stlukescr.org

Spring 2012

B E A T

St. Luke’s

Teen’s stroke recovery Learn the warning signs PAGE 6

Robotic surgeryMore proceduresnow available PAGE 4

Sweaty hands & feetA solution for a toughproblem PAGE 8

Ask the expertImproving patientsatisfaction PAGE 12

4 - 5

2 - 3

10 11 8 -9

Connect with St. Luke’s at stlukescr.org

On the cover

Christopher Haley in his school

library.

stlukescr.org

Winter 2012

St. Luke’s

Learn the warning signs PAGE 4

Easy early detection steps PAGE 2

Quick care thanks to Lifeguard PAGE 8

Woman meets namesake during delivery PAGE 10

What’s Inside

1 Health Clips Health news you can use.

2 - 3 Lesson learned Severe pneumonia lands a Cedar Rapids woman in the hospital.

4 - 5 More uses for robotic surgery Minimally invasive procedure now available for a wider range of operations.

6 - 7 Teen’s stroke recovery St. Luke’s Emergency Department cares for a young stroke patient.

8 - 9 No more sweaty hands or feet A simple treatment cures an embarrassing problem.

10 Remotely monitoring a patient’s health Machine transmits medical data from home.

11 Living the Mission St. Luke’s nurse handles all the details to make surgeries run smoothly.

12 Ask the Expert How is St. Luke’s improving the patient and family experience?

13 For your health Timely health and medical news.

Missed the last issue?

Stories from Health Beat, Winter 2012,

are available at stlukescr.org.

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. 2 l Spring 2012

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

Health Clips

St. Luke’s Hospital recently received two prestigious designations from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA).

St. Luke’s has been designated as a Primary Stroke Center and is Heart Failure Certified. St. Luke’s is the only Iowa hospital to receive the heart fail-ure certification and one of ten hos-pitals statewide awarded the Primary Stroke Center designation.

This is the first year for an enhanced alliance between The Joint Commis-sion and the American Heart Associa-tion/American Stroke Association,

St. Luke’s recognized for stroke, heart failure treatments

CarFit: Prolong the good driving yearsOlder drivers are often the safest drivers – however, they are more likely to be seriously injured when a crash occurs. Properly adjusted cars can significantly increase safety for older drivers, and St. Luke’s is hosting a free service, called CarFit, to ensure optimal fitting – and safety! Schedule early, these free 20-minute appointments will fill up quickly!

Saturday, May 5 8 a.m.-NoonSurgery Center Cedar Rapids parking lot 1075 1st Ave. SE

Appointment required, call 319/369-8877 to schedule.

Celebrating 25 years of protecting children

which was originally formed in 2003 to help organizations provide more comprehensive and appropriate care for patients nationwide at Certified Primary Stroke Centers and Heart Failure Programs.

This enhanced alliance combines the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s scientific expertise with The Joint Commission’s 60 years of experience in evaluating the quality and safety of care in healthcare orga-nizations. This alliance was created to better educate patients about hospi-tals providing the “next generation of stroke or heart failure care.”

St. Luke’s Child Protection Center (CPC) was formed in 1987 because of the rise in suspected cases of child sexual and physical abuse. Each agency was dealing with these cases in their own departments and not working together. So St. Luke’s became the place where everyone came together.

The CPC works in 40 counties with law enforcement agencies and the Department of Human Services (DHS) in responding to allegations of exposure of children to illegal drugs, sexual and physical abuse and re-ports that children have witnessed violence. In 1987, 300 children were seen at the CPC. Last year over 1,200 kids were seen.

To mark its 25th anniversary the CPC is hosting a community celebration.

Saturday, April 28 • Noon-3 p.m.Hiawatha Community Center 101 Emmons Street FREE games & activities for children. Bring a ball (football, basketball, soccer, etc) to donate to the CPC children.

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Lesson learned

Severe pneumonia lands

Cedar Rapids woman in the hospital

Let Muriel Owen’s experience be a lesson to us all.

“I thought I was fine,” said Muriel Owen. “I told everyone I was fine. But I was definitely not fine.”

Late last year the 74-year-old Cedar Rapids woman thought she was fight-ing a routine cold. After weeks of no improvement she finally went to see her family doctor.

“Turns out I had pneumonia and was prescribed an antibiotic,” said Owen.

