ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Scott Seaborn: An inspiring administrator There is a smile on Scott Seaborn’s face as he makes his daily rounds at the hospital. Seaborn, who is vice president of Southern Illinois Healthcare and administrator at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, has just been honored with a prestigious award, representing the very “Best of the Best” in Service Excellence. At the 11th annual HealthCare Service Excellence Conference in New Orleans this year, Seaborn received the much sought-after “Inspiring Administrator” Summit Award, besting nominations from 23 other health care facilities. The award celebrates exceptional customer service achievements in health care and initiatives for improving the quality of service for patients/customers, the quality of work life for health care professionals and the performance of health care organizations. Rex Budde, CEO of Southern Illinois Healthcare, believes Seaborn’s leadership has helped St. Joseph’s achieve significant increases in patient satisfaction. “Scott has been instrumental in combining the caring culture of St. Joseph’s with an increased emphasis on those items that drive patient satisfaction, resulting in improvement of the patient experience,” Budde says. Seaborn is modest about his achievements. “I am honored to receive this award,” he says. “What can I say? I’m
humbled and thrilled but don’t like to talk about it. There are people out there working at the hospital who inspire me every day. I like to think I’m Seaborn just doing my job to the best of my abilities.” Having spent a little more than four years at the helm of St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Seaborn joined the SIH system in 1996 when it was purchased from the ASC Health System. “We believe that the strength of who we are rests in the people that work here: the employees, the physicians, the volunteers, everybody that comes through our doors and provides services to our patients,” Seaborn says. “For three years in a row, our employee satisfaction scores and our physician satisfaction scores have put us in the 99th percentile. We are very proud of that.” David Dworski, a senior trainer at Custom Learning Systems Group Limited, a company contracted by SIH to create awareness of best practices around excellence in service, believes the high scores are in large part because of Seaborn’s management style. “An outstanding leader and a man of enormous faith, Scott is an exponent of compassionate care and service to the community,” Dworski says. “Having come from Human Resources, he is a ‘people person’ and very deserving of the award.”
Ever had surgery at Grandma’s house? When Murphysboro resident Kathy Guetersloh was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she had mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgeries at Southern Illinois Healthcare facilities. “I remember my son asking, ‘Aren’t you going to St. Louis for this?’” Guetersloh says. “‘No I’m going to stay right here,’ I said. Sometimes bigger is not always better.” Guetersloh could have gone to St. Louis or Chicago for cancer treatment and surgeries. “But I chose to stay right here in Murphysboro, and I’m glad I did,” she says. “It resulted in me being able to maintain more of a normal lifestyle and helped me heal faster.” Guetersloh underwent seven months of chemotherapy at Dr. Sujatha Rao’s Hem-Onc Care in Carbondale and has had five surgeries to date. “I had a mastectomy in November 2009 at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale,” Guetersloh says. “Dr. Aisha White had just been recruited at the time, and she did the reconstruction. I had my second reconstructive surgery at Memorial, too, and received excellent care.”
Kathy Guetersloh, with son, Jacob, and husband, Mike, says she received much comfort and ‘nurturing care’ from hospital nurses.
Guetersloh, a practicing Catholic, strongly believes in the power of prayer. “As a patient at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, I found it very uplifting to see the hospital pastor moving around, greeting patients and staff everyday,” she says. “I believe there is an absolute tie between prayer and recovery, no matter what religion you belong to. The hospital pastor came in and talked to me right before my surgery, and I received communion right after surgery. This was extremely comforting on a spiritual level.” Guetersloh attests to excellent nursing care, too. “The first night I stayed at the hospital, I rang the nurse that I needed to use the bathroom,” Guetersloh recalls. “By the time I came out, she’d changed my sheets and fluffed my
pillows and just made my bed so welcoming for me. It was almost like having surgery at your grandma’s house with her taking care of you afterwards. You can tell that folks here really care about patients in the hospital. And I should know. I experienced the same attitude and excellent care three times in a row.” Dr. White, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, agrees. “The special care and attention patients receive at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital is unrivaled by any other hospital in the area.” And that is a major reason behind White scheduling 95 percent of all her surgeries at the hospital. “I’ve been using St. Joseph’s for one-and-ahalf years now, and it’s a true center of excellence.”
Proud to partner with SIH and St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital
Brown Electric, Inc.
Electrical Contractor
Phone 618.995.2870 Fax 618.995.2506 437 Route 37 Goreville, Il Page 2 Sunday, April 3, 2011 The Southern Illinoisan
special.thesouthern.com
• To subscribe: Call 618-351-5000 from Carbondale, Murphysboro and De Soto or 800-228-0429, option 2, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) is published daily for $178 per year at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. The Southern Illinoisan is owned by Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa.
