E-Prescribing

Please Welcome the Newest Members to MKMG
We are Proud to Have These Superb Physicians on our Team
Thomas Guzzardi,
MD
Internal Medicine &
Nephrology
Poughkeepsie
Mark A. Nogueira,
MD
Urology &
Urologic Oncology
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Guarang J. Trivedi,
MD
Ophthalmology &
Glaucoma
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Lucy Sun Brevetti,
MD
Vascular Surgery
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Maya Eve
Shetreat-Klein MD
Pediatric Neurology
Mount Kisco
Roxan F. Saidi MD
Gastroenterology
Carmel, Fishkill
Kurt V. Voellmicke,
MD
Orthopedic Surgery &
Foot & Ankle Surgery
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Melissa Dworkin,
MD
OB/GYN
Yorktown, Katonah
Jim Koo MD
Internal Medicine
Mahopac
Sandra L. Santiago,
MD
Radiology
Mount Kisco, Carmel,
Katonah
Joseph Avanzato,
MD
Family Medicine
Mahopac
Steven Farkas MD
Radiology
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Sang Y. Lee MD
Gastroenterology
Katonah
F. Michael Shaw,
MD
OB/GYN
Mount Kisco, Katonah
Gary B. Wenick,
MD
Pediatrics
Patterson
Gregory S. Wisdom,
MD
Otolaryngology
Carmel, Katonah
A Lifetime of Quality Care That’s Convenient & Complete
SM
w w w. m km g . c o m
Spring 2008
E-Prescribing : ) The Paperless
Prescription Comes of Age
“Electronic Prescribing
(e-Prescribing), is one of the
greatest advances in the area of
the electronic medical record,”
says Dr. Abe Levy, Internist and Medical Director of
Mount Kisco Medical Group (MKMG).
E-Prescribing is a paper-less method of
writing a prescription. Prescriptions are sent
electronically from the physician’s computer
to the pharmacist’s computer by a secure
encrypted electronic connection.
The automation of the process has many benefits such as:
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Improving Patient Safety by eliminating human handwriting,
drug naming errors, and drug dosage errors
Automatic electronic checking for patient allergies and
drug interactions
Reducing patient wait time at the pharmacy
Delivering prescriptions to the pharmacist’s computer
even when the pharmacy is closed
Alleviating Call Backs to Doctors from Pharmacies
(continued on page 3)
Scott A.
Gottesfeld MD
Cardiology
Katonah
Harry Moskowitz,
MD
Pediatrics
Somers
Asya Trakht MD
OB/GYN
Mount Kisco, Carmel
Sophia Zeb MD
Internal Medicine
Mahopac
Spending more time with each patient:
An integral part of providing quality care
For more information on our physicians, visit our website www.mkmg.com
A Lifetime of Quality Care That’s
Convenient & Complete
SM
PATTERSON:
2050 Route 22
Brewster NY 10509-5949
845-279-2323
KATONAH:
111 Bedford Road
Katonah NY 10536-2115
Phone: 914-232-3135
CARMEL:
Southeast Executive Park, 185 Route 312
Brewster NY 10509-2338
Main Phone:
845-278-7000
Specialist Phone: 845-278-4300
Radiology Phone: 845-278-3500
Pediatrics Phone: 845-278-6626
SOMERS:
342 Route 202
Somers NY 10589-3207
Phone: 914-277-4448
MAIN CAMPUS:
90 & 110 South Bedford Road
34 South Bedford Road
Mount Kisco NY 10549-3412
Main Phone:
914-241-1050
Pediatrics Phone: 914-242-1580
RIVERSIDE POUGHKEEPSIE:
One Pine Street Spur
Poughkeepsie NY 12601-3963
Phone: 845-471-2287
RIVERSIDE FISHKILL:
Vassar Brothers Medical Mall
200 Westage Business Center Drive
Suite #240
Fishkill NY 12524-2268
Phone: 845-896-9870
©2008 Mount Kisco Medical Group PC. All Rights Reserved. Produced by Greyskye, LLC
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS:
1825 Commerce Street
1940 Commerce Street
Yorktown Heights NY 10598-4432
Internal Med. & OB/GYN: 914-962-5060
Pediatrics Phone: 914-962-8989
MAHOPAC:
48 Route 6 & Mahopac Avenue
Yorktown Heights NY 10598
914-248-5556
V15000
At Mount Kisco Medical Group, every
woman who has a mammogram and/or breast
ultrasound speaks to the radiologist after her
exam. The patient also has the opportunity to
view her own images. According to Radiologist,
Dr. Virna Lisi-DeMartino, “It really gives the
patient an idea of what we do and what we
are looking for, especially for women in whom
we recommend breast ultrasound in addition
to the mammogram.” Mount Kisco Medical
Group (MKMG) believes that spending time
with each patient to go over the images is an
integral part of providing quality care.
