/Journeys-Winter-2012

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice …” – William Jennings Bryan

WINTER 2012

JOURNEYS Going the

distance BryanLGH experts, like Dr. Brian Bossard, are receiving national attention as teachers and mentors.

JOURNEYS WINTER 2012

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FROM OUR PRESIDENT

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NEW AT BRYANLGH He’s spreading the hospitalist message

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BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE Introducing Dr. Robert Oakes: Determined to make a difference

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Cooking with the Cardiologists

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BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE Finding solutions: BHI cardiologist helps Melanie find answers

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NEW AT BRYANLGH The doctor will see you now

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MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT Ask the doctor: Do I need colonoscopy, upper endoscopy or endoscopic ultrasound?

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MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE New faces at BryanLGH

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CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER Taking charge to turn around osteoporosis

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BRYANLGH LIFEPOINTE Water promotes healing at LifePointe

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VOLUNTEER RESOURCES They hit the road for a great volunteer experience

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COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES For today’s students, simulation is reality

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CHS ALUMNI NEWS

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BRYANLGH 55PLUS

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BRYANLGH FOUNDATION

36 ACHIEVEMENTS 37

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Watch and learn Did you know BryanLGH has an online video library on YouTube? Videos are uploaded weekly and contain important community health information, inspiring stories and updates on BryanLGH events. These videos are great ways to learn about procedures and events to improve your life. You also can share these videos with friends through your favorite social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter.

To see our video library, scan the QR code above with a Watch how Bonnie Carr manages her smartphone or go to tremors with deep brain stimulation. www.youtube.com/ bryanlghhealth.

If you’ve signed up for a free YouTube account, you can Like, Favorite or even Subscribe to our video Catch up with Adam’s Race. channel. This will notify you when we’ve added a new video.

Let us know what you think in the video comment sections!

See how Sculptra® Aesthetic turns back the clock on aging.

ALL ABOUT JOURNEYS

STAY IN TOUCH

Statesman William Jennings Bryan, one of the original benefactors of BryanLGH, said:

We welcome your comments. For more information about Journeys, contact the Advancement team by calling 402-481-8674.

To learn more about BryanLGH programs and services, visit us online at www.bryanlgh.org.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

Journeys tells our story of how BryanLGH chooses to achieve. This free publication is mailed quarterly to our employees, physicians, volunteers and the communities we serve.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT Your contributions help us care for those who come to BryanLGH at every stage of life. To find out how you can participate, please contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-8605, or write to us at: BryanLGH Foundation 1600 S. 48th St. Lincoln, NE 68506

Kimberly Russel President & CEO, BryanLGH Health System John Woodrich President & COO, BryanLGH Medical Center John Trapp, MD Chief of Staff, BryanLGH Medical Staff Bob Ravenscroft Vice President of Advancement Edgar Bumanis Director of Public Relations Paul Hadley Editor

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

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hink about the people you consider experts in their fields.

When I consider those whom I admire for their expertise, I realize a common thread unites them: They willingly share their time, knowledge and skills to help others grow.

This edition of Journeys focuses on BryanLGH physicians and staff members whose work is having an impact beyond our immediate community — to the entire Midwest, across the country and in some cases internationally. Not only are patients coming to Lincoln for their health care, but BryanLGH experts are receiving national attention as teachers and mentors. Such sharing of knowledge and experience to help others is part of our mission and always will be.

Our focus on outreach is the perfect opportunity to recognize the member hospitals of Heartland Health Alliance.

It’s grown to become a network of 42 hospitals, including BryanLGH, that collaborates and shares resources for the betterment of health care throughout our state. It is a model of cooperation guided by a unified vision. I applaud my colleagues for their commitment and dedication.

This also is my chance to formally announce a collaborative effort between BryanLGH and the Husker Sports Network: to educate, train and mentor people across Nebraska

about concussions and the prevention of head trauma. We are uniquely positioned to be the medical center partner for this initiative and will commit the resources needed to protect our youth. Kudos to our staff and physicians, especially Dr. Daniel Tomes, who have taken great interest in head trauma prevention.

As new state law LB260 takes effect next summer, coaches, trainers, parents and teammates will receive tools and education to make them better advocates for athletes of all ages.

Helping you prepare for what’s next in your life will always be what’s next in ours. On behalf of all the staff, physicians and volunteers at BryanLGH Health System, thank you to everyone who is sharing knowledge and experience for the betterment of health care.

Kimberly A. Russel President and Chief Executive Officer BryanLGH Health System

BryanLGH Journeys 1

Brian Bossard, MD, and his team of hospitalists are improving hospital medicine in several Nebraska communities.

2 Winter 2012

NEW AT BRYANLGH

He’s spreading the hospitalist message •

Jenna flew into Lincoln to visit her new granddaughter and ended up being hospitalized herself.

• Mike was admitted to the hospital through the emergency room in the middle of the night.

• Donna’s physician sent her to the hospital for extensive testing.

popular that in 2002 Dr. Bossard left his private practice to establish Inpatient Physician Associates (IPA), a formal hospitalist program which supported his passion for medicine.

“I really like hospital medicine — it is what I was trained to do and it fits with my interest in educating residents,” he says.

Teaming up for improved care hat do these patients have in common? Their care was BryanLGH now has 20 hospitalists who rotate between managed by hospitalists — physicians who specialize BryanLGH East and BryanLGH West and handle more than in hospital medicine and 50,000 patient encounters per are available 24/7 at BryanLGH year, the result of referrals by Medical Center. roughly 1,000 local and regional n If people are admitted to BryanLGH but What started in the early physicians. Practically every local don’t have a physician, hospitalists will take 1990s as a way to care for physician participates in the care of them. For other patients, there’s also patients who did not have regular voluntary referral program. a good chance their primary care physician physicians has turned into a Across the country, use of will request that their care be managed by revolution in how most patients’ hospitalists is not the exception, Inpatient Physician Associates (IPA), a practice hospital care is managed. but more often the rule in today’s founded by Nebraska’s first hospitalist, Brian And Brian Bossard, MD, has health care environment. Though Bossard, MD. been at the forefront of that TV’s fictional Marcus Welby, movement. He founded the first MD, seemingly was able to do n Hospitalists are trained specifically in hospitalist service in Nebraska in everything, even he couldn’t be hospital medicine and treat patients only 1993, and that pioneering effort in the office and at the hospital at while in the hospital. proved to be a precursor to the the same time.

“We definitely don’t replace the primary formal program available today. care physicians, who are the experts for onMore time to focus going outpatient care; what we do is offer opHistory in the making “Honestly, what we used to portunities for primary care physicians to focus “I saw my first patient as do in traditional practice could their attention in the office,” Dr. Bossard says. a hospitalist at what was then be extremely challenging,” says Lincoln General Hospital,” he Dr. Bossard. “We would be in n Typically patients are admitted through the recalls. “I took care of patients the office all day and be at the emergency room, and then hospitalists review who didn’t have physicians or had hospital all night so the service patient records from personal physicians. physicians who weren’t available we provided was less than it “We always contact the primary care to manage their hospital care.” should have been. The hospitalist physician when the patient is dismissed or Eventually the hospitalist program allows physicians to when there is an unexpected event during medicine model became so focus on either their office the hospitalization,” says Dr. Bossard.

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BryanLGH Journeys 3

NEW AT BRYANLGH

Dr. Bossard (in lab coat at right) discusses the morning’s case load with his team of hospitalists at BryanLGH.

practice or their hospital practice — both full-time projects.

“It was thought that patient satisfaction could be the Achilles heel to hospital medicine, but that hasn’t happened. Sometimes there can be confusion at first, but once patients and families understand there are hospitalists literally in the hospital 24/7 for them, relationships build quickly.”

When it became clear IPA could expand to other communities and still support the Lincoln practice, Dr. Bossard’s group took their expertise outstate, beginning with the management of six full-time hospitalists at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte in 2009 and placing four full-time hospitalists at Columbus Regional Medical Center in Columbus in 2010.

North Platte and Columbus links Eric Schwartzkopf, MD, who has practiced for 18 years in North Platte, appreciates this expansion.

“I can take such better care of my

4 Winter 2012

patients since I have been turning them over to the hospitalists. I used to spend 100-120 hours a week with my practice and even when I got home at midnight I was on call for a week at a time. I am now able to see more patients, to review lab results and to really research their situations,” says Dr. Schwartzkopf.

Hospitalists cared for Great Plains patient Dorothy Brown when she had hip surgery. “They were very thorough. I could tell they had reviewed my history and were on top of my medical situation

NEW AT BRYANLGH — and I could tell they really cared about me,” she says.

Dr. Schwartzkopf says, “Now I can practice the way I always wanted to in an outpatient setting but couldn’t before because I also had the high demands of hospital care. Dr. Bossard has provided leadership by organizing the hospitalists to work as a cohesive unit to provide excellent care for my patients here.”

According to Dr. Bossard, “Through placement of hospitalists outstate, we are able to directly affect the patients and families in the communities we serve. I am very passionate about good things happening here at BryanLGH that should be shared outstate.”

