March 26, 2010 - Mercy Medical Center

Bulletin
Doctors’ Day recognizes,
honors Mercy physicians
Tuesday, March 30, is National Doctors’ Day
– a special day set aside to honor physicians
and thank them for their continued
commitment to provide exceptional medical
care.
In 1990, following overwhelming approval
by the United States Senate and House
of Representatives, President George H.
W. Bush signed a resolution designating
March 30 as National Doctors’ Day. T
his
year, Mercy is once again proud to celebrate
its physicians and invites the entire Mercy
Family to recognize these truly outstanding
men and women.
MHN – Central Iowa welcomes
new clinical nurse executive
Janet Naset-Payne, RN,
MS, recently accepted
the position of clinical
nurse executive for
Mercy Health Network –
Central Iowa.
Janet most recently
served as inpatient clinical director at
Pella Community Hospital. Her career
accomplishments include serving as
president of District F for the Iowa
Organization of Nurse Leaders and being
named to the list of Iowa’s 100 Great
Nurses in 2009. In her new role, Janet will
work closely with network affiliates and
physicians to improve clinical performance.
MARCH 26, 2010
Mercy’s gynecologic oncology patients
now eligible for advanced research trials
Mercy Cancer Center Gynecologic
Oncology is now offering patients the
opportunity to participate in clinical
trials sponsored through the Gynecologic
Oncology Group (GOG). The GOG
is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)sponsored collaborative research
organization that focuses on the treatment
of patients with ovarian, uterine, cervical
and other types of gynecologic cancers.
“We are pleased to offer these leading
edge clinical trials to our patients,” said
Dr. Jay Carlson, Mercy Cancer Center
gynecologic oncologist. “It is exciting that
our patients will be able to receive cancer
treatments not yet approved for general
use. Even better, they can receive that care
here, with their own physicians they know
and trust.”
Mercy Cancer Center will participate in
GOG research trials through the NCI’s
Community Clinical Oncology Program
(CCOP), a network that connects
researchers with community physicians to
conduct cancer prevention and treatment
clinical trials. In Iowa, the CCOP is
coordinated through the Iowa Oncology
Research Association (IORA), which
recently expanded its GOG affiliation to
expand access to state-of-the-art clinical
trials and protocols for gynecologic cancer
patients. An IORA registered nurse will
oversee Mercy patients enrolled in GOG
research trials.
At any given time, there are approximately
45 different GOG clinical trials active for
patients with gynecologic malignancies.
Nationally, more than 3,000 patients
are registered for GOG trials each year
through CCOPs or academic institutions.
At Mercy, participation in new trials is
Mercy Cancer Center Gynecologic Oncology is now
offering patients the opportunity to participate in
clinical trials sponsored through the Gynecologic
Oncology Group (GOG). Nationally, about 3,000
patients are registered for state-of-the-art GOG trials
each year.
expected to begin as soon as eligible
patients are available. In some cases,
patients who participate in GOG clinical
trials and protocols receive investigational
medications provided by the NCI.
“One of the best ways to improve the
results of cancer treatment is to enroll
patients in clinical cancer trials,” said Dr.
Richard Deming, medical director, Mercy
Cancer Center Radiation Oncology.
“Access to these trials and advanced
protocols will benefit our patients
tremendously and will advance the
science of cancer treatment.”
Dr. Deming added that Mercy Cancer
Center Gynecologic Oncology physicians,
Drs. Deborah Turner and Carlson, are
ideal for GOG participation, based on
their vast experience and the volume of
patients they treat each year.
For more information, please visit www.
mercydesmoines.org/cancercenter,
www.mercyclinicsdesmoines.org or call
x-36400.
CONGRATULATIONS T
O...
Josh Buechler, Physical Therapy, and Lindsay, on the birth of their
daughter, Jolie Kay. Jolie was born on Feb. 26 and is the couple’s first
child.
Dawn Burden, 9 North, and DeMarcus Lewis, on the birth of their son,
DeMarcus. DeMarcus was born on March 1 and was welcomed home
by Lyric, 14, and Tyra, 12.
Kayla Campbell, Medical Center Anesthesiologists, and Cameron, on
the birth of their son, Liam Owen. Liam was born on Feb. 24 and was
welcomed home by Carson, 9, and Emmett, 2.
Melissa Devoto, Mercy West Lakes Emergency, and Karl, on the birth
of their son, Dominik James. Dominik was born on March 10 and was
welcomed home by Lukas, 2.
