stlukescr.org

Winter 2012

B E A T

St. Luke’s

Miraculous recovery after aneurysm Learn the warning signs PAGE 4

Biker beats cancerEasy early detection steps PAGE 2

Lifesaving transportationQuick care thanks to Lifeguard PAGE 8

Birth Care connectionWoman meets namesake during delivery PAGE 10

1St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 |

Health Clips

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women and is typically diagnosed at a more ad-vanced stage after the cancer has spread.

The best chance of a cure for lung cancer is early detection and that’s why we’ve developed Lung Check for $175.

St. Luke’s Lung Check includes a chest CT scan, which is a rapid, non-invasive test using low-dose X-rays providing detailed, three-dimensional images of the lungs. The entire chest is scanned between seven and 15 seconds. Radiologists review images for the presence of small spots on the lungs, called nodules.

Call 319/558-4867 to schedule your Lung Check today.

Lung Check is recommended for:•Menorwomenbetweentheagesof

55 and 74

•Thosewhohavesmokedatleastonepack a day for 30 years or more or two packs per day for 15 years

•Thosewhoquitsmokinglessthan15years ago and smoked one or more packs a day for 15 or more years

Melanoma Clinic Patients with melanoma have access to the most advanced cancer care right hereinCedarRapids.MelanomaandAdvanced Skin Cancer Care is now providing personalized care and support services to those diagnosed with mela-noma as well as other advanced types of skin cancer.

MelanomaandAdvancedSkinCancerCare is part of the Helen G. Nassif Com-munityCancerCenterofIowa.Morethan 200 doctors, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, P.C. and St. Luke’s Hospital make up the area’s only community cancer center where physicians collaborate to provide patient-centered care.

“Melanomaisthefifthmostcommoncancer being treated in this area,” said JohnVanderZee,MD,plasticsurgeonandmedicaldirectorforMelanomaand Advanced Skin Cancer Care. “Now patients have one place to go where services will come to them. They will

be seen by a nurse coordinator, surgeon and oncologist. It will be seamless, centralized and more convenient care.”

To learn more about Melanoma and Advanced Skin Cancer Care or to speak to a representative of the area’s only physician-led, patient-focused Helen G. Nassif Commu-nity Cancer Center of Iowa, call 319/558-4876 or 877/242-4999.

Lung Check

Connect with St. Luke’s at stlukescr.org

On the cover

Neil Boudreaux with his dog, Lilly,

in Marion.

Inside St. Luke’s Birth CareThree families share their special deliveries PAGE 4

®

Cancer fi ghting duoWellness program provides support PAGE 2

Heart surgeryMinimally invasive procedure speeds recovery PAGE 10

What’s Inside

1 Health Clips Health news you can use.

2 - 3 Biker beats cancer Self-exams urged to detect testicular cancer.

4 - 5 Miraculous recovery after aneurysm A Marion man encourages others to learn the warning signs of a brain aneurysm.

6 - 7 Managing pancreatic cancer Hospice provides comfort and support to a Cedar Rapids man and his family.

8 - 9 Lifesaving transportation A trench accident victim is grateful for Lifeguard Air Ambulance and its crew.

10 - 11 Birth Care connection A Cedar Rapids woman meets her namesake during delivery.

12 Ask the Expert What questions do St. Luke’s financial counselors get asked the most?

13 For your health Timely health and medical news.

Missed the last issue?

Stories from Health Beat, Fall 2011,

are available at stlukescr.org.

8 - 9

4 - 510 - 11 2 - 3

St. Luke’s Hospital was recently named a 2011/2012 Consumer Choice Award winner in a survey conducted by the National Research Corporation (NRC) of Lincoln, Nebraska. St. Luke’s is the only hospital in Cedar Rapids to receive this honor.

Theawardidentifieshospitalsthathealthcare consumers have chosen for havingthehighestqualityandimageinmore than 300 markets throughout the United States. The awards are based on an annual independent survey con-ducted by NRC.

The award puts St. Luke’s in the company of nationally recognized healthcareleaders,includingMayoClinic,ClevelandClinic,MassachusettsGeneral and Johns Hopkins.

