Connect Spring 2014

connect Lawrence Memorial Hospital

Quick response key to surviving a heart attack

In this issue LMH again named among the 100 top U.S. hospitals Beating breast cancer

Hearts of Gold Ball: May 10 Spring 2014

Beating breast cancer: A survivor’s journey Megan Hill has been faithful about breast self exams.

Because her grandmother had breast cancer, Megan knew she was at a higherthan-normal risk, and she wanted to proactively take care of herself. Last fall, on the morning of Sept. 11 — “ironically enough,” Megan says — she first discovered a small lump in her left breast.

Megan visited her gynecologist, who said the lump was possibly dangerous.

A mammogram the following Monday confirmed that the lump she had found could indeed be breast cancer. About a week later, Paul Kolkman, MD, a surgeon with Lawrence General Surgery, performed a biopsy and sonogram. The lump itself was benign; however, the sonogram indicated two nodules. At Dr. Kolkman’s suggestion, Megan had an MRI within a week. When the MRI revealed three nodules, he recommended that she have a lumpectomy to determine if they were cancerous.

“I basically assumed I had cancer,” Megan says. “Dr. Kolkman, he didn’t beat around the bush. He said, ‘We found three cancerous tumors.’

“I expected that, but it was definitely upsetting at the time, a bit shocking.”

Megan was diagnosed Oct. 16, and later had a single mastectomy and reconstruction on her left breast.

Patients can wait to have reconstructive surgery any time after a mastectomy — from a couple of months to even years later. Or, like Megan, they can choose to have reconstruction immediately. Megan wanted to have it all completed in one surgical session. So, once Dr. Kolkman finished the mastectomy, a Lawrence plastic surgeon, John Keller, MD, took over the operating room and performed the reconstruction.

Plastic surgeon Scott Thellman, MD, who has been practicing in Lawrence since 1999, doesn’t believe reconstruction is physically necessary. However, he finds many women opt for reconstruction to feel more comfortable with their bodies.

“We’re very fortunate to have what I think is a very talented, great group of doctors in this community treating breast cancer,” Dr. Thellman says.

After her surgery, Megan took a genetic test — the oncotype DX — which calculates the chances of cancer recurrence.

The results suggested there was a good chance Megan’s breast cancer would return.

So she chose chemotherapy in hopes of tipping the odds against a recurrence.

“I knew I was in very good hands with my team of doctors here at LMH, and nurses, and the staff, too,” Megan says.

One-fifth of LMH breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy. It can improve the chances of curing patients in early stages of cancer, or prolonging the lives of patients in later stages.

Each patient is unique, and doctors in the LMH Oncology Center tailor treatments to each patient.

“It is a decision you make with the patient, a collaboration,” says Sharon Soule, MD. “We treat each patient as if she were a family member and try to give her the same respect and consideration.”

Because Megan detected her cancer in its early stages, she had to have only four treatments. For that she considers herself lucky. However, chemotherapy wasn’t easy.

survivor, her mother’s best friend, loaned Megan all of her wigs. She now has a blue wig.

“I’m a diehard Jayhawk,” Megan says, while showing off a bright red wig that’s the newest addition to the collection.

Megan also hosted a head-shaving party. Many of her friends attended, including a 10-year-old boy who Megan had previously been supportive of when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The boy refused to leave Megan’s side, and insisted on holding her hand as she had her head shaved.

The support that she has received during the process from family, friends and LMH has been extraordinary, Megan says.

“The kindness, the passion, the sincerity have just made it that much easier.”

If you would like to read more of Megan’s story, check out her journal at www.lmh.org/megansjournal.

—by Margo Bogossian

“ The kindness, the passion, the sincerit y have just made it that much easier.”

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—Megan Hill

“Everyone in oncology has just been absolutely amazing. It’s been great in regards to that. The chemo itself has been pretty rough, though,” she says. “My first treatment I would describe as hell on earth, but we’ve made some adjustments.”