“Our patients really appreciate this service,
some of them requesting the same Radiologist
Inside:
WOMEN’S IMAGING
from year to year to read their exam,” explains
Dr. Lisi-DeMartino.
recommended, MKMG offers vacuum-assisted
needle biopsy using MRI compatible equipment.
After reviewing the woman’s history provided
on a patient questionnaire and/or in person, the
Radiologist can calculate the patient’s lifetime
risk as needed using on-line risk assessment
models. The assessment models help to
determine which patients would benefit from
a high-risk screening breast MRI. MKMG offers
quality/high resolution screening and staging
breast MRI on a high field 3 Tesla MRI
scanner using a dedicated breast coil for high
risk patients and recently diagnosed breast
cancer patients, respectively. If a biopsy is
If a patient has a suspicious finding on
imaging for which a biopsy is recommended,
MKMG accommodates the patient into the
schedule as soon as possible, either on the
same day or within a couple of days.
Results are communicated to the patient’s
physician quickly.
For more information or to schedule
an appointment please call MKMG’s
Radiology Department at
1-888-MKMG-RAD. ■
Women’s Imaging: MKMG &
MKMG & MGH Helps
Introducing MKMG’s
More Time With Patients . . . . . 1 The Patient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Newest Physicians . . . . . . . . . 4
E-Prescribing: Paperless
MOSAIC Laser: The Newest In
MKMG Very Enthusiastic About
Prescriptions At MKMG . . .1 & 3 Fractional Resurfacing . . . . . . 2 Clinical Trial Program . . . . . . 3
a clinical affiliate of
The MOSAIC LASER~ the Newest in Fractional Resurfacing
MKMG is proud to introduce their
new fractional laser, the MOSAIC.
The MOSAIC skin rejuvenation
procedure is the newest in fractional
resurfacing. It randomly delivers
thousands of microscopic laser
beams to the skin with minimal pain.
The laser alters the structure below
the surface helping to regenerate
collagen and elastin.
Since the outer-most layer of skin is not affected by this
procedure, patients can immediately resume their daily activities.
One of the major benefits of the MOSAIC is that there is very
little downtime and very low risk.
After just one treatment skin will be brighter and regenerated.
After 3-4 treatments skin will be tighter and scars will be
dramatically improved, or vanished completely. In order to
achieve the best results, 3-6 treatments are generally required.
One of the major benefits of the MOSAIC is that it continues
to regenerate collagen and dermal elastin fibers for months
after the treatment.
The MOSAIC helps:
■ Rejuvenate facial areas
■
Rejuvenate non-facial areas (neck, chest, hands, etc.)
