LMH Connect Newsletter Winter 2016

connect Lawrence Memorial Hospital

LMH Therapy Services helps people get back to their game

In this issue

Joint replacement Patient-Centered Medical Home Volunteer nurse program

Winter 2016

Therapy:

get better, get active, get well The Sports Performance gym at Lawrence Memorial Hospital resonates with upbeat tunes and bustling bodies.Trainers shout instructions to young athletes, directing and encouraging them.

At the far end of the workout area, John Hadl, an LMH therapy patient, works through his own sets of drills. He stands in front of a vertical trampoline, aiming a weighted ball at its surface.

With the flick of a wrist, he throws it against the trampoline.

As it returns to his hand, his therapist laughs and teases him.

“You were supposed to do that with two hands,” Suzie Craig says, offering a most gentle chide. “Not just one!”

During this outpatient workout, Hadl focused on body movement and coordination. Hadl came to LMH in June, after he suffered a head injury when he fell down several stairs at his home. At the time of his fall, he was carrying ZiZi, his shih tzu, and lost his balance.

“He didn’t have a railing,” Craig says. “It’s important to have railings, even for short distances.”

Hadl spent about a week in inpatient rehabilitation at LMH before being released and starting outpatient therapy.

LMH Therapy Services works with both inpatients and outpatients as they recover from a wide range of injuries. LMH’s therapists specialize in physical, speech and occupational therapies.

“Therapy is medication for your body to keep it physically and mentally active in order to be who you are,” says Jaye Cole, director of LMH Therapy Services. “I liken it to medication because we’re so oriented to taking pills. But therapy takes a little more work and a little more time.”

Hadl, a former halfback and quarterback for the University of Kansas, starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and 1994 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, knows a thing or two about hard work.

“It’s slowly getting better,” Hadl says. “Slowly but surely.”

Therapy Services received 15,332 outpatient visits in 2014 at the main location on the second floor of LMH, along with another 8,552 at the LMH South location, which is at Clinton Parkway and Kasold Drive. And recently, inpatient volume increased after Therapy Services took over providing care to fourth-floor hospital patients.

Previously, LMH had contracted with another company to provide therapy services to patients on the fourth floor.

LMH Therapy Services offers a variety of fitness and wellness classes to the Lawrence community. Therapists teach classes in specialized areas such as tai chi movement, cardiopulmonary wellness, aquatic therapy, sports performance training, vestibular physical therapy and more.

“It’s important for our community because families can know that their loved ones are being taken care of right here in Lawrence,” says Cole.

For Hadl, an associate athletic director at KU who helps raise funds for the athletics department, that was important.

“I heard she (Craig) was here and I wanted to make sure I had the best,” Hadl says. “I was born and raised in Lawrence.”

Cole says many therapists have 15 to 20 years of experience at LMH. “The fact that LMH and the LMH Endowment Association help support our staff education for specialized training allows us to bring greater services to the community,” she says.

LMH Therapy Services’ wellness classes and exercise programs are suited for all ages and levels of fitness. Therapists help set personalized goals for any community member interested in getting active. For example, Fit for Life, one of Therapy Services’ popular community programs, saw 5,430 visits in 2014. After a brief orientation on how to properly use fitness equipment, participants have open use of fitness equipment.

“I think what’s fascinating about rehabilitation is that we can impact someone’s life at any point,” Cole says. “We can help them regain that level of function and enjoyment that they had in their life.”

—by Megan Brock

Sports performance training, along with some other wellness and therapy programs, have a new home at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, as of Jan. 4. Join the new LMH Performance and Wellness Center in celebrating at an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26.

2 For more, visit www.lmh.org/therapy or call 785-505-2712

Leading the charge Ed Corporal, a therapy patient at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, traveled to Washington, D.C., this year to lobby Congress for the elimination of insurance caps for Medicare therapy patients.

Alongside him was Lawrence resident Sam Porritt, founder of Falling Forward Foundation, which provides grants to eligible patients reaching therapy caps. LMH is one of three of Falling Forward’s certified rehabilitation centers.

Porritt first came to LMH for rehab after injuring his spinal cord in a fall off a 15-foot-tall wall in August 2011. He spent the first 11 months of his recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City, and then moved his therapy to LMH. Two years ago, Porritt launched Falling Forward, which provides grants for patients at LMH, the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City, and Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo.

Porritt’s belief in the need to remove the cap on the amount of money insurance companies will pay for patients’ therapy was driven home at the Rehabilitation Institute. He saw patients leave therapy before gaining their full potential.

“I saw this issue face-to-face of what therapy caps could do to people, and I was the lucky one-in-a-million who didn’t have one,” Porritt says.

“So, after I recovered, I said I wanted to do something about this and so I launched the foundation.”

Corporal and Porritt visited Washington last May to convince leaders of their cause.

“In our minds, it’s the first step in changing it for everyone,” Porritt says. “If we can get Medicare to change the therapy caps, that will cover approximately a third of people in America.”

Corporal benefitted from Falling Forward to continue therapy after having a stroke in September 2013 that paralyzed the left side of his body. He was coaching volleyball for PerryLecompton High School at the time of the stroke.

