The Voice of OutreachA quarterly publication for the partners of HealthONE Outreach Services - Summer 2005 |
The Mission of HealthONE Outreach Services is to facilitate the service and provision of healthcare outside metro Denver and to meet the healthcare needs of rural areas.
Several new educational programs are now offered in rural communities. The following are new CME talks available to your medical staff:
A big thanks goes out to the following HealthONE physicians and allied health professionals for taking time out of their busy schedules to teach rural physicians and staff about new developments and technology in their field.
The HealthONE Board of Governors recently approved $2.4 million to support the purchase of "bi-plane" technology and expand the Interventional Radiology Services at The Medical Center of Aurora.
The purchase includes the Philips "Integris Allura" imaging system. This is the most advanced technology currently available for 3-D imaging, and it is an integral part of the hospital's initiative in the area of early intervention with stroke patients.
The bi-plane system improves patient safety because of its rapid speed, so patients receive less radiation in their procedure. It also allows for three-dimensional views of very small blood vessels with sharper images and more detail to better diagnose the patient's condition.
Daniel Huddle, MD, Interventional Radiologist, comments, "The bi-plane is essential for neuro-interventional cases. It affords the best image resolution for visualization of the very small catheter wires and coils that are used. Bi-plane also decreases the procedural time, eliminating the need to do multiple angiographic "runs" in various planes."
The $2.4 million was also used to fund construction of a Radiology Care Unit (RCU) within the hospital's radiology department. The RCU has improved continuity of care by integrating the admission, procedure and recovery process in one physical location. The RCU is located adjacent to the interventional procedures suites.
The bi-plane and RCU investments are part of The Medical Center of Aurora's continuing evolution as a major metropolitan acute-care medical center. The hospital has invested $42.8 million in technology, renovation and capital over the past 4 years.
The project was completed in February, 2005. Project manager, Terry Hurlbert, Director, Medical Imaging, can be reached at 303-873-5510 for questions about radiology services available at the Medical Center of Aurora..
The Comprehensive Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Center at Swedish Medical Center offers a multi-disciplinary approach to surgical and non-surgical treatment strategies for patients with complex liver, biliary and pancreatic disease.
Medical and surgical diseases of the liver, biliary system and pancreas represent some of the most complex and challenging problems faced by doctors, nurses and medical systems.
The comprehensive center at Swedish is unique in offering a full range of specialists who have aligned with the hospital to create a systematic process for evaluating and treating these patients. The team uses multi-disciplinary case conferences, tumor boards and patient-centered clinical rounds to develop individualized treatment plans. A dedicated nurse coordinator provides a central focus for patients for scheduling, information and education. The center includes:
Gastroenterology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Interventional Radiology
For questions, consultations or transfers, 1-800-RXCALL1 (1-800 792-2551)
In addition to the recent completion of the $2.5 million Bi-Plane Technology and Radiology Care Unit project, The Medical Center of Aurora has also added PET-CT services to their imaging capabilities. The scanner is currently available one day per week, alternating Thursdays and Saturdays.
PET-CT is a valuable tool to see biochemical changes in body tissue that is altered by disease. It has been shown to be extremely beneficial in the diagnosis and staging of cancer, but also has clinical implications for diagnosing neurological and cardiac conditions.
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging offers insight into the metabolism of cells using a small radioactive sugar tracer (FDG). The addition of the CT component offers precise anatomic localization, to enhance the ability to pinpoint the location of specific lesions.
PET-CT is primarily used to diagnose and stage cancer, but has also been helpful in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia, and as a pre-surgical evaluation for refractory seizures.
Cardiology indications include utilizing PET-CT to determine myocardial viability and myocardial perfusion, as an initial diagnostic study or following an inconclusive SPECT scan.
John S. Woodward, Jr. M.D.
Dr. Woodward completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1992. After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology with departmental honors, magna cum laude status and Phi Beta Kappa induction, Dr. Woodward traveled to Boston for medical school. He graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine with a Doctor of Medicine Degree in 1996. While in Boston, he was involved in research and publications involving arthroscopy and sports medicine. Dr. Woodward completed both his surgical internship and Orthopedic Surgery residency at the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona in 2001.
Dr. Woodward is a general orthopedic surgeon with special interests in trauma, sports injuries and arthritis. He has published and presented cartilage research at numerous national meetings including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, In 2002, Dr. Woodward was inducted into Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare. He also teaches fracture management to fellow orthopedic surgeons.
Dr. Woodward is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the American Medical Association. He is a member of the Colorado Medical Society and Colorado Orthopedic Society. Dr. Woodward is actively involved in the HealthONE Outreach program. He is currently conducting monthly orthopedic clinics in Eads and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.
Patsy Barnes, RN has been an emergency room nurse for 32 years. She holds a CEN certificate, which is a national recognition for emergency nurses. She has been in Colorado since l990 when she moved from St. Louis to Denver. In l991, she became a member of the ethics committee at Swedish Medical Center and has chaired that committee since l995. She has attended multiple classes in biomedical ethics and teaches basic biomedical ethics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine each spring. She was a founding member of the state biomedical organization, CHEF and will run for the governing board of that organization this spring. In 2004, she was a member of a group that instituted an EMS Ethics conference, which is annually held in the summer at Porter Adventist Hospital. Most recently, she was named as a clinical ethics coordinator for the HealthONE system in Denver and sits on the Board of Governor's Ethics and Human Values Committee. In that capacity, she advises and assists all seven HealthONE hospitals in Denver with biomedical education and ethical difficulties. She also teaches a basic biomedical class for the HealthONE system's individual hospital ethics committees. She continues to work part time in the emergency department at Swedish Medical Center and in 2005, will graduate from Regis University with a BA in Religious Studies.
Here are some of the classes she teaches:
The Colorado Rural Health Center (CRHC) is hosting the 14th Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference, "Progress Through Collaboration". This two-day conference consists of educational seminars, workshops, and Exhibitor Showcase, and networking opportunities. More than 200 participants from a variety of disciplines will attend this event to learn about healthcare issues in rural Colorado and acquire skills and techniques to take back to their communities. Swedish Medical Center will be presenting, "Acute Stroke Care For Rural Providers - The Importance of Developing Network Partnerships" Don Smith, MD, Swedish Medical Center; Lisa Ruiz, RN, Swedish Medical Center; Rick Swedhin, RN, St. Vincent's Hospital Leadville; Mark Morrison, EMTP, Lincoln Community Hospital; Randy Pennington, HealthONE; Facilitator Christopher Holmes, MD will be giving an overview of the importance of developing network partnerships in the treatment of acute stroke.
Did you know that last month, the 81 HealthONE Outreach physicians and 30-allied health professionals treated more than 1,450 patients? And flew on more than 56 flights? Let's thank all the physicians and allied health professionals who tirelessly serve our community's needs.
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