Health for Life is intended to provide general health information only. It should not be used to self-diagnose or as a substitute for advice by a physician or other healthcare professional. For questions or comments about Health for Life, please write or call the Henry Medical Center Marketing Department, 1133 Eagle’s Landing Parkway, Stockbridge, GA 30281, 678-604-1026.
Charles Scott President and C.E.O. Jeff Cooper Vice President and C.O.O. Donna M. Braddy Director of Marketing, Public Relations, Community Education and Volunteer Services Michelle A. Nunnally Public Relations Specialist Health For Life is a Silver award winner at the 2011 Georgia Hospital Association's Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations Society annual Target Awards. Design and Art Direction by tbg design Terry B. Gardner – Designer Leigh Delozier – Writer Michie Turpin – Photographer Health for Life, November/December 2011. Published bi-monthly by Henry Medical Center. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability. No responsibility is accepted for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies. No materials contained herein may be reproduced without the exclusive written permission of the publisher. ©2011 Henry Medical Center. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Christine Cooper tries on dresses at David's Bridal. Her story on page 6.
on the cover: Barbara and Alan Heusel
share some birthday cake at Logan's Roadhouse. Alan's story on page 2.
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In this issue - it's all about the Sweetest Things in LIFE 2 Alan and Barbara Heusel - Birthday Blessing 4
Roddy Calicott and Dr. Julian McLendon - Code STEMI
6
Christine Cooper - Breathing Easy
9 Dr. Tom Felcher - Wake-up Call 10
Barington "Bear" Sheneman - Sweet Sounds of Care
13
Foundation News
Trey Sheneman comforts his little Bear. Bear's story on page 10.
Health for Life November/December 2011 page 1
CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES
W
hat started as a birthday dinner soon became a near tragedy for Barbara and Alan Heusel of McDonough. They credit
the Emergency and Cardiovascular teams of Henry
Medical Center with playing key roles in saving Alan’s life and giving them a better reason to celebrate.
The couple spent time with family over the weekend, so they planned a quiet dinner for themselves on Alan’s birthday, September 21. He exercised at the gym and began feeling pressure and dull pain in his chest while walking to his car. “I wondered if I’d strained
Once Alan was stabilized, he was taken to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. An employee from Admissions brought paperwork to Barbara about that same time, but was quick to step back. “He didn’t make me sit there and do everything right then,” Barbara said. “He knew I wanted to go with Alan when they moved him. He said, ‘Don’t worry about me – follow him.’ That let me know they haven’t lost the human element of caring for people.”
something or pulled a muscle,” he said. Then the pain
The ER team stayed with Alan when he went into
started radiating toward his back and he began feeling
the Cath Lab.
a bit dizzy. “I’ve been a first responder at work for years. I knew what it was.”
“I was awake for the procedure and heard the doctors talking about the situation,” Alan said. “The first
Even after talking on the phone with Barbara and his
wire started to break up the blockage. I could feel
daughter, Alan didn’t mention the chest pain. When
the pressure come off my chest when the second wire
he and Barbara met at Logan’s Roadhouse later, he still
broke through.”
didn’t say anything immediately. “I finally asked Barbara to take my pulse and if she had
“I was really in a state of shock, so the communication throughout was very helpful,” said Barbara. “The
any aspirin. That’s when she got clued in to what was
chaplain also stayed with me throughout the entire
going on.”
process, even when our family and friends got there.
They rushed to Henry Medical Center and learned they hadn’t had any time to spare. “I ran in and grabbed the first person I saw,” Barbara said. “They took us right back. They were very
How do you say thank you for something like that?” Alan spent several days at Henry Medical Center before going home. “Moving from CCU to telemetry was scary because I
professional and calm while they checked things out,
didn’t have monitors in the room to watch anymore,”
but didn’t waste time.”
Barbara said. “A friend reminded me that God was
When Alan began to have a seizure, Barbara realized things were turning bad very quickly. “The entire atmosphere changed because of the situation. But they were still compassionate to us in the middle of everything else.” Alan needed to be shocked with the defibrillator several times and flat-lined once. “During this experience I had a vision of a meadow with bright light and flowers. I remember thinking I wasn’t
2
supposed to be there, and fought my way back.”
watching the monitors. The nurses in telemetry were just as wonderful as the ones in CCU. We can’t say enough good things about everyone involved in Alan’s care.” “The chaplain and almost all of the ER staff came back to check on Alan,” Barbara added. “Quite a few said he was a ‘miracle boy.’”
