Advancing a Vision

Transcription

Advancing a Vision

Community Education
How to Reach Us
Annual Report
NorthBay Medical Center
(707) 429-3600
The Art of Breastfeeding—Learn the “how to’s”
of breastfeeding. This class addresses the health
benefits for mom and baby, the role of the
father, the working mom and more. Cost: $15.
Call (707) 399-6437.
Brothers & Sisters To Be—Prepare children ages
3–9 for the arrival of a new baby. Cost: $10 per
family. Call (707) 399-6437.
C-Section Preparation—Individual counseling
available to women delivering at NorthBay
Medical Center who may require a C-section.
Cost: Free. Call (707) 399-6437.
Diabetes Self-Management Training — Comprehensive Diabetes and Nutrition Education provided
by a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes
Educator through NorthBay Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes. Individual appointments
by doctor’s referral only (those with Medicare or
a NorthBay physician). Call (707) 454-3115.
Discipline is 1-2-3 Magic*—Simple, effective discipline strategies for children 2–12. This program is
easy to learn and it works. Cost: $30 per couple.
Call (707) 421-4155.
Labor of Love—A six-week prepared childbirth
class for moms and dads or coaches; register in
fourth month of pregnancy or earlier. Cost: $75.
Call (707) 399-6437.
Labor of Love in Review—One-session childbirth
refresher course for moms and labor partners.
Pre-requisite: previous attendance in a prepared
childbirth education course. Cost: $20. Call
(707) 399-6437.
Prenatal Care—Expectant mothers learn important information about pregnancy. Topics
include nutrition, exercise, fetal growth and
development, “pregnancy do’s and don’ts,”
and much more. It is recommended this class
be taken as early in pregnancy as possible.
Cost: $10.00. Call (707) 399-6437.
Maternity Orientation and Tour — A tour of
the NorthBay Medical Center’s maternity unit.
Information about hospital registration, birth
certificates, and available birthing options
provided. Cost: Free. Call (707) 399-6437.
Newborn Care—Expectant parents are instructed
on daily care, nutrition, safety, and development
for the first few months of life. One-session course.
Cost: $15. Call (707) 399-6437.
Parenting in Today’s World*—This course covers
the emotional needs of children from birth through
19 years. Call (707) 421-4155.
Parenting the Young Toddler (9–24 months)*—
This class helps parents understand the unique
needs of a toddler. Call (707) 421-4155.
Parenting the Older Toddler (24–36 months)*—
Topics for this class include toddler development,
problem solving, nutrition, age appropriate
books and games, toilet training and more.
Call (707) 421-4155.
Parent Project Jr. (5–10 years)**—Six-week
parenting skills program created to help parents
prevent and intervene in destructive behaviors.
Class is taught in English and Spanish. Call
(707) 428-7327.
Parent Project Sr. (11–18 years)**— A highly
structured parenting skills program created to
help parents prevent and intervene in the most
destructive of adolescent behaviors. Class is taught
in English and Spanish. Call (707) 428-7327.
Siblings’ Birthing Preparation—Parents who are
considering having children present during delivery
can have one-on-one counseling. Cost: Free.
Call (707) 399-6437.
Twins and Triplets Socialization—Solano Parents
of Twins and Triplets offer socialization and support to the parents of multiples in Solano County.
Cost: $27 annual fee. www.solanotwins.com.
Caregivers’ Support Group—Anyone involved in
caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or
a dementia-related illness is invited to participate.
Monthly. Cost: Free. Call (707) 454-3006.
SAND (Support After Neonatal Death)—Friendship and understanding for parents experiencing
grief over the loss of a pregnancy or infant. Cost:
Free. Call (707) 429-6996.
* These classes are offered by the Fairfield-Suisun Adult
School in collaboration with NorthBay Healthcare.
NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
(707) 446-4000
NorthBay Center for Primary Care
Green Valley (707) 864-9999
Vacaville (707) 455-3000
Fairfield (707) 399-1000
Volume 28 • Number 2
Spring 2008 • Fairfield, CA
NorthBay Cancer Center
(707) 429-6989
www.NorthBay.org
Grief and Bereavement Support Groups —
Adult support group is on-going. Cost: Free.
Call (707) 429-7758.
Teen and Children’s Bereavement Support
Groups —NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement offers
free bereavement support groups for teens, age 13
through 17, and children age 6 through 12 on an
as-needed basis. Cost: Free. For a schedule and
more information, call (707) 429-7758.
Anger Management—Understanding Your Anger*—
This interactive class will help participants analyze
and change their behavior. Topics covered include
Understanding Self Control, Stress Management,
Communication, and Understanding Role Models.
Cost: Free. Call (707) 421-4155.
Cancer Care Support Group— People living with
cancer sharing their experiences, strength and hope.
Group meets first and third Fridays, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: Free. Call (707) 429-7961.
Look Good, Feel Better—A program to help
women currently undergoing cancer treatment
cope with appearance-related side effects of
treatment. Cost: Free. Call (707) 429-7961.
Yoga —Designed to help cancer survivors, those
suffering with pain and anyone coping with stress
of any kind, this ongoing class meets in eight-week
segments and is open to the public. Class is held
on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the
Hospital Annex, conference rooms 1 & 2. Cost:
$40. Call (707) 429-7961.
** These classes are offered by the Fairfield Police
Department in collaboration with NorthBay Healthcare.
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
c/o NorthBay Healthcare Group
1200 B. Gale Wilson Boulevard
Fairfield, CA 94533-3587
Telephone (707) 429-7789
www.northbay.org
Permit #333
Sacramento, CA
Advancing a Vision
Special Report: Poised to Win the Hearts of Solano (see page 12)
CONTENTS
Annual Report 2007–08
2
3
A Foundation of Community Spirit
4
NorthBay’s Fiscal Fitness
Improves Again
6
8
9
A Year of Successful Openings
10
A $320,00 Donation for
“Bloodless Surgery”
VacaValley ED’s First Anniversary
Volunteers Are One of
Our Biggest Assets
As 2007 drew to a close, NorthBay Healthcare was hitting
its stride, with no sign of slowing its rapid pace in pursuit
of its vision: Advancing medical care in our community.
NorthBay Active in Community
Special Report
12
Announcing the NorthBay
Heart & Vascular Center
14
Surgeons Eagerly Await
Cutting Edge OR
16
Seeking Accreditation as
a Chest Pain Center
17
Healing the Heart
with Angioplasties
18
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Treatment Coming to Solano
19
NorthBay’s New Heart
Program Leader
New Technology
20
Specialty Hospitalists
Provide 24-Hour Care
21
New Tools in the Fight
Against Breast Cancer
22
She Swallowed a Camera:
Introducing PillCam ™
23
Electronic Health Records
are Here
24
Joint Replacement Program
a Success
26
NorthBay News
Bolstered by a strong financial performance
last year, the only community-based, notfor-profit health care provider in Solano
County invested heavily in new technology,
new facilities and new medical services. At
the same time, existing ones were enhanced
and expanded.
“We’ve made it our mission to bring
advanced medicine to our communities,”
explains President and CEO Gary Passama.
With its population approaching a half
million residents, Solano County needs a
health care system with a broader range
of advanced medical services, Passama
notes. And if NorthBay does not expand
and provide such things as open heart
surgery and trauma care, no one else will.
“Frankly, the other systems, the bigger corporate ones, do not have any
incentive to do it,” said Passama. “They
can continue to send their patients to
their existing hospitals in other counties,
funneling their patients out of our
community elsewhere.”
Underpinnings of
Advanced Medicine
NorthBay in 2007 accomplished much
of the groundwork for expanding into
advanced medical care.
“We’re not going to operate your
basic primary care hospitals,” promises
Ben Huber, chairman of the Board
of Directors of NorthBay Healthcare
System. “We will be much more for our
communities. That’s our vision. That’s
our commitment to the folks here.”
Huber pointed to the underpinnings
of a new heart and vascular center that
were put in place in 2007. A top-notch
team of surgeons are on board to embark
on a new era for NorthBay, one that will
include open heart surgery and complex
procedures to repair blood vessels.
A state-of-the-art “cardiac catheterization lab” was put in operation in 2007,
a facility that paves the way for advancement in cardiac care.
Back
Cover Community Education
Advancing medicine in the community comprises a host of other
achievements, including:
• Full utilization of the new Emergency
Department at NorthBay VacaValley
Hospital in Vacaville, which opened
last April, and now provides three
times the space previously available
for emergency care for 21,000 patients
expected to use it annually;
• Opening of the NorthBay Joint Replacement Program on the Vacaville campus
offers a comprehensive surgical program for people needing hip or knee
joint replacement;
On the Cover
NorthBay Healthcare CEO
Gary Passama, left, and
Board Chairman Ben Huber
• Accreditation and certification of the
outpatient Surgery Center at NorthBay
VacaValley Hospital, which will add
needed operating rooms, but also lower
the cost of surgery for patients who now
must use the main hospital;
Wellspring is published quarterly
by NorthBay Healthcare, Solano
County’s locally based nonprofit
health care organization.
Editorial Staff:
Steve Huddleston
shuddleston @ northbay.org
Marilyn Ranson
mranson@ northbay.org
Stacey McNeill, Sally Wyatt
and Debbie Hooks
Publication Designer:
Page Design Group
Photographer:
Henry Khoo
NorthBay Healthcare President/CEO Gary Passama, left, and
NorthBay Healthcare Board Chair Ben Huber are leading the
drive to bring advanced healthcare to Solano County.
Construction progressed quickly inside the NorthBay
Administrative Building, which opens in June.
• Design and installation of new software
to put NorthBay in the lead in establishing a system of “paperless” electronic
health records, whereby nurses and
doctors — and eventually patients—
record and retrieve health information
faster and more accurately, resulting in
higher quality patient care; and
• Construction on the 20-acre Green
Valley campus where the new
Administration Center opens this
summer. Moving some departments
out of existing locations will free up
space to add more doctors, to open
new lines of medical services and to
expand existing ones; and
• An innovative “specialty hospitalist”
program to augment the medical
staff of both hospitals. These
physicians range from orthopedic surgeons to obstetrician/gynecologists to general
surgeons (see page 20 for details).
“This all ties back to our vision
and our mission,” says Passama. “We
are connected to the community in
a way unlike other hospitals. We are
here for the long run, expanding and
adding services that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
“We believe the
community deserves
compassionate care,
close to home, so we
will provide it.”
Annual Report Spring 2008
1
A Foundation of
Community Spirit
‘Bloodless’ Surgery’s
$320,000 Shot in the Arm
N
Tireless Volunteers Are Key to Major Improvements in Patient Care
N
othing better displays a community’s
spirit and humanity than the way
it comes together to assist those in need,
especially when that need is life-saving
medical care. In Solano County, no other
organization has stepped up and filled
that role better than NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.
Guided by the principles of decency,
integrity and responsibility, the Foundation
has a simple, yet essential mission: Provide
the community with the most skilled,
modern and compassionate medical care
available anywhere.
