december 2006
Kammler Receives OU Appointment
December 26, 2006 » Dr. Terry Johnson, Assistant Dean for Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is proud to announce that Kevin W. Kammler, DO, has been appointed to the position of Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the college.
Dr. Kammler’s appointment is effective through 2009. This is an appointment of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) Group IV in the department of Specialty Medicine.
Dr. Kammler is a member of the medical staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center.
Jacobs Receives OU Appointment
December 26, 2006 » Dr. Terry Johnson, Assistant Dean for Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is proud to announce that Norman M. Jacobs, MD, has been appointed to the position of Clinical Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at the college.
Dr. Jacobs’ appointment is effective through 2009. This is an appointment of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) Group IV in the department of Specialty Medicine.
Dr. Jacobs is a member of the medical staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center and has been in practice in the Portsmouth area as a radiologist for the past 20 years.
Nearly New Shop Closing
December 26, 2006 » Southern Ohio Medical Center has announced more changes as construction and expansion of services continue. As construction begins in front of the hospital on the main campus, a temporary entrance to the hospital will be placed where the Gift Shop is located, according to Craig Gilliland, director of Facilities Management at SOMC.
The Snack Bar will be open through Jan. 19 and then close. About a month later, the Gift Shop will temporarily relocate to the former Snack Bar area until the new lobby area is completed in approximately two years, Gilliland said.
The Friends of SOMC Nearly New Shop, located at the corner of Kinneys Lane and Waller Street, will be closing Feb. 1, 2007.
“At this time, we are no longer taking consignments at the Nearly New Shop. This has been a good fundraiser for the Friends over the years, but safety concerns and structural issues have caused us to revaluate this project and we feel our efforts would reap greater success with new ventures. The volunteers and staff at the Nearly New Shop will be relocated within our department,” Cindy Wray, director of Volunteer Services at SOMC, said.
“Anyone who has consignment items at the Nearly New Shop will be receiving a letter alerting them that they may pick up any items they currently have on consignment before Feb. 1. We want to ensure that those participating in the consignment program have ample time to retrieve their items. Once the deadline has passed, we will take the opportunity to give back to the community by donating the remaining items to non-profit organizations that will use the clothing to help those in need,” Wray said.
The Uniform Shop, currently located on Kinney’s Lane, will also close and an on-line service for employees will open in its place. Both buildings on Kinney’s Lane and Waller Street will be razed in the fall, Wray said.
LIFE Center Donates Food To Homeless Shelter
December 26, 2006 » LIFE Center staff and members donated canned and dry goods to Operation Safety Net, The Scioto County Homeless Shelter, for the holiday season. Shown with the collection of donations are (from left) LIFE Center staff members Jerrod Campbell, Matt Romanello, Susan Hunter, Brad Zieber and Josie Kirkpatrick.
Grubb On Staff At SOMC Wound Healing Center
December 26, 2006 » Kathy Grubb has been appointed office coordinator for the SOMC Wound Healing Center, a part of Southern Ohio Medical Center.
Grubb came to SOMC after 11 years at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, KY. She and her husband, Larry, reside in the Greenup, Ky., area with their three children.
The SOMC Wound Healing Center, which will open in January, 2007, is a state-of-the-art facility offering the latest treatments for hard-to-heal wounds such as those found among diabetics and others with compromised circulation or other tissue complications.
LIFE Center Members Donate Toys
December 18, 2006 » New members joining the SOMC LIFE Center in December participated in a toy drive for Operation Safety Net - The Scioto County Homeless Shelter. Shown as the toys were presented for the shelter are (from left): LIFE Center staff Dustin Schneider, Gary Coovert, Anita Speck; Maureen Cadogan, executive director of the shelter; LIFE Center staff member Jerrod Campbell; Diana Coriell of the shelter.
Chang Assistant Professor at OUCOM
December 8, 2006 » Dr. Terry Johnson, Assistant Dean for Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is proud to announce that Li-Fen L. Chang, MD, PhD, has been appointed to the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the college.
Dr. Chang’s appointment is effective through 2009. This is an appointment of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) Group IV in the department of Specialty Medicine.
Dr. Chang is a member of the medical staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center and practices at the SOMC Cancer Center, where she is the senior medical director of radiation oncology.
