More@Mercy - Nazareth Hospital - Spring 2017

@ DOCTOR VISITS

BY THE NUMBERS

54%

The approximate percentage of visits made to PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS in the U.S. each year.

100,000+ The number of LIVES that COULD BE SAVED each year if everyone in the U.S. got the preventive healthcare that they need, including screening tests and regular visits with a doctor.

SPRING 2017

Nice to see you, doc!

ANNUAL VISITS WITH A PHYSICIAN CAN HELP YOU STAY WELL Making an appointment t o see your doctor for an annual wellness visit might sound strange. Why see your doctor when you’re feeling well?

Helen Thorpe, MD, can come up with a lot of reasons.

“A yearly wellness visit is the best way for a doctor and patient to talk about screenings and tests that are due,” says Dr. Thorpe, a family

practice doctor at Mercy Primary Care–Rhawn Street. “It’s a great time to sit down with your doctor and say, for example: ‘I’m a 56-year-old woman. What health goals should I be thinking about? What screenings do I need?’”

Annual wellness visits last longer than regular visits. ­— Continued on page 2

IN THIS ISSUE

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WOMEN’S HEALTH Meet Dr. Kish, our new breast surgeon

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NEED HELP AT HOME? Mercy Home Health is here for you

NEED A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN? We can help you find one.

Call 1.866.NAZARETH (1.866.629.2738).

Nice to see you, doc! ­— Continued from front page “That allows time to talk about issues we might not usually get to,” Dr. Thorpe says. “Maybe you’ve had some falls. Or moved to a building that has stairs, and you’re having a hard time getting groceries up to your apartment.”

Your yearly wellness visit might also include a physical exam.

Your doctor might order some tests. You’ll talk about lifestyle habits, like diet and exercise.

And your doctor will review your medical history and the medications you take.

You’ll leave your visit with a written health plan. And if all goes well, you may not need to see your doctor until next year’s wellness visit.

Preparing for your next wellness visit Your annual w ellness visit is meant to help keep you in better health— and what could be more important than that? To help make the most of these appointments: Write down your questions in advance. If you have questions about your health, write them down so you don’t forget to ask them at your doctor’s office. For instance, are you having any unusual symptoms or problems with your medications?

Bring a list of all the medicines you take. This includes any over-the-counter pills, vitamins or supplements.

Another option: “Put all your medicines in a bag and bring them to the appointment,” says Helen

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Together is better GIVE US A CALL To learn more about NewCourtland Senior Services, call 1.888.530.4913.

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Thorpe, MD, a family practice doctor at Mercy Primary Care on Rhawn Street.

Be honest. Your doctor may ask you about your lifestyle habits, such as if you drink alcohol or smoke. Don’t shy away from honest answers. Telling the truth helps you get the best care possible.

Speak up. Ask your doctor to explain anything you don’t understand or if you have questions about your care.

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PRINT AND SAVE You can print a copy of these tips for your next wellness visit. Go to mercyhealth.org/ newsletter/naz/wellness-visit.

At Nazareth Hospital, we have a long-standing commitment to helping seniors in our community live better and healthier lives. Part of that commitment now includes a partnership with NewCourtland LIFE, a program that helps many low-income adults 55 and older safely stay in their homes. We’re teaming up with NewCourtland LIFE to offer aging-related workshops for the community. And we’re providing acute care, when needed, for participants in the LIFE program.

Just for you OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IS NOW MORE SENIOR-FRIENDLY Here’s good news if you’re an older adult who has ever felt lost in the hustle and bustle of a hospital emergency department: Nazareth Hospital has been making changes to its Emergency Department so that it’s easier for you to use.

The changes start outside the

Emergency Department doors, with special parking areas for those 65 and older. Inside, you might notice that signs are easier to read, thanks to new larger lettering.

When you get to the front desk, a staff member will direct you to an area of the Emergency Department designed with seniors in mind.

There you’ll find things like comfy chairs designed specifically for older bodies and no-glare floors, which help prevent falls.

“You might call it a ‘seniors-only’

area of the Emergency Department,” says Kelly Herninko, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing, Critical Care, Medical Surgical and Emergency Services. “Our community contains a large senior population. We want them to know we’re very dedicated to caring for their health.”

