Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox has been awarded a Five-Star rating – the highest possible score – by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as announced by medicare.gov/carecompare.
The ratings, published by CMS, are designed to help consumers compare hospitals by evaluating safety, quality and patient experiences at more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide.
Silver Cross was one of only 10 percent of eligible hospitals in the United States to receive the overall Five-Star rating for 2023. The national average is three out of five stars.
“At Silver Cross, our patients are at the center of everything we do,” said Ruth Colby, Silver Cross Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer. “A CMS 5-Star rating affirms that we are
among the nation’s best at providing exceptional patient care and achieving superior outcomes. This recognition belongs to every one of our employees, Medical Staff members and volunteers who always put the care, safety and experience of our patients first.”
The hospital rating system, publicly launched in 2016 by CMS, assigns hospitals one to five stars. The overall summary rating is based on a cumulative score of dozens of measures across five different areas, including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care.
Silver Cross performed well above the national average in the categories of safety of patient care, mortality and patient experience.
The 2023 CMS Five-Star Rating is in addition to Silver Cross Hospital’s many
other national awards, accreditations and recognitions, including 17 Straight A’s for Safety by the Leapfrog Group and 10 times as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals.
For more information about Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org
Matthew Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., is a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of neurological disorders of the brain and spine.
He is board-certified in both neurosurgery and minimally invasive neuro-endovascular surgery. His interests and expertise include brain tumors, carotid artery disease, vascular disorders of the brain/spine, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformations, pseudotumor cerebri, spinal disorders, and general neurosurgery.
Dr. Reynolds graduated with highest distinction from Northwestern University Medical School in 2008, followed by Neurosurgery residency training at Washington University in St. Louis (Barnes-Jewish Hospital). Dr. Reynolds then completed two additional post-residency fellowships in Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery (Emory University) and Neuro-Endovascular Surgery and Neurocritical Care (Thomas Jefferson University).
Dr. Reynolds works in close collaboration with our existing team of neurological experts at the Midwest Institute for Neurosciences at Silver Cross Hospital.
At the Midwest Institute for Neurosciences at Silver Cross Hospital, our goal is to make sure that you
receive the right treatment at the right time for brain and spine disorders.
You’ll find highly trained experts that include board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, emergency medicine doctors, and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists who can diagnose and treat all types of neurological conditions:
• Preventing strokes and halting them in their path.
• Diagnosing and treating neck and back injuries, brain tumors, cerebral vascular malformations, aneurysms and blockages in the arteries of the neck or carotid arteries.
• And providing the necessary rehabilitation.
Experience & Expertise:
You can feel confident you’ll get top-quality brain and spine care at the Midwest Institute for Neurosciences at Silver Cross Hospital because we:
• Provide advanced stroke care through our collaboration with University of Chicago Medicine that includes doctors at Silver Cross Hospital performing interventional endovascular procedures to treat highrisk stroke patients.
• Offer the latest rehabilitation services through our partnership with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab —ranked the best rehabilitation hospital in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991, allowing patients to
recover close to home at Silver Cross Hospital.
• Are designated as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association.
• Received the American Heart/ American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award.
• Recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.
For more information, visit silvercross.org
Located in the heart of Plainfield, HarborChase of Plainfield is a luxury senior living community offering assisted living and memory care services that encourage engagement and an active lifestyle for residents of all ages and abilities.
Following the HarborChase mission of developing a senior living community in which they themselves envision living, residents and guests experience exceptional hospitality, an awardwinning life enrichment activity program, and compassionate care.
Hospitality is at the core of all HarborChase communities, and Plainfield is leading the way with exceptional dining opportunities. On-site eateries offer everything from on-the-go casual fare at Counter-Offer café, fine dining in The Grill Room, private parties in Zest, light bites and cocktails in Fusion Lounge, and classic farmto-table cuisine in Signatures. The purpose of this resort-style dining is to allow residents the ability to choose their favorite foods and restaurant environments at any time of day without being obligated to a traditional group dining experience.
