”

The initiative started when members of the Kiwanis Club wanted to help. Lafayette General Foundation agreed to donate $2.75 for each dollar donated. Kiwanis Club raised over $12,500 specifically for the cooling blanket system and LGF provided the remaining funds needed from monies raised at the 2014 Foundation Gala.

“Having the Total Body Cooling system for asphyxiated newborns brings further innovation and technological investment to LGMC. That we can save parents from having to travel out of town to see their babies, perhaps for weeks at a time, is a great service to the entire community,” says Cian Robinson, LGF Executive Director.

“I’d like to thank the Kiwanis Club for their incredible generosity and cooperation in making this life-saving endeavor become a reality.”

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LGMC Recognized for Quality, Cost-Effective Bariatric Surgery

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Healthcare facility among first to receive new designation

lue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana recognized Lafayette General Medical Center (LGMC) as one of the first healthcare facilities in the nation to receive a Blue Distinction Center+ designation in the area of gastric stapling (weight loss) surgery. Blue Distinction® Centers are nationally designated by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program. The distinction recognizes facilities shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective measures, developed by the medical community, indicating better patient safety and healthier outcomes.

To receive a Blue Distinction Center+ designation in bariatric surgery, a healthcare facility must demonstrate success in meeting quality measures specific to bariatrics, such as complication and readmission rates, for gastric stapling and/or gastric banding procedures. A healthcare facility must also have earned national accreditations at both the facility level and the bariatric care-specific level, as well as demonstrate better cost efficiency relative to its peers.

The Blue Cross distinction is the fourth program to recognize LGMC’s Bariatric Department, in addition to accreditation by Cigna 3-Star, Optum Center of Excellence, and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement.

Quality is key: only facilities that first meet Blue Distinction’s nationally-established, objective quality measures are considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.

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LGMC CEO Patrick W. Gandy, Jr., says he is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana for meeting the rigorous selection criteria for bariatric surgery.

“I’m really proud of our physicians and the entire bariatric team for having such dedication to making this department an exemplary model,” says Gandy. “This designation further builds upon our prestige of being one of the most accredited bariatric surgery centers in Louisiana.”

Bariatric surgeries are among the most common elective surgeries in the U.S. There were 179,000 bariatric surgeries performed in 2013, according to the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Furthermore, it is estimated that 72 million Americans are obese and 24 million suffer from morbid obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illnesses totals $190.2 billion, or nearly 21 percent of annual medical spending in the U.S., according to the Journal of Health Economics.

Research shows that facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients compared with their peers. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are also 20 percent or more cost efficient than non-BDC+ designated facilities.

For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, visit bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

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“Cancer Chasers” from Cancer Center of Acadiana at LGMC had a good showing at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure held Saturday, March 23.

St. Martin Hospital represented LGH at the 7th annual Heartstrings & Angel Wings gumbo cook-off held in Henderson on March 14. Proceeds from the cook-off benefit the non-profit organization that provides clothes and other handmade items to babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Acadiana.

From left, Charles Cambre, RN, Infusion Clinic Supervisor; Victoria Hamilton, RN, Inpatient/Swing Bed Services; Eddie Dumatrait, Facility Services Manager; Chelsey Huval, LPN, Infusion Clinic Nurse; and Bobby Theriot, Facility Services.

Artwork as well as fantastic experience and travel opportunities were auctioned at the silent and live auction “In Skilled Hands” hosted by Lafayette General Foundation.

LGMC’s La Place de Vie, a tranquil courtyard made possible by Lafayette General Foundation, held its first official flag-raising event on Jan. 28. The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency will use the courtyard in flag-raising ceremonies to honor organ donors. From left: William Burras, Executive Director of Southern Eye Bank; Shawn Paul Harrison, Donation Specialist and LOPA Physician Liaison; LGH President David L. Callecod, FACHE; Libbie Harrison, LOPA Family Services Coordinator; LGMC CEO Patrick W. Gandy, Jr.; parents and Big 102.1 personalities Jenn and Hans Nelson; and Joy Fragola, Director of Professional Development for Southern Eye Bank.

As part of Colon Cancer Awareness Month in March, an inflatable colon visited the LGMC and UHC campuses. The Louisiana Comprehensive Cancer Control Program is touring with the walk-through colon to help raise awareness about colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cancer in Louisiana. The inflatable colon made its debut in Acadiana at UHC on March 20, and was on display at LGMC on March 23.

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EXPERT CARE

New ER designed to see you more QUICKLY

Larger ER handles more patients EFFICIENTLY

Convenient parking and EASY ACCESS

Physicians board certified in Emergency Medicine Surgeons always available LafayetteGeneral.com Facebook.com/LafayetteGeneral 16

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Routine access to neurologic, cardiac and plastic surgeons, traumatologists and many more.