2009 Community Benefit Report

Munson Healthcare Community Benefit Report
grateful patients
Munson Healthcare Partners:
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital***
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center**
Mercy Hospital Cadillac***
Mercy Hospital Grayling***
Munson Home Health and Hospice*
Munson Medical Center*
Otsego Memorial Hospital***
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital*
West Shore Medical Center***
* Owned ** Managed *** Affiliated
3
Breathing Better in Cheboygan | Cheboygan Memorial Hospital
Brian Dietz, Interim CEO | Sue Eno, Chair
4 ‘Zaidee Day’ | Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Jim Austin, CEO | John Siddall, DO, Chair
5
Senior Fit: Working Toward Health | Mercy Hospital Cadillac
John MacLeod, CEO | Pamela Anderson, Chair
6 Access to Meds | Mercy Hospital Grayling
Stephanie Reimer-Matuziak, CEO | Mike Dunkel, Chair
7
‘God Bless Everyone Who Donates’
Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation
Desiree Worthington, President | Paul Schmuckal, Chair
8 A Time to Mourn, and A Time to Play Tennis | Munson Hospice
Janet Wolf, CEO | Jim Harris, Chair
9 Support for Free Clinics | Munson Medical Center
Edwin Ness, CEO | Bob Sprunk, MD, Chair
11 Improving Quality of Life | Otsego Memorial Hospital
Tom Lemon, CEO | Mary Sanders, Chair
12 Supporting Cancer Patients | Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
Jim Austin, CEO | Irene Nugent, Chair
13 Dental Surgery: Service from the Heart | West Shore Medical Center
Burt Parks, CEO | Theodore Batzer, MD, Chair
14 Taking Stock of Community Health | Munson Healthcare
1
K. Douglas Deck, CEO | Thomas McIntyre, Chair
Connection s
Community Benefit Report
Here to Help
Letters arrive every day from people who want to tell
us how grateful they are for the compassionate health
care they’ve received. They mention the people who
encouraged them, and the specific ways they were
helped. For a Cheboygan man, it’s still being able to
play his trumpet, despite chronic lung disease. For
an East Jordan couple, it’s breathing easier after their
financial burden was lifted while she battled brain
cancer. For a Gaylord woman, it’s finding reassuring
support from others as she learns to live with diabetes.
Health care services go well beyond the walls of the
eight nonprofit hospitals in the Munson Healthcare
System. We’re strengthening communities through
education, meeting basic needs, preventing disease,
and supporting active lifestyles that improve the
overall health of area residents.
K. Douglas Deck
President and CEO
Munson Healthcare
Thomas McIntyre
Chair
Munson Healthcare
Board of Directors
Our region continues to be a center of growth in
Michigan. Many retirees choose northern Michigan
for its beauty and high quality of life. A big draw is the
excellent health care provided in each of the communities we serve. As the concentration of older residents
grows, demand for health care services increases.
Responding to growing health needs is why we’re here.
The Munson Healthcare System contributed nearly $61
million last year in health care programs and education,
as well as free, discounted, and unreimbursed services.
On the following pages, you can read about some of the
ways Munson Healthcare System hospitals are serving
you, your family, and your neighbors. It is our mission,
and our privilege, to provide that care.
grateful patients
Co n n e c t i ons 2
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital
Breathing Better in Cheboygan
People with lung disease have many issues to
deal with. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Support
Group known as “Better Breathers” meets every
Tuesday for a free hour-long class provided by
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital.
Staff Spotlight
Name: Leslie Miller, BS, RRT,
specializing in Pulmonary
Rehabilitation and Respiratory
Therapy
Job: Works with people who have diminished lung
capacity: “We teach them to manage their disease so
it doesn’t manage them.”
How she makes a difference: “Our hospital has been
committed to reaching out to this group of patients.
We’re one of the few in northern Michigan to offer a
weekly program, and at no charge. We provide tons
of information. We have 30 minutes of education
followed by 30 minutes of exercise. They come
even in the winter – weather is never a factor
because this class is that important to them.”
