’s
April 3, 2015 edition
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
Local Physician Leads Fight Against Colon Cancer According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. One local doctor is trying to reduce those numbers. Dr. Tyson Blatchford waived his physician fee for any screening colonoscopies he performed during the month of March. In 2000, March was officially dedicated as National Colon Cancer Awareness Month. “Hopefully this has brought awareness of colorectal cancer and the importance of screening to the general public. It’s a “win-win” because it brings up a topic that people really don’t like to discuss, nor do they want to undergo any type of procedure to screen for it. Quite honestly advanced colorectal cancer is preventable, you just have to talk to your doctor and get the appropriate screening,” Blatchford said. The American Cancer Society promotes regular screening, increasing the likelihood colon cancer can be found early when treatment is most effective. In many cases, screening can prevent colon cancer by finding and removing polyps before they become cancer. And if cancer is present, earlier detection means a chance at a longer life. “A lot of times in surgery we encounter patients that have advanced disease. If you look at other types of cancer, most of the time when you start having symptoms and issues it’s too late. Versus colorectal cancer there is a very good screening tool, colonoscopy, where it can be detected prior to turning into cancer or caught in its earliest stages and be curative,” Dr. Blatchford said. The CDC recommends that individuals with no family history of colorectal cancer begin screenings at age 50. The frequency of follow up screenings is determined by the type of screening tool used and the findings from the initial screening. Although there are multiple testing options, colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” by most physicians for colorectal cancer screening. The recommendation for normal colonoscopy screenings is every ten years. “It’s a preventable disease and we need to get everybody out there aware of that, and over the barrier of fear. There is really no excuse why there should be advanced colorectal cancer in most people,” Dr. Blatchford said. “A colonoscopy is just one of those things that you should do because there is nothing more catastrophic than ignoring something that is completely preventable.”
SCKMC Celebrates “HIP” Week SCKMC celebrated staff during the 26th annual Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week from March 22-28, 2015. This year’s theme was “Reliable Information, Responsible Care.” “During AHIMA’s Health Information Professionals Week, we want to raise awareness that HIM professionals have the knowledge, skills, and motivation to lead in turning health information into knowledge that will improve the health of patients," said American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon. HIP Week 2015 coincided with the AHIMA’s “Hill Day”, an event where AHIMA members visit Capitol Hill and share the importance of advancing HIM. Information governance, privacy and security, and fraud and abuse concerns continue to be key issues for HIM professionals, with AHIMA able provide guidance to the healthcare industry and government leaders seeking counsel. “Our role is evolving from simply translating data to providing instant access to intelligence that can drive clinical and administrative decision making in real time," said Thomas Gordon. "We envision a world in which everyone benefits from the exchange and use of health information that is accurate, accessible, and secure and available to the right person at the right time." The professionals at SCKMC’s Health Information Services department consist of Patricia McMains (Health Information Services Manager), Anita Sefers, Tracy Tapia, Phyllis McCorgary, and Christine Beaty.
The Pharm Forum with Homer Mah, D.Ph. The FDA has recently updated the label for the drug Chantix (varenicline). It is approved for use as an aid to smoking cessation treatment. The new warnings include the potential for alcohol interaction and a rare risk of seizures. Patients who consume alcoholic beverages and are about to begin Chantix should decrease alcohol intake until they know the affects. There have been reports of increased drunkenness, unusual behavior, or no memory of what recently happened. Patients who have a seizure while taking this medication should stop immediately and notify your healthcare provider. In most cases, seizures occurred within the first month of starting Chantix.