A nurse navigator also visits with every Emergency Department patient who is 65 and older. If the person is admitted to the hospital, the nurse navigator will help make sure the patient gets needed care on discharge. If the person isn’t admitted, the nurse navigator will ensure the patient has what he or she needs to stay safe at home.

“All of this highlights the reverence we have for our patients,” Kelly says.

“And it really ties into the overall mission of Mercy Health System.”

ELDER CARE SPECIALISTS Learn more about our services for seniors at mercyhealth.org/ geriatrics.

Let the healing begin CHRONIC WOUNDS NEED SPECIAL CARE Time, it’s said, heals all wounds.

That may be true in matters of the heart. But some physical wounds refuse to get better, even after weeks of treatment.

That’s where Nazareth Hospital’s Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine comes in.

Using the latest in advanced wound care, the Center’s medical staff boasts an average 95 percent success rate in healing chronic wounds.

What is a chronic wound?

“We usually say a wound has become chronic when it hasn’t significantly improved after 30 days,”

says Jeanette M. Bernacki, MS, RN, Director of the Center.

Wounds can become chronic when a person has diabetes or problems with blood flow. Other reasons for chronic wounds include: •• Bone infections •• Tissue damage from radiation treatment •• Frostbite •• Pressure ulcers

Healing therapies “We have a wide variety of treatments for chronic wounds in our toolbox at the Center that may not be available in a primary care doctor’s office,” Jeanette says.

One such treatment is surgical debridement, which involves cutting away infected and dead tissue.

Other treatments designed to help heal wounds include special dressings, casts that take the weight off of a leg or foot, and skin grafts using man-made skin substitutes.

But perhaps the most impressive tool is the hyperbaric chamber.

A person lies inside the clear, tubelike compartment, which is pressurized, and breathes 100 percent pure oxygen. The oxygen helps speed wound healing and reduces the risk of infection.

LEARN MORE For more information about the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine, call 215.335.7606. mercyhealth.org

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Committed

to helping women MEET DR. KISH, OUR NEW BREAST SURGEON It’s not every doctor who describes caring for patients as an honor. But those are the exact words Karen Kish, MD, a new breast surgeon at Nazareth Hospital, uses.

As a breast surgeon, Dr. Kish routinely treats women who need biopsies to determine if they have breast cancer, along with women who need her surgical skills to treat the disease. “And every day, these women inspire me with their strength,” she says. “It is a true honor to care for them.”

Helping people has always been a

Karen Kish, MD

priority for Dr. Kish—that desire and a love of science are why she became a doctor.

She earned her medical degree at Drexel University and completed her residency at Abington Memorial Hospital.

Board certified in general surgery, she arrived at Nazareth Hospital last October with several years of experience as a breast surgeon.

Why breast surgery? “I just have a passion for women’s health—and helping guide women through cancer,” she says.

Dr. Kish is also the mother of three young daughters, ages 5, 7 and 8. And this only deepens her commitment to caring for women.

And here’s what she’d like all women to know about breast cancer: “We have more knowledge than ever before about this disease,” she says. “And that means we can offer women highly effective treatments.”

BREAST CANCER: BY THE NUMBERS

89.7 4

%

The majority of women who get breast cancer will survive five years or more after being diagnosed.

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55–64

It’s most frequently diagnosed among women in this age range.

3-D MAMMOGRAPHY

A better view for finding breast cancer Mammograms save lives.

They do that by finding cancerous breast tumors when they’re still too tiny for a woman or her doctor to feel. And they can give women a potentially lifesaving head start on treatment.

But mammograms aren’t perfect.

They don’t find all breast cancers.

That’s why Nazareth Hospital is now offering women an advanced form of mammography not yet available at all hospitals: 3-D mammography.

“It helps doctors catch more cancers at an earlier stage,” says Karen Kish, MD, a Nazareth Hospital breast surgeon.

Better images, fewer callbacks As a woman, you won’t notice much difference between 3-D mammograms and standard 2-D ones—they feel the same.

The difference is that standard mammography only takes images of the breasts from two angles.

We are committed to providing nearby, and comprehensive, highquality breast care.

In contrast, 3-D mammography produces multiple three-dimensional images, taken from several angles.

Doctors are able to see separate slices of breast tissue and spot small tumors that otherwise might be hidden, says Lynne Taus, MD, a radiologist at Nazareth Hospital.