Megan’s body has responded well to chemotherapy treatments, but she was not prepared for the side effects. The first time she touched her head and came back with a handful of hair she says, “I thought I was prepared, but I just broke down crying.”

But Megan decided that if she had to be bald for awhile she was going to have some fun with it.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with wigs. That’s been one of the best parts of the process,” Megan says. Another breast cancer

To follow Megan’s Journey, visit www.lmh.org/megansjournal

Assessment clinic developed to promote breast wellness The Breast Risk Assessment Clinic, commonly referred to as “the BRAC,” was designed to help women be as aware as possible about their own risk for breast cancer.

The new program, part of the LMH Breast Center, uses a questionnaire to screen for breast cancer risk. Women receive this questionnaire when they receive a mammogram. If the questionnaire shows a woman has a higher-than-average risk for breast cancer, she is offered an appointment at the Breast Risk Assessment Clinic for a more thorough check-up. A woman can be referred this way through her physician. Additionally, anyone who is interested may contact the Breast Center to make an appointment. The hope is to get women into the Breast Center as early as possible, which should increase the chances of detecting breast cancer early.

“The Breast Risk Assessment Clinic provides an opportunity for individuals and their healthcare providers to screen for the risk of developing breast cancer,” says Roxy Johanning, clinical coordinator for the LMH Breast Center.

To assess risk, medical staff at the BRAC look at a detailed personal and family history, and conduct a physical exam. The clinic staff also can discuss a personalized breast health plan. This way the person, with the help of LMH staff, can keep a close eye on her breast health.

The idea of the program is “to be proactive in caring for your breasts,” says Johanning, “and to promote breast wellness.”

Funding for the BRAC was provided by proceeds from the Stepping Out Against Breast Cancer event

Is it time for your mammogram? Call 785-505-3300 to schedule an appointment at one of the Breast Center’s convenient locations, or walk in at LMH South any weekday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Continuum of care

Each week, a group of medical providers at LMH meets to discuss treatment options for breast cancer patients. The idea is to work collaboratively in order to provide patients with the best care possible. These providers come from a variety of disciplines within the hospital and other offices affiliated with LMH. Meet some of the team!

Breast Risk Assessment Clinic Roxy Johanning “I want to empower women to be more knowledgeable about their own breast health,” Johanning says.

Roxy Johanning

General surgery Dr. Cheryl Rice “You are going to have a team of doctors, not just one,” says Dr. Rice.

“We work as a team well here at LMH.” Dr. Rice

Oncology Dr. Sharon Soule “We have a great group of doctors who treat breast cancer,” Dr. Soule says.

“I would want to be treated here, not anywhere else.”

Dr. Keller

Dr. Soule

Dr. Klish

Plastic surgery Dr. John Keller Dr. Scott Thellman Plastic surgery was originally thought of as the last step in the process, but that has changed.

Radiation oncology Dr. Darren Klish “In the last two decades, radiation has seen incredible advances that offer better cure rates with fewer side effects,” says Dr. Klish.

DocTalk We welcome these physicians who recently joined Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s medical staff.

Rob Beck, MD

Dr. Beck has joined Lawrence Neurology Specialists. He graduated from Topeka High School and earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Kansas.

In 2006, he received a medical degree from Dartmouth University. Dr. Beck served 14 years in the U.S. Navy and completed a residency in internal medicine at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego in 2004 and a neurology residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center/Bethesda Naval Hospital in 2007. He is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Beck enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, running, cycling and sailing, and spending time with his wife and their 2-year-old son.

Lawrence Neurology Specialists 330 Arkansas, Ste. 220 | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-830-8324 www.lmh.org/neurology

Shalina Gupta-Burt, MD

Dr. Gupta-Burt has joined Lawrence Cancer Center.

She graduated from a combined baccalaureate/ medical degree program in 1984 from the University of MissouriKansas City School of Medicine. She was a research fellow, a medical oncology fellow and a radiation oncology research fellow, all at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Gupta-Burt was on the faculty at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago from 1995 to 2005, before returning to Kansas City, where she worked for several years in radiation oncology and for a year as a clinical associate professor in radiation oncology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She and her husband have four children. She enjoys photography and travel.

