October 2013 Healthbeat

Warorial
Meomspital
H
October 2013
Sault Pediatrics
gets special
designation
Learn how patients like the Swedene
kids and others benefit from
Dr. Beckman’s “medical home.”
– Page 3
For Your
Consideration
A message
from CEO
David Jahn
October
marked the
beginning
of the open
enrollment
period for individuals who are
mandated to purchase health
insurance coverage or pay a fine/
tax for not having insurance under
the Affordable Care Act. This open
enrollment period will run through
March 31, 2014.
Individuals who do not have health
insurance through their employer,
Medicare, Medicaid or another
avenue will have an opportunity to
purchase this coverage through the
new Health Insurance Exchanges
(HIE). Consumers Mutual Insurance
of Michigan offers a co-op plan and
has the only public HIE in Michigan.
All insurers, including Blue Cross,
will offer private HIE’s. This will be a very confusing time
for individuals and WMH would
like to help you navigate through
this process. There are many
options with various co-pays and
deductibles. There are also tax
Anderson joins WMH Board
of Directors
Maxine Anderson, a Sault Ste.
Marie native with a long history
of community service, has been
appointed to the War Memorial
Hospital Board of Trustees. Hospital
officials say her experience in the
area of health and fitness and her
“can-do” attitude will be an asset to
the decision-making body.
“We welcome Maxine to the board
and feel she will be a valuable
addition. The hospital will benefit
from her experience and her work
within the community,” said Frank
Sasso, Board Chairman.
Hospital CEO David Jahn agreed.
“Maxine brings her local ties as
well as her wellness and fitness
involvement to the board. Our
organization is very focused on
wellness so we will enjoy having
her perspective on the board,” he
commented.
WMH HEALTHBEAT
credits available to help pay for
some of the premiums if you are
below 400% of the poverty level. The lower your income, the more tax
credits you will qualify to receive. I
see the next six months as the most
challenging time ever with regards
to health insurance choices and
options. There will be many health
insurance companies trying to get
you to buy their products and most
individuals really won’t understand
what it all means. With all of
these changes there will be many
questions and we are here to help. If you would like more information
about the Affordable Care Act please
contact me at djahn@wmhos.org
and I will connect you with the
appropriate WMH resource to
answer your questions.
offer the hospital. When opportunities
present themselves, I dig deep inside
and ask myself if I have something to
contribute and do I have the time to
commit and in this case, the answer to
both questions was yes,” she explains.
Anderson joins the 10-member board
to fulfill the remainder of Betsy
Demaray’s term. Demaray passed
away last January. Anderson, who
worked with Demaray at Smith &
Company Real Estate, said it is an
honor to assume her friend’s seat on
the board.
Anderson was selected after
submitting a letter of interest to a
three-person panel that represents
both the hospital and Chippewa
County. She did so, she explains,
at the urging of those who thought
she might have unique talents to
contribute to the board.
“I wasn’t sure at first, but after some
research to find out what it entailed,
I realized that I have something to
2
“Her encouragement and belief in
me helped me to realize the things
I could do for my community. She
was an inspiration and now I’d like
to think that I can inspire younger
people to commit themselves to
their community. It really is quite an
honor,” Anderson said.
Anderson is the mother of two grown
sons. Her husband, Steve, works for
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In addition to her career as a Realtor,
she is also a long-time fitness
instructor and an adjunct professor at
Lake Superior State University.
OCTOBER 2013
Sault Pediatrics, a “Medical
Home” for Area Families
Sault Pediatrics has been named
as a Patient-Centered Medical
Home (PCMH) – a designation
that comes from Blue Cross Blue
Shield (BCBS) but ultimately
means more coordinated care
thanks to a variety of services and
resources used by the practice.
What does a PCMH mean to the
patient? Gone are the days when
a physician practice would tend
to the patient only during a visit.
Dr. Robert Beckman and his
staff are tuned into the patient’s
overall health between visits as
well.
