CEO Report BHU Satisfies Need for Behavioral Health Care for Elderly
There’s No Place Like Home for Family Practitioner
Double Knee Replacement Gives Retired Mail Carrier
New Lease on Life
N E W S L E T T E R Fall 2012
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
Commitment to
E X C E L L E N C E
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INSIDE
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H V C H N E W S L E T T E R Fall 122
E X C E L L E N C E in Healthcare
H ocking Valley Community Hospital was
founded in 1966 with a mission of providing quality care to the people we serve. Since that time, we’ve grown by understanding the needs and desires of our community and deciding what services and technology we could not only provide, but sustain. Over the years, we’ve seen service demands change, reimbursement rates fluctuate,
and providers come and go. As a result, we periodically reassess our services to ensure we’re being fiscally responsible and providing our patients with the care they require. The long-term viability of the hospital rests on the ability to reconcile how we perceive ourselves with how you perceive us.
We recently conducted a community survey in order to evaluate your opinions about our strengths and weaknesses as an organization. We asked you to tell us about the experiences you’ve had while utilizing our services, both good and bad, and also to share your knowledge of the services and procedures we offer. Here are some of the things we learned as a result:
• You view us as a caring and compassionate hospital and staff
• You are happy we are here in the community
• You feel that we know our strengths and weaknesses regarding the care we can and cannot provide
We also learned that we have not been doing an effective job communicating with you about all we have to offer at HVCH. For example, did you know that we have a state-of-the-art 64-slice CT scanner (the exact same CT machine you will find in larger cities and hospitals in our region)? Or that you can have your pre-admission testing and lab work done here, close to home, even if you are having your surgery done elsewhere?
We discovered that you are not aware of some of the specialty care we provide, or that you can come here for physical therapy and rehabilitation following surgery at another institution. In truth, we can do a lot more than you think we can; and, we found out that you’re hungry to know more! You asked for a listing of specialists who will be seeing patients in Logan, and we plan to deliver it.
This month we will be kicking off a media campaign called START to increase the visibility of our services and educate you about all that we offer. For residents of this region, we want Hocking Valley Community Hospital to be the place you START your care. We are close and convenient, and we have the medical resources and knowledge to properly diagnose your condition and recommend the best course of treatment, whether it’s here or at a larger hospital with enhanced technologies and medical capabilities. We want to be a good citizen of this community and do all we can to help you navigate the health care system. By START ing your journey with us, and allowing us to efficiently coordinate your care, we promise to steer you down the best path for your medical needs.
Please continue to tell us what you think, we ARE listening.
LeeAnn
President and CEO LeeAnn Lucas-Helber
Letter from LeeAnn Lucas-Helber, President and CEO
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
HOCKING VALLEYCommunity Hospital
Great care
with people who care. S T A R T S
Medical Arts Building Fulfills Community Need for Specialty CareThe Medical Arts Building, located next to the hospital, is uniquely unlike any other physician office building in Logan. Depending on the day of the week, you will find different physicians in residence. Amy Burnside, Clinic Coordinator, likens it to a traveling clinic where the doctors are the ones doing the traveling. “We have 12 different medical specialties represented in this building. For patients who have multiple medical needs, it offers the convenience of not having to travel from one office building to another. Receiving care in a local setting by the same familiar faces can lessen anxiety and stress for many patients because they get to know us and recognize that we all have their best interests at heart.”
Burnside’s job is to arrange the coordination of the eight exam rooms, schedule the physicians’ availability, check patients in and out, obtain patients’ electronic medical records, manage physician billing and restock patient exam rooms.
“All of the physicians who see patients in our clinic also have offices elsewhere,” said Burnside. “For an allotted day or time period, physicians travel to us rather than making their elderly and disabled patients travel to them.”
Specialties represented in the building include nephrology/hypertension, cardiology, hematology/oncology, psychology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, audiology, allergy, podiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, nerve conduction studies and surgery.
Approximately 1000 patients a month are seen in the Medical Arts Building, which is open five days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
E X C E L L E N C E in Specialty Services
Amy Burnside
Kathleen Bertuna, DO, FACOOG
Elaine Beed, MD
Tim Kermonde, DO
Meeting women’s specific health care needsRiver Rose Obstetrics and Gynecology utilizes the Medical Arts Building on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. With their main office located in the Castrop Center in Athens, two of their physicians travel weekly to Logan. According to Kathleen Bertuna, DO, FACOOG, Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, “I like the Logan location because we are able to schedule a larger volume of patients at one time.” Dr. Bertuna and her partner, Tim Kermonde, DO, see patients in the clinic for general and high-risk obstetrics, abnormal bleeding, abnormal pap smears, well women care, annual exams, contraceptive counseling, and urogynecologic issues. Procedures they are able to perform in the office include: pap smears, colposcopy, endometrial and vulvar biopsies, and IUD insertions.
To schedule an appointment to see Dr. Bertuna or Dr. Kermonde in the Logan office, call 855-594-8819.
Personalized care for cancer patientsElaine Beed, MD, Board Certified Medical Oncologist, has been making the one hour drive from Westerville to Logan to see patients on Tuesday afternoons for the better part of 24 years. “I like that I can give personalized care in a familiar place to the local residents,” she said.