BryanLGH staff members have reached out to the hospitals in both North Platte and Columbus to share expertise in

various areas, including how to manage very sick patients in the ICU. National recognition Dr. Bossard’s influence extends beyond Nebraska as he does informal and formal consulting to help others establish hospitalist programs. One of the pioneers of hospitalist medicine, he has served on the editorial advisory board for The Hospitalist, the publication of The Society of Hospital Medicine, and was among the first to be awarded the organization’s Fellow of Hospital Medicine designation.

Dr. Bossard also has made many contributions to textbooks and articles, including the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients, families and physicians throughout the region continue to benefit from his passion for hospital medicine. n For information on how you can support the hospitalist program at BryanLGH and beyond, call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

To learn more about Inpatient Physician Associates, log on to www.ipahospitalist.com.

IPA hospitalists Sri Suravarapu, MD, (left) and Jovanka Vuksanovic, MD, confer with Eric Schwartzkopf, MD, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte.

BryanLGH Journeys 5

After a busy day in the operating room at BryanLGH Medical Center, Dr. Robert Oakes looks forward to sharing time at home with Faye and their children, Logan (left), Chase and Hunter.

6 Winter 2012

BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE

Introducing Dr. Robert Oakes

Determined to make a difference Bolstered by a strong desire to make a difference in people’s health, Dr. Robert Oakes’ plans to become an auto mechanic eventually shifted to a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon.

“P

eople tell me I am living the American Dream,” Robert Oakes, MD, muses, “and I guess I have to agree.”

Cardiothoracic surgeon Oakes, who joined the BryanLGH Heart Institute in 2011, was born in Reno, Nev., where his father, a mechanic, and his mother, a former migrant farm worker and later a casino porter, struggled to make ends meet. When he was 10, his parents separated and he and his father moved to Yuma, Ariz.

The youngest of five siblings, Dr. Oakes was the only one to graduate from high school.

He planned to be an auto mechanic, like his dad.

“I enjoyed working on automobiles and I never thought of college, never took SATs or ACTs. I worked odd jobs, and it wasn’t until I took the exam to become a Marine that I realized I had potential for going to college,” he says. “I took automotive and engine rebuilding classes at the local community college and then started thinking I wanted to do something that meant more to me, and it seemed like medicine was the one area where it would really make

a difference if I could do something great.”

Living with his father proved to be a significant influence on Dr. Oakes’ career choice. “My father was in ill health — my first significant interaction with medicine was through his hospitalizations and other medical care when I was growing up and caring for him.”

And Dr. Oakes sees that certain aspects of being a mechanic transition into being a surgeon.

“Part of being a good surgeon is having pride in craftsmanship. Seeing your finished product and saying to yourself, ‘You know, that’s really good quality,’” he says. “And I don’t think that everyone has that. If you don’t work with your hands, it is not part of your core and you don’t get the same gratification.”

To college and beyond “I took a summer job doing research in a hospital in Salt Lake City, which resulted in shared publication of research in Science magazine, which was a really big deal, ” he said. This led to Dr. Oakes’ transfer to the University of Arizona in Tucson for premed studies, to Tokyo, Japan, to conduct

BryanLGH Journeys 7

research, and then on to his applying for medical school.

“While I was at Arizona, I dreamed of succeeding in those old Northeast colleges, Ivy League schools like Johns Hopkins and Harvard and Yale. So I applied to them and was accepted at all of them.” Dr. Oakes believes selection committees were intrigued with his background and the out-of-the-ordinary path he had taken. Having chosen Harvard Medical School, he worked very hard to excel. “I had a good work ethic and cared about doing a good job — I think this gave me an advantage over my peers,” he says.

Dr. Oakes not only graduated from the medical school at Harvard (2002) and completed a general surgery residency and cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery fellowships at Stanford University Medical Center (2009), he also was chief resident for general surgery at Stanford and for cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

Only 39, Dr. Oakes already has earned certification by the American Board of Surgery.

Choosing our community Dr. Oakes interviewed all over the country — from California to Florida to Minnesota to Virginia — and determined that the best opportunity was here at BryanLGH Medical Center. “The hospital is great, the cardiothoracic surgery program is very strong, BryanLGH has a solid tradition, and the people here are very forward thinking and open to innovation,” he says.

And, just as important, he and his family fell in love with Lincoln. With three little boys, ages 8, 4, and 3, the Oakes wanted to move away from large cities to a community that was more in tune with raising their family. Lincoln fit that bill with its college town atmosphere and perfect size. “There is so much for families to do here — even more so it seems than in Boston.”

Dr. Oakes’ wife, Faye, whom he met while at Harvard, is a marriage and family therapist who is enjoying staying home with their children and becoming involved in local activities.

Though at the hospital a great deal, in his free time you may see Dr. Oakes running. “I just take off, day or night —

Dr. Robert Oakes is a contributing author to the latest edition of Cardiac Surgery in the Adult, a classic reference text used to train other cardiac surgeons.

put on my headlight and run — sometimes taking off at nine or 10 at night and finishing up at four in the morning.” In addition to ultra-endurance running, Dr. Oakes participates in Ironman Triathlons. Why? “It’s a challenge — something that you wonder if you can do or not — something that has a reasonable possibility of failure.”

Giving back Dr. Oakes is a contributing author to the 2012 edition of a textbook used to train future cardiac surgeons, Cardiac Surgery

8 Winter 2012

BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE in the Adult, by Lawrence Cohn, MD, former chief of cardiac surgery at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

This February, Dr. Oakes is spending two weeks in Rwanda, Africa, with Team Heart, a privately funded group staffed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is one of three cardiac surgeons on a team of 40 medical professionals who will provide free cardiac surgery to patients in that poverty stricken country. Ralph Morton Bolman, III, MD, organizer of Team Heart and chief of cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been a mentor for Dr. Oakes in both cardiothoracic surgery and in humanitarian efforts.

“Dr. Bolman has taught me that there are many different ways you can care for people, both by doing great things in cardiothoracic surgery and also sharing that expertise with those less fortunate,” says Dr. Oakes.

Future at BryanLGH Dr. Oakes’ experience in advanced cardiothoracic surgical techniques at Harvard and Stanford will be beneficial to BryanLGH patients. New technologies and procedures include greater emphasis on valve repair instead of valve replacement; the ability to do aortic valve surgeries with increased safety;

and more minimally invasive approaches to lung resections and cancer operations previously unavailable here. In addition, a bigger range of procedures will be possible with the newly acquired, upgraded DaVinci robot for minimally invasive surgery.

“The goal of our practice is to expand beyond what is currently being offered in Lincoln — to have the full breadth of cardiothoracic surgery available to our patients so they don’t have to travel outside of Lincoln or the Midwest,” Dr. Oakes says.

“My partner, Dr. Richard Thompson, and I, along with BryanLGH Heart Institute, are building the infrastructure to provide the highest quality and most innovative cardiac procedures to any person who comes through our door.” n For information on how you can support heart care at BryanLGH, contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-8605.

Dr. Oakes (right), physician assistant Derek Howell and surgical technician Lindsey Goodenberger team up to perform a coronary bypass and repair a patient’s heart valve at BryanLGH Medical Center.

BryanLGH Journeys 9

COMMUNITY EVENTS BryanLGH Community Education and 55PLUS offer these free seminars from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Plaza Conference Center at BryanLGH East, 1600 S. 48th St. To register for these and other events, call 402-481-8886 or toll free 1-800-742-7844, or go to www.bryanlgh.org/calendar.

Thursday, Feb. 9 Atrial Fibrillation: An Overview Cardiologist Michael Kutayli, MD, of BryanLGH Heart Institute discusses diagnosis and treatment options for this common irregular heart rhythm.

Tuesday, Feb. 28 Eight Critical Questions for Mourners … and Answers That Will Help You Heal When loss enters your life, you’re faced with many choices.

Dr. Alan Wolfelt, director and founder of the Center for Loss, provides answers to questions that will help you clarify your experiences and make choices that honor the transformational nature of grief and loss.

and

present

Cooking with the Cardiologists All sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $10.

Join BryanLGH Heart Institute cardiologists and Hy-Vee registered dietitians to learn how to prepare heart-healthy, low-cholesterol foods with a popular celebrity chef menu.

Generous food samples will be provided. Samples include Smart Chicken products. Registration is required. Limited space available — call the corresponding number below because sessions sell out fast!

Monday, Feb. 20 Hy-Vee 70th & Pioneers Call 402-489-4244.

10 Winter 2012

Monday, Feb. 20 Hy-Vee 40th & Old Cheney Call 402-421-2462.

Tuesday, Feb. 21 Hy-Vee 27th & Superior Call 402-477-4764.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 Hy-Vee 50th & O Street Call 402-314-6704.

Thursday, Feb. 23 Hy-Vee 84th & Holdrege Call 402-467-5505.

BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE

Finding solutions Dr. Srikumar helps diagnose unusual heart condition

BryanLGH Journeys 11

BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE

BHI cardiologist helps Melanie find answers

W

hen Melanie Gutzmer’s primary doctor in Columbus insisted that she give the new cardiologist in town a try, she was leery of getting her hopes up. She feared hearing the same answers she’d already heard from two other cardiologists: that they weren’t sure what was going on but would continue to monitor her situation.