Under the culinary experience of the Director of Hospitality, residents enjoy delicious meals throughout the restaurants
including live culinary demonstrations and culinary classes in The Chefs Studio. Residents and guests alike are invited to participate and enjoy the fruits of their labor afterward. Nothing conveys warm hospitality like breaking bread together.
Additional programs include a robust life enrichment program. Daily activities, special-interest groups, large and small special events, excursions, and wellness classes fill residents’ days. In addition to traditional levels of care, HarborChase offers The Sound, a specialized program that bridges the gap between Assisted Living and Memory Care for residents with mild dementia, memory loss, or short-term cognitive impairment. It is specifically designed for residents who need an extra level of support and guidance while keeping them engaged in blended programs, socialization, and special events.
For more information and to schedule your personalized HarborChase Taste & Tour, contact HarborChase of Plainfield at 815-267-3510.
HarborChase of Plainfield
12446 S. Van Dyke Road
Plainfield, IL 60585
HarborChase.com
As he usually does, Bo Boll woke up early one morning in April of this year to catch the news. A little while later, he found he couldn’t open a bottle of Gatorade, so his wife Sandra helped him before she went off to her job as a schoolteacher.
“All of a sudden, I felt really weak, like all the energy was being drained out of me,” said Boll, 74, of Mokena. “I was weak like I was getting the flu.
“I called my doctor, and he told me to call an ambulance right away. I was on my way to open the garage door for them when I collapsed. I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I had to give the security code to the 911 dispatcher so they could open the garage door.”
When he arrived at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Boll was put into isolation until medical personnel could figure out what caused his sudden paralysis. After a battery of tests, they found evidence of Guillain-Barre – a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system – in his spinal fluid. Then he was rushed to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I was pretty fuzzy, and I couldn’t move my arms much or my legs. I was breathing and swallowing OK. But they had to have several people carry me to the bed. I was thinking, ‘If I’m not able to move my arms and legs, I don’t want my wife to have to take care of me. Just let me go.’”
Not long after, he was being wheeled into the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s 28-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at Silver Cross Hospital, where therapists are experienced in treating a broad range of conditions. In fact. The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has been ranked the No. 1 rehabilitation hospital in the United States for the past 31 years.
Physical Therapist Jada Green and Occupational Therapist Lindsay Sloan got to work on Boll right away. Admittedly, Green said his situation looked dire.
“He couldn’t move his arms or legs, and
his core was very weak, meaning he couldn’t get up or down without help.”
Since he couldn’t use his arms, Boll had to blow into a device from his bed to call a nurse. His wife or a nurse spoon-fed him his meals.
Therapists at the AbilityLab quickly began putting Boll’s recovery plan in place.
“We work with the patient on overcoming the doubts they have about their abilities so they can make a good recovery,” Sloan said. She and Green said it’s about building trust with the patient.
“As they see they’re getting a little better each day, they begin to trust us that they can do even more.”
Initially, Boll said, he absolutely did not believe he could do any of what Green and Sloan were insisting he could.
“They had to use a patient lift and four people just to get me out of bed and to simulate walking,” he said. “Then, they put rubber grips on my spoon and fork so I could begin trying to feed myself. It was brutal. I
Every day for two hours, Green and Sloan and others would urge, cajole, and use humor; whatever they needed to do, to convince Boll he could do more.
“They kept saying, ‘You’re going to do it. You’re going to walk out of here,’” added Boll.
“Three or four therapists would be helping me down the hall while I was in the lift. From the side, I would hear some others telling me to fix my position. My therapy wasn’t just one-on-one, it was everyone with me.”
As he saw the small improvements they did, Boll began trusting them enough to trust himself.
“Every day became a challenge to see how far I could push myself. I started getting out of the wheelchair on my own. I started using the walker with one of them holding a band on me to make sure I didn’t fall. Then, I started using a cane. If they would say, ‘Take 30 steps,’ I would take 50.”
Dr. Ross Coolidge, who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital, was overseeing Boll’s case.
