Exceptional Experiences at Community Health Network

I read a headline today that health care costs this year are expected to top $8000 per person. This is a startling average! That means my family of 4 could expect to have about $32,000 worth of medical services this year. Even with excellent medical benefits, the potential out-of-pocket cost to the consumer (the patient) is substantial. Especially with many people being down-sized or losing medical benefits at work altogether, many Americans will be paying a chunk of this cost out of their own funds. Things like co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles have all been on the rise for many years, and this year looks to be no exception. As many people have to make difficult financial decisions on where to spend and how much to spend this year, I challenge you to “think outside the box” for a moment.

About 40% of patients who seek treatment in our Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers complain of either back pain or neck pain. Therapy is successful for many of our patients, but it is often a long road to get them into the clinic. Most people see their family physician to discuss the pain and get an exam. Then the same patient is often referred to a spine specialist of some sort, depending on the suspected mechanism of pain this specialist may be an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon. If this patient is a surgery candidate, surgery will be scheduled and it becomes difficult to predict the amount of medical bills that might follow. Some people are able to avoid or delay surgery with therapy even if they are a candidate for a procedure. Additionally, many patients who see their physician for back or neck pain are not necessarily surgery candidates and will see results with physical therapy. These patients often just need some guidance on what to do to minimize the pain or prevent it from getting worse. An evaluation will be done by a licensed physical therapist and a treatment plan will be designed based on the patient’s specific needs and goals.

Physical therapy is often most beneficial for back and neck pain if you can see a therapist soon after you start having symptoms. This contradicts the route that many patients want to take when seeking treatment. A typical person will “wait and see” if it gets better, eventually go see a physician, and may end up in therapy 6-8 weeks after the initial onset of pain. Therapy can still benefit this patient, but progress is seen more quickly if seek treatment is started immediately. By being proactive about getting treatment for your back or neck pain, you may end up saving money. Back pain often causes patients to regularly miss work and can send you to the pharmacy filling prescriptions for pain medicine on a monthly basis which may directly impact your financial situation.  I challenge you to talk with your doctor about physical therapy when you have aches and pains.

Amanda Lenwell, L.P.N., was the December 2008 Community North Daisy Award recipient. She works in the Community Regional Cancer Center and was nominated by a patient.

Lenwell incorporated a genuine human touch to immediately put a patient’s fears and anxieties to rest. Her quick display of compassion followed by commendable execution of nursing skills did not go unnoticed.

“Amanda has been very helpful, kind and considerate,” says the patient who nominated Lenwell. “She made me feel at ease immediately. She listened to my concerns and talked to me as a person that she truly cared about.”

Being in the nurse’s capable hands eased the fears and anxieties of this patient’s hospital visit. “It usually takes three to four tries for anyone to put an IV in my arm,” explains the patient, “and she did it on the first try with very little discomfort at all.”

Lenwell, who previously worked on the oncology floor at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, joined the network at Community North during the summer of 2007. She now works at the cancer center on the North campus and says she learns more from the nurses  that she works with than she ever did in a classroom. Lenwell explains, “Both in the hospital and at the cancer center, I know that I wouldn’t be half of the nurse that I am if it weren’t for the amazing nurses that I work with all the time.”

This outside-the-box learning has definitely paid off, according to the patient who nominated her for this award. “She is an amazing caregiver and a wonderful nurse. There are not enough kind words to express the gratitude I feel for her care.” The patient adds, “I am very impressed by her. She is an excellent reflection on this hospital and deserves all the awards and accolades you have to give.”

Lenwell is working toward acquiring her BSN-RN through Indiana State University, with the hopes of graduating in 2009. She decided to join Commuity because of the opportunities that are extended to new nurses here and the commitment to continuing education for nurses.

Learn more about nursing at Community at eCommunity.com/nursing

Made possible through the generous support of the Community Health Network Foundation, the Daisy Award program received nominations naming 70 Community Hospital North nurses during the month of November.  Nominations were submitted by patients and families, either on paper or through the hospital’s interactive patient care system, the GetWell Network, which is currently only available on the campus of Community North.  From those nominations Community North’s nursing directors selected the winning nomination based on the principles of Community’s exceptional patient experience: providing care that is high quality, safe, compassionate, special and timely.

Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Center is proud to announce the opening of a new south side location and the acquisition of Library Park Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. The addition of these two new locations will make many new services available to patients and physicians on the south side of Indianapolis and in Greenwood. Community has offered services like pediatric physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy on the North side of town for many years. However, on January 1, 2009 Community Health Network purchased Library Park Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.

With the addition of the former Library Park Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation facility to the Community family of Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers, a full range of pediatric therapy services can now be accessed by patients who live on the south side of Indianapolis without traveling to the north side of town. Additionally, outpatient adult therapy services including physical, occupational and speech therapy are also available at the new Rehab & Sports Medicine Center at Library Park.

With nine locations in the Indianapolis area, Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers can meet the needs of any patient who requires outpatient therapy. Nancy Lewark, former owner of Library Park Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, became employed by Community after the sale of her practice and she is now the manager of Rehab & Sports Medicine East and Rehab & Sports Medicine Library Park. Nancy and her staff bring a positive reputation for rehabilitation excellence to Community Health Network.

Community’s Rehab & Sports Medicine Center at South Park has been in existence at its current location at I-65 and Main Street in Greenwood for over seven years. This location has been successful, but many patients and physicians also wanted to see outpatient therapy services offered closer to Community Hospital South. Therefore, in addition to the South Park location, there will now be a County Line Road location near the Community Hospital South entrance. This new location will meet the needs of patients who live near the hospital and those who live further southwest while the South Park location will continue to serve patients who live southeast and further south on I-65.

Rehab & Sports Medicine County Line Road opened on February 2, 2009 and offers both physical and occupational therapy services. In addition to traditional therapy services, women’s and men’s health physical therapy for bladder incontinence, bowel incontinence and pelvic pain are also available at this location. This addition is now the third south side outpatient therapy Rehab & Sports Medicine Center.

Please visit our our Web site for a complete list of outpatient Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers and location information at www.ecommunity.com/rehab.

Lu Shawna Lawson, Pharm.D., director of pharmacy at Community Hospital South, is among 12 influential Hoosiers from across the state being recognized during the month of February for their professional accomplishments and community contributions through the McDonald’s Black History Makers of Today and Tomorrow program.

This month-long campaign salutes established and up-and-coming professionals who are blazing trails in the fields of communication, education, public health and entrepreneurship. Award recipients were selected by McDonald’s Corporation in collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities. The recipients are being featured in radio and television public service announcements, as well as print advertisements.

Lawson was awarded this distinction for excelling in her occupation in public health and for being Community Health Network’s first African-American director of pharmacy.

A native of Louisville, Lawson joined Community Health Network in 2004 as a clinical pharmacist at Community South on the medical surgical patient unit. In her current role as director of pharmacy at Community South, she works to support the clinical and professional development of pharmacists and technicians on staff, while also participating in several CHS-specific committees, network groups and initiatives throughout the community at large.

She is the lead diversity champion for CHS and a Diversity Council member, and she is involved in the Nursing Professional Practice Council, Care Management Council, Life’s Journey program for chronically ill patients and the CHS Medication Safety Committee. Her volunteer efforts include the Annual Black and Minority Health Fair during Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration, Habitat for Humanity projects and the Circle City Classic Parade. She is also an active member of Oasis of Hope Baptist Church, where she serves as president of the Young Adult Ministry and volunteers in the New Bridges after school program.

What does being named a “Black History Maker of Today and Tomorrow” mean to you?
This is truly an honor to be recognized as a Black History Maker of Tomorrow. To me it means exactly what it says. What I do today should have a positive, lasting impact for tomorrow and beyond. This just doesn’t mean black history, but history overall. In many things that I have done, been involved in, I am the only one of color or the only female. But I look at these situations as opportunities for me to share diversity among others who may not have met someone of a different ethnicity or even religion.