Some good news: “As of 2010, pulmonary
rehabilitation becomes an officially recognized
program paid for by Medicare and private insurers,
just like cardiac rehabilitation.”
Best part of job: “I’m just super excited about this
group because I see the benefit. These are remarkable
people. They know so much about their disease and are
focused on teaching and helping each other through
the good times and the bad times.”
“We don’t see them in the Emergency Department
anymore – we see them out in the community, even
the ones on oxygen. With lung patients, it’s all about
improving their quality of life even a little bit so they
can go to their grandson’s basketball game instead of
being stuck at home breathless. Education is the most
powerful tool we have to accomplish that.”
3 Connection s
‘Still Singing Solos’
“I have attended Better Breathers for almost 10 years.
The hospital and employees who volunteer their
time should be richly commended for providing
this valuable service.
In my case, in my eighties, I can still sing solos and
play the trumpet with less than 50 percent of my
projected lung capacity. We learn to build up our
muscles used in breathing to enable us to maximize
the use of the available lungs that we have left.
Leslie Miller and Eddie Robinson do an excellent
job teaching breathing methods, nutrition, and proper
ways to use medications so that we get the maximum
effect. I believe this program extends and improves
our quality of life. Thank you!”
Bob Marshall
Cheboygan
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
‘Zaidee Day’
With diabetes at epidemic levels, and heart disease the
nation’s number one killer, regular screenings for high
blood sugar and high blood pressure have never been
more important. One Kalkaska Memorial Health
Center (KMHC) nurse is making sure senior citizens
know their numbers.
Staff Spotlight
Name: Zaidee Anderson, RN, Community
Outreach Nurse
Job: Visits about four senior meal sites each month
to screen blood pressure, blood glucose, and hemoglobin. She also manages KMHC’s new Rural Health
Clinic and Teen Health Corner.
How she makes a difference: “I spend three to five
minutes with each person. I can do a small piece of
patient education in that time, which I really love. I’m
not intimidating because I’m not in an office, so the
people are really comfortable. Over time, they get so
used to me, they really are like friends.”
Best part of job: “I stay and have lunch, and people
are much more receptive than if they were attending
a lecture – it’s like sitting around the kitchen table.
For me, it’s very fun because it is very people oriented.”
Bonus benefit: “If one of my ‘regulars’ ends up at
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center’s Emergency
Department, they’ll tell the ED crew they know me.
I don’t interfere with their care, but I will walk over
to the ED because it’s good to see a familiar face
when you’re in that situation.”
‘She Comes to Us’
Flora L. George and Zaidee Anderson, RN
“Our group really looks forward to seeing Zaidee.
Most of us are at an age when we need to keep track of
our blood pressure. She is such a nice person. She talks
to us and if she sees something that needs attention,
she’ll lead us to get the help we need.
She’ll say, ‘Oh, you need to get in to see your doctor.’
She comes to see us, so it saves us a trip to Kalkaska
or Traverse City to have these screenings done.”
Blanche Hogerheide
South Boardman
6 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure damages your blood vessels, which raises your risk of stroke, kidney failure, heart disease, and heart attack. Because there are
usually not any symptoms, it’s important to have your blood pressure checked regularly.
1
Don’t smoke
cigarettes or use
any tobacco
product.
2
Lose weight
if you’re
overweight.
3
Exercise
regularly.
4
Eat a healthy diet
that includes lots
of fruits and
vegetables and is
low in fat.
5
Limit your sodium,
alcohol, and
caffeine intake.
6
Try relaxation
techniques.
Ask your doctor
for advice.
Co n n e c t i ons 4
Mercy Hospital Cadillac
Senior Fit: Working Toward Health
“Senior Fit for the Management of Chronic Disease”
began when Mercy Hospital Cadillac asked, “What
is the biggest driver of health care costs and causes of
death?” A community health needs assessment revealed that chronic disease related to cancer, stroke,
and lung disease was the greatest health issue that
contributed to high costs and mortality.
