YourCare
2011/I s s u e 1
A PUBLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY FROM CROUSE HOSPITAL
Surviving
Prostate
Cancer
ALSO:
Postcards from the OR
Take Me to Crouse
Breast Health Navigators
CEO Update
Q
uality was a major discussion point during our
recent management retreat, a day-long work
session attended by more than 150 Crouse
Hospital supervisors, managers, directors, senior leaders,
physicians and board members. Our focus was on how
we can continue to improve efforts to make Crouse
the place where patients want to receive care, doctors
want to care for patients and employees want to work.
Discussions were energized, candid and thought provoking.
Paul Kronenberg, MD
President & CEO
crouse.org
For an in-depth look at
Crouse’s operational,
financial and quality
performance, we invite
you to read Vital Signs
2011 at crouse.org/
vitalsigns.
As a team, we’ve made significant progress over
the past several years, but we have much more work
to do. The quest for performance excellence is, after
all, a journey not a destination. We are well poised to
tackle the challenges and opportunities we face — on
the state and federal level with reduced reimbursements
and right here in our own community, with the activity
we’re seeing among local hospitals.
We just need to keep doing what we do best while
continually challenging ourselves to do it even better,
more effectively and efficiently. That’s what operational
improvement is all about. It is also our responsibility as
stewards of our resources, and what will enable us to
continue to serve our community in the years ahead.
with physicians who want to practice here. We will
seek to partner with other healthcare providers to
strengthen the range of services we offer. Our recently
announced partnership with Community Memorial
Hospital in Hamilton, NY, is one example.
We’ll continue work to enhance patient care quality
and satisfaction in every area of our organization.
Participation in numerous national quality initiatives,
such as the National Surgical Quality Improvement
Program, will continue to help us achieve benchmark
performance in surgical services. We’ll build on —
and encourage — the innovation and creativity that has
resulted in patient care initiatives like Lung Partners
and Care Transitions, two programs unique to Crouse
that will serve us well as we work to reduce patient
readmissions and complications — two goals of healthcare reform. They’re also the right thing to do from
a patient care standpoint.
Our work does not end with the management
retreat. What we bring back from this important exercise is a renewed commitment to making Crouse the
very best healthcare provider we can be. Thank you for
your ongoing support as we continue on this journey.
As we say at Crouse, the best get better. Guided
by our vision statements — along with our mission and
values — we’ll continue working to align the hospital
Connect with Crouse
O
ver the years, Crouse has
communicated with you
primarily through publications such as this one, complimented
by radio, television, print ads and
direct mail.
Thanks to ever-changing technology, with new tools emerging every
day, you can now connect with us
and engage in conversation. And we
invite you to do so.
Crouse Website
Late last year we launched a new
website — crouse.org — re-designed
and re-built from the ground up.
If you haven’t visited lately, take
a look. And then go to the “Your
2
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
Facebook
Chances are you’re one of the 700
million Facebook users. We are too.
‘Like’ Crouse Hospital to stay in touch.
Twitter
We tweet from @CrouseHospital
every day. Follow us for our latest
news and health tips.
Opinion Counts” feature under the
Contact Us link on the homepage
and tell us what you think.
College of Nursing Website
YouTube
Into video? So are we. For an
inside look at Crouse, visit youtube.
com/crousehospital.
You can also check out the Crouse College of
Are you a graduate, current or
Nursing on Facebook and the Crouse Health
prospective student? Be sure to ‘Like’ us. Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.
Crouse Surgery
Earns High Marks
T
he American College of Surgeons’
National Surgical Quality Improvement
Program (NSQIP) has recognized Crouse
Hospital as one of 26 NSQIP participating hospitals in the U.S. that have achieved exemplary
outcomes for surgical patient care.
“This distinction tells patients
that they are receiving high-quality
surgical care, which is reflective of
the outstanding team of surgeons,
nurses and technicians who provide
surgical services here at Crouse.”
— Dennis Brown, MD
Crouse tracks the outcomes of inpatient
surgical procedures and collects data that
directs patient safety and the quality of surgical
care improvements. The hospital then benchmarks its data against more than 300 other
participating hospitals and health systems. The
NSQIP recognition program commends a select
group of hospitals for achieving exemplary
outcome performances related to patient
management in five clinical areas.
“This recognition affirms Crouse’s commitment to patient safety and quality surgical
care,” says Dennis Brown, MD, senior surgical
quality director.
Witting Surgical
Center Opens
A
fter several years of planning, design and fundraising
through the Operation:
Innovation campaign, the new
Chris J. and Marshia K. Witting
Surgical Center at Crouse Hospital
opened at the end of last year.
Crouse is the leader in Central
New York for general and specialty
surgical services. The hospital’s
combined inpatient and outpatient surgical volume is more
than 18,000 procedures annually,
which accounts for the majority of
all inpatient and outpatient volume
in Onondaga County. Crouse’s
board-certified surgical specialists
perform more ophthalmology,
ENT (ear, nose and throat) and
gynecological procedures than
any other Syracuse hospital.
Eleven new operating rooms
are now online in the new, 60,000
square-foot facility, with an additional three scheduled for completion this fall in the space formerly
occupied by the ‘old’ OR, adding
an additional 30,000 square feet of
renovated space to the overall facility.
Just down the hall, a spacious
surgical guest waiting area and
computer center with free WiFi
makes waiting more comfortable
for family and friends.
The hospital thanks Marshia
Witting for her generous naming gift, which made the project
possible, as well as Operation:
Innovation capital campaign
co-chairs Ted and Mary-Pat
Northrup; Dennis Brown, MD;
and Crouse President & CEO
Paul Kronenberg, MD.
