Hospital News - 2nd Quarter 2007

EMS at the Hunt County Fair

June 15, 2007

 

 

Two youngsters try on bicycle helments at the Child Safety table of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District booth in the Hall of Heroes.

 

Michael Sanchez, assistant Emergency Medical Service director at HMHD, checks out a film at the EMS booth at the Hunt County Fair located in the Hall of Heroes. The fair continues through Saturday.

West Wing taking shape

June 14, 2007 - In between the June rainfalls, construction workers are making progress on the West Wing of Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville. The fourth floor is getting ready for concrete and the wing is taking shape, literally.

The aerial photo (right) taken the morning of May 31 by Laurie White King, shows the progress made on the construction of the West Wing and the crane being used to build the four-story structure. To the right of the present entrance will be additional offices, the new gift shop and expanded cafeteria as well as the walkway along the windowed front to the new wing. The hospital tower will be accessed from both the present entrance and the new entrance at left on the first floor.

According to Project Manager Zach Wilson, assistant Facilities Manager for HMHD, the total project is about 30 percent complete and site work, including parking, has reached the 50 percent mark.

The May 2008 completion date is still in place, Wilson said.

The next major hurdle will be to relocate existing offices, gift shop and cafeteria as redesign work begins on the first floor. Part of the $29-million project will include a major overhaul of the kitchen and cafeteria which will be significantly expanded to serve the growing number of patients, families and employees that will come with construction of the new wing. The additional space will include a cancer treatment center, expanded Intensive Care Unit and two patient-bed floors.

The reception desk and waterfall feature (left) will highlight the entrance to the new wing as well as the tower and doctors’ offices to the east. On the right is the architect's rendering of the nurses station in the new wing.

HMHD supports Relay for Life
by Richard Carter

June 11, 2007 - For those of you who have never attended a Relay for Life here in Hunt County, I assure you it is one of the most impressive and inspirational events that takes place during the year. The Relay this weekend at Phillips Field in Greenville was no exception.

It is made up of laughter, tears, joy, sorrow, enthusiasm, confidence and emotional highs and lows that leave every participant physically exhausted but mentally fulfilled.

The purpose of the walk is to remember those who have lost their fight with cancer, salute those who are survivors, pay tribute to the care givers and raise money for the research that will some day lead to a cure.

The event began some 20 years ago when one individual decided to do something to help raise money for cancer research. Today more than 4 million people annually do the walk.

We are always proud to support the Relay for Life, and a number of people associated with the Hunt Memorial Hospital District have been involved in its execution, including employees and management.

Our board of directors chairman, Ron Wensel, and his wife, Julia, have been active for years in various capacities of the Relay. Last September the Wensels joined some 4,000 other Relay for Lifers for the “Celebration on the Hill” in Washington, D.C., bringing the message to Congress about needed funding for cancer research.

Prior to becoming president of our board, Ron was one of the HMHD directors who called for and campaigned for a bond election to finance a new 4-story wing to the present hospital that would include a cancer treatment center.

The construction of that wing is well under way as workers just completed pouring the concrete for the third floor. You may have noticed the giant crane at work at the construction site if you’ve been near the hospital on Joe Ramsey. I would dare to say it is the tallest “structure” in Hunt County right now.

It will be a relief to many to have the center here in Greenville that can provide the radiation treatment necessary for cancer patients. We’re all well aware of the thousands of miles and hours – and dollars -- spent traveling to other locations for treatment over the years.

While we’ve been fortunate to have volunteer drivers helping some the patients get into Dallas or up to Paris for treatments, there are many out there who had to take off work to transport a loved one for treatments. That, combined with the rising cost of gasoline, has to be a big strain on pocketbooks. We hope the new Center will alleviate both the strain and the pain of the hours on the road.

Many of those who were at Phillips Field Friday know well enough what I am talking about. The survivors and the care givers have first-hand experience with travel and treatments. Much of those memories, however, get pushed into the background once they get out on that track.

Attending a Relay is very much like a “homecoming reunion” for those who don’t get a chance to come together during the year between the events. I’ve had many people tell me they have made many new friends at the walks and met so many wonderful volunteers who have helped make the event possible.

A year of work goes into the Relay, and just as one is completed, plans for the next one begin taking shape.

I have been told by organizers that pledges and donations have come up a little short of the $130,000 goal set for this year. But, it’s not too late to help make a difference. For information on how to give, call Mandy Stewart at 903-456-0928 or Sarah Waltrip at 903-456-2764.

If you had seen those cancer survivors walk around that luminary-lined track at dusk, you wouldn’t hesitate to honor them or help memorialize those who lost their battle. But, you can help win the war against cancer with your donation.

Carter is chief executive officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District.