Staff Spotlight
Name: Jennifer
Hrebec, Exercise
Specialist
How she makes
a difference:
“People are very
excited when they start
to see results. They tell me that I’m
‘magic.’ I remind them that they are the ones doing
the work, I just give them the tools they need.
Some are getting off their blood pressure medication
and some are able to reduce the amount
of insulin they take.”
Best part of the job: “I’m very
proud of all of my participants
when they set goals and achieve
them. They’re pretty surprised
at what they’re able
to do.”
Getting Results
97% 94% 91%
of all participants
have seen improvements in their
overall quality
of life
have experienced
improved energy
levels
say they’re more
flexible
75% 72% 50%
say their daily pain
has decreased
have better
control over
their weight
have participated
in physical activity
they were unable
to do previously
‘Feeling Better’
Susie Mulkey of Cadillac joined Senior Fit the first
day it was offered.
“I was looking for an additional way to reduce life’s
stresses when the Senior Fit Program just fell into my
lap. What a great find. The exercise regimen involving
machines, weights, and stretching has leveled out my
stress and helped me rediscover muscle groups
I haven’t felt in a while.
The knowledgeable staff who set my
personal performance goals and give
great tips, the spa-like atmosphere,
and the ability to increase my workout
levels at my own pace keep me coming
back. I feel better and I look better.
Senior Fit is working for me and I
hope others will avail themselves
of this extremely beneficial
program. It really serves a
need in this community.
I can’t thank you enough.”
Susie Mulkey
Cadillac
5 Connection s
Mercy Hospital Grayling
Access to Meds
Mercy Hospital Grayling and other Munson
Healthcare System hospitals work with pharmaceutical companies to obtain free medications for patients.
The Medication Access Program is funded by
30 pharmaceutical companies and connects the
uninsured with medications they need.
Staff Spotlight
Name: Bonnie Plonsky, Medication Access Program
Coordinator
Job: Connects low-income, uninsured patients at
Mercy Hospital Grayling and at the AuSable Free
Clinic with free medication. “People can do this
online themselves, but it is confusing for some. They
really appreciate having an advocate.”
How she makes a difference: “Without us being
here, some people would try to do without their
medication and they would be in so much trouble
medically. This program really helps keep people out
of the Emergency Department, so I think it saves the
system and taxpayers money in the end.”
‘One Help After Another’
“If it wasn’t for the Medication Access Program, I don’t
know what I would have done. I’ve had diabetes for 15
years, and I’ve been without insurance for four years. I
would say they have saved my life. Without medication,
my blood sugar is out of whack and I am so tired, I just
want to go to sleep. I could just see myself slipping into a
coma. Until I went to the AuSable Free Clinic, I couldn’t
get my blood sugar under control. They helped me
understand what I needed to do. I’m able to get prescriptions for diabetes, thyroid, and blood pressure – they
helped me with all of it.
Now my blood pressure is perfect, my blood sugar is perfect, and my cholesterol is perfect. I couldn’t have done
this well without their help. What impressed me so much
is everyone there smiles; they all seem to be so happy to
be there volunteering, even after they’ve worked all day.”
Glenda Barker
Mio
Best part of day: “I’ll tell you, when I have a patient
who has tears in their eyes because they are so happy
to get their medications, my heart goes out to them
and I feel like I really am helping the community.
It’s been a really tough year for people and this is so
needed. Eighty percent of the time, we are able to get
their meds for them for free.”
Glenda Barker and Bonnie Plonsky
Current number of Medication Access Program clients
at Mercy Hospital Grayling:
Average number
of medications
per client:
Average patient
savings for each
3-month supply:
Wholesale value of
medications received
to date:
Highest medication
savings for one
patient:
158
6.5
$405
$358,718
$12,417
Co n n e c t i ons 6
Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation
‘God Bless Everyone Who Donates’
In August, Manda Colbeck of East Jordan learned she
had brain cancer and had surgery the same day at
Munson Medical Center. Within minutes of hearing his
wife’s diagnosis, Gordon Colbeck was approached by
Medical Social Worker Lise Kolinski. He didn’t think
they needed financial help, but he kept Kolinski’s card.