NSQIP is the only nationally validated
quality improvement program that measures
and enhances the care of surgical patients. The
goal is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection
or illness related to a surgical procedure) and
surgical mortality (death related to a surgical
procedure) and to provide a firm foundation
for surgeons to apply what is known as “best
scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery.
The Witting Surgical Center’s ribbon cutting ceremony included (left to right) Msgr. Robert
Yeazel; Elizabeth Hartnett, chair of the Crouse Hospital Board of Directors; Marshia Witting;
Crouse President & CEO Paul Kronenberg, MD; and Tim Atseff, president of the Board of
Trustees of the Crouse Health Foundation.
crouse.org
3
Surviving Prostate Cancer
F
or 48-year-old Glenn Weisiger, getting prostate
are mostly likely to be diagnosed. According to the
cancer wasn’t a matter of “if.” It was a matter
American Cancer Society, age is an important risk factor
of “when.”
for cancer of the prostate. It’s rarely seen in men younger
than 40, while the incidence rises rapidly with each
Although the diagnosis came as a surprise, Glenn
decade thereafter.
was as prepared as anyone could be. He’d been having
routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests done annuThe probability of being diagnosed with prostate
ally since he was 40, with results in the ‘normal’ range.
cancer is one in 8,517 for men younger than 40 years
But when his
old, while it rises to one
“The nurses and staff were skilled and attentive,
primary care
in 15 for men 60 through
and I felt I was in the best hands possible.”
physician also con69 and one in eight for men
— Glenn Weisiger
ducted a DRE (digital
70 and older.
rectal exam) in September 2010, he detected a small
Although Glenn had age and wellness on his side
lump and recommended further testing through biopsy.
(he’s a self-proclaimed fitness and healthy food fanatic),
he had a second strong risk factor: family history. “I
Age Increases Risk
grew up knowing it was inevitable that I’d get prostate
cancer,” Glenn says matter-of-factly. “That’s why I’ve
The cancer diagnosis that followed was one Glenn’s
taken good care of myself and started being tested
father, grandfather and a maternal uncle had also faced,
at age 40.”
but not until they were in their 60s. That’s the time men
4
YourCare Issue 1/2011
Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer
Age: Risk rises after a man reaches age
50. Almost 2 out of every 3 prostate cancers
are found in men over the age of 65.
Family History a Factor
A number of genetic studies suggest hereditary factors may be
the underlying cause for five to 10 percent of the diagnoses of prostate
cancer. Men who are a brother, father or son of a prostate cancer
patient have a risk for developing the disease approximately double
that of the general public’s population risk.
Despite such a diagnosis, Glenn considers himself fortunate.
“I started being tested at a young age, my cancer was caught at
its very early stages and my surgery at Crouse couldn’t have gone
better,” he says gratefully. “The nurses and staff were skilled and
attentive, and I felt I was in the best hands possible.”
After doing research about treatment and prognosis, Glenn consulted
with and chose David Albala, MD, chief of urology at Crouse, who is
nationally and internationally recognized for his expertise in robotic
surgery. “Just six months before I was diagnosed, Dr. Albala came to
Syracuse from Duke University. His reputation and bedside manner
convinced me to have my procedure at Crouse.”
Dr. Albala removed Glenn’s prostate on Nov. 17, 2010, at
Crouse’s new Witting Surgical Center using the da Vinci surgical
robot. With this technology, the surgeon looks into a console and uses
a control panel to operate robotic “hands.” The level of precision is
much greater than that of traditional surgical methods and, because
the stitches are smaller and tighter, patients lose less blood, experience
less pain and recover faster with fewer complications.
Positive Outcomes with da Vinci Technology
The real estate executive was out of work for two weeks, and after
just five weeks was back to exercising and downhill skiing. Because
of his early diagnosis and successful treatment, Glenn says he hit the
“trifecta” in terms of outcomes.
“First and foremost,” he emphasizes, “I’m cancer free,” referring to post-surgery exams and recent PSA results that confirm his
declaration. “I’ve had no major or ongoing issues with the two
aspects of prostate removal that scare men the most — sexual
functioning and becoming incontinent. I have a supportive
wife and four beautiful children. Life is good.”
Life can continue to be good for men diagnosed
with prostate cancer, observes Dr. Albala. “The technological advances of robotic surgery offer a great
option for the patient in terms of the healing
process and prognosis,” adding that like other
cancers, early detection is key to improving
outcomes for men of all ages.
Race: For unknown reasons, more common in African-American men, less often in
Asian-American and Hispanic/Latino men
than in non-Hispanic whites.
Nationality: Most common in North
America, northwestern Europe, less common
in Asia, Africa, Central and South America.
Family history: Men with close family
members (father or brother) who have
had prostate cancer more likely to get
it themselves.
Genes: Some inherited genes seem to
raise prostate cancer risk, but account for
only a small number of cases overall.
Diet: Role of diet not exactly clear, red meat
and high-fat dairy consumption seem to
increase risk.
Exercise: Lack of exercise not a clearly
defined rick factor. Some studies show high
levels of physical activity in older men may
lower risk for advanced prostate cancer.
Obesity: Not a clearly defined risk factor.
Smoking: A recent study linked smoking
to a small increase in the risk of death from
prostate cancer.
Infection and inflammation of the
prostate: Some studies suggest that
prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate
gland) may be linked to an increased risk
of prostate cancer.
Source: American Cancer Society
crouse.org
For more information about robotic surgery at
Crouse visit crouse.org/robotic-surgery.
