HEALTHbeat Spring 2016
Showing heart some love can pay off in remaining healthy Page 3
EASTAR women’s center offers birth care that puts the family unit at the focus of the experience. The baby stays in the mother’s room after the birth. Specialty care is available when infants need such measures. Page 2
New center at EASTAR offers help for sports health and joint care. Page 4
Page 2 — Sunday, March 20, 2016
Muskogee Phoenix
Health Beat
EASTAR birthing center helps families Women’s center at health system’s east campus offers birthing care with a family focus By Mark Hughes Phoenix Staff Writer
A new concept for birthing has been incorporated as a best practice at EASTAR Health System’s east campus. Mothers giving birth at the east campus’ women’s center now have the pleasure of the baby staying in mom’s room for the duration of their stay, said Delaine Bartsch, east campus administrator. “Most hospitals want to separate the baby from the mother because it’s easier for the hospital staff to take
care of both,” Bartsch said. Bartsch described their concept as “family-centered type care with the primary focus on the family unit as the center,” she said. “In the long run, it’s a learning opportuniBartsch ty for the mother, too, because as the doctor examines the baby, the mother can ask questions and learn about caring for the baby.” Muskogee resident
Staff photo by Mark Hughes
Cody and Michelle Henson admire their 2-day-old son, Cody James, while at the women’s center at EASTAR Health System’s east campus. Michelle said that the women’s center’s “labor rooms are so wonderful, and the staff is so accommodating.”
and new mother Michelle Henson said that the women’s center “labor rooms are so wonderful, and the staff is so accommodating. They wash and bathe the baby bedside, and even my mom got to watch.” The center has a Cesarean section suite, seven labor and delivery rooms and 12 rooms for the mom and baby to stay together, Bartsch said. Previously, visiting
hours were limited, but Bartsch said visitors now have 24/7 access to both mother and baby. Should infants need additional specialty care, they no longer have to go to Tulsa. The women’s center now has a specialty care level II for babies who are moderately sick, babies with feeding problems or who need supplemental oxygen, among other needs, she said.
When babies are admitted to their specialty care unit mothers want to be with them as much as possible, Bartsch said. However, some mothers may not have the funds to commute from home to the hospital for the duration of their baby’s stay. Bartsch said those mothers can stay at the women’s center for free as long as the space is available. However, the
mother has to provide her own meals and personal medications. The hospital is considering constructing hospitality houses at both campuses including providing transportation, Mike Gilpin, marketing director, said. EASTAR’s “family-centered care” starts well before the baby’s birth. Between 32 to (See Birth, Page 5)
Health Beat
Muskogee Phoenix
Sunday, March 20, 2016 — Page 3
Showing heart some love can pay off Investment in cardiac health adds up By Harrison Grimwood
leading cause of death in Muskogee County, according to an OklaGetting ahead of heart homa State Departproblems is an investment of Health study. ment that can add up in The health care cost the long run. for heart disease alone Dr. Wendell Wilin 2010 in Muskogee liams, a cardiologist in County was over $42.8 EASTAR Health Sysmillion, according to the tem, said “knowing your 2014 State of the State’s numbers” is the first key Health report, the most to a healthier heart. recent report available. “If you’re at age 20, “Hypertension, it’s and your cholesterol lev- called the silent killer,” els are off, you can — by Williams said. changing your lifestyle It is called the silent at age 20 — you can add killer because often years, if not decades, to symptoms or signs are your life,” Williams said. not obvious. “Knowing your numbers” is how to Heart disease is the Phoenix Staff Writer
Staff photo by Harrison Grimwood
Haylie Coffman, an employee at Economy Pharmacy, checks her blood pressure on a free machine at the pharmacy.