Since 1954, the Foundation’s fundraising
has been essential in developing new medical services, expanding existing programs
and acquiring cutting-edge technology
that saves the lives of those cared for each
year by the doctors, nurses and staff of
NorthBay Healthcare System.
A determined group of community
leaders a half century ago saw the need for
a non-profit hospital. On December 29,
1954, the Foundation was incorporated.
Six years later, Intercommunity Memorial
Hospital — which later would become
NorthBay Medical Center — opened its
doors in Fairfield.
NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville opened in 1987 following a remarkable $1.2 million fund drive.
In 2007, the Foundation marked the 20th
anniversary of the genesis of “Partners
in Progress,” the community campaign
that led to construction of the hospital
in Vacaville.
Recognizing the people and businesses
that for two decades continued to give to
2
Spring 2008 Wellspring
the hospital, a donor board now graces
the lobby of the Vacaville hospital.
Former mayor Bill Carroll, who spearheaded the campaign, believed every gift,
no matter how small, deserved recognition. The Foundation fulfilled his wish
by installing a cumulative-giving donor
board in the lobby of VacaValley Hospital.
It complements a special pillar monument outside the Emergency Department
entrance, marking the $500,000 donation
from Genentech that made possible the
new ER and related improvements completed in March 2007.
The other important acknowledgment
is a display honoring members of the
NorthBay Guild for the phenomenal
number of hours they volunteer every
year, and to recognize the dedicated
leadership of that group.
An honor roll of generous, committed
volunteers led fundraising campaigns to
create Solano County’s only communitybased, not-for-profit health care system.
That list includes Mr. Carroll, as well as
the late Albert Porter, Manuel Campos,
Max Rossi, Martha Orr, Walter Graham
and Arne Digerud.
The Foundation’s around-the-clock
work helps maintain more than 60
programs providing care that otherwise
would not be available in our communities, including:
• NorthBay Cancer Center
• NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement
• 24-Hour Emergency Services
• The Wound Care Center
• NorthBay Center for Pain Management
• ABC (A Baby is Coming) Prenatal
Care Program
• And many others for infants, mothers,
children and the elderly.
On the horizon are two extraordinary
initiatives that will further enhance
NorthBay’s position as the leader in
advanced medicine in Solano County.
Plans are in the works for a campaign
to help fund a NorthBay Heart & Vascular
Center. No longer will heart patients
and those with cardiovascular problems
have to leave the county for superior
care. With new facilities and equipment
the program will offer an array of lifesaving procedures, including openheart surgery.
Myriad other projects and programs
benefit from the generosity of donors
and volunteers in our community who
work with NorthBay Healthcare Foundation. Your contributions help NorthBay provide our family, friends and
neighbors the most skilled and compassionate care available. And it’s available
right here at home.
Ways You Can Make a Difference
To find out how you can join the thousands who have helped build a legacy
of compassionate care, close to home,
please contact us:
NorthBay Healthcare Foundation
1455 Oliver Road, Suite 260
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 426-4273
www.northbay.org
orthBay Healthcare will soon have
According to Dr. Don Denmark,
its own cutting-edge technology
NorthBay’s vice president of medical
to conduct “bloodless surgery,” thanks to
affairs, the arrival of the Cell-Saver
a $320,000 donation from a prominent
continuous blood flow technology —
Suisun Valley winemaking family. A
or “bloodless surgery’’— heralds great
patient undergoing surgery will have the
advancement in operating room capaoption of using his or her own blood—
bilities, and ultimately, patient safety.
filtered and re-transfused—during an
Auto transfusions, or “bloodless
operation once new equipment is acquired surgery,” minimizes or eliminates
for NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield.
many risks associated with surgery.
Frank Vezér and his family are making
For instance:
it possible.
• Blood loss is minimized.
“The entire Vezér family is very honored
• Since donated blood is not being
to have the opportunity to give back to a
used, any possibility of the patient
community that has been so kind to our
having a negative reaction to the
family and friends,” said Frank Vezér.
transfusion is eliminated.
“NorthBay Medical Center helped deliver
•
There will be no waiting for
two of our daughters. And their quick
blood to be delivered or screened
actions in the emergency department,
before surgery.
along with our most heartfelt prayers,
saved the life of our niece, Angela, when
• And most patients’ recovery time
she was struck by a drunken driver a few
is accelerated.
years ago on Highway 12.’’
“This also opens the door to
He added, “As many may
NorthBay to employ surknow, the Vezér’s are
gical procedures that
Jehovah’s Witnesses,
are less invasive,”
therefore we take
noted Bill Fell,
the command to
chairman of
love thy neighthe board
bor as thy self
of NorthBay
very seriously.
Healthcare
We thank
Foundation.
NorthBay in
“It also will
giving us this
be a tremenopportunity to
dous asset to
show our love
our planned
to our neighbors
heart and vascuin Solano County.
lar center, that will
Frank and Liz Vezér
This contribution for
be the first and only
the establishment of a
Solano County advanced
bloodless surgery and trauma
cardiovascular program.”
unit not only provides some desperately
The gift to the Foundation was
needed services to the well over 4,000
announced during the “Open That
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Solano County, it
Bottle Night” fundraiser February 23
also provides the most advanced life
at the Hilton Garden Inn.
saving technology and equipment available today to all in the community.”
NorthBay Foundation President Brett
Johnson holds a $30,000 bottle of wine.
Good Wine
For a Good Cause
A donated magnum of Vezér Family
Vineyards’ exclusive 2005 La Sallette
fetched a whopping $30,000 during the
live auction at “Open That Bottle Night,”
an elegant evening of fine wine and great
food held February 23 at the Hilton
Garden Inn in Fairfield.
That could be the highest price ever
paid for a bottle of Suisun Valley wine,
according to Bill Fell, chairman of the
board of NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.
More than 270 wine aficionados and
foodies raised more than $94,000 for
NorthBay Hospice during the live auction.
Sponsors of the Solano Wine & Food
Jubilee were invited to enjoy the culinary
talent of the Hilton’s head chef, James
Aptakin, and the wines of local vintners.
Featured were the Jubilee’s presenting
sponsors: Tina Benedict and Burger King,
Al and Patt Shaw with The Hofmann Co.
and the Nut Tree and Westrust of Vacaville.
“Open That Bottle Night” was the precursor to the Solano Wine & Food Jubilee,
which was held April 25 at the Nut Tree in
Vacaville. Chef Aptakin prepared a gourmet
meal live, a la Food Network, which featured
seafood ceviche, seared sea bass and
scallops and Harris Ranch beef tenderloin.
Wines were paired with each of the five
courses. Local wines served with the meal
were a 2007 Viognier from Capay Valley
Vineyards, a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc from
Kennedy Family Vineyards, Toscano di
Solano 2004 from Shale Peak Vineyards,
a 2005 Merlot and a 2005 Cabernet
Sauvignon from Fred Hearn’s Vitus label
and the 2005 La Salette from Vezér
Family Vineyards.
3
Charity Care Offers
Another Safety Net
Solid fiscal performance in
2007 was needed as the new
year holds many challenges.
Freddy, who came to Fairfield from
Mexico with his father when he was
17, was working for about two years
when he was diagnosed with leukemia.
Fortunately for him, Freddy’s
financial and physical odyssey landed
him in a safety net provided by
NorthBay Healthcare.
Once he became too sick to help
support his family here in Solano
County, and assist his mother and
sister who were still in Mexico, he
became ensnared in the complex web
of public assistance.The system can
be extremely complex and difficult to
navigate, especially for immigrant
workers like Freddy.
When he contemplated heading
back to Mexico to seek treatment
there, his physician, NorthBay Cancer
Center’s Dr. James Long, advised him
it would be a life-threatening trek.
Not only would travel be dangerous,
given his weakened condition, but
medical resources where his family
lived in Mexico were not up to date.
His father was encouraged to apply
for NorthBay’s Charity Program when
Freddy’s options ran out. Other facilities would not take his son.
At first, Freddy was approved with
a $50 co-payment. But after his father
was laid off from his job, even that
modest fee became a burden on the
struggling family. Mission Solano had
provided temporary housing after
they had to give up their apartment.
NorthBay’s Charity Program re-evaluated the family’s situation soon thereafter. Freddy, out of options, was
made eligible for full care at no cost.
There are scores of others who have
been helped by the charity program
over the last decade. In 2007, NorthBay provided more than $11.6 million
in free medical care to people in our
communities who had no health
insurance, no where else to turn.
Freddy’s story is just one of them.
4
Three in a Row
Financial Condition Improves Again
T
he fiscal fitness of NorthBay Healthcare in 2007 improved for the third
consecutive year. “Our performance
reflects the hard work of all, from the
financial folks to the clinical staff to the
support professionals,” says President
and CEO Gary Passama. “This wasn’t
just a windfall, a lucky happenstance. It
took everyone looking for more efficient
ways to improve the care we give
patients every day.
“NorthBay will continue
its mission to provide
compassionate care and
advanced medicine close
to the homes we serve.”
— Gary Passama
President and CEO
“And that’s the important thing. We
were more productive, more efficient,
but we also provided more and better
care for our patients,” he adds.
More patients and more physicians
chose NorthBay in 2007, which resulted
in an increase in operating revenue, says
Chief Financial Officer Art DeNio.
Operating revenue topped $287 million
in 2007, $20 million more than anticipated.
Operating expenses were up $14 million
to budget, reflecting the additional cost
of serving a higher volume of patients.
As of 2007, the cumulative investment
by NorthBay in our communities has
topped $100 million. “We are Vacaville
and we are Fairfield when it comes to
community health care,” noted DeNio.
“Last year alone we invested $38 million
to improve technology and add services
and advanced medicine.”
Being financially sound enables NorthBay to pursue its strategic goal of adding
services that do not exist in the community. Open heart surgery and vascular
procedures, along with advanced trauma
and neurological care for stroke patients,
will take significant investments to launch.
And as good as 2007 looked financially,
the specter of major cuts in Medi-Cal and
Medicare could jeopardize future plans.
Cuts already approved in the state
Legislature equate to an annual drop of
nearly $4 million for NorthBay, including
a loss in matching funds from the federal
government. Even deeper cuts in Medicare—equal to tens of millions of dollars
over the next five years— are proposed
by President Bush.
In January, 55 percent of all patients
served by NorthBay were Medicare
recipients.
The government’s health insurance
plans already shortchange hospitals. For
every $100 in cost for the care a patient
receives, the federal government pays
NorthBay $87 from Medicare. And the
state plan, Medi-Cal, reimburses hospitals $78 for every $100 of care.
“You can see how further cuts in the
reimbursement rates will be devastating,”
Passama says. “Nonetheless, NorthBay
will continue its mission to provide
compassionate care and advanced medicine close to the homes we serve.”
NorthBay Guild Marks 50 Years
of Dedication to Local Healthcare
Half a century ago, a group of Fairfield women promised
to help raise funds to build Intercommunity Hospital. They
went door-to-door, asking their neighbors for donations.
These dedicated women, 66 strong, donated $75,000 to
that first hospital and then united to form the Intercommunity Hospital Guild.