St. Luke’s honored with Consumer’s Choice Award

Health Beat magazine is produced locally by St. Luke’s Marketing Communications for

the community and friends of St. Luke’s Hospital.

P.O. Box 3026 l Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3026 319/369-7395 l stlukescr.org

ealthB E A THSt. Luke’s

Vol. 17 No. 1 l Winter 2012

John Vander Zee, MD, Helen G. Nassif Community Cancer Center

2 3St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 | | stlukescr.org

Biker beats cancer Self-exams urged to detect testicular cancer

The irony of his cancer diagnosis is not lost on Tim Martinek. The

Marion man is an avid bicycle rider and takes part in several “century rides” each year for charitable causes. A century ride is a single day bike ride of 100 miles or more.

Martinek’sloveofcyclingsparkedhisinter-est in following seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s career through theyears.AndlikeArmstrong,Martinekisa testicular cancer survivor. He read Arm-strong’s book, which chronicled Armstrong’s cancer journey, even before his own cancer diagnosis. But read it again during his treat-ment and recovery in 2010.

Martinekinitiallyshruggedoffhiscancersymptoms to his long bike rides.

“IhadbeentrainingfortheJuvenileDiabe-tesResearchFoundation(JDRF)RidetoCureDiabetesandIhadbeendoingquiteabitofbikeriding,”recallsMartinek.“Ihad just completed an 80-mile ride the daybeforeIfirstnoticedsymptomsandthought maybe the long ride was the cause of the symptoms I was having.”

Martinekwenttoseehisurologist, ThomasRichardson,MD,Physicians’Clinic of Iowa, P.C. (PCI) for a six-month checkup following kidney stones.

Cancer diagnosis“WhileIwasthereImentionedtoDr.Richardson that I had some swelling and firmnessinmyrighttesticle,”saidMar-tinek. “He examined me and immediately

sent me to St. Luke’s for an ultrasound. A short time later I was diagnosed with testicular cancer.”

Cancer of the testicle can develop in one or both testicles in men of any age but it’s most commonly diagnosed in boys

patients have a greater than 90 percent chance of being cured.”

“The care at St. Luke’s and PCI Hematol-ogy and Oncology was fantastic,” said Martinek.“Ihadnothingbutagreatexperience. After completing the chemo-therapy I had a CT scan, which showed the lymph nodes had cleared up and I wasdeemedcancer-free,”saidMartinek.“MyoriginalcancerdiagnosiswasJune24, 2010, and since my treatment I have remained cancer-free.”

MartineknowseeshisoncologistDr.Wil-liam Fusselman, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, every few months to make sure the cancer remains at bay.

“I like to say I’m one of the luckiest guys togetcancer,”Martineksaid.“Ididn’thave severe nausea. I did lose my hair during chemotherapy but I feel very for-tunate to have attacked the cancer head on and I am now back doing things I love like cycling.”

Highly curableTesticular cancer is highly curable if it’sfoundearly.Notallpatientsrequirechemotherapy or radiation and many are cured with surgery to remove the testicle only.Dr.Richardsonrecommendsallmenperform self-examinations, similar to what women are taught with a breast self-exam.

“Young boys should be taught how to per-form a self-exam by their father or other fatherfigure,”saidDr.Richardson.“Theseself-exams should be performed once a month and if the young man notices a change he should have this evaluated by his doctor.”

“Ifyouhaveswelling,unusualfirmness or enlargement of one testicle see your doctor,”saidMartinek.“Getitcheckedbefore it gets worse.”

“This is a bit of a sensitive topic,” said Dr.Richardson.“Somepeoplemaybeembarrassed to bring it to the attention of their parent or someone else but it’s important. Early detection of testicular cancer means an improved treatment outcome.”

“I consider myself blessed that my cancer was found fairly early and I responded sowelltotreatment,”saidMartinek.

Helen G. Nassif donates to the Community Cancer Center of IowaHelen G. Nassif has once again made an investment in the future of healthcare in Cedar Rapids. Ms. Nassif donated $1 million to the Community Cancer Center of Iowa late last year and the Center is named in her honor.