Beed offers consultations, routine care, lab tests and chemotherapy. “Depending on the type of cancer a person has, long-term chemotherapy may be required. It’s nice for my patients who need weekly chemotherapy to receive it in a private setting,” she said. Because of her long-standing relationship with Hocking Valley Community Hospital and its staff, Beed has ready electronic access to lab results and radiology films. “Scheduling is never an issue. If I have a patient who needs an immediate X-ray, the staff in Radiology is always accommodating.”
With so much medical research being devoted to treating cancer, Beed makes sure to stay current on any new drugs that may help her patients. “I recently had a patient who had certain markers that made him eligible for a new drug therapy. He was 1 out of only 35 people nationwide who qualified,” she said. “Times like that make it so gratifying to be able to offer quality medicine, close to home, for the people of Logan.”
To schedule with Dr. Beed, call 740-380-8140.
Double Knee Replacement Gives
Retired Mail Carrier New Lease on Life
H V C H N E W S L E T T E R Fall 124
W hen mail carrier and Logan resident, Tony Funk, 61, started experiencing severe pain and limited mobility due to a nagging hamstring injury he sustained on the job, he sought the help of Hocking Valley orthopedic surgeon, Matthew
Kauffman, DO. Subsequent testing revealed a pulled hamstring and torn ligaments in his right knee and severe arthritis in his left knee. Twenty-five years of walking between 8 to 10 miles daily on his mail route, as well as climbing numerous steps to get to mailboxes, eventually took its toll on Funk’s knees. “When I was limping around my entire route for three months, I knew it was time to do something,” said Funk.
In 2011, Funk spent five days in the Swing Bed Unit at HVCH following surgery to replace his right knee. In June 2012, he had the other knee replaced. Both surgeries were followed by months of
Tony Funk and Eileen Grywalski, PTA
E X C E L L E N C E in Patient Care
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physical therapy. “I attended therapy three times a week to strengthen my new knees by riding the stationary bike, walking on the treadmill and doing various exercises while standing on one leg.”
On a recent trip to Europe, he was amazed at how quickly his body limbered up from all the walking he had to do. “Exercise has been the key to not getting too stiff,” he said. Setting off metal detectors in airports is a small price to pay for his new lease on life.
Funk retired from the United States Postal Service this year and now spends his free time as a DJ at events like tailgate parties for Ohio State games. His first career was as a disc jockey at WLGN where he worked on and off over the years and hosted an oldie’s show called “Child of the 60s.” Funk is just happy to be back to living his life thanks to the care he received at HVCH. “I feel very fortunate that we are lucky enough to have a hospital like HVCH in our small town of Logan,” he said. “My father’s life was saved there after a heart attack, my two children were born there, and my ability to walk pain-free was restored there. I’m very grateful.”
Showing their Ohio pride outside Windsor Castle, L to R wife, Frances, Tony, sentry and son, Josh
I feel very fortunate that we are lucky enough to have a hospital like HVCH in our small town of Logan.”
Transitional Care Available on Swing Bed UnitThe Swing Bed Unit at HVCH offers patients a high level of skilled nursing care and access to rehabilitation services while recovering from inpatient surgical procedures and medical conditions. The length of stay on the unit varies based on factors like the procedure performed and the age and general state of health of the patient. The goal of the Swing Bed Unit is to aid and support recovery while providing interdisciplinary services to help patients make the transition from hospital to home as safely and quickly as possible. Services available to patients include: physical, occupational and speech therapy, nutrition services, social services, and skilled nursing care like IV medications, parenteral and enteral feedings, dressing changes including negative pressure wound therapy, decubitus care for stage 3 or 4 pressure areas, and end-of-life care.
Patients also have access to all the diagnostic services and procedures available at HVCH, should the need arise during their stay. Patients must meet requirements for a qualifying acute care stay according to Medicare, managed Medicare and other insurance guidelines.
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Unit Satisfies Need for Behavioral Health Care for ElderlyThe Summit Behavioral Health Unit at Hocking Valley Community Hospital is a 10-bed inpatient treatment unit for adults over the age of 65 who are experiencing dementia, depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and other mood or anxiety disorders. A multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and therapists evaluate each patient in order to get them to a stable state. “Our length of stay is typically short – between 5-10 days,” said Pramoda Fatehchand, PA-C, MS, Physician Assistant to psychiatrists, Max Haque, MD, and Lance McCoy, MD. “Our goal is to get them stabilized, so they are able to meaningfully participate in group sessions, art therapy and eventually the outpatient clinic.”
Fatehchand says a number of patients are referred to the unit because they are experiencing behavioral disturbances or have not been compliant with taking their medications. “The benefit of an inpatient stay is that we can closely monitor our patients by adjusting dosages, changing medications that are not working and observing for and treating the side effects that may result.”
Cognitive changes occur for a myriad of reasons: aging, disease, family stress, death, divorce, job loss, retirement or changes in a person’s living environment. “There is no one cause that brings a person to us,” said Fatehchand. “We look at each case individually, meet with the family where appropriate, and develop an individualized plan of care.”