But her story doesn’t end there. After taking antibiotics for several days – her condition worsened.

“I collapsed at home and wasn’t able to get up on my own,” said Owen. “So my husband called an ambulance and the paramedics helped me up. I didn’t go to the hospital because I kept telling everyone I was fine. I really thought I was. I thought the antibiotics just hadn’t kicked in yet.”

A few days later the same thing happened again. Owen was sitting in a living room chair when she fell out of it.

“It was in the middle of the night,” recalled Owen. “I didn’t want to wake

my husband so I just laid there until morning. Obviously my mental state at the time was not sharp. I remember my daughter coming over in the morn-ing and she and my husband called an ambulance. I wasn’t really coherent and didn’t know what was going on.”

Muriel Owen at her Cedar Rapids home.

3St. Luke’s Health Beat | Spring 2012 |

James Boddicker, MD, Internists, PC

This time Owen went to St. Luke’s Emergency Department.

ICU stay“I only remember bits and pieces of when I arrived at St. Luke’s,” said Owen. “They went to work on me right away and I was admitted to the hospital. My heart was beating fast and I wasn’t breathing well. I was confused. I was obviously a lot sicker than I realized.”

“Muriel Owen was admitted to St. Luke’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” said James Boddicker, MD, Internists, PC and St. Luke’s Intensive Care Unit medical director. “She was in mild to moderate respiratory failure and experiencing heart palpitations. She had pneumonia in both lungs.”

Dr. Boddicker treated her pneumonia with antibiotics, prescribed steroids to help reduce swelling in the lungs and ordered breathing treatments.

“The nurses hooked me up to a lot of things and I lived happily ever after,” Owen said. “Honestly it was an adventure that didn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time.”

“Some people can get a viral infection and because their immune system is already weak they can get a secondary bacterial infection on top of the initial infection and can get really sick,” said Dr. Boddicker. “Most people who develop pneumonia get better with antibiotics and don’t have to go to the hospital. But sometimes these ill-nesses get out of hand before an individual realizes they are really sick.”

Once her condition improved she was moved out of the ICU and placed in a room in the center wing of the hospital.

“I finally started to feel like myself again,” said Owen. “It was then when I finally began to comprehend the excel-lent care I was receiving. What im-pressed me was that each of my nurses made suggestions to me as to what I could do to get well. They would take the time to treat me and talk to me. If I had a question they would stop and answer my question.”

A note of thanksAfter a ten day stay at St. Luke’s, Owen was well enough to return home. A short time later she put into words her gratitude to the St. Luke’s team in a letter to Ted Townsend, St. Luke’s President and CEO.

“I wrote Mr. Townsend a thank you let-ter because I had so many nice nurses and staff during my stay,” said Owen. “I thought it was the best approach to letting them all know how much their excellent care and kindness meant to me during such a difficult time.”

“ Sometimes these illnesses get out of hand before an individual realizes they are really sick.”

As much as she appreciated her excellent hospital care she is glad to be home and enjoying reading and quilting once again.

“Take my advice and get help if you find yourself in a similar situation,” said Owen. “Don’t fight it. If you don’t get better listen to others around you and see your doctor.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s and its quality measures to ensure the best possible care, log on to stlukescr.org/qualitymeasures.

Watch Muriel Owen’s story on St. Luke’s YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/murielowen.

Share your St. Luke’s story with us – e-mail it to stlukes@stlukescr.org.

More uses for robotic surgery

My options were I could continue taking the four medications I was on for the rest of my life or I could have the tumor surgically removed. I’m only 33, so I didn’t want to continue the medications for the rest of my life.”

The adrenal glands are two triangular organs that sit on top of the kidneys. They’re primarily responsible for releasing a number of important regulatory hormones.

“Caryn was a good candidate for sur-gery,” said Kevin Kopesky, MD, Physi-cians’ Clinic of Iowa Surgical Specialists. “I recommended we remove the tumor using the da Vinci surgical robot.”

Using robotic surgery for an adrenal-ectomy is minimally invasive and is an effective alternative to traditional open and laparoscopic surgery.

“I didn’t know much about robotic surgery when it was first discussed,” said Cira. “It was scary to think of having surgery. I didn’t know what to expect and I was pretty nervous.”