For instance, patients are given
the doctor’s pager number for
concerns that occur on evenings
or weekends. This results in
24-hour access to the practice –
something parents appreciate.
“…patients are
given the doctor’s
pager number… This
results in 24-hour
access to the practice
– something parents
appreciate.”
Beckman and his staff take
proactive steps to provide
preventative care to avoid the
need for after-hours visits to
the walk-in clinic or emergency
department. If a patient ends up
utilizing the emergency room,
Linda Eveleigh, LPN, contacts
the family to discuss follow-up.
PCMH also puts an emphasis on
preventative services between
WMH HEALTHBEAT
“I really do like that. I respect
Dr. Beckman’s advice and I like
to double-check with him any
time I get orders from another
doctor. Sometimes we’ve had
serious test results and he has
called us himself to discuss
them,” she said.
Swedene speaks favorably of
the doctor’s help with her oldest
son’s chronic headaches and a
younger child’s food allergies.
“Sorting out William’s allergies
was our first experience with Dr.
Beckman and it really helped
us so much. It really turned his
health around,” she said.
Dr. Robert Beckman
planned visits with follow-up phone
calls from the doctor or nurse to see
if the patient is actively following
doctor recommendations.
Margaret Swedene, a Sault Ste.
Marie mother of five, speaks highly
of the follow-up and access that
led to Sault Pediatrics getting this
special designation.
“My daughter, Sophie, was tubing
with us on a Saturday and hit her
head quite hard. We brought her
home but then she started to feel
sick. My husband, Jason, suggested
we call the doctor, so we left a
message and he called us right back.
It was nice to talk to him directly,”
Swedene recalled.
With five active kids, Swedene has
utilized the emergency room for
stitches and said that each time, she
received a call from Sault Pediatrics
the next day to talk about what
happened, review the ER physician’s
orders, and schedule a follow-up
appointment.
3
As much as families benefit
from the PCMH designation, the
hospital and insurance company
benefit financially as well. A
recent analysis of claims data
shows that PCMH-designated
doctors are succeeding in more
effectively managing patients’
care to keep them healthy
and prevent complications.
Although it is as BCBS program,
all patients in the practice are
treated with the same thorough
care.
Sault Pediatrics is the first WMH
practice to receive the PCMH
designation. The practice treats
patients ages 0-18 and reserves
appointment slots each day for
same-day, sick child visits.
To schedule an appointment, call
office receptionist Sue Holdsworth
at (906)253-2605.
ON THE COVER : Dr. Beckman is
joined by Swedene children:
Henry – 11, Sophie – 9
Calvin – 6, William – 3
Samuel – 1
– PHOTO BY PICTURE THIS
PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN
OCTOBER 2013
Golfers help save lives
– maybe yours!
A total of 144 golfers
waited through a
one-hour rain delay
on Friday, Aug. 30
at Wild Bluff Golf
Course in Brimley.
They did it not for
the love of the game,
but because the 6th
Annual WMH Golf
Fundraiser would
net just under
$45,000 in support
of the Emergency
Department (ED)
expansion and
renovation project
currently under way.
A special thank you
this year goes to
Dr. Jeffrey Bender,
Dr. Steven Vix, and
Dr. Michael Oates of
the EUP Emergency
Physicians group
who were the event’s
title sponsors.
In all, more than
50 businesses,
organizations,
and individuals
supported the
fundraiser.
The expansion and
renovation will
create the right size
“This is the second
emergency room for
year we’ve earmarked
our community,
Taking a swing for an improved Emergency Department were (L to R):
the funds for the ED,
with
18 private
Henry Guzzo, Ron Rybar, Rep. Frank Foster, and WMH CEO David Jahn.
and we saw nearly a
treatment rooms,
30 percent increase in net proceeds. To me that shows
direct access to the diagnostic imaging facilities, and
word is getting out about how important this project
a family waiting area. The Emergency Department
is,” said Pat Bray, WMH Development Fund Director.
attends to nearly 18,000 patient visits each year. The
construction project is on track for completion in the
summer of 2014.
