Journeys, Spring 2012

JOURNEYS“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice …” – William Jennings Bryan SPRING 2012

Teamwork Decades of defeating game day emergencies

$300,000 giftboosts Fine Line

World’s smallestheart pump here

Cancer screeningsaves lives

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ALL ABOUT JOURNEYSStatesman William Jennings Bryan, one of the original benefactors of BryanLGH, said:

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

Journeys tells our story of how BryanLGH chooses to achieve. This free publication is mailed quarterly to our employees, physicians, volunteers and the communities we serve.

STAY IN TOUCHWe welcome your comments. For more information about Journeys, contact the Advancement team by calling 402-481-8674. To learn more about BryanLGH programs and services, visit us online at www.bryanlgh.org.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORTYour contributions help us care for those who come to BryanLGH at every stage of life. To find out how you can participate, please contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-8605, or write to us at: BryanLGH Foundation 1600 S. 48th St. Lincoln, NE 68506

Kimberly RusselPresident & CEO, BryanLGH Health System

John Woodrich President & COO, BryanLGH Medical Center

John Trapp, MD Chief of Staff, BryanLGH Medical Staff

Bob RavenscroftVice President of Advancement

Edgar BumanisDirector of Public Relations

Paul HadleyEditor

1 FROM OUR PRESIDENT

2 IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY Football fan cheers BryanLGH StarCare and Red Cross first aid team

5 BRYANLGH HEART INSTITUTE Tiny pump creates bridge to improved quality of life

8 HEADS UP NEBRASKA Ex-Husker becomes face of concussion awareness

12 NEW AT BRYANLGH Special care heals wounds

14 NEW AT BRYANLGH Colleagues join fight against lung cancer

18 MEDICAL STAFF SPOTLIGHT Ask the doctor: Ears, noses and throats

20 MEDICAL STAFF UPDATE New faces at BryanLGH

22 BRYANLGH LIFEPOINTE Leading by example: New role for LifePointe medical director

26 VOLUNTEER RESOURCES Clothing closet benefits patients

28 CRETE AREA MEDICAL CENTER CAMC and Tabitha: Partners in caring

30 COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

32 COLLEGE ALUMNI NEWS

33 COMMUNITY BENEFITS REPORT

36 BRYANLGH FOUNDATION MARTTI clears language barriers

38 BRYANLGH FOUNDATION

39 55PLUS

40 ACHIEVEMENTS

JOURNEYSSPRING 2012

Give to Lincoln DayOnline fundraiserhelps BryanLGH

One day. One BIG opportunity to show your support for BryanLGH!

Thursday, May 17, the Lincoln community will come together for 24

hours of giving from midnight to 11:59 p.m. Please

consider supporting BryanLGH by giving on this day

online! Use your smartphone’s QR application to scan

the code at right or go to razoo.com/bryanlgh to

make a contribution.

Your donation will be matched with a share

from a $200,000 challenge match pool of funds.

This challenge fund is provided by the Lincoln Community Foundation and

other generous sponsors.

Gifts will also be accepted in person May 17 during regular business

hours at the Lincoln Community Foundation, 215 Centennial Mall South or

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the BryanLGH Advancement office at BryanLGH East,

1600 S. 48th St. The Advancement office is located on 1st Floor of the

hospital, just off the main lobby. n

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his is the first edition of Journeys since we announced that later this year we’re adopting the name Bryan Health for our health system and Bryan Medical Center for our medical center locations in Lincoln. We have been BryanLGH since 1997, when two

strong and recognized acute care hospitals came together to form our BryanLGH Health System and BryanLGH Medical Center. We will spend this 15th-anniversary year honoring the legacy that has brought us to this point.

During the past 15 years, we have grown beyond just a medical center with two campuses. The name that will guide us into the future — Bryan Health — represents 85 years of quality, excellence and innovation in health care. It speaks to the presence we now have throughout the Midwest and across the country. It also reflects our commitment to be your family’s partner for a full spectrum of wellness, acute care and rehabilitation needs. On your team, you have nearly 5,000 physicians, staff members and volunteers — they are the people who have made BryanLGH the place you want to receive care, and at the same time, they are your friends, family and neighbors who make our community the place we choose to live. I am honored to lead these dedicated individuals toward Bryan Health’s bright future.

On that note, I would like to point out that the Studer Group — an organization that helps health care organizations achieve and sustain exceptional clinical, operational and financial outcomes

— honored BryanLGH with a Fire Starter Award as its health care organization of the month in February and then in March recognized Crete Area Medical Center with this accolade. The Studer Group chose us from among hundreds of organizations and pointed to our achievements in categories such as patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational growth and quality as award-winning attributes.

We reached these levels as a team, striving to provide you and your loved ones the best possible care.

It also is fitting that this edition of Journeys serves as our annual community benefit report for fiscal year 2011. The stories reinforce our commitment to support and collaborate with those who work so hard to make our community safe, vital and welcoming. Our total quantifiable community benefit of more than $72.7 million attests to our unwavering promise, as your locally owned and governed, not-for-profit health care system, to always be there for all who turn to us for care, including those who are unable to pay.

Community. Future. Health. Helping you prepare for what’s next in your life will always be what’s next in ours.

Kimberly A. RusselPresident and Chief Executive OfficerBryanLGH Health System

F R O M O U R P R E S I D E N T

T

Co-workers at BryanLGH West proudly display the Studer Group Fire Starter Award shared by everyone in our organization.

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Husker sweatshirt? Check.Tickets? Check.Radio tuned to game day coverage? Check.Blood clot in lung? Check.

While the Nebraska-Texas football game Oct. 16, 2010, brought the typical game day experience for Husker fan Rhonda Wiesner, it also brought her a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.

Game day was a sunny 73 degrees, so when her heart began palpitating on the way from the car to the stadium, she attributed it to being overdressed and in a large crowd with little

to no air movement.As she and her husband, Scott, made the climb to their

seats in row 80, her heart continued to race.“Just before halftime, I told Scott I was going to the

restroom and that I was not coming all the way back up the way my heart was still racing.

“Before I went into the restroom, I was thinking how silly I was to overdress and probably just needed to cool down and get something to drink, so I purchased a soda and went into the restroom to take off my sweatshirt,” she says.

A woman there was concerned and told her there was a first

Football fan cheers BryanLGH StarCareand Red Cross first aid team

Game day responsesavedRhonda’s life

Rhonda Wiesner of Ceresco is grateful BryanLGH StarCare nurses and other medical personnel are available at Red Cross first aid stations in Memorial Stadium.

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I N S E R V I C E T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y

with me, in making me go to the hospital. If not for them, I might not be here today,” she says.

Saved days — and lives — are regular occurrences for the Husker Nation on game day, courtesy of the emergency care connection between volunteers on the American Red Cross first aid team and StarCare, BryanLGH’s air ambulance service.

It’s a partnership rarely noticed by the 90,000 people who pack in Memorial Stadium on game day, and one that has been in place since the early 1970s in various forms.

“BryanLGH provides needed supplies to the American Red Cross-Cornhusker Chapter on a yearly basis to help the first aid team provide care within the stadium,” says David Reese,

aid station close by, so Wiesner stopped in.After a BryanLGH StarCare nurse at the station took her

blood pressure, she promptly called over other nurses.“They hooked me up to an EKG, sent it to BryanLGH,

and the doctor there said to get me to the hospital,” Wiesner remembers. “I called my husband in the stands and told him what was going on. I told the nurse I would go in with Scott, and the BryanLGH StarCare worker was adamant about me going now!” The game was ending, and traffic would be intense.

An ambulance took Wiesner to BryanLGH, where tests were run, including a CT scan that revealed a blood clot in her lung.

“I am truly grateful for the team’s persistence and patience

“For decades, the American Red Cross has assisted Nebraska athletics to create a safer game day environment for our fans at Memorial Stadium,” says Athletic Director Tom Osborne (left). BryanLGH care givers have been an important part of that first aid team for many years. Also pictured: BryanLGH StarCare flight medic Michele Cavalieri, NREMT-P; emergency room nurse Mike Gaver; and Susan Epps, executive director of the American Red Cross-Cornhusker Chapter.

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vice president of clinical and support services at BryanLGH Medical Center and vice chair of the board of directors of the Cornhusker Chapter.

Collaborative effort benefits fans

“It’s a really great, collaborative effort between the Red Cross and BryanLGH to assure fan safety during the game,” Reese adds. “I would say the biggest positive is knowing that the fans will be taken care of in case of a health care need — that there’s somebody there looking out for them.”

Clad in Red Cross vests and armed with watchful eyes, the 60 to 70 first aid volunteers provide basic life support, while BryanLGH StarCare is on hand if advanced care is needed.

Volunteer Mike Gaver, RN, coordinates the first aid team at Memorial Stadium and ensures volunteers are in place with medical supplies, confirms the three first aid stations are equipped, and organizes game day care with BryanLGH StarCare and Lincoln Fire & Rescue, which provides ambulance service.

“With eight to 10 people per team, we spread out around the top of the crowd and get everybody strategically assigned in each section,” says Gaver, BryanLGH StarCare and emergency room nurse. “Each team has a medical bag with equipment, a stokes basket for carrying people down and a supervisor.”

Henry Schultz — a registered respiratory therapist advanced practitioner at BryanLGH who’s been a Red Cross volunteer for about 35 years — supervises the team in the west stadium where 16,000 to 17,000 fans file in.

“We normally have three first-response teams, which are two- to three-person teams that go in on a call and assess what’s going on and what is needed,” Schultz explains. “Can the person walk out? Do we need to carry the person down to the first aid station? Do we need additional equipment?”

The first aid team is licensed by the state of Nebraska, and volunteers are certified in professional level CPR and first aid, says Susan Epps, executive director of the American Red Cross-Cornhusker Chapter. “At least one member is licensed as an emergency medical responder or higher anytime the team is in operation.”

“We average one cardiac arrest per year,” Gaver says, “and we see seizures, strokes and a lot of heat-related issues, cuts and scrapes, broken ankles, asthma attacks and bee stings.

“In the first three games, we count on seeing more than 100 people in each game because they get overheated. Some of them walk down; some pass out and we carry them down; and

some are brought in by their friends.”Even those who bring life to Lil’ Red and Herbie Husker

have the occasional overheating and need first aid attention.“It’s great to be involved in the big situations, but at the

same time, it’s great to just be able to hand somebody a bandage because of the shoe that doesn’t fit and know that you made their day just a little bit better,” says Gaver, who has been a Red Cross volunteer for 11 years.

Key to helping ensure the seamless operation of emergency care on game day is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Butch Hug, associate athletic director for facilities and events. For Hug — who is responsible for the coordination of approximately 35 agencies, including the Red Cross — the big day starts months in advance.

“As soon as one season is over, we start preparing for the next,” Hug says.

“In August, we have a staging meeting with all the agencies that staff the stadium on game day. The week of a game, we have another staging meeting discussing what additional events will occur in and around the stadium on game day.”

Training isn’t just for players

First aid members also do team preparation.“We have stadium training before the season starts to orient

members and especially to work on the carries to get people out of the stands safely,” Epps says. “Our volunteers are trained on the radios, protocols and emergency evacuation plans.”

The day before the game, the equipment coordinator inspects equipment, makes sure oxygen tanks are full, radios are charged and supplies are restocked. On game day, the team arrives two-and-a-half to three hours before kickoff and stays for a few hours after the fourth quarter.

“At the end of the day, it’s a great feeling to know we’ve been there for people whether they needed us or not. We have a good system and a great group of people who just like to help the fans who need us. I feel like I’m spending Saturday afternoons with 90,000 of my closest friends,” Gaver concludes.

Stadium filled with die-hard fans? Check. Emergency care team focused on those fans and their well-

being? Check. n

To find out how you can support the work of BryanLGH emergency services, contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-8605.

I N S E R V I C E T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y

4 Spring 2012

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‘Lincoln’s a wonderfulplace to raisea family,’ says Dr. Timothy Gardner, with Patti, his wife, and their son, Sam.

Turn to Page 6 to read more about this BryanLGH Heart Institute cardiologist and the new technology he’s introduced.

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B R Y A N L G H H E A R T I N S T I T U T E

BHI cardiologist introduces new technology

Tiny pump creates bridgeto improved quality of lifeTimothy Gardner, MD, joined the BryanLGH Heart Institute (BHI) and moved to Lincoln almost four years ago to improve his family’s quality of life. And because of a tiny heart pump Dr. Gardner brought to Lincoln, the lives of many BryanLGH patients also have improved.

This tiny heart pump — the world’s smallest — enables high-risk patients to receive life-saving heart procedures.

They’re patients who without it would not have been celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries. Their birthdays. The birth of their grandchildren.

“It is so gratifying to see significant improvements in their quality of life after the procedure,” says Dr. Gardner. “They are very, very grateful the procedure is available here.”

The interventional cardiologist refers to this technology, the Impella, as a bridge. “We call it a bridge as it allows us to get the patient from a situation where there is not enough blood flow to their body to keep them alive, to whatever we can do to improve their heart’s function, whether it is medication, stenting or surgery,” he explains.

While at his practice in Cheyenne, Wyo., Dr. Gardner became interested in high-risk angioplasty cases, an interest he continued to develop by introducing the Impella technology at BryanLGH. Now BryanLGH is the only provider in Lincoln

to use the Impella and is one of the most experienced centers in the country.

The path to BryanLGH“I didn’t plan on being a cardiologist

when I started med school at Baylor in Houston,” says the physician.

“But during my residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins, my mentors, who were cardiologists, got me involved with their outstanding program.” After his residency, Dr. Gardner joined a medical group in Cheyenne, where he practiced for 14 years.

While they enjoyed living in that community, Dr. Gardner was not able to spend much time with his family because his busy cardiology practice kept him running day and night.

“One day my wife, Patti, came to me when Sam, our youngest child, was two andsuggested I join a larger practice so we could have more time together,” Dr. Gardner recalls.

He was familiar with BryanLGH and the cardiology practice here through Andrew Merliss, MD, who had given him pacemaker

During a reception linking former patients with their care givers, Duane Woofter (left) thanks Dr. Timothy Gardner following his successful Impella procedure.

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training — Dr. Gardner contacted the group and ended up joining the BHI practice a few months later. “It has been a great practice with which to be involved, and Lincoln has turned out to be a wonderful place to raise a family,” Dr. Gardner says.

Patti, who is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, decided it was time to focus on “being a mom” when they first moved to Lincoln. Now that Sam is in school, she enjoys working in her specialty part time and volunteers in the community in addition to serving on the board of MilkWorks breastfeeding support organization.

“Lincoln is such a great place for our little son, Sam,” adds Dr. Gardner. “We live by a lake that is full of fish where on weekends my son and I go out and catch largemouth bass and he gets into the water and looks for frogs.”

Taking advantage of the many opportunities available in Lincoln for an active 7-year-old, Sam also is involved in basketball, flag football, T-ball and golf and enjoys the Lincoln Children’s Zoo and the Lincoln Children’s Museum.

“And our grown sons, Heath and Ben, really enjoy Lincoln when they come from Denver and Cheyenne to visit,” the physician says.

Dr. Gardner, who was raised in Portland, Ore., is amazed at how many of the people he meets have grown up here and either stayed or returned after having moved away for college or career opportunities.

“So many people have roots here and they understand how wonderful it is, including many of the physicians in our practice who are Nebraskans who have gone away for their medical training and

then have come back to live in Lincoln,” he remarks.

Using the ImpellaThere are two primary scenarios in

which the Impella is used: 1) A patient needs a procedure that is very, very risky — in this case the device is used as a safety net — meaning that if something goes wrong during the procedure, the Impella is there to keep blood flowing to the body; and 2) A patient suffers a very serious heart attack or develops a life-threatening heart rhythm problem causing the heart to be unable to function well enough for the patient to make it to surgery or have a stent procedure performed. In that case, the Impella is used as a life-saving bridge until the surgery or stenting can be performed.

Among the Impella patients at a recent Celebration of Life event:

Vance Ulmer of Pawnee City: Considered a high-risk patient because of other health conditions, the Impella was used as a safety net during Vance’s stenting procedure. He says, “Now I’m back working in the yard here on the farm and have more energy and stamina than I did before the surgery.”

Michael Willet of Wymore: After suffering a massive heart attack, the rural rescue squad transported him 50 miles to BryanLGH where the Impella was used to keep his heart pumping until he could be stabilized — and eventually readied for a heart transplant. Willet says, “I almost didn’t make it — but thanks to the

Impella and the people here at BryanLGH, I did — they saved my life.”

Billy “Turkey” Hodgkins of Lincoln: Also suffering a major heart attack, the Impella was used as doctors performed life-saving stenting and bypass procedures. Turkey comments, “The doctors say I shouldn’t have made it, but I did.” Now Turkey is back to doing the things he enjoys.

To hear Dr. Gardner discuss Impella, go to www.bryanlgh.org or use your smartphone’s QR application to access the code at left.

The future of ImpellaThe future of the Impella is bright.

Medicare covers the procedure since studies have shown it improves outcomes in high-risk patients, and reduces overall health care costs.

“We don’t see that very often in today’s world,” says Dr. Gardner.

“One reason it is so successful is that the physician feels freedom to do a more complete job, to spend the time to fix the problem, because the Impella is acting as a safety net.”

The Impella line of heart pumps and catheters is continuing to expand with improvements to include devices designed for different sizes of patients, as well as devices that accomplish the same goal but in different areas of the heart. n

For information on how you can support the BryanLGH Heart Institute, call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

Abiomed, the maker of Impella, touts its heart pump as the smallest in the world.

B R Y A N L G H H E A R T I N S T I T U T E

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Blake Lawrence survived multiple concussions as a

Husker Blackshirt and became a successful entrepreneur.

This founder and CEO of Hurrdat Social Media is a

spokesman for the Heads Up Nebraska

educational campaign with BryanLGH and the Husker

Sports Network.

8 Spring 2012

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H E A D S U P N E B R A S K A

lake Lawrence was lucky.Well, first he was unlucky.He’d suffered a concussion, and then another.

Then more. It seemed each time, it came more easily than the last. More quickly. The final estimate was

that he’d had four traumatic brain injuries in a period of 18 months.

He had been living a dream, playing college football as a member of the University of Nebraska’s elite special-forces unit, the famed Blackshirts defense. And with every injury, he could feel it: That dream was slipping away.

He’d tried to hide it, then tried to fight it. He was fitted with a special helmet that, for a time, kept the injuries at bay. But then, it came — in a Monday afternoon practice, of all times and places — that final concussion. The last straw.

“It was a very difficult decision, ending a career early,” Lawrence says. This was in October 2009, midway through his junior year.

He had no choice.Lawrence’s coach, Bo Pelini, the hard-nosed tough guy,

had turned tender. Pelini told Blake that if he were the coach’s son, he’d forbid him to play.

Moment of truthLawrence said one of his doctors put it to him bluntest,

and best: You know when you have a concussion, and your brain is scrambled, and your memory isn’t working, and there’s only confusion, and concussive symptoms and fear?

Blake nodded.The doctor said: “Now imagine if that feeling never went

away.”Why did Pelini put him in a corner? Was it because the

linebacker kept getting hurt? Because he couldn’t remember the plays?

No, Lawrence says: “It’s because he knew there was more

to me than just Husker football.”There was. There still is.Blake Lawrence was lucky. He knows that now.That’s the thing. Most players think concussions can take

football away from them. That’s why they try to hide their symptoms. That’s why they don’t tell their coaches.

Lawrence knows better. The scary thing isn’t that concussions can take away

football. What’s scary, he says, is that concussions can take away “you.”

Making a differenceThe Husker Sports Network’s Jim Rose had a line he liked

to use when he was a young radio announcer, and a football player was wobbling off the field.

“He’s hearing the Bell brothers,” Rose would say. “Ding and Dong.”

Rose doesn’t think that’s funny any more.He was taken aback when seeing another former Husker

Blackshirt — Stewart Bradley — noticeably woozy during a Monday Night Football NFL game. “He shouldn’t be out there,” Rose thought.

Then he saw Blake Lawrence have to walk away.Like so many others, Rose couldn’t help thinking

something had to be done.Nebraska’s Legislature and Gov. Dave Heineman thought so,

too. A new law, Legislative Bill 260, goes into effect in July 2012. It says all athletes — from soccer and football players to skate-boarders and hockey and basketball enthusiasts — ages 19 and under must be removed from play if a head injury is suspected, and those players must stay out until medically cleared to return.

Douglas Tewes, MD, medical director of BryanLGH’s sports medicine outreach program, cheers the new law. “This is a preventable problem. The fact that there’s legislation to help guide that I think is very helpful.”

Ex-Husker becomes faceof concussion awareness

B

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And Rose, buoyed by the Husker Sports Network’s previ-ous successful public awareness campaigns about colon cancer screening and diabetes, is excited about being able to contrib-ute here, too. The radio network is tapping into its reach and Nebraska’s passion for football to launch a new campaign to educate the state about the dangers of sports head injuries.

The Husker Sports Network is teaming with one of its partners, BryanLGH, on a concussion awareness campaign called Heads Up Nebraska.

Together, they’ll spread the word.

Teaming up to tackle head injuries“Heads Up Nebraska will prevent head injuries among

athletes of all ages,” notes BryanLGH Vice President Bob Ravenscroft. “Advocating for initiatives such as LB260 fits who BryanLGH is, and our mission to improve health in Nebraska.

We’re proud to be a leading partner in this important effort.”Rose says, “We’re trying to convince kids in Nebraska it’s

OK to come off the field if they’ve had a head injury.”That’s important. Because concussions are what Rose calls

“the invisible injury.” Coaches and trainers can miss them.“I stand on the sidelines of a lot of high school and college

football games every year,” says Dr. Tewes. “One of the ways we find out about a concussion is one of the other players comes out and says, ‘So-and-so got his bell rung out there.’”

Lawrence agreed to lend his story to the Heads Up Nebraska campaign. To show what can happen if you don’t leave the field. And to show that it’s OK if you do.

When he was a football player, he was a sharp, charismatic young man, one of those shining stars.

He still is.Blake Lawrence was lucky in that way. He left in time.

Former Husker Blake Lawrence (No. 40) takes pride in his football background, but head injuries shortened his career.

Photo courtesy of University of Nebraska Athletics

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Today he’s CEO of Hurrdat Social Media, a Lincoln-based company that develops online marketing strategies and represents NFL stars who tweet for fans from coast to coast.

Tough enough to do the right thing“No. 1, it’s important for people to recognize it’s appropri-

ate to take an athlete out of competition, to allow their brains to heal after a concussion. It’s in the best interest of everybody involved to do that,” Dr. Tewes says. “It’s not a situation where the athlete is not being tough enough.”

Look at Lawrence. It may be tougher, for a football player, to do the right thing.

“Sports can have a powerful, positive influence on young athletes, but the scariest thing is there is so much more to life than football, that they could miss,” Lawrence says.

And it may be scarier still to realize that, in the heat of the moment, it’s tough for a young athlete to see that.

That’s part of what Heads Up Nebraska is all about. n

To find out how you can support efforts like Heads Up Nebraska, call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

Dr. Douglas Tewes says the new law, LB260, will help prevent serious sports-related headinjuries.

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Orthopaedic Center

WHAT IS A CONCUSSION?A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump or

blow to the head. It can happen in many kinds of sports for boys or girls.

You can’t see a concussion. Signs and symptoms may show up right after the injury or may not be noticed until days or even weeks later. If you notice any symptoms, seek medical attention right away!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS?• Theathleteappearsdazedorstunned.• Forgetsaninstruction.• Movesclumsily.• Losesconsciousness(evenbriefly).• Can’trecalleventsbeforethehitorfall.• Reportsdizziness,blurryvision.• Vomitsorhasnausea.• Hassensitivitytolightornoise.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?1. Seek medical attention right away.2. Keep your child out of play — concussions take time to heal. Returning to play while the brain still is healing risks another concussion, which could have very serious consequences.3. Tell your child’s coach about any recent concussion.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?To learn more about concussions

and traumatic brain injury, parents, athletes, coaches and trainers should go to www.headsupnebraska.com or use their smartphone’s QR application to access the code at right.

SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT!Win prizes in our coloring contest! See Page 41 for rules

and instructions on how to enter. This contest for young artists is part of Heads Up Nebraska and our brain injury awareness program. Entries are due at the Kids Safety Fair — that’s June 9 at BryanLGH East.

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N E W A T B R Y A N L G H

12 Spring 2012

Ruth Firley (center) is enthusiastic about the range of services at the BryanLGH Specialty Clinic and the care she received from Julie Cummings, RN, (left); Miles Tommeraasen, MD; and many others.

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Ann Lif, RN, CWOCN, will tell you the wound care service of the outpatient Specialty Clinic takes care of the “whole” patient and not just the “hole” in the patient.

Ruth Firley — diabetic with her big toe still intact — will tell you it’s a fact, based on first-hand — or more appropriately, first-foot —experience.

In a panic after being told by a physician at another wound care program that her big toe would probably need to be amputated due to an infected diabetic ulcer, she went looking for a second opinion.

Firley had seen amputations up close and personal: Her husband, brother and grandfather had limbs removed, and her brother and grandfather had died from the surgeries. Adding her name to the list was not something she wanted to do.

“Out of desperation, I called BryanLGH,” 66-year-old Firley says. “I did not know they had a wound center, and when I walked out of that clinic the first time, I didn’t feel anything but hope.”

There she met Lif, as well as clinical nurse manager Sharon Hagelgantz, RN, and registered nurses Julie Cummings and Jen Mahler. And there is where her healing began, under the care of compassionate specialists focused on returning patients to their optimal level of health and guiding them through health education and self-management toward independence.

“I can’t tell you what it’s like to enter that special care,” Firley says, referring to the clinic in the Bryan Medical Plaza at BryanLGH Medical Center East. “It’s just unbelievable — and they’ve got nice, big smiles.”

Big smiles and a game plan for caring for the whole patient.Lif, a global specialist within BryanLGH Medical Center and a

certified wound, ostomy and continence nurse — one of only five in Lincoln, with three being at BryanLGH — began by listening to Firley’s story about her battle with the infection that led her from another program to BryanLGH. She respected her anxiety, did physical assessment evaluations, discussed the risk for amputation, and collaborated with physicians and other specialists to share the treatment plan and rationale with expected outcomes.

“They never give up there,” Firley says. “I felt hope all the way through the process. They were never ever negative. It was always ‘We’re going to do this, or we’re going to do that.’”

Firley’s infection had not gotten to the bone — a primary problem for diabetics that leads to amputations — and her circulation was adequate for wound healing. In collaboration with Firley’s primary physician, Brandon Webb, MD, Lif obtained a culture of the wound, and Firley began an oral antibiotic to attack her infection.

Next in the game plan? Education.“It was important to educate Ruth about her diabetes disease

process that caused the ulcer, how to care for the wound, the goal of blood sugar control, the importance of using an offloading shoe to take the weight off the area of injury so she could continue to walk, and preventing recurrence,” Lif says. “The patient must be a partner with you if you are going to move them toward healing.”

Firley was ready for the merger, and wore her offloading shoe as instructed and regularly monitored her diabetes of approximately 20 years by checking blood sugar levels 10 times a day.

“While we never guaranteed we could save her toe,” Lif points out, “Ruth’s response to the assessment, treatment plan and expected outcomes was of hope and belief that she could heal this chronic, nonhealing wound she had been dealing with since the summer.”

In February 2012, Firley took the final step in her healing journey. She and general surgeon Miles Tommeraasen, MD, began a grafting process called Dermagraft®.

Firley was the first patient at BryanLGH to receive Dermagraft® cell therapy. This nonsurgical skin substitute helps in the wound closure of diabetic foot ulcers to prevent infection to the bone. It’s made from human cells and placed on a dissolvable mesh material that’s gradually absorbed. The human cells grow into place and replace the damaged skin.

“Our goal was to save her limb,” Dr. Tommeraasen says.And that’s exactly what they did.“My biggest joy is watching patients’ reactions with each visit as

they see their wounds healing and then the day you tell them they are healed,” Lif says.

Firley is grateful she went in search of a second opinion and encourages all who face the threat of amputation to do the same.

“I am in awe over this whole thing,” she says. “I hope more people find out about the wound care services at BryanLGH. I can’t speak highly enough of Ann and the Specialty Clinic staff. I think God dropped them from heaven.” n

For information about wound care, call 402-481-2018. To find out how you can support the work of the Specialty Clinic,

call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.


Ann Lif, RN, CWOCN


Special care heals wounds

W5342.indd 13 4/18/12 6:04 AM

14 Spring 2012

ichard Thompson, MD, hit the ground running when he arrived in Lincoln in September 2011 to join the BryanLGH Heart program. Within two weeks’ time, his initiative to provide free lung cancer screenings to those most at risk

was well on its way to becoming the first such event in Nebraska and only the second free lung screening effort in America.

Prompted by past experience and results of a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed low-

Colleagues join fightagainst lung cancer

R dose CT scans can reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer patients by 20 percent, Dr. Thompson moved quickly to convince BryanLGH Medical Center to provide free CT scans. And then he encouraged four practices — Lincoln Pulmonary & Critical Care, Lincoln Radiology Group, Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties, and BryanLGH Heart Institute — to donate time and resources to read the scans and provide initial follow-up visits for those needing additional evaluation or care.

By the end of November, 644 people at risk for lung cancer had

Cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Thompson, MD, teams up with oncology specialists to bring hope to cancer patients at BryanLGH. He is the first in Nebraska to use a Da Vinci robot (in background) to remove a cancerous lobe from a patient’s lung.

W5342.indd 14 4/18/12 6:04 AM


participated in the free screenings, with 236 having abnormal results. Leah McClement, RN, who was instrumental in organizing the

screening program, says, “At this early date we have confirmed five new cases of lung cancer. If our findings mimic the national trend, we can expect to discover eight new cases of lung cancer as a result of our screening efforts.” She also notes a number of other serious medical conditions unrelated to lung cancer were discovered during the screenings.

“This screening program was a tremendous benefit to the community and region,” says Dr. Thompson. “Lung cancer is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages because of the lack of symptoms. However, if it is found early, tumors can be surgically removed before they’ve spread, which greatly improves a person’s chance for survival.”

One such patient whose cancer was caught early is 56-year-old George Wallace whose girlfriend encouraged him to take part in the screenings. A three-pack-a-day smoker, Wallace was completely without symptoms.

But the CT scan showed a cancer the size of a penny on his lung. Dr. Thompson did a surgical resection, which proved to be the cure. Wallace didn’t even need chemotherapy because the cancer was found and removed at an early stage. He knows how lucky he is that the cancer was found so soon, as Dr. Thompson told Wallace that he probably would have started developing symptoms a year or two from now — and at that point the tumor would have been too large to remove. The lung cancer stigma

Lung cancer does not get the attention or the funding for research that breast, prostate or colon cancers receive. And regular screenings for lung cancer typically are not covered by insurance plans as they are for those other forms of cancer.

Dr. Thompson would like to see this change. “Doctors and patients — everyone needs to get involved to get more funding and coverage for lung cancer,” he says. “The problem is that there is more of a stigma with lung cancer, that it is the patient’s fault. Because they smoked; they should have known better, people say. First of all, these are our parents and our grandparents who most likely did not know of the dangers of smoking and may have quit, but the damage was already done. Secondly, my job is to help people, regardless of how they came to the condition they have.”

Though heart disease risk may be decreased with improved lifestyle choices, the same is not true with lung cancer. Once a person has smoked, his or her lung cancer risk never goes back to where it was — it is always elevated, even if the person quit years ago.

Multidisciplinary approach

Even though the free lung cancer screening was offered for a limited time, the multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer care will continue at BryanLGH as it has been shown the best outcomes come from places that have such care models. “Since the closest specialty lung cancer centers are in St. Louis and at the Mayo Clinic, we are committed to building a truly integrated thoracic oncology center of excellence here at BryanLGH, where we will bring new techniques in lung cancer surgery and the ability to participate in clinical trials,” Dr. Thompson explains.

BryanLGH involves all the key players in the treatment of lung cancer, such as radiologists, pathologists, pulmonologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons. “We actually


Outside of the hospital, Dr. Thompson focuses on his family — wife Jennifer and children Dylan and Natalie.

W5342.indd 15 4/18/12 6:04 AM


sit down at a table and look at the images together, look at the pathology together, for every lung cancer case that comes into the BryanLGH system,” says Dr. Thompson.

Every patient gets a plan of care by the end of such conferences. Physicians and patients outside of Lincoln will benefit, too, as telemedicine video conferencing will be used to allow physicians to present their own cases to those assembled at BryanLGH and receive the collective opinions of the multidisciplinary team.

Nurse navigator on board

In addition to the team of physician specialists, the integrated thoracic oncology center includes a new position — nurse navigator.

Ruth Van Gerpen, RN, is the nurse navigator, whose role is to act as a key resource to patients throughout their diagnostic process, treatment and recovery. She says, “It has been my hope and my dream that this type of resource would be provided for our patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.”

Having worked in oncology at BryanLGH for the past 28 years, the last 10 as a clinical nurse specialist, Van Gerpen understands the value of patients having someone they know — who is there, in person, to help them get the answers they need. They need someone they can depend on to provide information, education and support, as well as to work collaboratively with their many care providers.

She says, “I have long seen my work with cancer patients to be that of a type of navigator, so the ability to truly focus on that role — and to expand it and to develop it even further — is very exciting for me and will be of such value to our patients.”

The full spectrum

Though Dr. Thompson has been instrumental in establishing the multidisciplinary model for lung cancer, 70 percent of his time is spent as a heart surgeon.

While more than 200 lung cancer surgeries are done at BryanLGH each year, there are more than 450 heart surgeries. Dr. Thompson also is a veteran in this area as prior to coming to BryanLGH he had extensive experience in the full spectrum of cardiac, thoracic and major vascular surgery. He performed hundreds of heart surgeries in Pennsylvania where he had the highest outcomes in the state for both 2009 and 2010 as a result of having no deaths resulting from the coronary artery bypass graft (heart bypass) surgeries he performed.

A passion for improving lives

Dr. Thompson grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated from

the University of Pennsylvania and while at the Wharton School of Business was on track for a career as an investment banker. “After a couple years, I realized I didn’t want to sell what others had created but instead wanted to create something myself that made a difference in people’s lives,” he recalls.

Dr. Thompson’s passion for improving patients’ lives resulted in his attending medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and later deciding to become a cardiothoracic surgeon after conducting research on regenerating heart muscle while he was chief resident of general surgery at Duke University Medical Center.

His interest in creating also has resulted in bringing new techniques to BryanLGH, as well as in continuing to improve existing procedures.

Dr. Thompson and his team were the first in Nebraska to perform two new procedures in the lung cancer arena — VATS Radiotracer Localized Wedge Biopsy and robotic-assisted lung lobectomy (see Page 17 for a related article) — and new cardiac procedures are on the horizon.

16 Spring 2012

Nurse navigator Ruth Van Gerpen, RN, talks with oncologist Cary Peterson, MD, during a multidisciplinary meeting.

W5342.indd 16 4/19/12 6:00 AM

483-3251

Ears, noses and throats

Q: In what does an ENT physician specialize?

An ENT, which is short for a specialist called an otorhinolaryngologist,

specializes in diseases of the ear, nose and throat.

Q: What kind of education do you need to be an ENT?

Four years of medical school, one to two years of general surgery,

and four years in ENT medical/surgical practice. An ENT physician

also can go on to receive further training in a specific area.

Q: Why do babies get so many ear infections?

It’s a common problem due to increased exposure to other

children’s health issues in day cares. Also, a baby’s ear anatomy

contributes to the problem. Smoking is a factor, and if Mom and

Dad had a lot of ear infections as children, their children also may.

Q: What is the treatment for chronic ear infections?

First, we try antibiotics. If that isn’t working, we put tubes in their

ears. Tubes are a brief surgical procedure. It’s one of the

most common procedures.

Q: What are tubes and how do they work?

Tubes are very small plastic bobbins or grommets that have a

center opening. The tubes have an opening that is a little

more than a millimeter in diameter. These plastic tubes act as

a vent to equalize pressure in the middle ear. The eustachian

tube is the body’s pressure equalization device, and when

it is not working properly, we can see fluid develop in the

ear and then an increase in the number of infections.

Ask thedoctor:

Terry Olson, MD, of Ear, Nose and Throat Specialties

M E D I C A L S T A F F S P O T L I G H T

18 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 18 4/18/12 6:04 AM

M E D I C A L S T A F F S P O T L I G H T

Q: Do adults get ear infections?

Adults can get ear infections, and the treatment is exactly the same.

Adults generally don’t get middle ear infections as often as children

because the adult immune system is more developed, and the

eustachian tube function is more favorable.

Q: Do you treat hearing loss?

Yes. When a patient has hearing loss, an audiologist needs to make an

assessment to determine the cause. Once we know the cause, we can

figure out the best treatment.

Q: If I have a cold, how can I tell if it has turned into a sinus infection?

With a cold, you should be better in one week. If symptoms persist or

worsen, then you should be concerned that you have a sinus infection

and seek medical help.

Q: What causes a sinus infection?

It can be initiated by a cold virus. Abnormal anatomy can predispose

people to sinus infections. We can fix that with a surgical procedure.

Q: What is the treatment for sinus infections?

Antibiotics are the main treatment for sinus infections. Sometimes

the antibiotic courses need to be longer than for some other infection

types. If the infections don’t clear with antibiotics, a CT scan may be

used to identify any problems with the sinus drainage pathways. If

these pathways are obstructed, surgical drainage or enlargement of

the openings may help.

Q: How do I know if I should get tested for allergies?

Tests are indicated in people who don’t respond to antihistamines or

to nose sprays. Tests also are helpful if we don’t know if allergies are

the source of the problem.

Q: How do you test for allergies?

A small injection of the allergen is placed into the skin to see if a

reaction takes place. The testing usually takes a couple of hours.

Q: What is the treatment for allergies?

The preferred option is antihistamines or nose sprays. Allergy shots

can be used to desensitize a person to the allergen. That requires a

shot once every one to two weeks for two or more years.

Q: Do you deal with speaking or swallowing problems?

Yes. We do an assessment. Sometimes medication is the treatment,

and sometimes we work with speech and swallowing therapists.

Q: Do you treat asthma?

No. That’s not within the sphere of our specialty.

Q: What other common illnesses do you treat?

ENT specialists see troubles with tonsils that contribute to sleep or

breathing problems. That’s best treated by removal of the tonsils.

I commonly see patients for thyroid nodules and masses. Typically,

we remove the thyroid to take care of the problem.

I manage head and neck cancer problems, including the various

treatments and reconstructions.

I also do cosmetic surgery such as blepharoplasty, which is

removal of sagging eyelid skin, and otoplasty, which is repair of

excessively protruding ears.

I do a lot of skin cancer treatment and reconstruction. Skin

cancer is an increasing problem.

Q: Why is skin cancer a growing problem?

We believe that sun exposure is the main cause of cancer in fair-

skinned people. We have seen the incidence of melanomas rise

greatly over the past 20 years.

Q: How do I know whether I should see an ENT? Do I need a referral?

Often the best way to determine whether to see an ENT is with the

advice and recommendation of your primary care physician. Many

problems in the primary care setting involve the ENT region but are

handled quite appropriately by the primary care physician and do not

need an ENT.

However, if you don’t have a primary care physician, a referral is

not needed for you to make an appointment to see an ENT.

If you have more questions about ear, nose and throat

conditions, ask your primary care physician.


W5342.indd 19 4/18/12 6:04 AM

Welcome these colleagues to the BryanLGH medical community

M. Scott Applegate, MD, FAAP, pediatrics, joined Children First Pediatrics, 402-488-7337.

Dr. Applegate earned a master’s in computer science at Clemson University, S.C., and a medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, in 1996. He completed a pediatric internship and residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, before moving to Lincoln.

This board-certified pediatrician served as chair of the Division of Pediatrics at BryanLGH from 2004-2006.

Dr. Applegate has been the principal investigator for several research projects and is the sitting president of the Nebraska Chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics. He chaired the Medical Advisory Committee related to Medicaid for the Nebraska Medical Association and serves on the Department of Health and Human Services Medical Assistance Advisory Committee.

Wade Fornander, MD, family medicine, joined the Lincoln Family Medicine Center, 402-483-4571, and is a faculty member of the Lincoln Family Medicine Program, which is part of the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership.

Dr. Fornander graduated from Chadron State College, Chadron, and earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2002.

He completed a family practice residency in the Lincoln Family Medicine Program and practiced in McCook

M E D I C A L S T A F F U P D A T E

New faces at

BryanLGHDr. Trapp begins termas chief of Medical Staff

John Trapp, MD, FCCP, is the new chief of staff of the BryanLGH Medical Staff. Dr. Trapp earned his medical degree at Saint Louis University School of Medicine,

St. Louis, Mo., in 1991 and completed training in internal medicine and pulmonology/critical care medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. He has practiced in Lincoln since 1999.

Dr. Trapp has been principal investigator for several research projects and chaired the Pulmonary Division at BryanLGH. He is board

certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and sleep medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Stacy and John Trapp have a son and two daughters.

LFMP introduces newest residentsEight physicians have begun Lincoln Family Medicine

Program residencies through the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership, which is supported by BryanLGH. The first-year residents are (front row, from left) Jenna Cook, MD; Ben Thayer, MD; and Alanna Beckman, MD; and (back row, left) Alicia Chennel, MD; Brett Malchow, MD; Michael Israel, MD; Evan Neesen, MD; and Jessica Heckman, MD.

20 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 20 4/18/12 6:04 AM

before returning to Lincoln to serve on the LFMP faculty.

R. Armour Forse, MD, FACS, general surgery, joined Surgical Care, 402-476-6626.

Dr. Forse is a native of Canada who also is an American citizen. He earned a medical degree in 1976 and a doctorate

in 1982 from McGill University School of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, where he later completed a research fellowship in experimental surgery.

Dr. Forse also completed a research fellowship in surgical metabolism at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, and a mini-fellowship in laparoscopic bariatric surgery at Tufts School of Medicine, Boston.

During his career, he has served on the faculties of McGill University; Harvard Medical School, Boston; Boston University School of Medicine; and Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha. He was the medical director of the Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Harvard, vice chairman of surgery at Boston University School of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Creighton. He has participated in many research projects and received numerous grants. He has published more than 400 chapters, pages and abstracts and serves as the associate editor of Obesity Surgery and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.

Dr. Forse is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and the American College of Surgeons. In addition to his work with Surgical Care in Lincoln, he practices in Omaha and is a professor at Creighton’s Center for Clinical and Translational Research and is associate chair and adjunct professor of surgery at Creighton.

Matthew Johnson, MD, cardiology, joined BryanLGH Heart Institute, 402-483-3333.

This Alma, Neb., native earned a bachelor’s in biology at Doane College, Crete. Dr. Johnson then earned a medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, in 2002.

After completing an internal medicine residency at UNMC, he practiced internal medicine at North Platte. Dr. Johnson served in many roles at Great Plains Regional

Medical Center, North Platte, including being medical director of

M E D I C A L S T A F F U P D A T E

respiratory therapy. He returned to UNMC in 2008 to continue his education; Dr. Johnson completed a general cardiology fellowship in 2011 and was the chief cardiology fellow at UNMC. He recently completed a one-year interventional cardiology fellowship.

Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Gustavo Machado, MD, plastic and reconstructive surgery, joined Prairie Shoulder, Elbow and Hand Center, 402-489-4700.

Dr. Machado earned his medical degree from River Plate Adventist University School of Medicine, Entre Rios, Argentina, in 2002. He completed a surgical oncology research fellowship at Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center/V.A. Medical Center and an integrated plastic surgery residency program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine.

This native of Brazil completed a hand surgery fellowship at the University of

California, Irvine Medical Center, where he also served as a clinical instructor of hand and upper extremity surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery before moving to Lincoln.

Dr. Machado has been published in numerous medical journals and has performed reconstructive surgery as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic and Africa.

Mark Young, MD, ophthalmology, joined Lincoln Eye and Laser Institute, 402-483-4448.

Dr. Young graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in 1992 and completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.

He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a diplomate of the National Board of Medicine Examiners. He has participated in several research projects, and before moving to Lincoln, Dr. Young practiced in Greeley, Colo., and North Platte.

Dr. Young performs cataract, glaucoma and some oculoplastic surgeries. He also performs the LASIK refraction laser procedure in his office in Lincoln.


W5342.indd 21 4/18/12 6:04 AM

New role for

Wellness is a priority for Ryan Whitney, MD, the new executive medical director for BryanLGH LifePointe.

Leading by example

22 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 22 4/18/12 6:04 AM

B R Y A N L G H L I F E P O I N T E

his year, BryanLGH Heart Institute

cardiologist Ryan Whitney, MD, assumed

a new role — executive medical director

at BryanLGH LifePointe. While Dr. Whitney

will continue his cardiology practice, he looks

forward to the opportunities ahead at BryanLGH’s

LifePointe campus, a place he sees as a beacon

for preventive health and wellness. We sat down

and talked with this husband, father of three, and

avid cyclist and photographer about his vision for

LifePointe.

Q: What led to your decision to take on this new role at LifePointe?

My training is in interventional cardiology — in other words my training is to open up clogged arteries; that’s what I do. It became apparent to me that this is the end product — “fixing” what has already gone wrong. To really make a big difference, a big impact in people’s lives, you need to help them prevent developing the clogs in their arteries in the first place. From there, I developed a big interest in preventive cardiology — lipid management, weight management, exercise — just overall wellness. So when this opportunity at LifePointe became available it seemed to me a perfect fit, to bridge preventive cardiology with a health and wellness facility.

Q: Why do we stay in the wellness business at BryanLGH?

LifePointe serves an important role in the wellness of our community. We can lead by example; the more we promote wellness, the more we get the message across. As we get people to our LifePointe campus outh of 27th and Pine ake Road s Land get services out into the community, we can help change lifestyles and habits. Promoting wellness and better health will

help prevent people from developing lifelong chronic diseases. We have the opportunity to make a big impact. And further, we want to help those who have chronic health issues better manage them, and thereby improve their quality of life. Diabetes is a major one that we can help with. The better it’s managed, the less symptoms and complications diabetes sufferers will have. Helping people with diet, weight loss and lifestyle changes will help them prevent chronic diseases from developing.

Q: What are your personal beliefs about wellness and preventive medicine, and how does BryanLGH fit with those beliefs?

I think wellness is something that is greatly underappreciated in society right now. The obesity epidemic, chronic, preventable diseases like diabetes … it’s something we all need to focus on more. Wellness encompasses dietary changes, weight loss, exercise and overall health maintenance. BryanLGH’s overall goal is to promote health. I see LifePointe becoming a beacon of wellness. One of the health system’s goals is to promote health and wellness to those in Lincoln and Nebraska, so we hope LifePointe will become a focal point.

Q: How do the current Spa at LifePointe services, such as massage and reflexology, fit in with your idea of wellness?

It’s been shown that relaxation and other techniques are beneficial to people in helping lower their blood pressure and improving sense of well-being. So I think to be a complete wellness facility you really need to offer not just health improvement and physical fitness improvement but programs and services that deal with the mind/body/spirit connection.

Q: How do you and your family practice wellness?

My wife and I exercise, and our teenage children are all active in high school sports and activities. We try to eat healthy foods, and we try to live by the doctrine that we preach.

TLifePointe’s new directorNew role for


W5342.indd 23 4/18/12 9:45 AM


24 Spring 2012

Q: How do you envision growth at BryanLGH’s LifePointe campus?

From a medical perspective, I think areas of big opportunity — because they are growing problems in society — would be diabetes and obesity. Strengthening our diabetes and obesity programs is going to be very important, and we’ll be combining those with some of our nutritional and cooking courses. And expanding those offerings into some corporate wellness programs will be exciting. A lot of people are pressed for time in today’s society, so it will be important to bring something to where people work.

I like to cook, and have participated in the “Cooking with the Cardiologist” series conducted by BryanLGH Heart Institute and Hy-Vee. The cooking classes at LifePointe are fantastic

and well received. I plan to be an active participant in those programs when I can.

Q: Given that you enjoy food and cooking, will you share with us one or two of your “go-to” healthy snacks?

One of my favorite “go-to” healthy snacks is nuts, such as a handful of almonds. Nuts are rich in proteins, antioxidants and good fats. And you can’t go wrong with a veggie tray. Just don’t go overboard on the ranch dip. n

To learn more about classes and opportunities to improve your health and fitness at BryanLGH LifePointe, log on to www.bryanlgh.org, or call 402-481-6300.

Cycling — like this Bike Ride Across Nebraska — helps Ryan Whitney, MD, keep mind and body in tune.

W5342.indd 24 4/18/12 6:04 AM



T he arrival of spring marks the beginning of “event season” — graduations, class reunions, weddings.

The Spa at LifePointe Renewal event is the perfect place to prepare for all your upcoming events. Join us Saturday, May 19, for a day dedicated to a more youthful you!

Whether you want to learn the secret to naturally healthy skin, find options to plump up your skin, smooth out wrinkles or say “bye-bye” to brown spots and spider veins, or relax with a soothing HydraFacial and massage, plan now to join us.

You can visit with experts and take advantage of fantastic one-day specials. We have a great lineup of health and skin experts offering education, consultations and screenings:

n Stop by or schedule a free consultation with board-certified physician Julie Waddell, MD, along with a complimentary skin analysis. Dr. Waddell specializes in nonsurgical and minimally invasive cosmetic services, focused on treating skin disorders and anti-aging technologies for your skin, as well as your body as a whole.

nExperience a 10-minute introductory HydraFacial plus a 10-minute chair massage for $15. (This is for new clients only.) Hurry to register — limited appointments are available!

n Get great feeling skin with the make-up that actually improves your skin — schedule an appointment for a make-up application!

n Attend a cooking demonstration with Katie Walz, RD, for a revealing look at how what we eat and drink affects our skin. You will learn the do’s and don’ts to achieve naturally healthy skin. This demonstration includes recipes and food samples. The fun begins at 10 a.m.

n Fantastic one-day specials on massages, facials, products and procedures. See our website for details!

Use your smartphone’s QR application to access this code.

It’s Renewal Day at The Spa at LifePointeGet a fresh look for spring – Beautiful skin begins May 19

Dr. Julie Waddell will provide free consultations and answer your questions about achieving healthy, youthful skin.

At 10 a.m., Katie Walz, RD, discusses the best foods to help you maintain healthier skin. Includes recipes and samples!

Renewal: A fresh lookSaturday, May 199 a.m.-1 p.m. Cooking demo, skin analysis, consultations, make-overs and more.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Individual appointments for physician consultations. HydraFacial/chair massage, make-up applications. To schedule an appointment, call 402-481-6321.

The Spa at LifePointe, 7501 S. 27th St.

Fantastic one-day specials! Learn more at www.bryanlghlifepointe.org.

W5342.indd 25 4/19/12 6:05 AM

MEETING NEEDS

Volunteer Resources administrative assistant Dorinda Magnus (left) and volunteers Kathy and Bob Tyler say helping stock the clothing closets at BryanLGH is fulfilling for them because the service has a personal impact on our patients.

26 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 26 4/18/12 6:04 AM

hen your shopping cart is full of clothing and towering

high, you’re bound to get some questions from fellow

shoppers.

“I just tell people the clothes are for the special needs clothing

closet at BryanLGH,” says volunteer Kathy Tyler. She and her husband,

Bob, trek to three stores once a month to buy between $800 and

$1,300 worth of clothes for those who because of special circum-

stances need something to wear home from the hospital.

“It’s truly based on need,” says Ellen Beans, director of Volunteer

Resources. “This is one of the projects that Volunteer Resources

supports.”

The closet supplies brand-new, free clothing, such as sweatpants,

sweatshirts, T-shirts, socks and underwear in sizes small to 4X. The

closet also provides sleepers for babies and preemies, as well as

clothes for pediatric patients up to size 14.

There are numerous reasons people need this service. Someone

might come into the Emergency Department in the middle of the

night wearing a nightgown. Others might have been involved in a car

crash or a fire and their clothing was ruined. Homeless people may be

in need of clothing.

“We urge the patient to try all other avenues of obtaining

clothing, such as family and friends, first,” Beans says. But after that,

the apparel from the special needs clothing closet is free to anyone.

No paperwork is required. Any BryanLGH staff member may call and

request clothing. A special needs clothing closet is set up at both

BryanLGH East and West.

“This has a personal impact. It’s meant to respect the person’s

dignity. It relieves anxiety when a person gets dismissed,” says Beans.

Dorinda Magnus, administrative assistant in Volunteer Resources,

keeps track of the inventory and prepares the shopping list for Bob

and Kathy each month. She says they purchased 2,500 items in 2011.

The special needs clothing closet started after Beans heard of the

concept from other hospitals. “It was established about 15 years ago,”

she explains. “We were seeing a need; when it was time for them to

be dismissed, some people didn’t have appropriate clothes.”

Dorinda said winter is when the volunteers see an upswing in the

need for clothing.

“It’s amazing the increase in need overall as the weather

changes,” Beans agrees.

The idea for the closet was brought to the BryanLGH Volunteer

Resources Board, whose members decided to take it on as a project.

They allocated $13,000 of this year’s operating budget to buy clothing

for the closet. This project is solely supported by the volunteers, who

raise money through book sales, Mother’s Day at Fairview, bake sales,

basket drawings and art sales.

Kathy Tyler has purchased for the closet for 15 years, and Bob

began volunteering as a purchaser five years ago, when volunteer

Margaret Schuster stepped down.

“The bags can get pretty heavy,” says Kathy. “We will buy two

cartloads piled high, which involves many bags to carry into the

hospital.” She adds it’s nice to have Bob to help her. “And we can do

this together — we like that.”

“It’s a worthwhile project,” Bob says. “Some people come from

way outside of Lincoln and finding something to wear might be very

difficult. There’s a satisfaction in getting it done.

“After I retired, I had more time. Volunteering is a way to give

back. It’s good for the community. It’s good for the hospital.”

Kathy also enjoys volunteering, which she has done for 30 years.

“You meet so many neat, giving people,” she says. “The hospital has

always been so good to the volunteers. It makes you feel good that

someone appreciates what you’re doing.”

The Tylers don’t know who benefits from their hard work

because the closet is confidential. But Magnus says Volunteer

Resources gets thank you notes from former patients who benefitted

from receiving clothing to wear home from the hospital.

In the meantime, Bob and Kathy Tyler will continue their gigantic

shopping trips. “I feel that everyone should give back to their

community,” Kathy says. n

More than 600 volunteers, from students to retirees, contribute

to the success of BryanLGH by serving in various roles throughout

the medical center.

To find out about opportunities, contact BryanLGH Volunteer

Resources at 402-481-3032 or visit www.bryanlgh.org.

To support the Volunteer Resources Fund, contact the BryanLGH

Foundation by calling 402-481-8605.

Clothing closet benefits patients

V O L U N T E E R R E S O U R C E S

W


W5342.indd 27 4/18/12 6:04 AM

28 Spring 2012

C R E T E A R E A M E D I C A L C E N T E R

Partners in caring

center, the CAMC therapists also serve patients in their homes, within the community or at Tabitha Nursing Center and Tabitha’s Garden Square assisted living center, both located in Crete.

“We share a lot of patients between our acute care and clinic settings, as well as the Tabitha facilities here in Crete,” says Carol Friesen, CAMC president and CEO. “When we started thinking about extending the service outside our walls, it just made sense to partner with Tabitha in the overall continuity of care.”

It made sense for Tabitha, too. Because of a general shortage of physical and occupational therapists, Tabitha at times experienced difficulty filling PT and OT needs in home health and living areas in the Saline County area, according to Jeremy Hohlen, Tabitha’s vice president of operations.

The new arrangement provides continuity of care and fewer “handoffs” of a patient between providers, which in general leads to

It’s a reality of modern health care.

Patients see numerous health care providers.The more medical agencies separately serving a patient,

the more chance for cumbersome roadblocks, delays and miscommunication.

The partnership between Crete Area Medical Center and Tabitha shows what can happen when providers remove those roadblocks and work together to create solutions for patients.

In October 2011, Crete Area Medical Center entered into a partnership with Tabitha — a leading provider of elder care in southeast and central Nebraska — to provide occupational and physical therapy services for patients in Saline County. CAMC provides therapy services for Tabitha elders who need therapy before they can return to their highest level of independence at home and in the community. In addition to providing inpatient and outpatient services at the medical

Garden Square assisted living center resident

Tillie Slepicka appreciates having

Jeff Schultz of CAMC as her physical therapist.

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C R E T E A R E A M E D I C A L C E N T E R


better clinical outcomes.“If something is going to happen to an elder that’s less than

desirable, it’s usually in the transition of care from one caregiver or care setting to another. Now, this risk is eliminated, and the transition is seamless,” Friesen explains.

Continuity also means patients have less anxiety about working with new therapists. Friesen says Jeff Schultz, physical therapist and director of Rehabilitation Services at CAMC, and occupational therapist Mikaela Hanson can now see patients through their entire physical therapy journey.

They are specialists in elder care, she notes. Schultz, who worked for Tabitha early in his 30-plus year career in physical therapy, knows how differently age groups recover from similar injuries.

When a young person injures a knee or breaks a leg, the biggest questions are how long before he or she can drive a car again or return to work. When elderly people break a bone or hip, they may associate it with friends who never regained mobility and independence or worry about illness that can follow their injury.

“Maintaining self-sufficiency and functional independence is extremely important. Our goal is to help them accomplish that,” Schultz says.

Tillie Slepicka, a 96-year-old resident of Tabitha’s Garden Square, is one example of a patient the partnership has helped. She met Schultz long ago, when she still lived on a Saline County farm with her husband, who at the time was recovering from heart surgery. A few

months ago, Tillie fell when picking up beads of a necklace that had fallen on the floor.