Cwikla Assistant Professor at OUCOM
December 8, 2006 » Dr. Terry Johnson, Assistant Dean for Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is proud to announce that Paul S. Cwikla, DPM, has been appointed to the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Podiatry at the college. Dr.
Cwikla’s appointment is effective through 2009. This is an appointment of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) Group IV in the department of Specialty Medicine.
Dr. Cwikla is a member of the medical staff of Southern Ohio Medical Center and practices in Portsmouth.
Local Nurses Present Discussion On Mental Health Issues
December 8, 2006 » Several area nurses recently presented a discussion to first-year nursing students at Shawnee State University about mental health and chronic stress.
The nurses used a presentation they developed as a personal project from the Healthy People 2010 initiative, a national program that identifies the most significant preventable health threats and goals to reduce them.
“Mental health is one of 10 leading health indicators within the Healthy People 2010 program,” Brennon Giles, RN, a nurse on staff at Southern Ohio Medical Center, explains.
“All of us participating in this presentation felt strongly about this indicator. We wanted to mold information about mental health into a presentation that would address a population of people prone to maladaptive coping due to chronic stress.”
The nurses presented their information as part of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing course, Innovations and Adaptations, at SSU.
In the presentation, the group sought to make a connection in the student’s mind between mental and physical health. Based on current research, the group wanted to show the students that not only does chronic stress have mental health implications but also very serious physical health implications. In addition, the students were given information about the Psychological Services at SSU and encouraged to seek assistance for mental health issues in the same way they might for physical ailments.
Those participating in the discussion included Giles, Kim Malone, RN of SOMC and Erin Whitley, RN, of King’s Daughters Medical Center. They presented to instructor Sharon Scott’s class.
Lynd Clinical Manager at SOMC Wound Healing Center
December 8, 2006 » William Lynd, RN, has joined Southern Ohio Medical Center as the Clinical Manager of the SOMC Wound Healing Center on the Main Campus of SOMC.
A 1994 graduate of St. Mary’s School of Nursing, Lynd is a veteran of the US Navy. He came to SOMC from Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, where he completed the opening of an operating room pre-admission testing department. He and his wife, Sally, reside in the Ironton area.
The SOMC Wound Healing Center, which will open in January, 2007, is a state-of-the-art facility offering the latest treatments for hard-to-heal wounds such as those found among diabetics and others with compromised circulation or other tissue complications.
SOMC Home Health Services Earns National Honor
December 6, 2006 » SOMC Home Health Services, part of Southern Ohio Medical Center, has announced their inclusion in the 2006 HomeCare Elite, the inaugural compilation of the most successful home care providers in the United States.
This ground-breaking review names the top 25 percent of those agencies whose performance measures in quality, improvement and financial performance are the best.
“In our 40th year of operation we are extremely excited about this achievement,” Director Karen Thompson says. “We are Ohio’s oldest hospital-based home care service and we are dedicated to maintaining leadership status in best practices and performance.”
Thompson said bringing quality clinical care to literally thousands of homes over four decades has been a tremendously rewarding career not only for the 40 current staff but all those who came before.
“We provide skilled care services that many patients would simply not otherwise receive,” Thompson says. “Making this difference saves lives, saves money in healthcare costs by preventing complications down the road, and improves quality of life for patients. Knowing we have received a national honor for our quality work is another humbling validation of the importance of what we do.”
A pioneer in the area of home care outcomes, OCS has provided organizations with performance improvement solutions since 1992. With more than 1,500 clients spanning all 50 states, OCS maintains the nation’s largest proprietary home care, hospice and private duty benchmark databases. Endorsed by trade associations throughout the country and recommended by major MIS vendors, OCS is the premier quality management vendor for post acute care.
SOMC Prepares Smoke-free Policy
December 4, 2006 » Southern Ohio Medical Center announced Dec. 1 that during December policies regarding tobacco use on its properties will change in accordance with the Ohio Smoke Free Workplace Act recently passed in the November election.
Beginning Dec. 7, the entrances to the main hospital and the Emergency Department will become smoke-free. Ashtrays will be removed from these locations and visitors will be informed of the new change. Physicians and hospital staff will work with patients who smoke to provide tobacco alternatives.