• To place a display ad: Call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 618-529-5454, option 6; or toll free: 800-228-0429, option 6.
• Bob Williams , publisher
• Materials provided by:
bob.williams@thesouthern.com
Southern Illinois Healthcare
ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Past, Present and Future The story of St. Joseph Memorial Hospital BY POORNIMA JAYARAMAN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
St. Joseph Memorial Hospital has been an integral part of the Murphysboro community. Its fascinating history highlights how a group of passionate people came together to create a special place for healing. In 1895, a railroad accident near Murphysboro created an urgent need for emergency care. Classrooms at St. Andrew School were converted into temporary hospital wards, and two Franciscan Sisters from Belleville tended to the injured. It was a turning point. The people of Murphysboro realized the community needed a more permanent facility. So they came together as one, and historical documents indicate 146 residents generously donated $9,234.79 toward the construction of St. Andrews Hospital. First opened in 1897 and operated by the Franciscan Sisters of Wheaton for 58 years, the 29-bed Catholic hospital charged on a weekly basis: $5 for a ward, $6 to 7 for a double room and $7 to 10 for a private room. Hospital income the first year was $2,139. The tornado of 1925 brought home the value of having emergency care, when the hospital admitted 187 injured people; 37 of them died. In 1956, the hospital was sold to the Diocese of Belleville, and plans for a modern building and new site soon began. It was clear that the existing site and building could not be expanded and modernized to meet the needs of the community. A 100-acre tract of land was purchased, and a public subscription fund drive netted more than $600,000. The remainder came from Government grants.
Helping break ground for a new hospital, which was built in 1960, is Monsignor Joseph Taggart (with shovel), pastor at St. Andrew Catholic Church at the time. The hospital was operated by Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
Built in 1960 at a total cost of $1,700,000, the new St. Joseph Memorial Hospital was operated by Catholic nuns belonging to the order of Adorers of the Blood of Christ. The nuns filled the hospital hallways with their white habits flowing behind them, as they carried on their health-care ministry. Sister Clara Ternes, the only nun who remains from the original ASC order, remembers this time in history as if it were yesterday. “I was assigned to old St. Andrews in anesthesia and the emergency room, back in 1957, and, initially, we gave basic hospital care,” Ternes says. The new hospital was named after St. Joseph, the worker, and also in honor of a certain Mr. Joseph Daniel, a local businessman in Murphysboro, who passionately spearheaded the hospital fund drive, says Ternes, who is corporate director of Mission, Values & Ethics at Southern Illinois Healthcare today. At the new hospital, Ternes
was on call 24/7 as a nurse anesthetist and supervised the surgery, emergency and recovery rooms. She lived in the east wing of the hospital with the other 11 sisters. Eventually, as the hospital grew and more space was needed, a new home for the nuns was built south of the hospital. Long-time SIH employee Mona Kerns, who began her career at St. Joseph, remembers the Sister Adorers as being extremely committed to their mission and also very thrifty. “Back in that day, they used to type board meeting minutes on the back of correspondence mail,” Kerns recalls. “They recycled way before it became popular.” In 1995, SIH purchased the hospital from the ASC Health System and decided to retain the Catholic identity of the hospital. “Traditionally, Southern Illinois has been a very religious community,” Ternes says. “It was a wise move to sell to SIH, since our values and mission matched. Also, a small facility
Sister Clara Ternes is the only nun who remains of the original hospital order. She is now corporate director of Mission, Values & Ethics at SIH.
like St. Joseph could not have survived on its own.”
The present Today, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital, with a 24/7 Emergency Department that responds immediately to patient needs. In addition to serving the community as an inpatient
facility for primary care, the hospital is home to several unique outpatient and diagnostic programs in the region. (See story on Page 6) One of Murphysboro’s largest employers, the hospital truly complements the other SIH hospitals in the system. A perfect example is its participation as a Prairie STAT Heart hospital, a carefully coordinated program with EMS services and the doctors and staff at Prairie Heart InstituteMemorial Hospital of Carbondale. The Emergency Department team at St. Joseph plays a vital role in stabilizing heart attack patients in half the time of the national average, safely preparing the patient for transport to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale for further lifesaving heart procedures. And recently, according to Dr. Gerald McClallen, medical director of the Emergency Department and medical chief of staff at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, they are also working in a similar fashion with stroke patients. “Patients suffering a stroke, can get the critical clot-busting medicine in the St. Joseph ED and then be fast-tracked to Carbondale’s Primary Stroke Center,” McClallen says.
