Monongahela Valley Hospital Co-Hosts Bariatric Info Sessions

Posted by on Feb 22, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Monongahela Valley Hospital, in collaboration with Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, will host two local information sessions on minimally invasive bariatric surgery, which treats obesity and its related complications.

Candidates for bariatric surgery are those who need to lose more than 100 pounds, which is almost 10 percent of all adults.

While Magee’s surgical staff will perform the procedures in Pittsburgh, MVH will offer pre-operative testing/clearances and psychological and nutritional consults. The hospitals’ collaborative effort will benefit local bariatric patients by reducing their required trips to Pittsburgh.

With 800 minimally invasive bariatric surgeries performed annually, Magee is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, one of six in the country studying the long-term outcomes following bariatric surgery. Six surgeons comprise Magee’s Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery team.

The two free Bariatric Surgery Information Sessions are as follows:

Tuesday, March 20, 6 p.m., Mon-Vale HealthPLEX, WillowPoint Plaza, 800 Plaza Drive, Rostraver. Ramesh Ramanathan, M.D.

Thursday, March 29, 6 p.m., Anthony M. Lombardi Education Conference Center, 1163 Country Club Rd., Monongahela. George Eid, M.D.

Those interested in registering for either informational session should call 412-641-3632 or 412-802-8299.

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West Penn Allegheny Health System Nurse Navigators Lead the Way For Breast Cancer Patients

Posted by on Feb 22, 2012 in The Daily Beat, Women | 0 comments

New Program Provides Women with Lifelong Guidance and Support Through Diagnosis, Treatment and Survivorship

A breast cancer diagnosis brings with it fear and panic. Questions race through a woman’s mind: What will happen to me? What will my treatment be like? How will I manage?

It is at that moment when the new Nurse Navigator program at West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) steps in. The Nurse Navigator will provide women with compassionate guidance through their initial diagnosis, through treatment and into survivorship, serving as a lifelong, trusted ally for cancer patients and survivors.

“Our Nurse Navigators will be our breast cancer patients’ lifeline for care – answering questions, planning treatment and helping ease their fears,” said David S. Parda, MD, FACP, radiation oncologist and Chair of the West Penn Allegheny Health System Oncology Service Line. “As soon as a patient is diagnosed, a Nurse Navigator will begin supplying her with information and offering emotional support.

“As our medical experts work as a team to fight the patient’s cancer using  the most advanced diagnostic and treatment services available, the Nurse Navigators will make sure that patients are aware of their options and that they get the support they need, be it medical, emotional or logistical,” Dr. Parda continued.

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Ten Points to Create an Inner Healing Environment

Posted by on Feb 21, 2012 in Wellness | 0 comments

By Marc Lerner

If our brain creates every experience we have in our body, it is our responsibility to create a healing environment so we can better respond to medical treatments and heal. We are responsible for every experience in our body, but we are responsible for how we interpret what we experience. There are things we cannot control, but we definitely can control our interpretations. Read these ten tips from the perspective that this is something you can do to help participate in the healing process.

Consider your brain a useful tool in creating an inner healing environment. Use that precious tool to be an active partner with your doctor, to avoid mental sabotage that limits your potential to heal and become empowered to play an active role in healing.

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Monongahela Valley Hospital New OR Tours Draw Crowds

Posted by on Feb 21, 2012 in The Daily Beat | 0 comments

Nearly 300 people toured Monongahela Valley Hospital’s Surgical Suites Open House called “Operation Sneak Peek,” on Sunday, Feb. 19. Rob Zeli (at right), onsite rep for Karl Storz Endoscopy, uses M&Ms and an endoscope to demonstrate how surgeons would view minimally invasive procedures on the surgical suite’s multiple high-definition screens. OR Nurse Manager Donna Kemp stands under one of the high-def screens.

In a mere three hours on Sunday, nearly 300 community members visited Monongahela Valley Hospital, but not for any medical emergencies or tests. The crowd toured the hospital’s new state-of-the-art surgical suites that are part of a $25 million expansion project.