“Dr. Coolidge would come into my room and say, ‘What did you do yesterday that will amaze me even more?’” Boll said.
Dr. Coolidge said Boll’s recovery in such a short time was amazing, “especially considering he was basically a quadriplegic when he came in. This is the outcome we would have hoped for months or years down the road. We will release GuillainBarre patients knowing there still is a lot of work to do until the nerve coverings repair themselves. But he was able to walk out on his own.”
No one is sure what causes GuillainBarre Syndrome, although Dr. Coolidge said it often begins following some type of virus. Sometimes, it gets better after a few months
of medical treatment and therapy; in its most serious form, when it affects the respiratory system, he said, it can be fatal.
Since Guillain-Barre causes a person’s body to attack its own immune system, Dr. Coolidge said
Boll also was given intravenous immunoglobulin, new antibodies to help fight his renegade antibodies.
Boll said the week prior to his attack, he called his doctor when he felt a bad respiratory issue coming on. He was prescribed some antibiotics and told his potassium was a bit low, hence the early morning Gatorade the day he fell ill.
Sloan and Green said they had never seen someone arrive in such critical shape and turnaround that quickly. And as wonderful
as that was, they made sure he never overdid it.
“A lot of it was his determination to get better,” Green said, “and his trusting in us. His wife also provided so much support.”
“I truly believe as I go throughout my career, he will be one of the top five patients I will never forget,” Sloan said.
Boll most definitely feels the same way.
“Jada and Lindsay, everybody at Silver Cross was just great,” said Boll, who continues therapy three days a week, two hours each time. Sloan’s husband even built a small step so he could move easier from the house to the garage.
But the parting gift when he was released in May, he said, that was something very special.
“As I was starting to get motivated, I began using a line from an old Clint Eastwood movie: ‘Adapt and Overcome.’
“At my farewell party at the hospital, they gave me a T-Shirt with ‘Adapt and Overcome’ on it, signed by the whole staff. That was very special. They wheeled me to the front, I got up from the wheelchair and walked the 12 steps to my wife’s car. They were right, I did walk out of there.”
For more information about the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital, visit www.silvercross.org
Above: Other rehabilitation patients at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital. Below: The therapy gym at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab at Silver Cross Hospital.
The sunny side, the side you want to keep to, is sunny because it’s where all the friendship and fulfillment are found.
That’s what we believe at Cedarhurst of Frankfort — that you can shine like a sunrise when you surround yourself with friends and fill your days with fascinating activity and adventure. So, we do everything we can to bring joy, enrichment and contentment to everyone we meet.
We anchor our efforts in genuineness, compassion and friendship — you know, the sunny side.
There’s beautiful food on the sunny side.
Take our Crafted by CedarhurstSM culinary program: a healthy, delicious plan for daily dining — 7 am to 7 pm — that features daily specials, heart- and brain-healthy choices, and gluten-free, diabeticfriendly and low-sodium options.
Everybody eats well, and our dining rooms feel like family dinner — with friendly, tailored-to-you service and happy chatter.
You’ll also find purpose and connections here.
We know good things happen for residents who have time and opportunity to share life. So, with our Living TRUESM life enrichment program, our assisted living and memory care communities enlarge residents’ friendship circles.
Finally, research is on the sunny side with us. A Harvard study that began in 1938, looks at what makes people happy in life and includes what people think about retirement.
While the research continues, the No. 1 challenge revealed for their post-working years is how people can replace “the social connections that had sustained them for so long at work.”
The research is clear: “People who fare the best in retirement find ways to cultivate connections.”
Cultivate connections.
Life at Cedarhurst of Frankfort is how to keep to the sunny side, engaged, connected and shining. For more information or to schedule a lunch visit, call (224) 264-2554 or visit CedarhurstFrankfort.com.
Flowers bloom, birds sing, and the sun rises warm and bright. Life is good — and it gets even better at Cedrhurst of Frankfort. Here, you can surround yourself with friends, fill your days with fascinating activities and liven up your well-being with the Crafted by CedarhurstSM culinary program. Visit CedarhurstFrankfort.com or call 224.335.4005 and schedule a visit.