We need your vote!
WMH has entered a video in the Pink Glove
Dance contest to raise awareness in the
fight against breast cancer.
Vote October 25 - November 8, 2013 by
visiting facebook.com/WarMemorial or
www.WarMemorialHospital.org for a link to
the voting website.
See staff members dancing for a great
cause! Winning videos receive cash prizes.
WMH will donate any cash prize to the
American Cancer Society.
WMH HEALTHBEAT
4
OCTOBER 2013
Emergency Department welcomes Dr. Lindsay Showers
in a newly-renovated
department. “It will
have all of the latest
equipment, plenty
of room and a good
work flow and that
really helps when
it comes to treating
patients,” she
remarked.
She comes from an urban hospital where literally
hundreds of people visited the ER every day and the
trauma case load was substantial, but for Dr. Lindsay
Showers, one thing was missing: a connection to home.
The Sudbury native joined the WMH Emergency
Department in August and, although it is her first
staff position as an attending physician, she is more
than ready. During her three-year residency at St. John
Hospital in Detroit, Showers acquired the experience
and the reputation that landed her the coveted role of
Chief Resident.
On the personal
front, she relocated
her husband and
infant son to Sault
Ste. Marie so they Dr. Lindsay Showers
could all spend more
time with her family
in Sudbury. Since her start in August, she has become
a part of the close-knit ER team and has high praise for
the staff. “The nursing staff is great. They immediately
made me feel welcome and we work really well
together.”
“I was well trained and well prepared,” she says. “I
worked roughly 19 shifts per month in our ER, which
had 75 beds and saw 350-400 people per day. My
training is still fresh in my mind and we saw such a
variety of patients – lots of trauma cases and highacuity patients.” She earned her bachelor’s degree at the
University of Toronto and her medical degree from the
St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada.
Showers is excited about her move to Sault Ste. Marie.
On the professional front, she looks forward to working
Boston psychiatrist takes
the reins at WMH
Behavioral Health Center
stints with other hospitals, he opened his own practice,
where he specialized in psychopharmacology and
attention deficit disorder (ADD).
“I started out with disorders of impulse control, where
I performed some studies, published papers, and
developed rating scales around behavioral dyscontrol.
That is what led me to ADD, but here I will be more
of a generalist,
helping people with a
variety of needs,” he
explained.
He has a lengthy career in psychiatry and has
successfully managed both an inpatient unit and
outpatient behavioral health services, making Paul
Sorgi, M.D. a perfect fit for Sault Ste. Marie and War
Memorial Hospital.
The Boston physician left his practice and relocated in
August to Sault Ste. Marie, where he found two things
that were irresistible: an opportunity to develop services
for people in need and the natural beauty of the region.
Initially, Sorgi will
focus his expertise on
the WMH Behavioral
Health Center, located
in Kinross. He will
serve as the medical
director for the 20-bed
inpatient facility and,
at some future point,
will counsel patients
on an outpatient basis
in Sault Ste. Marie, too.
“We fell in love with the area and the small-town
atmosphere,” he explains. “The people really sold us on
it. Everyone was so warm and friendly.” Accompanying
the doctor is his wife, Christine, and son, Paul.
Sorgi received his training at Tufts University and
performed his residency at Harvard Medical School’s
Massachusetts Mental Health Center, where he
ultimately became Chief Resident. He served in WrightPatterson Air Force Base’s department of psychiatry for
three years as repayment for medical school costs. After
WMH HEALTHBEAT
Dr. Paul Sorgi
The Sorgi family has settled into the community nicely.
Christine has also taken a position at WMH and their
7-year-old son has already signed up for hockey.
5
OCTOBER 2013
Behind the Scenes with
your Healthbeat!
