PROVIDING EXPERT WOUND CARE
WHEN SMALL CUTS BECAME LARGE LESIONS, M c CULLOUGH-HYDE WOUND CENTER HELPED A WOMAN HEAL.
SUSAN WOOLEY was used to having swollen legs. Ever since she had 32 lymph nodes removed while being treated for uterine cancer 13 years ago, the 66-year-old Liberty, Indiana, resident had experienced lymphedema—a condition in which an accumulation of fluid usually drained by the lymph nodes causes tissues to swell. But this time, her leg swelling was different.
Her unusual experience started in late May 2023 when Susan, a recently retired phlebotomist who worked for 15 years at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital | TriHealth (MHMH), nicked herself while cutting wood. “They were just little cuts on my left leg, and I didn’t
think anything about them,” she recalls.
But the four wounds on her shin and ankle quickly began to expand.
“The bigger my leg got with the lymphedema, the bigger the wounds became, until they were each about an inch deep and almost as big as a small egg,” she says.
Told that the wounds weren’t healing, Susan’s daughter advised seeing a doctor. “When my primary care physician saw how big the wounds were, he referred me to the McCullough-Hyde Wound Center [MHWC],” Susan says.
ENHANCED HEALING
At MHWC in early June, Nathan Blanton, DPM, recommended a treatment called vacuum-assisted closure, or wound VAC, which reduces pressure around the wound and helps promote healing.
With the help of a home health nurse who came three times a week, Susan received wound VAC therapy until mid-September, when the wound VAC was removed. By mid-October, three of her four wounds had healed.
Susan is now treated at the center twice a week. “Dr. Blanton does a mild debridement with a small tool to remove dead skin,” Susan says. “Then the wound is packed with collagen and my leg is wrapped in an Unna boot [a type of compression dressing]. It all takes about a half hour.”
MHWC providers are specially trained in wound care, and the center treats any type of wound that is chronic or has been slow to heal.
Conditions that providers treat at the center include pressure ulcers, dermatological disorders, diabetic ulcers, atypical skin disorders, arterial/ ischemic ulcers, traumatic ulcers, cellulitis, lymphedema wounds, surgical wounds, venous and vascular wounds, and burns. “We also provide advanced modalities and treatments such as debridement, total contact casts, cellular tissue-based products and compression therapy,” says Kristin Fightmaster, RN/WCC, Clinical Program Director at MHWC, one of three TriHealth Advanced Wound Healing Centers.
“The patient care we provide sets us apart,” says Fightmaster. “Our current patient satisfaction score is 98 percent, and our patients become like family to us.”
Susan agrees. “I cannot say enough good things about them,” she says of her wound care team. “They’re not only excellent but also sweet and caring. I just love them.”
Susan Wooley (left) received specialized wound care from a team that included (from left) Nathan Blanton, DPM, and Kristin Fightmaster, RN/WCC.
PARTNERING WITH CLEVELAND CLINIC
M c CULLOUGH-HYDE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HEART PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM AN AFFILIATE RELATIONSHIP.
OHIO RESIDENTS are fortunate to have cardiology care available at Cleveland Clinic—renowned for its heart health expertise and overall quality. But accessing this high-caliber care isn’t easy if the clinic’s main campus is more than four hours away by car.
Now people in the Oxford area have access to Cleveland Clinic resources close to home through an affiliate relationship established with McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital | TriHealth (MHMH).
“Cleveland Clinic is the No. 1 hospital for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery in U.S. News & World Report rankings and has been for 29 years in a row,” says Mark G. Witte, MHMH Vice President, Clinical Service Lines, Heart & Vascular Institute. “It’s the top cardiovascular program in the country, if not the world. We’re very excited about this strategic partnership.”
The affiliate relationship began in January 2023 after an almost yearlong process in which MHMH met regularly with Cleveland Clinic leaders and clinicians, and underwent an extensive review. “We’re the only hospital in the state that has this affiliation, which is a
recognition of the exemplary work we do at TriHealth,” Witte says.
ENHANCING HEART CARE
Having access to Cleveland Clinic resources such as innovative technology, advanced expertise and sophisticated policies and procedures further enhances MHMH’s high-quality cardiac care.
“This relationship allows our entire clinical team to continue growing in terms of knowledge and understanding,” Witte says. “MHMH and Cleveland Clinic share a goal of constantly improving care delivery.”