Still another plus: Better imaging cuts down on the number of women called back for more tests because of a suspicious finding. Although additional testing usually reveals everything is OK, the experience makes many women understandably anxious.

Given its many benefits, 3-D mammography is a good choice for any woman. But it’s especially beneficial for women with dense breasts, Dr. Taus says. Dense breasts make it harder to detect cancer in mammograms, and 3-D mammograms increase their accuracy.

Our expanded breast care program 3-D mammography is just part of Nazareth’s recent expansion of its breast care program.

That expansion includes Dr. Kish’s arrival last fall. And it means the Cancer Center now boasts an on-site—and highly skilled—breast surgeon.

These stepped-up services also include new responsibilities for Nazareth’s oncology nurse navigator, Terrie Cannon, BSN, RN, OCN. Terrie now assists any woman with abnormal mammogram results— answering questions, easing fears and coordinating care. Previously, she only assisted women with an actual diagnosis.

“But now I’m available at the first hint of something suspicious,” Terrie says.

As all of these changes show, we are committed to providing nearby— and comprehensive—high-quality breast care.

MAKE THE CALL To schedule a mammogram at Nazareth, call 215.335.6400.

You will need a prescription from your doctor.

4 steps for a better mammogram Time for a mammogram?

Whether this is your first test or you’re a veteran of the screening, remembering these four steps will help everything go smoothly: Schedule smart. Arrange a time when your breasts aren’t typically tender or swollen. If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, that’s usually the week after your period.

Skip the deodorant. It can show up on mammograms as white spots.

Show up prepared. If you’ve had a mammogram elsewhere, bring the past images with you. That way the old images can be compared to the new ones.

Share information. Tell your mammogram technician if you have any breast changes or problems or a history of breast cancer.

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Source: American Cancer Society

mercyhealth.org

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When you need a hand at home Sometimes you need a little help at home. And sometimes that little bit of help can help you stay in your home.

That’s the goal of Mercy Home Health, which sends nurses, therapists, social workers and health aides to homes throughout the Philadelphia area. They offer a hand to people who—without that bit of help—might otherwise need to be admitted to a hospital or moved into a nursing home.

“Most people do better when they’re at home,” says Ruth Martynowicz, Vice President of Operations at Mercy Home Health.

“It’s our goal to keep them there— out of the hospital or nursing home and in the community.”

Mercy Home Health provides a variety of services to about 3,000 people every day. Among these services: Skilled nursing care. A nurse can come to your home to help you manage a chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease or a lung condition. If you need help managing multiple medications or taking care of a wound, a nurse can help with those tasks too.

In-home telemonitoring. This program helps safely monitor patients from home. If you’re one of them, you’ll receive a monitor, a blood pressure cuff and other equipment so that health care

staff can check on things like your vital signs and weight seven days a week. “We can even do a mini-health assessment over the telemonitor,” Ruth says.

Rehabilitation therapy. If it’s hard for you to walk, talk or perform other daily activities, physical, occupational and speech therapists can help you get stronger or teach you new ways of doing those activities.

Palliative care. If you have a chronic condition like heart failure or lung disease, a palliative care nurse can teach you how to manage your symptoms. A social worker can talk to you and your family about quality of life improvements.

Support services. Home health aides can come to your home a few times a week to help with personal care, like bathing or getting dressed.

The Mercy-ful Companion program can provide companionship and spiritual support.

The kind of services you might be eligible for can depend on your health condition and what your doctor recommends.

COULD HOME HEALTH HELP YOU? If you’d like more information about Mercy Home Health, call 1.888.690.2551. Or visit mercyhomehealth.org.

Beyond the Emergency Department Many people who visit the Emergency Department could use some follow-up care at home once they are discharged. Mercy Home Health helps provide that care— which may help them avoid another trip to the Emergency Department or a future hospital stay.

Mercy Home Health offers programs

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to patients who might have been in the Emergency Department because of a wound that is not healing properly, an injury from a fall, complications from chronic illnesses like diabetes or high blood pressure, or even a reaction to a new medication.

“We bring the care to you,” says Rose Riggio, RN, Nurse Manager

for the Emergency Department Liaisons.

Going home after an Emergency Department visit can be stressful. Mercy Home Health gives patients and their families peace of mind, knowing that a registered nurse is coming to their home to ensure they are on the right path to healing.

HEART FAILURE

Menu makeover EATING WELL WITH COPD Eat better, breathe better?