Lawrence Cancer Center 330 Arkansas, Ste. 120 | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-749-3600 www.lawrencecancercenter.com

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“Plastic surgeons now are part of the information process and part of the decision-making process early on,” Dr. Thellman says.

Dr.Thellman

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Quick response key to surviving a heart attack “I really don’t think he would have lived if he hadn’t decided to come in, with that kind of blockage.”

—Tapas Ghose, MD

Like many people who experience unusual pain, David Slack and his wife first consulted the Internet.

“David didn’t have what we looked at as classic signs of a heart attack, and none of the risks,” Cheryl Slack says.

No nausea, no elephant sitting on his chest, no clamminess. And he could rationalize his pain as muscle strain. He’d moved a lot of furniture up and down stairs that afternoon, after all.

Besides, “He’s always eaten well and been very active,” Cheryl says. Clearly, David, a runner, was not a poster child for a heart attack.

So they decided to sleep on it. David, a management consultant for not-for-profit retirement communities, had to catch an early flight the next morning. His job takes him all over the country. He’s on airplanes, in hotel rooms, away from home much of the time. And although he’s a guy who was used to getting about five hours of sleep a night, he needed to rest a few hours.

But those symptoms — a painful jaw and tricep, and chest tightness — nagged at him. “I had never had these three feelings before,” says David, 61. “I just

Not classic symptoms?

According to Lawrence cardiologist Tapas Ghose, MD, only one in three people suffering a heart attack will have chest pain.

Heart attack survivor David Slack and his wife had no idea David’s jaw pain was a symptom.

But Dr Ghose says, “Jaw pain is sort of a red flag for us.”

Some other warning signs: shoulder pain, left arm pain, a feeling that resembles indigestion.

And then there’s breathing difficulty. “They just can’t catch their breath,” Dr. Ghose says.

“Just walking to the bathroom exhausts them.”

Everyone’s experience is different. But the advice is constant: Trust your instincts; don’t try to explain away the symptoms.

It took a bit of time, but the Slacks made the right move.

“Mr. Slack trusted his instincts,” Dr. Ghose says.

Cheryl and David Slack discuss heart health with LeAnn Dixon, RN, at the LMH Cardiac Rehabilitation Center.

decided if it’s a heart attack, I’d rather be at the hospital and get it fixed.”

So the Slacks got out of bed and drove to Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s emergency department. “We were apologizing for coming in at 11 o’clock at night, for bothering people,” David says.

But LMH staffers weren’t bothered.

They were focused on David. Everyone sprung into action: the security guard, the receptionist, the medical staff. In fewer than five minutes after walking into the emergency department, he was told: “You’re having a heart attack right now.”

Even then, Cheryl says, he had none of the so-called classic symptoms. As David rested, his eyes closed, in an emergency department bed, Cheryl left for a few minutes to call their three daughters.

“When I returned, a handsome young man was saying, ‘We can watch you, or you can allow me to take you into the cath lab, and I can save your life.’ ” That young man was Tapas Ghose, MD, a Lawrence cardiologist who emergency department staffers had called about 20 minutes earlier. Dr. Ghose admits that Lawrence police officers likely know his car, accustomed to seeing him rush to LMH. And that Sunday night, he was in a hurry. For David Slack, time was key.

4 For more information, visit www.lmh.org/cardiology

“In his case, he had a classic blockage called a widowmaker,” Dr. Ghose says.

The rapid treatment that Slack received at LMH wasn’t a one-time event.

Quick response times to suspected heart attacks are by design.

“We are unique in Lawrence,” Dr. Ghose says. “We’ve had a lot of people come and follow us to find out why we’re getting such good numbers.”

At LMH, everyone involved in caring for heart patients focuses on ensuring those patients have the best life possible after a heart attack. That means getting blood flowing again to their hearts quickly.

For example, Dr. Ghose says, “We encourage paramedics to make a diagnosis.

