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VOL 8, ISSUE 3 SUMMER 2015

Clinch Valley HealthWHAT AGE SHOULD I BE TESTED & HOW OFTEN?TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR HEALTHCARE PLAN

VOL 8, ISSUE 4 FALL 2015

Angela Harrison, FNP is Back!

“My mission would be to try to educate each patient on their own health, so they can take more responsibility in the choices they

make that can impact their life.”

✱ TIME FOR A MAMMOGRAM?➔

OctoberIS BREAST CANCER

AWARENESS MONTH

“OUR PATIENTS

CAN IMPROVE!”

MELISSA’S FIGHT TO

BEAT BREAST CANCER

NONSURGICAL BREAST BIOPSY

NEW MRI!

www.clinchvalleyhealth.com

2 Clinch Valley Health | fall 2015

When breast cancer is detected EARLY, in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98%.

BREAST CANCER EARLY

DETECTION PLAN★

An Interview with

AngelaHarrison“Our Patients Can Improve”

Angela’s Return and What She Has to Offer

ANGELA HARRISON has been an Ameri-can Nursing Association Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 1989. With her recent return to Clinch Valley Health after nine years, Angela gave us the opportunity to get to know more

about her, and her career as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

What made you decide to come back to Clinch Valley Health after nine years? I decided I wanted more time with my family and working closer to home will allow me to do that.

What is your hope for your return back to Clinch Valley?I hope that my return will just enhance the excellent quality health care Clinch Valley already has.

What types of patients or cases do you normally see?I see patients from ages 13 and up. The cases I see vary from well visits, acute illnesses, and chronic disease states.

fall 2015 | Live Well! 3www.clinchvalleyhealth.com

Worth the Price

by PETER MULKEY, CEO

HOW MUCH does it cost for a woman over 40

to have an annual mam-mogram? In terms of time, it’s next to nothing. A typical mammogram takes about 20 minutes. And the financial price is also very small in most cases. Under the Afford-able Care Act, coverage of mammograms for breast cancer screening must be provided without a co-pay or deductible for plans that started after August 1, 2012. Medicare also pays for an annual screening mammogram for all women who re-ceive Medicare benefits and are 40 and older. And for women with private insurance, the cost for a screening mammogram is often covered with no co-payment or deductible required. So contact your health insurance com-pany to check on your coverage. Then contact Clinch Valley Health and schedule your annual mammogram today. It’s definitely worth the price, especially if it saves your life.

From Our CEOWhy do you have a special interest in hypertension, diabetes, and geriatrics?Hypertension and diabetes are common chronic diseases. These diseases can have devastating out-comes as I have seen in my own fam-ily. However, with patient teaching, lifestyle changes and medication, the quality of life for our patients can improve tremendously. The baby boomers of our country are a large group and they are approach-ing their golden years. My goal is to help them enjoy those years.

What is your personal mission when it comes to providing health care to our community?My mission would be to try to educate each patient on their own health, so they can take more responsibility in the choices they make that can impact their life.

When you aren’t at work, what do you enjoy doing during your free time?I enjoy church activities and spending time with my family.

I know you enjoy mission trips. What have you learned from mission trips, and how have they impacted your career?Everywhere I have been, people are seeking to be loved and want to live long healthy lives. These trips have made me a more compassionate health care provider.

What is the most common tip you give to your patients regarding their health?Anything in excess can have a negative effect. Everyone has to find their individual balance.

Melissa’s Fight to Beat Breast

CancerLike many breast cancer fighters, when Melissa Robinette first learned she had breast cancer it came as a total shock.

While adjusting her shirt, she felt a lump.

HER FIRST THOUGHT was that it would just go away. After a few days she knew she wanted a doctor’s opinion. The doctor suggested that she have a mammo-gram, which ultimately lead to an ultrasound and biopsy. Once she was diagnosed and the shock wore off, she became determined. She knew she needed a plan of action to get the cancer taken care of and return to her normal life.

“Before I was diagnosed I thought breast cancer was breast cancer, but I was wrong,” said Melissa. “There were so many decisions I had to make.” With the help of her doctor, they decided the best treatment would be a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy.

When asked what she has learned from her fight she says, “I have learned I am stronger than I thought I would be. As soon as I was diagnosed I wanted to fight this cancer and not let it win!” She also credits the importance of a great support system. “My husband, Brian, has been with me through every step, but we have both leaned on our family and friends and they have been a great help to the both of us.”

Above: Melissa Robinette, Group Practice Manager at Clinch Valley Physician Associates, has been an employee at Clinch Valley Health for over 12 years.

MOST DOCTORS BELIEVE early detection of breast can-cer saves thousands of lives each year. When diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 98.6 percent. But if the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is only 25.9 percent. Early detection depends on women taking respon-sibility for their health. Here’s how.

Have an annual mammogram.

1THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY encourages all women over age 40 to schedule a mammogra-phy exam every year. Talk to your personal physi-cian or call Clinch Valley Health about scheduling an exam.

Perform a monthly self-exam.

2A MONTHLY BREAST SELF-EXAM (BSE) is an-other tool you can use to help detect breast can-cer. But please remember, a breast self-exam can never be a substitute for an annual mammogram or being examined by your personal physician.

The best time to perform a self-exam is when your breasts

Follow These 4 Key Stepsto Detect Breast CancerAs Early As Possible

are not tender or swollen. Talk to your doctor if you notice any of the following changes:

• A lump, bump or thickness in or around the breast or the underarm

• A change in the size or shape of the breast• Redness, swelling or darkening of the skin• Any sudden discharge from the nipple• Any dimpling or puckering of the skin

Have an annual physical exam.

3WHEN YOUR PHYSICIAN conducts a breast exam during your annual physical, he or she can sometimes notice changes in your breast that you thought were normal or happened too slowly to be noticed. The combination of

an annual exam by your doctor together with a monthly self-exam is the best way to improve your chances of early detection. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clini-cal breast exam (CBE) every three years. Starting at age 40, women should have a CBE every year.

Consider an MRI.

4WOMEN WHO HAVE A 15 PERCENT or higher lifetime risk of breast cancer should have an MRI performed each year as well as a mammogram. Talk to your doctor to determine your risk.

Source: American Cancer Society

4 Clinch Valley Health | fall 2015 www.clinchvalleyhealth.com

BREAST CANCER EARLY

DETECTION PLAN★

Live It Out

Breast CancerScreeningReminder

Always forgetting toschedule your yearlymammogram? No prob-lem. Just go to clinchvalleyhealth.com and click on the link “Get a Mammogram Remind-er.” After you sign up, an email reminder that says “Please schedule your mammogram today” will be sent to you on the first day of your birth month. You can even send a reminder to a loved one or a friend. It’s that simple. And for women over age 40, it could be a lifesaver.

fall 2015 | Live Well! 5

HA Healthy Wayto Save MoneyHow to MaximizeYour HealthInsurance BenefitsHAVE YOU BEEN PUTTING OFF a medical screening or a minor surgical procedure because of the cost? If you have, the next few months are a good time to take action—and save money. Here’s why.

With most medical insurance plans, your deductible resets in January. By this time of year, many people have already met their medical deductible, which is the amount you pay out-of-pocket for medical care before you start to receive benefits from your insurance company. If you’ve met your deductible and schedule a medical procedure in 2015, instead of waiting until 2016, your health insurance could pay for most if not all of the costs.

Not sure where you stand with your health insurance deductible? A quick call to your insurance provider will give you the information you need.

WHAT HAPPENS if a mammogram or a physical examination detects a suspicious lump in your breast? In some cases, you may need to have a biopsy performed to remove a small piece of breast tissue for testing. Until fairly recently, a breast

biopsy was an invasive surgical procedure that left a scar. But now, minimally invasive alternatives like a stereotactic breast biopsy or an ultrasound offer a quicker, less costly and generally painless alterna-tive to a surgical biopsy. During a stereotactic breast biopsy, a physician uses X-ray technology and a com-puter to precisely locate the suspected breast tissue. A needle is then inserted to remove a small amount of tissue from the suspicious area.

The benefits of a stereotactic breast biopsy or ultrasound are many. There’s little or no scarring, and the procedures can be performed in less than an hour. Recovery time is brief, and patients

can soon resume their usual activities. Generally, the procedures are not painful and the results are as accurate as when a tissue sample is removed surgically.

Source: Mayo Clinic, webMD

If you’re a patient who mayrequire a breast biopsy, be sureto discuss this safe, accurateand reliable new option withyour physician.For more information about stereotactic breast biopsy or ultrasounds please call 276-596-6000.

NONSURGICALBreast BiopsyAdvanced Technology in the Fight

Against Breast Cancer

Healthy Tips

Vijay Ramakrishnan, MD

Radiologist

Women’s HealthcareOur Female Providers Discuss Primary Care Importance for Women

6 Clinch Valley Health | fall 2015

Pictured from left to right are: Sandy Peery-Norman, DO; Katie Newsome-Deel, FNP-C; Angela Harrison, FNP; and Olivia Bhutia, MD.

www.clinchvalleyhealth.com fall 2015 | Live Well! 7

Women’s Healthcare

MORE THAN one out of three women will develop cancer

during their lifetime. Fortunately, at Clinch Valley Health, we have both the di-agnostic equipment and the screening tests that women need to detect cancer early, when it’s most treatable. Talk to your doctor about which screening tests are right for you.

It is often all too common for women to think their options are limited when it comes to receiving female care and screenings. It is even more com-mon for women to not have a primary care provider for preventative care and routine checkups.

Why is it important for young women to have a primary care provider?Sandy Peery-Norman, DO: “It’s important for young women to have a primary care provider for pre-ventative care. Remember the old say-ing, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ It’s so much easier to catch things early and treat them before they become big problems.”

Why is it common for women to believe they can only receive health care from gynecologists?Olivia Bhutia, MD: “There’s a miscon-ception that only gynecologists can provide services like breast examina-tions and pap smears. Family doctors can also provide these services, as well as many others.”

What are some key steps in health prevention for women?Katie Newsome-Deel, FNP-C: “For prevention, diet, exercise and having all your screenings are so impor-tant. Testing for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as well as bone scans for menopause issues is really important.”

October is breast cancer awareness month, what advice do you have for your female patients when it comes to breast cancer awareness and detection?Angela Harrison, FNP: “Early detec-tion is the key to a good outcome. Self-breast exams save lives. If you think you feel a change seek out your healthcare provider.”

Act Your AgeAges 20 –29

Clinical Breast Exam every one tothree years to check for breast cancer. Liquid-based Pap Test every threeyears to check for cervical cancer,starting at age 21.

Ages 30 –39 Clinical Breast Exam every one tothree years to check for breast cancer. Liquid-based Pap Test and HPVTest every five years to check for cervical cancer.

Ages 40 – 49 Mammogram and Clinical Breast Exam every year to check for breast cancer. Liquid-based Pap Test and HPVTest every five years to check for cervical cancer. Colonoscopy every 10 years orVirtual Colonoscopy every five years to check for colorectal cancer.

Ages 50 –75 Mammogram and Clinical Breast Exam every year to check for breast cancer. Liquid-based Pap Test and HPVTest every five years to check for cervi-cal cancer. At age 65, women who have had normal Pap test results should not be tested unless they have a history of serious cervical pre-cancer. Talk to your doctor about your specific health history to determine your best screening schedule for cervical cancer. Colonoscopy every 10 years orVirtual Colonoscopy every five years to check for colorectal cancer. If you’re age 76 to 85, your doctor can help you decide if you should continue screening.

Source: American Cancer Society

Susan HarrisNurse Practitioner

New Advances in Imaging at Clinch Valley Health

INSIDE THIS ISSUE2 An Interview with Angela

Harrison, FNP3 Melissa’s Breast Cancer Story3 From Our CEO: Worth the Price4 Live It Out: 4 Key Steps to Detect Breast

Cancer as Early as Possible5 Nonsurgical Breast Biopsy Procedures5 A Healthy Way to Save Money6 Female Providers Talk About

Women’s Health8 New Advances in Imaging at Clinch

Valley Health

8 Clinch Valley Health | fall 2015 www.clinchvalleyhealth.com

CLINCH VALLEY HEALTH has recently installed a state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The new MRI delivers both remark-able image quality and high productivity. MRI diagnostic scan-ning uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases, MRI gives more detailed information about structures in the body than can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or com-puted tomography (CT) scan. Doctors may order MRI scans to help diagnose multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, torn ligaments, tendonitis, cancer – including breast and prostate, and strokes, for example.

Peter Mulkey, Chief Executive Officer at Clinch Valley Health stated, “Our new MRI Suite will allow us to better meet commu-nity needs and enhance our ability to provide quality care close to home. The Suite provides a calming patient environment with leading edge technology and we are very excited to offer that here at Clinch Valley Health.”

The Clinch Valley Health’s MRI Suite is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Patients with a prescription for a MRI from their personal physician may schedule an MRI outpatient appointment.

Call Clinch Valley Health at

276-596-6000 for more

information!

6801 Gov. G.C. Perry Hwy, Richlands, VA 24641 • 276-596-6000 • www.clinchvalleyhealth.com • Fall 2015, Vol. 8, Issue 4

LiveWell! is published as a community service by Clinch Valley Health. It in no way seeks to diagnose or treat ill-ness or to serve as a substitute for professional medical care. For individual guidance, consult your physician. For more information about Clinch Valley Health or any-thing in this publication, please call 276-596-6000.