“We’ve become Henry Medical Center's biggest fans. For a very negative event, it had a very positive conclusion.” ~Barbara Heusel
The Heusels appreciate that miracle more every day as Alan continues to recover. “It’s surreal when we think about what really happened,” he said. “We’ve had to make some changes, but I’ve got to remember where we’ve been. I don’t want to go there again.” “We expected to celebrate Alan’s birthday and ended up fighting for his life,” Barbara said. “People have said that’s a terrible thing to have happen on a birthday, but we don’t look at it that way.
Now it’s not just Alan’s birthday it’s the day of his rebirth.”
Health for Life November/December 2011 page 3
Courtney McCart
Tamara Hogan Mary Rockwood
Carrie Clayton Roddy Calicott
“I knew the procedures we followed. This really solidified for me how great our STEMI teams are.” ~Roddy Calicott
FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE When Henry Medical Center added coronary angioplasty to its list of cardiovascular services, Roddy Calicott was an integral part of the staff training and preparation. Now he can say from personal experience how successful the program has become in less than a year.
Calicott works in the Cardiovascular Department of Henry Medical Center, plus owns a commercial cleaning business with his wife. “I was burning the candle at both ends and neglected my health,” he said. “There were signs along the way, but people don’t always pay attention to what their bodies tell them.” One night in early August, Calicott and his wife planned to spend the evening at home with family. Calicott had experienced some discomfort for a few days, but tried to ignore it.
“Then after dinner I started having crushing chest pain,” he said. His wife saw him putting on his shoes and questioned whether they were going to work after all. “I told her we weren’t going to work, but she was going to get me the aspirin and get me to the hospital because I was having a heart attack.” Because they live at the Henry/Spalding County line, Calicott was afraid an ambulance might not take him to Henry Medical Center. While his wife drove him to the hospital, Calicott alerted his coworkers. Part of preparing for coronary angioplasty services included establishing teams who are always on the alert for “Code STEMI” cases like Calicott’s. STEMI stands for “ST segment elevation myocardial infarction,” and refers to patients who potentially have an acute myocardial infarction(MI), or heart attack. Each team
Henry Medical Center began providing coronary angioplasty services in February 2011. By October 2011, the hospital h
4
includes four people who are able to respond and be at the hospital in 30 minutes or less after receiving a call. “I knew exactly what was going on,” Calicott said. “I sent the team a text saying they would be getting a call for an MI and that it was me.” Once at the hospital, Calicott underwent the standard EKG and other assessments. “I heard them page ‘Code STEMI’ overhead and asked if it was me. They said yeah, and I told them I’d already called the team and they were on their way.” The accepted “gold standard” for getting STEMI patients from their first intervention when they arrive at the hospital until they have balloons inserted to widen blocked coronary arteries is 90 minutes. The average time for these patients at Henry Medical Center is less than 60 minutes. Calicott talked and cracked jokes through the EKG and evaluation. “Once I got in the Cath Lab, the reality hit,” Calicott said. “I’m diabetic, I’m overweight, I smoke. I started wondering how bad things were going to be. The team told me that was the quietest they’d ever seen me.” Calicott needed a stent to clear one completely blocked vessel. He was back to work in only weeks, but with a whole new perspective. “It’s quite different being on the other side of the situation,” he said. “To see how far the team has come and to know I was part of the training just blows me away.
That team saved my life.”
had already performed almost 400 angioplasties.
Saved by STEMI Physician Julian McLendon knew that Henry Medical Center had implemented a STEMI benchmarking program to treat potential heart attack patients faster than ever before. He just never imagined he would experience the process firsthand.
“I was at work on July 5, and it was a busy day because it was right after the holiday,” Dr. McLendon said. “I felt some chest pain, but it was so sudden it was like someone snuck up behind me and turned a faucet on. I knew something bad was going on.” Dr. McLendon asked his staff to complete an EKG on him in their office. Results showed he was experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (MI), or heart attack. “Luckily for me, there’s a cardiology office basically next door in our building,” Dr. McLendon said. By the time he walked to the other office with his EKG, his staff had already called the cardiologist. “I showed Dr. Amin my EKG and asked what he thought I should do. He said, ‘I think you should lay down and chew this aspirin.’ That’s when I knew things were really serious.” An ambulance transported Dr. McLendon to Henry Medical Center, where staff in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab was waiting. Exploration showed problems including a 100 percent blockage of Dr. McLendon’s left main coronary artery (sometimes referred to as the ‘widow maker’ because of the high incidence of sudden death when blocked). “Time is of the essence with anything in medicine, but especially for cardiovascular services,” Dr. McLendon said. “Because my office is in Jackson, I would’ve had to go much further for treatment if Henry Medical Center didn’t have the Cath Lab.” Dr. McLendon was back to work and his normal routines in a few short weeks, thanks to stent placements that day and two weeks later. “Everybody is shocked when they hear what happened,” he said. “I don’t have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, I don’t smoke, I’m not overweight, I don’t have a family history of heart disease. But you can’t argue with the facts. I tell people that if I can have a heart attack, anyone can.” “I’ve always talked with patients about risk factors for heart disease, but I stress it more now,” he added. “Get a stress test to catch problems before a big problem can happen. Know your risk factors. See a doctor right away if you experience any signs or symptoms of trouble.” And don’t forget that help is close by. “Henry Medical Center is the closest facility for us, and the staff there does a fine job. I’m happy and blessed that Henry Medical Center is right here and has a cardiac cath lab. If I’d had to go all the way to Atlanta, I could’ve been in a much worse state.”