Spiritual care at SJMH Scientific studies show a link between prayer, faith and healing. “I personally believe that faith is a powerful thing,” McClallen says. “When we have a death in the ER, if it’s just happened or happening, whether it’s a holiday, bad weather day or late at night, SEE HISTORY / PAGE 4
The Southern Illinoisan Sunday, April 3, 2011 Page 3
ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HISTORY
A hospital dear to her heart
FROM PAGE 3
BY POORNIMA JAYARAMAN
staff members from the Pastoral Care Department come in and are there. They come for all people. If the family needs a rabbi or someone else, they’ll help them get the right person. They’ll comfort the family and the ER staff who have suffered a loss. Their presence makes all the difference.” The hospital, like all the other hospitals in the SIH system, looks at spiritual care as an integral part of a holistic approach to health care. Holding true to its roots, the chapel forms the heart of the hospital and is a place of solace, hope, prayer and healing for patients, family and staff. Morning and evening prayer helps employees focus on their ministries, as well as being source of comfort to patients and loved ones.
High satisfaction rates For three years in a row, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital’s employee and physician satisfaction scores have been in the 99th percentile nationwide. “The only thing that differentiates one hospital from another is the experience you have as a patient, the level of service and compassionate care you receive at that hospital,” says David Dworski, senior trainer at Custom Learning Systems Group Limited, a health-care consultancy dedicated to creating awareness of best practices around excellence in service. “The high scores are in
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
This labyrinth speaks to the hospital’s concern for excellent spiritual care, as well as clinical.
large part due to Scott Seaborn’s leadership and the implementation of some of the strategies and tools we have been training them on the past two years,” Dworski says. Seaborn, who is vice president of Southern Illinois Healthcare and administrator at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, is enthusiastic. “We believe that the strength of who we are rests in the people who work here: the employees, the physicians, the volunteers, everybody who comes through our doors and provides services to our patients. We are very proud of our high scores.”
Hospital spirit Though the hospital has grown and changed over the years, the spiritual culture of St. Joseph Memorial Hospital flourishes, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Sisters Adorers. “It remains a healthy, giving spirit, where smaller, personal interactions make a big difference,” Ternes says. “Over the years, people throughout the SIH family have really embraced our mission,
Page 4 Sunday, April 3, 2011 The Southern Illinoisan
which is guided by our values of compassion, collaboration, quality, stewardship, integrity, accountability and respect.” McClallen agrees. “It’s a wonderful, small-town community hospital with a young, dedicated medical staff. There are a lot of unsung heroes who go out of their way every day to make this place is extra special to every patient.”
expansion of the registration area and waiting room near the main entrance, expanded seating, more privacy for admissions, two handicapped-accessible restrooms and a weatherprojected entrance. This major project is in addition to many other internal renovations that have taken place in the last several years, resulting in a more modern and efficient facility.
New entryway
Maintaining a strong presence
Though a small hospital, Seaborn stresses that SIH has invested a lot of money to make the hospital as top-of-theline as possible. “We have been working a great deal on infrastructure, as well as cosmetic renovations and freeing up space for new programs,” Seaborn says. “All these go a long way in making a huge difference.” On the eve of its 50th anniversary celebration, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital is proud to showcase its newly renovated, $1.4 million main entryway. The new entryway features a 1,200-square-foot
“Our future looks very strong,” Seaborn says. “Our intent is to be here and offer excellence in service to the people of Murphysboro and Southern Illinois and to maintain a strong presence regionally.” Seaborn’s rallying cry to whomever works at the hospital is to keep doing what they are doing. “We have an outstanding group of people providing services here,” Seaborn says. “If we keep our focus on the patient and keep providing outstanding services, we will be here for a long time to come.”
Like many in the community, Murphysboro native Mona Kerns holds St. Joseph Memorial Hospital dear to her heart. “I was born at St. Andrews Hospital in 1951, and my earliest memories involve being a candy striper at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital,” Kerns says. “I Mona Kerns began her was 16, and, in those affiliation with the hospital, days, the hospital had a very active candy striper when she was a volunteer candy striper. She is now program.” manager of SIH’s Second For those confused by Act program for active the term, the name adults 50 and older. “candy striper” was derived from the redand-white striped jumpers that female volunteers traditionally wore, which resembled stick candy. In 1981, when Kerns started working at the hospital as an administrative assistant, she vividly remembers filling in for the switchboard operator. “In those days, they had these long, black cords for every line, and each caller was connected manually,” Kerns says. “It was quite a challenge to connect each call quickly without disconnecting the caller.” Kerns believes she may have had the first personal desktop computer to do all her word processing in administration and remembers how exciting it was to switch from an electronic typewriter. Having had both her babies at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, in 1975 and 1980, a time when the hospital still had an OB department, Kerns has experienced the hospital as both an employee and as a patient. “My fondest memories are the people,” she says. “Because resources were limited and it was a small facility, everybody did so much and wore so many hats. A lot of communities our size do not have a facility with our capabilities and quality in their backyard.” After 13 years as director of hospital relations and fund development at St. Joseph, Kerns became an SIH system employee. As manager of SIH’s Second Act program for active adults 50 and older, she still remains highly invested in St. Joseph, because her fondest memories revolve around the hospital. “The hospital has really been such a blessing to the community,” Kerns says. “It has played a key role in our community and in such a silent way has always been there, no matter what crisis.”