Scholarship Winners

May 29, 2007 - Jeanye Roberts, left, director of Volunteer Services at Hunt Memorial Hospital District, visits with the Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville volunteers’ two scholarship winners. They are Bennett Johnson and Caitlen Wilson, both 2007 Top 10 graduates of Greenville High School who plan to pursue degrees in biomedical engineering.

Johnson will attend the University of Texas at Austin and is the son of Kerry and Lou Johnson of Greenville. Wilson has been accepted at LeTourneau University and is the daughter of Marsha and Earl Wilson of Greenville.

Biomedical engineering combines innovative engineering techniques to the human body, such as the development of prosthetics and pacemakers.

The two scholarships of $2,500 each are the result of money raised through volunteer activities and sales from the PHG gift shop.

Also shown with the graduates is volunteer Kimberly Crow of West Tawakoni.

Bambi Pish named Chief Nursing Officer

May 29, 2007 - Hunt Memorial Hospital District’s Bambi Pish, with more than 20 years of experience in nursing, has been named Assistant Administrator/Chief Nursing Officer for the district, which includes Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce and Citizens Home Health.

HMHD administrator Mike Klepin made the announcement during National Nurse Week earlier this month. “We are pleased she has accepted this position and are fortunate to have her talents on our team,” he said.

Pish joined HMHD in August of 2001 as a part-time registered nurse in the intensive care unit and has since served in various capacities. These include Medical/Surgical/ Transitional Care Unit Director and Director of Nurses at Presbyterian Hospital of Commerce. In August of 2005, she accepted the additional responsibility of interim Chief Nursing Officer.

In 1998, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University-College Station, where she also earned a Masters of Nursing Administration degree from there in 2000. The same year, Pish received a post-master’s certificate in healthcare administration.

Prior to joining the HMHD team, she served as nursing clinical care director at Yoakum Community Hospital for eight years. She also served on the faculty of Paris Junior College and was a member of the Associate Degree Nursing faculty at Victoria College, while working as a Staff RN at Victoria’s DeTar Hospital.

Growing up in the small south central Texas town of Yoakum, Pish wasn’t aware that she wanted to be a nurse until she answered an ad in the local paper for nurse testing. It was then that she found she had a true calling for the nursing profession. “It was kind of luck on my part,” she says.

Following her first experience with nursing, Pish became absorbed in her new career, and has been ever since. “The thing I like best about nursing is there are so many opportunities. It’s never boring,” she says.

In her role as nursing director, Pish is responsible for leadership administration for the Greenville and Commerce hospitals, Citizens Home Health, as well as any future nursing departments that might be developed in the District.

Pish faces her new responsibility with determination. “I look forward to working with nursing directors and staff to improve patient care and provide excellent customer service,” she says.

Office Coordinator of Nursing Administration Debbie Ottwell says she has confidence in the multitasking abilities Pish possesses. “She really is a joy to work with,” she says. “She knows the ins and outs of it. She’s able to balance a lot of different aspects.”

Pish and her husband Michael live in Greenville and have three children, Adam,20, Audrey, 18 and Andrew, 16.

In addition to her roles as nurse, administrator, wife and mother, Pish is a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve.

What you need to know about stroke
by Joseph Bleier, MD

May 29, 2007 - Approximately 750,000 Americans will have a stroke this year, and about 160,000 will die from it, according to a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association, which is co-sponsoring National Stroke Awareness Month this month.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die. The part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain can't work properly.

Brain damage can begin within minutes, so it is important to know the symptoms of stroke and act fast. Quick treatment can help limit damage to the brain and increase the chance of a full recovery.

The symptoms of a stroke happen very quickly, says Joseph Bleier, M.D., Emergency Department (ED) Medical Director at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville.

A stroke may cause sudden:

• Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. You may have double vision, or things may look dim or blurry.
• Confusion, and trouble speaking or understanding.
• Trouble walking. You may feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy.
• Severe headache.

“I always advise anyone who believes they are having a stroke to start first by calling 911,” says Bleier. “The EMS personnel who respond are trained in recognizing those signs and symptoms of a possible stroke. They are also trained to determine whether the stroke protocols at Presby-Greenville need to be activated.

“However the patient gets to the Emergency Room, potential stroke patients are rapidly brought back to the Main ED where nurses assess whether or not the patient meets the criteria for clot busting therapy (administering a medicine that dissolves blood clots),” said Bleier. “This requires asking a series of questions and assessing vital signs and an abbreviated physical exam.

“The Emergency Department doctor will review the criteria, nursing assessment and examine the patient, then give orders to continue the stroke protocol or follow another treatment plan.

“The next phase would involve a CT scan of the brain. When the patient returns to the ED, The doctor will review the CT and re-examine the patient. If the patient still qualifies as a candidate, the doctor will provide counseling and offer advice, to allow the patient and their family final approval to continue with clot busting medication.

“If all parties agree and clot busting medication is given, transfer arrangements will then be started to transfer the patient to a higher level of care, possibly to a larger hospital in Dallas,” Bleier said.