get a step up on it. Blood pressure, glucose concentration, body mass index (BMI) and cholesterol are the first three numbers to check, Williams said. For blood pressure, Williams said, at the very least, to get it checked at a pharmacy. But after that, he said the next stop is to visit a physician. BMI can be calculated using online tools with a person’s height and weight, Williams said. Though the rate of (See Heart, Page 5)
Page 4 — Sunday, March 20, 2016
Muskogee Phoenix
Health Beat
Orthopaedic Sports Institute helps young, old Cartilage reconstruction, joint replacement offered at new clinic EASTAR Health System’s Orthopaedic Sports Institute offers joint care including total ceramic knee replacement. Metro Creative
By Mark Hughes Phoenix Staff Writer
A new service has beed added to the east campus of EASTAR Health System benefiting those in sports and those needing a joint replacement. The two doctors at Orthopaedic Sports Institute are Dr. Amanda Martin and Dr. Ron Hood. Hood is one of
the original founders of Tulsa Bone & Joint established in 2000 but decided to downsize to a more personalized practice. “My primary goal is to provide the individualized care that allows me to be personally connected to my patients, many of whom have also become friends,” Hood said in a media release. “The
complexities inherent to larger medical practices have convinced me to return to a smaller, more personalized practice.” In this case smaller does not mean less, Hood said. “I will continue to provide the latest in orthopedic treatment options as I affiliate with (See sports, Page 5)
Staff photo by Mark Hughes
Part of Pattie Sue Landers rehabilitation from knee replacement surgery is learning to walk with her new knee. Her surgery took place at the new Orthopaedic Sports Institute at EASTAR Health System’s east campus.
Health Beat
Sports Continued from Page 4
one of our state’s fastest growing health care providers — EASTAR Health System,” he said. OSI can provide service for up to 15 patients. Hood said he will be able to “provide advanced computer navigation, ceramic total knees and all forms of
Birth Continued from Page 2
34 weeks of pregnancy mom and dad can sign up for a four-week class that lasts about twoand-a-half hours. The classes cover everything from labor to birthing methods to baby care skills like bathing, changing diapers and feeding, Bartsch said. The fee is $20 to cover the cost of the material, but if there are financial problems the fee can be waived, she said. “It’s important that husbands be included in birthing classes,” Bartsch said. “Birthing can be very scary for dads who haven’t been educated,” she said. “I’ve had dads call me to say how much the birthing class helped them.” For families who need assistance in preparing for their baby’s arrival, EASTAR and the nursing school at Connors State College offer assistance with car seats, formula and diapers, Bartsch said. The hospital also has a social worker assigned to guide parents to the appropriate social service agencies that could meet their needs, she
Sunday, March 20, 2016 — Page 5
Muskogee Phoenix
cartilage reconstruction/repair” because of EASTAR’s exceptional technological advancements. Additionally, he said he would continue to work in sports medicine and arthroscopic repair of injuries. Martin has expertise in orthopedics and sports medicine and has been affiliated with Lemak Sports Medicine, serving on the medical staff of Trinity Medical Center in Birsaid. “Another satisfier for the staff and families is a 24/7 neo-natal service with medical staff on site,” she said. “Our staff has learned to take every case as an individual case and treat both mom and baby with respect and compassion.” That not only applies to a baby’s birth but also for deaths. “There’s been no consideration of the issue of compassion to death and dying when people consider birth,” she said. Bartsch is having staff trained on that issue now. EASTAR’s women’s center has a contract with local professional photographers who are members of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.” The organization “trains, educates, and mobilizes professional quality photographers to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to families facing the untimely death of an infant,” according to their website. The hospital provides this service free of charge, which also includes video. Some parents are not ready to be reminded of the death of their newborn so soon, so the hospital will hold the photos until parents are ready, Bartsch said.
“My primary goal is to provide the individualized care that allows me to be personally connected to my patients.” — Dr. Ron Hood mingham, Ala., since 2011. She also has served as co-director of the American Sports Medicine Institute’s Lemak Fellowship Program since 2012. In addition to English, “This is something we want to give to parents at no charge because it has intrinsic value to the parents, and you can’t put a price tag on that,” she said. Reach Mark Hughes at (918) 684-2908 or mhughes@muskogeephoenix.com.
she is also proficient in medical Spanish and French. Hood and Martin work with area school systems helping them with their sports programs and have volunteered their time to be with sports trainers at the sidelines during sporting events. OSI can provide services for knees, hips, ankles, rotator cuffs and carpal tunnel, said Mike Gilpin, EASTAR marketing director. Reach Mark Hughes at (918) 684-2908 or mhughes@muskogeephoenix.com.