If they’re wrong, we don’t berate them. It’s perfectly streamlined.”

Like cardiologists, cath lab medical staffers respond when they’re needed, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We can do this because it’s Lawrence,” Dr. Ghose says. “It’s another benefit of a community hospital.”

On average, only 40 minutes pass from the time a heart attack patient arrives at LMH until a medical procedure is started.

“We measure this against all other institutions every quarter,” Dr. Ghose says.

“We always are in the top one percent.

We are the best in the nation.”

That’s a distinction that’s the result of lots of work by lots of people.

Dr. Ghose and the cath lab staff inserted a stent in one of David’s coronary arteries and performed a balloon angioplasty to open another arterial branch.

“Honestly, I really don’t think he would have lived if he hadn’t decided to come in, with that kind of blockage,” Dr. Ghose says.

The work done in the emergency department and the cath lab on David ’s heart was just the beginning.

After David’s heart attack on Nov. 10, he remained at LMH for three days.

Along the way, the Slacks met with 13 physicians and countless nurses and rehabilitation specialists.

“Every question we had was answered with compassion and with thoughtfulness,” says Cheryl, a retired elementary school teacher and cheer coach. “They gave us accurate information, but they were kind and compassionate.”

“And smart,” David adds. “There are some smart, smart people who work here.”

David Slack with LMH Cath Lab staff and Dr. Ghose, right

After being dismissed as an inpatient, he began work in cardiac rehabilitation, on the third floor of LMH. “It’s just like going to a gym, really,” says David, who often wears a shirt and tie to rehab. “I try to go every day that I can.”

He uses the treadmill, a recumbent bicycle and an arm bike for a prescribed amount of time, all while rehab staffers monitor his heart rate and oxygen levels on computers. And David and Cheryl can ask questions of the rehab staff.

“It’s very reassuring,” David says, “that you’re not going through this alone. They know my name. They know everyone’s name. It’s like a classroom up there.”

About 30 days after his heart attack, he traveled to Colorado for three days of work. But this trip was different. David had made some changes. He learned his heart needed to recover because blood flow had been reduced for some period of time.

He now tries to sleep eight hours a night. Not five. He’s learned that sleep — something David always believed was a waste of time — actually is good for him.

He’s also improved his diet.

After the first of the year, he resumed traveling. During one week in January, he saw clients in Boulder, Denver and Baltimore.

“It’s a normal work schedule, with time for sleeping and time for exercise on the road,” David says.

And in March, just four months after his potentially fatal heart attack, David’s cardiologist gave him great news: His heart is functioning normally.

“He is charmed,” Cheryl says. “Being here at LMH is the biggest charm.”

—by Caroline Trowbridge

Take heart: women and heart health Cardiology as a field is dominated by men. Nationwide, just 10 percent of cardiologists are women, so it is unique that the Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence was able to hire two female cardiologists.

The addition of Christina Salazar, MD, and Elizabeth Guastello, MD, to the LMH staff last September has sparked a women’s heart health initiative in Lawrence.

Women’s heart health “is kind of a sexy thing right now,” as Dr. Guastello says. The movement has become popular nationally, and for good reason. “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of everyone,” she says.

Becki Carl Stutz, director of Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence, says that as LMH officials reviewed services several years ago, they determined many women were unaware of the differences between men’s and women’s heart disease. LMH and the practice saw this as an opportunity. So Drs. Salazar and Guastello have developed a program called Take Heart: Women’s Cardiac Care. The program assesses risk of heart disease in women and then generates the appropriate treatment.

Its main goal is to increase awareness of heart disease among women in the Lawrence community, involving women and primary care providers in the discussion.

Dr. Guastello and Dr. Salazar

Heart disease is not identical in men and women.

The most prominent difference is the symptoms. Both genders can experience chest pain, which permeates through the left arm. There are, however, other symptoms. For women, those can include nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

“Women can have more flu-like symptoms,” explains Dr. Guastello. Typically, women suffering from these symptoms then treat themselves for flu.

“Meanwhile, time is ticking.”