Now cancer free, Glenn Weisiger cherishes the
precious moments he spends with his children.
On the cover: Glenn with wife Stephanie.
Surgeon David Albala, MD, (right) performing an
operation in the Witting Surgical Center.
crouse.org
5
Postcards from the O.R.
R
emember when people used to
send postcards while they were
traveling? Two women who
took the Crouse surgical journey
and are pleased to share their
passages from pain to pain-free.
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Name: Ina Schleich
er, Boonville, NY
Surgical Procedure:
Anterior cervical di
scectomy
Date of Procedure:
Nov. 29, 2010
I
Ina Schleicher credits Cr
ouse
orthopedic surgeon Ra
man
Dhawan, MD, for her ab
ility
to now pick up and hold
her
grandchildren.
6
f you think of driving your car
, holding a baby or any of the
many other tasks we do dai
ly, you can imagine how ter
rifying
and dangerous it would be
to suddenly, without warnin
g,
lose the
ability to use your arms. Ou
t of nowhere, my arms and
sho
ulders
would become completely par
alyzed. During the random
times
this happened, I could not mo
ve. It was scary, and I had
all I
could do to breathe through
it.
On November 29, 2010, I wa
s introduced to people who
would impact my life in a pos
itive way forever. That was
the
day I had an anterior cervic
al discectomy and fusion at
Crouse.
Everyone we encountered,
from reception to the OR and
beyond,
were wonderful. What was
impressed upon me and my
fam
ily in
that short time was courtesy,
professionalism, quality sta
ndards
and competency by a well-r
ounded staff that works as
a team to
ensure a positive outcome
— not just for the patient but
for their
family as well.
My advice: If you’re having
any kind of neck or spine
problem, don’t delay treatm
ent. Go to Crouse — you too
may be again able to do the
things in life you love.
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
Crouse Hospital is proud
to be affiliated with the
finest surgeons in Central
New York
Bariatric Surgery
Kenneth Cooper, DO
Jeffrey DeSimone, MD
Cardiopulmonary Thoracic
Suhas Pradhan, MD
David Wormuth, MD
Colorectal
David Nesbitt, MD
John Nicholson, MD
Ear, Nose & Throat
Beth Burghardt, MD
Patrick Chiles, MD
Stephen Dubin, MD
Eric Fung, MD
David Gordon, MD
Douglas Halliday, MD
Sean Hodge, MD
Amy Reynders, MD
Hayes Wanamaker, MD
John Wanamaker, MD
Charles Woods, MD
General Surgery
Akbar Ahmed, MD
Brian Anderson, MD
Stephen Barker, MD
Tammy Congelli, MD
Kenneth Cooper, DO
Jeffrey DeSimone, MD
Thomas Hartzheim, MD
Kara Kort-Glowaki, MD
Robert Lambert, MD
Herb Mendel, MD
James Sartori, MD
William Schu, MD
David Tyler, MD
Richard Wells, MD
Gynecology/OB-GYN
Karen Bacsik, MD
Shawky Badawy, MD
Suzanne Bartol-Krueger, MD
Sargon Bebla, MD
Cathy Berry, MD
Mark Billinson, MD
Stephen Brown, MD
Jerry Caporaso, Jr, MD
Jeffrey Chick, MD
Maria Ciciarelli, MD
Stephen Cohen, MD
Chantell Dalpe-Fung, MD
Mai-Anh Thi Doan, MD
Philip Ferro, MD
Frederick Fitzgerald, Jr., MD
Lisa Freedman, MD
Beth Houck, MD
Robert Kiltz, MD
Kristen Kratzert, MD
Carla Liberatore, MD
William Loftus, MD
Lindsay Madom, MD
Leonard Marotta, MD
Renee Mestad, MD
Sayeeda Mohiuddin, MD
Muhammad Naim, MD
John Nosovitch, MD
Robert Pyke, MD
Melanie
Ramachandran, MD
Geeta Roy, MD
Steve Ryu, MD
Richard Semeran, MD
Frederick
Sengstacke, II, MD
Robert Silverman, MD
Alexandra Spadola, MD
Brian Thompson, MD
Melissa Weinstein, DO
Gynecology/Oncology
Mark Adelson, MD
Douglas Bunn, MD
Mary Cunningham, MD
AG Musa, MD
Neurosurgery
Gregory Canute, MD
Ross Moquin, MD
Gerard Rodziewicz, MD
Ophthalmology
Thomas Bersani, MD
Jamin Brown, MD
Anthony DeVincentis, MD
Michael Geiss, III MD
George Hampton, MD Carl Hanig, MD
James Kinsey, MD
Charles Mango, MD
Stephen Merriam, MD
Walter Merriam, MD
Robert Morason, MD
Leon-Paul Noel, MD
Barry Rabin, MD
Bryan Rutledge, MD
Sam Spalding, MD
Kenneth Spitzer, MD Charles Teitelbaum, MD
Orthopedics
Joseph Concilla, DPM
Raman Dhawan, MD Daniel Dichristina, MD
Richard Distefano, MD
Timothy Izant, MD Norman Lasda, MD
William Lavelle, MD Frederick Lemley, MD
James Lemley, MD Ian Madom, MD Irving Raphael, MD Robert Sherman, MD Jack Sproul, MD Mike Sun, MD
Richard Tallarico, MD
Michael Wiese, MD Daniel Wnorowski, MD
Pediatrics
Tamer Ahmed, MD
George Alfieris, MD
Kim Mendelson, MD
Michael Ratner, MD
Plastics
Gregory Baum, MD
Anthony Deboni, MD
Philip Falcone, MD
Hadley Falk, MD
Peter Hixson, MD
Bruce Shafiroff, MD
Urology
David Albala, MD
Herbert James, MD
Richard Kronhaus, MD
Po Lam, MD
Chris Pieczonka, MD
Harvey Sauer, MD
JC Trussel, MD
Vascular
Robert Schwartz, MD
Lawrence Semel, MD
Scott Surowiec, MD
Q&A
with Michael Munson-Burke, RPA-C
Michael Munson-Burke is supervisor of
the surgical physician assistant (PA) team
at Crouse Hospital. A native of Stormville
in the Hudson Valley area of New York,
he graduated from Western Michigan
University in 1997 and came to Crouse
in 2009.