Building on regular meetings held during the partnership assessment process, MHMH cardiology team members continue conferring monthly with Cleveland Clinic experts to enhance care in seven key areas:
• Cardiothoracic surgery, a field pertaining to surgical treatment of organs inside the chest cavity such as the heart and lungs
• Interventional lab care, especially
cardiac catheterizations, in which a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted at a site such as the groin or wrist and threaded to the heart to diagnose and treat heart conditions
• Electrophysiology, which concerns the heart’s electrical functions, including treatment of rhythm abnormalities such as atrial fibrillation
• Cardiac testing such as ultrasounds, CT scans and EKGs
• Cardiac intensive care along with presurgical and postsurgical operating-room care
• Advanced heart failure
• Program quality, including how to spur innovations that improve outcomes
“We’re giving MHMH patients, through our Heart & Vascular Institute, access to resources of Cleveland Clinic at all the places our TriHealth physicians work,” Witte says. “It’s exciting for us to continue developing expertise in such an important area of care delivery.”
WHAT YOUR OB-GYN WANTS YOU TO KNOW MENOPAUSE :
MAKE SURE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR BODY AS IT CHANGES.
MENOPAUSE IS much more than the phase in a woman’s life when her menstrual periods cease. It’s also an opportunity for a woman to revitalize her relationship with her OB-GYN, improve her quality of life and become a partner in her health screening and preventive care.
Once a woman is finished having children, she may become lax about her gynecological health, skipping screenings and recommended visits. But when she reaches her mid-40s and is nearing menopause, she would benefit from learning what to expect
OB-GYN specialists in Oxford can help guide women through changes in the body’s physiology and overall health during all stages of menopause.
and how to navigate the coming changes.
Because the experience is different for every woman, therapy and interventions should be fine-tuned for each individual, her age, family and personal history, and the symptoms she’s experiencing. Understanding what occurs at different stages can help guide expectations and plans for care.
THE PERIMENOPAUSE YEARS
Perimenopause is the name for the years leading up to menopause. It usually starts in a woman’s late 40s as estrogen levels begin to fluctuate.
A woman will first notice a change in the menstrual cycle, either in the number of days between cycles, a skipped period or a flow change— lighter or heavier. When something seems different, that’s a good time to check in with your OB-GYN.
Depending upon a variety of factors—waning hormone levels, past surgeries, health conditions and family history—you could run the full gamut of possible symptoms or experience none at all.
As your body’s production of reproductive hormones diminishes through the years, however, you will likely experience an increasing number of symptoms, which can include:
• Hot flashes
• Mood swings
• Vaginal dryness
• Painful sex
• Breast tenderness
• Loss of interest in sex
Your doctor may suggest treatments such as antidepressants and lubricants for vaginal dryness and painful sex. Hormone therapy (HT) with estrogen and progesterone is a reliable treatment for women whose symptoms are disruptive.
Before taking any medications, particularly HT, talk to your OB-GYN about your personal and family history for types of cancers that can be influenced by hormones. Your doctor may also suggest a genetic panel if your family history warrants it.
THE NEXT PHASE: MENOPAUSE
You’ve reached menopause when you’ve gone one year without a period. The age range when this happens is usually the 40s until the late 50s, but it can occur earlier or later due to factors such as obesity, health conditions, surgeries and family history.
For many, symptoms continue unabated during this time. New symptoms may also begin, such as:
• Memory and concentration problems
• Change in cognition
• Insomnia
• Urinary incontinence and infection
• Weight gain
• Vaginal tissue thinning
Staying in touch with your OB-GYN continues to be important at this time. Treatments such as antidepressants that influence levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are known to decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes, and can help with moods. Vaginal dryness and thinning can be treated with topical estrogen creams.
FINALLY, POSTMENOPAUSE
When a woman’s menstrual period has been absent for more than 12 months, she is in the postmenopause stage. Many women continue to experience menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flashes, five to 10 years into postmenopause.
As your body’s production of estrogen diminishes, so does the protective role it plays in your cardiovascular system, bone density and metabolism. The healthy habits you already know about—eating a nutritious, low-fat diet and staying physically active—are more important than ever.
Menopause is more complex than just hot flashes occurring and periods stopping. Physiology that a woman has had for decades changes, especially at the cardiovascular level, putting her at greater risk for heart
STAGES OF MENOPAUSE
PERIMENOPAUSE
• Symptoms of hormonal changes.
• Can still become pregnant.
• Usually lasts about four years.
MENOPAUSE
• No period for 12 consecutive months.