“I couldn’t stand or walk or anything,” he says. “I used a wheelchair everywhere I went.”

Corporal received inpatient therapy at LMH from the time of his stroke to February 2014, when he was discharged. He returned for outpatient therapy for the next five months until he reached his insurance company’s cap for therapy appointments. He used a wheelchair at the time and was able to take steps only with a walker and assistance. Falling Forward — and a discounted rate provided by LMH — allowed him to continue to progress toward his goal of walking independently. By July, he stopped using the wheelchair and started using a quad-cane.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., met with Sam Porritt, left, founder of Falling Forward, and Ed Corporal, former Falling Forward patient. Jenkins and this bipartisan group of U.S. senators has agreed to co-sponsor a bill to change insurance caps on therapy: Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Ben Cardin, D-Md.

“I was right at the point where I was about to get over the hump to another level, and I needed that (Falling Forward grant),” Corporal says. “Because of that, I continued to get better.”

In Washington, Corporal and Porritt met with U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., to share their stories and explain how the elimination of therapy caps can make dramatically positive differences in patients’ lives. The two targeted the federally regulated Medicare program in hopes that changes on the national level would provide an example for state-regulated insurance policies.

“The people who we met with — all of them — said that it was something they had never seen before,” Porritt says. “They get called on to talk about therapy caps all the time, but they had never seen patient stories before. …

They responded very positively.”

Congress last voted on the cap repeal amendment in April, missing passage by two votes.

Meanwhile, Corporal still attends therapy at LMH, continuing to set and meet new goals for himself.

“This is by far the best hospital I have ever been to in my life,” Corporal says. “The people here — the doctors, the staff, just everybody here — are remarkable people. It’s like home.”

—by Megan Brock

Care to contribute? Visit www.lmhendowment.org or call 785-505-6134

FOURTH FLOOR UPDATE Renovations underway on Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s fourth floor will create a brand new training ground for inpatient therapy patients. The space, designed to significantly improve long-term patient stays, is expected to open in February 2016.

“I call it the Taj Mahal of the hospital,” says Jaye Cole, director of therapy services at LMH. “You make your way up to the top floor to be discharged home.”

While renovations proceed, patients normally cared for on the fourth floor are now on the third floor.

Once it reopens, the fourth floor will feature private patient rooms, a redesigned dining room, a family-patient gathering area and a new gym.

The floor will also feature an “apartment.”

No one will stay there, but it will allow patients to practice daily tasks they’ll need to handle once they arrive home.

The community has contributed half of the nearly $4 million renovation price tag, through donations to the LMH Endowment Association.

Once the fourth floor reopens, staff workflow and accessibility also will improve with renovated storage areas, an updated nursing station and spacious patient room entryways that will allow for easy assisted movement and wheelchair transfers.

“The original unit was built in a time where we didn’t have inpatient rehab,” says Cole, “so there wasn’t this need to get a patient in who might be confined to a wheelchair.”

Cole looks forward to the completion of renovations, which were undertaken as a part of LMH’s ongoing commitment to make the Lawrence community feel comfortable and at home within its walls.

“We’re always looking at the next level of care that the patients need,” Cole says.

—by Megan Brock

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LMH nurse volunteers are, back row from left, Dotty Quinn, Nora Murphy, Dorothy Chick, Barb Schnitker and Sue Washburn; and, front row from left, Paula Baum, Joleen Bechtel and Stephanie Harvey.

Nurse volunteer program What do you do when your expertise is untapped, but your compassion is steadfast?

If you are Joleen Bechtel, you take action.

At Lawrence Memorial Hospital, effective and timely care is always on the rise, thanks to the efforts of several dedicated nurses. The nurse volunteer program, developed in 2007 with Bechtel and Volunteer Services at the helm, allows retired or inactive nurses to generously share their capabilities with LMH in new ways.

“It’s a wonderful program. I think just calling it a ‘gift of staff’ is most descriptive,” says Shelley Terrell, director of the PostSurgical Floor.

When Bechtel retired from a 46-year nursing career in 2006, she immediately joined the general volunteer staff at LMH, but grew troubled by her inability to use her nursing experience to assist patients.

“As a volunteer, I was not allowed to provide patient care,” Bechtel says. “And that frustrated me greatly, because I had the expertise to do that, and it was not part of a volunteer role at that time.”

After reading an article in a trade magazine about nurse volunteers in a St. Louis hospital, Bechtel began working with Volunteer Services to bring a similar program to LMH. One year, countless presentations and a few

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lawyers later, the nurse volunteer program at LMH officially began recruiting participants.

“We went through all the different steps you have to go through in order to start a new program, which means developing policy and procedures, a mission statement, etcetera, and going through the Kansas state nursing board and accreditation faculties,” Bechtel says.

All that hard work on the front end has paid dividends in the actual implementation of the program, because it allows a greater level of autonomy and involvement. Volunteer nurses can carry out a variety of tasks that run the gamut of nursing responsibilities, with the exception of giving medications, implementing doctors’ orders and starting IVs. “We can do any other technical chore that is needed, as long as we have passed our competencies,” she says. Such tasks can range from administering baths and changing dressings, to conducting discharges or managing a patient’s care for the entire day under the direction of a charge nurse.