The ASA advises people to see their doctor if they have symptoms that seem like a stroke, even if they go away quickly. You may have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke. A TIA is a warning that a stroke may happen soon. Getting early treatment for a TIA can help prevent a stroke.

What causes a stroke?

There are two types of stroke:

• An ischemic stroke develops when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The clot may form in the blood vessel or travel from somewhere else in the blood system. About 8 out of 10 strokes are ischemic (say “is-KEE-mik”) strokes. They are the most common type of stroke in older adults.
• A hemorrhagic stroke develops when an artery in the brain leaks or bursts. This causes bleeding inside the brain or near the surface of the brain. Hemorrhagic (say “heh-muh-RA-jik”) strokes are less common but more deadly than ischemic strokes.

How is a stroke diagnosed?

Seeing a doctor right away is very important. If a stroke is diagnosed within the first 3 hours, doctors may be able to use medicines that can lead to a better recovery.

For an ischemic stroke, treatment focuses on restoring blood flow to the brain. If less than 3 hours have passed since your symptoms began, doctors may use a medicine that dissolves blood clots. Research shows that this medicine can improve recovery from a stroke, especially if given within 90 minutes of the first symptoms. Other medicines may be given to prevent blood clots and control symptoms.

A hemorrhagic stroke can be hard to treat. Doctors may do surgery or other treatments to stop bleeding or reduce pressure on the brain. Medicines may be used to control blood pressure, brain swelling, and other problems.

After your condition is stable, treatment shifts to preventing other problems and future strokes. You may need to take a number of medicines to control conditions that put you at risk for stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Some people need to have a surgery to remove plaque buildup from the blood vessels that supply the brain (carotid arteries).

The best way to get better after a stroke is to start stroke rehab. The goal of stroke rehab is to help you regain skills you lost or to make the most of your remaining abilities. Stroke rehab can also help you take steps to prevent future strokes. You have the greatest chance of regaining abilities during the first few months after a stroke. So it is important to start rehab soon after a stroke and do a little every day.

Can you prevent a stroke?

Once you have had a stroke, you are at risk for having another one. You can make some important lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of stroke and improve your overall health.

• Don't smoke. Smoking can more than double your risk of stroke. Avoid secondhand smoke too.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains and breads, and olive oil.
• Get regular exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week. Your doctor can suggest a safe level of exercise for you.
• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar in your target range.
• Limit alcohol. Having more than 2 drinks a day increases the risk of stroke.
• Take a daily aspirin if your doctor advises it.
• Avoid getting sick from the flu. Get a flu shot every year.

Nurses of the Year

May 11, 2007 - It’s National Nurse Week this week, and Wednesday at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville, it was Nurse Day for two special members of the profession.

Mary Ballard, left, a perinatal shift manager in the Obstetrics Department at PHG, and Jimmie Kyle, a registered nurse at Presbyterian Hospital of Commerce, were named Nurses of the Year in the Hunt Memorial Hospital District.

Ballard, who teaches the hospital’s childbirth class every month, has been with PHG for the past 20 years. She came to the Greenville hospital as an LVN, and in 1993 she became a registered nurse, From the Chicago suburbs, she makes her home in Sulphur Springs.

Kyle, a native Texan, spent 15 years of her career at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital as a registered nurse. She returned to Greenville and joined the PHG staff in 1995, serving as assistant director of the surgical department. She joined the staff at Commerce 10 years ago.

With them is PHG and PHC Administrator Mike Klepin who presented the awards during a special nurses’ reception.

Transfer of Power
by Melva Geyer

May 8, 2007 - A major hurdle was cleared this weekend as Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville completed a “transfer of power” that will enable its electrical system to take on the demands of the “West Wing” expansion.

The old transformer that has been running the main tower, surgery center, emergency department, nursery and open imaging department was pulled and replaced by the new, more powerful transformer.

All but the Medical Office Building went on generator power at 6 p.m. on Friday and continued to operate until about 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon when the switch “was flipped” to convert to the new transformer. Much to the delight of everyone involved the job was completed in a little more than half the time that had been set aside for the shutdown.

The difference? It wasn’t noticeable, but more than twice as much power became available – from 1500 Kilo Volt Amps to 3000 KVA – to provide power to the new cancer center, intensive care unit, two additional floors of patient rooms and expanded kitchen, cafeteria and office space.

“I think it was close to a 10,” said PHG Project Manager Zach Wilson when asked to assess the success numerically. There were only a couple of glitches: one part had to be refabricated overnight in a Dallas shop, and there was brief difficulty getting an imaging machine up and running for the Emergency Department.

Part of that success was due to the pre-planning and trial shutdowns that were staged for a month leading up to the real thing. The hour-long blackouts helped the crews determine where the problems might be.