Today the Guild is 200 members strong and remains the
largest financial donor to the NorthBay Healthcare Foundation. Guild volunteers can be found working throughout
NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley
Hospital, at the NorthBay Guild Thrift Shop in Vacaville and planning numerous fund-raising events.
The Guild has contributed more than $3 million
to the foundation, and has pledged $200,000 in
support of the high tech nursing simulation
lab planned for the NorthBay Administrative
Building in Green Valley.
NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
Celebrates 20 Years
When NorthBay VacaValley Hospital opened its doors
in July 1987, it became Vacaville’s first 24-hour health
care facility, culminating years of work by dedicated
local leaders and volunteers. The 50-bed hospital once
sat on the edge of town, surrounded by little more
than fruit orchards and open fields.
Tremendous population growth in Solano County
has proven it opened in the right place at the right
time. Last year, the hospital had more than 21,000
visits to its expanded emergency services.
2007 Milestones
NorthBay Cancer Center Turns 20 Years Old
Twenty years ago, local cancer patients had to travel to
Sacramento or the Bay Area to receive chemotherapy and
radiation treatment. When the NorthBay Cancer Center
opened in 1987, patients could finally remain close to
home while receiving state-of-the-art cancer care.
Three board-certified oncologists and a 100 percent oncology-certified nursing infusion staff comprise the local team.
NorthBay Cancer Center has maintained accreditation
by the Commission on Cancer of the American College
of Surgeons since 1996. Only one in four programs nationwide can claim such a distinction.
The center has actively participated in national clinical
trials for more than a decade, giving Solano County residents
access to new therapies for cancer.
The center is adjacent to NorthBay Medical Center in
Fairfield. For further information, call (707) 429-6989.
Solano Wine & Food Jubilee
Marks 20 Years Supporting Hospice
Solano Wine & Food Jubilee made its debut
21 years ago in the community rooms of a
Fairfield church when a handful of local
wineries and restaurants came together to
raise funds for the newly created NorthBay Hospice &
Bereavement Program.
Hospice provides care for terminally ill people in their
own homes, where they can remain surrounded by loved
ones and friends. It also offers counseling and bereavement services to the entire community without charge.
The Jubilee was popular from the start and grew into
an event that annually raises more than $400,000 for
NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement.
This year the Jubilee was held on April 25 at the Nut
Tree in Vacaville.
5
New Emergency Department Debuts
at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
The crowning achievement of 2007 was the
2007 Was a Year of
Successful New Openings
New Laboratory and Pharmacy Open for Business
NorthBay VacaValley Hospital’s new laboratory and pharmacy opened in April 2007.
Both departments doubled in size and
now house some of the latest equipment
available. The spacious new departments
were designed with help from their staff,
creating an environment comfortable to
work in equipped with the best in patient
care technology.
The laboratory and pharmacy are located
side by side on the second floor of NorthBay
VacaValley Hospital in shelled-in space
set aside for future expansion when the
hospital was built in 1987.
The expanded laboratory provides
ample space for scientists to analyze
blood and urine for inpatients and to
operate its blood bank.
“Doctors rely heavily on lab tests to
detect and prevent disease, as well as
monitor treatment,” says Barbara
Northrup, lab director. “Having both a
state-of-the-art lab and laboratory pro-
fessionals are critical components in
achieving that goal.”
The new pharmacy was designed
both for efficiency and to meet 2008
regulations set by the United States
Pharmacopeia. The pharmacy features a video monitoring system that
allows pharmacists to visually check
IVs at a much faster rate, increasing
both pharmacist and technician productivity and accuracy.
“Doctors rely heavily on lab tests to detect and prevent
disease, as well as monitor treatment. Having both a
state-of-the-art lab and laboratory professionals are
critical components in achieving that goal.”
successful opening of the new $10.8 million
emergency department at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital. Opened in April, it tripled
the size of the existing ER with 10,000 square
feet of space and the most advanced medical
technology available. The new addition
features separate sections devoted to patients
with life-threatening illnesses and injuries and
those who are more moderately ill, meeting
the unique needs of each. Last year, the emergency department treated 21,000 patients.
New Cardiac Cath Lab Opens
in NorthBay Medical Center
A $3.6 million Cardiac Catheterization
Lab replacement project was completed at
NorthBay Medical Center in April 2007.
The 3,600-square-foot facility
conducts the latest vascular and
cardiac imaging procedures.
A new four-bed observation
room was added in October.
Cardiac catheterization is a non-surgical
diagnostic procedure used to evaluate
patients who exhibit chest pain or heart
irregularities. The new lab is the first step
in the development of the NorthBay Heart
& Vascular Center.
— Barbara Northrup
Lab Director
Surgery Center at NorthBay
VacaValley Becomes a Busy Place
T
he Surgery Center at NorthBay
VacaValley, which was completed
last fall in Vacaville, will see a significant increase in activity now that a
lengthy accreditation process is nearly
complete. The 12,000-square-foot, multispecialty surgery center can meet the
needs of all outpatient surgical cases,
according to manager Karen Faria. It
includes three operating rooms, two
procedure rooms and two more specifically designed for pain management.
The center offers the latest in surgical
technology that enables physicians to
maximize patient comfort and privacy.
In March, surveyors completed an
extensive review of the surgery center’s
organization and cases it handled in its
early months of operation. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory
Health Care (AAAHC) gave it a thumbs
up, and verbally informed NorthBay that
the center would receive its Medicare
certification and overall accreditation.
Surgery center administrators in early
April were still awaiting final documents
and paperwork to authorize procedures
for all patients.
When finished, certification will allow
patients with Medicare and Medi-Cal
coverage, as well as managed care health
Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine cuts the
ribbon to officially open the new surgery
center. Surgeon Peter Zopfi, DO, and
NorthBay Healthcare President/CEO
Gary Passama look on.
plans, to have their surgery at the new
facility. The center will accept Blue Cross,
Tricare and Western Health Advantage.
It is pursuing contracts with several
other health plans.
Accreditation by the AAAHC means
the center meets the organization’s
stringent standards in patient safety,
quality and value for ambulatory
health care.
For information about The Surgery
Center at NorthBay VacaValley, please
call (707) 446-2800.
Hilborn Office Opens
The NorthBay Center for Primary Care
opened a new medical office in Fairfield in
February 2007. Located at 2458 Hilborn
Road, the office is designed to accommodate
eight physicians and includes 25 exam rooms
and an x-ray lab. Physicians currently practicing at this location are, from left, Family
Practitioner Son Lam Nguyen, DO; Internists
Dinesh Nagar, MD, and Andrea Wong, MD,
who is also a pediatrician; and Family Practitioner Douglas Freeman, MD.
For more information about the NorthBay Center for Primary Care, which has
additional offices in Green Valley and
Vacaville, call (707) 399-1000.
6
Innovative Joint Replacement
Program Opens in Vacaville
A new program for people undergoing
knee or hip joint replacement opened in
August at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.
NorthBay Joint Replacement Program
prepares patients for their surgery, and
then provides comprehensive inpatient
care that gets them back to the activities
they enjoy as quickly as possible. Patients
spend an average of only three days in the
hospital, but most are able to walk out on
their own.
For further information about the NorthBay Joint Replacement Program, please
call (707) 454-3188.
The center offers the latest
in surgical technology that
enables physicians to maximize
patient comfort and privacy.
7
Looking for a rewarding, enriching volunteer pursuit?
NorthBay Healthcare offers a variety of opportunities
to get involved. If you are interested in joining our
volunteers, please call (707) 429-7910.
Volunteers
Biggest Assets
Are One of Our
NorthBay Guild
Patti Stutte, RN, left; Julie Bickham, RN;
and Ricardo Segovia, clinical manager.
First Birthday for VacaValley ’s
New Emergency Department
O
n April 11, 2007, VacaValley Hospital’s
$10.3 million emergency department opened quietly in the early hours
of a bright spring morning. Shelves were
stocked, medications checked and computers up and running.
At 5 a.m., the doors between the old
and new emergency departments opened
and the first of four patients crossed
the hallway.
“One year later, the new ED has exceeded our expectations,” says Ricardo
Segovia, clinical manager. “Obviously,
we have so much more room compared
to the old one. Most patients now have
private rooms complete with televisions
for entertainment.”
Emergency physician Craig Dennis,
who helped open VacaValley Hospital’s
first emergency department 21 years
ago, agrees. “The new emergency department is doing exactly what we hoped it
would do,” Dr. Dennis says. “It provides
a comfortable environment for both
patients and staff. Everything we learned
building NorthBay Medical Center’s
new emergency department in 2002
was translated into this facility and I’m
thrilled with it.”
8
The staff has organized the department
And while the facility is larger,
for maximum efficiency. For example,
the staff size and patient volume has
identical, fully stocked supply carts are
remained the same.
located in each room, placing everything
“We treat an average of from 60 to 65
within reach when treating a patient.
patients a day, which is the same number
“We treat our new ER just as we would
we saw in the old seven-bed ED,” Segovia
treat our new home,”
says. “When patients
says Julie Bickham,
see the large ED, they
“The new emergency
RN, who has been in
expect faster treatthe department for 18
ment, but that’s not
department provides a
years. “We can’t thank
necessarily the case.
comfortable environment We still have to mainthe community enough
for making this expantain a ratio of one
for
both
patients
and
sion possible.”
nurse for each four
A new triage room,
patients, and how
staff and I’m thrilled
through which most
quickly a patient is
with this facility.”
patients pass, is comseen depends on what
plete with an EKG
else is happening on
—Craig Dennis
machine, which means
any given day and the
ER physician
patients with chest
severity of the patients
pain get the quickest
undergoing treatment.”
care possible.
In the past year, there has only been
Although VacaValley Hospital doesn’t
one occasion when the 17-bed unit was
have a labor and delivery department,
full and patients overflowed into the
the new emergency department was
old emergency department space.
equipped with a dedicated OB/ GYN
What’s ahead for the VacaValley
room for just such rare but happy
emergency department?
surprises. Only two months after the
“We want to upgrade staff education
new department opened, the first baby
in anticipation of eventually becoming
was born —a little boy.
a trauma center,” Ricardo says.
The NorthBay Guild celebrated its 50th
anniversary in 2007, making it one of the
oldest volunteer organizations in Solano
County. You’ll find Guild volunteers
working in our hospitals and operating
their two gift shops, as well as NorthBay
Thrift Shop in downtown Vacaville.
The Guild has 219 active and sustaining members who volunteered 30,611
hours of their time last year.
The Guild is NorthBay Healthcare’s
largest financial donor, contributing
nearly $3 million from several annual
fund-raisers. In 2007, the Guild donated
Paws for Healing
$227,000 to NorthBay
Healthcare Foundation.
The Guild also offers
scholarships to NorthBay staff and
teen volunteers interested in careers
in the medical field. In 2007, three
teens and three employees received
scholarships to further their education.
Two Guild members earned Life
membership in 2007— Carol Chadbourne and Carol Chuck. Each
donated eight years of service and
logged 10,000 volunteer hours.