Iowa’s robotic leaderSt. Luke’s was the first Cedar Rapids hospital to acquire the technology in

2005. To date more than 1,880 robotic sur-geries have been performed at the hospital. More robotic surgeries are performed at St. Luke’s than any other hospital in the state making St. Luke’s Iowa’s robotic leader. In fact the maker of the da Vinci Surgical System has designated St. Luke’s as the world’s most experienced Robotic Epicenter, which means surgeons from other parts of the country travel to the hospital to learn how to perform gyneco-logical robotic surgery.

Dr. Kopesky, a general surgeon, started performing robotic colon resection surgery last fall. He uses the robot for general sur-geries including gall bladder removal and correcting acid reflux. The da Vinci robot allows surgeons to operate through a few tiny incisions, with greater precision and control. Robotic surgery helps surgeons minimize the pain and risk associated with traditional surgery, while increasing the chances for a fast recovery and excellent clinical outcomes.

“I have to admit I was initially a skeptic about robotic surgery,” said Dr. Kopesky. “But after learning more about the da Vinci from other surgeons who used it I was impressed. I have been doing laparoscopic surgery, which is also minimally invasive, for many years but I feel in some cases

Nearly two years ago Caryn Cira was hospitalized after ex-

periencing heart palpitations and weakness in her legs. She was diagnosed with low potassium and high blood pressure.

Initially the Coggon woman took medi-cation to control these issues until the same thing happened again a short time later. Cira then underwent a battery of tests that pinpointed the cause of these reoccurring issues.

“A tumor was found on my adrenal gland that was causing my blood pres-sure to go up and my potassium to drop,” said Cira. “I was told almost all of the tumors like I had are noncancerous.

Kevin Kopesky, MD, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa Surgical Specialists

“Patients don’t necessarily know they are getting a better surgery but they do know when they go home in a day and a half as opposed to five.”

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robotic surgery is a better way to operate. It was time to learn this new way to operate and I thought it was something we needed in Cedar Rapids.”

How it worksThe surgeon uses a special console with hand and foot controls to move the robotic arms, which hold the instruments to operate.

“The surgical robot is powerful,” said Dr. Kopesky. “It’s precise and has better visualization. This is a demonstrably better surgery. Patients don’t necessarily know they are getting a better surgery but they do know when they go home in a day and a half as opposed to five.”

Cira had her robotic adrenalectomy on December 14, 2011, at St. Luke’s. She stayed in the hospital for one day before going home.

“Everyone was so nice and helpful during my stay at St. Luke’s,” Cira said. “I had only four tiny incisions. I wasn’t in much pain. Overall I felt pretty good.”

Cira took a week off of her full-time job and was feeling like her old self again only a couple of weeks after surgery.

“After my surgery I saw Dr. Kopesky in his office to make sure I was healing properly,” said Cira. “I remember when I saw him he said something like ‘don’t take this the wrong way but your surgery was kind of fun.’ I think he felt that way because I had such a great outcome and he was able to perform a procedure that basically cured me.”

“I wanted to use the da Vinci for Caryn’s surgery because it delivers great visualiza-tion,” said Dr. Kopesky. “I was able to see the entire tumor, rather than feel it as I would have with laparoscopic surgery. I’ll start using robotic surgery for more and

St. Luke’s Health Beat | Spring 2012 | 5

Robotic surgery proceduresOperations performed at St. Luke’s using the da Vinci surgical robot include:

• Prostatectomy (prostate removal)

• Pyeloplasty (for blockage of the urinary system)

• Nephrectomy (kidney removal)

• Partial nephrectomy (partial removal of the kidney)

• Hysterectomy (uterus removal)

• Sacral colpopexy (vaginal prolapse)

• Myomectomy (fibroid removal)

• Endometriosis procedures

• Fallopian tubal reversal

• Colon resections

• Cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal)

• Adrenalectomy (adrenal gland removal)

• Nissen procedure (procedure to correct acid reflux or GERD)

• Ileostomy (bowel diversion surgery)

Cira with her children at her Coggon home.

more procedures where we know there is a distinct advantage.”

Another advantage was Cira’s fast recovery. She was back to chasing her six-year-old daughter, Addison, and two-year-old son, Michael, in no time.

“I would definitely recom-mend robotic surgery,” said Cira. “The short recovery is so nice. And I’m happy to report I haven’t needed any of the medications I was taking prior to my surgery. My blood pressure is back to normal and so am I.”

