e Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital
Transcription
e Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital
Health & Hope Providence St. Patrick Hospital Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Providence Medical Group MONTANA.PROVIDENCE.ORG p WINTER 2014 WELLNESS Radiation oncologist Jeffrey Stephenson, MD, is one of the patient’s healthcare team members at Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. Cancer screenings to schedule now 2 PREVENTION Who, what, when and where to go to keep your heart healthy 4 The Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital One of the most successful and impressive cancer programs in the Northwest 6-7 SICK? Check your symptoms at montana.providence.org/symptoms FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 1 12/12/13 12:15 PM WELLNESS Are You at Risk for Lung Cancer? Are you 50 or older and still smoking—or a former smoker who has since quit? If so, Providence St. Patrick Hospital is offering a lowcost lung cancer screening that could help you. Studies have shown that for those with certain risk factors, a lung CT scan can reduce the risk of death from lung cancer by 20 percent. Of course, St. Pat’s encourages people to stop smoking–one of the best ways to reduce your risk of lung cancer. Your healthcare provider can help you find the right smoking cessation resource for you. IS A SCAN RIGHT FOR YOU? Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2013 To find out if you qualify for a low-cost lung CT scan, contact Providence St. Patrick Hospital at 406-329-5757. Safeguard Yourself You keep your computer safe with antivirus software and you never forget an oil change. Treat your body with the same careful consideration by staying current on your cancer screenings. Use this guide to make sure you’re up to date. And be sure to discuss your health and family history with your doctor, as this may affect the frequency of your exams and the age at which you start. SCREENING FREQUENCY Pap test Every three years, starting at 21; every five beginning at 30 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BREAST HEALTH Clinical breast exam Every three years during 20s and 30s; annually starting at 40 Visit montana.providence.org/ breasthealth for a complete Breast Mammogram Annually starting at 40 Health Program offered by the Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, the only accredited breast health center in Western Montana. Colonoscopy Beginning at 50, and then every 10 years for average-risk individuals Prostate exam At 50 (45 for African-American men) if a doctor recommends it based on health and family history Source: American Cancer Society Health & Hope is a publication of Providence Health & Services Western Montana, 500 W. Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802. Copyright © 2014 by McMurry/TMG, LLC. All rights reserved. Information in this publication is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or advice contained in this publication. If you have questions about this publication, please call 406-328-5742 or email [email protected]. 2 montana.providence.org FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 2 12/12/13 12:15 PM Connect SIGN UP Help your family adopt healthier habits. Go to montana.providence.org/toyourhealth and sign up for Providence Medical Group’s email newsletter with advice from doctors and experts. DISCOVER Find out how old your heart is compared to your age and see if you’re at risk for cardiovascular disease at montana.providence.org/heartassessment . WATCH Visit montana.providence.org/ healthbreaks to view a variety of videos that include procedures and services available at Providence Western Montana. Are You a Wise Guy? All right, gentlemen. How much do you know about your health? Take our quiz to find out. TRUE OR FALSE? 1. On average, men live longer than women. 2. Men have higher suicide rates than women. 3. If a man experiences lower back pain and a fever, he probably just overdid it at the gym or on the golf course. 4. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men. Helping Cancer Patients for 5 Years In five years, Team Up Montana (TUM) has rallied the support of private and corporate sponsors to raise funds for more than 300 local cancer patients who’ve struggled to cover the costs of screenings, diagnostic tests and treatment. TUM “cancer awareness games” are a unique collaboration between the University of Montana and Providence St. Patrick Hospital Foundation. Join us Jan. 16 and Feb. 13 for the TUM men’s and women’s cancer awareness basketball games. To learn more, go to teamupmontana.org or call 406-329-5640. ANSWERS 1. False. But the gap appears to be closing. Women live an average of 81.1 years and men, 76.2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s a difference of 4.9 years, compared with a gap of 7.8 years in 1979. 2. True. Men are four times more likely to commit suicide, reports the CDC, so speak up about any depression or anxiety you may be feeling. Your doctor can recommend treatment options. 3. False. The likely culprit is prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland. It is characterized by lower back pain, fever, chills and painful urination. There is no evidence that prostatitis leads to cancer, and it is usually treated with medication. 4. False. Skin cancer is the most common form among men, according to the National Cancer Institute. Prostate cancer is second. Conduct monthly headto-toe skin examinations and talk to your healthcare provider about an annual screening. WANT TO ENSURE GOOD HEALTH? Go to montana.providence.org/ guidelinesformen for a guideline of routine activities. JOIN the conversation and keep up with local happenings at facebook.com/stpatrickhospitalmt FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 3 3 12/12/13 12:15 PM HEALTHYHEARTS Caring for Your Heart, Shaping the Future Today The emphasis on improving and refining patient care is one of the reasons the International Heart Institute at St. Patrick Hospital was named one of the nation’s Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals. It’s Great to Be at the Top. Again. In October, the International Heart Institute at Providence St. Patrick Hospital was named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. This is the seventh time St. Pat’s has been recognized with this honor. The 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study, now in its 15th year, evaluates performance in key areas such as complications, process of care, mortality, readmission rates, length of stay and average cost. Truven Health Analytics is a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. Cardiologist Joe Knapp from the International Heart Institute of Montana at St. Pat’s says: “We are part of a group practice in which I have my colleagues all around me—this closeness simplifies collaboration and consultation. We’re always improving and refining our patient care processes. Together, we focus on what is best for each individual patient.” So if you think your family member should go to an urban, high-profile hospital to get great heart care, there’s no reason to travel to the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic. Contact the specialists at the International Heart Institute at 406-329-5615 for an appointment. 