Health for Life November/December 2011 page 5
Christine's sister Courtney is also gett married in the spring of 2012.
6
ting
S
SURGERY
tockbridge resident Christine Cooper has many
things on her mind as a college student, volleyball coach, and bride-to-be. The idea of her dealing with spontaneous pneumothorax – a collapsed lung without any obvious, traumatic cause – seemed farfetched, until pain outweighed everything else. Cooper was making her bed one morning in September when she suddenly experienced terrible back pain. “Sitting didn’t help. Lying down didn’t help. I’ve never had any physical problems, so I got up to try and walk it off. It didn’t help either.” Cooper called her father, Henry Medical Center’s Vice President and COO Jeff Cooper. “By that time the pain felt like it started around my shoulder blade and pushed forward,” she said. “It seemed to be growing.”
“I’m very grateful that Henry Medical Center is so close to home. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I had to go further away.”
~Christine Cooper
Once Cooper arrived at Henry Medical Center, tests showed she had a collapsed lung. “I couldn’t believe it,” Cooper said. “I asked, ‘Are you kidding?’ and they said, ‘No.’ I never thought something like that would happen to me, especially doing something so simple.” Most patients who experience pneumothorax can attribute it to an accident, rib fracture, or other chest trauma. Cooper was part of the smaller percentage of patients who experience spontaneous pneumothorax – a collapsed lung without any obvious, traumatic cause. “Spontaneous pneumothorax is more unusual, but not unheard of,” said Brian Myers, MD. “In most of these cases, the patient develops a small blister on her lung called a bulla or bleb. The blister pops, which allows air to escape into the chest cavity.” As the air escapes, the lung collapses, leading to sharp chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, easy fatigue, or other symptoms. Physicians often correct the situation by inserting a chest tube to help drain air from the chest cavity and allow the lung to re-expand and heal. Dr. Myers performed the procedure on Cooper, but also spent time educating her about the risks of reoccurrence. Health for Life November/December 2011 p age 7
“I felt fine when I left the hospital, but kept wondering
Dr. Myers found a small bulla near the top of Cooper’s
if it would happen again,” Cooper said. “It seemed like
lung. He removed the affected piece of lung and closed
I was walking on eggshells the next week.”
the area with a procedure called pleurodesis.
The following Monday, Cooper’s pain returned.
During pleurodesis, the surgeon uses an irritant to
“At least we knew the drill this time,” Cooper said. “I
make the pleura – the sheets of tissue covering the
knew what was happening and Dr. Myers had said if it
outside of the lung and lining the chest cavity –
happened again he could do surgery to fix it for good.”
stick together.
Cooper went into surgery almost immediately after arriving at Henry Medical
years,” Dr. Myers explained. “Old techniques used
Center. “Dr. Myers talked
chemical fluids around the lungs allowing patients
to me about everything so
to avoid surgery, but it was a very painful procedure.
I knew exactly what would
Now we use talc to coat the lungs and kind of paint
be done, what kinds of
inside the lung cavity. The patient has surgery, but it
medications I would have, what I might be feeling from the anesthesia. I felt totally relaxed going in.” Dr. Brian S. Myers
8
“The technique for pleurodesis has improved over the
doesn’t take long and the lung can no longer collapse.” “Dr. Myers said there’s less than a one percent chance it will ever happen to me again,” Cooper said, “so I’m much more confident now. The hardest thing afterwards was making myself slow down until I could rebuild my lung capacity. I feel great and think it was a huge success.” •
Wake-up Call
“What I take away from all of this is that life is precious.”