“Especially on a busy day, we are able to provide an extra set of hands that are most welcomed,” Bechtel says.

Volunteer nurses also can help ensure that all patients’ needs are being identified.

“If the patient has a specific need that requires extra attention, the nurse volunteers

Want to send a personal note to a patient at LMH? www.lmh.org/cheer

are qualified to understand what the patient is saying and what they need so we can work with them to make them more comfortable,” she says. “I think we are a great patient and family advocate, or liaison, too.”

Today, the program is comprised of four in-house nurses, who support a variety of specialties, and five additional nurses, who assist mainly with community events such as health clinics and screenings. Employees at LMH, who often consider the volunteers on their floor as a member of the staff, certainly appreciate the extra help.

“The nurse volunteer can be that person who is able to provide that extra touch,” Terrell says. “They are skilled. They are knowledgeable. And they are compassionate.”

But the nursing volunteer program at LMH benefits more than just the patients and staff. It allows dedicated nurses to preserve their skills and remain connected to the career that they love.

“The part of it I really appreciate is the fact that there are more nurses out there who were frustrated, like me,” Bechtel says.

“I think most people who like what they do want to keep their fingers in the pie, so to speak, for as long as possible.”

—by Molly Norburg

Lawrence Emergency Medicine Associates celebrates 20 years Lawrence Emergency Medicine Associates, the team of physicians providing critical care to patients admitted into LMH’s Emergency Department, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

“A community hospital of this size with board-certified ER docs that are their neighbors is significant,” says Dr. Scott Robinson, founder of LEMA. “Aside from bigger cities like Kansas City or St. Louis or Chicago, to have a group of all board-certified emergency medicine trained physicians is not common.”

LEMA comprises 10 full-time, board-certified physicians and four mid-level providers who exclusively serve Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Nationally, board-certified emergency medicine physicians have traditionally been in short supply. In 2005, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine conducted a study that estimated it would take until 2019 to staff all U.S. hospitals with at least Dr. Scott Robinson one board-certified emergency medicine physician.

Good emergency medicine, right here at home Dr. Robinson and three other physicians established the local group in 1994. Since then, he’s worked with LMH to form a hospitalist program, Lawrence Hospitalist Physicians.

“I’ve always thought that I wanted to have a community-based emergency physician group,” Dr. Robinson says. “My prior experience had been with physician groups that were part of a big national staffing organization that sent doctors to work at ERs in various places. I thought that was less desirable than having emergency

“Aside from bigger cities like Kansas City or St. Louis or Chicago, to have a group of all board-certified emergency medicine trained physicians is not common.”

—Dr. Scott Robinson

physicians that were a part of the community and really dedicated to making that place great.”

Dr. Sabrina Prewett, one of the physicians who has been with the team since its establishment in 1994, says she loves and respects her colleagues in the Emergency Department.

“Dr. Robinson inspired me to come to LMH,” she says. “I had been practicing emergency medicine for 12 years prior to relocating to Lawrence. I have always considered myself blessed to have had the opportunity to become a physician.”

Before LEMA was created, a national staffing organization contracted with individual physicians to work in the LMH Emergency Department. But LMH medical staff noticed a lack of consistency and cohesiveness in staffing the department this way, and some patients complained about slow service and poor quality of care.

“The care was less personalized, I think,” says Dr. Robinson.

“It was less committed to doing a great job for the patients.”

Once LEMA joined LMH, Dr. Robinson says that Robert Ohlen, LMH’s CEO at the time, thanked him for his team’s work.

“He said, ‘You know, Dr. Robinson, the day your group started was like turning off a faucet with complaints,’ ” Dr. Robinson remembers. “‘I don’t know what you guys are doing but somebody turned the faucet off.’ ” Dr. Robinson was appalled — and pleased.

“To hear a guy like that give you that compliment was pretty satisfying,” Dr. Robinson says. “And we weren’t really trying to do anything more than what we thought was the way it should be.

We were just doing good emergency medicine and treating people like they were our neighbors — because they are.”

LEMA physicians provide critical care to 64 patients during an average 24-hour period.

“The medicine is the easy part of what we do. Really, it’s the frustration of being super busy and having a lot of stuff happening at the same time,” says Dr. Robinson. “You just have to keep a positive attitude with that.”

Having a strong, cohesive team is important.

“Emergency medicine can be very satisfying, but it is no place for wimps,” Dr. Prewett says. “To last in this business, you must create a team of skilled and compassionate professionals or you will not be able to survive and succeed.”

Dr. Robinson says the success of LEMA is a result of many factors, including the hospital’s commitment to high-quality care and Lawrence’s many positive attributes.

“Maybe people think it’s common for a group like us to exist in the same place for 20 years,” he says, “but it’s not.”

—by Megan Brock

Sign up for a wellness class! See www.lmh.org/wellness/events/

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Joint replacement: Is it right for you?

Increasingly often, a surgeon’s most important first incision is cutting through the hype, using their experience and extensive training to help a patient determine their best option for treatment.