Physician assistant is one of the fastest
growing professions in healthcare. At
Crouse, 15 surgical PAs work in the
hospital’s Witting Surgical Center,
each providing valuable support to
our surgeons around the clock.
Topic: Physician Assistants
Why did you become a PA?
I was planning to go to medical school and while
working on my graduate degree I met a PA. I realized that as a PA I’d have much more flexibility and
also often have more time to spend with patients.
What type of education and training
is required to become a PA?
Most PA programs, which run about 26 months,
require four years of college and experience
in healthcare prior to admission. In addition,
successful passage of the Physician Assistant
What does a PA do?
Physician assistants are healthcare professionals National Certifying Exam, offered by the National
Commission on Certification of Physician
who practice medicine as members of a team
under the direction of the supervising physician. Assistants, is required. Because of the close
PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgi- working relationship PAs have with physicians, we’ve been educated in a medical model
cal services to diverse populations in both rural
designed to complement physician training. PA
and urban settings. Here at Crouse, we first
students are taught, as are medical students, to
assist in a variety of surgical cases, covering
diagnose and treat medical problems. PAs are
most specialties. We also cover the floors and
emergency department on nights and weekends. also required to take ongoing continuing medical
education classes and be retested on their clinical skills on a regular basis.
What do you mean by ‘first assist’?
Most surgeries require at least two people to
How important is teamwork in
perform the operation. One person performs
what you do?
the majority of the procedure, the other assists
PAs work with physician supervision, so teamwork
in various supportive ways to provide the best
is essential. At Crouse, teamwork is multifaceted.
outcome for the patient.
Because of the high volume of surgeries per-
formed in the Witting Surgical Center, we have
15 surgical PAs in our department. We all work
together closely and help each other out whenever
and wherever necessary. Also, surgery itself is a
team effort involving surgeons, PAs, nurses, surgical techs, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists
and perioperative aides. Another very important
aspect of teamwork for our department is our
interaction and cooperation with nurse practitioners
covering the floors. They take care of the patients’
needs during the day and we cover those patients
at night for problems and emergencies. It’s a good
system and we work very well together.
What do you find most rewarding
about your role? Most challenging?
The support I have from my group, the variety
of work and the open, friendly and professional
atmosphere of Crouse in general. Challenging?
Sometimes things can be unpredictable, especially at night. For instance, once while on call
I was speaking to a patient and family about
his condition when I was urgently called to see
another patient who had difficulty breathing.
While I was finishing seeing that patient I was
called to the OR to assist in an emergency
surgery. However, even though this can be
challenging, it does make my job interesting
and very rewarding.
Crouse’s Surgical Physician Assistant Team, left to right: Jeff Koehler; Lisa Nojaim; Michael Patane; Anne Kukulski; Kenyatta Burden; Karen Marshall;
Nathaniel Ramsey; Jenny Dinh; Constance Duggan; Catherine Burkett; David Darmody; Sophia James; and Richard Albano.
crouse.org
7
Take Me To Crouse:
Four Words that Saved His Life
balloon that forces air into an artery,
clearing the blockage to restore
blood flow to the heart.
“I felt groggy, but the nurse told
me it was over and I could open
my eyes,” Jim recalls. “I was out of
pain and couldn’t believe how quick
it all happened.”
CROUSE HOSPITAL
Average Door to Cardiac Intervention Time
National Goal = 90 minutes
Minutes
A
bout a year ago, Jim Swank
met the young man who
saved his life. When the
EMS crew removed Jim from the
ambulance and wheeled him into
Crouse Hospital’s emergency department, cardiologist Anil George, MD,
was the first person he saw.
Instinctively, Dr. George grabbed
the stretcher and ran down the hall.
He had already reviewed Jim’s EKG
on his cell phone, which was taken
by paramedics en-route to Crouse.
Minutes mattered: Jim had suffered
a serious heart attack, with a major
artery carrying blood to his heart 99
percent blocked.
Incredible Response
Two possible outcomes emerged:
An erratic arrhythmia, which could
prove fatal, or severe heart-muscle
damage. Fortunately for the business
owner, father and grandfather of 13,
a third alternative — the result of a
well-choreographed team approach
— unfolded quickly.
Jim was whisked to Crouse’s
cardiac catheterization suite, where
three specially trained nurses were
busy prepping for an angioplasty.
The procedure uses a miniscule
8
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
So Fast…
Indeed, just 14 minutes had
ticked on the clock, from the time
Jim was wheeled into the ER to
the time Dr. George had threaded
the tiny balloon into his artery and
inserted a stent, which would keep
the artery open permanently. While
a notable feat, Crouse’s cardiac
care team routinely has the highest
percentage among Upstate New
York hospitals of opening blocked
arteries within the national guidelines,
according to the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
“This distinction is the result of
our consistent, systematic approach
for chest pain patients, which ensures
better outcomes,” states Joseph
Battaglia, MD, medical director for
Cardiac Care Services at Crouse.