NorthBay Hospice
NorthBay Hospice volunteers provide respite care
and support to families
caring for loved ones nearing the end
of their lives. They can also choose to
provide office support to the hospice
staff. In 2007, seven volunteers donated
358 hours of time to the program.
NorthBay Guild Teen Volunteers
Teens interested in health care careers
are encouraged to join our Teen Volunteer program. In 2007, 30 teens donated
1,015 hours of volunteer time, working
in the hospital setting under the guidance of our teen volunteer coordinator.
Orientation is held three times a year
and students who log a minimum of 100 volunteer
hours become eligible
for Guild scholarships.
NorthBay Guild volunteer Monica Cox of
Rio Vista is enjoying floor duty at NorthBay
Medical Center for the seventh year.
The health benefits of interacting with
animals are proven in study after study.
That’s why Paws for Healing volunteers and their remarkable
dogs have been visiting our
hospitals since 1990. Last
year, nine dogs and their
owners logged 99 hours
of time in our hospitals.
NorthBay is an
NorthBay Bonds
with Local Schools
Active Participant
in the Community
W
NorthBay Healthcare serves our communities through
donations, sponsorships and giving of personal time.
Thousands of hours of volunteer time by NorthBay employees
strengthen our schools, youth sports programs, homeless programs
and a variety of organizations that give back to the community.
NorthBay not only serves as a monetary sponsor, but also by providing first aid supplies for youth sports teams as well as providing
professional staff for first aid stations for many public events along
with free health screenings.
For 2007 some of those events included:
• Fairfield Resolution Fair
• Trilogy Health and Wellness Fair
• Senior Summit Health and
Wellness Fair
• Family Health and Safety Fair
• Health and Resource Fair for
Quality Neighborhoods
• Family Health and Wellness Fair
• Back to School Resource Fair
• Vacaville Kids Fest
• Tribute to Seniors.
NorthBay Healthcare provided
first aid stations for the following
community events:
• Vacaville Fiesta Days
• Vacaville Relay for Life
• Fairfield Solano Summer Classic
• Merriment on Main.
In addition, NorthBay in 2007
continued to support local charities,
civic organizations, youth groups and
educational institutions, including:
• AIDS/Life Cycle
• American Cancer Society
• Child Haven
• Children’s Nurturing Project
10 Spring 2008 Wellspring
• Chinese American Society
of Solano County
• City of Fairfield
Community Services
• City of Vacaville Senior Summit
• Classic for Kids
• Cordelia Rotary Club
• Dixon Chamber of Commerce
• Fairfield Atlantic Little League
• Fairfield Mural Project/FVAA
• Fairfield Noon Rotary Club
• Fairfield-Suisun Chamber
of Commerce
• Fairfield-Suisun Unified
School District
• Heather House
• Imagine Me
• Jelly Belly Children’s
Charities Foundation
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• McBride Senior Center
• North Wind Quilters
• Notre Dame School
• On Stage Vacaville
• Opportunity House
• Overflowing Cup Breast Health
• Paradise Valley Estates
• Rainbow Children’s Center
• Rio Vista Care
NorthBay Cancer Center Oncology Nurses
April Palmer, RN, left; and Keni Horiuchi, RN.
• Rodriguez High School
Athletic Boosters
• Solano Coalition for Better Health
• Solano Community Foundation
• Solano County Library Foundation
• Solano County Office of Education
• Solano Economic Development Corp.
• Solano Elite
• Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity
• Soroptimist International of
Central Solano Co.
• Soroptimist International of Vacaville
• Sunrise Rotary Club of Vacaville
• Tammy Rosen Breast Cancer Cruise
• Thunderbirds 93
• Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
• Vacaville Festival of Trees
• Vacaville High School Interact Club
• Vacaville High School
Scholarship Fund
• Vacaville Police Activities League
• Vacaville Public Education Foundation
• Vacaville Rotary Club
• Vacaville Unified School District
• Vacaville Youth Soccer League
• Vallejo Chamber of Commerce
• Will C. Wood High School
Band Boosters.
hen a Bransford Elementary
School student reported a family
medical emergency to his teacher last
fall, the principal knew just who to call
for help. The child’s mother had been
hospitalized, leaving his recently born
sibling with a babysitter, who had no
baby formula or diapers.
A call to NorthBay Healthcare’s public
relations department was referred to
NorthBay’s ABC Clinic, where the mother
just happened to have received prenatal
care. Within hours, baby formula and a
supply of diapers were delivered to the
babysitter and the ABC Clinic’s staff kept
a watchful eye on the family.
NorthBay considers being involved
in the neighborhood schools part of
being a good neighbor. That’s why
NorthBay Healthcare and its employees
adopted two elementary schools near
its two hospitals.
Bransford Elementary School in Fairfield and the Eugene Padan Elementary
School in Vacaville have a special bond
with NorthBay. The goal is to promote
healthy relationships with the teachers,
students and administrators on the
two campuses.
These schools are in economically challenged neighborhoods, where children
often do not have the same opportunities
to experience the broader community.
The staffs of NorthBay Medical Center
and VacaValley Hospital take a keen
interest in the schools. Here are some
of the ways they were involved:
• In March 2007, NorthBay provided a
“perfect attendance party” for students
in first- through sixth-grade at Bransford
School who didn’t miss a day in the first
semester. It included pizza, awards and
a demonstration by nurses of equipment used in the neo-natal intensive
care unit, where the smallest newborn
babies are treated.
• In June 2007, the staff returned to
throw another party, this time for those
students at Bransford School who had
perfect attendance for the entire year.
• During Halloween 2007, Bransford
kindergarteners were invited to parade,
in costume, through corporate offices
and NorthBay Medical Center.
• NorthBay employees conducted yuletide holiday parties for 63 classrooms
at Bransford and Padan schools, bringing along pizza and gifts, as well as
Santa Claus.
• Teachers’ “wish lists” were filled by NorthBay employees and corporate officers.
• Both schools’ participation in Newspapers in Education, in conjunction with
the Daily Republic and The Reporter,
were sponsored by NorthBay.
HOSPITALS ARE
VERY BUSY PLACES
By the numbers, here’s how 2007
went for NorthBay Healthcare:
36,099
Number of Emergency Department visits
at NorthBay Medical Center, Fairfield
21,451
Visits to NorthBay VacaValley Hospital’s
Emergency Department
1,567
Number of babies delivered at NorthBay
Medical Center
929,824
Pounds of hospital laundry washed
77,833
Inpatient meals served at NorthBay
Medical Center
47,129
Inpatient meals served at VacaValley
Hospital
1,786
Preventive maintenance work orders
completed by the engineering staff at
VacaValley Hospital
2,499
Preventive maintenance work orders completed by the engineering staff at the larger
of the hospitals, NorthBay Medical Center
A Paden School classroom’s “Thank You” to
its NorthBay sponsors.
1,725
Number of NorthBay Healthcare employees
269
Number of volunteers who help at hospitals
and other facilities
30,611
Hours of their time donated by the
269 volunteers
Annual Report Spring 2008 11
HEART & VASCUL AR PROGRAM
In this eight-page Special Report, learn how NorthBay will
create a center of excellence for heart and vascular medicine.
Capturing the
Hearts of Solano
When the NorthBay Heart & Vascular Center opens
in 2009, Solano residents will no longer have to leave
the county for cardiac care. From the diagnosis
and treatment of chest pain to the intricacies of
open heart surgery, NorthBay Healthcare once again
brings advanced medicine close to home.
“Solano County has finally grown large enough
to support a complete cardiology program,” says
Cardiologist Jeffrey Breneisen, MD, medical director
of cardiology services at NorthBay Medical Center.
“Sending patients outside the county for cardiac care
always delays treatment because you must arrange
transportation and hospital admission. For some
patients, that delay can be life-threatening.
“And while NorthBay could have chosen a minor
expansion into cardiac care, they have instead
committed to developing a center of excellence.”
Meticulously planned and guided by some of
Northern California’s top cardiologists, the heart
center began to take shape last year with a $3.6
million remodeling of the cardiac catheterization
lab at NorthBay Medical Center. The new lab now
has the most modern equipment available.
The second phase of construction begins this
spring with a state-of-the-art cardiovascular
operating room. The modern operating room
incorporates sophisticated technology in a space
twice the size of a normal operating room.
When the NorthBay Heart & Vascular Center
opens early next year, a host of procedures will
be offered for the first time — coronary artery
bypass, valve repair and replacement, and aortic
procedures, including the thoracic aorta and other
thoracic and peripheral vascular procedures.
The heart center will also offer minimally invasive
vein harvesting techniques, which result in fewer
wound complications, smaller scars and a shorter
hospital stay.
Diana Sullivan, director of cardiovascular service lines, and
Jeffrey Breneisen, MD, medical director of cardiology services
at NorthBay Medical Center, invite you to learn more about
the new NorthBay Heart & Vascular Center.
Building a High-Tech Operating Room
‘The Best’ is Yet to Come
Y
ou’ll never see an “Excuse Our Dust”
When construction is complete, about
sign outside the surgical suites at
eight months later, NorthBay will have
NorthBay Medical Center. Although
a state-of-the-art surgical suite with a
construction begins this summer to connew, state-of-the-art mechanical and
vert two operating rooms into one large,
electrical system. It will be large enough
state-of-the-art cardiovascular operating
to accommodate all the medical equipsuite, dust and disruption must never
ment and personnel required to perform
interfere with ongoing operations or
complicated cardiac, thoracic and vascutreatments in the medical center’s other
lar surgeries, cardiovascular bypass sursurgical suites.
geries—both on- and off-pump —heart
“Cleanliness and sterility are huge issues
valve replacements and other such comand state regulations are stringent,” says
plicated cardiac surgeries not currently
Mark Colin, president of Colin Construcbeing performed in Solano County.
tion, the company hired to perform the
“These specialized rooms need to
renovation at NorthBay. “It is a tremenbe large, because it can get incredibly
dous challenge
crowded in there
to create a new,
with heart-lung
When construction is
high-tech surgimachines, venticomplete, NorthBay
cal environment
lator equipment,
will have a state-ofin the confines of
and a variety
an older structure.
of medical perthe-art surgical suite
“You just can’t
sonnel possibly
with new mechanical
jackhammer away
working at both
and electrical systems.
while surgeries
the foot and the
are going on.”
head of the table.”
Colin Construction has more than 25
The most exciting technological feature
years of construction experience, specifiof the new operating room will be its
cally on projects that involve medical
“integrated computer systems,” Colin
facility design, renovation and remodelnotes. “Flat-screen monitors can display
ing. They have built diagnostic imaging,
an array of patient data, all on one screen,
radiation therapy and operating rooms
such as the patient’s history, vital stats
in medical facilities throughout Northand films. The days when a doctor would
ern California and Nevada, in both acute
view x-rays on a light box are gone. It’s
care and outpatient settings. The company
all digital now and accessed from a conis intimately familiar with the constraints
trol station. Having instant access to
that are present in a setting where confour or five different pieces of informastruction is going on right next to surgition is critical in a cardiac operating
cal areas that must remain clean, sterile
room, because there is so much going
and accessible.
on at one time.”