In November, Gordon lost his job when his company
closed. Two weeks later, Manda, 38, needed a second
brain surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Gordon called Kolinski for help.
“The bills keep coming no matter what your life
situation is,” Manda said. “At first we felt, ‘Oh, this is
a hand-out,’ but Lise said not to think of it that way
because this was never planned. It felt so good to
know that there is a Foundation to raise money to
help people. God bless everyone who donates to it.
We never knew this was available. I won’t ever forget
them, that’s for sure.”
‘An Outpouring of Love’
“I’m overwhelmed. It’s like an outpouring of love
and generosity that has sustained us. We were going
merrily on our way through life when the rug was
pulled out from underneath us. These funds give you
a chance to take a deep breath. They’re in your corner,
and they just keep giving and giving and giving.”
Gordon Colbeck
East Jordan
In FY 09, nearly $40,000
was dispensed by the Foundation to help meet patient
needs, such as new bedding
for an asthmatic infant, or
a tank of propane fuel for a
man trying to heat his home
with small gas grill tanks.
7 Connection s
$9,200 in gas cards was
given to people who could
not afford to get to or from
the hospital.
Lise Kolinski, Manda Colbeck, Gordon Colbeck
Foundation Funds Meet Basic Needs
Six of the 50 funds administered by the Munson
Healthcare Regional Foundation are made
available to Medical Social Work to disperse as needed.
Patient needs funds are not used to cover medical
expenses, but do help offset family bills and other
expenses people experience during a medical crisis.
“Just about the time you think ‘That’s the saddest story
I’ve ever heard,’ another one comes along to top it,” said
Medical Social Work Technician Becky Willsey. “Any of
us could be one step away from these scenarios.”
“We’ve all been touched by this economy and know
someone whose income has been cut,” Kolinski said.
“The needs have increased and other community
resources have decreased. We are here to help this
community.”
One man given $20 for gas
returned the next week with
$30 to donate. “He said he
always repays his debts with a
little more added,” Kolinski said.
“He closed the loop so another
person could be helped down
the line.”
Munson Healthcare Regional
Foundation is one of seven
fundraising groups
throughout the Munson
Healthcare System supporting
hospitals and patient services.
Munson Home Health
A Time to Mourn, and A Time to Play Tennis
The Munson Hospice Bereavement Program has
provided help and support to families dealing with a
loss through death since 1985. Free bereavement services are available to anyone and include:
• Individual, family, or group sessions in Benzie, Gaylord, and Traverse City
• Family Summer Camp
• Summer Tennis Camp
• Art, Music, and Gardening Therapy
• In-school services for youth
Staff Spotlight
Name: Patti Amalfitano, MSW, Munson Hospice
Bereavement Coordinator; Barbara McIntyre, PhD,
Art Therapy Coordinator
Job: Provide bereavement services to families dealing
with the loss of a loved one.
How they help: Amalfitano and McIntyre work together in family sessions; McIntyre uses creative means
to help children with their grief and heads community
programs for youth; Amalfitano provides counseling to
adults.
Best part of job: “One of the most rewarding aspects
of my position is seeing people who, despite the struggle, are able to move through their grief and, with time,
arrive at a new sense of normalcy,” Amalfitano said.
“When youth can grieve, they continue on a healthy
path of human development and therefore develop into
wonderful people,” McIntyre said. “I have seen this
time and time again as many of the kids I worked with
contact me years later.”
‘I Knew Someone Was Thinking of Me’
Robin Flannery and her three children – ages 12, 10,
and 8 – began bereavement services after Aaron,
her husband and their father, received care through
Munson Hospice. Robin received grief support
immediately following Aaron’s death in October
2006, and began counseling with Patti Amalfitano,
Bereavement Coordinator.