It might sound a little strange, but if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), your diet can have an impact on how well your lungs work.

“COPD can vary in severity,” says Donna Raziano, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Home Health. “And, generally, if your lung disease is more severe, it can be taxing on your body. You may be using a lot of energy—or calories—to breathe. So you need to make sure your diet meets the demands of your respiratory rate.”

How do you do that? Dr. Raziano suggests focusing on a well-balanced diet that includes: Protein from eggs, lean meats and dairy products. If milk thickens your mucus, choose yogurt and cheese.

A good amount of fiber—gained from eating fruits; vegetables; and whole-grain products, like whole-grain bread and pasta.

A limited amount of added sugars, candies, sweet bakery products and sugary soft drinks.

Plenty of water. Not only will water ease a dry mouth; it will help thin mucus. Aim to drink six to eight glasses a day.

You also might want to switch to eating four to six small meals every day. Eating smaller amounts of food may help you breathe better. Also, eat your food slowly.

Sometimes indigestion becomes a problem for people with COPD, Dr. Raziano says. In that case, avoid foods that can make you feel full and gassy, such as beans and cabbage.

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GIVE US A CALL Interested in how Mercy Home Health can help you or a loved one? Call 1.888.690.2551.

Drink less, feel better WHY YOU MAY NEED TO DRINK FEWER FLUIDS When you have heart failure, it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for staying well. And one of those instructions might be to limit your fluid intake. Here’s why: Heart failure can cause fluid to build up in your body.

As a result, your legs might swell or you might feel out of breath. But limiting what you drink can help keep fluid from accumulating.

“It can help you feel better and lower your risk of having to go to the hospital,” says Linda Ricci, RN, BSN, a Mercy Home Health nurse.

Your doctor will tell you how much water or other fluids to drink every day. To track your fluid intake: •• Find out how much fluid your regular drinking glasses hold. That way you won’t have to measure every time.

•• Remember that some foods, like soup, and foods that melt (such as ice cream) contain fluid. So also count these as part of your fluid intake.

may mean your heart failure symptoms are changing and your treatment needs adjusting,” Linda states.

Call your doctor if your weight suddenly goes up.

Generally, that means by more than 2 to 3 pounds in a day or 5 pounds in a week. But ask your doctor for guidelines specifically related to your condition.

Watch for weight gain How can you tell if you’re retaining fluid? One of the best ways is to step on the scale every day—before you eat breakfast and after you use the bathroom.

“A sudden weight gain mercyhealth.org

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FIND OUT MORE Is bariatric surgery right for you?

Learn more about the surgery at www.mercybariatics.org. Click on “Getting Started” to see if you might be a candidate.

AND

The many benefits of bariatric surgery Bariatric surgery can help people lose a lot of weight. But these surgeries—there are several different kinds—offer benefits beyond weight loss. Abhiman B. Cheeyandira, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Nazareth Hospital, explains how bariatric surgery can help improve health.

How does bariatric surgery affect type 2 diabetes?

Answer: Bariatric surgery is especially helpful for obese people with type 2 diabetes. Their diabetes is often well-controlled just a few

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days after bariatric surgery—even before they start losing much weight.

Type 2 diabetes actually goes away in more than 60 percent of patients after bariatric surgery.

What about metabolic syndrome?

Answer: This syndrome—which is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and sleep apnea— is helped by bariatric surgery too.

That’s why it’s also called metabolic surgery. Those conditions often get better after surgery.

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help improve heartburn, asthma, heart disease, migraines, gout, arthritis, depression and a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome. There’s some evidence that it also might prevent certain types of cancer.

Why choose Nazareth Hospital for bariatric surgery?

Answer: We’re part of Mercy Bariatrics, which has had excellent outcomes for more than 14 years. We have a very talented team of surgeons, nutritionists, nurses and other staff.

Q

Getting to know you

Abhiman B. Cheeyandira, MD

Name: Abhiman B. Cheeyandira, MD Specialty: Bariatric surgery and general surgery (board certified)

Any other health benefits?

Answer: Bariatric surgery can

Medical school: Bangalore Medical College (India) Internship and residency: Abington Memorial Hospital Hahnemann University Hospital

Fellowship: Advanced Laparoscopic GI Surgery Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic, Florida Languages: English, Hindi and Kannada

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