Dr. Richard Wendt, a partner at OrthoKansas, specializes in surgical treatment of chronically painful hips and knees and knows many of the people who come seeking his advice already have surfed the Internet for answers. They come asking about same-day surgery for hip replacements. They extol or debate the advantages of feminine knees. Glue or no glue. Ceramic. Metallic. Bionic. They talk of regaining youthful vigor and verve. Of Everest summits and rollerblading.

And sometimes, Dr. Wendt tells those patients who come to him, starry-eyed and seeking surgery, simply, “No.” Other times, sometimes years after a patient’s first appointment and the effective implementation of less invasive options, he says, “Yes. It’s time.”

Knowing when it’s right Why would a surgeon be reluctant to operate, especially when hip and knee replacements rank as No. 1 and 2, respectively, on the list of Medicare procedures done in the United States each year?

Often, treating joint pain with replacement surgery is simply not in a patient’s best long-term interest. Dr. Wendt cites clinical studies and the resulting recommendations of best practices. He refers to his own 32 years of orthopedic surgical experience. He is not interested in marketing this type of major surgery as a magic bullet.

“Think hard and long about joint replacement surgery,” he says.

“You are putting a piece of metal in there that will be there the rest of your life or complications can arise. The joint can wear out or it can become infected. Younger people need to understand the risks and the reality.

“This should remain chiefly an older person’s surgery,” he says.

“Once you are 60 or older, it may well be very appropriate and, with surgery, you have a good chance of removing pain. But even so, patients need to know that, functionally, their joint will not be as flexible as it once was.”

Even with his cautions, Dr. Wendt sees his patient demographics changing. “There is no question that the trend is for younger people to undergo joint replacement and, in fact, 20 to 30 percent of my surgeries are performed on patients younger than 60. But the technique has not improved to the point that it is an option for younger people who want to replace a painful joint and then resume the athleticism of a 20-year-old. Patients have to realize that a mechanical knee will loosen at some point. It is meant for low-activity use.”

Barbara Armbrister, 68, has had knee and hip replacements.

She says both procedures have tremendously improved her quality

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See www.lmh.org/orthopedics for more, including a list of orthopaedic surgeons

“It’s most rewarding to see someone who is hobbled by joint pain returning to an active life.

Their heart function, skin and mood all improve.” —Dr. Richard Wendt of life. The recovery for hip replacement is generally quicker than for knee replacement, mainly because the motion of a hip joint is less complex than that for a knee. The physical therapy recommended for both procedures is of similar duration, although therapy for hip replacement patients typically does not begin quite as soon after surgery.

After Armbrister’s most recent Dr. Richard Wendt surgery, her hip replacement, she was back to most activity within four weeks. She walks early every morning at Rock Chalk Park and is back working at LMH as a volunteer. She planned a trip in the spring.

“Do it,” she advises others considering joint replacement.

“You’ll be amazed at the lack of pain and increased agility.”

In addition to nixing surgery for most young patients, Dr. Wendt says he, and most other providers, rule out joint replacement for some overweight individuals. “If I see someone who is very heavy, I will just say, ‘You need to lose x-amount of weight before we can talk about replacing your knee or hip.’ The complications are markedly higher in patients who are significantly overweight.”

The burden of weight on joints is not the only factor to consider in obese patients with joint pain. Although carrying excess weight is hard on joints, the consequences of inactivity are worse. Research indicates that joints simply “like” exercise. They need movement for nourishment, Dr. Wendt says; and a lack of exercise or movement fails to give joints the nourishment they gain with activity.

Also, research shows that an abundance of subcutaneous fatty tissue produces an inflammatory substance in blood that actually breaks down cartilage.

The best scenario, of course, would be to avoid joint problems altogether, but it’s hard to say how patients can keep all of their parts pain-free through a long and active healthy life. Dr. Wendt says moderate exercise is better than intense activity for people beyond middle age, and softer-surface running or walking strikes him as most prudent. Family history and genetics are better predictors of osteoarthritis than activity level, however; men of Northern European descent seem most prone to problems.

John Heston, 58, is constantly getting in and out of his vehicle as an inspector for the Jefferson County Health Department.

He is a big man, 6-foot-4, and his weight tips 300 pounds. He says he put off a knee replacement with the help of cortisone injections, but eventually that treatment became less effective and finally his insurance declined to pay for additional treatments.

“I knew I had to do something, but I was not yet 60 years old and Dr. Wendt said he’d like me to be older. I felt comfortable going along with whatever he thought was right,” he says. Heston waited until Dr.Wendt decided it was time for surgery.

“I told myself I’d do all I could to fully recover. I do think it’s all between your ears,” he says, speaking of the strong positive attitude required to complete all the physical therapy prescribed after surgery.

Although Heston says he tried to do all the moves he was taught to practice at LMH, his first therapy appointment “brought me back down to earth.”

He adds, “I was sore, but I got through it.”

Three weeks after surgery, Heston said, his recovery was going well and he was back at work. He says he has no pain at all in his new knee.

When it’s right, it’s right Dr. Wendt is completely enthusiastic about replacing chronically painful hips and knees for the right population at the right time.

“The materials are better and more durable,” he says. “Now an artificial knee or hip can function well for 15 to 25, possibly even 30 years, with low to moderate activity.”