In the meantime various departments that would be affected were planning their schedules for the 36 hours. The power transfer would shut down the cafeteria to the public and allow only for cold meals to be served to patients. Food was brought in by volunteers for employees who worked through the blackouts, and visitors were assisted with any needs they might have.

Wilson was complimentary of all involved, including the contractor personnel from Beck and its electrical contractors, System Electric, the management facility staff and GEUS and its crew which he said “are just outstanding.”

GEUS Engineer Technician Terry Carpenter said due to the good communication between Beck, Hunt Memorial Hospital District and GEUS this major transformer upgrade went very smoothly.

“The preliminary test outage was very helpful in getting this project completed 16 hours ahead of schedule,” said Carpenter.

It was noted that GEUS had an 11-man crew working this Saturday on the shutdown outage, most of them having already worked day and night during the spring storms that had blown through Greenville two days earlier.

Richard Carter, chief executive officer, was on hand when the power was switched, and the ease with which events took place drew praise from him.

“What a tremendous job the plant operations staff, contract managers and GEUS did in coordinating this potentially disruptive and critical process,” Carter said.

“Not only did we suffer no reduction in service other than a few cold meals in the place of hot meals and the use of televisions in the patient rooms, but the District is now much better prepared for internal and external disaster.”

Carter was referring to the “disaster protocol” followed by hospital personnel in preparing for the shutdown.

The next major undertaking, according to Wilson, will be when renovation of the first floor begins, displacing offices and services such and the kitchen and cafeteria as well as the gift shop. That should come this summer.

Geyer is Marketing Communications Coordinator for the Hunt Memorial Hospital District. She can be reached at 903-408-1613 or at mgeyer@hmhd.org

HMHD celebrates National Hospital Week

May 7, 2007 - Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce are celebrating National Hospital Week, taking stock of progress made in the past months.

Among the benchmarks: We continued to add new state-of-the-art technology, we won awards for participation in healthcare programs, continued our Service Excellence Initiative, opened our center for Senior Adults in Commerce, saw our Home Health program flourish, experienced a baby boom, participated in community and school events and broke ground for our new “West Wing.”

Survivor celebrates with Relay for Life

May 6, 2007 - In 1999 Renea Decker, then director of nursing at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville where she had been an RN for 29 years, went for her annual mammogram. She wasn’t overly concerned since she had felt nothing suspicious in her self exams.

When the radiologist told her the results were positive she could hardly believe it.
“That’s why I want to stress the importance of having an annual mammogram after the age of 40,” she says. What showed up on the film were tiny particles like grains of sand.

Decker had a mastectomy followed by four rounds of chemotheraphy.

This year she is celebrating 7 ½ years as a cancer survivor, her 53rd year of marriage to husband, John, her third year of retirement and her seventh year as a participant in the Relay for Life. The Deckers are the parents of three, John Jr., Linda Payne and Scott, and are enjoying together six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“My first experience with the Relay was in 2000 when a friend of mine from work asked me to come out and walk in the Survivors’ Walk. She said I could walk one lap around the track with other survivors and then I could leave if I wanted. I said, ‘sure, I can do that,’” she said.

“I found it to be such an emotionally touching walk and night that I couldn’t leave after just the one lap. I stayed for hours helping to fill the luminaries, set them out and then enjoying the many other events,” she said. “I have been there every year since then and find it just as emotional as the first time.”

Decker says her two granddaughters, Ashley and Brittany Decker, have attended the Relay with her each year and have helped in any way they could. “They enjoy the games, contests and, of course, the “Midnight Madness” show.

“It is a night filled with emotional moments, fun, games nd many wonderful, caring people all putting forth their time and effort to raise money to beat cancer.”

The Relay for Life begins at 7 p.m. Friday, June 8, and continues through Saturday morning at 7 a.m. at Phillips Field. There will be a silent auction and live entertainment as well as games. For more details, go to the Relay For Life website. The web-site will also allow teams, Survivors and Caregivers to register on-line. If you have questions, call Mandy Stewart at 903-456-0928 or Sarah Waltrip at 903-456-2764

Time to recognize hospital personnel
by Richard Carter

May 6, 2007 - Throughout the year, the more than 800 people who work in Hunt Memorial Hospital District’s two hospitals bring care, compassion and healing to our patients.

Their efforts are worthy of celebration every day – the nurses and emergency medical service professionals, doctors, information management specialists and home health personnel, lab techs, therapists, facilities management, food service workers, volunteers, patient and hospital financial personnel and many others – because they make your hospitals the best that they can be.

National Hospital Week, which begins Monday and continues through Friday, presents a wonderful opportunity to recognize these special people. The week is a valuable showcase for the approximately 6,000 hospitals and 5 million staff members across the country, providing an opportunity to display pride and unity in the work done.