“I was all banged up,” she recalls, able to smile about her dilemma now. Her legs ached and pressure on her sciatic nerve caused extreme pain. She eventually became sick, and a serious infection put her in and out of Crete’s hospital. The easy lines of communication between therapy and the hospital played a role in identifying critical health issues. While doing skilled physical therapy at Tabitha Nursing Center-Crete, Schultz took note of Slepicka’s general health and appearance, found she had low oxygen saturation levels and communicated quickly with physicians at CAMC. Further tests showed internal bleeding.

Once her health allowed, Slepicka worked with Schultz and Hanson to strengthen muscles that had quickly grown weak and to regain fine motor coordination. Today, she is back in Garden Square, mobile and much stronger, still listening to corn prices on the radio each day and following the achievements of her two children and their families.

“The physical therapy is wonderful. I’m so glad it’s here,” she says.Recovery for patients such as Slepicka can happen with less

interruption now, Schultz says. He is part of the recovery from the start and knows when a patient may change facilities.

“Things that used to take a day or two, now only take hours. We know what’s going on, so we can put them on the schedule,” he says.

From Tabitha’s perspective, customer satisfaction is high, Hohlen adds. “I can’t think of one concern expressed since we went with Jeff and the team. The outcomes are very good, too.” (Although Tabitha elders can still choose their therapy providers, most choose CAMC.)

Both CAMC and Tabitha administrators said the similarities in the two organizations’ missions make the partnership a natural fit. Both organizations are about excellence and a commitment to patients as individuals. They believe such partnerships are the future of health care.

“It’s about outreach, making care accessible and cost effective; about partnerships with the community to extend services and address needs proactively. This is a continuum of care beyond our walls. In the past, health care has been a place you go. This is a great example of (CAMC) being health care not only when you need it, but where you need it,” Friesen concludes. n

To learn more about rehabilitation services at Crete Area Medical Center, please call 402-826-6541.

Jeff Schultz helps Tillie Slepicka with exercises to improve her strength and fine motor coordination.

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C O L L E G E O F H E A L T H S C I E N C E S

very year BryanLGH College of Health Sciences students donate thousands of hours in service to the community.

“Volunteering makes you a more well-rounded person, student and future nurse — that’s why I’m involved,” says senior nursing student Molly Delatour of Lewellen.

“Anyone going into a health care field, especially nursing, would seem likely to have a very giving personality. Volunteering is just an extension of that. I’ve always thought it was really important to give of yourself.”

Dean of Students Deb Border, MSN, MS, adds, “It amazes me how our students juggle academics, work and families and still find time to provide so much service. They truly are willing to go the extra mile to help others.”

Border says, “Our Health Professions Program has a community service requirement, and in the past year our students provided more than 2,200 community service hours. The college receives many requests to help with these projects, and our student organizations and the Student Government Association take on as many of these as possible.”

For example, each month students help serve meals at Matt Talbot Kitchen.

“There’s a different faculty representative with each group,” says Brenda Neemann, coordinator of student services and alumni relations. “I found it very fulfilling when it was my turn to help there, and I’m sure they do, too.”

Students choose where to volunteer. Neemann says there’s a bulletin board, and she also steers them toward BryanLGH Volunteer Resources and their churches for opportunities. Look at any group photo of BryanLGH participants at community events, such as the Lincoln Marathon and benefit walks for local charities, and there are always faces of students

Growing PERSONALLYAND PROFESSIONALLY

E

BryanLGH students help at the runners’ aid station during the Lincoln Marathon.

30 Spring 2012

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C O L L E G E O F H E A L T H S C I E N C E S

smiling back at the camera. “We have students who volunteer for the

Red Cross and the Friendship Home, and some are summer camp counselors — we even have a volunteer fire fighter who goes to school here!” says Neemann.

Health Professional majors must complete service hours before they can graduate, and community service is built into nursing students’ curriculum. For instance, helping with the local Meals on Wheels program is part of a class.

“We have students who volunteer in the emergency room and also in the women’s and children’s tower; stocking blankets and supplies are part of their duties. With more training, they get more responsibilities related to assisting with patient care,” Neemann continues.

Delatour is among the leaders who volunteer even beyond what’s expected. Last year she won a prestigious March of Dimes Nursing Award based on her student activities, as well as achieving good grades and clinical excellence.

“I’m a student representative for the Red Cross, and I’m president of Action For Students at the college,” she says. “Action For Students offers fun activities, and we perform a community service event each semester.”

She’s volunteered for the Red Cross throughout nursing school, including the Special Olympics USA National Games and during Husker volleyball games.

Besides mentoring younger nursing students, Delatour has led middle school students on tours of the Center for Excellence

in Clinical Simulation and the college’s anatomy and physiology lab,

Like many, she’s helped at Matt Talbot and rang bells for the Salvation Army. She’s also involved with student government and has spoken at the scholarship luncheon and the capping and pinning ceremony.

“Whenever we call, Molly is among the outstanding students who figure out how to somehow get here to help,” says Neemann. “We really appreciate all they do for their classmates, BryanLGH and the community.” n

To find out how you can support the BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, call the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-8605.

Nursing student Molly Delatour (left) and Brenda Neemann of the college say volunteering is an extension of the philosophy of care giving. BryanLGH students provide community service at events ranging from the BryanLGH Kids’ Health & Safety Fair (center) to fun runs, citywide disaster drills and the Matt Talbot Kitchen (below).


W5342.indd 31 4/18/12 6:04 AM

Here’s a list of Alumni Weekend activities. Remember: Reservations and prepayment are required.

Friday, June 8Presidential Teas

n Bryan School of Nursing Class of 1962, 10-11 a.m., Fairviewn Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1962, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Alumni Museum, BryanLGH West

Saturday, June 9BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, 5035 Everett St.

n 10:30 a.m. — Annual Business Meeting in Classroom 200n 11 a.m. — Registrationn Noon — Alumni Day Luncheon and Program in Classroom 204

To make reservations or learn more about these events, contact Brenda Neemann at 402-481-8692 or email her at [email protected].

Events for you June 8-9

Alumni Weekend nears

C O L L E G E A L U M N I N E W S

he BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Alumni Association is pleased to be

hosting reunion events Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9, for graduates of Bryan School of Nursing, Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing and BryanLGH Col-lege of Health Sciences.

Fifty-year reunions of the 1962 graduating classes from Bryan School of Nursing and Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing are among the special events.

Advanced health care education: A smart career move

It’s in the news daily — potential

nursing shortages, changing regulations and

health care reform. At BryanLGH College of

Health Sciences, our specialized, advanced

education programs prepare today’s

health professionals for tomorrow’s health

transformations. In the years ahead, there

will be an increased need for advanced

practice nurses, qualified nurse educators

and leaders in health management and

administration.

As you look to your future, turn to

BryanLGH College of Health Sciences for

advanced degree education. It’s a smart

career move and the best way to prepare for

leadership roles of tomorrow.

Master of Nursing, Nurse EducatorFormat: Online & on campus

Application deadline: May 30 for Fall 2012

Master of Science in Nurse AnesthesiaFormat: On campus

Application deadline: Aug. 31 for Fall 2013

Simulation EducationFormat: Online

Application deadline: Ongoing

Biomed Nutrition PracticeFormat: Online

Application deadline: July 1 for Fall 2013

Health Care ManagementFormat: Online & on campus

Application deadline: July 20 for Fall 2013

To learn more, contact our graduate

admissions office at 402-481-3194 or visit

us online at www.bryanlgh.org/graduate.

TShare memories and catch up with friends, like these members of the 50-year class from Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing did in 2011.

32 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 32 4/18/12 6:04 AM

C O M M U N I T Y B E N E F I T S R E P O R T

ocally owned and governed BryanLGH demonstrated its continuing commitment to community reinvestment in fiscal year 2011 by supporting education for health

care professionals and the community, and by donating to charitable organizations and community-building activities.

The quantifiable community benefit from BryanLGH totaled more than $72.7 million; the chart above shows how these dollars were distributed.

Charity care at cost is the cost of free or discounted health services provided to patients who cannot afford to pay and who meet all the criteria for financial assistance. Charity care does not include bad debt. Charity care is reported at cost. In prior years, charges have been used as the reporting unit for valuing charity care in this report.

Unreimbursed cost of Medicaid and other public programs is the actual unpaid cost (not charges) of providing care to patients receiving Medicaid and other public assistance. It represents the shortfall between the actual cost of providing care and payments received from the government.

Unreimbursed cost of Medicare is the actual unpaid

cost (not charges) of providing care to Medicare patients. This represents the shortfall between the cost of providing care and payments received from the government.

Health professionals education is the cost of providing accredited training and education programs for physicians, nurses and other health professionals through residency education and continuing medical education, plus financial support of the BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.

Community benefit services are activities carried out to improve community health and health care services that are subsidized because they meet an identified need in the community.

Cash and in-kind contributions are cash and in-kind donations to other nonprofit organizations for charitable purposes.

Community-building activities are programs that, while not directly related to health care, provide opportunities to address the root causes of health problems, such as poverty, homelessness and environmental problems. Examples are paid time for co-workers to provide mentoring programs and to serve as board members for nonprofit organizations.