She took the insistence to heart, though, and in March 2011 — after battling symptoms for several years with no relief — met with BryanLGH Heart Institute (BHI) cardiologist Nadarajah Srikumar, MD, at his full-time practice in Columbus. Within a week, he diagnosed her illness: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disorder affecting 1 in 500 Americans, in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick and affects blood flow through the heart and makes it harder for the heart to pump blood.

“At my first visit with Dr. Srikumar,” Gutzmer says, “he took the time to read my medical chart in detail and had prepared a series of questions for me to answer.” His patience when asking and answering questions allowed them to work well together to determine effective solutions.

After his medical examination and review of echocardiograms, and with a clear understanding of her symptoms, Dr. Srikumar did a heart catheterization — one of the procedures he performs when he treks once a week to the BryanLGH Heart Institute’s main campus in Lincoln.

“The symptoms were there for a reason, and he wanted to know why,” Gutzmer says. “This is something no other cardiologist had ever suggested.”

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often goes undiagnosed because many with the disease have few, if any, symptoms. Gutzmer, however, faced them daily.

“In addition to having ‘normal’ symptoms in exertion mode — shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations and lightheadedness — I had these in resting mode, as well.”

Because of the unusual symptoms, after his diagnosis Dr. Srikumar referred her to Mayo Clinic’s hypertrophic cardiomyopathy clinic in Rochester, Minn., for consideration of treatment options.

“Dr. Srikumar advised me prior to going to Mayo what my options may be; therefore, there were no surprises,” Gutzmer explains. “He did an excellent job educating me on the disorder and its treatment options.”

While she is aware the disorder may lead to surgery to reduce the muscle thickening, first things first: a twice-daily medical therapy of a beta blocker — a drug that relieves stress on the heart — along with

12 Winter 2012

dietary management and a supervised exercise program under the direction of Dr. Srikumar.

Also on the horizon may be Dr. Srikumar’s placement of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator — an electronic device that monitors heart rate and rhythm and delivers energy to the heart muscle when the device detects an abnormal rhythm.

Gutzmer is grateful for Dr. Srikumar’s diagnosis of the disorder that places people at risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms that can cause sudden cardiac death.

“My family is at high risk, and we never would have known,” she says. “Not only could the diagnosis save my life, but some day the lives of my sons, if they should ever develop the disease.”

Melanie’s sons, who participate in football, wrestling and baseball, have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the genetic mutation that causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. “Now they will be monitored annually, so the risk of sudden death is much lower,” she says.

In addition to children of those with the disorder, siblings also are at risk. As a result, medical professionals urge close relatives of anyone with the disorder to talk with their doctors about getting screened for the disease.

BHI physicians say their pursuit is to create personal relationships, provide compassionate care, put patients first and deliver a better future to the more than 30 communities across four states they serve.

Gutzmer can testify to this.

“BryanLGH Heart Institute and Dr. Srikumar are second to none,” she says. “My life and the life of my family are much better today. It was a very trying experience to first hear of my condition, but the incredible professionalism and sincere demeanor of Dr. Srikumar and the BHI team made my transition as a heart patient easier.”

Today with the help of medication, Gutzmer’s symptoms are fewer.

“They used to be several times per day and now are limited to weekly and sometimes even further,” she says.

That’s welcomed news to Dr. Srikumar. “One of the greatest accomplishments for me is when I am able to help my patients know exactly what is going on and then help them decide on treatments to make them feel better,” he says.

“Every day is a new beginning, and the medical professionals I was blessed with make each day toward rehabilitation and a higher quality of life that much better,” Gutzmer concludes. “Technology and God’s grace allow me to see another day and my family with each sunrise.” n For information on how you can support heart care at BryanLGH, contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-8605.

Melanie Gutzmer visits with Dr. Srikumar at his full-time practice in Columbus.

BryanLGH Journeys 13

Physicians, like Jalal Nafach, MD, embrace teleconferencing for its immediate link to out-of-town patients. Sally Meents (right) and her mother, JoAnne (center), join DeAnn Carpenter, RN, in a conversation at Hastings’ Mary Lanning Memorial HealthCare with Dr. Nafach at BryanLGH.

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NEW AT BRYANLGH

The doctor will see you now Teleconferencing conquers distance to save time and travel for patients and their physicians

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hen combined with shopping or other activities, traveling to Lincoln from outstate Nebraska to see a physician specialist can be an enjoyable trip. But diabetes patient Sally Meents and her mother, JoAnne, are thankful they need to travel only 30 miles from their farm southeast of Blue Hill to see a Lincoln-based endocrinologist.

Lincoln is 125 miles from Blue Hill — but for the past seven years, a telemedicine program offered by BryanLGH Medical Center and Mary Lanning Memorial HealthCare of Hastings has shortened the distance those in Blue Hill and other surrounding communities must travel for diabetes care.

The telemedicine clinic draws 35-40 patients per month from a 75-mile radius of Hastings — and for many patients, like Sally, it allows them to receive care they may not be able to access otherwise.

“We are so thankful for this program as it allows Sally to receive ongoing specialty care,” JoAnne Meents says. She adds, “It would be a hardship to travel to Lincoln several times a year.”

Three months of the year, endocrinologist Jalal Nafach, MD, travels to Hastings to evaluate new patients in the diabetes clinic at Mary Lanning; the other nine months of the year, patients are managed through interactive video conferencing from BryanLGH via the Nebraska State Telehealth Network.

For these long-distance visits,

registered nurses DeAnn Carpenter and Rejean Elting are in Hastings where they take patient vitals and share test results with the endocrinologist who is on the other end of the video conference at BryanLGH in Lincoln. Each patient, accompanied

by Carpenter or Elting, meets privately with Dr. Nafach via interactive video conference as he reviews and adjusts treatment plans and provides orders for implementation.

Patients and nurses believe telemedicine through interactive video conferencing can be as effective as in-person visits for ongoing management of diabetes. Physicians specializing in trauma medicine, vascular diseases and mental health also are using video conferencing from BryanLGH to assess patients outside of Lincoln.

“The quality of care Sally receives through the video conferencing is just like when the doctor is actually in the room,“ JoAnne Meents says.

“Diabetes is all about numbers — blood sugar readings and lab results,” adds Carpenter, diabetes program coordinator at Mary Lanning Memorial Healthcare.

“You can evaluate these over the TV just as easily as face to face,” she continues. “And our program has the added benefit of nurses working here in Hastings to complement the Lincoln specialist.” n

“ We are so thankful for this program as it allows Sally to receive ongoing specialty care,” says her mother, JoAnne Meents.

For information on how you can support telemedicine at BryanLGH, contact the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

BryanLGH Journeys 15

MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Ask the doctor: Do I need colonoscopy, upper endoscopy or endoscopic ultrasound?

Q. What is colonoscopy?

Colonoscopy is an important medical procedure during which the large intestine is examined by a lighted scope. With colonoscopy, we have the ability to take biopsies, remove polyps and potentially treat causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Q. How can colonoscopy help me?

Colonoscopy can be used to diagnose and treat a number of gastrointestinal conditions that include rectal bleeding and alteration of bowel habit, and sometimes for determining sources of abdominal pain. Most importantly, colonoscopy can identify colon polyps, specifically adenomas, which are the typical precursors to the development of colon cancer.

Q. Is the procedure safe?

In the hands of trained individuals (gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons), colonoscopy is extremely safe. Potential complications of bleeding, infection, adverse reaction to medications and colon perforation are quite unusual.

Q. Is the procedure painful?

No. With appropriate sedation, patients are very comfortable during the examination and have little to no recollection of the examination.

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Mark Griffin, MD, of Gastroenterology Specialties

MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT Q. When should I have colonoscopy and how often?

The average-risk patient should have colonoscopy at age 50. If the preparation is good and no precancerous polyps (adenomas) are identified, the typical interval is 10 years. If adenomas are identified, the interval is shortened based on the number and size of adenomas removed.

African-Americans should begin screening at age 45. Patients with a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps also should begin at a younger age. These patients also require screening at a shorter interval, typically every five years. There also are other medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease and certain malignancies, in which screening is started at a younger age, and the interval between examinations is shortened.

Q. What body parts is colonoscopy checking?

Colonoscopy is helpful only for identifying abnormalities of the colon and distalmost aspect of the small bowel, known as the terminal ileum. It is not a test for abnormalities of the prostate or female reproductive tract.

Q. Why are conditions that damage the esophagus of concern?

Most commonly, when we think of esophageal damage, it occurs with prolonged reflux of gastric (stomach) contents into the esophagus. This can cause inflammation in the esophagus which can cause development of the pre-malignant disorder known as Barrett’s esophagus.

abdominal pain, ulcer disease and making a tissue diagnosis of the disorder known as celiac disease, or sprue.

Q. What’s being done to help patients with conditions of the esophagus?

We have many modalities at our disposal to help identify esophageal disorders and thereby initiate appropriate therapy. While upper endoscopy is one of the diagnostic procedures, in appropriate clinical situations we also use barium X-ray, pH testing and esophageal manometry, which is an esophageal examination designed to determine abnormalities of esophageal movement.

Q. What is a new technology called a high-resolution esophageal motility study?

This exciting technology allows the gastroenterologist to more completely and more accurately diagnose disorders of esophageal movement and esophageal function.