“Our integrated approach — from
EMS crews to the emergency room
staff to the cardiac care team —
provides timely treatment for patients
experiencing chest pain,” he says.
One Team, Working for
One Heart
How’s Jim doing now? “I’m
back to my usual routine, and have
more energy than in the past.” The
Cicero resident is thankful for every
day he has to work at his delivery
business and spend time with family.
“I have a lot to live for, and now feel
confident that I can enjoy the days to
come with my grandchildren.”
Watch Video
See Jim Swank featured in Crouse’s
new TV spot. View video at
crouse.org/chest-pain.
Crouse First Upstate New York Hospital
to Earn Dual Cardiac Accreditations
Chest Pain Center
H
eart attacks are the leading cause of death in the U.S., with 600,000 dying
annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each
year with chest pain. If you’re having a heart attack, you’ll want to call 911 and
be taken to the hospital best equipped to treat you successfully.
Crouse Hospital recently earned two major national accreditations that reflect the high
quality cardiac care our team strives to provide.
Last fall, Crouse received full accreditation with PCI (percutaneous coronary
intervention) from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Crouse is one
of only seven hospitals in New York State to earn this designation.
Crouse celebrated Emergency Medical Services
Week 2011 with a picnic in our ER parking lot to
thank area EMS professionals for the life-saving
work they do all year long.
“Our team approach provides timely treatment for patients
experiencing chest pain, from prompt identification of symptoms
by emergency medical responders, to immediate treatment in
our Emergency Department and direct access to any necessary
procedures in the catheterization suite,” states Joseph Battaglia, MD,
medical director for Cardiac Care Services.
The Society of Chest Pain Centers strives to significantly reduce the
mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early
symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce time it takes to receive treatment and increase
the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.
Heart Failure Accreditation
Crouse has also received full Cycle I heart failure accreditation status from the Society of Chest Pain Centers, the first
hospital in New York State to achieve this designation and only
one of 40 in the U.S. with the accreditation.
Crouse is one of only two hospitals in New York State —
and the only one in Central New York — with dual heart failure
and chest pain accreditation.
Heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S.
Approximately five million patients in the U.S. have heart failure. In addition, heart failure
patients are responsible for 12 to 15 million physician office visits per year and 6.5 million
hospital days. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to help facilities manage heart
failure conditions more efficiently and improve patient outcomes.
Watch Video
If you’re having chest pain, call 911 immediately. Anil George, MD, shares tips for preventing
heart disease and the latest treatments. View video at crouse.org/chest-pain.
A Team Approach: left to
right, EMS professional Susie
Burnett; Joseph Battaglia,
MD; Richard Steinmann, MD,
medical director of Emergency
Services; and cardiac nurse
Crystal Barus, RN, MSN.
O
ur relationship with the Emergency
Medical Services professionals serving our community doesn’t end when
they accompany those sick or injured through our
emergency department doors. It’s actually just the
beginning of how Crouse and EMS teams have been
working closely together to improve medical care.
In summer of 2010 and spring 2011, Crouse
invited EMS providers to dinner and conversations
about the role they play while transporting patients
— and after their call is complete. Besides using a
dedicated EMS lounge in the hospital to complete
necessary paperwork, EMS providers are often
called in for follow-up on patients they bring to
Crouse, most frequently those with chest pain.
“It’s actually just the beginning of
how Crouse and EMS teams have
been working closely together to
improve medical care.”
Crouse has also launched an EMS speakers
bureau to share our expertise on a variety of
topics of interest to assist those in emergency
medicine with professional growth and career
development goals. Our clinical experts are
available to visit EMS facilities and will work
around an agency’s schedule.
For more information on these free
educational opportunities, contact Michele
Kosinski, director of Emergency Services,
Critical Care & PromptCare, at 315/470-7959.
crouse.org
9
Navigators Chart Course
for Breast Health Patients
M
any women dread having
a mammogram. For some,
it’s the anticipation of any
discomfort during the exam. For
others, it’s the fear of what the
procedure may reveal.
Dedicated Breast
Health Navigators
Butler completed the certification
process to each become a breast
imaging navigator, breast cancer
navigator and clinical breast examiner earlier this year. Rose is a
certified clinical breast examiner,
and will complete the imaging and
cancer certifications this fall.
“Our navigators wear many hats,
To lessen the apprehension of
but have one primary focus: to
having routine mammograms and
other diagnostic imaging or proprovide the best in patient care.”
cedures, the Crouse Breast Health
Center now offers women the services Comfort and Support
of three dedicated breast health naviare Standard
gators: Margaret Bottino, RN; Mary
When visiting the Crouse Breast
Butler, RN; and Laura Rose, RN.
Health Center, you get much more
Our navigators wear many hats,
than a mammogram. Our navigators
but have one primary focus: to propromote breast health by providing
vide the best in patient care. They
free clinical breast exams and showcome with special credentials — and
ing women how to do self-breast
years of practice at Crouse and in
exams. They also provide clinical
the area of breast health.
assistance during various procedures
While they’ve provided navigation in the center, as well as individualized comfort and support. What’s
services for many years, Bottino and
more, they serve as a liaison
between our patients and other
departments within the hospital
that may be involved with a woman’s
breast care and treatment, such as
surgical and oncology services.
Our navigators also go beyond
serving the clinical needs of their
patients. They provide dedicated,
individualized comfort, compassion
and emotional support to those
having regularly scheduled mammograms and those requiring
additional testing.