Come talk about the life you want.
Three Treatments available:
Venaseal is a procedure that uses a medical glue to close affected veins. This special glue holds the walls of the veins together, stopping and then redirecting the blood flow to healthy veins. With time, your body will absorb the inactive veins, and they will disappear, leaving you with Healthy beautiful legs.
RFA is Radio-Frequency Ablation. This treatment is minimally invasive technique uses heat created by radio-frequency to shut down the vein and redirect the blood flow to the healthy veins.
Sclerotherapy is the “gold standard” and is preferred over laser for eliminating large spider veins (telangiectasiae) and smaller varicose leg veins. Unlike a laser, the sclerosing solution additionally closes the “feeder veins” under the skin that are causing the spider veins to form, thereby making a recurrence of the spider veins in the treated area less likely. Multiple injections of dilute sclerosant are injected into the abnormal surface veins of the involved leg. The patient’s leg is then compressed with either stockings or bandages that they wear usually for two weeks after treatment. Patients are also encouraged to walk regularly during that time. It is common practice for the patient to require at least two treatment sessions separated by several weeks to significantly improve the appearance of their leg veins.
Sclerotherapy can also be performed using ultrasound guidance to treat larger varicose veins.
At Eterna MedSpa you will have an initial consultation with one of our physicians. you will then have an ultra-sound study to determine the extent of the abnormal veins in your legs. Then a treatment plan will be developed, specifically for you, to properly treat your vein disease.
You can take comfort in the fact that all of our procedures are done by expert qualified physicians.
MORRIS, IL – Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is offering a new class the second Wednesday of every month for patients who are scheduled for ankle or foot surgery. The class meets from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Morris Hospital Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, 1051
W. U.S. Route 6 - Suite 400, Morris. There is no fee to attend.
Led by a member of the Morris Hospital physical therapy staff, patients will learn mobility expectations and considerations following common foot and ankle surgeries. Topics include educating patients on how to set themselves up for a safe and successful recovery, as well as how to be safe and compliant with post-operative recovery.
Morris Hospital Inpatient Supervisor of Rehabilitation Services Valerie Skroch describes the class as “an opportunity for patients to come and ask questions in a group setting with knowledgeable physical therapy staff who will help them make the necessary modifications.”
Family members and caregivers are welcome to attend to learn how to make the appropriate modifications to the home environment, obtain necessary equipment, and practice post-operative restrictions before surgery.
Register online at www.morrishospital. org/events or for more information, call 815-942-8301
MORRIS, IL – Board-certified cardiologist Dr. Mary Menz with Morris Hospital Cardiovascular Specialists encourages women to think about their hearts. While it should come as no surprise that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, Dr. Menz says only one-half of women are aware of this risk.
Spend a few minutes with Dr. Menz as she shares her insights into what women need to know when it comes to heart disease and what steps they should take now to prevent it.
Q: Why is it important for women to take their heart health seriously?
Dr. Menz: Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of both men and women in this country. Even though we’ve had the spotlight on cardiovascular disease for years, still, only about half of women realize that heart disease is their No. 1 risk for death.
Mary Menz, D.O. Cardiologist
accounted for 301,000 deaths in this country, which is 1 in every 5 deaths in women. That means 20 percent of all deaths in women in this country are caused by cardiovascular disease. That’s a huge number.
Q: Are signs and symptoms of heart issues in women different than they are in men?
Q: In general, we’ve learned that prevention is the best approach to cardiovascular disease. What can we do to prevent heart disease?
Dr. Menz: I always tell patients the best thing they can do to prevent heart disease is to just have knowledge. Knowledge is definitely power. You need to know your numbers. You need to know what your blood pressure runs, and whether or not you have high blood pressure. You need to know what your cholesterol is, and whether or not you have normal cholesterol or abnormal cholesterol readings. You need to know what your blood sugar is, and whether or not you have diabetes. Those are the three most important risk factors for heart disease. Of course, if you’re a smoker, you need to know that you should quit. Knowing your numbers and talking to your doctor about ways to get any abnormal readings under control are extremely important in preventing future heart disease. Ultimately, it’s easier to prevent heart disease than it is to treat it once you have it.