“Patti told me I could call or stop in anytime, and she
meant it. Initially, my children were uncomfortable
participating in Art Therapy, but this past summer
they took part in the Tennis Camp and found that to
be a great outlet for them. For me, the mailings that
came monthly after my husband’s death, even though
I didn’t always open them, were reassuring because I
knew someone was still thinking of me.”
Robin Flannery
Grief Tips
Grief and trauma are
different. If your loss
was sudden and unexpected, you may need
to resolve the trauma
before you work on
your grief.
Anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays
are important times
to honor the person
who died.
Attend to your
physical needs
of nutrition, rest,
and exercise.
Grief is a journey
that involves physical, emotional, and
spiritual healing.
Remembering
your loved one is
a healthy part
of grief.
Strive for balance;
laughter and tears
are both a part of
healing.
Nature and the arts
can help you heal.
Grief is unique
and has its own
timeline.
Traverse City
Co n n e c t i ons 8
Munson Medical Center
Support for Free Clinics
Munson Medical Center collaborates with the Tra-
verse Health Clinic by providing medications, in-kind
donations, services, and staff support. Traverse Health
Clinic is a nonprofit organization that helps people
access health care services in Benzie, Grand Traverse,
and Leelanau counties. It operates a free clinic in Traverse City that is a source of primary care for about
1,700 people, including Amy and Ron Whittaker.
The Whittakers are both managers at their respective
jobs. Despite good positions, neither has health insurance. When Ron started having symptoms of diabetes,
he resisted seeing a physician because he could not afford an office visit. Eventually, Amy and Ron learned
about Coalition Health Access Program (CHAP), a
program operated by Traverse Health Clinic and comprised of about 450 health care providers who donate
services to uninsured CHAP enrollees.
By the time Ron sought help and was enrolled in
CHAP, he was seriously ill and needed two days in
the hospital to stabilize his blood sugar levels. He was
told he would not have lived much longer if he’d not
sought treatment.
The Whittakers now receive their primary care
and Ron’s follow-up diabetes care at Traverse
Health Clinic.
Of the 1,500 CHAP enrollees,
about 1,000 receive
services at the clinic;
the rest are assigned
to participating
private practices in
the three counties.
The majority of
CHAP clients are
female and employed.
9 Connection s
The Uninsured
23% 42%
In the 11-county area served
by Munson Healthcare and
system hospitals, 23 percent
of adults are without health
care coverage.
Nearly 42 percent of people with
annual incomes less than $20,000
are uninsured; only 5 - 8 percent
of those with incomes more than
$50,000 lack insurance.
4.5%
11,000
Only 4.5 percent of children
have no health care coverage,
largely because of extended
Medicaid eligibility; more
than 37 percent of children
in Michigan are covered by
Medicaid.
In the three-county area of Benzie,
Grand Traverse, and Leelanau,
11,000 adults are uninsured.
‘A Place to Go’
“We were desperate and had nowhere else to turn. We
could not have afforded the doctor visits or the monthly
supplies Ron needed to keep his diabetes under control.
We now have a place to go and someone to call. This
family would no longer be together if it weren’t for CHAP.
It’s keeping our family healthy and happy and whole.”
Amy and Ron Whittaker
Interlochen
Traverse Health Clinic
Staff Spotlight
Name:
Cathi Rhynard, PharmD,
Munson Medical Center
Free Clinics in Northern Michigan
Job: As a Munson Medical
Center pharmacist, Rhynard spends most of her
time dispensing medications for hospitalized patients.
One day a week, she works directly with clients in the
Diabetes Clinic at Traverse Health Clinic. Munson
Medical Center pays for her time to be there, one
of several ways the hospital supports the clinic.