America celebrated its first National Hospital Day in 1921 as a result of the “Spanish flu” outbreak in 1918 that killed 600,000 Americans. The observance spread across the country and was expanded to National Hospital Week in 1953. Today, National Hospital Week is acknowledged as the country’s largest healthcare recognition program. Even more, it instills pride among hospital employees and builds a sense of confidence within our communities.

Hospitals today cover every area of specialization, and here at Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce, we bring the latest in medical healthcare technologies, resulting in an ever-increasing sense of hope for the future. And our reach extends deep into the communities we serve.

During this week we have a number of activities at the two hospitals, including our annual employee picnics and health fairs.

As you may well know, HMHD employs more than 800 people in the various departments.

We have some 300 people filling various capacities in nursing, and speaking of that profession, I would like to point out this is also National Nurse Week. They will be observing the occasion with various activities, culminating with the announcement of the Nurse of the Year on Wednesday.

This is an appropriate time to announce the naming this past week of our new chief nursing officer and assistant administrator, Bambi Pish. Bambi has 20 years of nursing experience and an armload of nursing degrees which enables her to both practice and teach nursing. She’s been with us since 2001, and we are looking forward to many years of her leadership in HMHD.

The district is proud to say we are home to a wide range of physicians who are active affiliates and podiatry medical staff members. There are some 80 doctors in the areas of anesthesiology; cardiology; ear, nose, throat/allergy; emergency medicine; family practice; gastroenterology; general and vascular surgery; internal medicine; nephrology; neurology; obstetrics/gynecology; ophthalmology; orthopedic surgery; pathology; pediatrics; podiatry; pulmonology/sleep care; radiology; urology; and, wound care.

Besides doctors, nurses, administrative and management, there is another segment that we cannot omit when talking about the success of our hospitals: the nine-member board of directors that governs the Hunt Memorial Hospital District. When it comes to wanting Hunt County area residents to be served with the best health care possible, these people are diligent about their elected responsibilities. They do their homework, they know the people and they know the community they serve.

It is because of them we have state-of-the-art technology such as the 64-slice scanner, a digital mammography system, a full surgery center, and, coming soon, a new wing that will house a cancer treatment center.

We can’t talk about National Hospital Week without mentioning our volunteer force that makes a great contribution of service and finances. They provide thousands of volunteer hours and dollars to both hospitals, sponsor health-care scholarships and contribute to the well-being of our patients and employees.

Many hospitals around the country also rely on foundations to support and enhance medical care, and our Charitable Health Foundation is no exception, having raised more than $l.45 million this past year from generous donors. These gifts have provided upgrades to some of our departments and will support our new Cancer Treatment Center.

While we spend a week to “spotlight” our hospitals, we are there the entire 52 weeks, 24-7. We never close our doors and we never turn people away. Every day our staff meets the challenges of saving lives, curing the sick and consoling loved ones.

We strive to do the best job humanly possible and to continually improve our care and service to the people of Hunt County and surrounding areas – this week and every week.

Carter is Chief Executive Officer for the Hunt Memorial Hospital District.

HMHD celebrates National Healthcare Volunteer Week

April 23, 2007 - At right, Dr. Robert Titus of Commerce admires the commemorative clock he and other volunteers received during a luncheon Monday at Texas A&M-Commerce.

The volunteers at Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville & Commerce logged in an estimated 35,000 hours, and raised thousands of dollars generated from the PHG Gift Shop and the PHC Bargain Box Resale Shop.

Pictured with Titus are Betty Casselberry and Bonnie Spring, also of Commerce.

The luncheon, sponsored by the Hunt Memorial Hospital District, was held in conjunction with National Healthcare Volunteer Week, which continues through Saturday.

 

HMHD CEO Richard Carter gets a laugh from Greenville volunteer Louise Baker after presenting her with a gift in appreciation for the many hours she has served as a volunteer.

 

 

Diane McMeans, left, and Helen Rhea are thanked by HMHD CEO Richard Carter for their many hours of volunteer work for PHG.

 

 

Nona Hatcher earns a bar and congratulations from Richard Carter during Tuesday’s luncheon.

 

 

New hospital administrator, Mike Klepin, visits with some of the Pink Ladies following the annual luncheon – his first.

West Wing construction not the only thing that’s new
by Richard Carter

April 23, 2007 - The magnitude of the expansion project to the west of Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville has everyone’s attention. But, there is so much more that has been, will be or is being done on a daily basis to provide the best healthcare possible for Hunt County.

We are putting the finishing touches on the new digital mammography suite where the new equipment is up and running. While the staff and technology represent top of the line care and commitment for our patients, the Facilities Management crew must come along and make it a “Hilton” for the comfort and convenience our customers deserve.

We are also going to be doing some finishing work in the inpatient Diagnostic Imaging area that houses our Siemans 64-slice scanner that will also add to the comfort of our patients.

We’ve completed the “reinvention” of one part of the hospital which now houses our Physical Fitness and Rehabilitation Center that once housed doctors’ offices. If you haven’t seen the Center you should stop by and see what they have to offer. It’s so bright and colorful you feel healthier just walking in there.