Congratulations to St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital We are proud to be your construction manager on this expansion and are excited to see your continued growth and service to Southern Illinois.
347 South Williams Street Murphysboro 687-3900 www.fager-mcgee.com The Southern Illinoisan Sunday, April 3, 2011 Page 5
ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Carving specific areas of excellence St. Joseph Memorial Hospital may be small, but it provides big lessons in quality of care and specialty services. “When you’re a small hospital, you cannot do everything and be everything to everybody,” says Tracy Herron, Southern Illinois Healthcare marketing coordinator. “You have to carve out specific areas of specialization and do it well. St. Joseph Memorial Hospital has particularly excelled at this.” Home to several unique, outpatient programs in the region, the 25-bed, critical access hospital is constantly innovating and creating specialty programs that benefit not only the residents of Murphysboro, but of the Southern Illinois region.
Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital focuses on optimizing the physical function in patients with cardiac and pulmonary disease. Cardiac patients include those who have been sent by their doctors after a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery, replacement of a heart valve, coronary stent placement or who have stable angina. Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or other pulmonary diseases are also treated. Certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Deb Pardee, program director at the Center for Senior Renewal and a registered nurse, comforts a client.
Rehabilitation, the program provides comprehensive rehabilitation services in an outpatient setting. While an experienced team of specialists work with the patients to improve their health and quality of life, the atmosphere within the center is one of fellowship. “Patients come in scared or shaken up after their recent cardiac or pulmonary event and then start forming this great camaraderie with other patients,” says Jacqueline Khalil, registered nurse and supervisor of cardiovascular pulmonary rehabilitation.
Center for Senior Renewal Depression and feelings of worthlessness can affect almost anyone, regardless of social or financial status. In your so-called “golden years,” the loss of independence, loss of a loved one or loss of physical health can make it doubly harder and turn your world upside down. That is where the Center for Senior Renewal steps in, offering an intensive, much-needed
Page 6 Sunday, April 3, 2011 The Southern Illinoisan
program that allows the elderly to maintain their independence, while at the same time getting them the help they need. The centerpiece of the program is group therapy. Members attend a group session twice a week, see an individual counselor if needed and meet with psychiatrist Dr. Naeem Qureshi once a week. Every treatment is customized based on the individual’s unique needs. “You don’t have to live in depression and without hope,” says Deb Pardee, program director and registered nurse. “You can learn to find joy and hope in life again, and we are here to help.”
Sleep Disorders Centers St. Joseph Memorial Hospital Sleep Disorders Centers in Murphysboro and Marion are the only nationally accredited sleep centers in deep Southern Illinois. Dr. Terry Brown, board certified in sleep medicine and bariatric medicine and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Centers, diagnoses, treats and follows up with a whole range of sleep disorders.
In terms of patient satisfaction, the sleep program ranks very high, in the 96th percentile, Brown notes. “We also are the only center in Southern Illinois and, perhaps, Illinois itself that coaches people to use the C-PAP device,” Brown says. “In addition, we are the only center in the area that will do a day-study for those who do shift work. Twenty five percent of the population does shift work, and, to my knowledge, even Chicago does not offer this.” Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the center follows the highest guidelines to help ensure quality patient care. Also Brown’s previous three year position on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Standards of Practice committee and current 2.5-year participation on the Academy’s accreditation committee, allows the center to be on the cutting edge.