Q. Who is a candidate for endoscopic ultrasound?

Endoscopic ultrasound allows for advanced imaging of gastrointestinal, and sometimes extra-gastrointestinal, organs. In short, the ultrasound probe on the end of an endoscope allows an ultrasound to be done from the “inside out.” While the indications for endoscopic ultrasound are ever-expanding, it is quite useful for diagnosing and staging malignancies of the esophagus, pancreas and rectum. It is very helpful in distinguishing and sampling abnormalities of the pancreas, an organ that has been historically difficult to access.

Q. What is upper endoscopy with HALO ablation?

Upper endoscopy is the procedure used for assessment of the upper gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small intestine, known as the duodenum). During upper endoscopy, a lighted scope is placed via the mouth so that the above-mentioned organs can be examined. This, too, is performed with the use of sedation in most instances. HALO ablation refers to a new therapy aimed at eradicating (ablating) certain lining tissue of the upper gastrointestinal tract. While HALO was specifically designed to ablate the premalignant disorder known as Barrett’s esophagus, its use is expanding into other medical diagnoses.

Q. How does a person benefit from this diagnostic procedure?

Advanced diagnostics and staging are imperative in order to plan an appropriate treatment strategy for the above-mentioned disorders and malignancies.

For more information about these procedures, contact the BryanLGH Gastrointestinal Specialties Department at 402-481-8630.

Q. What does upper endoscopy diagnose?

Upper endoscopy is used for diagnosing disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. These include disorders of swallowing, heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), upper

BryanLGH Journeys 17

MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE

New faces at

BryanLGH Welcome these colleagues to the BryanLGH medical community Arshad Ali, MD, interventional cardiology, joined the Great Plains Heart & Vascular Center at Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte, 308-696-8577.

Dr. Arshad graduated from the Rawalpindi Medical College, Pakistan, in 1984 and completed an internal medicine residency at the State University of New York, Buffalo. He next completed a cardiovascular fellowship at Ochsner Foundation Hospital and Clinic, New Orleans, and a second fellowship in coronary and peripheral interventions at St. John Hospital, Detroit. This board-certified physician is a member of the Royal College of Physicians, London, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, as well as the sub-specialties of interventional cardiology and cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Arshad has held teaching positions at Rawalpindi Medical College, the State University of New York, Buffalo, and Wayne State University, Detroit. Before moving to Nebraska, he practiced in Ashland, Ky. Katie Fossen, MD, obstetrics and gynecology, joined Gynecology & Fertility, 402-483-2886.

She graduated in 2007 from the Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, where she also completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency. Dr. Fossen is a Lincoln native who earned a bachelor’s in biopsychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln.

18 Winter 2012

Matthew Glathar, MD, nephrology, joined Lincoln Nephrology and Hypertension, 402-484-5600.

Dr. Glathar graduated from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, in 2005 and was the chief internal medicine resident at the University of Chicago and chief nephrology fellow at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Before enrolling in medical school, Dr. Glathar earned a bachelor’s in biochemistry at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Hao Hsu, MD, pediatric cardiology, is associated with Pediatric Cardiology of Omaha, 402-955-4350.

He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, in 2004 and completed a pediatrics residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and a cardiology fellowship at the University of Florida, Gainesville, as well as an advanced imaging fellowship at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Dr. Hsu is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. He earned a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and has had research findings published. He also served as a medical missionary in Texas and Mexico and participated in a pediatric cardiology mission project at Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica.

He is an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha.

Elizabeth Johnson, DDS, pediatric dentistry, joined Lincoln Pediatric Dentistry, 402-476-1500.

Dr. Johnson graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry, Lincoln, in 2009 and completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha.

MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE Kara Meinke Baehr, MD, endocrinology, joined Nebraska Endocrinology Specialists, 402-484-3440. She graduated in 2006 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, where she also completed an internal medicine residency.

Dr. Meinke Baehr is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Kearney, before enrolling in medical school.

She was involved in endocrinology research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, where Dr. Meinke Baehr completed a diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism fellowship. She also served on a medical mission trip to Falmouth, Jamaica.

Sonya Reynolds, MD, pediatrics, joined Complete Children’s Health, 402-465-5600.

She graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in 2008 and completed a pediatric residency program at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Dr. Reynolds earned a bachelor’s in biology and Spanish at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, and served in Quito, Ecuador, with Interhealth South America.

Richard Thompson, MD, cardiothoracic surgery, joined BryanLGH Cardiothoracic Surgeons, 402-481-8430.

He graduated from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1999 and completed a research fellowship and general surgery residency at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Dr. Thompson is board-certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery; before moving to Lincoln, he practiced in Lancaster, Pa. He has published many manuscripts and abstracts and has presented at numerous national and international meetings. Dr. Thompson also is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Chest Physicians.

Joshua Vest, DPM, podiatry, joined Capital Foot Center, 402-483-4485.

He graduated from the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines, Iowa, in 2008 and completed a reconstructive foot and ankle surgery residency at Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, Detroit.

Detroit Medical Center includes Detroit Receiving Hospital and Children’s Hospital of MIchigan — both Level 1 Trauma Centers. Dr. Vest’s residency included training in podiatric surgery, trauma surgery, pediatric injuries and reconstructive surgery.

He received additional advanced training in total ankle joint replacement surgery and is an associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Shawn Wade, MD, emergency medicine, joined Nebraska Emergency Medicine, 402-481-8644.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2006 and was the chief emergency medicine resident at Spectrum HealthButterworth Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dr. Wade is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. While a resident, he worked at Hackley Campus-Mercy Health Partners, Muskegon, Mich. Before moving to Lincoln, Dr. Wade was associated with Premier Health Care in Papillion. He also earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at Wayne State College, Nebraska.

Pamela West, MD, pediatrics, joined Complete Children’s Health, 402-465-5600. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 1999 and completed a pediatric internship and residency through the Medical College of Wisconsin at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Dr. West is board-certified and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Before joining Complete Children’s Health, she was associated with Children’s Medical Group-Mayfair General Pediatrics Practice in Milwaukee and was an attending physician and volunteer teaching faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

BryanLGH Journeys 19

Taking charge to turn around osteoporosis

L

onnie Studt only took a bone mineral density (BMD) test because it was on her checklist — one of the things her doctor recommended she do when she turned 50.

“Kind of like a 100,000 mile tuneup,” she says with a smile.

She never considered that the results would be anything but normal. That’s why her first thought was that someone had made a mistake.

“No symptoms. No warnings. No family history. I was just sure I had gotten somebody else’s scores.”

The results Russell Ebke, MD, showed her in 2004 were no mistake and not to be taken lightly. Studt had osteoporosis in her hip and osteopenia — a lower than normal BMD that can become osteoporosis given time — in her spine. The condition can lead to fractures, loss of height, stooped posture, low back pain and other

20 Winter 2012

conditions. They had to be proactive and move fast.

It took more than Dr. Ebke’s patient encouragement for the diagnosis to sink in. The seriousness of it hit her as she roller skated with her 4-year-old grandson soon after the diagnosis. He was hanging onto her hand as they slipped around the edges of the rink.

“The thought just hit me that if I fell, I would probably break a hip. I want to enjoy life with my grandkids, not worry about a pin in my hip,” she remembers.

Studt committed to the work it would take to push her bone density readings back into the normal range.

She would need that willpower and commitment to see it through, especially one year later, when eating more calcium, moderate exercise and Fosamax® medication hadn’t budged her readings. In fact, they were worse.

Her doctor began talking about an injection she would have to

CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER give herself in the stomach and side effects she did not want. Instead, they decided she would try a higher dose of the Fosamax® and add weight-bearing exercise to her routine.

“I still wanted to turn this around on my own,” she says, sitting in the BODYPUMP™ workout room in Crete. “I wanted to stick with it no matter what. No excuses.”

When she says no excuses, she means it.

Excuses did not form her chiseled biceps and lean, muscular frame. And excuses did not turn her bone density readings around.

What did?

“A lot of it was this,” she says, gesturing around the BODYPUMP™ studio.

Each weekday morning, Studt’s alarm clock goes off at 4:50 a.m.

She grabs the bag of exercise clothes packed the night before and drives from her home in Wilber to Crete for 5:45 a.m. spinning and circuit weight-training classes.

Ninety minutes later, she is changed and at her desk as a transcriptionist at the Crete Area Medical Center.

“The trick is to not even think about it. When the alarm goes off, don’t think ‘Maybe I won’t go today.’ Don’t even think of it as an option,” says Studt.

She found out she loved working out in the morning. The mother of three and grandmother of two realized it was the time of day that no one needed anything from her.

Her favorite class sets weight lifting to music. She now lifts up to 40 pounds on her shoulders during squatting and lunging exercises.

“That really helps my spine and hips. Repetitions are important, but when you are working on bone density you do need to increase weight.”

She combined the exercise with a better diet. She started to include a lot of dairy, which is not her favorite food group. She eats two yogurts a day, sneaks in yummy milk products like ice cream and takes calcium supplements. She also cut back on consumption of cola products, which some research has linked as a contributing factor in osteopenia and osteoporosis.

After one year of the new diet, weight-bearing exercise and the increased Fosamax®, her BMD readings had turned around. Her spine was in the normal range, and her hip was much better.