“Our team combines outstanding clinical care with empathy and
compassion,” says Mammography
Supervisor Kim Kiefl.
Watch Video
Visit crouse.org/breast-health to watch
“Preparing for Your Mammogram” video
with Mammography Supervisor Kim Kiefl.
Are you due for
a mammogram?
To make an appointment,
call the Crouse Breast
Health Center at
315/470-5880 or visit
crouse.org/services/
breast-health
to use our convenient
scheduling form.
Our navigators (left to right): Laura Rose, RN,BSN,CCBE; Mary Butler, RN,CCBE,CBPN-IC; and
Margaret Bottino, RN,CCBE,CBPN-IC.
10
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
All Mammograms Aren’t Created Equal
Enhancing
Breast Care Services
W
hen he says mammograms
aren’t created equal, what
does Stephen Montgomery,
MD, mean? As medical director of
the Crouse Breast Health Center, he
encourages women to ask questions
about the care, service and staff
before choosing a mammogram provider. “We all want convenience,” he
says, noting that shouldn’t be the sole
reason to select an imaging center.
“Women want — and deserve
— the best in breast healthcare, and
should ask questions about the technology being used,” he advises. The
other key question he recommends
women ask is, “Who’s reading my
mammogram?”
The Breast Health Center at Crouse
Hospital is planning a series of facility
enhancements including expanded
waiting and registration areas, more
private and comfortable changing
rooms, a new space for clinical breast
exams and teaching, as well as an
improved reading room with consultation space for radiologists and our
certified nurse navigators. To support
the Breast Health Center and this exciting
initiative through a tax-deductible donation to the Crouse Health Foundation, visit
“Giving to Crouse” at crouse.org/
foundation or contact Carrie
Berse at 315/470-7004 or
[email protected].
Education and training are
important, but nothing beats experience. “You want to ask if the radiologists read all types of images —
or just breast images,” he suggests.
At the Crouse Breast Health Center,
radiologists interpret breast images
exclusively. According to Dr. Montgomery, “The high level of expertise
of our radiologists helps ensure accurate mammogram reads the first time,
without needing to be recalled for
further testing.”
The Crouse Breast Health Center
is proud to be affiliated with CNY
Surgical Physicians, Crouse Radiology
Associates and Hematology/Oncology
Associates of CNY.
Crouse Named Breast Imaging Center of Excellence
T
he Breast Health Center at
Crouse Hospital has been
named a Breast Imaging Center
of Excellence by the American College
of Radiology (ACR), making it the
only breast imaging center in Syracuse
to receive this designation.
“We’re very proud to receive
this designation,” said Stephen Montgomery, MD, medical director of the
Crouse Breast Health
Center. “It recognizes the quality
of every aspect
of the center
and tells women that Crouse
significantly
exceeds national
standards of finding breast cancer at
its earliest and most treatable stages.”
The ACR awards “Center of
Excellence” status only to imaging
centers that have earned accreditation
in mammography, breast ultrasound
and ultrasound-guided biopsy and
stereotactic breast biopsy.
The hospital voluntarily underwent the ACR’s rigorous review process in late 2010. “This is great news
for our patients,” said Brad Hellwig,
Director of Medical Imaging Services
at Crouse. “Our program offers the
latest imaging technology and the highest level of expertise,” says Hellwig.
Led by Dr. Montgomery, who
pioneered the use of stereotactic breast
biopsy in Central New York in 1993,
the Crouse Breast Health Center has
long been a regional leader in the detection and treatment of breast cancer
and other high-risk breast disease. The
center’s comprehensive breast imaging
program includes screening and diagnostic mammography; computer-aided
detection (CAD); breast ultrasound;
non-invasive outpatient breast biopsy;
needle localizations; breast MRI; and
interventional breast procedures
such as stereotactic and ultrasound
breast biopsy.
Watch Video
Learn more about mammography at
crouse.org/breast-health.
crouse.org
11
Welcome New Physicians
(January - June 2011)
Crouse Receives National
Respiratory Care Recognition
C
rouse Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care
Recognition (QRCR) from the American Association for
Respiratory Care (AARC). The QRCR designation ensures
quality respiratory care in a hospital and helps
patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory
care services available at the facility of
their choice. About 700 hospitals in the
U.S., or approximately 15 percent, have
received QRCR designation, which
places Crouse among the elite for respiratory care in the nation.
Medicine
Nur-E Alam, MD
Mitchell Brodey, MD
Marisa Desimone, MD
Bernadette Dunn, MD
Joyce Farah, MD
Avrille George, MD
Diana Gilligan, MD
Derek Gorski, DO
Tayibba Hafeez, MD
Intikhab Iqbal, MD
F. Michael Maquire, DO
Dorothy Pan, MD
Elyn Ring, MD
Birendra Sah, MD
Rahul Seth, MD
Erkin Seytnazarov, MD
Rajeev Yalamanchili, MD
Neurology
Thomas Conley, MD
Dhiraj Jeyanandarajan, MD
Grant Warmouth, MD
OB/GYN
Lindsay Madom, MD
Joe Massey, MD
Orthopedics
Danielle Katz, MD
Otolaryngology
Tucker Harris, MD
Pediatrics
Matthew Egan, MD
Derek Gorski, DO
Tayibba Hafeez, MD
Esther Livingstone, MD
Podiatry
Pamela Sparks, DPM
Surgery
Barbara Robinson, MD
Urology
Gerald Mingin, MD
Jonathan Riddell, MD
Physicians Embrace iPad Use
®
D
octors use iPads for the same reasons many of us do: ease,
portability and affordability. But while many of us are
simply surfing the Web, answering email or watching videos,
physicians at Crouse Hospital use the mobile device to help provide
the best in patient care.