Helen G. Nassif is a former Cedar Rapids resident now living in Rockville, Maryland. The Center will be located in the new Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa Medical Pavilion located in the MedQuarter Regional Medical District, which is scheduled to open in early 2013.

Doctors at the Helen G. Nassif Community Cancer Center of Iowa work together to develop an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan for each patient that may include surgery, chemotherapy, a combination of treatments or surveillance.

More than 200 doctors, including Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, P.C. and St. Luke’s Hospital make up the Helen G. Nassif Community Cancer Center of Iowa. Cedar Rapids’ only physician-led Community Cancer Center is now welcoming patients. Call 877/242-4999 or go to communitycancercenter.org to learn more.

“Some people may be embarrassed to bring it to the attention of their parent or someone else but it’s important. Early detection of testicular cancer means an improved treatment outcome.”Thomas Richardson, MD, urologist Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, P.C.

“Now, I am enjoying spending time with my wife, Roxann and continue to roll along many of eastern Iowa’s scenic roads on my bike.”

To learn more about cancer diagnosis and treatment go to communitycancercenter.org.

and young men between the ages of 15 and 35.

“The most common sign of testicular cancer is a painful or hard lump,” saidDr.Richardson.“Sometimes patients may even present with breast tenderness, back pain or weight loss. Another important point is tes-ticular cancer tends to be more common in men who had an undescended testicle at birth.”

Martinekhadsurgery to remove the testicle, which was followed by four rounds of chemo-therapy. Chemotherapy was necessary because the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.

“The surgery takes about an hour and the patient can go home the same day,” saidDr.Richardson. “Testicular cancer is highlycurable.Most

Tom Martinek participating in the Ride to Cure Diabetes.

5

Miraculous recovery after aneurysm Learn the warning signs

Neil Boudreaux in his Marion home.

4 | stlukescr.org

Boudreaux was immediately transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for surgery to repair his brain aneurysm thanks to St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance.

Lifeguard saves livesThousands of individuals have been helped by St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance since it came into service 30 years ago. The blue helicopter has been a familiar sight in the skies around Cedar Rapids since February 23, 1981. St. Luke’s Lifeguard is called to many emergencies in Linn, Johnson, Jones, Cedar and Benton counties. Each Lifeguard flight includes a pilot, a paramedic and nurse all staffed by St. Luke’s ER in Cedar Rapids.

“I am extremely grateful for the St. Luke’s ER team and Lifeguard helicopter,” said Boudreaux. “I think having access to Lifeguard helped save my life.”

“Lifeguard is such an asset to the com-munity,”saidDr.Carter.“Whenyouhavea patient with something as serious as a brain aneurysm – every second counts in terms of saving their life and preventing further damage.”

Therapy aids recoveryBoudreaux spent 18 days in the hospital recovering from two brain surgeries. He returned home and began outpatient physical and occupational therapy at St.Luke’sPhysicalMedicineandRehabili-tation(PMR).Partofwhatmayhaveaidedhisrecoveryisthatheexercisedfivedaysaweek before his aneurysm.

“I think Neil has recovered well,” said Linder.“Theonlyrealdeficithehadwashis left leg would swing out a little bit when he walked but it resolved within 10 days after he started therapy.”

“Neilhadsomebalanceissues,”saidMeganAndresen, St. Luke’s physical therapist. “I worked on a variety of things to help himimprovehisbalance.Manyofthese exercises he took home to work on as well.”

“Initially I worked with Neil on driving, cooking and what he would need to do once he returned to work,” said Barb West, St. Luke’s occupational therapist. “He completed a driving test and did very well. We were impressed with how well he was able to recover after such a traumatic event.”

“I think going through therapy really gaveNeilmoreself-confidence,”saidLinder. “I think this is especially true with making sure he was okay to drive again.”

“I feel great,” said Boudreaux. “Each day I feel more like myself. I imagine after a year passes since my aneurysm I will feel less scared of a reoccurrence.”

“When you have a patient with something as serious as a brain aneurysm – every second counts in terms of saving their life and preventing further damage.” Tony Carter, MD, St. Luke’s Emergency Department

5

into the house and remember Lilly, our dog, barking.”