Hospital Chat
Patients are talking about the
great care they received at
WMH. Each month we will share
excerpts from letters written
to our CEO from patients and
families:
“
“My son was in for a broken
arm and I wanted to say a great big
thank you! Everyone we saw was so
good and kind to him, from admitting
to ER, radiology, surgical staff, and
recovery. Everyone went out of their
way to make him feel better and less
scared. You guys are awesome!”
Preparing Healthbeat for mailing
to more than 20,000 households in
the Eastern Upper Peninsula is a
big job. War Memorial Hospital is
pleased to contract with Northern
Transitions Inc. for the sorting and
bundling preparations necessary
for such a big mailing.
NTI provides rehabilitation
services for individuals with a
variety of barriers to employment,
including mental illness, learning
disabilities, vision impairment,
hearing impairment, and more.
The organization’s ultimate goal is
to help each individual become as
independent in work as possible.
Pictured here, Carrie Mayer (left)
and John MacMaster (right) prepare
the mailing of the August edition
with a little help from NTI shop
supervisor Stevie Dombrowski.
Carrie and John are just two of
the many individuals responsible
for successfully delivery of your
Healthbeat!
u!
Free Events for a Healthier Yo
NOVEMBER
Saturday, Nov. 9, 11am–2pm
Blood Drive for the U.P.
Regional Blood Center
LSSU Cisler Center
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 12pm–6pm
Blood Drive for the U.P.
Regional Blood Center
Bayliss Public Library
WMH HEALTHBEAT
Thursday, Nov14, 6pm
Your Health & All That Sugar,
presented by Dr. James Surrell.
Visit us on Facebook for location.
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6pm
Bariatric Surgery Info Session,
e
presented by Advanced Surgical Car
2472 Ashmun St.
(Rehab Bldg.)
6
“The valets that work for this hospital
provide exceptional service. They do
their job cheerfully and efficiently, no
matter what the time or weather hold.
They are a credit to War Memorial
and deserve a pat on the back.”
(Patient reports a blood clot found
in lung.) “To say that I was more
than a little worried would be an
understatement. Through it all your
staff held my hand and kept my
spirits up with their positive attitude
and professionalism. They went
out of their way to make sure I was
comfortable and were always there to
explain what was happening or going
to happen with every test. They kept
me laughing when I wanted to cry.
Bottom line, their care of
me was outstanding.”
”
Healthbeat is a publication of
Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital, Inc.
Stories by Angela Nebel
Summit Public Relations Strategies, LLC
Printing & Design by Paul Ignatowski,
Sault Printing Co.
Pursuant to the authority granted to Det Norske
Veritas Healthcare, Inc. by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, this organization is deemed
in compliance with the Medicare Conditions of
Participation for Hospitals (42 C.F.R. §482). This
certificate is valid for a period of
three (3) years from the Effective
Date of Accreditation. Effective Date
of Accreditation: October 26, 2011
War Memorial is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
OCTOBER 2013
New hope for motherhood
Introducing a procedure to reverse
tubal ligation
incision and trimmed past the point
Every medical procedure is intended
to resolve a problem and, in the case
of the newest procedure offered
at Sault Women’s Healthcare, that
problem is regret.
Tubal reversal surgery allows a
woman who underwent a tubal
ligation earlier in life to reverse the
process and try again for pregnancy.
Dr. Madeleine Guevara, an OB/
GYN at War Memorial Hospital,
is the only physician to offer the
procedure north of Traverse City.
She recently underwent specialized
training at Cleveland Clinic in order
to give women a second chance.
“I like the idea of giving women
the option to restore fertility,”
she explains. “After jumping into
sterilization earlier in life, they
sometimes have a change of heart
or find themselves in different
circumstances as they get older, like
a second marriage or an improved
financial situation.”
The procedure itself is simple
for the patient, but intricate for
the doctor. While under general
anesthesia, the surgeon makes a
small incision at the bikini line. The
tubes will be gently bought to the
of any damage incurred during
sterilization. Guevara then uses a
series of extremely small sutures to
reattach the tubes with the aid of a
microscope. Patients typically spend
one night in the hospital and are
able to return home the next day.