To learn more about robotic surgery at St. Luke’s, visit stlukescr.org/robotics.

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Teen’s stroke recoveryMichele Frederick thought her 14-year-old son Christopher Haley

was joking with her just a couple of days before Christmas last year when he told her he couldn’t move his right side.

Christopher Haley back at school after a stroke last winter.

“My mom and I were wrapping presents and giving them to Christo-pher to carry upstairs for us,” recalled Frederick. “He came down and started acting very strange. Initially we thought he was giving us a hard time because he didn’t want to carry any more presents upstairs for us.”

But they quickly realized what was happening to Christopher was no laughing matter.

“All of a sudden my right side went numb and I slowly collapsed,” said Haley. “I somehow managed to make my way downstairs to tell my mom and grandma. My mom called our family doctor who urged us to get to the hospital right away.”

“He had difficulty talking,” said Frederick. “His speech was very af-fected and he lost his peripheral vision on his right side. It was very scary. You don’t expect your healthy teen son to have a stroke.”

Once Haley arrived at St. Luke’s Emergency Department a team of doctors, nurses and specialists sprang into action.

“We immediately identified the symptoms Christopher was having as signs of a stroke,” said Donald Linder, DO, St. Luke’s Emergency Room (ER) doctor. “He had a sudden weakness on the right side of his body, reduced vision and impaired speech. These are all classic stroke symptoms.”

Stroke protocol“We have an excellent stroke protocol we follow when we believe someone is having a stroke,” said Thomas Striegel, DO, St. Luke’s ER doctor. “This sets into motion a series of steps we take to treat the pa-tient ensuring they are getting the right care at the right time. Time is of the essence when it comes to treating someone who is having a stroke.”

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

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

There are three main types of stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it starts to die. A hemorrhagic stroke is another kind of stroke and occurs when a blood vessel ruptures, preventing blood flow to the brain. A transient ischemic at-tack (TIA), or “mini stroke,” is an ischemic event, which resolves spontaneously.

When someone comes to the hospital having an ischemic stroke, the type Haley experienced, the FDA-approved clot-bust-ing drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) must be administered within a three-hour window from the onset of symptoms to work best. If given promptly, tPA can significantly reduce the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability.

According to the American Stroke Associa-tion only three to five percent of those who suffer a stroke reach the hospital in time to be considered for this treatment.

“At 14, Chris was a young stroke patient,” said Dr. Striegel. “That was concerning for us. There isn’t a lot of data available out there about using tPA on someone so young or on how much they should be given. We worked with the adult stroke team at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) to determine the best approach. We ended up giving tPA to Chris through an IV and did so just under the important three-hour window. If tPA is given more than three hours after stroke symptoms are first

noticed then the risks increase for secondary bleeding in the brain.”

“Drs. Linder and Striegel were excellent,” said Frederick. “The whole team at St. Luke’s ER was great. Dr. Striegel was good about answering all of our questions and talking to Christopher at a level he could understand.”

After Haley received tPA he was stabilized and St. Luke’s Lifeguard Air Ambulance transferred him to UIHC where there was a pediatric neurologist to care for him. After a two-day stay he was sent home. Haley started physical and occupational therapy at St. Luke’s a short time later.

“Christopher initially struggled to walk,” said Megan Andresen, St. Luke’s physical therapist. “When I first saw him he was using a cane and his right leg was weak. We did a lot of work to build up his strength. This included walking on a treadmill, jumping and hopping.”

“ We have an excellent stroke protocol we follow when we believe someone is having a stroke.”

Thomas Striegel, DO, St. Luke’s ER

Stroke symptomsIf you or a loved one has these symptoms – call 911 or go to the nearest ER!

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Tremendous care“I still have some pain in my right leg and headaches,” said Haley. “But I was able to return to school as we continue to work on these issues.”

“Christopher’s recovery is ongoing,” said Frederick. “We are so thankful for everyone at St. Luke’s. I am grateful for the tremendous care.”

Watch a video tour of St. Luke’s ER at stlukescr.org and learn more about St. Luke’s prestigious Primary Stroke Center designa-tion from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Asso-ciation (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA).

Donald Linder, DOSt. Luke’s ER

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No more sweaty hands or feet

Treating an embarrassing problem

For nearly 50 years Don Hasbrousk would come up with one excuse or another to avoid going to someone’s home. That’s because the

52-year-old Marion man had an embarrassing problem.