The unit adheres to a fairly strict schedule, including visiting hours, in order to ensure patients are getting into a routine and receiving the care they require. “I find it very rewarding to see how much improvement can be made in a matter of days with some of these patients. Oftentimes, the progress made between admission and day three is amazing,” said Fatehchand.
Fatehchand credits the unit’s staff for their dedication and care to the patients. “Our staff is amazing. They work here because they are committed to helping people get better. In the end, that’s the goal we are all working toward.”
Follow-up care is routine after patients are discharged from the unit. “I keep close tabs on my patients who have transitioned to our outpatient clinic to ensure proper continuity of care and treatment compliance.”
For more information about the Summit Behavioral Health Unit, please call 740-380-8265.
E X C E L L E N C E in Enhancements
Pramoda Fatehchand, PA-C, MS
Max Haque, MD, and Pramoda Fatehchand, PA-C, MS, also treat patients in their adult psychiatric practice located at Larkman Medical Building, 31480 Chieftain Drive, Suite A, in Logan. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. To schedule an appointment, call 740-385-2197.
There’s No Place Like Home for Family Practitioner Dona Alba, DO, is happy to call Logan home once again after an extended absence from the community. As an Ohio University graduate and former family practitioner in town, she never intended to leave the place she loved. An unexpected death in her family took her to New Orleans in 2003 where she stayed and took a faculty appointment at Louisiana State University.
A year later their lives were upended when Hurricane Katrina struck leaving Dr. Alba and her husband both homeless and temporarily jobless. “We hung around New Orleans for a month, but things were looking bleak,” said Alba. “We ended up moving to Michigan to be near my family. Thoughts of coming back to Ohio crossed my mind over the six years I was in Michigan, but my mother was living with us so moving wasn’t really an option,” she said.
About the time Alba’s mother passed away in October 2011, she received a call from Ohio University about a faculty position that was open. After careful consideration, she decided not to accept the position, but rather to re-open her clinical practice in Logan and re-establish ties with HVCH. “I could not be happier about being part of the Hocking Valley family again. I was always very content working and living here and probably never would have left had it not been for my father-in-law’s death,” she said. Since returning, she is excited to be within closer proximity to her son, Anthony, and 21-month-old granddaughter, Rozalia, who live in Logan. Her other son, Paul, lives in Columbus.
Alba enjoys spending her free time with Rozalia on her 93-acre farm where she raises dairy goats as a hobby. “Rozalia loves animals so we
Dona Alba, DO
“I could not be more delighted about being part of the Hocking Valley family again.”
– DONA ALBA, DO
like to hang around the barn and see the goats, kittens, and horses,” said Alba. “Becoming a grandmother played a big role in moving back to the area. I wanted to be an active part of Rozalia’s life. Being a grandmother has given me a different perspective, and it allows me a different kind of relationship than I had with my own kids.”
A Board Certified Family Practitioner, Dr. Alba’s practice encompasses newborns to adults. “During my first go round in Logan, my practice was mainly comprised of young women and kids. Since coming back, I am seeing more adults for routine well care, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the like.” Alba says one of her favorite parts of having a small-town practice is seeing her patients out in the community. “Running into people in church or the grocery store adds another dimension to seeing the other side of my patients’ lives outside of my office.”
Dr. Alba is currently accepting new patients. Her office is located at 751 State Route 664 North in Logan. To schedule an appointment, call 740-385-0202.
E X C E L L E N C E in Community Service
PO. Box 966 601 SR 664 NorthLogan, Ohio 43138 | www.hvch.org
PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE
PAIDAKRON OHPERMIT #286
Specialist PhysiciansRIVER ROSE OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY Kathleen Bertuna, DO Tim Kermode, DO 1-855-594-8819
CARDIOLOGY Jeremy Buckley, MD Richard Bardales, MD Mehdi Qamar, MD740-653-7511
ONCOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY Elaine Beed, MD 740-380-8140
COLUMBUS SLEEP CONSULTANTS Maninder Kalra, MD Guatam Samadder, MD740-380-8219
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT Anil Gokhale, MD 740-380-8140
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT Aryeh Gorenstein, MD740-380-8140
OSU PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION William Pease, MD740-380-8140
GENERAL SURGERY Michael Tornwall, MD740-380-1300
AUDIOLOGY Karr Audiology740-594-6333
NEPHROLOGY
Abdus Malik, MD740-808-0700
NEPHROLOGY/HYPERTENSION Teferi Mengesha, MD 614-367-1004
PODIATRIST Jeffrey Moore, DPM740-654-3668
ALLERGY/ASTHMA H.C. Nataraj, MD800-864-1077
OPTHALMOLGY Shahin Shahinfar, MD 740-522-3937
ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON Matthew Kauffman, DO740-385-8474
ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON Stephen Voto, MD740-687-3394
UROLOGY William Batten, MD740-653-3441
PODIATRIST Earl Driggs, DPM740-385-4807
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Judith Lubbers, MD740-380-9675
PEDIATRICS Bashar Kayali, MD Mark Scarmack, MD740-385-3069