Colin estimates that once design plans
Helping with the plans were two expeare approved by the state and permits
rienced Napa cardiovascular surgeons—
are issued in late spring, construction
Robert Klingman, MD, and Ramzi Deeik,
can begin. In addition to building the
MD. After performing more than 1,000
new cardiovascular operating room,
operations in various facilities, the two
plans call for the men’s and women’s
experienced experts say NorthBay’s will
locker rooms to be modernized and
be the best.
the entire area to be made accessible to
those with disabilities.
Nurses Are Integral
Part of New Program
A good portion of the new state-ofthe-art cardiovascular operating room’s
budget has been set aside to train NorthBay’s nurses to care for cardiac patients.
“Over the next nine to 12 months, the
nursing staff in the surgery department,
the ICU, and the telemetry and surgical
units at NorthBay Medical Center will
complete training, including hands-on
activities, in their specialties to prepare
them,” says Kathy Richerson, vice president and chief nursing officer.
“Developing cardiovascular surgery
and interventional services at NorthBay
is an exciting prospect for our nursing
staff,” she adds. “There are opportunities to learn new skills and advance their
knowledge in providing a more sophisticated level of care to our patients and
the community.
“While there will be new technology
to assist with the diagnosis and care,
the nurses will take on a higher level
of accountability for assessing their
patients’ progress and interacting with
the medical team. This new level of
responsibility is appealing to many
nurses who thrive on the challenge of
caring for critical patients.”
There’s another professional benefit
as well, Richerson notes. Before this new
program, patients who needed advanced
treatment for their cardiac disease were
transferred out of the county. That
means nursing staff is not able to care
for them through the continuum of their
intervention and recovery. “There is a lot
of satisfaction for nurses, as they help
their patients go through all stages of
their illness and equip them — and their
families—for recovery and resumption of
their lives,” Richerson says.
Physicians Eager to Work in Cutting-Edge Environment
When construction is finished next year, NorthBay Healthcare will have
the most sophisticated, high-tech cardiovascular operating room in the
region. After dismantling two existing operating rooms to construct a
single state-of-the-art surgical suite, NorthBay will be home to a “fully
integrated” operating room, says Ramzi Deeik, MD, cardiac surgeon
with Napa Valley Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery.
Integrated operating rooms put together
the latest in surgical tools and technology.
In one area, a nurse sits at a computer,
using a touch screen to control such things
as audio, video and medical equipment,
electronic patient information, surgical
lights, room lights and even the room’s
heating and cooling system. Systems such
as these allow many sources of information— such as ultrasounds, pictures of the
current operative field, and vital statistics —
to be displayed on large, high-definition
TV monitors, Dr. Deeik explains.
Integrated operating rooms also have
special equipment that allows the surgeon
to use voice-controlled surgical devices.
Wearing a wireless headset with a microphone, the surgeon can control specialized equipment with voice commands.
The room will be electronically connected to other areas of the hospital, such
as radiology and the laboratory. Digital
images (x-rays, MRI and CT scans) taken
before surgery can be pulled up from files
and viewed on the room’s TV monitors.
“The information is right there at our
fingertips,” says Dr. Deeik.
Such high-tech operating rooms are
also connected to the outside world.
Using video and audio connections,
surgeons consult with colleagues in other
locations about the surgery in progress,
or they can teach students in offsite
conference rooms or classrooms.
“Having this kind of connectivity is a
tremendous teaching opportunity,” Dr.
Deeik says. “It also provides quick access
to second opinions. For example, if we’re
doing an echocardiogram to view a valve
in a heart, we can send the live picture to
a cardiologist in the cath lab to read and
offer an instant consultation.”
“The information is right
there at our fingertips.”
— Ramzi Deeik, MD
Cardiac Surgeon
Dr. Deeik and his partner, Robert
Klingman, MD, were tapped by NorthBay
to be its partners in the development of
the cardiac surgery program at NorthBay
Medical Center. They served as consultants in the design and construction of
the new operating room, based on their
extensive cardiac surgery experience and
because they had previously assisted
in the development of cardiac surgery
programs at the Queen of the Valley
Medical Center in Napa and Santa Rosa
Memorial Hospital.
What will having all this technology
at a cardiac surgeon’s fingertips mean to
someone who is headed to surgery here?
“It will be the best possible environment in which to perform complicated
surgeries,” Dr. Deeik says.
Instead of old, halogen lights, new
overhead LED surgical lights use technology that only became available very
recently. LEDs are preferred because
they not only produce the brightest
light and use less energy, they also
emit less heat, which is a bonus in a
room which is typically bustling with
activity and packed with personnel
and medical equipment.
Several kinds of complicated open
heart surgeries will be performed here,
Dr. Deeik notes, including coronary
bypasses, as well as lung, esophageal
and vascular surgeries.
He estimates that about 95 percent
of the coronary bypass surgeries undertaken here will be “off-pump,” which
is also known as “beating heart surgery.”
With this type of surgery, the highly
trained surgeon uses advanced operating equipment to stabilize portions of
the heart and bypass blocked arteries,
all while the heart continues to pump
blood and circulate it around the
body. The method is much less traumatic for the patient because it does
not require the use of a heart-lung
machine, says Dr. Deeik, who in combination with his partner, Dr. Klingman, has personally performed more
than 1,000 of these “off-pump” cases.
NorthBay’s new facility is eventually expected to serve from 200 to 250
patients a year, he adds, patients who
previously would have had to travel
out of Solano County to receive this
sophisticated level of care.
“It is our goal to be able to serve our
community and have excellent outcomes.” Says Dr. Deeik. “We’re shooting to become a center of excellence.”
Milind Dhond, MD
Cardiologist
Lance Gough, MD
Emergency Medicine
Jeffrey Breneisen, MD
Cardiologist
Ramzi Deeik, MD
Cardiac Surgeon
Robert Klingman, MD
Cardiac Surgeon
Jerry Kim, MD
Emergency Medicine
THE NORTHBAY HEART & VASCUL AR PROGRAM MEDICAL TEAM LEADERS
NorthBay Medical Center Pursues
Accreditation as a Chest Pain Center
C
hest pain is among the top reasons
people rush to a hospital emergency
room. Yet only 10 to 15 percent of them
will experience a heart attack.
Nonetheless, considering heart attacks
kill more than a half-million Americans
every year, it is still important for everyone experiencing chest pains to get quickly to the emergency department, according to the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
A quick diagnosis is critical. The longer
you go without treatment, the more
damage a heart can experience.
To more efficiently diagnose and treat
these patients, NorthBay Medical Center
is working to become an accredited Chest
Pain Center, part of its plan to establish a
full-service heart and vascular center.
Accredited chest pain centers
formally integrate their
cardiac care capabilities
with their emergency
departments, according to Patricia Wentworth, director of emergency/trauma
services for NorthBay Healthcare. To
earn accreditation, the Fairfield hospital
must meet several other nationally
established criteria.
Chest pain centers are structured to
provide patients with immediate medical
evaluation by a team of cardiologists,
emergency physicians and specialty
nurses who use state-of-the-art diagnostic
equipment and on-site surgical options.
With specially trained and accredited
staff available 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, a chest pain center can “quickly
determine if what the patient is experiencing is actually a heart attack, and then
get them to the next level of care,” Wentworth says. That care could include a trip
to the cardiac catheterization lab, where
the patient would receive the appropriate
medicines to dissolve clots
or undergo an interventional procedure
to open up the
blocked arteries.
A quick diagnosis is critical.
The longer you go without
treatment, the more damage
a heart can experience.
Studies show that if a patient who is
having a heart attack receives treatment
within 90 minutes, chances of saving
damaged heart muscle greatly increase.
Chest pain centers also provide a dedicated observation setting, so physicians
can monitor patients whose symptoms
are not clearly understood. This kind
of attention ensures a patient isn’t sent
home too early.
NorthBay Medical Center recently
remodeled its cardiac catheterization
lab (see related story, page 18), and plans
are under way to build a new, state-ofthe-art cardiovascular operating room
(see story, page 13). Earning official
chest pain center designation formalizes
NorthBay’s commitment to developing
this suite of cardiac care services.
The accreditation process — as established by the Society of Chest Pain
Centers —is rigorous, Wentworth notes,
and NorthBay’s goal is to earn it by the
end of 2008.
“First, a lot of effort goes into establishing best-practices protocols within the
organization, and then developing partnerships with area emergency services
agencies,” she says. If a patient is experiencing chest pain, NorthBay becomes the
destination of choice for treatment. “Once
here, their care can be expedited and the
appropriate interventions prescribed.
“Establishing a community outreach
program is another part of the accreditation process,” Wentworth adds. “We
need to educate the public about the
importance of seeking quick medical
care if they experience the symptoms of
a heart attack, as well as how to recognize the signs of a heart attack, and what
preventive measures they can take to
avoid heart disease altogether.”
Dr. Jerry Kim, MD, of NorthBay’s Emergency Department, will serve as medical
director of the center, which is another
step toward receiving accreditation.
Angioplasties are most commonly performed
on patients who are having a heart attack or
who are having angina (severe chest pain) and
who do not respond to medicine.
Healing the Heart with Angioplasties
A
ngioplasty is the method of choice to
clear blocked arteries whether they
are around the heart or down the legs.
When angioplasty is performed to open
blockages in the coronary arteries of the
heart, it is referred to as percutaneous
coronary intervention. It is the preferred
treatment for heart attack, according to
cardiologist Milind Dhond, MD.
During this procedure, a thin, flexible
tube called a catheter is inserted into an
artery either in the groin or arm. It is
carefully guided to the aorta and into the
blocked coronary artery. The catheter is
positioned at the blocked portion, and
the cardiologist inflates a small balloon.
The device exerts pressure against a fatty
material called plaque, compressing it
against the artery walls, typically creating
an opening through which blood can
flow more freely.
The balloon can remain inflated anywhere from seconds to minutes, Dr. Dhond
says. When finished, the physician deflates
the balloon and removes it, along with
the catheter.
Sometimes, the artery is so severely
blocked that balloon pressure is not enough
to widen its opening. Other times the artery
wall may be torn. In these cases, placing
a stent— which is a small metal tube —
will help seal any tears in the artery and
maintain blood flow.
The stent is prepackaged around the
catheter’s balloon. As before, the catheter is guided to the aorta and into the
blocked coronary artery. This time,
when the balloon is inflated, the stent
sticks to the artery walls, where it
remains permanently.
Angioplasties are most commonly
performed on patients who are having
a heart attack or who are having angina
(severe chest pain) and who do not
respond to medicine. They may also be
performed if diagnostic imaging finds
evidence of reduced blood flow to the
heart’s muscles because of one or more
blocked coronary arteries.
Angioplasties can be performed in
NorthBay Medical Center’s recently
remodeled cardiac catheterization lab
once the heart surgery program starts
(see page 18). The surgical program
must be available for back-up in the
rare instance when angioplasty fails to
open the vessel.
For those with extensive hardening of
the arteries, the preferred course of treatment may be bypass surgery. Patients
requiring this complex solution currently
have the procedure performed at medical centers outside of Solano County.
But when NorthBay Healthcare opens
its state-of-the-art cardiovascular operating room in 2009, advanced procedures
can be performed here, close to home.
Is This a
Heart Attack?
Many people believe that a heart
attack is a sudden and powerful
event, but in truth recognizing a
true heart attack is not that easy.
Most acute myocardial infarctions
start out slowly, with mild pain or
discomfort. Symptoms may come and
go, or vary in intensity. Some people
even say they feel as if they have the
flu, indigestion, or a pulled muscle.
Don’t wait and wonder. If you or
a loved one is experiencing chest pain,
react quickly and call 911, if:
• You experience chest discomfort in
the center of the chest that lasts
for more than a few minutes, or
if it goes away and comes back.
It can feel like squeezing, fullness,
pain or pressure.
• You experience pain in one or both
arms, in your jaw, back, neck or
stomach.
• You experience shortness of breath
with chest discomfort, or before
chest discomfort.
• You break out into a cold sweat,
feel nauseated or are light-headed.
Care is No Longer a Long-Distance Ordeal
PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE
Treatment Coming to Solano
Symptoms: Look to Your Legs
Peripheral angioplasties, treatment for
severely blocked arteries, once required
services that were available only in medical facilities outside of Solano County.
Now the procedures can be performed in
NorthBay Healthcare’s new $3.6 million
Cardiac Catheterization lab, or “cath lab.”
PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE
Risk Factors
• Positive family history of premature
heart attacks or strokes
• Older than 50 years
• Overweight or obesity
• Inactive or sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol or LDL (the “bad”
cholesterol), plus high triglycerides and
low HDL (the “good” cholesterol).
Peripheral vascular disease strikes the
main arteries outside the heart — most
typically those between the heart and
the legs. Arteries become narrowed or
blocked, usually because of a build-up
of a fatty material, according to Dr.
Dhond. This is called atherosclerosis, or
“hardening of the arteries.” Other causes
can be attributed to blood clots, diabetes,
infection or injury.
The disease causes poor leg circulation,
cramping, fatigue and pain — usually in
the buttocks, thighs and calves. Pain is
most pronounced while walking, and
typically subsides at rest. The pain occurs
because the narrowed arteries are not
supplying needed oxygen to the muscles,
which produces pain and cramping.
Peripheral vascular disease is first diagnosed using one of several non-invasive
tests, Dr. Dhond says. Doppler ultrasound
creates pictures using sound waves to
determine the condition of the arteries.
Angiography is an x-ray of the arteries
and veins, and it uses a dye to reveal
blockages. An MRI may also be used,
as it provides a very detailed image of
blood vessels.
Treatment may involve medications or
changes in lifestyle to reduce the risk of
clotting or to reduce blood pressure or
cholesterol levels.
In other cases, the arteries are so severely
blocked that they may need surgery.
“We use interventional treatments—
such as angioplasties with balloons or
stents — to widen these blocked arteries,”
says Dr. Dhond.
Cardiologists and vascular surgeons will
be able to perform these angioplasties —
Only about half of those who have peripheral vascular disease
exhibit symptoms. Almost always, the cause is insufficient blood
flow to the leg muscles.
Whether you have symptoms depends a great deal on which
artery is affected and how greatly blood flow has been restricted.
members an opportunity to create the
best of all worlds, Dr. Dhond notes.
“We established high standards from
the beginning. We looked at other institutions — what they were doing well, and
the pitfalls they had in establishing their
programs— and adopted their best practices for our program.”
“Having advanced care available in Sacramento or the Bay Area isn’t good enough
for us,” NorthBay Healthcare Group President Deborah Sugiyama has said. “Our
goal is to make sure most of the care local
residents need is available here in Solano,
close to home.”
The heart and vascular program is a big
step toward achieving that goal.
Solano County patients will no longer be shipped out of the county—
to Napa, Mt. Diablo or even UC Davis — for surgery to treat peripheral vascular disease, according to Milind Dhond, MD, a cardiologist
at NorthBay Healthcare.
Symptoms include:
• A dull, cramping pain. (It may also feel like a heaviness,
tightness, or tiredness of the leg muscles.)
• Numbness or tingling, burning or aching in the feet or toes
when resting.
• Cramps that start with exercise and stop with rest.
• Pain in the buttocks.
• Cold legs or feet.
• Loss of hair on the legs.
• Color change of the skin of legs or feet (pale, bluish, dark reddish).
Milind Dhond, MD • Cardiologist
along with other cardiac diagnostic
procedures — in NorthBay’s cath lab.
Several procedures can be performed,
including peripheral, renal and femoral
artery angioplasties. An application to
perform coronary artery angioplasties
is pending regulatory approval but
permission is expected to be obtained
next year, Dr. Dhond says. “We have all
the equipment in place; we just need
the application approved. Then we’ll
be able to treat more complex cases,
such as aortic aneurysms and carotid
artery blockages.”
The next step in complex cardiac care
— coronary bypass and open heart surgery— can be performed once NorthBay
completes construction of a state-of-theart surgical suite known as a cardiovascular operating room, sometime in 2009.
Building a new cardiac care program
from the ground up, as NorthBay is
doing now with its heart and vascular
program, affords the medical team
From New York to Solano
NorthBay ’s New Heart Program Leader
M aking the transition from the Big
Apple to the bucolic setting of central
Solano County, Diana Sullivan is getting
used to life outside the big city.
“My daily living experience is peaceful
now,” explains the University of Maryland
alum who will spearhead development
of the new heart program at NorthBay
Healthcare. “Even amid an enormous
project, my life is calm and centered
compared to living in New York.”
She adds, “I can get to work in 15
minutes, whereas it took me an hour
and a half one way in New York.”
Her wealth of experience includes roles
in management, strategic planning and
clinical cardiology. Most recently, she
directed the Heart Institute at Beth Israel
Hospital, a 1,368-bed New York facility.
Before that, while working in Georgia,
she created Atlanta’s first Women’s Heart
Center at Northside Hospital.
She understands the magnitude of
what is ahead at NorthBay and how
it complements her career goals.
“Everybody wants to think that
when they leave the workforce they
have made a difference for somebody,”
she says. “When I do this successfully,
I’m going to look back and say, ‘Wow,
I just hit the pinnacle of my career.’
That’s what excites me.”
She grew up on Capitol Hill in
Washington, D.C. before heading to
college. After the University of Maryland, she continued her studies at
Indiana University, earning a doctorate
in exercise physiology. She is a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer
and serves on the board of directors
of the American Heart Association.
Diana Sullivan
Director, Cardiovascular Service Lines
NEW TECHNOLOGY
PEM Scan: Another Tool in
the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Specialty Hospitalists Provide 24-Hour Care
An innovative program to engage “specialty hospitalists” has been established by NorthBay Healthcare Group President Deborah Sugiyama to
augment the medical staff of both hospitals. These physicians range from
orthopedic surgeons to obstetrician/gynecologists to general surgeons.
Hospitalists are physicians who specialize
in caring for emergency and hospitalized
patients. The hospital is their “office”
and they are available 24 hours a day to
meet the needs of ill or injured inpatients.
Hospitalists are the “first responders”
who evaluate and admit patients from
the emergency department.
While adult medicine hospitalists and
pediatric hospitalists have been part of the
patient care team at NorthBay Medical
Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
since 2001, the specialty hospitalist
program is an entirely new concept.
Three specialties that place a heavy
on-call burden on local physicians—
orthopedics, OB/GYN and general
surgery— are now covered by
hospitalist programs.
An orthopedic hospitalist program
began in January with orthopedic surgeons
providing round-the-clock coverage at
both hospitals. Beginning in April, a panel
of general surgery hospitalists joined our
two hospitals.
An OB/GYN hospitalist program is also
in place at NorthBay Medical Center and
responds to emergencies at VacaValley
Hospital. These physicians are available for
gynecological consults, emergency surgeries,
deliveries and obstetric emergencies.
“What that means for patients is that a
medical expert is always available to respond to emergency situations,”
Sugiyama adds.
“With our population growing, with a
new heart and vascular center coming on
line, with a chest pain center planned and
with so many other great new services
for our patients, we need to continue to
add top-notch physicians to meet the
needs of our community,” says Sugiyama.
“Creating specialty hospitalist panels
help fill this need.
“All of this,” she points out, “will enable
the great doctors on our staff, those with
private practices, to be able to see even
more patients in our community. Now,
they will not have to cancel their schedules because they are needed at that
moment in the ER or the hospital.
“Our new specialty hospitalist programs
will ensure care is available whenever
patients need it, without putting onerous
time and financial constraints on members of the medical staff,” says Sugiyama.
By having more specialists available
around-the-clock, NorthBay will have
the foundation to add high-level cardiac
surgery, a trauma center, a stroke program and neurosurgery to the list of
services it offers the community.
Hospitalists are the “first
responders” who evaluate
and admit patients from
the emergency department.
Adult Medicine Hospitalist Natalia
Zielkiewicz, MD, cares for a patient
at NorthBay Medical Center.
B
reast cancer prevention gets down to
the molecular level, thanks to Northern California’s first positron emission
mammography—or PEM — scanner.
The technology is available at Northern
California PET Imaging Center’s Sacramento office.
PEM is a dedicated, high-resolution
imaging device that uses the same molecular imaging concept as the PET Scan
(positron emission tomography). PEM,
however, can detect breast cancers as small
as 1.5 to 2 millimeters, enabling physicians
to identify and characterize malignant
tumors which may otherwise go undetected.
The test is particularly useful for
women whose anatomical imaging studies
are difficult to interpret due to dense
breasts, fibrocystic disease or implants.
The test can also help women with diagnosed breast cancer who may have had
an MRI gain further information to
help determine the most precise surgical
management plan for their disease.
Under an initiative funded by a grant
from the Sacramento Valley affiliate of
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, NCPIC
provides PEM scans for the underinsured
breast cancer patient who may not otherwise have access to the latest technology
A Suite Just for Women
Digital Mammography Comes to Imaging Center
A
dvanced services, including the
latest in digital mammography,
have been pulled together in a suite
specifically dedicated to women at
Solano Diagnostics Imaging in Fairfield.
“Digital mammography is fast becoming the standard of care for breast
cancer screening,” says Adrian Riggs,
director of Solano Diagnostics Imaging.
“When further examination is needed,
we offer both breast MRI and MRIguided breast biopsies.”
The new technology, which uses less
radiation, creates an electronic image
of the breast. By storing it digitally,
technicians can transmit the image faster
to radiologists, who can give doctors
their readings in a more timely — and
cost effective — fashion.
A recent National Cancer Institute
study found that digital mammography
is significantly better than film
mammography when screening
women under age 50, or women of
any age who have very dense breasts.
For women at higher risk of breast
cancer, or when an abnormality is found,
a breast MRI is the next step, a service also
available at Solano Diagnostic Imaging.
“Often when an abnormality is found
by MRI, the only way to find it again for
a tissue sample is with an MRI-guided
biopsy,” according to Riggs. “That’s why
it’s important to make sure your patient
visits a facility that offers both services.”
Currently, Solano Diagnostics Imaging
is the only facility in Solano County offering both breast MRI and MRI-guided
biopsy at the same location.
For women, breast cancer is the most
common non-skin cancer and the second
leading cancer-related death in the United
States. Death rates from breast cancer
have been declining since 1990, and the
decreases are due in part to earlier detection and improved treatment.
The Women’s Imaging Center is
in NorthBay Health Plaza, adjacent
to NorthBay Medical Center on B.
Gale Wilson Boulevard in Fairfield.
and for high risk patients who may have
had a non-diagnostic mammogram.
PEM does not replace mammograms.
The test simply is an additional imaging
tool to use when breast cancer is suspected or diagnosed.
Northern California PET Imaging
Center is a not-for-profit, community
benefit organization. They provide
whole body PET/CT service at NorthBay
Medical Center in Fairfield every Friday
and Saturday. For more information,
call (916) 737-3211, tollfree (888) 738-3211 or
visit www.ncpic.org.
The American
Cancer Society
recommendations
for breast cancer
screening are:
• Yearly mammograms starting at age
40 and continuing for as long as a
woman is in good health.
• Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be
part of a periodic health exam, about
every three years for women in their
20s and 30s and every year for women
40 and over.
• Women at high risk (greater than 20
percent lifetime risk) should get an MRI
and a mammogram every year. Women
at moderately increased risk (15 to 20
percent lifetime risk) should talk with
their doctors about the benefits and
limitations of adding MRI screening to
their yearly mammogram.
Women do not need a physician
referral to schedule a digital mammogram at Solano Diagnostics Imaging.
For more information, call (707)
436-2600.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Not a Tough Pill to Swallow
Like many institutions,
NorthBay Medical Center
and NorthBay VacaValley
Hospital have gone digital.
Innovative Device Takes Pictures From the Inside
A
few months ago, Mandy Johnson
swallowed a camera. Surprisingly,
she’d have no problem doing it again.
Suffering from sometimes severe abdominal pain, she was willing to gulp down
what the doctor ordered. You see, the camera
Mandy ingested was so small it fit inside a
vitamin-sized pill.
Johnson, a medical assistant at the NorthBay Center for Primary Care in Fairfield, is
among a growing number of Solano County
residents who are taking advantage of this
cutting-edge diagnostic technology. The
PillCam™ , as the device is known, is the
latest in endoscopic imaging technology.
Gastroenterologists Mounzer Al Samman,
MD, and Rashid Iqubal, MD, are among
local physicians who have the training to
administer this innovative medical tool.
The PillCam™ Capsule Endoscopy is a
small video camera. It gives physicians an
opportunity to examine the entire span of
the small bowel, which previously could
only be examined
at either the
beginning or
the end of the
intestine. The
device can
detect abnormalities that may have been
missed by computed tomography scans
or barium x-rays. It can confirm the existence of complications, such as abdominal bleeding, pain, tumors or suspected
disorders, such as Crohn’s Disease.
An inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s
Disease can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to
other intestinal disorders. Johnson was
diagnosed as having Crohn’s after being
seen by a number of gasteroenterologists
in Sacramento and Davis, and after undergoing several diagnostic tests.
“I was just looking for the best treatment and seeking multiple opinions for
a disease I had been told could only be
managed, not cured,” she says.
About a year and a half ago, Johnson
commenced treatment using a very potent
infused medication called Remicade. But
there was a question about whether the
treatment was working.
Dr. Al Samman thought the PillCam™
Capsule Endoscopy
would provide the
best answer, she
explains. “Dr. Al
Samman told
me about the
PillCam™, and
how it would allow him to get a much
better look at my intestines, all the way
through. After having had two colonoscopies, I was pretty much open to anything.”
Johnson admits she was a bit nervous
about the size of the pill, “but I didn’t
have any trouble swallowing it.”
The day before taking the pill, she
fasted and did all the “normal prep work”
in advance of a colonoscopy to clean out
the intestines. “That was the worst part
of the whole experience,” she says. (This
prep work is no longer required for a
successful test.)
On the morning of the test, Johnson
arrived at Dr. Al Samman’s office and was
outfitted with sensor-like EKG electrodes
on her lower abdomen and stomach.
“I had a pouch around my waist that
held the data recorder, and my shirt covered
everything up,” she recalls. “I swallowed
the pill at around 8:30 a.m. and was told
to return to the office at 4 p.m. And then
I just went about my day.”
At 4 p.m., she returned to the doctor’s
office and a nurse removed the sensors
and downloaded the data into a computer.
Two days later, Dr. Al Samman called
with his findings. “He said that I appeared
to be in remission and that the Remicade
was working.”
Johnson experienced no problems when
the PillCam™ left her system. “I felt completely normal and had no complications.
I definitely would do that again. I’d take it
over a colonoscopy any day,” she advises.
“With this, there is no anesthesia, no
nausea, no hospital setting, no sleepiness
after anesthesia. And since I’ve been told I
may need a colonoscopy every year, I’m
going to ask if I can swallow the PillCam™ instead,” she says.
Mandy Johnson displays the pill-sized camera
she swallowed in the office of gastroenterologist
Mounzer Al Samman, MD.
Mary Daw, RN, a nurse at
NorthBay Medical Center,
loves the time-saving computerized health records.
What’s in Your Digital Files?
The goal of an electronic health record
is to have your complete medical
history in digital form so it is always
available when and where you need it.
Your record may include:
• Personal demographics
Electronic Health Records
Into a New Era—and Quickly
T
his spring, NorthBay Medical Center
and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital
made the transition from paper to electronic health records. All inpatients now
have their health information stored in
digital format, giving their physicians
and others instant access to all of their
medical information.
There are many advantages to electronic records.
Health information from many different sources is merged into a single,
complete file. For example, x-rays once
stored in the radiology department,
medications in paper files saved in the
pharmacy, and physicians’ notes recorded in the patients’ bedside charts now
come together. When information was
needed, these records had to be copied,
then faxed or transported, adding time
when time could be critical.
Now, everyone on the health care
team has computer access to the most
current information about a patient.
Those who visit a NorthBay Center
for Primary Care have their electronic
health records on a network that makes
them readily available should they
require hospital care. A trip to the emergency department means those caring
for you can turn to a computer, enter
your personal information, and learn
your health history.
They will know if you are allergic to a
certain drug or if you are being treated
for a particular condition.
• Medical history
• Examination and progress reports
• Laboratory results
• Radiology images
(x-rays, CTs, MRIs, etc.)
• Clinical photographs from
endoscopy or laparoscopy
• Medications
• Recommendations for specific
medical conditions
• A record of appointments and
other reminders
• Advance directives, living wills,
health care power of attorney.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Joint Replacement Program Gets Rave Reviews
T
he NorthBay Joint Replacement
Program at VacaValley Hospital is
a resounding success, and patients with
new hips and knees are recovering quicker
than ever before.
The innovative new program focuses
on education and preparation prior to
surgery, followed by comprehensive
inpatient care designed to get patients
back into the activities they enjoy as
quickly as possible.
One unique aspect of the program
is the camaraderie of a “group experience.” All patients are admitted to the
hospital and undergo their procedures
on the same day. This allows them to go
through the recovery process as a group
— eating and exercising together while
providing encouragement and support
to one another.
Wenche Skeie, 67, of Vallejo, entered
the program to have her second knee
replacement in March. She joined Ruben
Taylor, 78, of Fairfield, who was also
undergoing a knee replacement.
“Studies show that patients who
recover as a team reach their goals faster
and with fewer complications,” says
Cynthia Giaquinto, RN, manager of
the program. “We’ve completed 55 joint
replacements since opening in August
and we’re proving this to be true.”
“I admit, when I heard we would be
up and walking one day after surgery
I was skeptical,” says Skeie. “But this is
unbelievable! It was four months before
I could straighten my left knee after the
joint was replaced. Now just two days
after surgery, my (right) leg is almost
straight. I can’t believe how quickly I’m
moving around.”
A Team Effort Created Successful Joint Replacement Program
When a new model for joint replacement
surgery began sweeping the country in
2006, NorthBay took notice. Studies
showed that patients who underwent joint
replacement surgery as a group, receiving
immediate physical therapy and aggressive
pain management afterward, recovered
much more quickly than those undergoing
traditional surgery. It was an idea that
would be perfect for the Solano community.
In January 2007, an interdisciplinary team,
comprised of representatives from surgical
services, pharmacy, nutrition services,
central supply/processing, rehabilitation
services, nursing management, and the
Same Day Center, began to develop the
NorthBay Joint Replacement Program.
It was up and running in August.
“Because we are a small, local health
system we can present an idea to our
boards of directors, receive approval and
move quickly to implement a program,”
says Margy Walbolt, vice president of
administrative services.
One of the unique elements of the
new program was initiated by Dr. Jeffrey
Saadi. An anesthesiologist, he drew on
his expertise in delivering state-of-theart anesthesia and pain management
techniques to develop and teach new
pain control procedures for the joint
replacement program.
“Dr. Saadi’s procedures have helped our
patients recover quickly and all have had
excellent outcomes,” says Cynthia Giaquinto,
program manager. “Dr. Saadi’s support
during the start-up of the joint replacement program was critical to our success.
In addition to his anesthesia practice he
continues to provide us with valuable
support and guidance.”
“The program has exceeded our
expectations,” Walbolt says. “Part
of its popularity is simply by wordof-mouth from happy patients.”
Jeffrey Saadi, MD, center, was instrumental in
the successful development of the NorthBay
Joint Replacement Program. Other key team
members were, from left, Vickie Gregg, director
of NorthBay Rehabilitation Services and the
NorthBay Center for Pain Management; Linda
Andreas, RN, manager of 1-West atVacaValley
Hospital; chairperson Margy Walbolt; and
Cynthia Giaquinto, RN.
Taylor, who also had a hip joint replaced
in 1989, agrees.“This is just going to take
a lot of exercise, and that’s something I’m
committed to doing,” he says.
The two patients and their spouses
celebrated their success with a gourmet
lunch before going home. Physical therapists will visit them at home to assist
with their recovery.
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For More Information
The Joint Replacement Program is a
dedicated unit at NorthBay VacaValley
Hospital in Vacaville. The physicians
who participate in the program are all
local orthopedic surgeons with years
of experience performing joint replacement surgery. For a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, talk with your doctor.
For a list of surgeons participating in
the program, or for more information
about the NorthBay Joint Replacement
Program, call Cynthia Giaquinto at
(707) 454-3188.
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NORTHBAY HEALTHCARE NEWS
NorthBay Shows Heart at the Mall
Cancer Survivors Day “Celebration of Life” is June 1
Is it true your blood pressure rises as
you scour the mall for bargains to stay
within the family budget?
Shoppers in Westfield Solano Mall
in Fairfield can find out.
One of the most important health
checks every American should do is
available at NorthBay Healthcare’s
new bright red, easy-to-spot Heart
Check Center.
