Southern Ohio Medical Center and Lungevity will be hosting a Lung Cancer Learning Event on Saturday, November 7. The virtual learning session will simplify any confusion regarding who should receive a lung screening test, when and how often. Dr. Jeremiah Martin, a thoracic surgeon at SOMC, will lead the conversation.
“This is a great opportunity for the community to ask questions and have them answered by an expert,” Wendi Waugh, SOMC Director of Cancer Services, said. “We encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about lung cancer, and whether or not they should be screened, to take part in this event.”
Admission is free but registration is required. To participate, register at lungevity.org/learnportsmouth by November 6 at 5:00 pm. The event will begin at 9am on November 7. Details regarding how to log on will be sent directly to participants after they sign up.
Stop in to SOMC Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery for a Halloween Special during the month of October!
The offer includes free “Getting Skin Ready” kit with a purchase of a high potency Retinol or HQ System. You can also receive 10% off your purchase of injections when you spend $300 or more.
Schedule your appointment today by calling 740-356-3562.
Offer is valid through October 31.
October 20 is known as World Osteoporosis Day.
According to The International Osteoporosis Foundation, “Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men aged 50 years and over will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and fragile.”
At SOMC, we are lucky to have the incredible Orthopedic Associates team. One of those team members is Lisa Lemley Gibson, MS, PA-C and fracture liaison.
Gibson is passionate about osteoporosis and spreading the word about risk factors and who should get screened. She even encouraged Tonda Martin, who was the Office Manager of the SOMC Orthopedic Associates at that time, to get screened. Tonda is now the manager of Internal Medicine and South Webster Family Practice.
“I never thought about getting screened,” Tonda said. “I was pretty skeptical.”
Tonda’s mother had suffered a hip-fracture, which was a sign to Lisa that she should take the preventative measure of getting tested. She also met the age where osteoporosis becomes more of a risk, but she leads a pretty active lifestyle, which caused her to be hesitant to this idea.
Lisa also notes that additional risk factors include, being post-menopausal or over 65 (over 70 for men), being petite, having low vitamin D and/or calcium intake, parental risk-factors including hip fracture, immobility or inactive lifestyle, alcohol and tobacco use, using steroids for more than 3 months, or having rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes or thyroid issues.
After quite some time of being encouraged by Lisa, and realizing the parental risk-factor, Tonda eventually agreed to be tested.
She was surprised to learn that she was positive for osteoporosis.
With Lisa’s help, Tonda eventually found the medication that works best for her to slow the effects of osteoporosis.
“I see first-hand what a hip fracture can do,” Tonda said. “Watching my mother go through it, hindered much of her ability, so I would encourage others to get tested to help slow the decline.”
Lisa wants to ensure the community is aware of osteoporosis by knowing these risk factors.
“Osteoporosis awareness and higher levels of screening are needed in our community,” Lisa said. “My goal is to get people thinking about it.”
The testing is simple, requires no preparation and only takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Anyone who meets any of the risk factors mentioned above, can make an appointment with Lisa by calling the SOMC Orthopedic Associates at (740) 356-1709.
The Cruisin’ Pink T-shirt Sale is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. on October 1 at the SOMC Friends Center parking lot. T-shirts and lanterns will be available for purchase at the sale.
T-shirts are $12 each, 3/4 length baseball sleeve are $20 each and lanterns are $5 each. All proceeds from the Cruisin’ Pink T-shirt sale benefit the SOMC Cancer Compassion Fund.
Individual T-shirt and lantern sales will be drive-thru/walk-up only. Locations for t-shirt sales are:
- SOMC Friends Center
1202 18th Street, Portsmouth, OH
October 1st – 9th | Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Buffalo Wild Wings
1611 Chillicothe Street, Portsmouth, OH
October 3rd | Saturday
Noon – 4 p.m.
- SOMC LIFE Center – Lucasville
10617 US-23, Lucasville, OH
October 3rd | Saturday
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- SOMC Wheelersburg Family Health Center
8770 Ohio River Road, Wheelersburg, OH (across the street)
- October 3rd | Saturday
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Credit, debit or checks will be the only forms of payment accepted. All checks should be made payable to the SOMC Compassion Fund. All sales are final. No exchanges or returns will be available.
If you plan on purchasing for a large group of 10 or more, you may request order forms and return orders through [email protected] or fax 740-356-7196.
SOMC has a new patient portal!