Dr. Wendt says he doesn’t see any upper age limit on the surgery, as long as a patient is healthy and would benefit from a joint replacement. In fact, Dr. Wendt has performed knee replacement surgery on a 95-year-old with good results.

“It is most rewarding to see someone who is hobbled by joint pain returning to an active life. Their heart function, skin and mood all improve. Everything gets better if you can walk and get around pain free.”

That certainly was the motivation for Mary Pat Himmelberg, 75, who had been seeing Dr. Wendt since 2003 when she finally had her right knee replaced last January. Before the surgery, therapy, as well as injections of cortisone, had been working well. In the weeks preceding surgery, she says, she couldn’t walk more than two or three blocks. Climbing stairs was increasingly painful. Dr. Wendt showed her most recent X-ray and pointed out to her that there was no cartilage left lining her knee joint. It was time for surgery.

Strengthening exercises she did to prepare for the procedure with therapists had a beneficial effect on her range of motion and overall recovery, she says.

Her three-night stay at LMH after the surgery was appropriate.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to come home any sooner. The hospital and therapists have all been great,” she says. “I can say I’m glad I did it. I wouldn’t have wanted to wait any longer.”

—by Katherine Dinsdale

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LMH CEO Gene Meyer announces retirement Lawrence Memorial Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Gene Meyer in August announced his plans to retire in May 2016. Meyer, 64, has been in the position for 18 years and has served in a leadership role in area hospitals for a total of 35 years.

“I have had a great career working with associates who are committed to helping others,” Meyer said. “The past 18 years have been incredible working in Lawrence as the CEO. I am very lucky.”

The LMH Board of Trustees is conducting a national search for Meyer’s replacement. The executive search firm of Witt/Kieffer of Oak Brook, Ill., will assist in the recruitment process. Serving on the hospital’s search committee are Rob Chestnut, Cindy Yulich and Allen Belot of LMH Board Gene Meyer of Trustees; Dr. John Keller, LMH chief of staff,

Keller Plastic Surgery; Dr. Kevin Stuever, Internal Medicine Group; Dr. Neal Lintecum, OrthoKansas; Reggie Robinson, KU School of Public Affairs and Administration; Sandy Praeger, former Kansas secretary of insurance; Becki Dick, LMH Endowment Association Board of Directors; Traci Hoopingarner, LMH director of Maternal-Child Nursing; and Matthew Herbert, Lawrence city commissioner.

Chestnut, who is serving as chairperson of the search committee, says, “LMH is one of the best community hospitals in the country. Gene brings a positive attitude of communication, collaboration and commitment to the community every day. He inspires the Board, the physicians, the staff and volunteers at LMH to give their best because he expects the best from himself. The Lawrence community is grateful for Gene’s leadership in raising the bar for the quality and depth of healthcare services provided by LMH.” Meyer’s retirement plans include teaching and serving as the executive in residence for the University of Kansas Health Services Administration Program.

LMH ACCOLADES KEEP COMING LMH retains A1 bond rating Lawrence Memorial Hospital recently received another affirmation of its excellent financial health.

Moody’s Investors Service, one of the country’s top credit-rating agencies, has informed LMH that the community hospital has retained its acclaimed A1 bond rating. LMH first received the rating in 2012 and, since then, has received it annually.

The A1 rating sits along Moody’s 10-level scale for long-term ratings, which ranges from a high of Aaa to Baa3. The lower the number and the earlier in the alphabet, the better. Potential lenders use these ratings to judge an institution’s financial stability and investment potential, which allows for continued funding and improvement of patient care.

Joe Pedley, LMH’s chief financial officer, says LMH ranks well for its size, given that most A1-rated institutions operate on revenues five times larger than LMH’s. Moody’s noted the hospital’s continued dominance in market share, operating performance, expense management Joe Pedley and the fact it is an instrumentality of the city of Lawrence as key strengths attributing to the rating score. Despite being a public hospital, LMH does not receive any tax revenues from the city or the county.

“It is continued validation of the hospital’s commitment to be a strong, financially stable organization in order to serve the community’s healthcare needs well into the future,” Pedley says. “Patients should feel good about coming here.”

LMH’s continued financial stability combats Moody’s negative outlook for the not-for-profit healthcare sector.

Despite Moody’s forecasted decline for the sector in the growth of operating cash flow, narrowing operating margins and limited revenue growth, LMH has instead continuously increased operating cash flow and margins over the years.

LMH promises to meet the healthcare needs of the area’s strong and growing population by constantly seeking out financial and operational improvement.

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“Because of the challenges LMH and other hospitals face in the future,” Pedley says, “we must continue to improve our performance in order to continue to serve our communities.”

The Joint Commission recognizes LMH as Top Performer for fourth year LMH has been recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the United States. LMH was recognized for its achievement for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, stroke and surgical care. This is the fourth year LMH has been recognized as a Top Performer.

The Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidencebased interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions.

LMH President and Chief Executive Officer Gene Meyer says, “We understand that what matters most to our patients is the quality and safety of the care they receive. That’s why LMH has made it a top priority to improve positive patient outcomes through evidencebased care processes. I am proud LMH has been named a Top Performer because it recognizes the knowledge, teamwork and dedication of our entire hospital and medical staff.”