“People here don’t realize what we have in our own backyards; MVH is state-of-the-art,” said Carol Griger of Donora, after touring the new suites.

“I’ve been here many, many times for surgery — five times since July — and they have you asleep before you get into the room,” said Jane Core, 75, of New Eagle. “I really wanted to see what the new rooms look like.”

Escorted by the hospital’s senior managers, each group of 25 to 30 people toured two of the four new surgical suites, which saw the first operations on Feb. 3. Staff will begin using the other two new suites in March.

A registered nurse (RN) in MVH’s Emergency Department, Doug Myers of Smock, brought his wife Julie and their girls Madelyn, 9 and Emily, 5, plus Julie’s mother, Patty Golden, of Smock, and her sister Tricia Golden, RN, of Waltersburg. Tricia works in MVH’s Intensive Care Unit.

The Myers’ daughters said they couldn’t wait to see where their dad works and listened attentively to the speakers.

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Gallagher Home Health Services & Baptist Homes Society Presents Program on Aging Parents

Posted by on Feb 21, 2012 in Events | 0 comments

SOLUTIONS IN CARING FOR AGING PARENTS
Tuesday, February 28, 2012, 6-8 pm

Providence Point Chartiers Room
500 Providence Point Blvd
(Turn onto Kane Blvd. off of Bower Hill Rd. Right turn onto Providence Point Blvd.)

6:00 pm – Solutions in Caring for Aging Parents, including:

• How to identify signs and changing needs
• How to begin the conversation with parents
• Understanding the care options available

Agenda: Featuring

• John D. Bixler, PhD, Psychologist, MedOptions; • Shandra Harcarik, RN, Director of Marketing, Gallagher Home Health Services;
• Kate Scheirman, MSW, LSW, Lytle EAP Partners

7:00 pm – Q&A with Providence Point Staff

A tour of Providence Point’s Personal Care residences follows the presentation.

RSVP today! Call 412.350.9654 or email slauer@baptisthomes.org.

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WVU’s Breast Care Center Provides Same-Day Screening Results

Posted by on Feb 21, 2012 in Women | 0 comments

When a woman has a mammogram, she typically has to wait days before receiving the results from the screening. Recognizing the stress that this can cause, the  Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at West Virginia University’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown has begun providing same-day screening results.

“Women experience a lot of anxiety following a mammogram,” Barb Menear, manager of the Breast Care Center, said. “We are striving to eliminate that. Instead of waiting for a letter in the mail or a phone call, they simply wait in our solarium to receive their screening results. If they need further images or additional procedures, we do them that day before they head out the door.”

She added that several major breast care centers throughout the country are offering same-day results for mammography screenings, but WVU is one of the few offering the service in West Virginia.

And, the response has been favorable.

“Women tell us they love it,” Menear said. “They walk out knowing that they don’t need to come back for another year or that they need follow-up care.”

Same day screening results at WVU Healthcare’s Breast Care Center are offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Your Health Matters

Posted by on Feb 18, 2012 in Boomers | 0 comments

By Dr. Judith Black

Prepare now to make your hospital stay is less stressful

You know the saying: “A hospital is no place to be sick.” Eventually everyone must face the possibility of being hospitalized someday. With that in mind, I’m sure you have questions about what to expect. “How do I prepare for a stay at the hospital? What are some things I really need to think about?” Let’s take a few minutes to learn how you can make sure your hospital stay is less stressful.

Be involved and proactive about your health

Research shows that patients who take part in decisions about their health care are more likely to get better faster. As a patient, you can make your hospital stay a better experience by being an active, involved and informed member of your health care team. As a practicing geriatrician with 37 years of medical experience, I hope my advice will ease any anxieties surrounding your next hospital stay.

Unfortunately, being admitted to the hospital can be a stressful time and most hospital stays for people with Medicare are unplanned and unpredictable. However, if you do have the luxury of knowing about a hospital stay beforehand, I urge you to prepare in advance because careful planning can result in better outcomes and give you peace of mind.

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