From the comfort of home or midtown Manhattan, iPads allow
Crouse doctors to monitor patients anywhere, anytime. According to
technology analysts, healthcare providers were among the first professionals to embrace the slim, 1.5 pound screen-touch tablet for use on the job.
Within months of the iPad’s launch, Crouse’s Information
Technology (IT) team made it possible for our physicians to access
the hospital’s fetal monitoring system. Since they merely access
Crouse systems, no protected health information is stored on
the iPad, making it totally secure. Today our doctors can
access clinical data, including patient records, labs, EKGs
and X-rays.
Crouse OB/GYN physician Steven Brown, MD,
(right) is particularly fond of his iPad. “I was at
a conference recently and used my iPad to check
on my patients while I was away,” he said,
noting it’s by his side even when he’s right in
Crouse’s Kienzle Family Maternity Center.
Pictured with Dr. Brown is IT Manager Randy Williams.
12
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
Crouse #1 in Upstate New York
for Delivering Babies
M
ore mothers choose Crouse
Hospital to deliver their
babies than any other hospital
in Upstate New York. Crouse delivers
more than twice the number of babies
than any Syracuse-area hospital, and
about 1,100 more than hospitals in
Rochester and Buffalo, according to
the latest statistics from the New York
State Department of Health.
Oftentimes women who know they
will have a problematic pregnancy or
birth come to Crouse prior to delivery
to stay on our ante-partum unit. “The
goal for any pregnancy is to carry the
baby to full term,” says Cheryl Tibbitts,
RN, director of women and children’s
services. “The longer the gestation
(length of time in a mother’s womb),
the healthier the baby will be overall.”
Level 4 NICU
Crouse Hospital is also home to
the only New York State-designated
Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
(NICU) in Central New York, serving
the largest geographic area of any Level
4 NICU in the state. Our coverage area
stretches from the Pennsylvania border
south of Binghamton to the Canadian
border near Massena. If a mother
delivers at her hometown hospital and
complications arise, she and her baby
can be brought to Crouse’s NICU by
our specially-trained transport team.
Watch Video
Join us for Maternity
Mondays at Crouse.
Just ‘Like’ our Facebook
page and stop by for tips
and conversations.
About 70 nurses work in labor and
delivery; 80 in the mother and baby
area; and 150 in the NICU. More
than 40 physicians and midwives
have privileges at Crouse. Low staff
turnover in these areas makes for
better teamwork among staff who
know each other well.
Perinatal Safety
Tibbitts and her staff don’t
depend on the fact they all know each
other and work well together. When
it comes to patient safety, nothing is
taken for granted. That’s why in early
2010 Crouse developed a perinatal
safety program for everyone working
in the department — nurses, nurse
assistants, physicians, midwives,
secretaries and support staff.
“We have regular drills on dealing
with complications, such as hemorrhage,” says Tibbitts. Working with
Crouse Hospital College of Nursing
faculty, the women and children’s
service team uses patient simulators —
other-wise known as Noelle and Baby
Hal — for staff training. “We work
on responding to the condition of the
simulators as if they were real patients,”
she explains. Tibbitts also notes the
drills help improve communication
during stressful situations.
Learn why choosy moms choose Crouse by
visiting crouse.org/maternity.
crouse.org
13
Crouse in the Community
Student Art Adds Color to Crouse
A
bright idea by a Skaneateles, NY, art teacher, coupled with the
imagination of her students, has created a permanent wall of
color and creativity for patients, visitors and staff at Crouse Hospital.
Susan Barry, her third, fourth and fifth grade students from State
Street School and hospital staff worked together to come up with a
freestanding exhibit of their work. Crouse President & CEO Paul
Kronenberg, MD, and Crouse librarian Kris Delaney (back, left), who
also chairs Crouse’s Healing Environment Arts Committee, greeted
Barry and her students for the unveiling of their exhibit just off the
hospital’s main entrance.
“It‘s a win win, with the students excited about their art
and the hospital excited about its new exhibit,” said Barry about
the project. “We hope the art our students created will be a
source of healing and inspiration for staff, visitors and patients.”
Racers Raise Funds for NICU
Science Students Expand Their Horizons
T
eam Believe, a local non-profit started by a small group of
running fanatics and philanthropists, encouraged running/
walking camaraderie this year to raise funds to benefit the
Walter R. G. Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Crouse
Hospital. Runners and walkers trained with a seasoned coach
for the May 1 Dunn Tire Mountain Goat Race in Syracuse and
the 3k walk that preceded it. After the race, Dave Bartell,
president of Team Believe’s board of directors, presented
a check for $10,000 to the hospital.
14
YourCare 2011/Issue 1
C
rouse Hospital recently welcomed 10 students participating
in Science Horizons, a one-week science program sponsored
by Bristol-Myers Squibb and administered by University College of
Syracuse University. The program encourages middle school students
to pursue science-oriented studies and careers.
The students spent time in Pathology, where they viewed organs
and watched as Mike Sovocool, MHS, PA (ASCP), pathology assistant
and administrator of the lab, made slides, which they viewed through
microscopes. In Cardiac Care, the students toured the heart catheterization suite. Their last stop was
the Crouse Hospital College
of Nursing, where they toured
the new Simulation, Technology and Learning Center and
were introduced to several
simulation mannequins used
to train nursing students and
hospital staff.