~ Tom Felcher, DDS
Stockbridge dentist Tom Felcher, DDS, spent the Saturday of Labor
Day weekend on landscaping work at his Atlanta church. As he was leaving he was involved in a head-on collision with a tree on Ponce de Leon Avenue. “I was stunned by the airbag exploding against my head and upper body,” Felcher said. “The next recollection I have is finding myself alone in our church – I somehow managed in my semi-conscious state to punch in the security code to enter the church in search of help.” No one was in the church on a late Saturday afternoon. By the time Felcher returned to his wrecked car, a wrecker service and the police were on the scene. The next night, Felcher told friends at a Bible study about the event. A physician in the group had once fractured his ribs and sternum in an accident, and urged Felcher to have a chest X-ray as soon as possible. “Being a stereotypical male, I said I would – but
procrastinated until the Tuesday after Labor Day.” When Felcher saw his primary care physician, an X-ray allowed the physician to rule out any broken bones but diagnosis a pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Felcher went to Henry Medical Center, where further tests confirmed the diagnosis. His right lung had collapsed by approximately one-third. A chest tube was inserted through Felcher’s ribcage to remove fluid and accumulated blood so the lung could reinflate. He was able to return home three days later.
“I’ve been very blessed with good health and had never experienced such a crisis,” Felcher said. “I thank those at Henry Medical Center for helping me get back on my feet and on the road to recovery.” Health for Life November/December 2011 page 9
“God positioned people in the hospital to watch over Bear and us. We only knew his caregivers two weeks, but it feels like we’ve known them forever.”
10
~ Jenny Sheneman
WOMEN'S SERVICES
Barington
“ �
Sheneman
sweet sounds of care
Doctors told Locust Grove residents Jenny and Trey Sheneman there was a chance their baby would be born with medical complications. Baby Barington came into the world with no signs of Down syndrome or hydrocephalus, but he did have a rare condition no one had expected.
Health for Life November/December 2011 page 11
“Bear” was born at Henry Medical Center on Dec. 9,
to do whatever they could here, and they brought
2010. “Staff from the NICU was there to observe since
the specialists here to us instead of us having to go to
they thought he might have Down syndrome,” Bear’s
them. That meant a lot.”
mom Jenny said. “They checked Bear immediately and then gave him to us to love on. My mom and sister-in-law noticed that his ears were small, but we didn’t think anything about it.” As physicians and nurses cared for Bear, they determined he had a condition known as microtia atresia (meaning the patient’s external ear has grown abnormally and there is no external ear canal).
Bear and his parents spent seven nights and eight days at Henry Medical Center. During that time, they were visited countless times by staff and physicians. “We had nurses checking on us before or after their shifts, and they let us spend as much time with Bear in the NICU as possible,” Jenny said. “God provided for us and really gave us peace of mind. So many nurses we knew or that we knew
“The problem with
through friends helped
Bear’s ears really threw
take care of Bear.
us off,” Jenny said. “It
He really had angels
wasn’t something
looking over him.”
detected on ultrasound
Hearing tests at Bear’s
or something we knew
six-week mark showed
to look for.”
he could hear sounds in
“It’s a rare condition,
normal ranges despite the
especially when both
malformations. Physicians
ears are affected,” Trey
believe Bear’s internal ear
added. “But they knew
structures are intact, so he
right away what it was.”
hears by sound vibrations transmitting straight
The diagnosis and all
through his skull to the
the changes it would
internal ear canals.
mean to their family shocked the Shenemans. Staff at Henry Medical Center did all they could to ease the transition. “They were so attentive and reassured us that this wasn’t a life or death situation,” Trey said. “There were
band that has helped condition him,” Trey said. “He doesn’t always want to wear it, but he’s gotten better at localizing sound even without it.”
lots of other babies in the NICU at the same time, and
Bear could have surgery in a few years to create new
some of them were sicker than Bear. But we all got the
ears and external ear canals. In the meantime, his
same level of care.”
parents are enjoying watching him grow and learn
One thing that impressed the Shenemans was the hospital staff ’s willingness to help however they could. “They didn’t see something they couldn’t fix and send Bear off to another hospital,” Trey said. “They wanted
12
“He has a special hearing aid on a cool sports
every day. “His world hasn’t been perfect, and he still has some uphill battles,” Trey said. “Our ‘normal’ is different from other parents. But that’s OK. Bear’s a fighter, and he’s going to come out on top of things.”