It may not be until 48 hours later that the woman will realize she does not have the flu. This is especially dangerous because time is of the essence when an artery is blocked. Delayed treatment causes more damage to hearts, so women fare worse than men after experiencing a heart attack.

According to Dr. Salazar, women are nationally undertreated. Part of this has to do with women’s tendencies to nurture and take care of others, and sometimes neglect their own health.

Take Heart aims to create a community of women in Lawrence who will help one another. The idea is that if a woman does not want to come in for a doctor’s visit or to the emergency department, maybe a friend or her sister will convince her.

For more information about Take Heart, visit www.lmh.org/takeheart.

—by Margo Bogossian

Your dollars make a difference! Visit lmhendowment.org or call 785-505-6134

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Irfan Jawed, MD

Dr. Jawed has joined the LMH Oncology Center.

In 1996, he received his medical degree from Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed an internal medicine residency in 2007 at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Spokane. He completed fellowships in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., in 2011 and in pain medicine and hospice and palliative care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center/New York Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College in 2008. Dr. Jawed had specialized training in gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine oncology at Georgetown University Hospital and the National Naval Medical System. He is board certified in internal medicine, pain medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care. Dr. Jawed and his wife have two children.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling, socializing and spending time with his family.

LMH Oncology Center 330 Arkansas, Ste. 105 | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-505-2800 www.lmh.org/oncology

Rebecca Smith, DO

Dr. Smith is a new member of the Lawrence Hospitalist Physicians.

She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kansas and a doctor of osteopathy degree in 2008 from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience. She completed her residency at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. In her time away from work, Dr. Smith enjoys caring for her two dogs and spending time with her husband. Her hobbies include riding motorcycles and doing yoga.

Leslie Underwood, MD

Dr. Underwood has joined Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists. She grew up in Oklahoma and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and sports science in 2000 at the University of Oklahoma, where she was an Academic All-American in golf. She completed her medical degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City in 2006.

Dr. Underwood finished her OB-GYN residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2010 and joined the staff at Austin Regional Clinic in Austin, Texas. She is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Underwood and her husband have settled in Lawrence with their two young children. She enjoys cooking, running, golfing and watching sports.

Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists 330 Arkansas, Ste. 300 | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-832-1424 www.lmh.org/obgyn

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Press on: Hearts of Gold Ball As Lawrence works to attract more retirees, Lawrence Memorial Hospital plans to renovate its inpatient rehabilitation units.

“The fourth floor at LMH is important because as Lawrence continues to attract Baby Boomers and retirees, the services provided will be in greater and greater demand,” says Teresa Kaiser, director of the medical units on the fourth floor.

The fourth floor units are the acute rehabilitation unit and the transitional care unit, which also is known as skilled nursing. Both focus on patient rehabilitation. Renovation would allow nurses and Dr. Stephanie Schmidt, Bev Roelofs and therapists to care for patients and their families in a Ken Schmidt at the 2012 Hearts of Gold Ball more comfortable and private space.

“We provide world-class care on the fourth floor,” says Kathy Clausing-Willis, vice president and chief development officer of LMH. “We just need the facilities to be able to improve the patient experience.”

A portion of renovations will be funded by the 2014 Hearts of Gold Ball, a biennial, black-tie event that raises money to benefit LMH. This year’s event is set for May 10 in the Lawrence Journal-World’s former press building.

“Press on” is the theme for the 2014 event, giving a nod to the ball’s location and reminding attendees that patients on the fourth floor must press on — often spending long periods of time at LMH — during rehabilitation.

This isn’t the first time the Hearts of Gold Ball has made renovations possible. The 2012 gala raised $350,000 to help finance renovations of the hospital’s 2-North medical unit, where many critically ill patients are treated.