■
Reduce Scars (acne scars, surgical scars,
traumatic scars, burn scars, striae)
■
Reduce wrinkles and firm skin
■
Improve sun damaged skin (large pores,
rough skin texture)
■
Improve pigmented lesions (melasma,
age spots, dyschromias)
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Correct uneven skin tone
For more information on the MOSAIC Laser
or to schedule an appointment, please call one of
our cosmetic dermatologists at the MKMG
Aesthetic Surgery Center : 914-242-1355 ■
MKMG Very Enthusiastic About Clinical Trial Program
Mount Kisco Medical Group is very enthusiastic about our clinical trial
program. MKMG’s Jonathan Goldberg, MD, Medical Oncologist is the Director of
Cancer Clinical Trials at Northern Westchester Hospital, and Medical Director of
Oncology at Putnam Hospital Center. Dr. Goldberg is excited that through
collaboration with Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital and Northern
Westchester Hospital, trials that were once only available for patients who wanted
to travel to academic medical centers, are now available locally to our patients
in their own communities.
A Clinical Trial is a scientific study of a new treatment (drugs, medical devices, or
procedures) used by humans. Participation in a clinical trial can help patients play
a more active role in their health care, have access to new treatments before they
are widely available, and contribute to medical research. Clinical trials are used to
learn whether a new treatment is more effective than currently standard available
treatments. Such studies are fundamental in the development of better
treatments for cancer.
Some of the most common types of cancer in Westchester and Putnam Counties
and the surrounding areas are those of the breast, colon/rectum, prostate, lung
and kidney as well as lymphomas. Dr. Jonathan Goldberg along with MKMG’s
Dominick Chiarieri MD, Jeffrey Halaas MD, and Thomas Lester MD work closely
with Northern Westchester Hospital on clinical trials that further research
treatments of such cancers.
“Electronic Prescribing
(e-Prescribing)...
(continued from page 1)
Affiliation Between Mount Kisco Medical Group
and Massachusetts General Hospital Helps Patient
Claudia Rosen of Poughkeepsie, NY had been
diagnosed with colon cancer in February of 2006.
She had surgery and treatment near her home in
Poughkeepsie. A year later, a CAT scan revealed
lesions on her liver. Several biopsies were taken.
All were found to be negative. No further treatment
was recommended. Her doctor recommended that
another scan be taken in 6 months.
Meanwhile, Claudia was urged by a close friend
of hers to switch to her Oncologist, Dr. Jonathan
Goldberg of Mount Kisco Medical Group. Claudia
realized that the fact that the cancer had most likely
metastasized was serious, and waiting six months
was not an option.
Claudia asked Dr. Goldberg to be her doctor. He
ordered a PET scan, which revealed at least three
lesions in the liver. Dr. Goldberg felt that these
lesions were most likely the colon cancer. He urged
Claudia to make an appointment with a surgeon, a
liver specialist. Dr. Goldberg provided her with
several names of surgeons. One of which was
Dr. Ken Tanabe, Chief of Surgical Oncology at
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Claudia
went back and forth about which doctor to see.
New York City was logistically closer and more
convenient for her family. Dr. Goldberg said the
decision of who to see was up to her. Claudia knew
she could consult as many doctors as she wanted
but, based on his recommendation and her own
research, she chose to see Dr. Tanabe. As Claudia
Rosen says, “It was a decision I will never regret.”
According to Claudia, “The care I got at
Massachusetts General Hospital was excellent,
beginning with the swiftness of getting a consultation
with Dr. Tanabe, and then, once surgery was
recommended, the ease and comfort that I sailed
through the various pre-surgery prerequisites.”
Claudia said her family was welcomed courteously
at any and all consultations she had. A nurse kept
in touch with them on a regular basis during the six
long hours that she was in the Operating Room.
“We were delighted when we heard that the ratio
of nurses to patients is 1 to 3. My family felt secure
when they said goodnight to me, that I would be
well taken care of during the night,” recalls Rosen.
Ms. Rosen was extremely happy with her treatment
at both MKMG and MGH. According to Claudia,
“I believe that Dr. Goldberg and Dr. Tanabe saved my
life. Because of the MKMG affiliation with MGH,
I had immediate access to what I can only say must
be one of the best (liver) surgeons in the country.
I am forever grateful to them both.”