How she’s making a difference: “We see patients
who have difficulty controlling diabetes. I make therapeutic recommendations, adjust doses, and provide
glucose monitors and strips so they can manage their
disease. Often they’ve lost their job and lost control
over their disease. This gives them back some sense
of being in control. It’s nice to see the ones making
progress month to month and improving their lives.”
AuSable Free Clinic, Grayling
Cadillac Community Free Clinic, Cadillac
Manistee Area Community Clinic, Manistee
Traverse Health Clinic, Traverse City
Each of these clinics receives financial and inkind support from hospitals within the Munson
Healthcare System. Physicians and hospital
employees also volunteer their services at the clinics.
Why she enjoys working at the clinic: “I love it,
I do. You feel like you’re making an impact on
people’s lives. Every week we have someone telling
us how happy they are that we are here – they are
grateful for any kind of help you can give them. It’s
nice to know we’re performing a service for people
who have no other options. It has definitely been
a learning experience for me and has expanded
my horizons.”
Mary Ann Hoogerhyde, RN, volunteer
Since April 2005, primary care
practitioners, specialty physicians,
chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, and Munson Healthcare
facilities have provided more
than $8 million in donated
services through the CHAP
program.
In FY 08, Munson Healthcare donated
more than $1 million in services
to CHAP patients, including inpatient
medical care, outpatient cardiac and
rehab services, surgical services, Pain
Clinic, Sleep Disorder Center, lab and
radiology services, Infusion Clinic,
and emergency and urgent care.
Munson Medical Center
donated $8,000 in
medications to the clinic
last year.
Community volunteers provided
4,251 hours at the clinic in
FY 2008.
Co n n e c t i ons 10
Otsego Memorial Hospital
Improving Quality of Life
Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord and all
Munson Healthcare System hospitals offer active
support groups for people with chronic disease. For
many, it is the lifeline they need to regain their health.
‘You Can’t Do it Alone’
“Being diagnosed with diabetes is a little like grief –
you’ve got all those stages to go through. You deny it
at first, and then you get mad. When I met Eileen,
I immediately fell in love with her – I thought, ‘This
is the girl who’s going to help me get through this.’
God love her, she knows you’re human, she’s very
compassionate and very understanding – I rely on
her an awful lot.
When I had to go on insulin, I cried. She said,
‘Peg, it’s normal.’ She was so sweet to me. I’m fairly
convinced you cannot tackle diabetes by yourself –
you have to be with other people who are going
through it. I will be eternally grateful for the
diabetes support group in Gaylord as well as the
people in the group. There is life after diabetes.”
Peg Metzger
Gaylord
Staff Spotlight
Name: Eileen
Mikus, MS, RD,
CDE, Diabetes
Program
Coordinator
Job: Meets with
individuals newly diagnosed with diabetes, as well
as long-term diabetes patients and diabetes support
groups. “When you see people who’ve been
successful, it’s great.”
Why prevention is so important: “It’s really heartwrenching to hear someone say, ‘I wish I would have
known earlier that I had diabetes.’ People don’t feel
high blood sugar – you have to be tested. The rate of
diabetes and obesity in northern Michigan is astonishing. We have a whole generation who’ve grown up basically moving their thumbs (on video game controllers).
In these times, especially, people are wondering about
their insurance coverage and what they’ll be charged.
It’s terrible to see that we’re not more preventionoriented. Once you’ve lost your kidneys – they’re gone.
Once your eyesight has been damaged, it might not
be repaired. Diabetes is a devastating disease, but its
negative effects can be prevented if you eat right and
move more.”
Why she can’t wait to get to work: “I get to
know people and their families on a personal level.
When I call them at home they are so appreciative
that someone reached out to make sure they’re
doing OK.
At the end of the day, I feel like there’s still so much
more to do. We’re just scraping the tip of the iceberg.
I’m seeing more and more newly diagnosed people in
their 30s and 40s with sky high blood sugar. We need to
catch these people early – if we do, we can add decades
to their life and improve the quality of their life.”