“No more osteoporosis.”

Today, her readings are good enough that she can go two years between screenings. She has even talked with her doctor about lowering her medicine.

“When I saw that my readings had improved so much, it was like a light bulb came on,” Studt says. “I thought ‘I can control this and rebuild myself, and I’ve found such a fun and easy way to do it.’”

She is grateful both for the BMD screening and the fact that she took it at Crete Area Medical Center.

“Everything turned around because of the guidance of the Crete Area Medical Center medical staff. Without them, I wouldn’t have known what to do.” She shares her success story as a reminder to others about the importance of the simple little test she never expected would mean anything to her.

Studt and her commitment to managing her health is the spirit behind Crete Area Medical Center and BryanLGH LifePointe’s most recent outreach program — STEP UP. STEP UP is a worksite wellness program designed to help employees achieve optimal health and reduce employers’ health care costs. It focuses on empowering employees through prevention, early detection of disease, assessment of risk factors and active management of chronic disease. It provides employers actionable information to affect the health of employees and in effect lower direct and indirect health care costs.

The program includes four key components: health risk appraisals, biometric screenings, health coaching and incentives.

All phases are being implemented at Crete Area Medical Center and several other industry partners.

Whether it’s bone density, diabetes management or weight loss, we want to help you STEP UP to a healthier way of life. n For more information about the STEP UP worksite wellness program, contact Drew Erks, ATC, at 402-826-6595.

Use your smartphone QR application to access this code and see a video in which Lonnie Studt shares her story about early detection of osteoporosis and her personal quest to reverse the disease.

CAMC wins Cornerstone Award recognition Crete Area Medical Center received the city’s Crete Community Cornerstone Award. Doctors and staff of CAMC live and work in the community and provide nationally recognized health care. While raising their families and volunteering their time and talents, every day they prove to be valuable members of the community and help make Crete a better place to live.

BryanLGH Journeys 21

BRYANLGH LIFEPOINTE

Water

promotes healing at LifePointe

Monica Sands finds the warm water therapy pool at LifePointe just what the doctor ordered to help her rehabilitate after knee replacement surgery.

22 Winter 2012

BRYANLGH LIFEPOINTE

T

doing the water therapy on her own, she can walk without her cane he healing properties of water have been known and and says she’s felt more progress in the few months at LifePointe harnessed by many civilizations since antiquity. Today, than in the previous 10 months of land-based therapy. Her trainer that still holds true. At LifePointe, two pools provide is working with her on land-based routines now, and she is feeling physical therapy and aqua fitness classes that benefit more positive every day about getting back to her normal life. She’s many types of clients. even started to lose weight, another factor in her health issues.

Monica Sands of Martell is a believer in the healing powers of “My strength and endurance is water. When a year of physical therapy so much better,” she says. “I don’t brought her little to no relief after think I would be where I am today knee replacement surgery, she felt without the warm water therapy at discouraged.

LifePointe. Everyone is so helpful and “I struggled for a year after my knee replacement, with doctors telling friendly here. Not just the staff, but me it would just take time,” she says. the other members, too. There is a lot Still, she wasn’t getting better, and the of support and that makes you want swelling and pain were taking their toll. to continue,” she says.

“I felt like I had traded one bad Sands now is a member at knee for another bad knee,” she says.

LifePointe and looks forward to Finally, Sands saw a different joining some of the aquatic fitness health care provider who discovered classes offered in the other heated that she had other problems that pool at LifePointe. contributed to her bad knee. In fact, Kristi Beyer is an exercise Kristi Beyer, an ASCM-certified exercise she learned, osteoarthritis in her lower physiologist and health coach who physiologist with more than 15 years experience, back coupled with hip and ankle issues, teaches some of the many water leads an aquatics class at LifePointe. helped to cause her knee pain and classes at LifePointe, which are degradation. “I wasn’t using my body separate from the physical therapy correctly,” she says. services. She says she’s not surprised with Sands’ success in the The provider sent her home with a brace and a prescription for water. warm water therapy at LifePointe.

“Water is a unique medium where those with all abilities can benefit,” Beyer points out.

There, Sands worked for a month with physical therapist Cindy LifePointe’s water options include lap swimming, Aqua Jump Fluitt, doing the same type of rehabilitative exercises she would do “on land,” such as walking, balance activities and lower extremity Start, Aqua Strength and Stretch Express, Arthritis Therapy, and Deep strengthening exercises. But in the water, there is much less weight Water Dynamics, to name a few. on the joint, and hence, there is less pain.

“There truly are many, many benefits of working out in the water “Warm water in itself is therapeutic,” Fluitt says. “And the — muscle endurance and toning, cardiovascular fitness, improved compressive force of the water helped with her swelling. When flexibility, improved core strength, less stress on the joints, your patients like Monica don’t have to bear their body weight, they are body temperature stays cooler, and so many more,” Beyer says. “And, able to do the initial therapy with less pain, then transition to landif done correctly, you can burn as many calories as you can with a based therapy, which is, of course, the ultimate goal.” comparable land-based exercise.” n At LifePointe, the warm water therapy pool is a comfortable 92 degrees, and the ramp into the pool (which is called zero entry) To learn more about the aquatic classes and opportunities at means that those who have difficulty getting into conventional pools BryanLGH LifePointe, log on to www.bryanlgh.com/aquatic, or call — even patients in wheelchairs — can access and benefit from the 402-481-6300. warm, healing waters.

According to Sands, those waters have done the trick. Now

BryanLGH Journeys 23

VOLUNTEER RESOURCES

Alice and Mancel McGill travel from their home in Waverly twice a week to volunteer at BryanLGH East.

24 Winter 2012

VOLUNTEER RESOURCES

They hit the road for a great volunteer experience Mancel and Alice McGill, and Erma McGill (Erma’s husband was Mancel’s cousin) all live in the Waverly area.

Each week, they hit the highway and drive about 20 miles to Lincoln to volunteer at BryanLGH Medical Center. They’ve been trekking to Lincoln for more than 12 years. To them, the rewards are so profound that they don’t even notice the drive.

Catch a glimpse of these remarkable volunteers.

“I really enjoy volunteering.” — Alice McGill On Mondays and Wednesdays, Mancel McGill’s collection of clocks chime out that it’s time to go to work at BryanLGH. He volunteers in the gastrointestinal lab and admissions, and Alice McGill, 78`, works as an information desk receptionist at the Bryan Medical Plaza. The couple has logged more than 3,500 volunteer hours each.

“I really enjoy volunteering,” says Alice. “I meet so many great people and I get to direct them to where they need to go.”

“People are anxious when they come in,” says Mancel, 81.

“I try to ease their fears. I think everyone ought to volunteer once in their lives.”

“BryanLGH has been our family hospital,” adds Alice.

Mancel’s granddad was a physician in Greenwood who always sent his patients to what was then Bryan Memorial Hospital.

“We had all of our children here.”

So when Alice retired as a buyer for National Crane Corp., and Mancel retired from farming, they wanted to keep busy.

Since Erma McGill (see story at right) already was a volunteer, Alice suggested they try it, too. So they began in February 1999.

Alice grew up in the Havelock area of Lincoln and graduated from Northeast High. Mancel grew up on a farm near Waverly and graduated from Waverly High. He joined the National Air Guard and served during the Korean War. Mancel and Alice met on a blind date shortly before he left for active duty. They wrote many letters during his enlistment, and after he returned home, they married on Jan. 3, 1953.

Mancel continued to work on the McGill family farm, and when

he retired, the couple relocated into Waverly, and their son took over the farm.

“I have moved five miles in 81 years,” Mancel jokes.

They have a busy life besides their volunteering at BryanLGH. They are active at Bethlehem Covenant Church, where Alice sings in the choir and is active in the Women’s Quilting Group, and Mancel is head usher and a greeter.

Alice has been a member of the Lancaster County Chorus and is an avid Nebraska volleyball and football fan. Mancel gives tours at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, where he has developed a talk about each airplane. The couple belongs to a card party that started in 1956, and the members still get together to play cards. For exercise, they enjoy a walk through the park in Waverly whenever they can.

Both Alice and Mancel highly recommend volunteering at BryanLGH. “I tell other people that they should,” says Alice.

“It helps us to share our time. It gives us something to look forward to each day.”

Mancel notes, “We get exercise and we meet people. It gives you a different outlook on life. It’s a joy.”

“We’re helping people.” — Erma McGill “Bryan has a special place in my heart,” Erma McGill, 79, explains. Her sister graduated from the Bryan School of Nursing, and Erma would visit her at the William Jennings Bryan home where she lived when it was a dormitory. Her father-in-law used to live on South 48th Street and played with the Bryan family as a child. The house where her father-in-law lived is still standing.

She adds, “My four children were all born at BryanLGH.” When she retired from being a school secretary in Waverly, volunteering at BryanLGH was a natural choice.

Erma works at the Plaza information desk on Fridays, where she gives directions and takes people in wheelchairs to different locations. “You have to know where almost everything is,” she says. “We’re helping people. Everyone who comes in

BryanLGH Journeys 25

VOLUNTEER RESOURCES has some kind of a problem. All of the volunteers enjoy people and being helpful.”