“Hearts of Gold impacted the unit incredibly,” says Deborah Rector, director of 2-North. “It is Hearts of Gold history so meaningful for our patients to have a private, • More than 600 people attended the therapeutic area where they can rest and can have 2001 Hearts of Gold Ball, which raised peaceful moments with their families.” nearly $120,000. The funds were used It is hoped this May’s event will have the same to develop cancer services at LMH. impact on the fourth floor. Renovations will include • In 2003, 1,200 people attended transforming patient rooms to private rooms, and nearly $445,000 was raised moving the dining room and ensuring it has a more to benefit the Bob Billings Cardiac home-like atmosphere, and constructing a new Observation Unit. family and patient gathering area.

• In 2006, the Hearts of Gold Ball The 2014 Hearts of Gold Ball starts with a entertained more than 630 people cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and a and raised more than $100,000, which was used to expand the silent auction. The party will culminate with emergency department. dancing and music. This year, about 600 guests are • Six-hundred people attended the 2008 expected to attend. Space is limited. To purchase ball which raised more than $105,000 tickets, or to donate or help at the event, contact to buy specialized equipment for the Tracy Davidson at 785-505-3318 or tracy.

Special Care Nursery. davidson@lmh.org. Tickets also can be purchased • In 2010, more than 550 guests attended online at www.lmhendowment.org/heartsofgold. and raised more than $175,000, which “The Hearts of Gold Ball is a special way to went toward specialized equipment spend a magical evening of fun and food with for cardiovascular services at LMH. friends and colleagues, but more importantly it • The 2012 Hearts of Gold Ball is a way to help LMH,” says Linda Robinson, a entertained more than 600 guests co-chair of this year’s event. “The proceeds help and raised more than $350,000 to enhance and improve upon the services and for renovation of the 2-North facilities available to our community.” medical unit.

To sponsor or buy tickets, visit www.lmhendowment.org/heartsofgold

Let’s celebrate: We’re in the Top 100, again!

Lawrence Memorial Hospital in March was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Truven Health Analytics.

This is the second year in a row that LMH has received the honor.

Truven Health Analytics conducts research studies, such as the 100 Top Hospitals® study, with the goal of improving the cost and quality of health care.

In the 2014 100 Top Hospitals® study, Truven Health Analytics compared 2,803 short-term, acute care hospitals in order to identify which provided the highest level of value to their communities. The company made this comparison by examining hospital performance in 10 areas: mortality; inpatient complications; patient safety; average patient stay; expenses; profitability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; and post-discharge mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, and pneumonia. The data reflect five-year performance in most of the categories, and three years for others. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.

“The Truven study is unique in that it evaluates hospitals on measures of overall organizational performance, including patient care, operational efficiency and financial stability. At LMH we aim to bring higher value to our community while confronting the challenges of industry-wide reform, and it is gratifying to earn outside recognition for our efforts,” says Gene Meyer, LMH president and chief executive officer.

LMH was one of 20 winners in the medium community hospital category, and was the only hospital in Kansas and in the Kansas City metropolitan area that made the 2014 list. Hospitals cannot apply to the study or pay to receive the award.

More LMH awards ‘Top Performer’ status for second year For a second year, Lawrence Memorial Hospital has been named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. LMH was recognized for exemplary performance in processes that are shown to improve care for heart attack, pneumonia and surgical patients.

‘100 Great Community Hospitals’ list LMH also was named one of the 100 Great Community Hospitals in the United States by Becker’s Hospital Review. The only Kansas hospital on the 2013 list, LMH was recognized for its demonstrated commitment to the health of the community through clinical excellence, community involvement and other efforts.

Internal Medicine Group recognized for patient-centered care The Internal Medicine Group of Lawrence has received recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program for using evidencebased, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term relationships.

“We understand that what matters most to patients is safe, effective care,” says Gene Meyer, LMH president and CEO. “That’s why LMH has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes.”

The honor is based on reviews and analyses of hospital information, recognition and rankings from a variety of industry sources. Organizations cannot pay for inclusion on the list.

The program identifies practices that promote partnerships between patients and clinicians. Each patient’s care is delivered by clinician-led teams that provide all health care needs and coordinate treatments across the health care system. Medical home clinicians offer the benchmarks of patientcentered care, including open scheduling and expanded hours.