Kenneth Gibson, Linen, and Holly, on the birth of their daughter, Alaiah.
Alaiah was born on March 3 and was welcomed home by Tiffany, 6,
Elizabeth, 3, Trinity, 2, and Alexander, 1.
Annie Lemer, Peds Flex, and Brant, on the birth of their twin
daughters, Ezzabella Jean and Elizabeth Rae. Ezzabella and Elizabeth
were born on March 18 and were welcomed home by Ellie, 12, Brock, 4,
and Brody, 2.
Suzanne Rosonke, Rehab Services, and Jason, on the birth of their
daughter, MaKenna Lea. MaKenna was born on March 12 and is the
couple’s first child.
Megan Schooley, Home Health Services, and Chris Schooley, Mercy
East Physical Therapy, on the birth of their son, Lucas Christopher. Lucas
was born on March 20 and is the couple’s first child.
Beth Wheeler, 5 South, and Josh, on the birth of their son, Logan.
Logan was born on March 2 and was welcomed home by Jayde, 3.
OUR SYMPATHY TO...
Friends and family of John Ayers, Facilities.
Barb Brady, Patient Accounts, on the death of her brother.
Cheryl Dexheimer, Physician Billing Office, on the death of her mother.
Maggie Hamilton-Beyer, Mercy Health Network – Central Iowa, on the
death of her mother-in-law.
Laura Johnson, Center for Rehabilitative Medicine, on the death of her
father.
Holli McKeever, Peds Flex, and Beau Birkenholtz, on the birth of their
son, Jaxson. Jaxson was born on March 4 and was welcomed home by
Josalin, 7.
Karen Lester, 5 North, on the death of her father.
James Poole, Emergency Department, and Meredith, on the birth of
their daughter, Elizabeth Zura. Elizabeth was born on March 11 and was
welcomed home by Sam, 6, and Kate, 3.
Lois Weitzell, Home Health Services, on the death of her mother.
Lorrine Schaffer-Underwood, IT, on the death of her father-in-law.
Gastric banding surgery may help improve, reverse type 2 diabetes
There is new hope for the millions of
Americans who live with type 2 diabetes.
A number of recent studies suggest bariatric
surgery – particularly gastric banding and
gastric bypass surgery, which are both
offered at Mercy – can help manage and
potentially cure the chronic disease.
While earlier studies found gastric bypass
operations reduced the incidence of
diabetes in patients, a recent Australian
study specifically investigated gastric
banding surgery as a method of treating
type 2 diabetes.
In the study sample, all patients had a body
mass index between 30 and 40 and had
been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during
the previous two years. To test the effects
of gastric banding surgery, one group
underwent the operation while another
was subjected to a traditional diabetes care
approach of diet and lifestyle modification.
The study revealed that patients who
had gastric banding surgery and lost a
substantial amount of weight were five
times more likely to see their diabetes
disappear over the next two years than
those who did not have the surgery.
“The findings of this recent study echo the
results we’ve seen with our own bariatric
surgery patients,” said Dr. Steve Cahalan,
Mercy bariatric surgeon. “It is common
for our patients to lose more than 100
pounds, which has a significant impact
on blood glucose levels and can lead to
the improvement and resolution of type 2
diabetes.”
Dr. Anuj Bhargava, president and founder
of the Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology
Research Center, agrees that significant
weight loss is an effective tool against type
2 diabetes. “Studies have shown that 70-85
percent of type 2 diabetics achieve complete
resolution or improvement of their disease
after successful bariatric surgery,” he said.
Mercy, an American Society for Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence,
currently performs both gastric banding
and gastric bypass surgery at Mercy Medical
Center – West Lakes. More information
about Mercy’s bariatric surgery services
and a schedule of upcoming informational
sessions is posted at www.mercydesmoines.
org/weightreduction/surgery.cfm, or is
available by calling x-30556.
Bulletin
Volume 10 Issue 13 | March 26, 2010
The Bulletin is published weekly for employees and
friends of Mercy Medical Center, 1111 6th Avenue,
Des Moines, Iowa 50314-2611.
Editorial Staff
Erin Kennedy Kurth ....................................... Editor
Lisa Jones ............................................. Contributor
Megan Jorgensen ................................. Contributor
Gregg Lagan ......................................... Contributor
Traci McBee .......................................... Contributor
Sarah Todd ............................................. Contributor
Kate Westercamp .................................. Contributor
Heather Hyatt ............................................ Designer
Laura Vanden Bosch .................................... Director
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