The Heritage Program for Senior Adults facility in Commerce is our first free-standing building constructed in the district for some time. With that structure, we think we have provided the community with a service it can be proud of, and from all reports, the program has been extremely well-received. The building is just south of the hospital facility, which, I might point out, is due for some updating. We’re looking at expanding the laboratory and evaluating the possibility of coming up with a master plan that would take us into the future.

Back in Greenville, we are awaiting bids on the proposed expansion of the Emergency Department which would allow more space for evaluating patients, and expanding the waiting area to improve admission and discharge services.

These, of course, are all the projects you can or will see with your eyes. What you don’t see (but are aware of) are the continual upgrades of various systems in the building which allow us to add state-of-the-art healthcare equipment.

We’ve made upgrades to our electrical system, added and upgraded energy management systems that will make our facility much more energy efficient, and we continually study ways to make certain our mechanical needs are always a top priority.

We spent quite a lot of time the past couple of years on our Customer Service Initiative which we hope will make us the healthcare provider of choice and the employer of choice. None of this can be accomplished without a supporting board of directors that recognize the need for the cutting-edge equipment to treat patients here in Hunt County, and the Facilities Management staff that can prepare the building for this equipment, not to mention keeping the facilities safe and clean for our patients and employees.

Our director of Facilities Management is Fraise Granger (right) who just completed his first year here, coming to us with an extensive background in healthcare facility management throughout Texas and his home state of Louisiana.

“I am very excited about the support my team has received from the board of directors and administration,” says Granger. “We are up for the challenge to continue providing a healthy and comfortable environment for the citizens of Hunt County.”

Granger’s department includes Plant Operations/Maintenance and Landscaping, Housekeeping and Laundry, Security, Biomedical Engineering and Project Management, covering six buildings and 330,000 square feet on both the Greenville and Commerce campuses.

As you may note, there is a lot more to a hospital than doctors, nurses and patients.

Carter is Chief Executive Officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District which includes Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce.

Healthy Kids

April 19, 2007 - Rachael McDaniel, right, helps set up the Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville display during the recent Healthy Kids Fair at the YMCA.

 

 

Ray Herrera, Berta Johnson, Sharon Banks and Amy Webb helped with the PHG booth at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day.

Tissue donations important

April 17, 2007 - The importance of tissue donations hit home Tuesday morning at Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville, as a mother tearfully told the story of her son and his final gift of life.

Linda Moore, mother of Kyle Moore, talked about her son’s gift of tissue, cornea and bone following his death in 2006 at the age of 18 years.

The occasion was the presentation to PHG by Transplant Services Center of Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas a plaque recognizing the Greenville hospital as one of the top 20 hospitals out of 178 eligible in the service area for donations in 2006.

Greenville led all hospitals containing 126 to 250 beds with a total of 10 tissue donors that resulted in nine cornea donations, four skin, seven bone, one heart valve, one cartilage and two veins. “For a time last summer you were leading ‘Big Presby’ in Dallas for donations,” said Helen Marshall, an RN and transplant outreach representative from the Services Center

Some of those donations were used for patients at PHG needing skeletal and skin grafts, other hospitals in the Services Center area and for injured servicemen from Iraq who are hospitalized at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio in need of skin grafting. There were also seven cornea recipients in Hunt County.

Also benefiting from the donations is the Lions Club, with local members on hand to show appreciation for the gifts that are part of their Sight Preservation Program that includes the recycling of eyeglasses and the transplants.

“People just don’t realize how far a tissue donation can go,” said Marshall who presented the award to new PHG Administrator Mike Klepin.

Marshall was joined by Victoria McNeel, transplant outreach nurse supervisor who works with the staff at PHG in praising the staff and leadership of the hospital for its donor plan.

In the meantime, Moore reiterated the importance of organ and tissue donation. She told those attending the presentation and reception about the struggles of her son throughout his life, having had heart bypass surgery at the age of seven months as a result of rare birth defects. At one point, she said, her son was facing a heart-lung transplant before doctors decided it wasn’t necessary.

“We knew that every day we had Kyle on this earth was a blessing,” said Moore. She said the donations from her son helped many, many people and she pledged she would always be a spokesperson for the cause.

“I know this is what the Lord wants me to do,” said Moore who is a former volunteer chaplain for the hospital.

Persons interested in being a tissue or organ donor can register on the internet by going to www.texasdear.org.

PHG offers latest treatment for difficulty in swallowing
By Susan Spoonemore
Hunt Memorial Hospital District

April 17, 2007 - We take many of the functions of our bodies for granted. Our hearts beat, our lungs breathe, and our eyelids blink without so much as a brief thought -- until an illness makes us stop and think how vital these functions are.