Mark R. Chassin, MD, president and chief executive officer of The Joint Commission, says, “Delivering the right treatment in the right way at the right time is a cornerstone of high-quality healthcare. I commend the efforts of Lawrence Memorial Hospital for their excellent performance on the use of evidencebased interventions.”

LMH was recognized in November as part of The Joint Commission’s 2015 annual report, “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance.The list of Top Performers represents 31.5 percent of Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

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LMH CEO receives KHA’s highest honor The Kansas Hospital Association presented Gene Meyer, president and CEO of LMH, the Charles S. Billings Award on Sept. 10 during the KHA Annual Convention and Trade Show in Wichita. The award, named after the association’s first president, was created in 1971 to recognize distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the field of healthcare in Kansas “Gene’s service to his hospital, his community, the state and the Kansas Hospital Association show how very deserving he is of this award,” says Tom Bell, president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association.

LMH named to 100 Great Community Hospitals list again For the third consecutive year LMH has been named one of the “100 Great Community Hospitals” in the United States by Becker’s Hospital Review, a national publication offering business and legal news and analysis relating to hospitals and health systems. LMH was the only hospital in Kansas on the list.

LMH was recognized for its demonstrated commitment to the health of the community through clinical excellence, financial stability, community involvement and various other efforts. LMH was compared to other hospitals in the nation with fewer than 550 beds and minimal teaching programs.

LMH named “Most Wired” again For the fifth straight year LMH has been recognized as one of the nation’s Most Wired hospitals, according to the results of the 2015 Most Wired Survey, released by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

This survey represented 2,213 hospitals, and only 338 made it to this year’s list.

The survey examined how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance.

DocTalk We welcome these physicians who recently joined Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s medical staff.

Martha Allen, MD Dr. Martha “Mattie” Allen practices internal medicine at Internal Medicine Group. She was born in Springfield, Mo., and attended high school in Kearney, Mo. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, in 2006 from Central Methodist University, and she earned her doctor of medicine degree in 2012 from the University of Kansas. Dr. Allen and her husband, Ned Keyuravong, have a son and a daughter. During her time away from medicine, Dr. Allen is a hobby quilter and seamstress, and she enjoys outdoor activities, including camping and biking.

David Cocanower, MD Dr. Cocanower practices with Sleep Medicine Associates, Olathe. He was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and is fluent in Spanish and English. He earned an undergraduate degree in 1983 from Taylor University in Upland, Ind., and a doctor of medicine degree in 1988 from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1988. He and his wife, Angie Cocanower, have six children. Among his hobbies is playing the bass guitar.

Leana Guerin, MD Dr. Leana Guerin practices in the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Pathology Department. Dr. Guerin was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and graduated from high school in Fairfield, Iowa. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2001 and a doctor of medicine degree in 2006, both from the University of Iowa. She and her husband, Zeb Buckley, have three daughters. Dr. Guerin enjoys gardening, urban homesteading, cooking, crafting, knitting, listening to audio books and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Mike Neilson is practicing at Oral Surgery Kansas/Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. He is a native of California and served with the U.S. Air Force from 2005 to 2015.

He earned his undergraduate degree in general studies from Portland State University. He earned his doctor of dental medicine degree in 2005 from Oregon Health Sciences University and his oral maxillofacial surgery certificate from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 2011. He and his wife, Rebecca Neilson, have three daughters and two sons. He enjoys woodworking, wing shooting and hunting.

Lynley Holman, MD Dr. Holman practices at Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists. She comes to Lawrence from Junction City, where she worked in an OB-GYN practice since 2010. She earned her medical degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 2005 before completing a four-year obstetrics and gynecology residency at Maricopa Medical Center/ St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

A strong advocate for women’s health, Dr. Holman has volunteered for the March of Dimes Kansas State Project Service Committee since 2013 and has supported organizations related to perinatal and maternal health the past five years. She and her husband, Richard, have a daughter.

Blake Conklin, DO Dr. Blake Conklin practices at Lawrence General Surgery. He is a native of Topeka who earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology, with a minor in chemistry, from the University of Kansas. He earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in 2009 from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He and his wife, Larisa Conklin, have a son. Dr. Conklin enjoys resistance/cardiovascular training, traveling, playing soccer, basketball and golf, and spending time with his family, which includes two dogs.

Michael Neilson, DMD

Shawn I. Jackson, MD Dr. Shawn Jackson, who grew up in Pratt, is practicing with Lawrence Anaesthesia, PA. He earned an undergraduate degree in biology in 2002 from Emporia State University and a doctor of medicine degree in 2007 from the University of Kansas. He and his wife, Erin Jackson, have a 1-year-old son. Dr. Jackson enjoys spending time with family and participating in an assortment of physical activities, traveling, eating at new places and watching movies.

Andrew Pirotte, MD Dr. Andrew Pirotte is practicing with Lawrence Emergency Medicine Associates. He is a graduate of McAuley Regional High School in Joplin, Mo. He earned his undergraduate degree in microbiology in 2006 from the University of Kansas and his medical degree, also from KU, in 2011. He is married to Chelsey Davidson.