2011 Annual Holiday Celebration and Christmas Tree Lighting THURSDAY, December 1, 2011 6–8pm on the HMC South Lawn CARRIAGE RIDES WITH SANTA RefreshmENts Entertainment by: HeartSong Henry • The Tussahaw Young Singers • HMC Employee Choir • Pate's Creek Elementary School • Cotton Indian Elementary School Honorary Tree Lighter: Dr. Joe Blissit Tree Lighting Provided By: Christmas Decor - A complete holiday design, installation and removal service. 678-583-4455
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Brasfield & Gorrie • The Henry Players • Sodexo • Einstein’s Bagels
Foundation News Henry Medical Center’s Laurel Park Receives Van through Grant from the Hospital’s Foundation Henry Medical Center Foundation (HMCF) recently received a $48,000 grant from the Chaparral Foundation to purchase a 10 -
passenger van for the hospital’s Laurel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation facility. The van, which has a wheelchair lift, will allow staff at Laurel Park to take residents on outings including local shopping trips and sporting events in Atlanta. A reception was held at Laurel Park as residents and HMC staff gathered to celebrate the van’s delivery from Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln Mercury.
Golf Tournament Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the 2011 HMCF Golf Tournament! It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time. In all, more than $40,000 was raised for programs and services at Henry Medical Center. Health for Life November/December 2011 page 13
Support Groups Al-Anon Meets every Wednesday and Saturday in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–8:00pm. Ala Teen Meets every Wednesday in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–8:00pm. Alcoholics Anonymous Meets every Wednesday and Saturday in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–9:00pm.
Diabetes Support Group Meets third Tuesday of each month in the Foundation Education Center at 6:00pm. Pre-registration required. Call 678-604-5106 for more information. Fibromyalgia Support Group Meets Last Thursday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–8:30pm.
Cancer Education/Support Call 678-604-1040 for more information.
Georgia Losing for Life Weight Loss Surgery Meets second Saturday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 11:00am–Noon.
Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) Call 678-604-1040 for more information.
Grief Recovery Call 678-604-1054 for registration, dates and times.
Hearts of Henry A support group for anyone with Heart Disease. Meets first Thursday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 6:00–8:00pm. Call 678-575-7746 for more information. LaLeche League Provides education, information, support and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. Meets second Thursday each month, 6:30pm in the Women’s Service Classroom on the 4th floor of the North Tower.
Diabetes Self-Management Two-day classes are held each month. Evening Seminar Series Lung Disease Seminar is an annual program that provides patients and families with the most current information on prevention and treatment.
First Steps Offers emotional support, current parenting information, community resources and follow up contacts to parents of newborns. The program also offers telephone follow up for the baby’s first three to six months. Call 770-507-9900 for more information or to volunteer. Get Moving Again For hip and knee surgery patients. Meets the last Saturday of the month.
Overeaters Anonymous Meets every Saturday in the Foundation Education Center, 9:00–10:30am. Post-Partum Support Telephone support provided to new mothers and family members. Call 678-209-4739.
Lupus Support Meets second Saturday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 11:00am–1:00pm.
Classes and Services CPR and First Aid Rescue techniques are taught by the American Heart Association guidelines. Call 678-604-1040 to register.
Narcotics Anonymous Meets every Friday from 8:00–9:00pm in the Foundation Education Center, and every Sunday in the Executive Dining Room, from 5:30–6:30pm.
Rachel’s Gift Infant Bereavement Support Group For Parents, Families and Friends who have experienced a loss through miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. Meets second Thursday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–8:00pm. Call 770-320-7059 for more information. Sisters By Choice For women diagnosed with breast cancer. Meets second Tuesday of each month in the Foundation Education Center at 7:30pm.
Southern Crescent Parents of Multiples Meets fourth Thursday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 7:30–9:00pm. Southside Weight Loss Surgery Group Meets fourth Tuesday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 7:00–8:30pm. Stroke Resources Call 678-604-1040 for more information. WomenHeart Meets first Tuesday of each month in the Foundation Education Center, 6:00–7:30pm. Call 678-575-7746 for more information. This group is open to men and women.
For more information about classes, please call 678-604-1040.
Health Fairs Free screenings are offered for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, bone density, prostate and many other services. Look Good Feel Better This program is designed to help women undergoing cancer treatment to regain self-confidence and control over their lives. Meets at Henry Radiation Oncology Center monthly from
10:00am–12:00pm. Call 770-631-0625 for dates and to register. On-Site Health Related classes Henry Medical Center offers customized on-site health related classes that can be conducted at your business, school, or organization. Call 678-604-5182 for more information.
Paradise Empowers Teen Parent Program (PETPP) A parent education program for pregnant or parenting teenagers under 20-years-old who reside in Henry County. Home visits are held once a month. Classes meet second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 5:00-6:30pm in the Women’s Service Classroom on the 4th floor of the North Tower. Call 678-472-2427 for more information.
Planning for your Final Healthcare Learn how you and your family can discuss and plan in advance for health care at the end of life. Call 678-604-1054 for more information. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Infant Care Teen Class Classes offered twice a year to pregnant teenagers age 12-19 years old. Call 678-604-4896 for more information.