“Anytime my feet would get wet – my problem would start,” said Hasbrousk. “I was buying four to five new pairs of shoes a year. As you can imagine my family com-plained. I wasn’t allowed to walk inside the house with my work shoes. I would take them off outside, remove my socks and im-mediately take them to the washer. Then I would wash my feet and put on a new pair of shoes but this only helped for so long.”

He tried everything to prevent his feet from sweating and to mask the odor.

“I’ve tried foot powders, mouthwash, vinegar, odor eaters,” said Hasbrousk. “Nothing has worked. I’ve had this problem all of my life.”

So when Hasbrousk was treated at St. Luke’s Therapy Plus for a sprained ankle three years ago he mentioned his problem to Physical Therapist Assistant Jill Kreitman.

“He had to take off his shoes during treat-ment and he was apologizing to me in advance for the odor,” recalled Kreitman. “I think he was very embarrassed. So I mentioned to him that we might be able to help him. He mentioned his doctor was concerned because his feet were so sweaty that he was developing sores and that’s not good because he has diabetes.”

A solution for extreme sweating“A few physical therapists, including my-self, had just attended a conference where we learned about a new treatment for ex-treme sweating, known as hyperhidrosis,” said Sheli Christianson, St. Luke’s Therapy Plus physical therapist. The treatment is called iontophoresis and when it is used

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Don Hasbrousk in his Marion home.

“I’ve always had trouble with my feet sweating,” said Hasbrousk. “I mean they sweat really badly. And when they sweat they put off a very strong odor. I was ashamed of going places. When you go to someone’s house and they ask you to take your shoes off, you don’t want to

do that because the smell is bad. So I would just make excuses and avoid it all together.”

Hasbrousk works outside. Being outside in the elements would also get his feet wet, which would in turn create an unpleasant odor.

Marked improvement“Don received about ten treatments over the course of two weeks,” said Chris-tianson. “After the fifth treatment he was already noticing marked improvement.”

“After my ten treatments I was about 85 percent better,” said Hasbrousk. “This was a huge improvement to me.”

“We noticed his skin breakdown was already getting better by the time we discharged him from treatment,” said Kreitman. “This was because his feet were not sweating nearly as much as they did.”

“To be honest I didn’t think this would work,” said Hasbrousk. “To this day, three years later I am still seeing very little sweating in my feet. They still sweat a little but not like they did before. It has been a great thing for me.”

Life-changing therapy“He told me the therapy was life-changing for him,” said Kreitman. “He says his wife actually allows him in the house with his work shoes on now. The fact that we were able to perform such a simple treatment and make such a difference in his life is very satisfying to me.”

“My family probably wanted to shake their hands at St. Luke’s Therapy Plus,”

“The fact that we were able to perform such a simple treatment and make such a difference in his life is very satisfying to me.”

Jill Kreitman, Physical Therapist Assistant

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

for hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet it obstructs sweat flow and secretion. For people with hyperhidrosis, ionto-phoresis treatments typically result in dramatically decreased sweating with a very high success rate: over 80 percent, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Iontophoresis has been typically used as a treatment for inflammation of tissues surrounding a joint. A medicated patch delivers various medications through the skin to the inflamed area by means of electricity. Using a low-volt direct electri-cal current, the medicine penetrates through the skin into the affected area. The machine uses a nine-volt battery.

During treatment for sweaty hands and feet, St. Luke’s physical therapists use the iontophoresis machine without the medi-cine patches. The patient’s hands or feet are placed into water, and then a gentle current of electricity is passed through. The patient may feel a light tingling sen-sation. The therapy generally lasts about 40 minutes and requires several sessions.

“They said they had this treatment to try, and I admit I was a bit skeptical,” recalled Hasbrousk. “I mean I thought I had tried everything. And I mean everything. Why would this work?”

All that was needed for Hasbrousk to begin the treatment was a doctor’s order, which the team at St. Luke’s Therapy Plus helped obtain.

exclaimed Hasbrousk. “I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to try it if you were having the issues I was.”

Hasbrousk is also happy to report he’s only needed to buy two pairs of shoes this year.

“The best thing is, I don’t have to worry anymore about going some-where and taking off my shoes,” said Hasbrousk. “It’s taken care of and I’m no longer embarrassed!”

To learn more about treatment for sweaty hands and feet contact St. Luke’s Therapy Plus at 319/369-8107.