4 The 11th Annual Heart Expo, hosted by the International Heart Institute of Montana, will be Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Providence St. Patrick Hospital Broadway Building. This is a free public event, with no registration required. The following blood work will be available from 7 to 11 a.m.: D Prostate (PSA) lab test: $10 D Thyroid (TSH) lab test: $10 D Lipid panel/Glucose: $5 Payment is by cash or check only. Do not eat or drink anything 12 hours before the test. Refreshments will follow. From 8 a.m. to noon, physicians and care providers from IHI will present a series of informative lectures on the latest advances in treating heart disease. Learn about the newest medical therapies, procedures and research conducted at the Heart Institute. And this is an excellent way to meet some of the outstanding providers who made St. Pat’s a Top 50 Heart Hospital. Displays, demonstrations and information booths on the many ways to take care of your heart will be available. For more information, go to montana.providence.org/ heartexpo. FIND FIND OUT why the International Heart Institute is a Top 50 Heart Hospital at montana.providence.org/top50 FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 4 12/12/13 12:15 PM The nursing staff at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. Providence St. Patrick Hospital Is a Magnet Hospital! O n Oct. 24, we got the long-awaited call with the news we had been hoping for. We’re proud to be only one of two hospitals in Montana to hold this prominent designation. And out of the 6,000 healthcare organizations in the U.S., fewer than 400 have achieved Magnet status. This designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Program Office puts us among the elite in the nation in clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, nurse satisfaction, innovation, education, community involvement and much more. Joyce Dombrouski, RN, Chief Acute Services Officer, says, “We have been working toward Magnet recognition since 2009. Achieving Magnet status is proof of our pursuit of excellence in nursing and in all areas of the hospital.” The benefits of a Magnet culture include improving and promoting quality outcomes and the patient experience, identifying excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients, encouraging and supporting continuing education and professional growth, and reinforcing a strong positive culture of professional and effective collaboration. And cost savings—is it worth the investment of time, energy and money? Just a few examples: D By having lower rates of infection, fewer injuries from falls and fewer pressure ulcers, St. Pat’s saves money from extended lengths of stay, equipment costs and staffing costs. Since we have been on the Magnet journey, we have more rigorously compared ourselves to national benchmarks and driven down our rates of these unwanted outcomes. D It’s estimated to cost between $42,000 and $64,000 to train a new nurse to replace the nurse who leaves. Magnet hospitals have lower turnover than non-Magnet hospitals. D For harder-to-recruit positions, such as nurses in the OR, ICU and ED, Magnet hospitals have a significant recruiting advantage. Nurses who understand what Magnet means want to work at a Magnet hospital—as do physicians! Though the Magnet recognition is for nursing excellence, the entire hospital has been involved. We are all proud of this achievement. Has an Angel Helped You? When patients or their loved ones make a donation to the Providence St. Patrick Foundation in the name of a physician, staff member or volunteer, that person is recognized as an Angel. Go to montana.providence.org/angels for more information. FIND A PROVIDER We offer the largest group of medical specialists in Western Montana: montana.providence.org/providers FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 5 5 12/13/13 1:31 PM The physicians at the Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital work together as the patient’s healthcare team. Left to right: Michael J. Snyder, MD, FACP; Sarah M. Scott, MD; Linda M. Ries, MD; John W. Linford, MD; Jeffrey A. Stephenson, MD, FACRO; Alan W. Thomas, MD, FACP; Katherine L. Markette, MD, FACRO; Margaret M. Menendez, MD. They Were Always Close. But Now, They’re Even Closer. N obody will notice the difference, because the physicians will still be treating patients where they always have, and they will still be seeing patients in the hospital when they need to. The only thing that has changed is the relationship between the Montana Cancer Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital. The Montana Cancer Center used to be its own entity within the Broadway Building at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. However, in July 2013, the Montana Cancer Center became a “service line” of Providence St. Patrick Hospital. The medical oncologists at Montana Cancer Specialists joined with Providence St. Patrick Hospital under a Physician Services Agreement. The Radiation Oncology Department joined with Medical Oncology under the same leadership, and became a fully integrated cancer service line within St. Pat’s. Radiation oncologists are specialists who treat cancer using ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancer. Radiation is given either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Radiation oncologists at the Montana Cancer Center are Dr. Katherine Markette, Dr. Margaret Menendez and Dr. Jeffrey Stephenson, who recently joined us from a successful practice in Great Falls. 