How would you say you have impacted your community and/or workplace?
I work in my community and workplace with passion and drive to have a positive influence on others and to leave a lasting legacy for the future. I enjoy giving back to my community and I want to see others not only succeed but also aspire to greatness. I know that first without God, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Secondly, I know there are others who have come before me, who have made sacrifices for me, have given me an opportunity and have been a positive influence in my life. I want to do the same for others. I have a career but I work for God by being involved with my community, by working in my church, encouraging and helping students with their homework, mentoring teens and future pharmacists, educating patients, family and church members about their health care and medication, but also seeing how I can help others see their potential.

What do you believe will shape black history in the future?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that he spoke of over 40 years ago. In his speech he stated that he wanted his children to be able to be judged by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin. The inauguration of President Barack Obama is an example of progress we have made in this world. I see this is as an opportunity for African-Americans, Americans and the world as a whole to embrace diversity, differences and the acceptance of all people.

What inspires or motivates you to do more?
It is usually those tiny successes. I enjoy seeing a first-grader, who says that they can’t read a word or sentence, have someone like me spend time with them, encouraging them and giving them the support that they need to sound out that word or to read that sentence with them. It is the smile on their face that they have after accomplishing what seems to be unattainable to them, that brightens up my day. Or when I can show someone at work, whether it is a patient, employee or colleague, how they can do something, that is satisfying.

Community Rehab & Sports Medicine is proud to announce that the December 2008 Hot Shot award was given to one of our physical therapists, Mary Fridlund. For those of you not familiar with this award, the Hot Shot is a special honor awarded to Community Health Network employees that provide exceptional customer service, either to outside customers (patients or others) or to internal customers (coworkers). Mary Fridlund embodies the very essence of what a Community employee is. She has been with the network for over 30 years and has also been awarded “employee of the year for 2008” for our outpatient Rehab & Sports Medicine department.

Mary has recently gone above and beyond with her patient care. She has taken her own personal time to go to multiple doctor appointments and tests with a certain complex patient who has no family or friends close to her that can help her. Mary is her patient’s advocate to her insurance company to justify more care, going to doctor appointments and tests and calling the patient to remind her of doctor appointments. Most of the things Mary does for this patient are in Mary’s own personal spare time, for which she is not being paid. Mary deserves this award! She is an example of going the extra mile – not only as a clinician but as a kind, caring person. It is no surprise that Mary was awarded “employee of the year for 2008” for our department and there is no doubt that she deserved the Hot Shot award as well!

For more information about Mary and the other therapists at Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers, visit our Web site at www.eCommunity.com/rehab.

Community nurses stood out this past Friday at the Nurses Rock event, presented by Indy’s soft rock station B105.7. This first ever event was designed to celebrate the nurses of Indiana for tirelessly giving of themselves every day on the front lines of health care. Out of five categories, Community nurses won four of them.

• Team Player – Lori Kutruff from Community East Cardiac Cath Lab received this award for her selfless support of all departments of the hospital and going above and beyond the call of duty.
• Mentor – Darla Kille from Community North Family Rooms was awarded this for her everlasting willingness to help/train others while maintaining the respect of her peers and management.
• Best Bedside Manner – Rosemary Huff from Community Home Health Services was acknowledged for her ability to make patients and their family members feel at ease and comfortable with their stay.
• Funny Bone Award – Nancy Peters from Community South ER was honored for the all around optimistic personality she shares with staff, as well as patients, and her positive attitude toward working together as a team.

“This is, yet again, another reminder that our nurses are the best at what they do,” says Chief Nursing Officer Jan Bingle. “We are happy to celebrate their successes and recognize them for the contributions they make throughout the network every day,” adds Bingle. “Community nurses have set the bar for administering exceptional patient care, and it does not go unnoticed.”

Each of the winners received a plaque and a $5000 scholarship from The College Network to pursue their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in nursing.

To learn more about nursing at Community, visit eCommunity.com/nursing