august 2006
SOMC Nursing Assistant Honored For Saving Boy From Drowning
August 29, 2006 » After nearly drowning in a swimming pool at his home near Minford, a three-year-old boy is alive and well, thanks to the help and quick actions of his neighbor.
Barb Whitaker, a nursing assistant in Maternity at Southern Ohio Medical Center, was with family on her backyard patio on the evening of Aug. 12 when she heard cries from next door. Emily Rawlings had pulled her son, Jackson, from a swimming pool where he had fallen moments earlier. Emily was trying to perform CPR on Jackson but needed help.
Barb was trained in administering CPR to infants and children and administered CPR on Jackson.
“After four or five chest compressions, he moaned and I knew he was coming out of it,” she says. “Then I rolled him on his side and he coughed out a lot of water.”
This wasn't the first young life Barb has saved. More than 15 years ago, she administered CPR on a child struck by a vehicle on a highway. At that right place at the right time, she saved the child's life through her CPR efforts.
“The training kicks in and you just do what you have to do,” she says. “As soon as I was finished, I thought of the nurse had taught our CPR class. I’m so grateful I learned it.”
Emily and her husband, Matt, have high praise for Barb, and her co-workers at SOMC wanted to give her a special recognition. Maternity Unit Educator Lanita Warner nominated Barb for the “Hometown Hero” Award from WSAZ TV, and the station's personality Randy Yohe visited SOMC Aug. 23 to present Barb with the award. Matt brought Jackson and Barb's family and friends joined more than 30 co-workers on duty in honoring Barb.
A report featuring Barb, her award and her life-saving efforts will be shown during a broadcast at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 1 on WSAZ.
SOMC Offers New Alternative For Plaque Removal
August 28, 2006 » Patients at Southern Ohio Medical Center now have another alternative in the treatment of a painful condition known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Thomas L. Khoury, MD, vascular and general surgeon on staff at SOMC, is using the SilverHawk™ Plaque Excision to remove harmful plaque from blocked arteries in the legs.
“The Silverhawk device uses a tiny rotating blade the size of a grain of rice to shave away large quantities of plaque from inside the artery,” Dr. Khoury says. “As it is excised, the plaque collects in the tip of the device and then we remove it from the patient.”
Before the arrival of plaque excision, treatments for PVD included angioplasty, stenting and open bypass surgery, an invasive procedure, which requires creating an incision and involves a hospital stay.
Both angioplasty and stenting clear a channel in the artery for blood flow by pushing plaque up against the artery walls. Using the SilverHawk, Dr. Khoury cleans out the artery by removing the plaque altogether. Like angioplasty, plaque excision is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a tiny puncture site.
“Some of my patients could not walk half a block without feeling severe cramping in their legs,” Dr. Khoury says. “This device provides great relief to those patients and has improved their quality of life immensely.”
PVD affects nearly 12 million people in the United States. Similar to cardiovascular disease, PVD is caused by the buildup of fat and cholesterol, known as plaque, which disrupts normal bloodflow to arteries in the vascular system. Symptoms of the disease often include severe pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg. Leg pain, known as claudication, can be so extreme that patients may have difficulty in walking short distances.
Those at risk of developing PVD include patients with high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Other contributing factors include obesity, smoking and an inactive lifestyle. Screening for peripheral vascular disease is simple and painless so consult with your physician to find out if you are at risk.
“Using this procedure, we can remove large quantities of plaque entirely instead of simply compressing it against the vessel wall and hoping it won't come back,” Dr. Khoury says. “Cleaning out the arteries effectively gives a patient's legs a second chance.”
Holbrook, Sweatt, Vastine Certified
August 15, 2006 » Kay Holbrook, Tosca Sweatt, and Connie Vastine, Certified Registered Central Sterile Technicians in the Sterile Processing Department at Southern Ohio Medical Center, obtained CRCST certification Aug. 5 through the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management. Holbrook has been an employee of SOMC for 10 years. Sweatt has been with SOMC nine years. Vastine has been with SOMC for 20 years.
SOMC Receives Safety Award
August 9, 2006 » Southern Ohio Medical Center has received recognition for outstanding safety programs and employee safety records. The award was presented to SOMC by the Ohio Hospital Association. The OHA Statewide Hospital Safety Campaign Safety Awards were created in 1953 by the Ohio Hospital Association and the Industrial Commission of Ohio to promote workplace safety.
“We are proud to say we have a safety environment for our patients, visitors and our staff,” Penny Cooper, Director of Safety at SOMC, said. “Safety is a priority in everything we do and this award only shows our continual dedication.”
This year, a total of 99 hospitals participated and were divided into groups based on number of employees. The winner in each segment was presented with a certificate by the Ohio Hospital Association. SOMC received the award in the category of 1,501-2,500 employees.
“This is another way to measure our progress toward creating safety excellence at SOMC,” Cooper said.