• Ovaries stop producing eggs.
• Average age is 51.
POSTMENOPAUSE
• More than one year since last period.
• Will remain in this stage for rest of life
attack or stroke. As a result, it’s increasingly important to keep weight within a healthy range.
Osteoporosis—bone thinning— is another consideration. Without estrogen, bones become brittle. Fortunately, medications can help, and studies show that weight training exercises promote rebuilding of bone density.
Your journey from youth to the wisdom of age might have a few bumps, but your OB-GYN can help make the path much easier.
OB-GYNs don’t just deliver babies; they can also guide you through this next phase of life and beyond because a woman’s body is not static but is constantly changing.
5 WAYS TO AVOID WINTER FALLS
THESE SITUATIONS CAN TRIP YOU UP, BUT SMART STRATEGIES CAN KEEP YOU ON YOUR FEET.
WINTER IS A HIGH-RISK time for slips and falls— and the injuries that can result. But most falls are preventable, especially if you’re alert to common hazards.
As colder weather makes ice and snow more prevalent, follow this advice for sidestepping winter pitfalls that often contribute to tumbles.
HAZARD #1 HURRYING
In cold conditions, it’s tempting to walk faster or take more hazardous shortcuts to get inside or reach a destination, but rushing is the underlying cause of many falls.
FOIL FALLS:
• Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.
• Walk slowly and carefully, taking slower, smaller steps and keeping your weight over your feet.
• Keep hands out of your pockets to help catch or block a fall if necessary.
ICY SURFACES
HAZARD #3
HAZARD #2
FOIL FALLS:
COLD MUSCLES
Cold muscles tend to become more rigid. That means chilly limbs could hinder your ability to react quickly if you slip or lose your balance.
• Put on winter clothes such as a hat, gloves and a coat each time you head outside, even to grab the mail.
• Give preference to gear that’s both warm and light, such as down or fleece coats and vests, so clothes themselves don’t restrict mobility.
Ice on pavement can be hard to spot—especially under a surface puddle that makes all the water look melted. Awkward twisting while standing can make getting out of a car on ice particularly treacherous.
FOIL FALLS:
• When it’s necessary to walk on snowy or icy surfaces (as when clearing the driveway), sprinkle a gritty substance such as sand, salt, cinders or cat litter for traction.
• In parking lots, pull into well-lit spots and scan the ground before getting out.
• When exiting your car, swing both legs out and plant them firmly on the ground before standing.
• Feel around and steady yourself on the doorframe before you start walking.
SLIPPERY FLOORS
HAZARD #4
FOIL FALLS:
Melted snow from shoes can make indoor surfaces slick in winter, especially in public areas like stores and offices where many people have trod.
• At home, take off shoes or boots when you come inside—and ask guests to do the same.
• Be extra careful in indoor public places, especially near exterior doors, where floors are often wettest.
• Wear shoes or boots with good traction and ankle support.
HAZARD #5
UNWISE TRAVEL
Many people think it’s important to keep appointments or get their shopping done even during hazardous weather.
FOIL FALLS:
• Stay inside during bad weather unless your task or appointment is an emergency. Very few things can’t wait until after a snowstorm.
• Keep tabs on weather forecasts and reschedule commitments for times when conditions are likely to be better.
AVOIDING FALLS AS YOU AGE
Falls are more likely as people age due to a combination of factors including a declining sense of balance and reduced muscle strength, along with vision and hearing issues. These steps can help you stay safe.
• Practice balance and strength exercises all year. If you do lose your balance, having good muscle strength lets you recover by regaining your footing or grabbing a railing and supporting yourself.
• Have your eyes checked and keep your vision sharp Go to the eye doctor to make sure contacts or eyeglasses prescriptions are current.
• Be mindful about medications. Everyone reacts differently to medications, so any kind can potentially impair your balance or make you unsteady. Be especially cautious when starting a new prescription.
HOW TO BE SMART ABOUT STROKES
KNOWING THE SIGNS AND ACTING FAST CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
DO YOU KNOW the signs of a stroke? Recognizing them could save a life— perhaps your own—and minimize a stroke’s potential life-changing effects.
Yet stroke symptoms can sometimes seem mild or transient, and people often shrug them off.
If you feel something different or something you haven’t felt before—or if you notice a friend or family member not acting like themselves—you should call an ambulance.
The memory trick known as
“B.E.F.A.S.T.” makes it easier for people to better connect suspicious symptoms with the possibility that a stroke is causing the issue. Warning signs include:
• B for Balance: Dizziness, vertigo or a fall.
• E for Eyes: Blurred vision or loss of vision.
• F for Face: A slight droop, an uneven smile or a change in the way the eyes look.
THE 3 TYPES OF STROKE
No matter what type of stroke a person suffers, time is always of the essence when it comes to treatment.
• Ischemic stroke: The most common type of stroke, it occurs when an artery-blocking blood clot travels to the brain.
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA): Sometimes called a ministroke, this is a precursor to an ischemic stroke. Sometimes stroke symptoms resolve, at least temporarily. But often, a TIA is a warning that a bigger stroke is just down the road. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chance of having a stroke within 90 days of a TIA is as high as 17 percent, with the greatest risk during the first week.
WHO’S AT RISK FOR A STROKE?
RISK FACTORS YOU CAN’T CONTROL:
• Age. Strokes are more common after age 65, although 10 to 15 percent of people who have a stroke are between the ages of 18 and 45.
• Gender. Women have more strokes than men.
• Hemorrhagic stroke: Occurring when a blood vessel in or near the brain ruptures, these strokes are less common. They can occur because of a trauma, such as a fall, or uncontrolled high blood pressure and typically require surgical intervention.
• A for Arm: Is one arm weak or does it feel heavy and difficult to lift?
• S for Speech: Is there slurred speech or an inability to get words out?
• T for Time: Time to call 911.
Don’t delay help for yourself or any potential stroke victim. When blood flow to the brain becomes blocked, a few minutes or even seconds can cause a substantial loss of brain cells, and the longer you wait to treat and reverse these blockages, the poorer the outcomes tend to be.
Call 911 rather than calling a doctor or driving to the Emergency Department. It’s best to have emergency responders take you right to the part of the hospital geared to evaluate and treat strokes as quickly as possible—or even begin treatment on the way.
A TEAM FOR TREATMENT
Once at the hospital, a stroke patient requires a team of specialists such as physicians, nurses, neurologists, radiologists and lab technicians.
The team assesses symptoms, checks vital signs, conducts a neurological exam and takes images of the brain, typically with a CT scan. Most patients are given a clotbusting, or thrombolytic, medication that dissolves blockages and can stop a stroke.
Treatment within a few hours, especially within the first 45 to 60 minutes, can often minimize a stroke’s potentially devastating effects.
If any B.E.F.A.S.T. symptoms occur suddenly out of the blue, get an evaluation immediately. Recognizing symptoms and acting in a timely manner is critical.
TO SEE A NEUROLOGIST, CALL THE TRIHEALTH NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE AT 513.246.7027
• Family history. If your parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke, you may be at greater risk.
• Race. Black people have a higher risk of stroke, in part because they have higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
• Prior stroke, TIA or heart attack.
RISK FACTORS YOU CAN CONTROL:
• High blood pressure. This can be managed with dietary changes, activity and medication.
• Smoking. Quitting smoking will reduce your stroke risk.
• Diabetes/high blood sugar.
• Physical inactivity. Move more, sit less. Aim for being active at least 150 minutes per week.
• Obesity/unhealthy diet. Five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce risk.
• High cholesterol.
• Carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation and other forms of heart disease.
9 WAYS TO HAVE MORE ENERGY NEXT YEAR
ENHANCE YOUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND HEART HEALTH WITH A FEW SIMPLE CHANGES.
PREDICTION: 2024 will be your year—the one in which you get out of any rut you may be in and create new, healthier habits. Your two key tools: movement and food.
Exercise improves cardiovascular health and boosts energy. Food is fuel, and the right foods provide nutrients the body needs to repair, heal and stay strong. Here’s how to kick-start your journey.
1 START SMALL People often see the best results when they take small steps. Choose goals that meet criteria in the acronym SMART: Specific, Measurable, Actionable,
Realistic and Timely. It’s usually not enough to say, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to be healthier,” experts say. Instead, think more along the lines of, “I want to lose 20 pounds by next January by doing X, Y and Z.”
2 FIND EXERCISE YOU ENJOY. Walking is often the easiest exercise to incorporate into a daily routine. But if you’re more inclined to swim, dance, golf or play tennis, get out there and do it.
3 CREATE A SUPPORT SYSTEM. Having an exercise buddy makes it easier to keep going, as does using a personal trainer. Trainers often can
provide one-on-one or small-group guidance. If you have a condition such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease or Parkinson’s, or have had weight loss surgery, you may be able to find sessions tailored for people with those health concerns.
4 TRY HABIT STACKING. This process builds new habits by adding them to existing actions. Booking appointments? Add exercise to your calendar as with any other priority. Filling your plate? Serve vegetables first. Grabbing keys to go out? Clip them to a packed gym bag so you’ll have it with you.
5 READ LABELS. When buying packaged foods, favor products higher in fiber and lower in sugar and fat. High-fiber foods make you feel more satisfied so you eat less.
6 CHOOSE “GOOD” SUGAR. Sugar from an orange is beneficial; sugar from orange candy or soda, not so much. All sugar provides fuel for the body, but naturally occurring sugars such as those in fruits are metabolized in healthier ways than processed sugar.
7 GO NUTS. Nuts are a great go-to source of protein and healthy fats, which are vital for cellular turnover, hormone synthesis and bowel health. Other good sources include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds, which can be added to yogurt and oatmeal to pump up their nutritional value.
8 EMBRACE YOUR ROOTS. Root vegetables such as yams, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas and parsnips are perfect for soups, stews and frittatas—dishes that are great places to hide a lot of vegetables or to try a vegetable for the first time.
9 EAT THE RAINBOW. Every color of fruit or vegetable has a different nutrient profile, and the more you mix things up, the more your body will benefit.
Go Nuts for Pistachios
CAN’T SAY NO TO THIS ADDICTIVE NATURAL SNACK? RELAX—IT’S A HEALTHY
THEY SAY VIOLENCE LURKS within each of us, and here’s a food that proves it. When the bowl of discarded shells is almost full and the bowl of pistachio nuts nearly empty, there’s bound to be a straggler whose shell— unlike those of its mates—is locked up tight as Fort Knox. Do we comport ourselves with dignity? We do not! We want that last delectable green morsel that hides tauntingly inside, and we mean to have it—whether it takes teeth, shoe leather or a ball-peen hammer. Happily, our cause is just. This natural snack food is chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and protein; it’s one addiction that—within reasonable snacking limits—you can feel just fine about indulging.
POWER UP
A 1-ounce serving of pistachios (about 50 unshelled nuts) provides 12 percent of daily recommendations for both fiber and protein. Pistachios are free of artery-clogging trans fats and high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing “bad” cholesterol. They’re rich in vitamin E, which promotes healthy skin; potassium, which lowers blood pressure and helps regulate heart rhythm; and copper, which helps increase the iron in your blood and fuel your metabolism. And research finds that pistachios have antioxidants that can cut your risk
TEMPTATION.
of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, and improve your immune system and eyesight.
DID YOU KNOW?
The pistachio tree traces its roots— so to speak—to western and central Asia, where archaeologists have found evidence of this nut source as far back as 7000 B.C. Around 700 B.C., pistachio trees are said to have grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Pistachios spread to Europe in the Middle Ages during the Crusades, and immigrants from the Middle East brought them to the U.S. in the 1880s. Iran is the world’s top producer, trailed by the U.S. and Turkey. The popular nuts are sold in supermarkets, convenience stores and sometimes even ballparks.
BUY/STORE/SERVE
If you buy them unshelled, choose nuts with partially open shells, a signal
that the nut has reached maximum ripeness and flavor. Out of the shell, pistachios should be bright green, indicating peak ripeness. At room temperature they may keep for months in the winter but can turn rancid within days in hot, humid weather.
To prevent spoilage, store pistachios in a refrigerated, airtight container. Eat them within two to three months. Pistachios can be shelled and frozen in a heavy-duty freezer bag; when you’re ready to enjoy them, grab a handful and put them in a plastic bag to protect them from condensation—they’ll thaw fairly quickly. But don’t wait too long to eat them; even frozen pistachios can go bad after about a year.
Pistachios also add pizzazz to recipes. Simply toss them into salads, or add them to your favorite rice and pasta dishes. (Try pistachios and pesto over pasta.) Mix coarsely chopped pistachios with breadcrumbs, olive oil, honey and Dijon mustard to make a savory chicken crusting.
Exceptional care is closer than
The full spectrum of TriHealth care is available to you right here in Oxford. McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital has everything from Primary and Emergency Care to Pediatrics and OB-GYN. We even handle your lab work and imaging. There’s no need to travel any further to get the very best care. Come to McCullough-Hyde and see what it feels like to receive surprisingly human care.
Be seen. Be heard. Be healed.SM