“I was downstairs and wondered why Lilly wasbarkingsomuch,”saidDonnieLinder,Neil’s partner. “She doesn’t usually bark a lot so I went upstairs to see what was going on and that’s when I found Neil on the floor. She’s the hero in all of this since she alerted me that something was wrong.”

Linder is a St. Luke’s Emergency Room (ER) doctor and his instincts kicked in when he saw Boudreaux lying on the floor.

Neil Boudreaux was standing in his Marion backyard on

June 18 when he thought he had been shot in the head.

“I just remember thinking either I had been shot in the head or hit by a golf ball since we live on a golf course,” recalls Boudreaux. “I was experiencing the worst headache of my life. I managed to crawl

“Neil was semiconscious and told me he had a severe headache. He was sweating profusely and vomiting. I suspected it was a brain aneurysm and rushed him to the hospital.”

At St. Luke’s ER he was immediately assessed and St. Luke’s ER doctor Tony Carter ordered a computed tomography (CT)scan.Thescanconfirmedwhatwassuspected – a brain aneurysm.

A brain aneurysm is a bulge or balloon-ing in a blood vessel in the brain. It can leak or rupture, causing bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). A ruptured aneurysmislifethreateningandrequiresimmediate medical treatment.

Sudden, severe headache“A sudden, severe headache is the main symptom of a ruptured brain aneurysm,” saidDr.Carter.“Iwoulddescribeitastheworst headache of your life. Neil also had what is called a sentinel bleed leading up to his ruptured aneurysm. This is when the aneurysm leaks a small about of blood. It can be the precursor to a severe rupture.”

In about 40 percent of cases, a ruptured brain aneurysm is fatal. And of those who fail to get proper medical treatment, 20 to 30 percent will have a second bleed within thefirstmonth.Manyindividualsthatsurvive a ruptured aneurysm experience brain damage.

Ruptured aneurysm symptoms: •Sudden,severeheadache

•Nauseaandvomiting

•Stiffneck

•Droopingeyelid

•Lossofconsciousness

•Confusion

St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 |

Boudreaux owns his own hair salon in Cedar Rapids and is excited to be back at work.

“I am grateful to be alive and understand there are a small percentage of people who survive what I have been through especially with no brain damage,” said Boudreaux. “It’s comforting to know we don’t have to go to a big city to get excellent medical care – it’s all right here in Iowa.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s ER and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation go to stlukescr.org.

•Seizure

•Blurredordoublevision

•Lightsensitivity

If you or your loved one has these symptoms call 911 – don’t delay!

Tony Carter, MD, St. Luke’s Emergency Department

Managing pancreatic cancer

Hospice care provides comfort and support“Iquicklycalledmywife,Jeanandtoldhertogettothedoctor’soffice,”saidChris. “The doctor delivered the news that I had pancreatic cancer.”

“We immediately knew this was bad,” recalled Jean, Chris’ wife. “We had a friend who had died from this disease.”

Further tests revealed devastating news –the tumor was inoperable.

According to the American Cancer Soci-ety, pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death. Approxi-mately 44,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are expected in the United States each year and almost 38,000 deaths – nearlyequallydividedamongmen and women.

Chris and his wife, Jean, sought help from several doctors across the country. But in the end they returned to St. Luke’s for Chris’ treatment.

“The chemotherapy just devastated me,” recalled Chris. “I lost 40 pounds. I couldn’t keep anything down, I was nauseous and in tremendous pain. On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the worst, I was a 12.”

“The chemotherapy riled up his cancer and he would go into these awful pain cycles after eating,” Jean said. “It was hard to watch and I felt helpless.”

The Walkers sought help from St. Luke’s Palliative Care team to help manage his care and extreme pain. Palliative care is special-ized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improvequalityoflifeforboththepatientand the family.

Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment.

Collaborative approachWith Chris dealing with debilitating pain the Walkers looked to their medical team for emergency solutions. The medical team, whichincludedDrs.JamesBell,St.Luke’sHospiceandPalliativeCare;MaryHlavin,NeurosurgicalClinicofCedarRapids;MarkKline, Linn County Anesthesiologists and

DavidZenk,Physicians’ClinicofIowa,Hematology and Oncology – all worked togethertofindasolution.

“Chris came in for a pain crisis,” recalls JamesBell,MD,St.Luke’sHospiceandPalliative Care medical director. “His on-cologist did the typical things for pain and it didn’t help so we knew we were going to have to get creative.”

With a team of doctors Chris Walker’s painwasfinallybroughtundercontrol.

“These doctors tapped into St. Luke’s Pain Clinic and were able to come up with this plantoenhancethequalityofChris’lifeand it has been wonderful not to see him in terrible pain,” Jean said.

“It has been so great,” said Chris. “I’ve had no pain, no chemo to knock me down. It’s been such a blessing. I have some nausea every now and again but the reality is I can live life again.”

Quality of life careChris and Jean also made the decision that Chris would stop additional chemothera-py treatments and focus on maintaining a qualityoflife.Hedecidedtoendpalliativecare and use hospice services. Hospice care isn’t to cure or treat the underlying diseasebuttoprovidethehighestqualityof life possible for whatever time remains.

“The common misperception of keeping people comfortable in hospice care means not doing anything but really it’s about doingalotforanindividual,”saidDr.Bell. “When you have tools to make people comfortable and you are able to use all of those tools to provide the best care possible – it’s a great feeling.”

“WeaskedforamiraclewhenIwasfirstdiagnosed,” said Chris. “And we have seen so many along the way and all these doctors coming together to help me live a full life is one of the big miracles. It’s a

terrible diagnosis but God has made his presence known through this journey in the love we’ve received from our family and friends.

“The staff at St. Luke’s has been great,” said Jean. “We’ve had outstanding care. It’s allowed us to enjoy our time together.”

Chris Walker went to his doctor’s office on May 9 for his annual

physical. His doctor had been keeping an eye on his blood work over the last couple of years since late onset Type 2 diabetes runs in his family. It was something they planned to review.

“I also complained to my doctor about some recent backaches and mild stomach discomfort,”recallsChris.“Mydoctorinitially ordered an X-ray of my back, when that was clear he ordered a CT scan to investigate further. That’s when they found the tumor.”

James Bell, MD, St. Luke’s Hospice and Palliative Care medical director.

“When you have tools to make people comfortable and you are able to use all of those tools to provide the best care possible – it’s a great feeling.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s Hospice and Palliative Care go to stlukescr.org/hospice or call 319/369-7744.

Editor’s note: Chris Walker passed away Nov. 18, 2011 at his Cedar Rapids home surrounded by loved ones. He leaves behind his wife Jean, and daughter, Madeline.

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Hospice inpatient unit helps embrace lifeSt. Luke’s Health Care Foundation is embarking on a capital campaign to create our community’s first dedicated Hospice Inpatient Unit. Within the walls of St. Luke’s Hospital, this unit will provide comfort and specialized care for patients facing the end-of-life and need to receive intensive, end-of-life care that is best delivered in a hospital setting. In addition, this unique unit will help grieving fami-lies cope with the death of their loved one in a peaceful, calming environment with trained experts on hand.

St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation is raising $2.5 million to build the Hospice Inpatient Unit and $1 million to start an endowment. This unit will be completely funded with philanthropy. The Hospice Inpatient Unit is expected to be operation-al in early 2013. To make a donation, contact St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation at 319/369-7716 or donate online at stlukesfoundation.com.

St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 | 7

Jean, Chris and Madeline Walker pose for a family photo last summer.

6 | stlukescr.org

8

Lifesaving medical transportation

Quick care thanks to Lifeguard Air Ambulance

What started out as an “ordinary workday” quickly turned into

a life-threatening situation for Tony Marbach of Manchester.

The23-year-oldMarbachisaheavyequip-ment operator. On September 19, he and two coworkers were working on a drainage tile project just south of Ryan. The trench they were digging for the project was about six feet wide and about seven feet deep. Around 8:45a.m.Marbachjumpedintothetrenchtomake sure everything was positioned correctly.

“The next thing I remember was seeing some cracks in the trench wall and it started to move,”recallsMarbach.“Iturnedaroundandstarted sprinting out. Then all of a sudden I felt the dirt wall come crashing down and everything went dark. I was completely buried in dirt.”

Marbachfeltseveralofhisbonescrackfromthe weight of the dirt. He willed himself to stay calm but the pressure from the dirt packed aroundhisbodymadeitdifficulttobreathe.

“I had a lot of thoughts running through my mind,”Marbachsaid.“Iwonderedifthiswasgoing be the last time I was going to see day-light. I thought to myself – was this the end? Was this my time?”

Meanwhilehiscoworkerswerefranticallydig-gingtosavetheirtrappedcolleague.Marbachheard them calling his name.

“There was a small pocket in front of my chest where I could see some light,” recallsMarbach.“Itookmylefthandand pushed away about a football-sized chunk of dirt and they saw my hand and knew I was alive. That’s when emergency crews arrived.”

Emergencyrespondersquicklyand carefullydugMarbachout.Hewasfinallyfreed around 11 a.m. St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance had been called to rush Marbachtothehospital.

“I was amazed at how calm Tony re-mained as emergency crews worked to dighimout,”saidDebJulian,St.Luke’sLifeguard Air Ambulance flight nurse. “Assoonasthefirefightersfreedhim,wequicklyloadedhimintoLifeguardanddelivered him to St. Luke’s.”

Minutes matter“The injuries to Tony’s chest area were evident at the scene, and while we knew it would be hard on his lungs to lay him flat, it was critical that his back and neck be immobilized in case he had neck or spine fractures,” said Vicki Petersen, St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance flight nurse. “Helicopter transport for patients like Tony is vitally important. He was very sick and minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”

“VickiandDebweregreat,”saidMarbach.“They kept me calm. The entire ride in Lifeguardseemedtolastonlyfiveminutes.

Ongoing recovery“The care was great at St. Luke’s. They did a good job getting me better and back ontherighttrack,”saidMarbach.“Ihadexcellent nurses.”

Marbachisworkingwithaphysical therapist and continuing to recover from his injuries.

“He’sdoingfine,”saidDr.Boddicker.“HestillseesDr.DavidHartatPhysicians’Clinicof Iowa, P.C. Orthopedics for his shoulder and his ribs are healing nicely. These types of injuries take time to heal but he should be able to return to work.”

“Iwanttoreturntowork,”saidMarbach. “I just need some more time before I’m completely healed. Overall I’m doing great and I’m thankful to be alive.”

To learn more about Lifeguard Air Ambulance go to stlukescr.org/lifeguard.

“Helicopter transport for patients like Tony is vitally important. He was very sick and minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”

Vicki Petersen, St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance flight nurse

9St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 |

Lifeguard is very important to my family. I’mnotthefirsttotakearideintheheli-copter.Mybrother,Matt,losthisarmina farming accident several years ago and Lifeguard was called to transport him too. It could have been a different story for me that day if I would have had to take an ambulancefromRyantoSt.Luke’s.Myfamily is very grateful to have Lifeguard in our community.”

“Anyone who has a trauma like Tony’s – it’s important you get to a hospital that triages himquicklywithmultiplespecialiststoaddress the problems right away and get himstabilized,”saidJamesBoddicker,MD,Internists PC “This immediate care will get him on the right road to recovery and minimize secondary problems that might arise from the trauma.”

DoctorsdeterminedMarbachhadsixbro-ken ribs, a separated right shoulder, several fractured bones around his left eye, broken collar bones and a collapsed lung.

“Tony is pretty lucky he had someone working with him who knew how to get himoutquickly,”saidDr.Boddicker.“Ina trench collapse they just get buried and can basically suffocate because the dirt justfallsinquickly.It’salsocommontosee crush injuries like Tony sustained because of the intense pressure from the dirt collapsing around him.”

Marbachspentatotalof10daysat St. Luke’s Hospital. Four of those days were spent in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

| stlukescr.org

James Boddicker, MD, Internists PC Tony Marbach continues his recovery after an accident last fall.

| stlukescr.org St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 | 10 11

Birth Care Connection

Connect with usAre you using social media? So is St. Luke’s Hospital! There are several active communities on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube related to St. Luke’s. Take a look and join the conversation.

We encourage open discussions and look forward to any comments, stories and experiences you want to share.

Find us as at:

•Facebook.com/stlukeshospital

•Facebook.com/stlukesbirthcare

•YouTube.com/stlhospitalcr

•Twitter.com/stlukescr

Cedar Rapids woman meets namesake during delivery

St. Luke’s Birth Care Labor and Delivery Nurse Sarah

Serbousek first met patient Sarah Jill Mulherin 28 years ago.

“Several years ago I was at work and one of our nurses came to me and said ‘you have to come meet this patient – she was named after you!’” recalled Serbousek.

AtthetimeMulherinwaspregnantwith her now three-year-old daughter Hannah. She came to St. Luke’s with labor pains. Turns out it was false laborbutbeforeMulherinleftthehospital she relayed a popular family story – one her mother had shared with her many times over the years.

“I asked the nurse who was with me at the time if there was a nurse named Sarah who has worked at St. Luke’s for 30 years that still works here,”saidMulherin.“Thenursementioned Sarah Serbousek had and we put two and two together and re-alized she was the nurse who helped deliver me 28 years ago. When my mom had me she experienced some serious complications and said ‘if the only thing I get to do is name this child I want her to be as kind as this nurse.’Mymomsaidhernursewasespecially kind to her and her name was Sarah and so she named me Sarah with an “h” because that’s how the nurse spelled it.”

Nurse honoredThankfullyMulherin’smother survived and did in fact name her daughter Sarah. As you would ex-pectMulherin’sstorydeeplytouchedSerbousek.

“I do remember her mother,” said Serbousek. “But as you would expect the details fade a little after so many years. But to think you do your job every day – the best you can do – and to have made such an impression on a woman that she names her baby after me is really cool. I wasreallyquitehonored.”

AndeventhoughMulherinwassenthome and delivered baby Hannah

another day – the connection between the two women remained. Fast forward threeyearsandMulherinwasexpectingher second child, a boy. She once again chose St. Luke’s to give birth.

“I was getting settled in my room and in walks a very familiar, smiling face,” said Mulherin.“SarahSerbousekwalkedinand said she had been assigned as my nurse. She assisted with the delivery of

Jacob. It was so neat how everything came full circle and it allowed me the chance to get to know her a little better and see for myself what a great nurse sheis.Mymomwasright,Sarahisavery caring person.”

Full circle“When I saw I was assigned to help Sarah deliver her son I thought it was so ironic,” said Serbousek. “It was really very special and neat to see the end of the story – we kind of came full circle and I was happy to be a part of it.”

That “circle” was complete with the arrivalofJacobAlexanderMulherin.He arrived at 12:31 p.m. on Sept. 2, weighing 8 pounds, 9 ½ ounces.

“I had such a great experience at St.Luke’s,”saidMulherin.“Ideliveredhere because it is the hospital my family has always gone to.”

“St. Luke’s is really a great place to work,”saidSerbousek.“Mycoworkersare great and the families I get to take care of are fantastic. It’s really a reward-ing job. I tell people all the time I’m lucky I get to see births happen just about every day – that’s pretty special.”

As for the two Sarah’s – they plan to stay in touch.

“Sarah is really neat and I’ve been fortunate to get to know her,” said Serbousek.

Get to know St. Luke’s Birth Care with a personal tour. To schedule call 319/369-8129 or register online at stlukescr.org/birthcaretour.

10 | stlukescr.org

Nurse Sarah Serbousek and Sarah “Jill” Mulherin with Jacob in St. Luke’s Birth Care.

The two Sarahs 28 years ago.

| stlukescr.org St. Luke’s Health Beat | Winter 2012 | 1312

What questions do St. Luke’s financial counselors get asked the most?

Connie Ament, St. Luke’s financial counselor

A trip to the hospital is never easy, but it can be even more stress-

ful when you have questions about hospital bills and don’t know who to ask. St. Luke’s Hospital has financial counselors available to help answer a variety of hospital billing questions.