Erma lives on the farm where she’s been for 58 years, which includes a red barn, a green tractor, 200 head of cattle and a black Labrador named Casey. Her husband Bob farmed until his death 16 years ago and now her son, Scott, has taken over raising the cattle.

She also volunteers in other capacities. She is an agricultural pen pal who corresponds with elementary-age Lincoln students. As she and the students write back and forth, the students learn about farming.

She also works with the Farm Bureau Ag Promotion Board and is active at Bethlehem Covenant Church, where she sings in the choir with Alice and helps sew quilts to be sold to

support the People’s City Mission and other projects.

“I’m doing the things that I couldn’t do when I was working.”

Erma continues: “We all appreciate that BryanLGH is so good to us. The people at BryanLGH train us and are very patient with us. They are very kind.” n More than 600 volunteers, from students to retirees, contribute to the success of BryanLGH by serving in various roles throughout the medical center.

To find out about opportunities, contact BryanLGH Volunteer Resources at 402-481-3032 or visit www.bryanlgh.org.

Volunteer Erma McGill’s family has many longtime links to BryanLGH and William Jennings Bryan.

26 Winter 2012

VOLUNTEER RESOURCES

We salute service milestones All BryanLGH Medical Center volunteers were honored at the annual Awards Presentation and Recognition luncheon at The Country Club of Lincoln on Aug. 23.

Volunteers who reached specific hour milestones also were recognized. These honorees were: 24,000 hours: Vera Heimsoth.

18,000 hours: Rita Camp-Ashmun.

10,000 hours: Helen Maahs.

7,500 hours: Marilyn Hubka.

7,000 hours: Pat Bott.

6,000 hours: JoAnne Thiele.

5,500 hours: Kay Ashelford and Ruth Henry.

5,000 hours: Don Clouston and Sherry Glanz.

4,000 hours: Ken Dermann, Betty Hofstad and Ray McLeod.

3,000 hours: Don Bax, Theresa Hohmeier, Bea Kleis, Doris Mock and Ruth Wiese.

2,500 hours: Cordelia Broman, Lela DeVoe, Merlin Hartman, Nancy Hester, Ruthelen Sittler and June Tewes.

2,000 hours: Lorraine Clouston, Burnita DenHartog, Irene Essink, Shirley Keelan, Tom Patterson and Berdena Snyder.

1,500 hours: Francis Haskins.

1,000 hours: Bonnie Bankson. Marilyn Bonsall, June Garrison, Diane Gritz, Shirley Haislet, RoJayne Harrington, Donna Hilton, Judy King, Herb Kuster, Elaine Nelson, Anne O’Neal, Jim Pollard and Jack Rosecrans.

500 hours: Dorothyann Haar, Wayne Hester, Bill Hobbs, Caroline Hobbs, John Hodgson, Willa Lanik, Bob Lundberg, Barb Maatsch, Clint McDonald, Sharri Rowley, Diane Sheppard, Jan Skrabal, Bob Smith, Barbara Stock and Jim Vernon.

300 hours: Ruth Berlowitz, Wallace Dilley, Anna Hansen, Judy Keller, Richard Kelly, Jonathan Knudsen, Vicki Lamb, Carol Leners, Rosemary Liesemeyer, Beverly Lonn, Nate Lore, Neil Puls, Jackie Sapp, Bruce Sheffield, Mary Studier, Norma Suhr, Diane Thompson, Gus Thompson, Beverly Wakely and June Wheeler.

BryanLGH Medical Center President John Woodrich (left) and Volunteer Resources director Ellen Beans (right) congratulate June Wheeler for surpassing 300 hours of service. BryanLGH honored all volunteers and recognized 134 during the annual awards presentation event for achieving specific milestones.

100 hours: Murad Abdelghani, JoAnn Adair, Sharon Beachell, Deberah Beck, John Bousek, Abdu Bouzid, Judy Burke, Tamara Burke, Bill Campbell, Kendall Carlson, Charles Chen, Patricia Creeley, Julie Crisler, Martie DeBuse, Emica Diep, Lega Dolicho, Bree Drda, Ayla Duba, Charles Dunn, Debbie Fisher, Chuck Foree, Luan Futrell, Joyce Hakenewerth, Amy Hensley, Matt Hessel, Kayla Irons, Dennis Johnsen, Tim Johnson, Brittany Justa, Cori Kaminski, Mikail Kraft, Torre Lespreance, Mitzi Magnuson, Dr. Frederick Mausolf, Kevin McGaughey, Candy Meyer, Sharon Nore, Marilyn Paolini, Landon Peterson, Randy Pittman, Justin Ratliff, Kathy Richter, Fred Roeth, Kseniya Ruzanova, Kayla Schlichenmaier, Sarah Scholz, Barbara Siems, Al Skrabal, Kaitlin Slattery, Joan Smyth, Sharon Spethman, Sandy Valentine, Thanh Vo, Janice Winklepleck and Leslie Wright.

BryanLGH Journeys 27

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

For today’s students, simulation is reality

Under the supervision of Kim Leighton, PhD, (center) and Marcia Jensen, MS, CRNA, (right) nurse anesthesia students Pete Glassbrenner and Megan McAuliffe practice OR protocols on a SimMan® mannequin.

S

imulation isn’t just for training pilots and astronauts anymore. At the Center for Excellence in Clinical Simulation, it’s for future and current care givers and takes on a life of its own through full-bodied mannequins that talk, breathe, blink and sometimes even die.

In January 2010, BryanLGH College of Health Sciences (CHS), Southeast Community College (SCC) and BryanLGH Medical Center partnered to create the center that uses these state-of-the-art patient simulators to prep students for real-life health care.

28 Winter 2012

“It’s a novel partnership that has allowed the pooling of resources as we move our students and staff to a higher and safer level of care for our patients,” says simulation co-coordinator Renee Schnieder, MSN, RN, of SCC. “Simulation is safe learning,” she says. “What better place to learn and possibly make a mistake than on a patient with an on/off switch?”

While the institutions have participated in simulated learning for several years, the partnership has resulted in one of America’s most sophisticated programs. Its 4,700-square-foot, nine-room center at BryanLGH West gives them an opportunity to train in an environment

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES modeled after a real hospital, versus a classroom.

“This type of learning allows students and clinicians to learn about normal and abnormal situations before they’re faced with them in real life,” adds CHS assistant professor and simulation co-coordinator Jodi Nelson, MSN, RN, CNE. Since the center opened, more than 4,000 students and staff have experienced its learning potential. Nursing, nurse anesthesia, respiratory therapy, physical therapy technician and paramedic students attend labs. Clinicians such as medical center nurses and respiratory therapists use the simulators for learning new techniques and assessing competency.

“The realism of the simulators and the environment are thought to be really important to the learning because the students buy into the experience,” says Kim Leighton, PhD, dean of educational technology at CHS and executive director of the center. “When that mannequin starts talking to the students, you’ll see them hold its hand, or many times if the simulator dies, the students will cry.”

Seven family members make up the mannequin household: birthing simulator NOELLE® and Newborn HAL®; adults Bryan and two known as SimMan®; and Pediatric HAL® and Little Guy. Soon, the family will welcome a wireless adult simulator, which has the ability to produce eye, nasal, ear and oral drainage and allow students to practice suctioning stomach contents.

“The simulation center was something that drew me to BryanLGH,” says Jamie Larson, a senior nursing student from Funk. “I loved the idea that I could learn more about patient care without the scare of harming a patient and with the freedom to make choices in a consequence-free setting.”

Multiple patient care scenarios that gauge abilities to think critically and prioritize care can be created, ranging from basic to complex: simulating uncomplicated and complicated

CHS assistant professor Jodi Nelson (left) compliments nursing student Jamie Larson for her care of Newborn HAL® and “mother,” mannequin NOELLE® in the Center for Excellence in Clinical Simulation at BryanLGH West.

BryanLGH Journeys 29

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES deliveries, assessing a child with asthma, administering medications, simulating a heart attack and more.

“The simulation center is a nice transition from classroom theory to actually applying that knowledge,” says Pete Glassbrenner, RN, a graduate student in the nurse anesthesia program. “It builds confidence in what you are learning and how to critically think in an educational setting.”

The center’s benefits reach beyond the halls of BryanLGH West.

“The Nebraska Legislature passed a law that said every school in the state must have asthma and anaphylactic medications in the school and know how to use them,” Nelson says.

“So, when Hastings School District scheduled a visit to their site, I took Little Guy to show their staff how to use the nebulizers and “Simulation is safe learning,” says epinephrine pens.” co-coordinator Renee Schnieder of “At school, the first one Southeast Community College. to see the kids when they’re sick is not usually the school nurse; it’s their teacher, coach, principal,” Dr. Leighton says. “So all these people are involved in the training, so they can all recognize the health situation.”

Through the outreach education program of StarCare — BryanLGH’s air ambulance service — Nelson and StarCare respiratory therapist/ paramedic Chad Poggemeyer, RRT, EMT-P, NPS, travel to rural hospitals with simulators in tow to help staff prepare for trauma designation visits.

“The simulators give rural hospitals a chance to run through a patient case in a nonurgent educational environment in which they can literally find out their own strengths and weaknesses and use that to better their own patient care,” Poggemeyer says.

