spring 2016 - Conemaugh Health System

It’s
PRIME time!
Meet Tim Harclerode,
Conemaugh Health
System’s new Chief
Executive Officer
of Nason Hospital.
“Thank you to everyone
for the warm welcome
to the region. I am
excited to be working
alongside a medical
staff, board, leadership
team, and employees
who are so proud of the
rich tradition of Nason
Hospital. Now a member
of the Conemaugh Health
System, we are excited
about the future of Nason
Hospital and our ability
to fulfill our mission of
Making Communities
Healthier.
Time is
Ticking
Why do we wait?
For more than 24 hours, Roger Damon’s heart was dying and he did nothing about it. “I sat in
a chair writhing in pain all night. I did not want to wake my wife. I did not want to bother the
ambulance crew. I figured it was acid reflux and I would eventually feel better.”
The 66-year-old Blairsville, PA resident did not have the traditional pain in his arm or jaw, or
pressure in his chest but he was having a major heart attack.
conemaugh.org
Roger and wife,
Judith
“Mr. Damon had three blockages; one
artery was 100% blocked,” says
Dr. Srikanth Penumetsa, a
Conemaugh Physician Group
Interventional Cardiologist. “Every
second he waited was doing more
damage to his heart.”
Quality
Matters
“My primary symptom was a burning
pain under my rib cage,” says Damon.
“It never occurred to me that it was
heart related. I am thin, in good shape
and have no family history of heart
disease.” But when he looks back,
Damon does recall feeling tired and
winded for several months and, as
he waited out what he thought was
acid reflux, he had a strong feeling of
dread.
“Many people do not recognize heart
attack warning signs and they can be
very different for each person,” says
Dr. Penumetsa. “That is why you are
encouraged to seek help right away if
something does not feel right.”
Mr. Damon’s blockages were
successfully treated in Conemaugh
Memorial’s Cardiac Catheterization
Lab, which has been providing
nationally recognized heart care for
more than 25 years. “We were able
to use a radial approach,” says Dr.
Penumetsa, “going through an artery
in Mr. Damon’s wrist to get to the
heart.”
Conemaugh Memorial Medical
Center is proud to announce that
we have received Blue Distinction®
Center designation from Highmark
for delivering quality care and better
outcomes for patients in these
areas.
“I cannot say enough about
Dr. Penumetsa and the cardiac team
at Conemaugh Memorial,” says
Damon. “If I ever need this kind of care
again, I would tell the ambulance to
take me right to Conemaugh!”
Mr. Damon read an article that denial
is the most dangerous symptom of
heart disease. He couldn’t agree more.
“If sharing my story gets even just one
person to get help more quickly it was
worth it.” To read the rest of Roger’s
story, visit conemaugh.org. 
“Every second he waited was
doing more damage to his heart.”
Dr. Penumetsa
Conemaugh Physician Group - Cardiology
814.475.8600
• Cardiac Care
• Knee & Hip Replacement
• Spine Surgery
• Maternity Care
In addition, our colleagues at Nason
Hospital in Roaring Spring have also
received Blue Distinction® Center
designation in maternity care.
“Conemaugh Memorial is proud to
be recognized by Highmark BCBS
for meeting the rigorous selection
criteria set by the Blue Distinction
Specialty Care program,” says
Dr. Susan Williams, Chief Medical
Officer of Conemaugh Health
System.
“Our physicians and staff work
very hard to make these successful
programs, so patients can get great
care without having to travel to a
larger city.”
For more information about the
Blue Distinction® program and
a complete list of designated
facilities, visit www.bcbs.com/
bluedistinction.
conemaugh.org
Travel safely. Know the facts.
Zikavirus
We’ve made it through the winter and
travel season is upon us. This year,
traveling comes with some safety
concerns caused by recent outbreaks
of the Zika virus.
“The Zika virus is spread to people
primarily through the bite of an
infected Aedes species mosquito,”
says Dr. Trini Mathew, Infectious
Disease specialist at Conemaugh
Memorial Medical Center. “The most
common symptoms of Zika are fever,
rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red
eyes). Symptoms typically begin 2 to 7
days after being bitten by an infected
mosquito.”
Some parents may wonder if their
children are at an increased risk of
complications from Zika.
Dr. Khouzami says no. “Otherwise
healthy children and elderly
populations will likely experience
the same signs and symptoms, with
minimal risk for complications.”