Physical Therapist Sheli Christianson shows an iontophoresis device used for treatment.

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Ilene Whitney hasn’t left her home in two years. A medical condition

has made the Center Point woman homebound. She’s quick to point out it doesn’t slow her down.

“I’m just a simple Iowa farm girl,” said Whitney. “Everything I need is right here. I even still work for the Linn Newsletter, which is the local newspa-per. I’ve sold ads for them for over 40 years. I do it from the comfort of my home.”

It takes a lot to get Whitney down. So when her adult children made their daily phone call to her earlier this year they quickly realized something wasn’t right.

Remotely monitoring a patient’s health

“I couldn’t talk,” recalls Whitney. “Everything was slow for me. I was disori-ented. I was afraid I was having a stroke. So my kids called for help and I arrived at St. Luke’s Hospital in an ambulance.”

Doctors determined she had a slow heart rate. After a change in medication and an overnight stay in the hospital Whitney was able to return home.

“Her doctor ordered a Telehealth monitor,” said Deb Sands, St. Luke’s Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) nurse. “These temporary monitors are installed in a patient’s home. It allows us to moni-tor weight, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. This information is e-mailed to a VNA nurse daily. If there is a medical issue it allows us to contact the patient to make sure they are OK and then the doctor to address any immediate concerns.”

How it worksTelehealth monitoring takes place through a modem, which is plugged into a telephone jack. Patients typically use the device for a few weeks to a couple of months until they are recovered.

“It has been really nice to have it here at my house,” said Whitney. “I have a nurse who rents a room from me that helps me use it every day but I think I could use it on my own if I had to. It gives me peace of mind knowing it will note any changes in my condition.”

“In addition to the Telehealth monitor I visit Ilene once a week to do an overall medical check,” said Ashley Perez, St. Luke’s VNA nurse. “She has been doing really well and knowing her medi-cal information prior to visiting her gives me a sense of how she is doing and any-thing that may need attention.”

Telehealth monitoring is available through St. Luke’s VNA with a doctor’s order. It is mostly used for patients who have had repeated hospitalizations or any condition requiring frequent monitoring or tracking of vital signs to assist in clini-cal management, such as congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“It has been great to have this in my home,” said Whitney. “It has given me great comfort after my recent hospital stay. I’ve had wonderful care from the VNA nurses. They are always very professional and kind.”

To learn more about the Telehealth monitor or any of the services the VNA provides, please call 319/369-7990.

Ilene Whitney with her VNA Telehealth monitor.

St. Luke’s Health Beat | Spring 2012 | 11

You are part of Kiley Stineman’s family when you enter St. Luke’s

Operating Room (OR). The OR nurse is dedicated to each and every patient.

“I feel like I am part of a family working in the OR and when a patient comes through our doors they become our family and we become their advocate. We keep them safe while they are under our care.”

Stineman is the nurse supervisor for the St. Luke’s gynecology and urology team

missionLiving our

To give the healthcare we’d like our loved ones to receive.

Handling the details

“When a patient comes through our doors they become our family and we become their advocate.”

Kiley Stineman, OR nurse supervisor

is the ultimate patient advocate in making sure we have everything we need and goes the extra mile thinking of things we didn’t know we needed. Patient safety is always her priority.”

“I feel we are fortunate to have an or-ganized, level-headed and extremely flexible person leading our team and

working side-by-side with the surgeons,” said Janna Petersen, St. Luke’s periopera-tive services director.

“A lot of the work is done behind the scenes that patients don’t see,” said

Stineman. “It’s important work that leads to the excellent patient outcomes we have at St. Luke’s.”

Stineman is most proud that St. Luke’s robotic surgery team is a designated Epicenter for robotic surgery, which means surgeons from across the coun-try travel to St. Luke’s to learn from the most experienced team in the nation.

“I was a patient myself not too long ago in our OR,” said Stineman. “I had the upmost confidence going into surgery because I knew I was going to be treated like family. Everyone should know that about the nurses at St. Luke’s. We’re proud of what we do and we’ll make sure you are well taken care of.”

in St. Luke’s OR. Stineman and her team care for nearly 3,000 patients each year. She’s worked at St. Luke’s for over a decade and considers it a privi-lege to work alongside an outstanding team of nurses and surgeons.