“It is painstaking, meticulous work,”
explains the surgeon. “Some people
would promote in vitro fertilization
instead, but this is ultimately more
natural with a similar success rate at
a much lower cost,” she added.
“I like the idea of giving
women the option to
restore fertility”
– Dr. Guevara
The cost factor comes from the
opportunity to attempt pregnancy
several times. While families pay
costly fees for every attempt at in
vitro, once this surgery is complete,
women can try to conceive multiple
times.
www.warmemorialhospital.org
@WarMemorial
Find us on Facebook
“Unfortunately there are no
guarantees,” the doctor said. “The
truth of the matter is that in the
sterilization process there is an
inherent amount of damage to
your tubes and though reversal is
very meticulous, every woman’s
situation is different.”
Determining how the sterilization
procedure was performed and
determining the amount of damage
are the first steps toward tubal
reversal surgery. Using a number
of diagnostic options, Guevara can
garner information to more clearly
predict success.
To arrange a consultation with Dr. Guevara
call Sault Women’s Healthcare at 635-3002
facebook.com/WarMemorialHospital
WMH HEALTHBEAT
The surgery success rate, according
to Guevara, is 60-70 percent,
depending upon the degree of
damage from the initial sterilization.
In most cases, a woman is able
to try at pregnancy two or three
months after the surgery. The usual
variables that affect a couple’s
chances of conceiving are still
present, so the doctor cannot give
a projected pregnancy rate. But
successful tubal reversal does offer
one thing for certain – hope where
there was no hope before.
WMH is On Line
Follow us on Twitter
Dr. Madeleine Guevara
7
OCTOBER 2013
Your local health
care providers
FAMILY PRACTICE
E.N. Johnson, M.D.
(906) 632-2722
*P.W. Niemi, D.O.
(906) 632-1100
Bay Mills Health Center
D. Maloney, M.D.
Lisa VanHevel, D.O.
(906) 248-5527
Bridgeview Family Medicine
*T.E. O’Connor, M.D.
*J. Garlinghouse, M.D.
*J. Peterman, M.D.
(906) 253-9374
Community Care Clinic
G. Pramstaller, D.O.
S. Bartz, P.A.
T. Malloy, N.P.
D. Rick, P.A.
S. Croasdell, N.P.
T. Siesel, N.P.
(906) 635-4401
LSSU Health Care Center
S. Bartz, PA-C
M. McLeod, NP-BC
(906) 635-2110
Riverside Medical Associates
M. Crawford, CFNP
*R.H. Mackie, M.D.
T. Malloy, FNP-BC
P. Nichols, CFNP
*J.P. Ockenfels, D.O.
*A.L.T. Postma, D.O.
*T.N. Tetzlaff, D.O.
(906) 632-1800
Sault Tribe Health Center
C. Behling, CFNP
E. Javellana, M.D.
V. Sherman, M.D.
L. Styer, M.D.
R. Werner, M.D.
(906)632-5200
Superior Family Medical
*J.M. Pahn, M.D.
(906) 632-0370
VA Community Based
Outpatient Clinic
(906) 253-9383
WMH Community Care - Kinross
C. Harris, M.D.
Brenda Buchanan, N.P.
(906) 495-1344
WMH Family Care – Cedarville
K. Duman, PA-C
B.M. Slater, D.O.
(906) 484-2295
WMH Family Care – DeTour
S. Aldridge, M.D.
S. Daniels, PA
(906) 297-3204
Drummond Island
Family Health Care, PC
C. Cordray, CFNP, MSN
(906) 493-6644
SAULT PRINTING CO.