The list of Top Performers represents 33 percent of 3,343 eligible hospitals submitting data in 2012.

Top 100 HealthStrong Hospital LMH has been named a 2013 Top 100 HealthStrong Hospital. iVantage Health Analytics developed the Hospital Strength Index, a national ratings and analytics program, based on publicly available data.

The index ranks all 4,430 general acute care hospitals in the nation on market, value-based and financial categories. LMH ranked in the 99.93 percentile overall for Hospital Strength Index. LMH was the only Kansas hospital on this Top 100 list.

LMH safety lauded for excellence In 2013 LMH again was honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization. Using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections, U.S. hospitals were assigned grades for safety. Only three hospitals in Kansas earned an “A” in 2013.

LMH again named a “Most Wired” hospital Based on LMH’s technological integration, Hospitals and Health Networks magazine named LMH one of Health Care’s Most Wired Hospitals for a third consecutive year in 2013.

To learn more or see our quality measures data, visit www.lmh.org/top100

Greg Schnose, MD, says the Internal Medicine Group always has strived to provide patient-centered care, which has not changed. “During our journey towards NCQA recognition, as we evaluated ‘what we do,’ we did find opportunities to enhance the care we provide and implemented change,” he says. “Using the electronic health record we also were able to measure with hard data our performance in management of chronic health conditions. I am quite pleased with our care team’s performance when compared to available national benchmarks.”

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325 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044

LMH Patient Portal: Connecting patients with health records and providers In this digital world, patients want easy access to their health care providers and health information. Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s My Patient Portal now enables patients to easily view and navigate their electronic health records, and to communicate online with their providers and clinics.

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure username and password, patients can view their own health information such as recent doctor visits, discharge summaries, medications, immunizations, allergies and lab results.

Jane Maskus, vice president and chief information officer for LMH, said, “At LMH we believe My Patient Portal can benefit patient care by engaging patients and encouraging patient-provider communication. Providing patients access to their health records allows more ownership of their data, and gives them the ability to share or communicate as they wish.”

Patients of an LMH-affiliated physician clinic can enroll in My Patient Portal when visiting the clinic for an appointment.

Patients who are receiving care at LMH can enroll at the Customer Service department at the main LMH campus.

Patients will need to review and complete a Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Consent Form and show valid photo identification.

Once enrolled, patients will receive an e-mail invitation that tells them how to register.

For more information about My Patient Portal and a list of LMH-affiliated providers that participate, visit the LMH website at www.lmh.org/my-patient-portal.

—by Janice Early

My Patient Portal My Patient Portal, which is free to the patients of Lawrence Memorial Hospital and LMH-affiliated practices and clinics, offers: • Home Page: See your 10 most recent key measures, including height, weight, cholesterol and glucose numbers; and view wellness classes, programs and a health library.

• Messaging: Send and receive secure e-mail for non-urgent needs.

• Appointments: Request appointments with your health care providers.

• Medical Record: View information entered into your electronic health record.

• Medical Summary: Contains current and past medications written by your providers or entered by clinic staff, including your allergies, immunizations, health issues and surgeries/procedures.

• Vitals and Lab Results: Contains copies of selected lab results and tests and explanations or comments by your provider.

• Personal Information: Includes your demographic information, insurance and personal contacts.

• Copy of Record: If you need to review or print information from your electronic health record, this section of the My Patient Portal has a summary of your visit. You may also send and receive your medical record information to and from other medical providers using the security and encryption of the My Patient Portal site.

connect

is published by Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The information in this newsletter is intended to educate readers about subjects pertinent to their health and is not a substitute for consultation with a personal physician. To have your name added to or removed from this mailing list, please call 785-505-3317.

Gene Meyer | President and CEO, Lawrence Memorial Hospital Editorial Board | Sheryle D’Amico, Janice Early, Caroline Trowbridge, Sherri Vaughn, MD, Kathy Clausing Willis

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Lawrence Memorial Hospital • 325 Maine Street • Lawrence, KS 66044 • 785-505-5000 • www.lmh.org