Q: How serious of a problem is heart disease in women?
Dr. Menz: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in this country. In 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease
Dr. Menz: Many of the signs and symptoms are the same in women as in men. Obviously women can have chest pain or pain that radiates into their back, jaw or neck. But the most common presenting symptom for heart disease in women is actually overwhelming fatigue. That fatigue predates overt symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath by often weeks to months. It’s not just your usual tired because most of us are tired. We have jobs, we have families and we have things we take care of. I’m talking about having to sit down and rest after doing a load of laundry because you are just exhausted. Or it can be getting through the work day, but by the time you get home you can’t do anything else because you’re so tired. If you’re experiencing that kind of fatigue, it is something you should take seriously and see your doctor because it can be a sign that you’ve developed cardiovascular disease. Shortness of breath is also common, especially with your normal daily activities. Assuming your laundry is in the basement and you go up and down the stairs to do laundry, and now all of a sudden you’re finding you have to work a little hard to do that, that’s an important warning sign.
Dr. Menz: The best thing to do is work with your doctor to manage any risk factors that you have. As I mentioned before, managing blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol levels and stress levels can be very important. You have to find healthy ways to cope with stress. Getting regular physical activity is extremely important. It’s something I can’t emphasize enough. I am a reformed couch potato, and now I exercise every single day. If you had told me a year ago that I would run three
miles before work every day, I would have laughed. Since I’ve started doing it, I can’t begin to tell you how much better I feel. So getting that physical activity is hugely important. We really like people to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week, which is 150 minutes. That’s just 22 minutes a day. You can do anything for just 22 minutes a day. Exercise is very important. Of course, our diet is extremely important, too. It’s important to choose healthy food and beverages and try to avoid extremely processed foods or things that have a lot of chemicals in them. Try to eat a diet that is more geared towards vegetables and fresh foods than meats. You don’t have to go completely vegan or vegetarian, but having a more plant-based diet definitely does decrease your risk for heart disease.
Q: So you’re talking about more than just eating your fruits and veggies?
Dr. Menz: It is beyond that. We’re in the Midwest, so it’s a hard thing to do, but make a choice to at least have your plate geared more towards vegetables and fruits while limiting the amount of meat that you eat. We know that red meat is bad for us, so it’s really important to limit red meat to even just once a month and try to choose fish whenever you can. Fish is one healthier option if you’re looking at continuing to maintain some sort of animal protein in your diet. The more plant based you get, the healthier your diet and the better it is for your cholesterol.
Q: Where do I start?
Dr. Menz: You can start by getting your blood pressure checked and having a blood test to check your cholesterol and glucose. Those are really important, simple things to do. And it just take a few minutes. Even if it means walking into a pharmacy and using an automated blood pressure cuff to see your blood pressure reading, that’s a good start and a step in the right direction.
Dr. Mary Menz is a board-certified cardiologist with Morris Hospital Cardiovascular Specialists. She see patients at office locations in Channahon (Morris Hospital Ridge Road Campus), Morris, and Ottawa. Along with Dr. Menz, the practice includes Dr. Syed Ahmed, Dr. Mostafa Ghanim, Dr. Athar Saeed, and Nurse Practitioner Sherese Pruss. To schedule an appointment, call 815-7051000.
Our orthopedic specialists provide expert care and treatment of sports injuries and problems associated with the neck, back, shoulder, elbow, hand,
Orthopedic Surgeons: Dr. Raymond Meyer, Dr. Paul Perona, Dr. Keith Rezin, Dr. Stephen Treacy, Dr. Robert Williams
Orthopedic Spine Surgeon: Dr. Mir Ali Foot & Ankle Surgeon: Dr. Kyle Pearson