Wellness Update
Soak up the sun. Sunlight has positive health implications,
as it’s one of the main sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a
crucial role in the growth and maintenance of strong and healthy
bones, and helps to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and
phosphorous. Other sources of vitamin D include salmon, milk,
fortified margarine and eggs.
What’s Happening:
Health & Wellness Calendar
MATERNITY & FAMILY EDUCATION
Call 315/470-5716 for details on these classes:
5-week Childbirth Preparation Seminar
Start dates 9/22; 10/3; 10/12; 11/10; 11/14
Weekend Childbirth Preparation Seminar
9/16-17; 10/14-15; 11/11-12; 12/9-10
Breastfeeding 9/13; 10/18; 11/29; 12/13
CPR for the Family 9/27; 11/22
Holy guacamole! The nutrient-packed avocado is often
dismissed for its high fat content. Avocados do contain fat, but
it’s mostly the monounsaturated kind, which studies show may
increase HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and generally improve
heart health. In addition, avocados contain many vitamins and
minerals — and they’re cholesterol free.
Pediatric First Aid 10/25
Family Birth Orientation 9/22; 11/10
Siblings at Birth 10/6; 12/1
Big Brother, Big Sister 10/8; 12/3
Multiple Babies 9/20; 10/8
Pregnancy & Labor Massage 11/15
Basic Signing 9/13
Smartphones. People reading text messages or browsing
the Internet on their smartphones tend to hold the devices
closer than they would a book or newspaper, forcing their eyes
to work harder than usual, new research shows. Smartphone
addicts can minimize eye strain by increasing the font size on
their devices. This is especially important for sustained reading,
like reading a book on Kindle or an iPad.
Who says you can’t multitask? Aside from giving
you fresh produce, gardening is an excellent way to stay
physically fit. An hour of gardening can burn as many
calories as a brisk three-and-a-half mile walk. Moreover,
gardening requires strength, flexibility and agility.
Got a sweet tooth? Try these tips to help you
control your cravings: Instead of the sugary cereal you’ve
been eating since you were a kid, make a bowl of oatmeal and
top it with some brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Snack
on a bowl of applesauce; if it’s not sweet enough, add raisins.
Fruits, both fresh and dried, are sweet and may offer the sweet
fix you’re looking for mid-afternoon or after dinner.
crouse.org
For daily health tips and news, interactive quizzes,
videos and more visit crouse.org/health.
Sign, Stay & Play 10/5; 11/9
Tours of Kienzle Family Maternity Center
September 13, 18, 27 November 1, 15, 20
October 4, 18, 23
December 6, 13, 18
Please note: Tours on Tuesday are at 5:30 p.m.
and Sunday at 2 p.m.
COMMUNITY HEALTH EVENTS
Crouse Blood Drive 10/4, noon - 5 p.m., Marley
Education Center; 12/6, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.; 12/7, 7 a.m.1 p.m.; Crouse Hospital. Call 315/470-7123 to donate.
Integrative Medicine for Pets 9/27,
6:30 p.m. Marley Education Center. Free Crouse
community seminar. Call 315/472-2464 to register.
(People only, please!)
Women’s Heart Health Seminar
9/21, 6:30 p.m. Marley Education Center. Free Crouse
community seminar. Call 315/472-2464 to register.
Integrative Medicine: Chiropractic
11/15, 6:30 p.m. Marley Education Center. Free Crouse
community seminar. Call 315/472-2464 to register.
Get Health Connected Screening Fair
9/24, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Oncenter, Syracuse.
Free health screenings, including heart health,
prostate cancer, lung function and more.
Reservations are necessary for breast and prostate
cancer screening. Call 315/470-7105 for details.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Ostomy Support Group, 6:30 p.m., second
Tuesday of each month. Call 315/470-7300.
RTS Perinatal Loss Parent Support
Group, 7 p.m., second Thursday of each month.
Call 315/470-2768.
crouse.org
15
736 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Syracuse, NY
Permit #460
YourCare is a publication of Crouse Hospital’s Communications Department.
Please call 315/470-7582 with your comments or questions.
The information in this publication is not intended for the purpose of personal
medical advice, which should be obtained directly from a physician. YourCare
may not be reproduced without written authorization from Crouse Hospital’s
Communications Department, 736 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210.
©2011 All rights reserved.
YourCare Online: Want to ‘go green?’ As
part of Crouse Hospital’s commitment to the
environment, we invite you to help reduce
the number of copies of this publication we
print and mail. If you’re interested in being
removed from our mailing list, but still want
to learn about Crouse news, please email
[email protected] with your name and
full mailing address. We’ll email you when
our next issue is posted to crouse.org.
New Look!
Check out what’s inside!
Postcards
from the OR
Breast Health
Navigators
Take Me to
Crouse
Use a QR
Reader on your
Smartphone to
go directly to
crouse.org.
EXPERIENCE NURSING: TODAY, TOMORROW, FOREVER
Crouse Hospital School of Nursing is now the
Crouse Hospital College of Nursing
This designation from “school” to “college” by the New York State Board of Education and the National League for Nursing
Education Accreditation Commission is indicative of the exemplary education our students receive at Crouse. While we’ve
always known the merits of our program and our faculty, the designation of “college” is a strong statement to the academic
world, here in Central New York and beyond, that Crouse is a leader in the training and teaching of nurses.
US
CRO E HO
S
NURSING
•
•
SY
M C M X I I
OF
L COLLEG
TA
E
PI
RA
C U S E,
NY
315/470-7481 crouse.org/nursing
Marley Education Center, 765 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY