CARING Winter 2005

COMMUNITYMEMORIAL

3

I didnot

knowit was a matterof lifeand

death.

REAL LIFE, REAL HEALTHI N V E N T U R A C O U N T Y

WINTER 2005

I stayed

awake all

night in the

hospital

because I

was afraid

to go to

sleep.

Community Memorial Health System

Community Memorial Health System

Jon MackSt. Bonaventure High SchoolHead Football Coach

W

CARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM2

wilde thoughts

Michael EllingsonVice President of Marketing and Development

Mary McCormickEditor

Amy BentlyMichael BrileyJohn Cressy

Stan WhisenhuntWoody Woodburn

WritersRichard Slack

Brooks SmothersLeslie Vallee-Miller

Nita WhaleyPhotographers

ZestNetArt Direction/Design

Published by:Community Memorial Health System

A not-for-profit organization.

147 N. Brent St., Ventura, CA 93003©2005 Community Memorial Health System

For permission to reprint any portion of this magazineplease call (805) 652-5492.

COVER PHOTO: RICHARD SLACK

Redefining Healthcare in Our Community

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM

BOARD OF TRUSTEES2005

Gary Wolfe, ChairmanGreg Smith, Vice Chairman

Glen C. Farr, SecretaryHarry L. Maynard, Treasurer

John Edison, M.D.Chief of Staff,

Community Memorial HospitalFredrick J. Menninger III, M.D.

Chief of Staff,Ojai Valley Community Hospital

Ralph R. BennettMichael D. Bradbury, Esq.

Philip Drescher, Esq.Stanley Frochtzwajg, M.D.

Tim GallagherJohn Hammer

William L. Hart, M.D.John Hill, M.D.

Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-MillerFritz R. Huntsinger

Robert J. Lagomarsimo, Esq.Sandra R. Masiel

Ted Muegenburg, Jr., Esq.Martin A. Pops, M.D.

John W. RussellKathryne Weldon

EMERITUS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Ralph Busch, M.D.Leonard OrtizJanice P. Willis

I am pleased to introduce our new CARINGmagazine.

CARING will now come to you as a quarterly maga-zine filled with valuable information, as well as stories ofinspiration about your fellow neighbors; real people withreal stories that will enrich your life. For this issue, I wouldlike to sincerely thank Jon Mack and Sandi Henderson forsharing their own personal health stories with you.

Jon Mack’s story especially hits home with me, as I toohave experienced an embolus - mine, after a long airplaneflight. As with Jon, it also took the prodding of my spousebefore I sought medical attention.

In this issue, and future issues, you will also read aboutthe extraordinary people I have the privilege to work with.From the community leaders who volunteer their time onour Hospital and Foundation Boards, our hard workingAuxiliary members, to our physicians and staff whose compassionate care and expertise makes a dif-ference in people’s lives on a daily basis. Our business is people caring for people.

In addition to redefining CARING, we have now also redefined healthcare in our community bythe introduction of our new institutional name - Community Memorial Health System.

As a result of our merger with Ojai Valley Community Hospital, along with our nine neighbor-hood Centers For Family Health, we truly have grown into a community-wide healthcare system -one, which can no longer be defined by a single organization.

As our system grows, our focus still remains on you, the individual people we serve. For this rea-son, we are embarking on a groundbreaking “Service Excellence” program aimed at further enhancingpatient satisfaction. Within this CARING we introduce the beginnings of this exciting new venture.

Community Memorial Health System remains the only independent, not-for-profit hospital systemin Ventura County. You, our community residents, are our stakeholders. We are proud of our history,and treasure the communities that we serve. You have our commitment that we will continually striveto exceed your expectations, and in the process, remain one of your community treasures.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and I hope 2006 is filled with health and happiness for eachof you and your families. .

Gary Wilde,President/CEO

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 3

A

SERVICEDEFINED

contents

Gary Wolfe

Chairman, Community MemorialHealth System Board of Trustees

After more than 3,600 hours of service toCommunity Memorial Hospital, the chairmanof the board of trustees appreciates the valueof volunteerism.

Gary Wolfe, who became chairman inJanuary, has served on the board of trusteessince 1979. During that span he has beenproudest of the contributions by volunteerswho support the hospital.

“The contributions of our volunteers can’tbe measured,’’ Wolfe said, “but without them,this hospital would not be the outstandinginstitution that it is.’’

Wolfe, a partner in the certified publicaccounting firm of Vance, Thrift and Biller,became a hospital board trustee following thedeath of founding partner Oather Vance, whohad served CMH for many years.

Wolfe said that highlights during his serviceto CMH have included the opening of the emer-gency room in 1985 and the establishment of theCenters for Family Health.

The main immediate goal under his lead-ership is “to return to a level of normalcy’’between the board, administration and med-ical staff. That relationship is “going very well,’’he said. Wolfe credits the efforts of new

President and CEO Gary Wilde with thisgreatly improved cohesiveness.

“We’ve been very pleased with GaryWilde,’’ Wolfe said. He noted the irony thatafter a nationwide search, “we found the bestcandidate lived right here in Ventura.’’

Other challenges, Wolfe said, are to con-tinue to build upon “our centers of excellence’’which include cardiology, neurology and theprostate and breast centers.

Wolfe, a graduate of Ventura High, gradu-ated from Long Beach State. A 50 year coun-ty resident, he lives in Ventura with wife Annand twins John and Becky, who recently grad-uated from Ventura High School. The twinswere born at Community Memorial Hospital.Another son, Todd, lives away from home.

“Lots of nieces and nephews have alsobeen born here,’’ Wolfe added, noting that hehas many reasons for his long-standing interestin serving the hospital.

His service on the board “has been incrediblyrewarding,’’ Wolfe said. He has also served onboards of the West Ventura Girls Club, ChannelCounties CPA Society, California Society of CPAs,Ventura County Taxpayers Association, theSalvation Army and the Ventura Rotary Club.

4BLINDSIDED

by Deep Venous Thrombosis

5RX for Husbands

Who Won’t Go to the Doctor

6LAP-BAND SURGERY

The Low Risk Option toWeight Loss Surgery

7FOUNDATION NEWS

11EMBRACING Mobile

Patient Information Technology

12SAFE HARBOR

Helping Victims of Violence

12

1313

TERRI’S TRAGEDYThe Importance of Advance Directives

14WHAT YOU NEED

To Know About DVT

15PHARMACIST CORNER

Medication Safety

15I GOT MY LIFE BACK

A LAP-BAND Success Story

16It’s About

EXCELLENCE

16COMMUNITY @Community

CATEGORY 5 CARINGTaking Caring to a New Level

Western Casino NightBenefiting Ojai Valley Community HospitalSaturday, May 13, 2006Ojai Valley Inn Ranch & StablesFor more info: 805-640-2317

Gold Dust GalaBenefiting Community Memorial HospitalSaturday, May 20, 2006Seaside ParkFor more info: 805-667-2881

Relay for Life Benefiting American Cancer SocietySaturday & Sunday, May 6&7, 2006Buena High School

UPCOMING FOUNDATION EVENTS

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS >

PARENTING TIPSHelping Kids Cope with Crisis


JJon Mack, as evidenced by coachingVentura’s St. Bonaventure High football teamto six prestigious California InterscholasticFederation football championships, knows allabout X’s and O’s. But Mack had never heardof DVT’s until he was recently blindsided bythe life-threatening condition.

Deep venous thrombosis, commonlyreferred to as DVT, is a blood clot that developsin a deep vein, usually in the leg. The AmericanHeart Association estimates that 1 out of every1,000 Americans develops DVT annually.

Mack joined this statistical group in earlyAugust after attending a coaching clinic in LasVegas. A thunderstorm and a handful of acci-dents slowed traffic tremendously, causing thetypical five-hour drive back to Ventura to takeseven and a half hours. With prolonged periodsof inactivity, such as a long car or plane ride (orlying in a hospital bed), there is a tendency forblood to accumulate, and a static pool of bloodprovides an ideal environment for a DVT.

Taking a break every two hours to walkaround a little and facilitate blood flow is recom-mended to help prevent DVT. Mack, however,made only one quick stop for gas during hislengthy trip home. Compounding the problem,he was a passenger in an economy car.

“In a bigger car, maybe, I could have movedaround and stretched out more during the drive,”recalls Mack, 45, who within 10 days found him-self in the Emergency Room at CommunityMemorial Hospital. “I hadn’t realized the impor-tance of taking time to stop and move around

a n d g e t t h eblood flowing alittle bit.”

Mack alsodidn’t initiallyrealize anythingwas wrong afterarriving home,t h o u g h h e

admits he did feel like he had a little leg crampwhen he got out of the car. A couple days laterwhen he experienced some groin pain, he attrib-uted it to a water fight he had participated in dur-ing a block party the weekend before his Vegastrip. “I figured I had strained a muscle,” he allows.

When the pain intensified and migrated

down his left leg to his knee and calf, Mack final-ly went to the hospital at his wife Kathy’s insis-tence. “She didn’t care if the football season wasabout to start or not,” shares Mack.

It was a good thing he listened to Kathy: anultrasound showed a constellation of blood clotsup and down his leg from the calf to the groin.

“I thought I’d just take a pill to break themup,” Mack says he naively thought. “I had neverheard of DVT’s. At this point I wasn’t thinkingI was in a life-and-death situation.”

The CMH healthcare experts knew betterand immediately transported Mack by wheel-chair to the E.R. “Uh-oh, now I realized thiswas serious,” recalls Mack.

Gravely serious. Deep venous thrombosis canbe fatal if it leads to a pulmonary embolism inwhich a clot dislodges from the vein, travels to thelung and blocks an artery. According to the U.S.Food and Drug Administration, more than 600,000people in the United States have a pulmonaryembolism each year — and 90 percent of these arecaused by blood clots that form in the legs. Morefrightening, an estimated 60,000 Americans diefrom pulmonary embolisms annually.

After being rushed to the E.R., a CAT scanbrought Mack face-to-face with these statistics:“It showed that my lungs were polluted withclots,” he says. “I realized my life was threat-ened. I stayed awake all night in the hospitalbecause I was afraid to go to sleep.”

Blindsi

ded Deep Venous Thrombosisby

“I had never heard ofDVT. At this point I

wasn’t thinking I was in alife-and-death situation.”


“It was scary, but I had great faith in thewonderful doctors and nurses,” Mack continues,specifically noting Dr. John Handley, a pul-monary specialist at CMH. “They were all socalm and reassuring. I knew I was in great hands.”

A regimen of blood thinners brought thecondition well enough under control for Mackto be released from the hospital after one week.Still, he was given strict doctor’s orders to takeanother week of virtual bed rest with his legelevated.

By his own admission, however, Mackquickly overdid things.

“I was a victim of the tough-guy mentality,”confides Mack, who has called in sick only onceduring his 15 years at St. Bonaventure. “Twoweeks later, my leg was swollen, I had no energyand my blood tests were bad. I realized I had tochange my lifestyle. I realized I couldn’t work 14hours a day. I realized no one is indispensable.”

Actually, one person came into focus asindispensable – Kathy. “She’s taken a tremen-dous load with the home and kids and me,” JonMack shares of his wife of 23 years. “She’s beenincredibly strong when I’m scared. I think shesaw me as indestructible, just as I did, but nowwe know better.”

The couple’s three children: Justin, 6;Kristen, 12; and Jenny, 18 - have also had to facethat harsh reality. “It’s been hard on all of them,”

RXfor husbandswhoWON’Tvisit the doctor’soffice

themselves as invincible. They think, “I have a lit-tle chest pain, but if I ignore it, it will get better.”

The consequences of this denial and not tak-ing “well care” seriously can be serious – not onlyon a man’s own health, but it can also weighheavily on his spouse.

“There are two issues women face whentheir husbands don’t get treatment,” explains Nan-cy Loman. “The first is, they are worried abouthim. They obviously don’t want to lose him.

“The second issue is, women – who mightbe stay-at-home mothers, or even if they workfull-time, often earn much less money then men – worry, ‘How will I feed the children ifsomething serious does happens to him?’ Thiscan be a frightening thought.”

How, then, can a worried wife get her hus-band to take a proactive approach and see adoctor at the first hint something might bewrong - or even before symptoms appear forinvaluable preventive care?

“Some wives will make appointments fortheir husband, which often works out well,”shares Geoff Loman.

Nancy Loman offers another successfulapproach, “Tell your husband you want to go ona date and hire a babysitter. Spend time togethertaking a walk, going to movies and dinner, andthen in this atmosphere tell him about your wor-ries and fears. It’s not a topic you can just throwout there. You need to address it in a thoughtful,loving way, not an accusatory way.”

“This haschanged my life,”shares Mack. “I lived footballbefore – ourwhole family’slife revolvedaround football.Football is stillimportant, butI’ve realized thereare other thingsmore important.”

See DDVVTT, on page 14.

IIt is a familiar scene that plays out in doc-tors’ offices everywhere: “I’m worried about myhusband’s health, but I can’t get him to come inand see you.”

“It’s definitely a common problem I hearfrom women all the time,” shares Dr. GeoffreyLoman, a family practice physician in Ventura.“Sometimes, it’s the husband who voices con-cerns about his wife, but usually it is a genderspecific issue with women.”

One reason men often don’t visit a doctor’soffice is because they are not in the habit ofdoing so the way women are.

“Traditionally, we see children who come inoften for well care,” explains Geoff Loman. “Butby their teenage years, guys basically come in forsports physicals and that’s about it.”

Meanwhile, females continue to come in ona regular basis.

“Women are forced to go to the doctor’soffice for birth control, pap smears, prenatal careand to then bring their own children in forhealthcare,” explains Dr. Nancy Loman, whoteaches classes in Developmental Psychology atCalifornia State University Channel Islands andVentura College. “Women have the opportunityto build a relationship with their doctor.”

Another reason men don’t seek early med-ical attention, Geoff Loman feels, is simply,“The macho thing.” Guys tend to think, “If Iignore it, it will go away.”

Echoes Nancy Loman. Men tend to see

Dr. Helmuth Billy

M


More and more obese patients are turningto surgery to lose weight and improve theirhealth, and Community Memorial Hospitaloffers the newest, low-risk option and the onlyreversible and adjustable surgical weight-lossprocedure available in the United States.

The surgery is called the LAP-BANDSystem. Unlike the better-known and permanentgastric-bypass surgery, LAP-BAND helpspatients lose weight by placing an adjustableband around the upper part of the stomach toreduce its capacity and restrict how much foodcan be consumed. Surgeons use a laparoscopictechnique making tiny incisions, rather than alarge incision, to place the inflatable siliconeband into the patient’s abdomen.

LAP-BAND is unique in that the band canbe removed or adjusted at any time to alter therate of weight loss. For example, pregnantpatients can have their band expanded to accom-modate the growing fetus, while patients whoaren’t experiencing significant weight loss canhave their band tightened.

The success of the LAP-BAND surgery lieswith the expertise of the surgeon, the hospitaland the long-term follow-up care. CommunityMemorial Hospital helps patients keep theweight off by offering not just surgery but coun-

seling aboutfood, nutritionand exercise;f o l l o w - u pdoctor visits; aw e l c o m i n gpatient sup-port group;

and the use of the hospital’s gym for patients toexercise regularly in a safe and comfortable envi-ronment.

“We concentrate on choices and eating less,things that lead to a good, long-term result.Patients see the doctor a lot, and they are learn-ing they have to make changes,” says Dr.Helmuth T. Billy, the LAP-BAND surgeon atCMH and the only surgeon in Ventura Countywho is approved by the Federal Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) to perform LAP-BANDsurgery. Dr. Billy has performed more than 200LAP-BAND procedures since he began doingthem in 2001.

“This is life-altering surgery we can do in30 minutes,” says Dr. Billy, also an expert at

Obesity is the second leading cause of pre-ventable and premature death in the U.S.Approximately 127 million American adultsare overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9million are severely obese. Obesity cancause many serious health problems, suchas diabetes, heart disease and impairedmobility.

The number of overweight or obese adultshas continued to rise in the U.S. Severe obe-sity prevalence is now 4.7 percent, up from2.9 percent reported in the 1988-1994National Health and Nutrition ExaminationSurvey conducted by the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

In California, 20.9 percent of adults wereobese in 2001, up from 10 percent adecade earlier, according to the AmericanObesity Association.

hope

gastric bypass surgery and revision operationsfor patients whose previous weight-loss surgerydidn’t work out.

Dr. Billy’s expertise is well-known through-out the Western United States, where he regular-ly travels to train other physicians on LAP-BAND surgery. As a member of the teaching fac-ulty for Inamed Corp., the LAP-BAND’s manu-facturer, Dr. Billy has trained surgeons at presti-gious medical institutions including StanfordUniversity and the University of CaliforniaMedical School in San Francisco.

Dr. Billy says LAP-BAND surgery is a safe,effective, and low-risk alternative to gastricbypass. LAP-BAND may be a better choice forolder people and others who prefer a minimally-invasive procedure to lose weight. With theLAP-BAND, there is no cutting, stapling orstomach re-routing. Patients experience less painand usually spend fewer than 24 hours in thehospital after surgery. If for any reason the bandneeds to be removed, the stomach generallyreturns to its original shape.

“It’s less surgery and it has potentially thesame results,” Dr. Billy says.

Dr. Billy’s practice is located in Ventura at 124N. Brent Street, across the street from CMH.

LAP-BAND SURGERYthe low risk option tosurgical weight loss

OBESITYON THE RISE IN THEUNITED STATES

LAP-BAND SUCCESS STORY: PAGE 15

A safe, effective,and low-riskalternative togastric bypass.

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING

R

T

The 33rd annual Benefactors’Ball was held at the Ojai ValleyInn & Spa on October 1 to sup-port a very worthy cause –Community Memorial Hospital’smission to deliver high-quality,compassionate healthcare to ourcommunities. Jeff Paul served asthe Chairman for the evening’sblack-tie affair that attracted 234attendees.

The 2005 Benefactors’ Ballraised $51,419 which will specifi-cally go towards a new state-of-the-art $1.3 million Cath Lab atCommunity Memorial Hospital.This latest-generation SiemensMedical Solutions, Inc. equip-

ment will cost $1.1 million, whileadapting the room to house it willrun an additional $200,000.

The new Cath Lab is expect-ed to be completed in early 2006and marks a continuing commit-ment by Community Memorialto be a leader in cardiac care.Indeed, CMH built its first CathLab in 1972 under the leadershipof Dr. William Hart and with adonation of $1 million from FritzHuntsinger, Sr.

In addition to diagnostic pro-cedures such as angiograms (todetermine any narrowing of coro-nary arteries), the new Cath Labwill be used to perform angioplas-

New Cath Lab is theBeneficiary of the ’05 Benefactors’ Ball

ty (to dilate a narrowed arterypreventing a heart attack or evenduring a heart attack), to precise-ly place stents and pacemakers,and to evaluate and determine if aheart valve needs replacement. Inthe near future, the Cath Lab maypossibly be used to inject stemcells into a failing heart muscle.

Also, thanks to the 2005

Benefactors’ Ball, $4,000 wasadded to the Audrey WoodburnMedical Education Fund whichprovides assistance to CMHphysicians and nurses by con-tributing to educational endeav-ors towards mastering new tech-niques and enhancing clinicalefficacy for the benefit of all resi-dents of the community.

Ray DiGuilio moved toVentura County in 1970, and overthe ensuing 35 years he has beena faithful supporter ofCommunity Memorial Hospital.Asked why, the longtime residentand former Mayor of Venturaoffered this heartfelt reply:“Community Memorial Hospitalis a treasure for our community.It has brought life into our house-hold and saved a life.”

Indeed, two of DiGuilio’sthree children were born at CMH.“Our family’s first significant expe-rience with the Hospital, like a lotof young families, was with child-birth,” he points out.

The DiGuilio’s experienceswith CMH have not been limitedto the maternity unit, however. In1986, their youngest son, then 9years old, suffered a very serioushealth issue.

“The incident cost him hisspleen and almost his life,”DiGuilio recalls. “He was in andout of CMH many, many timesover the next 14, 15 years. He hada number of incidents in theEmergency Department and spenta lot of time in the ICU.

“Over the years we have got-ten to know the Hospital very welland have received nothing but

“It is a treasure for our community"

Ray DiGuilioWhy I support CMH

The new Siemens equip-ment features the latest21st Century advancesavailable today and willbe in sync with the twoSiemens units already atCommunity Memorial,allowing CMH heartpatients the very bestcare that healthcareprofessions and moderntechnology can provide.

See ““IItt’’ss aa TTrreeaassuurree......,,”” page 8

Helping CMH in its continuous effort to offer thebest healthcare possible by consistently investingin the newest technology, education and training.

Jean and Ray DiGuilio

7


Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Board of Directors

Meet Foundation MemberDorothy Jue Lee

Sandra R. Masiel, PresidentKay Woodburn, Vice President

Barbara Raber, SecretaryDorothy Jue Lee, Treasurer

Gary Wilde, President & CEO

Joanie Abou-Samra Moustapha Abou-Samra, M.D.

Trudy Bale Loye Barton

Ralph R. Bennett Michael D. Bradbury

Jim Butterbaugh Bonnie Carlton

Solange Daggett Ray DiGuilio

Philip C. DrescherMichael EllingsonAnthony P. Fowkes

Dave Glyer John J. Hammer

William L. Hart, M.D. Lydia Hopps

Fritz R. Huntsinger

Marvin E. Isensee Lynn Jacobs

William J. Kearney John P. Keats, M.D. Gregory F. Lamp John Masterson

Harry L. Maynard Barbara Meister Leonard B. Ortiz

Dottie Pas Jeffrey D. Paul Jeanne Peters Tommy Slater Ken Strople

Carolyn Tedesco Dominic J. Tedesco, M.D.

Norm Weitzel Stan Whisenhunt

Bob Wiker Doug S. Wilkinson, M.D.

Gary L. Wolfe James D. Woodburn, II, M.D. James D. Woodburn, III, M.D.

C

great service,” DiGuilio contin-ues. “Not just from the doctors,but all the support staff. Thenurses are wonderful. To this daythey will see my son aroundtown and remember him.”

DiGuilio is happy to sharethat his son is doing well and hasbeen incident free for nearly fouryears. This doesn’t mean thefamily has not needed CMH’sservices over that span. “Mymother-in-law moved to Venturathree years ago and she receivedexcellent attention and care atCMH,” DiGuilio says.

“My family has been a benefi-ciary of Community MemorialHospital, so I feel it’s important togive back,” continues DiGuilio,explaining why he joined the

Community Memorial Health-care Foundation two years ago.Thanks to his experience as aVentura City Councilman from1995 through 2003 – and mayorin 2002-2003 – he is especiallyinvolved in providing guidancetowards earthquake compliancefor the hospital building.

“When my family has need-ed help, Community MemorialHospital has always been there,”says Ray DiGuilio, who hasworked at all three of the coun-ty’s junior colleges and is current-ly the Vice President of BusinessServices at Moorpark College. “Iwant to support the Hospital so itcan continue to meet the grow-ing needs of families in our grow-ing community.”

“It is a treasure for our community"

continued from page 7

Community Memorial Hospi-tal has been dear to Dorothy JueLee’s heart almost from the dayshe was born on the second storyabove her father Walton’s grocerystore – the well-known Jue’s Mark-et – in Ventura on August 19, 1934.

“Ever since I can remember,my dad was a big supporter of thehospital,” recalls Dorothy, noting itwas still called Foster MemorialHospital when she was younger.

When funds were being raisedin 1961 to expand Foster MemorialHospital and rename it Communi-ty Memorial Hospital, Dorothyfurther shares: “My dad donated$25, which was actually a lot of

money at that time. But he knewhow important it was.” It is a beliefthat was passed down to Dorothy,who joined the Foundation uponits inception in 1984 and has beenserving as its treasurer ever since.

“It’s a wonderful way I cangive to the community,” Dorothysays, explaining the Foundation’srole has changed over the ensuingtwo decades. “When we first start-ed, our main role was to supporteducation and let people — espe-cially students — know what thehospital can do for them.”

Reaching out to students wasespecially dear to Dorothy because,after graduating from Berkeley and

then earning a masters degree inadministration at USC, she servedin education in Ventura County as ateacher, vice principal and principalfor 37 years before retiring in 1991.She also served on the State Boardof Education from 1990-1996, aswell as numerous educationalboards at USC, including its Boardof Governors in 1994.

“I guess I just enjoy givingback any way I can,” Dorothy saysmodestly. She is proud of the wayCMH gives back to its surroundingcommunities.

“Over time, fundraising to buystate-of-the-art medical equipmentfor the hospital has become the

emphasis of the Foundation,”Dorothy explains. “I’m very proudthat because of this equipment, weare the only hospital in the entirecounty that can provide manytypes of care. I’m also very proudof the different outreach programswe have to help people throughoutthe community who otherwisecouldn’t afford healthcare.”

“As you can tell, I’m proud ofall the work the Foundation doesand of Community MemorialHospital,” adds Dorothy, who hasbeen a patient at CMH only once:when her son Roderic was born in1962 — shortly after Walton Jue’s$25 donation.

A Long History of Supporting CMH

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING

Spirit

of

Giving

Cash, Check, Credit CardYour gift may be restricted for a designated itemor restricted for a need as determined by theFoundation.

Steps of LifeIf you would prefer to honor a loved one, your giftof $100 or more will purchase a personalized brickinscribed with your choice of a name or a message.Your brick will pave the CMH courtyard.

PledgeAs with a gift of cash, a Pledge may be made to theFoundation, payable over a time period which isflexible to fit your present and future financial goals.

Bank Account in TrustA Bank Account in Trust allows you to open anaccount in trust for the Foundation. You maintainthe right to add or withdraw from the account, orclose the account at any time. Any funds remain-ing in the account at death automatically go tothe Foundation.

WillWith a gift by will, the Foundation can be named asa beneficiary on a will or a contingent beneficiary –to take effect only if there are no surviving closefamily members.

Charitable Remainder TrustUnder the Charitable Remainder Unitrust, you mayirrevocably transfer money, securities, or both to atrustee who pays you income for life, based on afixed percentage of the fair market value of the trusteach year. Upon your death the remaining trustassets become the sole property of the Foundation.

Gift of Home or FarmWith a Gift of Home or Farm, you may deed theproperty to the Foundation now while retaining theright to live on the property (and also have a sur-vivor enjoy life occupancy if desired).

Life InsuranceLife Insurance is an ideal way of giving to theFoundation, by irrevocably naming the Foundationas sole beneficiary of a policy.

Many Ways to Give

Through a tax-deductible gift to the Foundation, you will gain the satisfaction of supporting an organizationwhich is dedicated to ensuring that advances in medicine and new technologies are available to serve you, andyour family, friends and neighbors. There are a number of ways to make a meaningful gift.

Spirit

of

Giving

Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation trulyplays a major role in CMH’s sincere ongoing“Commitment to Caring.” By supporting theFoundation, you are not only making an invest-ment in the health of Ventura County residentstoday, but are also helping ensure a healthy future.

Your support this holiday season is appreciated!For further information on gift opportunities, writeor call the Foundation office at (805) 667-2881.

the

T

The spirit of giving is by nomeans limited to the holiday sea-son at Community MemorialHospital. Indeed, for CMH’snon-profit Community MemorialHealthcare Foundation and itsgrowing roster of volunteer mem-bers, philanthropy is a year-roundendeavor.

The Community MemorialHealthcare Foundation’s missionis to bring together local citizensto help CMH in its continuouseffort to offer the best healthcarepossible by consistently investingin state-of-the-art technology,education and training.

Ways in which theCommunity Memorial Health-care Foundation has helped thehospital in the past through theirfund raising activities has been:

• Provided a significant portion ofthe funds needed to purchasethe revolutionary da VinciSurgical Robot. This $1.3 mil-lion cutting-edge device adds anew dimension in assistingCommunity Memorial’s highlytrained surgeons in providingminimally invasive surgery.

• Funded a Women’s Health pro-gram that provides cost-freemammograms to women inneed who otherwise would gowithout this important care.

• The tiniest patients in our com-munity receive the highest qual-ity of care possible because theFoundation raises funds to sup-port the Neonatal IntensiveCare Unit and their equipmentneeds.

9


Abbott Laboratories/HospiraDr. Moustapha & Joanie Abou-

SamraAdvanced Surgical AssociatesAlex Medical, Inc.Lauren AlexanderAmerican Medical ResponseAndria’s Seafood Restaurant &

MarketAnonymousAmy ArmstrongAVC Office AutomationTrudy BaleBank of America Private BankDr. Edward & Jill BanmanLinda BarbeeDr. Denise Chavez & Richard

BarnesShannon BarnesBartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLPBauer, Harris, Clinkenbeard &

RamseyBB&H Benefit Designs Insurance

ServicesDr. Marc & Rickie BeaghlerDavid & Josie BeckerBeckman Coulter, IncRalph & Donna BennettLeo & Laura BerryHelmuth Billy, M.D.Bryan & Alisa BinnsBlocksgaard - Glick & WeitzelBoot BarnBoston Scientific CorporationTania BrantleyDr. Charles & Judi BrennerJim & Linda BrinkmanJohn Broms, M.D.Tom Brugman, M.D.Buenaventura Medical Group, Inc.Mark BurschgensDeedee & Dr. Ralph Busch Jr.California Cardiac SurgeonsThe Camden GroupCardinal HealthCardinal Point CommunicationsCardiology Associates Medical

GroupDorothy CarisCarl StorzTony CastelanChampion AdvertisersPatricia CheslerChicago TitleCity National BankErwin Clahassey, M.D.Joanne ClarkClean SourceCMH Emergency Room PhysiciansCMH RadiologistsS. D. CogginsColorburst Design Concepts

Commander Printed ProductsCorporate ExpressJon CrozierPaulette DefteriosDon L. Carton RealtyDougherty Laser VisionDon & Ruth DowneyDR SystemsE J Harrison & SonsDr. John & Linda EdisonMichael EllingsonWilliam ElrodFarr & AssociatesArthur Flynn, M.D.Tom & Joan FollisAnthony & Edris FowkesDonald Frambach, M.D.Fujifilm Medical SystemDr. Peter & Sandra GaalCharlie GarciaDr. Robert & Barbara GarrisonMrs. Renee GillDavid & Maryellen GlyerGold Coast Ambulance ServiceGold Coast BroadcastingDr. Thomas & Debbie GoldenGordon Ross Medical

FoundationGrant & WeberGrossman Imaging CenterDr. & Mrs. J. GstettenbauerGuidant CorporationCynthia HalleyDr. Jack & Beverly HalpinJohn & Glenda HammerHammer-Hewson AssociatesJim & Mary HarrisonDr. Bill & Louise HartBud & Sally HartmanEdith HenricksLisa & Dave HermansonRonald & Carolyn HertelDr. John & Barbara HillHill-RomHMH Construction Co, Inc.Susan HopfDr. G. Dennis & Bev HorvathRod & Alisa HouckLinda HowardHub InternationalBilly HulingFritz & Nancy HuntsingerI-FlowIMTSIRJ Engineers, Inc.Marvin & Betty IsenseeIsensee FloorcoveringDr. Gosta & Mary IwasiukGary & Lynn JacobsPatricia JumpKaufman HallBill & Elise Kearney

Dr. John & Susan KeatsTom KelleyKHAY RadioRandy KinslingCraig KleinBernard KonkolKPN Networks, Inc.KVTA RadioRobert & Norma LagomarsinoNorma LailSharon LandsmanHaady LashkariLaw Offices of F.T. Muegenburg,

Jr.Ron LawrenceDr. Kee & Jill LeeEmily & Matt LetourneauLifeline Medical TransportJudge David Long & Shirley

CritchfieldDeborah LundMichael Lurie & Nancy KochevarJohn Luttrull, M.D.Drs. Nelly Mac & P.K. EdwardsLisa MacAuleyMaryann MarinoEdie & Chuck MarshallYvonne MartinSandy & Paul MasielMassie Laboratories,

Inc./RetCam IIJohn & Judy MastersonRuth & Bob MathisThomas McBreen, M.D.Charles & Rosena McConicaJohn & Geraldine McConicaRosemary McIntyre, M.D.MD ConsultMead JohnsonMedtronic, Inc.Buffie MegugoracBarbara MeisterDr. Fredrick & Margaret

MenningerMid-State Bank & TrustRosie MietzelMJP ComputersTom MobleyBarry Mosesman & Rhonda

SpiegelDale & F. Ted Muegenburg, Jr.Mundy Medical Marketing, Inc.David & Diane MurrayNathan Consulting GroupJulie NautuMark NewtonChris NickelMary & Robert NishimuraJohn & Stephanie OrrRuth OrrLeonard & Lupe OrtizRoland & Chris Ouellette

Dr. Robert & Maria OuwendijkNick PappasDottie PasSrisawai Pattamakom, M.D.Jeanne PearcyMari PedersenPediatrix Medical GroupPerennial DesignsRobert PerlisJ.M. Perry Learning TechnologyMitchell PerryDr. Arthur & Jeanne PetersDon & Susan Petty, Jr.Andrea PfisterPhilip Sorkin Consulting, Inc.PHSKirk PieperRon & Judi PolitoDr. Martin & Barbara PopsPrecyse SolutionsProCare Systems, LLCPronursePuretec Industrial WaterR.T. Beers & CompanyBarbara RaberConstanze Rayhrer, M.D.The Renaissance GroupFrank RespontsRevcareRandy RobinsonRon RoseJim Roth & Diane SansonFrank RovelliJohn & Peggy RussellPam SanchezSanta Barbara Bank & TrustMrs. Dora E. SchmelaKim SchwartzDr. John Seder & Jean GordonSheeler Moving & StorageSherry ScottLee Ann SkylstadDr. John Slaght & Priscilla

BrennanPatricia Kong SlaterGreg & Shelley SmithSoares, Sandall, Bernacchi &

PetrovichWilliam & Martha SpriggsJohn StaufferSteris CorporationCatherine SternBill & Priscilla StevensonMargie & John StitesKen & Peggy StropleRobert & Teresa StrongNatalie SullawaySurgical WestTaft ElectricDr. Leo & Lucy TauberTed Mayr Funeral HomeRebecca Tolentino

Tolman & Wiker InsuranceTri AnimUnited Blood ServicesVan Gundy & Sons JewelersJohn Van Houten, M.D.Ventura Anesthesia Medical

GroupVentura Cardiology ConsultantsVentura County Hematology

Oncology SpecialistsVentura PrintingVentura Pulmonary and Critical

Care Medical GroupSuzanne VierlingWalking Beam RanchDrs. Robert & Wendy WarwarDuWayne WeathermanRick WebbWest Coast EnvironmentalWest-Com & T.V. Inc.The WharfWhisenhunt CommunicationsBud & Billie WhiteheadGary & Cheryl WildeMelody WilliamsJanice WillisGary & Ann WolfeRachael WolfeDr. Douglas & Caryn WoodburnDr. Jim & Kay WoodburnBob WoolacottMark YehBrad YarbrowZestNet

STEPS OF LIFETeri & Don AndreFrances BakerIdolia BarbeeRuth BunkerLaura & Richard CalzadaCraig ChittendenCMH AuxiliaryRonald CottmanMyron ElliottCarolyn ElliottMary Beth HarperSusan HeinkelMartha & Peter JaffeNona Belle JensenPatricia JumpPamela KennedyMrs. E. KisbyRose LaraPatricia ManginiNorma OrrCMH StaffJohn TrahanKaren VunovichEdwin WareRobert Wright

We apologize for any omissions or misspellings.

DONORSCommunity Memorial Health System and CommunityMemorial Healthcare Foundation appreciate the many generous gifts from our friends. Contributions to theFoundation benefit our community in many ways.We gratefully acknowledge the following contributionsreceived between January 1, and September 30, 2005.

B


hospital stays, and promotes patient safety.“Almost everything I need on a patient in

the hospital is in there,” says Dr. RobertGarrison, a family practice physician in Venturawith patients at CMH. His mobile “trio” unit is a

cell phone/PDA/camera device that has theMData software included to give Dr. Garrisoninstant access to patient information while hemakes his hospital rounds.

“The MData software helps him in manyways,” says Dr. Garrison. It allows him to checka patient’s lab reports for that day and the previ-ous days and lets him check medications forpatients who take several drugs at once or arebeing seen by more than one doctor. UsingMData, Dr. Garrison said he can cross-referencepatients’ medications,get a list of side effects,doses and drug inter-actions, and he canensure a patient isreceiving only appro-priate medications.

MData also keepsa list of all the newpatients who wereadmitted to CMHover the weekend,which Dr. Garrisonsays helps him preparefor work on Mondaymorning by knowingwhich new patients heneeds to see or call on

Busy executives and, harried moms andteens aren’t the only ones benefiting these daysfrom portable hand-held pocket PCs that give usimmediate information. All staff doctors atCommunity Memorial Hospital and Ojai Valley

Community Hospital now have access to state-of-the-art software for their mobile communica-tions devices that places vital patient informationat their fingertips literally in seconds.

The software is called MData Mobile. It ismanufactured by MercuryMD, a NorthCarolina-based healthcare software companythat develops medical technology to improveefficiency and, ultimately, patient care.

The days of a doctor waiting around for apatient’s chart to be printed out or updated arecoming to an end. MData Mobile communi-cates inbound and outbound messages in realtime from the hospital’s information systems toa mobile device for direct access to the latestinformation.

“The goal we’ve always tried to accomplishis to get the information to the physician asquickly as possible,” said Nick Pappas, Directorof Information Systems.

Physicians with MData software on theirPalm Pilots, smart cell phones and othermobile PC devices can readily access labresults, medication lists, radiology results andother information from their mobile devices asthey meet with patients at the hospital.Doctors say that hastening the delivery of thisvital information helps them give their patientsbetter and faster care, reduces the length of

that day. He further uses MData software to seeemergency room reports and X-ray reports. “It’sinstant access,” he says.

Another advocate of the MData software isCMH general surgeon, Dr. Jim Woodburn, whowas among the first at CMH to use the technol-ogy, having loaded the software into a cell phonehe carries at all times. Dr. Woodburn saysMData has been a huge help, particularly in onepatient’s case that he recalled.

“A chart had not been printed out and puttogether yet. I would have had nothing to go onbut the information I needed was already inMdata, and I was able to pull up the patient’sinformation and labs on my mobile device,” Dr.Woodburn said.

Community Memorial and Ojai ValleyCommunity Hospitals are among the more than200 hospitals and nearly 100 healthcare systemsacross the nation using MData. CMH doctorswere first offered the software as a pilot programin late 2002, and Ojai doctors were offeredaccess this October. At least 135 doctors useMData and more are expected to as they learnabout it.

Embracing Mobile PATIENTInformation Technology

"The idea is to

get information

into the

doctor’s hand

as quickly as

possible."

Dr. Robert Garrison explains the benefits of MData Mobile.

Dr. Jim Woodburn relies on MData Mobile forinstant access to patient information.

center right across the streetfrom CMH.

CMH is donating a vacanthouse owned by the hospital tobe renovated and transformedinto the new west county “SafeHarbor” center. Donations of

building materials, furnishings and labor arebeing sought with the goal of opening the newcenter in the spring.

“This is a collaborative effort with the busi-ness community partnering with governmentand healthcare to do something that one groupcan’t do alone,” Wilde said.

Ventura already has a Safe Harbor facility inan office building near the County GovernmentCenter. The DA’s Office currently spends $60,000a year to lease the space, but under the collabora-

ECARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM12

Helping Kids Cope with Crisis

people of anyage. Parents canbest help childrencope with theseconditions byhonestly helpingthem understand,

what to expect. This includes an explanation ofupcoming treatments and procedures. Weshould keep our language simple and concise,while checking our own emotional reactions andlimiting our discussions to necessary informa-

When illnessor infirmityoccurs, as parents, ourtasks are to help ourchildren feel safe andcared for.

DDespite our wishes and efforts, we cannotalways protect our children or other familymembers from illness or accident. These eventsmay be stressful or frightening for any of us.When illness or infirmity occurs, as parents, ourtasks are to help our children feel safe and caredfor and to assist them in developing skills andconfidence in their own personal resources tocope effectively with these human experiences.

It is common to fear illness and disability, asthese conditions reflect our vulnerability and lackof control over life events. This is a problem for

tion. Parents should provide ample opportuni-ties for questions and dialogue, recognizing thatit takes children time to process difficult or fright-ening information and react to it.

Medical personnel, such as doctors, nurses,and technicians, can provide answers that par-ents may not have. Parents, however, can advisethese caregivers as to what questions have arisenand how their children best understand informa-tion about their bodies and those of family andfriends. Whatever emotions children expressmust be recognized and validated by parents andothers. As parents, we may also be coping withour own feelings of overwhelming sadness orfear. We must find other adults who can help usthrough these periods, so that we can expresswarmth and understanding to our children with-out imparting our negative feelings.

Dealing with the feelings around illness andinfirmity is part of parenting, part of human life.We can help our children through this processby listening carefully, explaining what to expectin age-appropriate ways, and enlisting medicalpractitioners to explain and prepare our childrenfor their own illness or that of other importantpeople in their lives. We can make our childrenstronger and better able to cope with physicaldisability through our willingness to face theseproblems with them and to treat physical prob-lems as we do other problems. Together, we canface and cope with feelings that could otherwisebe overwhelming.

SAFEHARBORSAFEHARBOR HELPING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCEHELPING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

PARENTINGTIPS

Emergency room doctors and others haveseen them all too many times – women and chil-dren traumatized by domestic violence or sexualabuse who come to the hospital for medicaltreatment but need so much more help.

Community Memorial Health SystemCEO, Gary Wilde, and other Ventura leadershave teamed up with the local business and lawenforcement communities to open a new advo-cacy, medical treatment and evidence-gathering

tive arrangement with CMH they will only pay $1per year to lease the house on Martha Street. Theoperating expenses of the program are funded bya private, non-profit grant.

Police and district attorney officials say thecurrent facility is not an ideal place for victims tofeel at ease while they seek medical treatmentand counseling and give critical statements tohelp prosecute the abusers. Investigators andadvocates want the center to be closer to thehospital. “Also, after renovations, the new centerwill have a more home-like environment tomake victims feel comfortable,” District AttorneyGregory Totten said.

“We’re thrilled with the leadership role thehospital has taken, spearheaded by CommunityMemorial Health System, CEO, Gary Wilde,”Totten added.


DDiane Ellison and Connie Fincher love tohelp people. That is why they became regis-tered nurses.

So, it’s no surprise that when they saw thedevastation left by Hurricane Katrina and themisery it brought to the people of NewOrleans and nearby regions of Louisiana andMississippi, Ellison, a nurse in CommunityMemorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive CareUnit, and Fincher, a clinical nurse educator inCMH’s Intensive Care/Critical Care Unit, feltcompelled to act.

“I was at my kitchen sink washing vegeta-bles,” Ellison remembered, “and I’m thinkingthat the people I’m seeing on TV would die forthe water that I am wasting down the drain.

“As a nurse, I feel a responsibility to helpother people. I just had to do something.”

Fincher, on medical leave from CMH afterundergoing knee-replacement surgery in July,felt the same way. “With my background, Iknew I had something to offer,” Fincher said.

So both called the American Red Cross.While her mind was willing, Fincher’s

recent knee surgery made it impossible for herto treat victims of Hurricane Katrina. But shecould answer phone calls, and she could typeinto a computer.

For two weeks, Fincher took calls frompeople calling theAmer i c an RedCross to volunteer.She took calls frompeople lost andst randed 2 ,500miles away in NewOrleans. She tookcalls from peoplein the Super Domewho were separat-ed f rom lovedones. She took

calls – hundreds of them – and entered informa-tion received into the American Red Cross’national database that was set up in the wake ofKatrina.

“I wish I could have been deployed to New

O r l e a n s , ” s a i dFincher wistfully,then adding “but Idid what I could,and I did it the bestI could.”

As for Ellison,she boarded aflight to Houston, her thoughts focused on thedaunting task ahead – treating the victims ofKatrina. But as she reached her destination,Katrina’s equally powerful sister, Hurricane Rita,was bearing down on the Texas Gulf Coast.

So, suddenly, Rita, not Katrina, would beher assignment. That meant first gettingcaught in perhaps the biggest traffic jam in his-tory. It took the bus carrying Ellison and herco-workers nine hours to cover the 70 milesfrom Houston to Huntsville, Texas, to amakeshift shelter in the Sam Houston StateUniversity gymnasium, the temporary homefor about 450 evacuees.

She treated victims, from newborn babiesto cardiac and dialysis patients, for five days inHuntsville before she was transferred toCrockett, Texas. There, she spent the next twoweeks in the city’s Civic Center tending to themedical and emotional needs of 250 moreevacuees, many of whom lost their homes, andeverything in them.

Ellison returned home after three exhaust-ing weeks in Texas. Although she witnessed alot of misery and heartbreak, Ellison said whatshe would remember most is the compassionpeople showed to those who suffered.

“You hear about how people don’t care,but what I kept seeing was people in the com-munity embracing people they didn’t evenknow,” Ellison said as she related stories ofpeople bringing money, food and clothing tothose in the shelter, people offering evacueesrides to hospitals, and a man who pulled $800out of his wallet and said, “Here, now go takeeveryone out to Kentucky Fried Chicken fordinner.”

“I was totally blown away by it all,” Ellisonsaid. “I get teary just thinking about it.”

5categoryNurses Take Caring to a New Level

caringDr. James W. Hornstein

The short life andheartbreaking deatho f Te r r i Sch i avoshould have been aprivate matter and atime for her family tog r i e v e i n p e a c e .

Instead, Terri’s death on March 31 was playedout in the national media with her family mem-bers at war with each other.

The fight over her medical treatment couldhave been avoided had Terri exercised her legalright to state in writing her wishes for medicaltreatment should she become unable to expressthem herself. She should have had an AdvanceDirective.

Today there is a medical, legal and moralconsensus that competent adults can accept orrefuse any medical treatment. In 1990, the U.S.Supreme Court affirmed this right.

If you are an alert patient, you can tell thedoctors your wishes. However, the trouble ariseswhen patients can’t speak for themselvesbecause they are in a coma or are incapacitatedby illness or injury. If you have not given anyinstructions, no one can know for sure what youwould have decided.

That’s why it is so important for people tohave an Advance Directive. An AdvanceDirective is a document in which you name asurrogate decision-maker to speak for you andstate your wishes if you can’t speak for yourself.This surrogate can be anyone, your spouse, adultchild, a friend or a relative. This person has thesame rights as the patient. You must make yourwishes known to your surrogate and make surecopies are given to friends, family, your doctor,nursing home staff or hospital personnel.

Another separate part of an AdvanceDirective is the section where you can list yourwishes in writing. This was previously known asa “living will,” and may further help to clarifyyour treatment choices for your surrogate anddoctors.

These treatment decisions are difficult tomake, but they are much more difficult if you donot participate.

Just ask Terri’s family.

For more info visit: http://www.cmanet.org/publicdoc.cfm/7

Dr. James W. Hornstein is Chairman of the BioethicsCommittee at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura

TheImportance of AdvanceDirectives

TERRI’S TRAGEDY

Connie Fincher, RN

Diane Ellison, RN


DVTA deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot, or thrombus, that developsin a deep vein, usually in the leg. When a clot forms, there is a risk that itwill break away and travel up the vein and into the lung. This is called a pul-monary embolism, and, depending on the size of the clot or number ofthem, can be a life-threatening condition.

Increased Risk FactorsDVT is more common in people over the age of 40 or those who havealready had a blood clot in their legs. Other increased risks include smok-ing, morbid obesity, or taking a contraceptive pill. In addition, cancerpatients, as well as post-operative surgery patients, are also at increased riskof DVT. A common risk factor for the general population is prolonged sit-ting, such as long-distance travel by car, or plane, without frequent breaks.

Symptoms of a DVT“Symptoms can include leg pain that might feel like a pulled muscle,swelling of the leg, even redness to the leg,” explains Dr. John Handley, pul-monary specialist at Community Memorial Hospital. While these are notalways signs of a DVT, anyone who experiences them should contact theirdoctor.

Symptoms of Pulmonary EmbolismA pulmonary embolism can be associated with shortness of breath, chestpain, and coughing up blood. Anyone with these symptoms should seekprompt emergency medical evaluation.

Treating a DVT“The best treatment requires a team approach between a doctor andpatient,” says Dr. Handley. “Both have to do their part to achieve a goodoutcome.”

Blood thinning medicines, called anticoagulants, are typically used to stopnew blood clots from forming and old ones growing. The anticoagulantsused are Heparin (injected or by infusion) overlapped with Coumadin orWarfarin (taken as tablets). Initial treatment for an uncomplicated DVT casegenerally requires about five days in a hospital. Afterwards, anticoagulantswill usually be continued for three to six months. Meanwhile, regular bloodtests are needed to monitor the patient’s condition. In the most severecases, clot dissolving drugs called thrombolytics are used to dissolve DVTs.

Preventive Measures for TravelersWhile the added risk of developing a DVT caused by traveling appears to below, it can be further reduced by exercising the legs at least once every hourduring long-distance travel. This means taking regular breaks when drivingor walking up and down the aisle of a train or plane. In addition, the mus-cles of the lower legs (which act as a pump to help blood flow north in theveins) can be exercised while sitting by alternately pressing the balls of thefeet downward while raising the heel and relaxing, and flexing the toestowards the knees and relaxing.

Take No ChancesLastly, anyone who develops swelling or pain in the leg or breathing prob-lems after traveling should immediately seek medical evaluation.

What you needto know about

Mack says, noting it has been especially difficultfor Jenny because she is away from home as afreshman at San Diego State. “Justin knows Dadwas real sick and real scared; Kristen knowsmore; and Jenny knows everything.”

There have also been a rainbow amongthe clouds.

“This has changed my life,” shares Mack. “Ilived football before – our whole family’s liferevolved around football. Football is still impor-tant, but I’ve realized there are other things moreimportant. For example, Jenny and I were alwaysclose, but now we’re even closer. I take timeevery day to talk to her on the phone. I leavehome (for work) later in the morning and helpthe kids with homework, that kind of thing.”

He also took time off from coaching totake Jenny to college and help her move in.And on the drive to — and back — from SanDiego, Jon Mack made sure he took breaks toget out and stretch his legs.

DVTcontinued from page 5.

Dr. John Handley

We’re Always Lookingfor Volunteers!

Auxiliary volunteers provide that special touch of comfort,compassion and assistance

to patients and their families.If you are interested in becoming avolunteer please call the Auxiliary:

Community Memorial Hospital805/652-5043

Ojai Valley Community Hospital805/646-1401, ext. 224

W


He takes Toprol XL 200 mg daily for high bloodpressure. It was rather dark one morning whenhe took his medication, and his wife had justrearranged the medicine cabinet. He mistakenlytook a Cipro tablet from an old, unfinished pre-scription. Both bottles were the same size, andboth medications were elongated white tablets.Missing his dose of Toprol resulted in the rapidheart rate and the trip to the emergency room.

There are lessons to be learned from this.Read the label on the medication container beforeyou take a dose, don’t take your medications inthe dark, and discard old prescriptions. But myfriend argued that medication labels are difficult toread on cylindrical bottles, and I agree. Recently,Target pharmacies started using prescription con-tainers that allow labels to lay flat for easy reading.They’re also color coded for each family member.I commend Target for their innovation and hopethat this becomes the standard of practice. But asI told my friend, it still won’t help if you take yourmedications in the dark.

Be safe. Whether it’s your own medicationor medication for your child, taking that extra bitof care can prevent the serious consequences ofa medication error.

While working one evening, I received acall from a mother whose doctor told her togive ibuprofen to her 18-month-old child for afever. She had a supply of ibuprofen suspen-sion from a friend, and she needed help withdosing. Unfortunately, she didn’t know herchild’s weight nor did she have an accuratemeans of measuring a dose. Here are some tipsto help with dosing acetaminophen, ibuprofen,and other liquid, non-prescription medicationsfor children.

Most of these liquid products have labelsthat list doses by a child’s age and weight.Dosing by weight is most accurate and the pre-ferred method. If you don’t know your child’sweight, use your bathroom scale. Weigh your-self. Then weigh yourself holding your child.The difference between the two weights will beyour child’s weight.

You also need an accurate method for meas-uring the dose. Don’t guess, and don’t use a tea-spoon. Many non-prescription products for chil-dren are packaged with calibrated droppers, oralsyringes, or dosing cups. Only use a measuringdevice with the medication it came with.Generic measuring devices that can be used withany liquid medication are available in pharma-cies. They are inexpensive and should be available if there are children in the household.

With your child’s weight, a measuringdevice, and the dosing information on the med-ication label, you’re set to determine the properdose, measure, and administer it. If you still havequestions, don’t hesitate to call your pharmacist.

Another medication use problem wasrecently brought to my attention. A friend visit-ed the emergency room for a rapid heart rate.

Medication Safety

PHARMACISTCORNER

by Gary Metalak, CMH Pharmacist

I told myfriend, It stillwon’t help ifyou take yourmedications in the dark.”

‘‘

medication to lower her high blood pressure, acondition she’d never had before. At the time,Sandi had heard about the minimally-invasiveLAP-BAND surgery to lose weight, and shedecided she had to act.

Ventura surgeon, Dr. Helmuth Billy, per-formed the procedure at Community MemorialHospital on May 28, 2004. Since then, Sandi,now 57, has been steadily losing six to 12 poundsper month and is happy with the results, andwith Dr. Billy’s care. “He’s providing a wonderfulservice for us,” she said.

life backI GOT MY

a LAP-BAND success story

AAt the age of 55 and topping 400 pounds,Sandi Henderson wasn’t doing much living.

That was last year. The Oxnard woman wasin failing health, her blood pressure was skyrock-eting, and she knew she was missing out on a lotof the joys in life, like outings with her fouryoung grandchildren. Mrs. Henderson couldn’teven walk across a parking lot without stoppingto catch her breath, much less keep up with fouractive kids.

She said she was scared into action after avisit to her doctor ended with a prescription for

“I’ve got my life back. I’m enjoying my life,”said Mrs. Henderson, whose goal is to weighabout 175. She’s more than halfway there, hav-ing lost over 150 pounds and still losing. Shechalks up her success to hard work, healthiereating habits and support from other LAP-BAND patients she meets at a monthly supportgroup.

Mrs. Henderson, who owns a business thatsells computers and networking equipment toother businesses, feels much better and lovesher new, active life. She now swims an hour aday four to six times a week, is back to enjoyingriding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle,and has fun taking her grandkids to Sea World.She also has taken up an old hobby she had to give up when she was so heavy–scuba diving.

“I went scuba diving in Hawaii for the firsttime in nine years for my birthday (inSeptember). It was awesome. I’m planning mynext dive trip,” she said.

And Sandi has discovered another excitingbenefit to her incredible weight loss after LAP-BAND surgery: “I can go shopping a lot becauseevery three months, I need a new wardrobe.”

life backSandi now enjoys cruising on theback of her husband’s Harley


Every month, the Community Memorial Health System has a variety of support andinformational meetings. Please verify meeting date and location with the contact per-son listed. Sometimes meetings may be cancelled or rescheduled. • Meetings at CMH, 147 N. Brent St., Ventura

CMH and OVCH Kick Off NewCustomer Service Excellence Initiative

@COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

• Congestive Heart FailureSupport Group5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., 4th Wed.(805) 652-5010• Living with Cancer3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m., WednesdaysContact: Fred Odom, (805) 652-5010• Prostate Cancer Support Group6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m., 2nd Thurs.Contact: Sharon Jones,(805) 983-8864, ext. [email protected]• Bariatric Surgery Seminar6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., SelectedMondays, call for more information.Contact: Pam Sanchez,(866) 720-6296• Bariatric Support Group7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., 3rd Thurs.Contact: Sara Rayes or Dr. Helmuth Billy,(805) 648-2227, ext. 110

• Mended Hearts6:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m., 1st Tues.Contact: Dick Hiser, President,(805) 646-4636• Better Breathers3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., 2nd Wed.Contact: Regina Stevens,(805) 652-5346• Perinatal Education,

Maternity Orientation,Prepared Childbirth, Sibling Class

Call for more information. (805) 658-BABY (2229)• Bittie Babies (Newborn-4 months)

or Bigger Babies (3-7 months)Various courses each week. Contact: Heidi Cantrell, (805) 658-BABY (2229)• SuperSitter CoursesChildren 11 years and older, learn to be responsible babysitters andhow to administer CPR to an infant

or child.(805) 658-BABY (2229)• Caregivers Support Group3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m., 2nd Fri. Contact:Arlene Reynolds, (805) 445-1181• Lymphedema Support Group6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., 3rd Wed.Contact: Melissa Stoen,(805) 644-9620

• HICAP(Insurance Help for Seniors)1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., 3rd Mon.Contact: Katharine Raley,(805) 477-7310• Hepatitis C Support Group6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., 1st TuesdayContact: Janeen Lyche, RN, FNP(805) 641-6536

the service and satisfaction of every patient, everyphysician and every employee is met,” she said.

As part of the new push for better, more com-plete service, Spiegel chairs a new ServiceExcellence Council that includes managers andemployees from various health system depart-ments who will coordinate the program’s activitiesand oversee progress toward its goals.

With the support of the health system’semployees, the Board of Trustees and top man-agers decided earlier this year to follow the pro-gram offered by a Canadian-based healthcare firm,Custom Learning Systems.

Chief Executive Officer, Gary Wilde, Spiegel,and Vice President of Human Resources, JonCrozier, attended an initial training session con-ducted by founder Brian Lee. That was followedby a two-day leadership training session at CMHfor health system supervisors.

“Our intent is to make sure we have the bestcustomer service, the best outcomes, and are theemployer of choice, and the patients’ and physi-cians’ health system of choice,” Crozier added.

In November, the Service Excellence Councilmembers attended Custom Learning Systems’

national conference in Santa Barbara, where theyexchanged ideas with representatives of otherhealthcare organizations about the best practicesand how other hospitals and health systems havefound success.

PProviding patients with the best medical carehas always been the goal at Community MemorialHospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital and theCenters for Family Health.

Now, the new Community Memorial HealthSystem is taking that basic goal a giant step further.

Community Memorial Health System is initi-ating an innovative three-year training programaimed at creating a complete service-oriented cul-ture at the hospitals and the nine clinics locatedthroughout West Ventura County. It’s a culture inwhich managers, doctors and staff members worktogether as a team to satisfy patient needs, and bet-ter monitor patient satisfaction.

The goal of the new Service ExcellenceInitiative is to anticipate patient needs and to meetthose needs and expectations on a routine basis.To accomplish this, managers, doctors andemployees must work together.

“What makes an organization stand out fromothers? It’s excellence,” said Rhonda Spiegel, VicePresident of Patient Care Services for CommunityMemorial Health System.

“Good isn’t good enough. Every employee inthe organization will be empowered to act to ensure

excellenceNeed a Doctor?

If you are looking for

a doctor, physician

referrals areavailable at nocharge through

CommunityMemorialHospital.

Just call and ask forPhysician Referral Service

805/652-5600

It‘s about

Non Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDCommunity Memorial

Hospital of SanBuenaventura

Community Memorial Hospital of San Buenaventura147 N. Brent St.Ventura, CA 93003

Documents

CARING Winter 2005