If your child develops any
of the signs or symptoms
of Zika, see your child’s
primary doctor for
evaluation and let him/her
know of any recent trips
the family or family
members have taken,”
adds Khouzami.
The illness is usually mild with
symptoms lasting for several days to a
week. People usually do not get sick
enough to go to the hospital, and they
very rarely die of Zika. While the Zika
illness is typically mild for most
people, it has been linked to very
serious birth defects for babies of
mothers who were infected while
pregnant. “Zika virus has been linked
to a serious birth defect of the brain
called microcephaly, a condition in
which a baby’s head is smaller than
expected when compared to babies
of the same sex and age, and other
poor pregnancy outcomes,” says
Dr. Adib Khouzami, perinatologist
specializing in high risk pregnancies
and chairman of the Department of
Obstetrics & Gynecology.
conemaugh.org
Jaimie and
daughter Piper,
Johnstown, PA
CDC recommends special precautions for the following:
• Pregnant women (in any trimester):
- Consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.
- If you must travel to an affected area, talk to your doctor first and follow steps to prevent mosquito bites.
• Women who are trying to become pregnant:
- Before traveling, talk to your doctor about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection.
- Strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during your trip.
How to protect yourself from Zika
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens
to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.
Always follow the product label instructions.
• If you have a baby or child:
- Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.
- Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
- Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
- Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and
cut or irritated skin.
- Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
Visit wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel for updated travel information.

The majority of patients infected with Zika show no
signs of illness. Women with possible Zika exposure,
even without symptoms, are advised by the CDC to
wait at least 8 weeks after their possible exposure
before attempting conception.
Men who have been exposed should wait at least six
months before attempting conception because CDC
experts believe the virus can persist in semen.
Dr. Adib Khouzami
Conemaugh Physician Goup - OB/Gyn
814.534.9230
This map represents the CDC’s
best estimate of the potential
range of Aedes aegypti mosquito
in the US. It is not meant to
represent risk for spread of disease.
conemaugh.org
eyes
wide
open
Salvatore Ferrau learned to be a barber in his native
Italy when he was just six years old. He’s spent the
last 45 years at his shop in Westmont, a business he
opened with his late wife, Connie, which he now
shares with daughters Ivana and Annalisa.
Over the past few years, Salvatore began to have
problems with his vision, caused by drooping of the
skin around his eyes. “It was hard to see things on the
side. I would have to turn my head to look that way,“
says Ferrau. After failing a field vision test, Ferrau
turned to Conemaugh Physician Group – Plastic
Surgery for a procedure called blepharoplasty.
“Blepharoplasty is a very common, fairly simple
procedure in which we trim excess skin, muscle
and fat from the eye lids,” says Dr. Paul Rollins,
Conemaugh Physician Group – Plastic Surgery.
“This greatly improves the peripheral vision and also
gives the eyes a younger appearance.”
“It was like opening a window,” says a delighted
Ferrau. “Everything was so much brighter and now I
can see to the side without turning my head.
I am so pleased that I had it done.”
To learn more about this procedure or other services
available by the board-certified plastic surgeons at
Conemaugh Physician Group – Plastic Surgery, call
814-534-6758. 
conemaugh.org
Salvatore, Johnstown, PA
Conemaugh Physician Group Plastic Surgery patient
The Power of 3D
Mammograph
“We are very excited to offer this technology
to our patients,” says Dr. Michele Cacek, Director
of Mammography at Conemaugh and Lead
Interpreting Radiologist. “3D mammography
helps us improve breast cancer detection,
reduce false-positive findings and reduce
the need for patient call backs.”
While standard 2D mammograms
take an image of the top and
bottom side of a patient’s breast,
3D mammography takes 25 images
of the breast from many angles
as the x-ray tube moves across
the breast in a 50-degree arc. The
images are assembled into a 3D
study so doctors can see the breast
tissue in fine detail.
“We believe this technology
can help us save lives.”
Dr. Michele Cacek
“The 3D image allows us to see
clearly through breast tissue that
may be overlapping or through the
tissue of women with dense breasts.
We are better able to detect and
diagnose small tumors and rule
out abnormalities that may have
looked suspicious in the patient’s
2D mammogram,” says Cacek.
“Early detection is the key to surviving
breast cancer,” adds Dr. Cacek.
“When we find tumors earlier, we’re
better able to create treatment plans
that are more effective.” 
For more information about
3D Mammography, talk to your
doctor or call 814.534.4444.
conemaugh.org