Through this new system, patients will be able to:
– View and request appointments
– Request prescription renewals
– See your visit history
– Review your results
– Access discharge summaries
– Update personal information
– Securely message your physician
– Pay bills online
The portal is also accessible on both Apple and Android phones! If you are interested in using this Smartphone option, visit the App Store and download the “MHealth” app. From there, search for “Portal Near Me” and then you will be able to select “Southern Ohio Medical Center.”
To view the new patient portal online, visit somc.org and click Patient Portal on the homepage. From there, you will be prompted to log in or sign up for your new account.
You can also access the link directly by visiting https://myportal.somc.org.
Please note, all patients, even those who have an account in the old system, will need to create a new account with our updated portal.
Carefully follow the instructions for creating your new username and password. The updated portal does not allow special characters to be utilized in your username (for example, “[email protected]” would not be approved due to the “@” symbol).
All patients who were enrolled in the previous patient portal will still be able to temporarily access their old results, as these are not currently being transferred over to the new portal as of August 1, 2020. The team is working on a long-term storage option for these results to be transferred over.
To view your results in our former portal, please visit www.somc.org, click “Patient Portal” and then select “Previous Patient Portal.”
If you encounter any issues or have an unsuccessful enrollment, please call 740-356-2727 and leave a message for our Portal Help Team who will be happy to assist you.
We look forward to better serving you with our new system!
Southern Ohio Medical Center recently earned the National Research Corporation (NRC) Excellence in Care Transitions Award. This accomplishment recognizes the high degree in which the SOMC staff responded to patient needs and assisted those patients in reaching a resolution.
The NRC is the parent company of Connect, SOMC’s automated discharge call-back system. This system allows the organization to reach nearly 20,000 patients per year following their inpatient and outpatient visits. The NRC awarded SOMC with the Excellence in Care Transitions Award based on the high number of “alerts” closed during the period of April 1, 2019 to March 30, 2020.The “alerts” are messages that result from the automated discharge call-back through the Connect system.
SOMC’s Clinical Case Management (CCM) team is then notified of these alerts, which allows them to follow-up with the patients about their needs via a live call. These calls address concerns such as medications and prescriptions, discharge instructions, worsening of symptoms, follow-up appointments and service.
“One of the strategies that has made the CCM team successful is that they respond to the alert queue in real time during the 11:00am call window, seven days a week,” said David Richard, SOMC Manager of Performance Improvement and Clinical Case Management. “Our goal is to respond to these calls within minutes, addressing patient needs when they request it.”
Richard said the CCM team stepped up a few years ago when SOMC partnered with Connect. When deciding who would field the patient alerts, the CCM team volunteered to tackle the workload. He said the degree to which the team problem solves and meets patient needs is inspiring.
Richard named multiple ways in which the team has gone the extra mile, in addition to their daily duties, to serve the patients who they have reached through the Connect system. He said they call some of these patients back over days or weeks to check in on them.
The CCM team members also provide daily support to patients struggling to manage their disease processes. Additionally, they serve as the last point of contact after an encounter, provide service recovery and improve perceptions of care, he said.
“This is a great achievement for the CCM team and SOMC,” Richard said. “This award shows that we take all these patient needs seriously by addressing them as timely as possible. Thank you to the CCM team for your patient-centered approach in responding to patient needs after discharge. It truly makes a difference!”
Southern Ohio Medical Center currently has flu shots available and is urging the public to take this opportunity to be vaccinated. Vaccines are available at SOMC’s outpatient pharmacies and Family Health Centers. Walk-ins are welcome.
Flu vaccinations are especially important this year because influenza shares so many symptoms with COVID-19.
“If you’re not vaccinated against the flu, it may be difficult to differentiate the symptoms of influenza from the symptoms of COVID-19,” Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. David Byers said. “Not only will the vaccine protect you from the flu, it also reduces the risk that COVID-19 will be spread by individuals who mistakenly believe they are sick with another illness.”
Despite some common misconceptions, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu shots are made with either inactivated (dead) viruses or only a single protein from the virus. However, it is still possible to contract other illnesses, such as the common cold, after receiving a flu shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a flu shot for everyone six months and older, with only rare exceptions.
SOMC has retail pharmacy locations on SOMC’s Portsmouth Family Health Center, Wheelersburg Family Health Center and West Union Family Health Center. They are also available in the pharmacy located on SOMC’s Main Campus.