His interests include sports, sustainable energy, urban gardening and personal finance.

Jennifer Schrimsher, MD Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher specializes in infectious diseases at Internal Medicine Group. She earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-medical technology in 1998 from Emporia State University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory sciences in 2000, a master of public health degree and a doctor of medicine degree in 2010, all from the University of Kansas Medical School. She has worked as a clinical microbiologist since 2000. She is a self-described music fanatic, an amateur photographer and an occasional painter.

Emily Cortés, DDS Dr. Emily Cortés practices with Lawrence Pediatric Dentistry. She is a graduate of Shawnee Mission East, Prairie Village, and earned an undergraduate degree from Kansas State University. She earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She and her husband, Marc, have one daughter.

Dr. Cortés enjoys cooking, running, and spending time with family and friends.

Jared Konie, MD Dr. Jared Konie is practicing at Lawrence General Surgery. He is a native of Overland Park who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychoneuroimmunology in 2002 from Lake Forest (Ill.) College. He earned his doctor of medicine degree in 2010 from the University of Kansas. He and his wife, Kate, have a daughter and a son.

Looking for a physician? Check out www.lmh.org/providers/

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PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOME

A new approach to healthcare Setting short- and long-term goals is a key ingredient Three LMH-affiliated medical practices are taking a new approach to healthcare in Lawrence.

And so far, the changes have proved valuable to both patients and providers.

And the expectation is these will have far-reaching, positive effects.

The new approach – creation of PatientCentered Medical Homes – shines a bright light on preventive care, acute care and management of chronic diseases for patients at Total Family Care, The Internal Medicine Group and Mt. Oread Family Practice.

“It’s more personalized to really engage them as an active participant in their care,” says Dr. Sherri Vaughn of Total Family Care, 1130 W. Fourth St. “People in Lawrence really seem to want to have a dialogue with their physicians and be a part of the solution for themselves.”

Physicians and other medical providers are collaborating with their patients to set healthy — and realistic — goals. Providers at these medical practices aren’t preaching to patients about myriad potential health problems such as weighing too much, smoking too much or exercising too little.

Rather, they are talking with patients about these risk factors and agreeing on approaches that can work for the patient.

Sometimes, it’s a one-step-at-a-time approach.

For example, instead of a physician merely encouraging a patient to go on a 1,200-calorie diet and lose 30 pounds, the conversation might be steered toward small, but important, changes that can make a difference, such as losing 10 pounds over several months.

Setting short- and long-term, attainable health goals — and helping patients overcome obstacles — is key to a successful Patient-Centered Medical Home.

“We’re engaging patients and seeing what they can do and are willing to do,” Dr. Vaughn says.

“If people have goals that are attainable, they are much more willing to engage.”

By talking with patients in a different way, providers can discover, for example, why a woman’s diabetes might not be under control, even though she says she was taking prescribed medications.

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Dr. Sherri Vaughn

Dr. Gregory Schnose

To help patients make progress with wellness goals and management of chronic diseases, the new approach requires a great deal of follow-up and the ability to track all aspects of each patient’s health information. And that’s where technology proves invaluable, Dr. Gregory Schnose says.

Five years ago, Dr. Schnose and his fellow practitioners at The Internal Medicine Group, 4525 W. Sixth St., were pleased that about 60 percent of the practice’s patients annually received flu vaccines.

But practice members were hopeful they could improve on those numbers.

“We looked at the process,” Dr. Schnose says. And they found opportunities. The practice started offering flu-shot clinics a couple of times a week, long before flu season was in full swing; they programmed computers so an electronic alert would kick up on the files of patients who hadn’t had a flu shot (and then disappear once the patient received the vaccine or once flu season had passed); and rather than waiting for a physician to order a flu shot for each patient, physicians made standing orders for all patients. “Now, we’re about 90 percent,” Dr. Schnose says.

That remarkable result is what PatientCentered Medical Homes are designed to foster.

Gaining recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home from the National Committee for Quality Assurance is not an easy task. And maintaining that recognition requires vigilance and continued achievement of goals. The committee recognizes practices for three years, and in 2016 The Internal Medicine Group will renew its recognition if it meets updated standards.

“There are some big changes coming,” says Susan Andersen, RN, who is coordinating the transition to medical homes for LMH primary practices. “They don’t let you rest.”

Take charge of your health! See www.lmh.org/wellness/wellcare/

This shift in healthcare and increased focus on wellness and management of chronic health problems has been proven to reduce inpatient hospitalizations and emergency medical visits — all good news for patients.

“To show improvement, you have to be able to measure something,” Andersen says, “so electronic recordkeeping technology is a big piece of this.”

Dr. Vaughn also sees the requirement for digital recordkeeping as essential to measuring progress.

“If you can’t get information out of the computer en masse, you can’t tell if you’re actually making an impact,” Dr. Vaughn says. “You can, one-on-one with a patient, but when you’re looking at a population, you can’t really tell.”

So far, Dr. Vaughn has seen some positive results from the Patient-Centered Medical Home program.

“I have seen more people stop smoking, attempt smoking cessation and be successful, or at least cut down, than I’ve seen in more than 16 years of practice,” she says.