11 Connection s
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
‘Team Lisa’:
Supporting Cancer Patients
It started with a telephone call. In March 2005,
Lisa Trudell received the news that every woman
dreads – she had breast cancer.
Lisa, a nurse at Paul Oliver Memorial
Hospital (POMH), quickly found her co-workers
falling into step beside her as she began her cancer
journey. POMH staff had already been exploring the
formation of a team for the Benzie County American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
“When cancer hit one of us, our co-worker, friend,
and life spirit, we were mobilized to action and
‘Team Lisa’ was born,” said Donna Clarke, POMH
Outpatient Services Director. “Lisa showed us what
true courage and determination looked like.”
Lisa shared her experiences, from the downside
of chemotherapy to the relationships she formed
riding with other survivors to Traverse City for
treatment. “If she had a down day, we never knew
it,” Clarke said.
‘They Are Just Good People’
“The people at Paul Oliver are incredible. They are just
good people, professionally as well as personally.When
I got cancer, everybody wanted to do something to help.
Even people who didn’t know me well gave me tremendous support from day one. It was phenomenal. They
would hug me, tell me to ‘hang tough’ or say ‘you’re
looking good.’ They just knew what I needed.
That’s how Paul Oliver is. It’s like a family here –
better than family. Yesterday an elderly man brought
his wife into the ER. He fell and couldn’t drive home,
so our staff took him home and made sure
he got up the steps into his house.
That’s just one of the benefits of a
smaller community.”
Lisa Trudell
Frankfort
From the beginning, Team Lisa has been supported
by POMH. The hospital annually purchases corporate sponsorship for the August event and provides
a Survivors’ Breakfast in the Elberta Waterfront
Park to kick off the Relay for Life.
Thirty active members, comprised of hospital
employees and volunteers, are committed to
raising money for the local American Cancer
Society, and to providing inspiration, hope, and
community awareness about the importance of
annual screening for breast cancer.
The POMH team raised nearly $9,000 last year.
The Team Lisa Flamingo Drill Team also made an
appearance at the July 4th parade in Frankfort and
Beulah, and actively sold “no flocking” insurance so
homeowners could avoid waking up to a yard full
of plastic pink flamingos. The team has held garden
walks, labyrinth walks, and pancake breakfasts to
raise funds and awareness.
Lisa Trudell, RN; Donna Clarke, RN; Cindy Fant, RN; and Liz Dobrzynski, RN
Co n n e c t i ons 12
West Shore Medical Center
Dental Surgeries: Service from the Heart
Providing dental care for special-needs patients
requires a tender touch and a hospital with heart.
Every Friday, West Shore Medical Center
in Manistee opens one of its operating rooms to
dentists who perform oral procedures on children
and adults with special needs.
Most of the patients have physical, mental, or
medical conditions that make it impossible for them
to receive dental care without general anesthesia,
which requires a hospital setting. Many patients
live in group homes and some have never received
dental care. Procedures range from dental cleaning
to extractions and restorations.
West Shore Medical Center provides the surgical
suite, a circulating nurse, an anesthesiologist, and
recovery room staff. Last year, 121 dental surgeries
were done at West Shore. The hospital works in
conjunction with Michigan Community Dental
Clinics of Manistee to provide dental services to
low income and Medicaid patients throughout
Michigan.
West Shore Medical Center and Otsego Memorial
Hospital in Gaylord both open their
facilities to the program.
“It is a community service,” said
West Shore Operating Room
Manager Lori Schumacher. “I think
it is a nice gesture. These patients come
from all over. They are the more medically
complicated patients, and can be a challenge
for our anesthesiologists.”
Sue Verheek is a guardian for developmentally
disabled residents in Manistee. About 20 of her
clients have received dental services at West Shore.
“I think it’s great that they do this,” she said.
“Without the hospital, it wouldn’t be happening.
It would be very difficult for our people to travel
for this kind of service. They can’t tell us how
uncomfortable they are, but we know it improves
their physical health.”