6 Medical oncologists are physicians who specialize in treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy. Medical oncologists at the Montana Cancer Center are Dr. Michael Snyder, Dr. Alan Thomas, Dr. Linda Ries, Dr. Sarah Scott and Dr. John Linford, who joined us recently from MD Anderson. Both radiation oncologists and medical oncologists work closely with other physicians in a patient’s care—such as surgeons and subspecialists—as part of the multidisciplinary cancer team. As a result, the physicians and support staff at the Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital work together as the patient’s “healthcare team”—integrated from primary care to diagnosis, through treatment and recovery. 1. Streamlining Care Part of the integrated care is the facility’s remodel: A lab was created on site for patients to be able to walk just a few steps for testing. Right next door to the lab, a pharmacist works side by side with the physician and the nurse to safely check for the right drug and the right dose. Now the safety triple check is done in the same area, a tremendous gain in safety control. P montana.providence.org FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 6 12/12/13 12:18 PM Having an expert pharmacist in the treatment area adds to the safety and quality of care for the patients. All medications are triple-checked by the physician, nurse and pharmacist. The pharmacist also works in collaboration with the physician and nurse to ensure the patient gets the best combination of pre-medications to prevent side effects, such as nausea and vomiting. 2. State-of-the-Art Treatment Many types of external-beam radiation therapy are delivered using a machine called a linear accelerator (LINAC). A LINAC uses electricity to form a stream of fast-moving subatomic particles. This creates high-energy radiation that may be used to treat cancer. Patients usually receive external-beam radiation therapy in daily treatment sessions over the course of several weeks. St. Pat’s just installed a new LINAC Trilogy system with advanced motion capabilities, expanding the options for the therapists to monitor and adjust for tumor motion. Treatment times are shorter, making the experience more comfortable for the patient. The radiation precision allows healthy tissues to be spared to an extent unimaginable only a few years ago. The versatile system delivers 4D radiotherapy, IMRT, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic radiation therapy and intensity-modulated radiosurgery. 3. HDR At the end of November, the radiation oncology staff of the Montana Cancer Center completed Providence St. Patrick Hospital’s first successful high-dose rate (HDR) radiation therapy treatment. HDR is a form of internal radiation therapy where highenergy X-ray implants are placed really close to the tumor inside the body for a short time to destroy cancer cells. Multiple sessions may take place, depending on the patient’s treatment plan. Common applications of HDR are for tumors of the cervix, esophagus, lungs, breasts and prostate. Most HDR treatments are performed on an outpatient basis, but this is dependent on the treatment site. Jeffrey Stephenson, MD, physicist Pat Martin and all of the hardworking staff worked meticulously on program development and the implementation of a high-quality state-of-the-art HDR program. 4. SAVI Patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer might be eligible for radiation therapy using a SAVI® applicator. SAVI, also known as partial breast radiation or accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI), only delivers radiation to the tissue where the cancer is most likely to recur, meaning treatment can be completed in as little as five days (instead of the usual 6–7 weeks) and with fewer side effects. Once a lumpectomy is performed, the SAVI applicator is implanted into the cavity. The applicator delivers treatment Introducing an Online Connection to Your Doctor’s Office Providence Medical Group introduces MyChart, a free service that gives you secure, online access to your healthcare team and medical record—wherever you are. With MyChart, you can: D Review your medications, immunizations and medical history. D Communicate with your healthcare team. D Request prescription renewals. D Review results for most tests. D Get clinic after-visit summaries. D Schedule your next primary care appointment. D Receive electronic statements and pay your bill. During your next visit, ask your care team to help sign you up or visit providence.org/mychart. 1-855-PMG-TEAM Connect with any Providence Medical Group provider with one toll-free number. Now you can connect with any Providence Medical Group clinic via this toll-free phone number. Calls will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will connect patients, providers and the general public to the services or people they need within the Providence Medical Group. With more than 40 different clinics and service lines, this single-access phone number will streamline and ease communications to the Providence Medical Group. Call today. from inside the breast with multiple catheters, and enables physicians to target radiation precisely where it is needed most while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. The SAVI applicator’s ability to precisely direct radiation therapy expands the number of women who can benefit from APBI. If you or a loved one has cancer, you have many options. At the Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, you can be assured that we have the best physicians with a depth of experience and the newest technology to receive expert care. And someday, we hope you won’t need us. PROVIDENCE cancer experts have created an online resource for patients and their families to connect: provcancerblog.org FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 7 7 12/12/13 12:16 PM Date e h t is Savenual Heart Exnpdo in- an lic a Our e pub reenings. h t o t c open ost s low-c s e d clu y adwa on . Bro W to no . 0 .m a 50 7 22 • Feb. St. Patrick Hospital 500 W. Broadway Missoula, MT 59802 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID HEALTH DIRECT Yesterday, a heart attack was fatal. Today, we prevent heart attacks. Tomorrow, heart attacks will be history. That’s Powerful Medicine. 140 Years of Excellence. providence.org/montana FdHDWI14999_Missoula.indd 8 12/12/13 12:16 PM