The same can be said for the seemingly simple act of swallowing. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects as many as 15 million Americans, with one million new cases diagnosed each year. One in 17 people will develop this condition in his or her lifetime, mostly due to stroke, degenerative neurological diseases, or head and neck cancer.

When left untreated, dysphagia can lead to aspiration pneumonia, choking, chronic malnutrition, or even death. In many cases, patients are forced to receive nourishment through a feeding tube, causing personal discomfort as well as a drastic reduction in quality of life.

Until recently, the most common method of treatment for dysphagia was thermal application. According to the FDA, this treatment restores the swallowing function of only 33 percent of patients.

In 2003, a new breakthrough in therapeutic intervention for use in the treatment of dysphagia became available. The new treatment, called VitalStim therapy, is a specialized form of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). The therapy re-educates the throat muscles used for swallowing. Based on an FDA study, over 98 percent of patients experienced measurable improvement following VitalStim therapy.

Martha Ashworth has been the speech-language pathologist for Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville for the past six years. She has performed VitalStim therapy there for more than a year. According to Ashworth, symptoms of dysphagia are coughing after swallowing, choking on food or liquid and the sensation of food being “stuck” in the throat.

“These are common complaints when patients are referred to me for a modified barium swallow (MBS). This procedure is performed in the diagnostic imaging department of the hospital where patients eat and drink as they would during a normal meal. We then view and determine the safety of the patients’ swallow function under video fluoroscopy (moving pictures)”, she says.

Once dysphagia is diagnosed, VitalStim therapy can then be prescribed by a physician. A clinician who has been certified in the use of the treatment, such as Ashworth, then administers the therapy. “A high percentage of the patients that I have treated have improved,” she says.

The VitalStim therapy device is small and portable. Treatment is delivered using uniquely designed external skin electrodes, placed on specific neck muscles. An electrical current that is closely controlled by the therapist is then emitted, stimulating the muscles to promote swallowing. According to Ashworth, the treatment is not painful, but delivers a tingling sensation.

Patients receiving VitalStim therapy are given treatment sessions daily or several times a week. Although sessions can last up to an hour, most continue from 20 to 30 minutes. Sessions continue until the patients’ swallowing patterns have been restored. Improvement is usually seen in six to 20 sessions. However, Ashworth has seen some patients improve in as few as one to three sessions.

According to Ashworth, in addition to its high success rate, VitalStim therapy can also be cost-effective. “Compared to the cost of managing a patient with a feeding tube, this provides significant savings for treatment and supplies,” she says.

Those who feel they may suffer from dysphagia should see their doctor or contact Ashworth at 903-408-1886, extension 1924.

PHG Trauma Department involved in child abuse prevention activities

April 17, 2007 - Once again the Trauma Department of Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville is a player in Child Abuse Prevention Month now being observed.

As part of the Hunt County Child Fatality Review Team, the department, headed by Bret Freeman, will participate in the annual candle lighting ceremony on the steps of the Hunt County Courthouse on Thursday, April 19.

The Review Team reviews natural and traumatic child deaths. It reviews each death, rules it preventable or non-preventable, and, as a result, aims its injury prevention program on trends identified, says Freeman. A perfect example is physical abuse, physical injury that results in substantial harm to a child or ultimately leads to the death of a child, he said.

“Obviously, once the Child Fatality Review Team reviews a child’s death it is too late for that particular child. That’s why Child Abuse Prevention Month should be the “jump start” for everyone to educate themselves on how to be an advocate against child abuse throughout the year.”

Core members of the review team include police, Sheriff’s Department, Child Protective Services, criminal prosecutors, justices of the peace, and a pediatrician. Additional members include Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, mental health providers, child advocacy services including the Court Appointed Child Advocate (CASA), social services, emergency room personnel, and labor and delivery personnel.

Child abuse prevention is stopping child abuse and neglect before it happens. The best way to prevent child abuse and neglect is to support families and provide parents with the skills and resources they need.

According to sources for Texas Child Protection agencies, certain issues make people more at risk. For example, stress, relationship problems, substance abuse, money problems, depression, and other mental health problems can all lead to abusive or neglectful behavior. Some parents may have been abused as children and, in turn, abuse their children. Others have not been taught good parenting skills and are not prepared for the challenge of having children.

These concerns and others can result in well-intentioned parents causing their children harm or neglecting their needs.

Prevention efforts build on family strengths, authorities note. Through prevention activities such as educating parents, visiting homes, and parent support groups, many families are able to find the support they need to stay together and care for their children.

Freeman stresses that the review team is dedicated to preventing childhood deaths, and is looking to the community to recognize signs of abuse and neglect.

If you have any questions or concerns and for more information about the candle lighting ceremony, please call Bret Freeman at 903-408-1412 or Patrick Schooler at 903-408-1428.

Digital Mammography Unit in place

April 10, 2007 - Why are these employees in the Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville Outpatient Imaging Center smiling?