“I love what I do,” said Stineman. “Every day is different. I really like

that aspect of my job. You get to work with different patients and doctors every day. Some days I assist the surgeon during the operation and other days I support the team by getting instruments, medications or whatever they may need.”

In 2005 surgeons started performing robotic surgeries at St. Luke’s. Stineman is the coordinator of this program making sure things run smoothly and nothing is overlooked.

“Kiley is an extraordinary nurse,” said Jerry Rozeboom, MD, OB-GYN Associates. “She is an absolute bless-ing to St. Luke’s OR and the robotics program. She is extremely organized, knowledgeable and hardworking. She

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How is St. Luke’s improving the patient and family experience?

Being a patient isn’t easy but St. Luke’s goes to great

lengths to provide expert clinical care along with exceptional care that addresses every aspect of a patient’s encounter.

About five years ago St. Luke’s started working with the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care. This is a national organization working with us to shape our policies, programs, facility design and staff day-to-day interactions to improve patient health outcomes and family satisfaction.

Hospitals, like St. Luke’s, that prac-tice patient and family centered care recognize the vital role families play in ensuring the health and well-being of the hospitalized patient.

It is our desire to exceed the ex-pectations of patients and families.

One way we work to accomplish this is through Patient Advisory Councils. These advisory councils include em-ployees and former St. Luke’s patients who meet regularly to provide real- time feedback and creative solutions to specific challenges that affect patients and families. To date, St. Luke’s has approximately 60 former patients acting as advisors on various councils.

These councils have created several programs and initiatives that enhance the patient and family experience:

• Our advisors have helped us re-design our patient room communication white boards to make them more user friendly.

• Advisors have also provided valuable feedback for our in-patient re- modernization, assuring privacy and family space.

• Patient admission packets were recenly updated, incorporating the feedback from patients and families.

• Ask Me 3 is a tool designed to improve health communication between patients and staff and encourages patients to ask questions about their condition.

• Our Take 5 initiative encourages all caregivers to take five minutes to make a connection with the patient and their family, like they would want for their loved ones to receive.

• CARE Rounding is an intentional, visual check on every patient. The goal of CARE Rounds is to anticipate our patients’ needs, decrease wait times and increase safety and satisfaction.

To learn more about family- centered care at St. Luke’s, call 319/369-7217.

ExpertAsk the

“As a former NICU mom I felt I could offer nurses a glimpse of what it was like to have a very small, sick baby. I think my feedback helps St. Luke’s staff provide better care for babies and their families and to make the transition to home the best it can be!”

Paige Eastburn, NICU mom & St. Luke’s Birth Care family advisory council member

Mary Ann OsbornVP, Chief Clinical Officer

St. Luke’s Health Beat | Spring 2012 | 13

HealthFor your

In My Shoes: Finding a New Normal Many kids who lose a loved one find they also lose their day-to-day “normal.” Life turns upside down, emotions surge, friendships change – it can be really hard to get back on track. Finding that new normal can be a lot easier when kids know there are others in their shoes. Grieving children and teens, as well as family and professionals who support them, will hear helpful insight and advice for finding happiness again.

Thursday, April 19 • 6:30 – 8 p.m.Kirkwood Training & Outreach Center 3375 Armar Dr., Marion (across from Carlos O’Kelly’s)

Cancer Prevention on Your Plate!You’ve heard that “an apple a day will keep the doctor away.” In fact, a healthy diet can improve your health and certain foods can actually decrease your risk of cancer. Attend this program to learn which foods pack the most cancer-fighting power – as well as which foods you’ll want to avoid!

Tuesday, April 24 • 6:30 p.m. St. Luke’s Hospital, 3rd Floor Nassif Heart Center Classrooms

Cooking with a cardiologist Healthy cooking classes – come with an appetite for knowledge and leave heart-smart!

Tuesday, April 24 Collins Road Hy-Vee, 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 26 Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 1 Johnson Avenue Hy-Vee, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 3 Edgewood Road Hy-Vee, 6 p.m.

FRee! To register for these events, call 319/369-8068 or visit stlukescr.org/livewell

Pre-registration is required, visit cardiologistslc.com or call 319/739-2085.

| stlukescr.org

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We apologize for mailing problems such as duplicate copies. If you have questions or concerns about Health Beat magazine, please call us at 319/369-7395 or e-mail stlukes@crstlukes.com.

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