GI endoscopy lab “We wanted to create a special environment where patients come only for endoscopic purposes and get personal care,” says Dr. Zahoor Makhdoom, a gastroenterologist leading the charge at the GI Endoscopy Lab at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital. The Endoscopy Lab offers a variety of endoscopic services that weren’t always available without surgical intervention. “St. Joseph is very
fortunate to have a physician of Dr. Makhdoom’s caliber behind the success this service,” notes Scott Seaborn, vice president of Southern Illinois Healthcare and administrator at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, referencing Makhdoom’s recent honors as one of the top gastroenterologists in the country in 2010. Only 89 centers in the country are recognized and accredited by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Ambulatory surgery The Ambulatory Surgery Center at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital provides state-of-the-art surgical services in a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment. According to Jane Berezow, a registered nurse and operating room manager at the hospital’s surgery department, ambulatory surgical procedures offered at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital include endoscopy procedures (colonoscopy, gastroscopy, bronchoscopy and ERCP); plastic surgery (breast reconstruction, breast implants); pain management (injections for pain control); urological procedures (lithotripsy, cystoscopy, ureteroscopy); and general surgical procedures such as laparoscopic appendectomy, hernia repairs and laparoscopic cholecystectomys. “These procedures can also be done “open” if
necessary,” Berezow says. “Our community is very fortunate to have a facility of this size and quality to take care of us. Physicians come and utilize our facility and bring patients to us. They choose St. Joseph’s for the ease in scheduling, top-of-theline equipment and technology and qualified surgery and ancillary staff that keep things moving in the right direction.”
Plastic surgery Plastic surgeon Dr. Aisha White schedules 95 percent of all her surgeries at the ambulatory surgery center of St. Joseph Memorial Hospital. Offering hand surgery, maxillofacial trauma surgery, breast reduction, breast reconstruction, general reconstruction and cosmetic surgery, White believes the special care and attention her patients receive at the hospital is unrivaled. “It is a true center of excellence,” she says.
Pain management Interventional pain specialist Dr. Gerson Criste offers the latest pain management procedures and services at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital. “I do a lot of minimally invasive spine procedures to get rid of chronic neck, back and joint problems,” Criste says. “They are usually 30 minutes or less, outpatient procedures and are almost all done under X-ray guidance.” Criste routinely administers epidural
ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL steroid injections, wherein a steroid is injected directly around the dura, the sac around the nerve roots containing cerebrospinal fluid. In cases where the facet joint itself is generating pain, he offers a facet block injection, to help alleviate pain. For patients with cancer or those with chronic non-cancer pain, Criste surgically implants spinal cord pumps, so that medication can be directly pumped into the spinal fluid, allowing for a much more potent pain relief and better quality of life. “Top-of-the-line pain management is available right here,” Criste says. “Most procedures can be done in an outpatient setting, and you don’t need to travel to a big city to receive quality care.”
St. Joseph Memorial Hospital’s variety of services are numerous, including cardiac rehabilitation (left), infusion therapy (center) and imaging services.
Infusion therapy services Started only seven months ago, St. Joseph has the area’s only centralized infusion therapy services program. The outpatient service offers intravenous administration of a drug, including non-oral routes, such as intramuscular injections. The program also offers
port flushes, PICC line placement, and chemotherapy drug administration, to name a few. The major infusion therapies are IV antibiotics, prescribed primarily for such diagnoses as cellulitis, sepsis and osteomyelitis; other diagnoses include urinary tract infections, pneumonia,
sinusitis and more. Diseases commonly requiring infusion therapy include infections that are unresponsive to oral antibiotics, cancer and cancer-related pain, dehydration, gastrointestinal diseases or disorders which prevent normal functioning of the gastrointestinal system and more. Other
conditions treated with specialty infusion therapies may include cancers, congestive heart failure, Crohn’s Disease, hemophilia, immune deficiencies, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and more. The service enables patients to come in, get their infusions and go back home to their families the same day, without having to check into the emergency department. According to Lisa Barros Da Silva, infusion therapy services manager, the program has been very well received and has helped save travel time for residents of Southern Illinois. Infusion Therapy Services is on the second floor at St Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro. Call
618-684-3156 ext. 55313 for more information.
Imaging services St. Joseph Memorial Hospital offers a variety of imaging services, including bone density tests, ultrasound, 16-slice CT scans, X-rays, barium work, biopsies and drainage. A mobile MRI service is offered three days a week. “We use digital imaging,” says imaging manager, Donna Crawshaw. “Chest X-rays take less than a minute with our technology.” Accredited by the American College of Radiology in ultrasound, the imaging center has 14 staff members, providing efficient, courteous and quality service.
Aluminum windows, doors & all glass w er e installed b y Universal Glass & Carpet, a local glass company.
Universal Glass & Carpet, Inc. 411 N. Illinois • Carbondale, IL 62901 • 549-3314 The Southern Illinoisan Sunday, April 3, 2011 Page 7
Page 8 Sunday, April 3, 2011 The Southern Illinoisan