PRSRT STD
ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EDDM Retail
WAR
MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL
500 Osborn Blvd.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
********ECRWSS**********************
LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER
(906) 635-4460
www.warmemorialhospital.org
Drummond Island
Medical Center
S. Aldridge, M.D.
S. Daniels, PA
(906) 493-5221
ALLERGIST/ASTHMA
Great Lakes Allergy
& Asthma Center, PC
P. Ranta, M.D.
(906) 253-0400
ANESTHESIOLOGY
Joe Beccario, CRNA
*J.D. Boldan, M.D.
L. Knittle, CRNA
D. Montgomery, CRNA
E. Woolever, CRNA
(906) 635-4589
BARIATRIC (WEIGHT LOSS)
Advanced Surgical Care
*J. Adair, MD
*J. Cipriano, D.O.
S. Cipriano, D.O.
(906) 253-9770
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
SERVICES
Blue Water Behavioral Health
*P. Sorgi, M.D.
D. Wilson, N.P.
M. Vitelli, M.D.
(906) 635-2969
CARDIOLOGY
Soo Cardiology
*R. Alkiek, M.D.
*W. Doghmi, M.D.
(906) 253-2760
DERMATOLOGY
I. Siniakov, M.D.
(906) 253-2652
EAR, NOSE & THROAT
Sault Otolaryngology
*M. Wallace, D.O.
(906) 259-0244
ER SERVICES-WMH
J. Bender, M.D.
W. Jamros, N.P.
J.M. Neri, D.O.
M. Oates, M.D.
L. Showers, M.D.
S. Vix, M.D.
GASTROENTEROLOGY
U.P. Digestive Health
*A. Silverman, M.D.
(906) 632-5807
GENERAL SURGERY
*K.L. Mc Cullough, M.D.
(906) 635-1048
Advanced Surgical Care
*J. Adair, MD
*J. Cipriano, D.O.
*P. Rechner, M.D.
(906) 253-9770
INTERNAL MEDICINE
*E.J. Ranta, M.D.
(906) 632-6823
Chippewa Medical Associates
*A. Mursaleen, M.D.
(906) 632-6013
Lakeview Internal Medicine
*T. Chander, M.D.
Danielle Paquette, PA
(906) 635-9090
NEPHROLOGY
*M. Haider, M.D.
(906) 632-6013
NEUROLOGY
Superior Neurosciences
*R. Spitzer, M.D.
(906) 632-5824
OB/GYNECOLOGY
Sault Women’s Healthcare
*L. Anghel, M.D.
*N. Cristof, M.D.
*A. Donmyer RN, CNM
*M. Guevara, D.O.
(906) 635-3002
ONCOLOGY
Chippewa Medical Associates
C. Burton, CFNP (906) 632-6013
OPHTHALMOLOGY
Grand Traverse
Ophthalmology
M. Madion, M.D.
D. Thuente, M.D.
P. Sneed, M.D.
P. vonKulajta, M.D.
J. Wentzloff, M.D.
(906) 635-9802
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
International Orthopedic
and Sports Medicine Center
*R.W. Ganzhorn, M.D.
(906) 632-4740
Greater Peninsula
Orthopedics
*S.M. Woolever, D.O.
(906) 635-5100
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Upper Peninsula Pain Institute
*Andrew Alshab, M.D.
(906) 253-2665
PATHOLOGY
C. Liu, M.D.
(906) 635-4434
PEDIATRICS
Sault Pediatrics
*R. Beckman, D.O.
(906) 253-2605
PODIATRIC SURGERY
R. Sehgal, D.P.M.
(248) 553-4040
K. Tabor, D.P.M.
(906) 225-7709
PULMONARY/CRITICAL CARE
Chippewa Medical Associates
*I. Abou Daya, M.D.
A. Ellis, N.P.
(906) 632-6013
RADIOLOGY
Cedar Straits Medical
Associates, PC
R.J. Duman, M.D.
S. Bailey, M.D.
(906) 635-4438
SLEEP MEDICINE
J. Sand, D.O.
(906) 253-2788
*indicates WMH admitting privileges