Because the new General Electric Essential All-Digital Mammography System, the first of its kind to be installed in North Texas, is up and running, revolutionizing mammography exams at PHG.

The Benefits of Digital Mammography include better visibility of the breast, particularly near the skin line, the chest wall and in women with dense breast tissue and the fact that exams can take less than half the time, with the incredibly fast signal readout and no waiting for wet processing.

There are also fewer call backs for patients, due to the flexibility to magnify and manipulate digital images which can provide more clinically relevant information.
Breast images from the Essential can be sent anywhere in the world electronically to be reviewed and electronic archival of patient images means easier retrieval of patient information to healthcare providers.

The Essential also has a patient-centric design and intuitive controls that allow the extensively trained technologist who performs the exam to focus on the patient, making the mammography exam an easier and more comfortable experience.

In the largest cancer screening trial in history by the National Cancer Institute and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network, the study reported that while film and digital images are equally accurate for many women, digital mammograms provided better images for three sub-groups of women:

• Women under 50
• Women with dense breast tissue
• Pre- or perimenopausal women

In addition, the Mammography Department continues to provide every patient with a MammoPad, a soft, foam cushion, which makes the mammogram experience warmer and softer.

For more information on Digital Mammography contact your physician or call the Outpatient Imaging Center at 903-408-5005.

Construction update
by Richard Carter

April 9, 2007 - Some of us might be wondering “what were we thinking?” when we took on construction of the West Wing for Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville.

First, let me make it perfectly clear that we were “thinking” improved and expanded medical care for the citizens of Hunt County who shouldn’t have to drive to other places to get this care. We were also thinking that as growth from those “other places” comes this way we would be in step with providing the type of healthcare that business, industry and new residents expect should they decide to relocate.

When we put forth the $24-million bond proposal to build a 4-story addition that would include a cancer treatment center, new intensive care unit and additional beds, we knew there was going to be a challenge to construct it without interrupting services in the existing building as much as humanly possible.

There would have to be relocation of parking areas, utility tie-ins, rerouted power and fiber optic cables, and construction to allow passage from the existing structure to the new wing. That’s just a small portion of those challenges of building a connecting wing rather than a free-standing structure.

About 5 percent of the construction has been completed in just over three months, which you might think is not too impressive. However, 19 full days during that period were bad weather delays, already four days over the estimated delays in the contract. Remember all those dry stretches in last year’s drought? Well, we seemed to have been the ones who washed the car when we started construction. Even so, almost 50 percent of the site preparation work is complete and 99 percent of the underground utility work is finished, according to the contractors. Our finish date is scheduled for sometime in May of 2008, which isn’t that far away when one considers all that must be done in the next 14 months.

As we began our journey we named our project manager, Zach Wilson, who had been serving as maintenance supervisor and assistant director for our Facilities Management Department. Wilson had joined the hospital team in August of 2004. His resume included construction duties at Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega, Ga., and construction management duties at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, La., and at Darnall Army Hospital at Fort Hood, Texas, where he was also a plant operations and maintenance manager.

Wilson, a native of Lake Whitney near Waco, serves as a liaison between the general contractors, Beck Construction, and the hospital, making sure what we want and need is what they do.

To foster communication, we all sat down in a “Partnering Session” in January to make certain we were all on the same page and that the ultimate goal was to produce a facility that would serve the healthcare needs of Hunt County. In on the session were Hunt Memorial Hospital District board members, administration personnel, Wilson and Facilities Management Director Fraise Granger, representatives from the general contractors and representatives from HKS Architects.

Some of the most visible projects have been the construction of a 300-by-600-foot temporary parking area for employees that will be abandoned when the new parking area and driveways are ready and the pouring of concrete for our radiation “vault” that will be home to our linear accelerator in the cancer treatment center. Incidentally, those walls will be from three feet to eight feet thick and lined with lead.

Coming up will be the temporary relocation of our kitchen facilities; the dining area which will be in the Atrium on the first floor; and, the gift shop which will remain open but in a different area with an exact site to be determined. The upside of that is they will be returning to all-new and larger locations as part of the first-floor expansion. We will also soon see the beginning of construction of new parking areas on the east side of the building.

One of the critical steps of the construction will be the electrical tie-in, which will include shutting down power throughout the hospital and going to backup generators. We are already “practicing” for that event, well in advance, making sure everything is coordinated with our critical care areas.

When all is completed, Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville will include an additional 84,783 square feet, not including parking; 10,434 square feet of first floor remodeling; the new cancer treatment center on the first floor; the new 16-bed ICU on the second floor, which will replace the existing 10-bed unit; and 39 additional medical, surgical and telemetry (equipment monitored) beds on the third and fourth floors.

Carter is Chief Executive Officer of the Hunt Memorial Hospital District which includes Presbyterian Hospitals of Greenville and Commerce.

 

 

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