By Jan. 1, all SOMC facilities and properties, including grounds and current employee-designated smoking areas, will become tobacco-free in compliance with the law.
“The voters of Ohio realized that exposure to secondhand smoke from tobacco causes illnesses and disease. State law now mandates that smoking no longer be permitted in enclosed areas of public places and places of employment,” Leeann Sammons, SOMC Vice President of Health and Safety, said. “For the health of our patients, SOMC adopted a smoke-free policy within our hospital building years ago. Now, we will extend our no-tobacco policy beyond our front door to include our entire campuses, including our grounds.”
Sammons explained that the tobacco-free policy will include all SOMC facilities and grounds, including each of its three campuses, its extended physician office sites, the SOMC LIFE Centers, Urgent Care Center, and SOMC Cancer Center. With the new policy, all current designated smoking areas at these sites will no longer be used and will be removed. All usage of tobacco products on any SOMC property will be prohibited, including parking lots.
“We understand this is going to be a very difficult transition for employees, patients and visitors,” Sammons said. “We have several programs and opportunities in place to help employees and we are working with our medical staff to help patients who may need assistance with smoking cessation. We also offer community smoking cessation in conjunction with the American Cancer Society.”
Patients and visitors at SOMC will be alerted to SOMC’s new policy and the Ohio Smoke Free Workplace Act upon arrival to its facilities.
“We must comply with state law on this issue, but we are also committed to the health and well-being of our employees, physicians, patients, visitors and volunteers,” Sammons said. “We know this is the right thing to do.”
SOMC Cancer Center Offers Genetic Counseling
December 4, 2006 » The SOMC Cancer Center offers genetic counseling to help determine if a person may be at higher risk for certain cancers. Through this counseling the person can take proactive precautions to provide earlier detection and more effective treatment, and in some cases, prevent the cancer from ever developing.
“We review family history and construct a pedigree for the person,” Li-Fen L. Chang, MD, PhD, Senior Medical Director of Radiation Oncology, explains. “We look at the health history on the mother’s and father’s sides of the family, when possible, to assess the risk for colon or breast cancer.
“If the family history shows a higher risk, we can sequence the patient’s genetic material through a blood test. This is a reliable test and once we have identified the genes in the patient that leave her or him predisposed to the cancer, we can take steps to reduce the risk of the disease developing undetected.”
The risk for developing breast cancer, for example, increases in everyone as they age, but a person who carries certain genes is at greater risk.
“About 203,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year and one in seven women will develop the disease,” Dr. Chang explains. “About 10 percent, or 20,000, of those women carry certain hereditary traits, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2.”
Dr. Chang says breast cancer is directly correlated to aging. A woman 60 years old has about a five percent chance of developing breast cancer. At 70, that chance increases to about 10 to 12 percent.
“However, if a blood test determines that she carries BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, there is a much greater likelihood that she will develop breast cancer at a much younger age (40 percent at age of 50) and at much higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. This genetic expression is therefore identified as Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancer syndrome.”
Dr. Chang points out that men are not immune to the risk of breast cancer either, and that a man with BRCA1 mutation in his DNA sequence will be at greater risk of developing breast and prostate cancer.
“Once you know what you may face, you can increase screenings earlier in life and with greater frequency to assure earlier detection,” Dr. Chang says. “And the person can discuss with physicians and specialists other proactive measures.”
Among possible proactive measures are chemoprevention, in which certain medications can be taken that are effective in preventing the development of breast or ovarian cancer. Counseling on removal of the “at risk” tissues can also be considered.
Dr. Chang also points out that federal law prohibits insurance companies from excluding people with such genetic mutations from insurability. The federal law also prohibits employers from exercising genetic discrimination against any employee.
“The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act prohibits genetic discrimination,” she says. “And the value of the knowledge, which can enable a person to take appropriate steps toward prevention, earlier detection and treatment, greatly increases peace of mind and quality of life.”
At the SOMC Cancer Center, genetic counseling is available without a physician referral. Heather Ashley, RN, BSN, OCN can discuss family history and develop a pedigree. If the person’s risk is high for certain cancers, she can refer the patient to an oncologist for further counseling and possibly drawing blood for genetic testing.
For more information about such testing, contact the SOMC Cancer Center at (740) 356-7490.