“Probablyourmost-askedquestionis– ‘Is there assistance available to help pay my medical bills?,’” said Connie Ament, St.Luke’sfinancialcounselor.“Weworkdirectly with the patient and many times we discoveranindividualmayqualifyforfinan-cial assistance. This is for uninsured, under-insured individuals or a patient who has a large bill after insurance has been paid.”

St.Luke’sfinancialcounselorswillworkwith individuals and assist them in applyingforfinancialassistance.Theseforms are available in the Emergency Department,SurgiCareandattheCashier’s desk. Eligibility is based on household income, monthly expenses, availableassets,currentfinancialobli-gations, outstanding medical bills and availability of insurance coverage. If a patientdoesnotqualifyforfinancialassistancethefinancialcounselorswillassist individuals with setting up an agreeable payment plan.

“We are also available to sit down with patients one-on-one and answer any insurancequestionstheymayhave,”saidAment. “This is a great service the hospi-tal offers – it’s also enjoyable for me to sit

down with someone who may have a lot of anxiety about their bills and walk them through the process. They usually leave my officerelievedtohavethingssortedout.”

Anothercommonquestionpatientshaveishow much an individual is going to have to pay after an insurance claim is made.

“I will look into the individual’s insurance planandseewhattheirbenefitsare,”Amentsaid.“Icontactthedoctor’sofficeto get the procedure code and look at the contracts St. Luke’s has with that particu-lar insurance company to give individu-als an estimate of what they can expect to pay. A lot of patients are very appreciative of my assistance and it makes them feel a little more aware of what is going on and what costs they will be responsible for.”

St. Luke’s strives to be very transparent regarding hospital charges and billing practices and welcomes the opportunity to educate patients and the community whenever the need arises. In fact, the toptenmostfrequentlyaskedquestionsabout procedures and estimated costs can be found on the hospital website at stlukescr.org/billing.

TocontactSt.Luke’sfinancialcounselorscall319/369-7513orforspecificques-tions about an account or bill, contact Iowa Health System’s Central Billing Officeat888/343-4165.

You may also go to stlukescr.org/ billing to send questions via e-mail.

ExpertAsk the

St. Luke’s website is your resource for videos and information about health conditions and procedures. You can find the St. Luke’s video library at stlukescr.org/videolibrary.

Shawn Johnson: Inspiring Greatness! Tuesday,January24•7p.m.CedarRapidsMarriott,1200 Collins Road NE

Iowa’s own Shawn Johnson knows about hard work and determina-tion. By the age of 17, she had earned gold and silver Olympic medals, aswellasthe“DancingWiththeStars”first-placemirrorballtrophy.Shawnisafirmbelieverinsettingloftygoalsandoneofherpassions isinspiringpeopletobefitandhealthy.Peopleofallageswillwanttoattend to hear about her amazing journey, as well as her personal tips for families who want to get healthy together!

To register for this free event, go to stlukescr.org/livewell or call 319/369-8068.

How Healthy Are Your Lungs?

Tuesday,January10•6:30–7:30p.m.3rd Floor Nassif Heart Center Classrooms For most, breathing is easy – but many of us take it for granted. As we age, we’re all at risk for lung complications – regardless of smoking history. Attend this program to learn about the most common condi-tions and symptoms, risk factors and what you can do to improve and preserve your lung health!

Attendees will learn: •Mostcommonlung-relatedconditions•Riskfactorsforlungcomplications•Signs/symptomsoflungdiseaseorothercomplications•Basicsondiagnosing&treatinglungissues

To register for this free event, go to stlukescr.org/livewell or call 319/369-8068.

Learn about hospitalists When you have heart troubles you see a cardiologist. When you have a baby you see an obstetrician. And when you are in the hospital you see a hospitalist.

Learn more about this new medical specialty by watching a video created especially for patients and families.HearfromSt.Luke’sHospitalistMedicalDirectorDr.TracyReittingeraboutwhattoexpectifyou or a loved one is treated by a hospitalist.

Watch the video at stlukescr.org/hospitalist.

HealthFor your

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