It’s important, too, for patients to be seen quickly if they have an acute medical problem.

So at The Internal Medicine Group, for example, Dr. Schnose says, “It’s about being able to call in when they have a problem and get in when they want to — the same day.”

Patient portals — digitally accessible accounts — are among the services that Lawrence Memorial Hospital hopes to encourage more patients to use.

The portals, which are available to LMH patients and to patients at LMH-affiliated practices, allow for increased engagement between patients and their physicians. For example, portals provide a way to send and receive messages and some test results, as well as the ability to schedule appointments.

“With the portals, you can have much more real-time conversations,” says Dr. Vaughn.

The hope is that other healthcare practices in the surrounding community will see the LMHaffiliated practice’s success with Patient-Centered Medical Home care as inspiration for similar efforts.

Health Care Access was the first Patient-Centered Medical Home in Lawrence. Heartland Community Health Center also is recognized as a PatientCentered Medical Home.

“I think LMH is at the forefront of this,” Dr. Schnose says. “It’s been an expanding movement that not everyone has at this point.”

5 Questions with Dr.Tapas “Joey” Ghose Years with Cardiology Specialists of Lawrence: 7 Specialties: cardiology, cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology Education: Medical degree in 2002 from University of Kansas School of Medicine; residency in 2005 from Lahey Clinic Medical Center, Burlington, Mass.; cardiovascular fellowship in 2008 from University of Missouri-Kansas City, interventional fellowship in 2009 from Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Mo. Age: 36 Family: Best mom and dad ever in Topeka. Big brother and his family in Chicago.

Beautiful wife, genius 4-year-old son and 2-year-old little princess at home.

1. Why did you become a cardiovascular specialist?

In medical school, the first cardiology-related exam I got in the class I took I got a C, and after that — I was determined because I had never gotten anything below an A before — to be in cardiology. That was my initial drive to go into it.

2. What’s the best part of your job? The best part of my job is saving lives.

3. What’s important for your patients to know about you?

All of us (the cardiology team) have a culture where we feel that everybody is a family member. Whenever we make our recommendations, we make the same recommendations we would make to our own family. I think it’s kind of lost sometimes in a bigger hospital just because there are so many people and it’s hard to get that personal touch. But especially in our department, I think we do a wonderful job of making sure that everyone feels that way and we really try to put ourselves in their shoes and say, “If this were grandma and grandpa, what would we do?”

4. If you weren’t a cardiovascular specialist, what would your work be? I’d be a soccer player.

5. We understand that you’re a soccer fanatic. We have a hospital team, and I have to mention two names that started all of this: Dr. Scott Patrick from radiology and Dr. Marc Scarbrough, one of our hospitalists. They founded the team a couple of years ago and asked me to join and I ran into it. Now it’s a whole-hospital team. Every group is somehow involved, from physical therapists to phlebotomists to pathologists to surgeons, hospitalists, neurologists, spouses of people associated with the

hospital, nurses, techs in radiology — everybody’s involved. And over the last two years, we’ve probably had at a least 70 people in and out of the hospital join the team at some point or another. And a majority of those still play every single month. There’s a couple of individuals who have never touched a soccer ball in their lives — traditional Midwestern Kansas folk who played nothing but football — who now will do nothing but watch Sporting KC and come out and play soccer with us. It’s blossomed into this monster that we’ve created.

SAVE THESE DATES

Thursday, Jan. 28

Friday, April 8

at The Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania St. Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association’s Annual Meeting

LMH Endowment Association’s Hearts of Gold ball

Follow us at facebook.com/lmhorg or twitter.com/lmhorg

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325 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044

CONNECT CAM Eleanor Woodyard and Dr. Darren Klish of Lawrence Cancer Center at Lawrence Memorial Hospital are celebrating the new Radiation Oncology vestibule at LMH, which Woodyard helped make possible.

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The three 2015 LMH Summer Spray 5Ks were a splashing good time. Among participants in Baldwin City on Aug. 15 were, from left, Jamie and William Garrett of Shawnee, and Stephanie, Courtney and Taylor Douglas of Baldwin City. Taylor and Courtney finished second in their age brackets. Each year, LMH Endowment Association returns a portion of the proceeds from the 5K runs/walks to Tonganoxie, Eudora and Baldwin City to fund wellness activities.

The inaugural Rock the Block-Kick Cancer event organized by LMH Endowment Association was a success. With more than 800 attendees, three bands and more than 50 themed baskets — the community donated more than $80,000 for the LMH Oncology and Breast Center. Save the date for the second annual event, set for October 7, 2016.

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is published by Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The information in this newsletter is intended to educate readers about subjects pertinent to their health and is not a substitute for consultation with a personal physician. To have your name added to or removed from this mailing list, please call 785-505-3315.

Gene Meyer | President and CEO, Lawrence Memorial Hospital Editorial Board | Sheryle D’Amico, Janice Early, Caroline Trowbridge, Sherri Vaughn, MD, Kathy Clausing Willis

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Lawrence Memorial Hospital • 325 Maine Street • Lawrence, KS 66044 • 785-505-5000 • www.lmh.org