Since Mount Kisco Medical Group’s affiliation with
Massachusetts General Hospital in May 2005, many
patients like Claudia Rosen, who require highly
specialized care, have benefited from this relationship.
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It is estimated that over 7,000 deaths
annually in the United States are due to
medication errors in both the inpatient
and outpatient settings. The errors are
primarily due to illegible handwriting,
wrong dosing, drug interactions, and
drug allergies.
e-Prescribing has tremendously
improved patient safety by reducing
medical errors such as drug interactions
and allergies. Through the process of
e-Prescribing, prescriptions are legible
and checked against the patient’s current
medications, allergies, body weight, and
age for possible interactions. According
to Dr. Levy, “The patient safety features
Clinical trials are generally conducted in three phases as part of the new treatment
approval process. Each phase of the trial has a unique purpose.
• In Phase I trials, researchers are testing an experimental treatment for the first time
in humans. Typically smaller groups of people (20-80) are used in Phase I studies.
Researchers are looking to find the right dose of the medication to use in later
trials, and are also looking at what are the major side effects of these new drugs.
• In Phase II trials, the experimental treatment is given to a larger group of people
(100-300) to evaluate its effectiveness and to look further at safety issues.
• In Phase III trials, the experimental treatment is given to a larger number of people
(1,000-3,000). In this phase researchers are looking to see if the new drug is an
improvement to the current standard of care and to again monitor for side effects.
Dr. Goldberg notes, “We focus on making trials available that are most likely to help
answer important questions as to how to improve the outcomes of cancer patients.
In general these are the Phase II and Phase III trials, many of which are the identical
trials also available at academic centers across the nation and internationally.”
Choosing to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision and
as Dr. Goldberg points out, “is completely optional. However, having the option
of participating in a high quality clinical trial in the convenience of you own
community is one of the great recent accomplishments in oncology.” ■
For more information on clinical trials please call for an appointment with MKMG
Oncologists, Drs. Jonathan Goldberg, Dominick Chiarieri, Jeffrey Halaas or
Thomas Lester at 914-241-1050 or speak with Ms. Debbie Isdale,
Clinical Trial Coordinator, at Northern Westchester Hospital at 914-666-1366.
include the elimination of the doctor’s
handwriting, the elimination of errors
in communication when prescriptions
are phoned to the pharmacy, automatic
allergy and drug interaction checking by
both computer systems (the physician’s
and the pharmacist’s), and accuracy in
every respect.”
Another benefit to patients is not
having to physically deliver the
prescription to the pharmacy. The
prescription goes directly from the
physician’s computer to the pharmacist’s
computer. It allows the pharmacist to
create the label for the patient’s
medication bottle by clicking “File”
and “Print”. Thus allowing patients to
pick up their prescription at the
pharmacy in confidence.
Over time, a patient’s medication history
will be recorded. Knowing a patient’s
medication history at the time of
prescribing will help physicians and
pharmacists to be vigilant for drug
allergies and interactions.
e-Prescribing also has benefits to the
physicians. One of the greatest is the
reduction in call-backs from pharmacies.
It is estimated that over 150 million calls
per year are made to physicians to
clarify prescriptions. This wastes both
physicians’ and pharmacists’ time.
e-Prescribing helps to alleviate calls
regarding illegible prescriptions, renewal
requests, drug interactions, etc.
Every MKMG physician has access to
e-Prescribing through Misys EMR.
The nurses are using it already, and the
physicians have now been invited to
do so. The only difficulty is that a lot
of local pharmacies do not yet have
the ability to receive an e-Prescription.
Some can receive an e-Prescription by
fax, but that defeats many of the patient
safety features of e-Prescribing.
MKMG attempts NOT to allow an
e-Prescription to be received at the
pharmacy by fax, because of the lack of
patient safety. MKMG is hopeful that
in the coming years all pharmacies will
adopt e-Prescribing.
MKMG is proud to be among the first
groups in the nation to be using
e-Prescribing inside its electronic
medical record, rather than as a
separate product. ■