Traditions
Spring 2017
The Miriam Hospital For our friends and supporters.
A Nurse’s Journey Brings Comfort to Others
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lthough Kellie Armstrong’s odyssey began more than 12 years ago, she remembers the day as if it were yesterday. On a medical missionary trip in the Dominican Republic, Kellie was hiking a mountain to get water for the villagers when she went into supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and fell unconscious. She woke up 30 minutes later to find herself on the ground and had to be led down the mountain on a donkey. Severely overweight at the time, Kellie’s SVT—an abnormally fast heart rhythm that develops when the normal electrical impulses of the heart are disrupted— had interrupted the flow of blood to her brain and body. “That experience was life-changing,” says Kellie, who is now the manager of the Center for Bariatric Surgery at The Miriam Hospital. “It scared me so much that I knew I needed to finally do something about my weight.” Kellie underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, losing 35 pounds in the first month and a total of 125 pounds. Having gone from being winded after walking to participating in more than 175 road races and endurance events, Kellie shares her story with patients on a daily basis as a point of inspiration, creating an instant bond. “It builds a powerful connection when a patient knows the person they’re speaking with has been in their shoes and can relate to what they’re going through,” says Kellie, pictured with a grateful patient after a support group meeting. “My experience affords me a special understanding. I know how hard their journey is, what’s led them to this point, and what lies ahead.” Under the leadership of medical director Siva Vithiananthan, MD, and a team of bariatric specialists,
the Center for Bariatric Surgery at The Miriam Hospital opened in 2012. The center and the nonsurgical Weight Management Program, which provides medically supervised treatment for mild, moderate and severely overweight adults, are part of the comprehensive Center for Weight and Wellness that offers patients a range of services to obtain and maintain a healthy weight, including three options for minimally invasive bariatric surgery. For patients with a body mass index of 35 or higher, surgical options include gastric sleeve, adjustable gastric band, and gastric bypass—the surgery that changed Kellie’s life. Depending on the procedure, it works by either reducing the size of the patient’s stomach to restrict the amount of food they can eat, or rerouting the digestive system, allowing food to bypass a large portion of the small intestine. The gastric bypass surgery is a combination of the two. continued on page 2
Before and After continued from page 1 Describing herself as someone who “loves teaching,” Kellie’s role as the center’s manager touches the life of each patient in the program. In addition to coordinating the program’s service lines, administration duties and certification compliance, she also outlines a path for their success. A certified bariatric nurse—along with being the center’s manager—Kellie guides patients through their preand post-operation education and performs patient rounds following procedures to help carefully manage their recovery. She also leads support groups offered by the bariatric surgery program. It is here that Kellie’s firsthand experience proves invaluable to patients. It is also where she derives the most personal satisfaction.“My goal is to inspire one person each day and help them get healthy,” explains Kellie. “Both before and after surgery, patients must commit to making profound lifestyle changes. But through our counseling and support groups, we help patients meet this challenge successfully and safely.”
Whereas a person’s medical history and lifestyle help determine the best surgical option to help them take the weight off, the goal of the program’s interdisciplinary collaboration is to also ensure patients are emotionally healthy and educated in a healthy lifestyle so they achieve success. “We give our patients the tools they need to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. Our surgical options are one tool. But what sets us apart from other programs is the support patients receive before and after their procedure,” explains G. Dean Roye, MD, The Miriam’s director of general surgery and who performed Kellie’s gastric bypass. “The personal experience Kellie shares with patients is another tool, and it’s one our patients say is priceless.” Kellie adds, “I can’t describe how rewarding it is when patients reach out to tell me how their life has changed for the better. When people who couldn’t get pregnant now have babies, or tell me they are no longer taking a handful of medications daily … those are some of my proudest moments.”