Ben Fishman, DDS
‘She Always Has a Smile’
Violet Frable’s daughter, Susanne, 55, recently
underwent a 2 ½-hour dental surgery at West Shore
Medical Center to have a cap replaced, fillings,
extractions, and a cleaning.
“They did a super job. It was quite a snowy day and
they told me not to make the drive, they’d stay in
touch by phone. They took such good care of her.
She’s a happy girl and always has a smile. I’ve looked
all over for this kind of service – it was a blessing
and I’m just so pleased. I can’t say enough about
the folks up there.”
Violet Frable
Midland
13 Connection s
Munson Healthcare
Taking Stock of Community Health
Munson Healthcare conducted a Community Health Assessment in
2008 to identify health needs in the area and to determine the health
status of northern Michigan residents. Key findings included:
A growing concentration
of older residents is requiring
increased health services. Rates of
obesity, high blood pressure, and
diabetes have soared in the past
10 years; diabetes is occurring at
younger ages.
Heart disease remains the
leading cause of death in the
region, followed by cancer. An
encouraging finding is that while
the incidence of cancer is slightly
higher in northern Michigan than
the state average, the mortality
rate from cancer is slightly lower.
An increasing delay in
seeking preventive care and
residents limiting use of
medication and health care
services because of cost.
Chronic disease and related
risk factors are affecting a large
portion of northern Michigan’s
population.
Rising poverty rates, rates of
uninsured, reliance on Medicaid
for coverage of infants and children,
and more people reporting fair or
poor health status highlight the
need to strengthen safety net
services, such as free clinics and
programs that provide health care
access to this significant and
growing portion of the population.
An increase in the number
of college-educated people who
need public services; a rising
need among educational levels
and socio-economic levels
rarely seen before.
Health Statistics
22%
78%
30%
More than 22 percent of adults
in northern Michigan smoke;
16 percent report binge drinking;
22 percent report no leisure time
physical activity.
More than 78 percent of adults
don’t eat recommended amounts
of fruit and vegetables.
Thirty percent of adults have
not seen a dentist in more than
a year; an emerging trend is
serious dental conditions that
compromise overall health.
Community Strengths
First trimester prenatal care
occurs in 86 percent of births;
82 percent of two year olds are
fully immunized (both figures
from 2006 are above the state
average). A variety of maternal
and child health indicators have
improved over time, and the
region is doing better than state
averages in infant mortality rate,
low birth rate, premature births,
and breastfeeding.
Total mortality rate for all
ages in the 11-county area is
significantly lower than state
and national rates.
Co n n e c t i ons 14
Munson Healthcare Community Benefit Report
2008 Munson Healthcare System Community Benefit
What is Community Benefit?
Unpaid Cost of Medicaid
$9.4 M
Unpaid Cost of Charity Care
$6.9 M
Programs/Services
$13.9 M
Community benefits are programs or activities that provide treatment or promote
health and healing as a response to identified community needs and meet at least
one of these objectives:
Total
$30.2 M
• Improve access to health care service
• Enhance the health of the community
Other Significant Financial Contributions
Unpaid Cost of Bad Debt
$11.5 M
Unpaid Cost of Medicare
$19.1 M
• Advance medical or health care
knowledge
• Relieve or reduce the burden of
government or other community efforts Community Building Activities $102,446
Total
$30.7 M
Combined Financial
Contributions: $60.9 M
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital data not reflected in 2008 report.
On the Front Cover
Merrie Kirker of Traverse City has had multiple experiences as a patient at Munson Medical Center. After recovering from a second heart attack, she was hospitalized
again last summer with serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. “My cardiologist stopped by and just shook her head. I told her, ‘The good news is all my
new parts have now been tested and work really well under extreme pressure. The bad news is I need more new parts.’ My care at Munson is always exceptional in
every way – everyone there is wonderful and so kind. We are very blessed to have this amazing hospital in our community.”
Community benefit
munsonhealthcare.org
1105 Sixth Street, Traverse City, MI 49684