Heart
on heart health. “Diabetes is one of the major contributors to heart disease,” Williams said. Continued from Page 3 As for knowing the heart disease-related numbers, the sooner the fatalities has declined, it better. With an increase still remains in cholesterol the leading and obesicause among ty-related disall age groups eases among combined in children and Muskogee teenagers, County. It Williams said declined from it’s important 285 deaths per to start ear100,000 populier. lation between Cutting out 2003 and 2007 smoking, limto 263 deaths iting caffeine per 100,000 and alcohol, being active population, according to daily and watching the the state’s health report. diet, particularly sodiGlucose levels, which um intake, are crucial to can indicate how a body maintaining a healthy handles sugar, and heart. cholesterol can only be Reach Harrison Grimwood at (918) 684-2926 tested by a physician. Glucose and cholesterol or harrison.grimwood@ can have adverse affects muskogeephoenix.com.
Knowing your numbers key to heart health
Page 6 — Sunday, March 20, 2016
Muskogee Phoenix
Health Beat
Residents beware mosquito-borne illness By Travis Sloat
Phoenix Correspondent
Spring has sprung, and while warmer, wetter weather is welcomed by many, it’s absolutely loved by mosquitoes. With mosquitoes come bloodborne illnesses, and none are more touted right now than the Zika virus. The Centers for Disease Control says that Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain,
and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. But what is the likelihood that Zika will find its way into Muskogee County? Dr. Kristy Bradley, the Oklahoma State epidemiologist, said it’s highly unlikely, unless someone contracts it outside the contiguous 48 states. “First of all, people have to understand how the virus might be introduced to the states, and how local transmission might oc(See zika, Page 7)
AP file
In this Jan. 27 photo, samples of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting dengue and Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. On March 11 Puerto Rico’s Health Department reported 201 confirmed Zika cases amid warnings the U.S. territory could face an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus. Officials said that 21 of those cases involve pregnant women.
Health Beat
Zika Continued from Page 6
cur,” Bradley said. “The life cycle of the virus is mosquito to human to mosquito. Mosqui-
Sunday, March 20, 2016 — Page 7
Muskogee Phoenix toes pick up blood and tissue from an infected person, then when that mosquito bites another person, that’s how it spreads.” Bradley said conditions need to perfect in order for the virus to
become communicable in the lower 48. “You have to have people who are infected, plus the right type of mosquito,” she said. “The type of mosquito best-suited to carrying the virus is the Aedes
Egypti, or the Yellow Fever Mosquito. It’s primarily present in the southeastern part of the country. “We’ve had three cases in Oklahoma to date, and all of them have been travel related,”
AP
In this microscope image provided by the University of Pittsburgh, cells form a 3-D model of the placenta, developed by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh to learn more about how infections sometimes pass from a mother to her unborn child. Researchers have created a cellular model of the human placenta to help uncover how infections, from toxoplasmosis to the Zika virus, may pass from a mother to her unborn child.
she continued. “Each of those persons acquired it by going out of the country, and then they were diagnosed when they returned. There has been no local transmission in the contiguous states.” CDC.gov says that In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil, and on Feb 1, the World Health Organization declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern. Bradley said right now, the only way you’ll contract the disease is by traveling outside the country, or by having sexual contact with someone who has the virus.
“This is critically important for any woman who is pregnant or who wants to become pregnant in the near future,” Bradley said. “That’s really where the problem is, that’s the biggest risk factor. It can cause birth defects. Most other persons contracting the virus will have a relatively mild illness.” Bradley reminded the public that the biggest mosquito-transmitted virus affecting Oklahomans right now is still West Nile Virus. “That season usually starts in June and runs through October,” she said. “We want to make sure everyone is doing what they can to protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses.”