Venice MAGIC OF
THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL GALA & AUCTION
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SAVE THE DATE
MAY 13, 2017
Two Tablespoons a Day
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id you know just two tablespoons a day of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) can make you healthier? It’s true, and it’s been the research and food focus of Mary M. Flynn, PhD, RD, LDN, research dietitian at The Miriam Hospital since 1998. In 1999 she developed a plant-based, olive oil diet that she has tested for weight loss and improvement in clinical biomarkers for chronic disease in women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and in men with prostate cancer. Studies have found that people with daily diets that include extra virgin olive oil have lower rates of most chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancers, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes. EVOO has also been shown to lower blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, decrease blood glucose, increase HDL, and make healthier triglycerides and LDL, which all decrease risk factors for chronic diseases.
“It is the phenol content of olive oil that provides the health benefits,” explains Mary. “A good way to use EVOO is to prepare vegetables with them, or on a salad using 1 tablespoon of EVOO per cup of vegetables.” In addition to the health benefits of the diet’s meals, the recipes were found to be less expensive than what early study participants had been eating. As a result, Dr. Flynn created a 6-week cooking program for clients of food pantries using recipes that follow her plant-based, EVOO diet. She later published a study from the program that showed when clients used the recipes for 2-3 main meals per week, they had a decrease in body weight as well as an improvement in overall health. Food security improved as well, since participants spent significantly less on groceries, with fewer purchases of meat, desserts, snack foods and carbonated beverages.
To learn more about the EVOO diet and find recipes including the one below, visit www.medfooddiet.com.
Vegetarian Chili Makes about 9 cups ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion (red or white), chopped (about 2 cups) 2 cans corn, drained or 3 ½ cups frozen, defrosted You can use all or some of these spices: 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons dry oregano 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 3 cans beans: black, kidney, pinto, cannellini, drained and rinsed.
Heat the olive oil on medium (4 to 5 on the dial) heat in a large pan on top of the stove or in a slow cooker. Add the onions, stir to combine with the oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the drained corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Occasionally stir the vegetables. Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with the spices. Stir to mix in evenly. Add the tomatoes and all the beans. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 45 minutes or longer, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked rice (preferably brown rice) or in a baked potato.
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Shared Traditions Shape Legacy of Giving
“M
ay you live until 120!”
Sherry Cohen, president of The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, is ebullient as she explains the special meaning of the Jewish blessing for a long, healthy and meaningful life. It’s a wish that has dual significance this year for the storied volunteer organization. Founded in 1897, the Association celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2017 with a full slate of outreach, education and fundraising events to support and strengthen The Miriam community. The Association’s signature event, the Annual Equipment Fundraiser, dates back to the founding of
The Miriam Hospital in 1926, when the Association collected contributions for its first gift of medical supplies—linens. This year, the 550-member organization is raising funds for such high-tech tools as a bladder scanner, an electrotherapy device for swallowing problems, a cold laser to treat the pain of postsurgical adhesions, and a medical simulator that allows caregivers to better understand the effects of stroke. “This cutting-edge equipment would not be available to us if it wasn’t for The Miriam Hospital Women’s Association,” says Arthur Sampson, president of The Miriam Hospital and a life member of the Association. “Its impact on the health of our community is immeasurable.” A lot has changed in the past 120 years, but the Association’s commitment to making a difference in The Miriam community hasn’t wavered. The founding women were inspired by their shared traditions and sense of purpose. Their spirit shines as brightly today as it did in 1897. “There is a great legacy for this organization,” Sherry says passionately. “It’s in our bloodline. In times when organizations vie for membership and raising funds can be challenging, the devotion and dedication of our members, coming from this tradition of women giving generation after generation to raise funds for the hospital, makes us successful.”
Past Women’s Association President Robin Engle and current President Sherry Cohen at the association’s Life Members wall, which includes more than 1000 names.
Adds Arthur Sampson, “The Association gave The Miriam life, and it continues to be a vital source of support today. We are forever grateful.”
Traditions, a publication of The Miriam Hospital Foundation, is published for the friends and supporters of The Miriam Hospital. For more information, please contact the Development Office at 401-793-2004. giving.lifespan.org/TMH-welcome