The Heart Check Center is a blood
pressure testing kiosk that gets up to
Surviving cancer is always something to
200 users a day, according to Sarah
Jewel, director of business development
for NorthBay. “It has been very well
received, by people of all ages, but
especially seniors who do their walking
each morning in the mall.”
No appointment is needed. There is
no waiting and no cost. “You just place
your arm in the testing cuff and read
the directions,” Jewel explained. “In
two minutes you get a clear and accurate reading of your blood pressure.”
Nearly one in three U.S. adults has high
blood pressure. But because there are no
symptoms, nearly one-third of those who
have it do not know they have it.
“That is one reason high blood pressure
is often called the ‘silent killer’,” Jewel
explained, “and one reason we provide
this service free to the public. Health
experts say uncontrolled high blood
pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack
or kidney failure.”
The kiosk complements NorthBay
Healthcare’s development of its new
Heart and Vascular Program. By this
time next year, NorthBay will provide
advanced cardiac services at NorthBay
Medical Center, including open-heart
surgery, angioplasty and procedures for
the circulatory system.
The Heart Check Center on the second floor of Westfield Solano Mall in Fairfield gives
shoppers a chance to test their blood pressure.
Jubilee Donors Help Fund Hospice Programs
An outpouring of community support
for NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement
programs was evident at the 21st Annual
Solano Wine & Food Jubilee April 25 at
the Nut Tree in Vacaville. Donors gathering for the gala event placed auction bids
while enjoying savories and sweets, premium wines and brews from more than
100 participating restaurants, wineries
and merchants. Festivities continued with
a drawing for the Jubilee $20,000 cash
raffle and the $1,000 Nut Tree shopping
spree, followed by dancing to live music.
Solano Wine & Food Jubilee is the
primary fund-raiser for NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement. Hospice is a team
approach of skilled, compassionate care
for the terminally ill combined with
education and support for their families
and friends.
Event Chairman Wayne Senalik
expressed gratitude to the community
for the continued support. “Twenty-one
years of community support has made
the Jubilee the premier fund-raising and
social event of Solano County,” Senalik
said. “This event is only possible with
the support of a tremendous group of
sponsors, vendors, volunteers and community supporters. It’s due to their
efforts that the Jubilee can continue to
provide funding for NorthBay Hospice
& Bereavement programs.”
celebrate. All cancer survivors and their
loved ones are invited to attend Solano
County’s 12th annual National Cancer
Survivors Day “Celebration of Life,” set
for Sunday, June 1,
from 2 to 5 p.m., at
the Fairfield Center
For Creative Arts in
downtown Fairfield.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr.
Stuart Robertshaw,
Dr. Stuart Robertshaw, president and
CEO of the National Association for
the Humor Impaired.
NorthBay Healthcare’s growing array of
specialty care and advanced medical programs reaps major benefits for our local
communities. But at the same time, it
presents an enormous challenge: Finding
the space to do it all.
To free up space on the campuses of
NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay
VacaValley Hospital, a new 67,000-squarefoot Administration Center will open
soon on 20 acres in Green Valley. By midsummer, it should be
at full capacity.
• All corporate offices,
for the first time, will
be under one roof;
Sacca Family’s
Burger King Restaurants
The Hofmann Company
Nut Tree
Vezér Family Vineyards
For a complete listing of sponsors
and participating vendors, visit
www.wineandfoodjubilee.org
of Life” quilt. That quilt will be on
display during the event.
A cancer survivor is anyone with a
history of cancer, from the time of diagnosis and for the remainder of life. This
“Celebration of Life” is co-sponsored
by NorthBay Cancer Center and the
Solano Unit of the American Cancer
Society. Although free, space is limited,
and pre-registration is recommended
by calling (707) 425-5006, press #3.
Acord is Presenting Sponsor
for the Guild’s 25th Annual
Golf & Tennis Classic
Administration Building Opens This Summer
The new facility will
have major benefits:
Presenting Sponsors:
president and CEO of the National
Association for the Humor Impaired.
His presentation, “The Healing Power
of Humor,” will show that throughout
history, laughter has been considered a
tonic for good health.
The program also includes local cancer
survivors sharing their stories in the
popular “Speaking From the Heart” presentation and the latest cancer research
information shared by the oncologists
of the NorthBay Cancer Center.
Earlier this year, local cancer survivors
were asked to each complete a quilt
square for inclusion in a “Celebration
• The cost of renting expensive space for business offices
spread across two cities will be eliminated; and
• The Green Valley building will include a
modern conference and training center
that will erase the need to rent facilities
for workshops and special events.
“It was also very important to provide
a more secure facility for the significant
investment which we’ve made in information technology,” notes Gary Passama,
president and chief executive officer
of NorthBay.
The new building will be home to
administration, finance, purchasing,
human resources, info technology, marketing, property management, business
development and public affairs. NorthBay
Healthcare Foundation, the non-profit
fundraising arm of the organization,
will have its headquarters there.
An additional feature is a versatile 300seat conference
facility for NorthBay events. But its
most modern attribute is a $1 million
nursing simulation
laboratory, which
features high-tech
mannequins that
respond to the “treatment” being given
by nurses during training.
“These new simulation models are
amazing,” observes Kathy Richerson,
vice president and chief nursing officer.
“They can mimic critical conditions
such as cardiac arrest and childbirth.”
Architecturally, the building incorporates outdoor spaces and views of the
surrounding hills, fitting into the neighborhood. It eschews the notion that an
office building must be dull.
NorthBay Healthcare Foundation President Brett Johnson, left, and Steve Acord.
The 25th Annual NorthBay Guild Golf &
Tennis Classic is Monday, July 14. Always
a sell-out, the event is held at the beautiful Green Valley Country Club in Suisun.
Once again, financial planner Steve
Acord, CLU, ChFC, CASL, of Lincoln
Financial Advisors in Fairfield, is the
presenting sponsor. Acord has managed
NorthBay Healthcare’s retirement plan
for more than 20 years and has extensive
knowledge and expertise in assisting his
clients in achieving the best level of financial security possible.
Proceeds from this year’s event will
help create a nursing simulation training
lab at NorthBay Healthcare’s new administrative headquarters in Green Valley.
For further information about the tournament, call (707) 429-7910.
2008 Medical Executive Committee
Welcome new doctors
Cardiologist Peter Caravella, MD
Cardio-thoracic surgeon Peter Caravella,
MD, of Napa Valley Cardio-Thoracic
Surgery Associates, has joined the medical staff of NorthBay Healthcare.
Dr. Caravella is a graduate of Yale
University and received his medical
degree from the University of Maryland
School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Dr. Caravella is board certified in general surgery and board eligible in cardiothoracic surgery.
For further information, please call
(707) 254-9640.
NorthBay Healthcare System
G. Ben Huber, Chair (A)
Stephen J. Power, Vice Chair (B)
Mary Mancini, MD, Secretary-Treasurer (C)
Gary Falati (D)
Archie Humphrey (E)
James F. McMahon, MD (F)
Mark Sievers (G)
Gary J. Passama (PP)
For more information about physicians who practice at NorthBay Medical
Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, log on to NorthBay Healthcare’s
website at www.northbay.org.
M. Tracy Johnson, MD
Chief of Staff
Thomas E. Erskine, MD
Vice Chief of Staff
NorthBay Healthcare Group
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Richard E. Bell, MD
Immediate Past Chief of
Staff; Chair, Department
of Pediatrics
Joseph J. Dominguez, MD
Chair, Department of
Anesthesiology
James B. Bronk, MD
Diagnostic Imaging
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
AA
BB
CC
DD
EE
FF
GG
HH
II
JJ
Spine Surgeon Charles M. Sonu, MD
Spine Surgeon Charles M. Sonu, MD, has
joined NorthBay Healthcare in Fairfield.
Dr. Sonu graduated from Yale University
School of Medicine in 1989 followed by a
general surgery internship and orthopedic
surgery residency at Stanford University
Hospital. He then completed a one-year
spine surgery fellowship at the Minnesota
Spine Center in Minneapolis, MN.
He is board certified by the American
Board of Orthopedic Surgery. For further
information, please call (707) 258-2547.
Lance Gough, MD
Emergency Medicine
Gautam K. Vadlamudi, MD
Vice Chair, Department
of Family Practice
(Not Pictured)
Anat Sapan, MD
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Robert A. Lanflisi, MD
Chair, Department of Surgery
James M. Long, MD
Chair, Department
of Medicine
Terrell B. Van Aken, MD
Family Practice
Archie Humphrey, Chair (E)
Mark Sievers, Vice Chair (G)
Wayne Senalik, Secretary (H)
Donald Doyle, MD (I)
Theresa Hite (J)
M. Tracy Johnson, MD (K)
Gwendolyn Runnels (L)
Denise Suihkonen (M)
Murray Woolf, MD (N)
NorthBay Health Advantage
Sandy Person, Chair (O)
Brian Chikowski, Vice Chair (P)
George Weston, Secretary-Treasurer (Q)
Beverly Dorsett (R)
G. Ben Huber (A)
Kathy Parsons (S)
Kathryn Amacher, DO
Secretary/Treasurer
Ehsan Ghods, DO
Family practitioner Ehsan Ghods, DO,
has joined the NorthBay Center for
Primary Care in Green Valley.
Dr. Ghods received his medical degree
from University of Health Sciences-COM,
in Kansas City, MO. He completed his
residency in family practice at Genesys
Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc,
MI. He is board certified in family practice.
For further information, please call
(707) 864-9999.
Board of Directors
NorthBay Healthcare Foundation
Bill Fell, Chair (T)
Wayne Senalik, Vice Chair (H)
Jim Lawrenz, Secretary (U)
Dennis Landis, Treasurer (V)
Tina L. Benedict (W)
William Bennett (X)
Garland “Charlie” Bonner (not pictured)
Dan Borges (Y)
Brian Chikowski (P)
Stanley Davis (not pictured)
Joe Della Zoppa (Z)
Robert L. Erwin (AA)
Gary Falati (D)
Rebecca Gardiner (BB)
Frank Jackson (CC)
Sheila Lewis (DD)
Mary Mancini, MD (C)
Noreen O’Regan (EE)
Michael Paulik (FF)
Candy Pierce (GG)
Garland Porter (HH)
Scott Reynolds (II)
Pam Schemke (JJ)
Albert Shaw (KK)
Christopher Sweeney (LL)
Skip Thomson (MM)
Jerry Wilkerson (NN)
J. Peter Zopfi, DO (OO)
NorthBay Healthcare Leadership
KK
LL
MM
QQ
RR
SS
Edward I. Levin, MD
Vice Chair, Department
of Surgery
NN
OO
PP
Gary J. Passama, President/CEO
NorthBay Healthcare (PP)
Deborah Sugiyama, President
NorthBay Healthcare Group (QQ)
Brett Johnson, President
NorthBay Healthcare Foundation (RR)
Elnora Cameron, President
NorthBay Health Advantage (SS)

Advancing a Vision

Transcription

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