SOMC has Family Health Centers located in Ironton, Portsmouth, Waverly, West Union and Wheelersburg.
For more information, visit somc.org.
Southern Ohio Medical Center and the American Red Cross are hosting a blood drive on September 8 in the gym of the Portsmouth LIFE Center. The drive will begin at 9am and last until 3pm.
Donors can schedule an appointment by calling Bev Meadows at 740-356-8670 or Kayla Groh at 740-356-8223. It is also possible to schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-733-2767 or visiting RedCrossBlood.org, then entering “SOMC.”
Donors are requested to bring a photo ID or donor card. To expedite the donation process, donors can text BLOODAPP to 90999 to download the ARC app to earn the RapidPass.
Those who donate may also receive a pair of Red Cross branded socks while supplies last. SOMC’s Portsmouth LIFE Center is located at 1202 18th Street in Portsmouth, Ohio.
The SOMC Orthopedic Associates will begin hosting their Saturday Sports Clinic on August 29. The clinic will be available for student athletes in the area during the fall sports season.
An orthopedic specialist will be available to evaluate each athlete from 9:30am to 11:30am. No appointment is necessary, but it is requested that all arrive by 10:30am.
The SOMC Orthopedic Associates is located is suite 102 of the Braunlin Building.
For more information, call 740-356-1709.
The past few months have been unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the way of life that we have known.
Learning how to adjust during these times of social distancing and quarantine has taken some creativity, to say the least. For active members of the community, this has surely been quite the task! One group has risen to the challenge of making the most of these times and finding ways to stay connected. The SOMC Volunteer Services Department has worked diligently to make sure they stay in touch with their volunteers, while most importantly, staying safe.
The SOMC volunteers are an integral part of the organization. Their dedication and time commitment to the hospital is incredible. Most of the volunteers devote much time out of their weeks to volunteer opportunities and frequent activities and celebrations hosted by the SOMC Volunteer Services Department, and COVID-19 has completely halted these activities. The department knew they had to create unique opportunities to keep their volunteers engaged during this time – and they have definitely stepped up and went above and beyond!
When the virus entered the community, Volunteer Services were temporarily put on hold to keep the volunteers and staff safe. Jenny Lavender, SOMC Manager of Volunteer Services and Guild Coordinator knew that her team needed to keep the volunteers engaged.
Lavender and SOMC Volunteer Services Secretary, Sherri Hurley reach out to their volunteers daily via phone call, social media, emails, notes and FaceTime, but as the pandemic continued, they found unique ways to keep their volunteers involved with special activities.
Lavender is an avid cook and baker, often surprising her volunteers with goodies and special days focused of food and fellowship for her volunteers. Shortly after the temporary closure of services, she used her gift to brighten spirits during quarantine as the “muffin fairy.”
Weekly, Lavender visits her volunteers at their homes and drops the goodies off on their porch or in their mailbox to stay socially distant, but to continue her tradition of letting her volunteers know how much they mean to her. Although gifting the volunteers with treats looked a little different, their smiles remained the same.
For the past 10 years, Volunteer Services has celebrated National Ice Cream Month with their volunteers. This year looked a little different, but they were still able to celebrate! In July, the team hosted the Volunteer Ice Cream Social “Distancing” where they were able to serve their volunteers as usual from a distance. The volunteers drove by in their cars and stayed in their vehicles to receive their ice cream from the masked and gloved team.
The department is continuing in their creative activities as they are currently hosting Drive By Bingo! The volunteers drive by each day to see the number posted on the window of the volunteer office. The team is able to wave and see their smiling faces while still staying safe and interacting with the incredible volunteers.
The team is also letting the volunteers know how much they mean to the department by creating new “A Very Important Volunteer Lives Here” lawn sign for their yards to celebrate how important they are to the organization.
The fun doesn’t stop there. The team is already planning innovative activities for the future! On October 30, volunteers are invited to the “No Tricks, Just Treats” event at Wolford’s Landing. The Volunteer Services team will be dressed up and safely passing out goodies from a distance as the volunteers will drive-by in their cars and stay in their vehicles to pick up their goodies. They will also continue with their Knit for Hope group and Volunteer Book Club with new rules in place for safety purposes.
“Let’s continue to take care of each other, show compassion, and remember we will get through this as a community – because we are a community that takes care of each other,” said Lavender.
And that is exactly what the Volunteer Services team has done! A special thank you to the wonderful team and the incredible volunteers!