St. Mary’s Community Hospital in Nebraska City was the first to benefit from the program. While preparing for a site visit from a trauma designation survey team, hospital officials identified a need for more education in hands-on patient assessment and practice scenarios.

Through simulation, staff members were exposed to situations involving critical assessment and intervention of pediatric trauma and burns.

“This program says a lot about BryanLGH’s role in the community,” Poggemeyer continues “It says we understand the needs in the rural

30 Winter 2012

hospital setting and are committed to helping them succeed in better patient care.”

Furthering the center’s reach and appeal is the simulation certificate program that Dr. Leighton developed — one of only four such certificate programs in the world.

The online program which admits students three times per year has 30 enrolled from across the nation and some from Canada. The certificate can be completed in a year or less and comprises: Active Learning Theory, Using Simulation to Facilitate Learning, and a capstone course comprising theory, application and a project or article.

“My goal when the program was being developed was to provide students with the information and help them to figure out what works best in their facility or simulation center, and then contribute back to the body of knowledge,” Dr. Leighton recalls.

In May 2012, center staff will submit a self-study for accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, which would provide external validation of the quality of simulation services provided.

Through collaborative efforts of the staff of two colleges and medical center, support from generous donors and grants through the BryanLGH Foundation, and a family of high-fidelity mannequins, the Center StarCare’s Chad Poggemeyer helps for Excellence in Clinical take simulators to rural hospitals Simulation is making a to prepare providers for emergency difference in preparing situations. care givers for tomorrow’s patients. n See a video of students and faculty sharing their clinical simulation experiences. Use your smartphone QR application to access the code at left and go directly to the video.

• For information about degrees offered at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, call 402-481-8697.

• To find out how you can support the college, contact the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

CHS ALUMNI NEWS

Cheers!

BryanLGH College of Nursing alumnae Ann McManaman (left) and Jordin Gorka (second from left) of Lincoln joined University of Nebraska cheerleaders during a tailgate party before the Oct. 29 football game.

Nursing student Richard Flemings (center) poses with scholarship donor Carl Ander (right) and Nancy Ossenkop of Lincoln during an October scholarship luncheon at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.

Join the fun!

Here’s a list of upcoming BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Alumni Association events: • Saturday, Feb. 18: An Affair to Remember.

• Friday-Saturday, June 8-9: Alumni Day Activities.

Like us on Facebook! Use your smartphone QR application to access the code at left and enter our Alumni Association page.

Wine Country Alumni Adventure Napa Valley, California March 1-4, 2012 Stay at the luxurious Verasa Napa, where you’ll enjoy daily breakfasts and nightly wine receptions. Dinner’s aboard the famous Napa Valley Wine Train! Visit boutique wineries and meet the vintners! Call 402-481-3801 or email debra.border@bryanlgh.org for details.

BryanLGH Journeys 31

BRYANLGH 55PLUS

Here’s news you can use

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ryanLGH has long been a place where people come because of our expertise. 55PLUS continues that tradition by helping our members maintain a healthy and active lifestyle through our many benefits and by providing additional help in the event you need health care services.

When rheumatologist Art Weaver, MD, presented our first seminar on arthritis in 1988, there were few community education opportunities offered in Lincoln. Through the years, we have had physicians and other experts present more than 350 programs to help keep you informed about the latest information, technology and treatments. Through our educational seminars, physicians have had an opportunity to share their knowledge with you, and now those of you outside of Lincoln who are unable to take advantage of attending these informative seminars may view them on our website. Just go to www.bryanlgh.org/communityhealthvideoarchive to find out which seminars are available.

In 1997, we introduced 55PLUS to hospitals that belong to the Heartland Health Alliance. Not only do our outstate members belong to the BryanLGH 55PLUS program, but they also may belong to their local hospital’s 55PLUS program. These hospitals offer a variety of benefits to members. 55PLUS coordinators from 27 Heartland Health Alliance hospitals meet semiannually at BryanLGH to gather new ideas for benefits, seminars, tours and other special events.

(See the map to locate participating hospitals.) If you are not receiving information about 55PLUS from your local hospital, call 402-481-3355 or email 55PLUS@bryanlgh. org, and we will make sure your name is added

32 Winter 2012

to that 55PLUS membership list.

Help navigating the complicated world of insurance has been a benefit of 55PLUS membership for years. When we started helping members with this, there weren’t many places folks could find assistance. Today we have a great partnership with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) through the Nebraska Department of Insurance. They are the experts in insurance assistance in Nebraska. We hosted two SHIIP Medicare Prescription Drug Card events at BryanLGH this fall, and our annual Medicare update seminar was presented by the insurance program’s director. I am happy to announce that twice a year we will be hosting a class taught by the experts at SHIIP to help those new to Medicare understand their new insurance. See the next page for more information about this class.

Carrying a medication card is an important part of your health care. A complete list of your medications will help you receive the best care at physician visits, in emergency situations, when checking into the hospital and while traveling. To receive a free medication card, please email 55PLUS@bryanlgh.org or call 402-481-3355.

Congratulations to Christy Marr and Connie Beck of Lincoln, who each won two free trips on our Kansas City Christmas tour in our “Refer a Friend” promotion this fall. We have some great tour destinations for 2012.

Consider traveling with us.

I can’t close my column without sharing my latest news. My beautiful granddaughter Evalie Layne Wolf was born Sept. 30. Our relationships with family and friends help keep us healthy and happy. I am very blessed!

Until next time, Kathy Wolf, 55PLUS program manager

BRYANLGH 55PLUS

Travel with 55PLUS in 2012 Join us on one of our excursions this year. We promise wonderful attractions, great food and the camaraderie of your fellow 55PLUS members. Tours sell out quickly, and reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

New for 2012 is an exciting rail adventure to the city of New Orleans. Fly to Chicago for a day of touring and that evening board Amtrak. By morning you will be headed through the Mississippi Delta to New Orleans. You will fly home after four days of touring this beautiful area of our country.

To request a brochure, visit www.bryanlgh.org/travel, or call 55PLUS at 402-481-3355 or 800-742-7844 and ask for 55PLUS.

Our 2011-2012 55PLUS Advisory Board includes (front row, from left): Janice Sammet, Tish Loomis, Marilyn Duven, Carolyn Caauwe and Debbe Bundy; (middle row, from left) Bob Matoush, Harold Monismith, Bob Mitchell, Larry Monaghan, Ken Majors, Bill Duncan, Rich Oehlerking and Marvin Friend; and (back row) 55PLUS program manager Kathy Wolf, Lori Lee of 55PLUS/Advancement, Pete Wakely, Shirley Wimmer, Theresa Hohmeier, Diane Belschner, Dorene Casey and Connie Svik of 55PLUS/Advancement. (Not pictured: Gordon Bair and Don Mehring.)

55PLUS Advisory Board wants you!

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re you interested in learning more about 55PLUS and BryanLGH? 55PLUS Advisory Board members provide important input and feedback on new ideas, programs and services for 55PLUS and BryanLGH Medical Center.

In addition, they may scoop ice cream, pour coffee or greet members at ice cream and holiday socials. Members serve for two years and attend quarterly board meetings.

If you are interested in serving on the board, give us a call at 402-481-3355. n

Day Trips: n April 17 n June 15 n Sept. 20 n Oct. 30

Make a Wish Upon a Cloud, Cloud County, Kan. Discover Lincoln: The Prairie Capital City Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park & More!

The Amish of Jamesport, Mo.

Multiple-day Trips: n March 24- Savannah, Ga. and Charleston, S.C.

April 1 n June 20-23 Discover Nebraska: Something New/

Something Old n July 25-28 Discover the Wisconsin Dells n Oct. 20-25 City of New Orleans Amtrak Adventure

55PLUS presents Welcome to Medicare Tuesday, Feb. 21 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Plaza Conference Center, BryanLGH East Joining Medicare soon? Need to know more about Medicare benefits to assist someone who is already in the program?

Alicia Jones, program director of the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), will explain the ins and outs of Medicare, including online resources and extra help for those with limited income and resources.

To register for this free presentation, call 401-481-8886, or go to www.bryanlgh.org/classesandscreenings.

To learn how you can support 55PLUS, call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

BryanLGH Journeys 33

BRYANLGH FOUNDATION

Dear friends of BryanLGH,

Generosity on behalf of BryanLGH not only has inspired others, but also has set good deeds in motion.

This motion began when William Jennings Bryan gifted a home and land that created a College of Health Sciences and a hospital. It continued when members of the community donated generously to build Lincoln General Hospital. These acts of philanthropy demonstrated that a groundswell of change can begin in Lincoln and spread throughout the region.

BryanLGH continues to look forward, think ahead and prepares for what’s next for the community and region, and we invite you to play a role. Locally owned and governed health systems are strengthened greatly by philanthropic investment. It was true when William Jennings Bryan made the initial gift and it holds true today.

Harkening on this rich tradition, BryanLGH is launching the WJ Bryan Society, a giving society recognizing those who make deferred gifts to benefit BryanLGH. Deferred gifts require thought, planning and most of all trust in an organization to carry out a mission.

In this edition of Journeys we are sharing two ways you can make an impact, through your retirement plan or the IRA rollover.

We will continue to bring you these helpful ideas and concepts on other ways to make deferred gifts and qualify for the WJ Bryan Society.

If you have already provided for BryanLGH through your estate plans, let us know, so we can thank you and invite you into the WJ Bryan Society.

Thank you for investing in BryanLGH!

For questions about giving, contact your Foundation staff

DeEtta Mayrose Development Officer 402-481-8287 deetta.mayrose@bryanlgh.org

Heidi Cuca Major Gift Officer 402-481-3139 heidi.cuca@bryanlgh.org

Bob Ravenscroft Vice President for Advancement and Chief Development Officer 402-481-3001 bob.ravenscroft@bryanlgh.org

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BryanLGH employees give back

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ryanLGH concluded its annual employee campaign Oct. 31 with record-breaking results. More than 1,700 employees contributed a total of $430,000 to benefit patient care at BryanLGH, as well as the United Way and Community Health Charities.

Thank you to all of our donors who through their work care for our community and then invest personal gifts to further the charitable mission of BryanLGH and other non-profits that serve the community.

Just as William Jennings Bryan did years ago, today, you are inspiring others. n

Suggestions for putting your retirement plan assets to work

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f you have a traditional IRA, 401K, or other type of retirement plan, you probably know that they are a great way to save tax-free for your later years. You typically don’t have to pay any taxes on the income you contribute, or on the earnings or appreciation they generate — you only pay taxes when you withdraw the funds.

Unfortunately, when you die, these same assets, when left to one or more beneficiaries, are taxable income to those individuals. In addition, if your estate is large enough, these assets also may be subject to federal estate tax.

You worked hard to save that money — why not direct its use?

One suggestion is an alternative strategy to include charitable giving to BryanLGH in your estate planning while also providing for your heirs: If you make your charitable provision for the BryanLGH Foundation from an IRA or other retirement

plan assets, the entirety of the amount designated for the BryanLGH Foundation can be put to work helping the BryanLGH area of your choice. Then you can leave other appreciated assets that are not subject to income tax to your heirs.

It’s a win-win situation for your family and BryanLGH. n Please contact the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605 and ask for Heidi Cuca, DeEtta Mayrose or Bob Ravenscroft.

Learn about the Fine Line Campaign Go to www.bryanlgh.com/ waystogiveic or www.bryanlgh.com/ itsafineline or contact Heidi Cuca at 402-481-3139.

BRYANLGH FOUNDATION

Run to Overcome raises awareness

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dam Zetterman was a young man loved by many. He was a gifted athlete and musician at Norris High School, an honor student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a caring, skilled nurse in the cardiac ICU at BryanLGH Medical Center East.

He loved his family and friends, and was loved by them.

Despite his battle with depression, he succeeded with an unquenchable thirst for

happiness. He had many skills, abilities and compassion, and yet the grip of depression repeatedly interfered and ultimately cost him his life.

Knowing that Adam would want to make life different for others, the inaugural 5K and 10K

Adam Zetterman’s mother, Cindy Zetterman, answers a TV news reporter’s questions following the inaugural Run to Overcome. run honored his life and BryanLGH, and the event brought awareness to a disease that, although it plagues many, can be treated and overcome.

Thank you to everyone who

helped make the first Run to Overcome such a success. More than 770 people participated and raised more than $7,800 for the BryanLGH mental health program. n

2011

to RUN OVERCOME

Adam’s Race

BryanLGH Journeys 35

ACHIEVEMENTS

Ruth and Hub Doll

Dean of Educational Technology Kim Leighton, PhD

Assistant Professor Linda Miles

Christie Bartelt, CRRN, (left) and Christine Stout, OTR/L

Caring Kind kudos to Hub Doll

Professor’s achievements recognized

Miles attends institute on geriatric care

Two earn brain injury credentials

Hubert “Hub” Doll of the lobby services team is our Caring Kind Award recipient for 2011.

He received the accolade Oct. 21 during the annual Nebraska Hospital Association Convention at LaVista.

His nomination notes, “Under the pillar of Service, Hub Doll has, for 14 years without fail, been at our East site front entrance early each morning to begin the BryanLGH experience for our surgery patients.

“With a reassuring ‘good morning’ and a tip of his hat, he welcomes our guests … to their BryanLGH home away from home. Every day he makes people feel welcome and cared for. We are proud to call this gentleman our colleague and friend.” n

Kim Leighton, PhD, Dean of Educational Technology at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, received the Presidential Citation from the Minneapolisbased Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This award recognizes her achievements to advance the field of health care simulation.

According to the Society, as president of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, Dr. Leighton reached out to its members, other disciplines and to national and international simulation organizations.

She has been instrumental in the growth of the Center for Excellence in Clinical Simulation at BryanLGH West and also developed the online Graduate Program in Simulation Education that trains educators across the nation. n

Linda Miles, MSN, RN, assistant professor of nursing at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, attended a Faculty Learning About Geriatrics (FLAG) summer institute at the University of Minnesota. Representatives from 24 schools participated in the institute in August.

The Minnesota Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence offers a year-long FLAG mentoring program to enhance instructors’ geriatric nursing knowledge and help them prepare future nurses to care for a rapidly growing elderly population.

The number of Americans 65 years and older is expected to almost double by 2020. FLAG is easing a projected shortage of health care workers by helping faculty prepare skilled geriatric nurses. n

Christie Bartelt, CRRN, and Kristine Stout, OTR/L, of the acute inpatient rehabilitation unit have become certified brain injury specialists (CBIS). The certification process from the Brain Injury Association of America helps clinicians understand causes and treatments of brain injuries.

The certification course is hosted by the Association’s Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS).

Bartelt, a certified rehabilitation registered nurse, is the assistant nurse manager of the unit. Stout has a master’s in occupational therapy and is certified in physical agent modalities.

The BryanLGH unit serves those who have brain injuries or suffer from functional loss due to a disabling illness or injury, such as stroke, multiple trauma or Parkinson’s disease. n

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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s you look forward to joys, challenges and opportunities in 2012, BryanLGH LifePointe can help you accomplish your resolutions for a healthy new year.

This is the time of year when we think about our waistlines. BryanLGH LifePointe offers these programs to help you win the battle of the bulge!

You can succeed! LifeTracks is a highly effective, medically supervised program for long-term health and weight management.

This 20-week program is specially designed for people who want to lose 40 pounds or more.

Why can’t I lose weight?

If you’re asking yourself this question, BryanLGH LifePointe can help you find the answer and achieve success.

“Sometimes people get stuck in a rut, or they think they’re doing the right thing in terms of nutrition or exercise but still aren’t seeing results,” says registered dietitian Katie Walz. “It can be frustrating.”

That’s where the new BodyGem® service can really help. This is one of the most accurate tools for determining calorie needs and testing your metabolic rate. Armed with this information, BryanLGH LifePointe dietitians and health fitness instructors create a plan designed specifically for your metabolic needs and body composition.

What does this mean? For some people, more exercise is the key to losing weight, for others it’s nutrition. BodyGem® provides insights into the best way for you to be successful.

“People are impressed with the amount of information they receive, and they’re very excited about the results based on recommendations following testing,” Walz continues.

The test is simple. Breathe into the BodyGem® advanced technology device, and later you receive a report on your calorie needs based on your resting metabolic rate, occupational activity, sleep schedule and exercise. Experts at BryanLGH LifePointe interpret the results and help create your personal plan for success.

Call 402-481-6300 today to schedule your appointment.

LifeTracks changed my life!

In seven months, Kris lost 75 pounds with LifeTracks and exercise. “I feel so much better, and it’s great to enjoy activities with my family,” she says. n Attend a free information session about LifeTracks:

Monday, Feb. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m. or Wednesday, Feb. 22, 12-1 p.m. or 5:30-6:30 p.m.

BryanLGH LifePointe, 7501 S. 27th St. To register: Call 402-481-6300 or go to www.bryanlgh.org/lifetracks.

It’s Not Just Food Affecting Your Weight n Thursday, Jan. 26, 7-8:30 p.m.

Plaza Conference Center, BryanLGH East, 1600 S. 48th St.

Many think if they eat better they will lose weight. Proper nutrition is important, but many issues influence weight, such as activity, sleep, stress level, age and genetics. Registered dietitian Katie Walz of LifePointe tells why passing on cheesecake isn’t all that’s needed to drop that last five pounds. Call 402-481-6300 or go to www.bryanlgh.org/calendar to register. Cost: It’s free!

LifeTracks weight loss program Do you have weight to lose? Is weight impacting your life?

There comes a time when you realize: It’s time. This is my life, my health and it’s important. It’s time to take control, take action and take a lifelong, smart approach to weight loss and better health.

Healthy new year If you’re looking for help staying on track or getting started on a journey to fitness, visit us at BryanLGH LifePointe.

As a medically based health and fitness center, our experienced staff has the training and knowledge to help you become more physically fit, mentally alert and substantially healthier. And now is the perfect time. We offer many membership options plus incentives to keep you going and reward your commitment. We also offer many programs for nonmembers.

Hurry to get January membership specials. To learn more, call 402-481-6326, go to www.bryanlgh.org/lifepointespecials, or use your smartphone’s QR application to access the code above.

BryanLGH Journeys 37

1600 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506

Address service requested

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LINCOLN NE PERMIT NO. 1299