L


Community receives more than $72.7 millionUnreimbursed cost of Medicaid

and other public programs$13.2 million18.2 percent

Unreimbursed cost of Medicare$41.3 million56.8 percent

Health professionals education$3.3 million4.5 percent

Community benefit services

$1.7 million2.4 percent

Cash and in-kind contributions

$416,0000.6 percent

Community-building activities$143,000

0.2 percent

Charity care at cost

$12.6 million17.3 percent

W5342.indd 33 4/18/12 6:04 AM


ryanLGH supported the good work of these organizations with cash donations in fiscal year 2011:

ALS Association WalkAlzheimer’s AssociationAmerican Cancer SocietyAmerican Heart AssociationAmerican Red Cross First Aid TeamARC of Lincoln/Lancaster CountyBetter Business Bureau Cancer Survivors DayCenterPointeChild Advocacy CenterChild Guidance CenterClinic with a HeartCommunity FriendsCommunity Medical Transportation ProgramDowntown Lincoln AssociationFood Bank of LincolnGoLincolnGo

Interchurch MinistriesJunior AchievementJunior Diabetes Research FoundationKearney County Health Services Long-term CareLancaster County Crusade Against CancerLancaster County Medical SocietyLeadership LincolnLeukemia/Lymphoma SocietyLied CenterLighthouse Safehouse for YouthLincoln Children’s MuseumLincoln Children’s ZooLincoln East High School post promLincoln High School post promLincoln Lutheran High School post promLincoln Medical Education FoundationLincoln Paint-A-ThonLincoln Public Schools FoundationLincoln Parks FoundationLincoln Rotary Club No. 14Lincoln Southeast High School post prom

B

34 Spring 2012

Independence Center nurse Justin Baldassano and intervention nurse David Dermann (above) provide a workshop to guide Clinic with a Heart volunteers in assessing substance abuse issues.

Our annual Discovery Day introduces high school students to possible health care careers.

W5342.indd 34 4/18/12 6:04 AM


Lincoln Southwest High School post promLincoln Symphony OrchestraLincoln’s Healthcare 360 Project AccessMadonna Rehabilitation HospitalMalcolm High School post promMarch of DimesMatt Talbot Kitchen and OutreachMourning Hope Grief CenterMultiple Sclerosis SocietyNational Alliance on Mental IllnessNebraska Association of Occupational NursesNebraska Cancer Research CenterNebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry Business Hall of FameNebraska CASANebraska Children & Families FoundationNorris High School post promNortheast Family CenterOptimist Youth Sports ComplexPalmyra/Bennet High School post promPius X High School post prom

Safe Kids CoalitionSaint Paul School of TheologySewing for BabiesSpecial Olympics Nebraska Sports ClassicStrategic Air & Space MuseumTabitha FoundationTeach a Kid to FishTeamMates Mentoring ProgramUnited Way of Lincoln & Lancaster CountyUniversity of Nebraska FoundationVoices of HopeWaverly High School post promWomen in Community ServiceWilber-Clatonia High School post promWilliam G. Lauer Foundation — ALS AssociationWorkWellYMCAYWCA


BryanLGH provided more than $15,000 in support of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk (above) and fielded a crew of co-workers and family members for the always popular Lincoln Paint-A-Thon (right).

W5342.indd 35 4/18/12 6:04 AM

Dian Larrew, RN, says, “We use MARTTI quite a bit in the Emergency Department. It’s a computer on wheels, so we can move it anywhere. We contact the call center in Cleveland, and we’re quickly linked to a live interpreter through a secure Internet connection. This service helps us expedite patient care.”

36 Spring 2012

W5342.indd 36 4/18/12 9:01 AM

B R Y A N L G H F O U N D A T I O N

MARTTI clears language barriersWhat happens when a patient and care provider don’t speak the same language? What if there’s a life-threatening emergency late at night, with no quick access to an interpreter?

t BryanLGH Medical Center and Crete Area Medical Center, we call for MARTTI.

Short for My Accessible Real Time Trusted Interpreter, this video remote interpreting system is long on communication skills. The service from the Language Access Network provides immediate interpreting in 170 languages, including American Sign Language.

There are nine MARTTIs in use, with two of the BryanLGH devices and a third at Crete Area Medical Center courtesy of the BryanLGH Foundation. Each has a video monitor with built-in camera and microphone — and wheels allow the battery-powered MARTTI to go anywhere.

Benefits arrive quickly

“MARTTI is helping us meet patients’ emergent needs for interpretive services, such as someone who has limited English skills or who’s deaf or hard of hearing,” says critical care services director Karen Dike, MSN, RN. “Before MARTTI, if a deaf patient came to the Emergency Department at 2 a.m., we might be faced with a crisis because it isn’t easy to find an interpreter at that hour.”

Like many Nebraska hospitals serving multi-cultural populations, in such situations, BryanLGH care givers waited until an interpreter arrived in person — or relied on a family member to act as interpreter, which left the hospital staff unsure what message was conveyed. And in a tightknit society of non-English speakers, a local interpreter may be recognized, possibly making patients uncomfortable discussing complicated health issues.

But MARTTI’s interpreters are in other communities, which resolves such potential privacy concerns.

“That’s a big benefit,” Dike says. “We have ready access to interpreters who have training in medical terminology. MARTTI improves access to care and helps us meet new Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations. MARTTI has been warmly received by our nursing staff, physicians and patients.”

Hospitalist Lance Schupbach, MD, wholeheartedly agrees.“Sometimes we can’t get a local interpreter here fast, but through

MARTTI the wait usually is just a minute or two, so that’s handy,” he says. “Patients treat it naturally, almost as if the MARTTI interpreter is in the room; perhaps because it’s a live image and conversation, it seems

more personal. “And we trust MARTTI, even during very technical medical

discussions.”

MARTTI to the rescue

Communicating with patients in a way they feel comfortable is necessary for providing the best possible clinical care, says clinical nurse specialist Mary Ellen Hook, APRN-CNS.

She notes about 1,000 BryanLGH co-workers and physicians have been taught the language of MARTTI. They ask the MARTTI call center in Cleveland, Ohio, for an interpreter for a specific language. A nurse or other care giver in the medical center stands next to MARTTI’s screen during the conversation, and the picture-in-picture view allows the patient to see the interpreter and nurse at the same time.

“MARTTI really fills our needs,” Hook points out. “This might be for a brief question, or the conversation could last for several minutes when a physician is assessing a patient or a nurse is doing discharge teaching and care planning.”

Translation: MARTTI is a big help for everyone providing care and treatment.

Real-world success stories

In this part of Nebraska, not only do we hear some of the more common languages, such as Spanish and Vietnamese, but our patients may communicate principally in Portuguese or in an African dialect.

Dr. Schupbach says, “I’ve taken care of several patients who know little or no English — and I only speak a little Spanish.

“In the case of a pregnant Mandarin Chinese woman, we discussed the ramifications of her blot clot. The interpreting episode went so well that at the end, we had bonded and were sharing stories through MARTTI about each other’s families,” he recalls. “Two other recent cases involved a couple of patients who spoke only Ukranian and Arabic; the interpreters handled those challenges really well.

“Those could have posed problems due to communication issues, but because of MARTTI, the interactions went pretty smoothly.” n

To see a video about MARTTI, go to www.bryanlgh.org or use your smartphone’s QR application to access this code. To find out how you can support such programs through the BryanLGH Foundation, call 402-481-8605.

A


W5342.indd 37 4/18/12 6:04 AM


Kim Foundation gives $300,000 to Fine Line campaign

The Fine Line capital campaign received a $300,000 commitment from the Kim Foundation. This generous gift will help build a new BryanLGH Independence Center and relocate and renovate space for outpatient mental health services.

The Kim Foundation is dedicated to bridging gaps in mental health services, and the organization further encourages innovation that will enhance programs, expand services, strengthen organizational systems and, most importantly, transform lives.

About half of all patients treated at the BryanLGH Independence Center present with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse with an underlying mental health condition. The Kim Foundation recognized how our upcoming construction project will advance mutual goals.

The renovation and construction is a $6 million capital project that relies heavily on private support.

“A new home for outpatient mental health services and inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment is

very close to becoming a reality, with only $700,000 to go,” says Bob Ravenscroft, BryanLGH vice president for advancement and chief development officer.

“The most important thing is we will be able to treat more people in need, in space that is clinically designed for the best possible outcomes, and it is wonderful to partner with organizations like the Kim Foundation that share a mission and commitment to these patients,” he adds.

Although treatment for mental health and substance abuse is consistently near the top of community and state health assessments, BryanLGH is one of the few hospital-based providers in the Midwest committed to meeting the treatment needs of children, adolescents, adults and a geriatric population. Without support from generous partners like the Kim Foundation, it would be difficult to maintain — let alone enhance — a full spectrum of behavioral health services.

On behalf of all patients, their families and the community, state and region, thank you, Kim Foundation.

To learn more about the Fine Line campaign, go to www.bryanlgh.org/WaystoGiveIC or contact the BryanLGH Foundation by calling 402-481-3139.

Try this online tool for estate planning

We are pleased to announce a new interactive tool called Gift Illustrator is available on our website. Go to www.bryanlgh.org/BryanLGHFoundation; click on Gift Planning, then on Gift Illustrator.

Easy-to-undersand language and an inviting design allow you to visualize the benefits of a planned gift while receiving detailed calculations of nine different gift types, such as deferred gift annuities, bargain sales and outright gifts. In the privacy of your home, you can input very basic information so that Gift Illustrator instantly calculates your tax benefit, charitable impact and personal income that various planned gifts would generate.

Once you enter Gift Illustrator, you can select from three areas to begin your exploration: gifts that pay you income, gifts you make today and gifts that benefit the organization after your lifetime.

It’s easy, fun and confidential.If you have questions about Gift Illustrator or making

deferred gifts to BryanLGH, please contact members of the Advancement team listed on Page 39.

Here’s a sample from the Gift Illustrator interactive tool. To estimate tax benefit, charitable impact and personal income generated from various planned gifts, go to www.bryanlgh.org/BryanLGHFoundation.

38 Spring 2012

Only $700,000 remains before we reach our goal!

$5.3 million already has been committed by BryanLGH and generous donors.

For information on how you can support the Fine Line campaign, please contact the BryanLGH Foundation at 402-481-3139.

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W5342.indd 38 4/18/12 6:04 AM


B R Y A N L G H 5 5 P L U S

Your adventure awaitsJoin us on one of our excursions this year. We promise

wonderful attractions, great food and the camaraderie of fellow 55PLUS members. Tours sell out quickly and reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

To request a brochure, visit www.bryanlgh.org/travel and download your chosen brochures, or call 402-481-3355 or 800-742-7844 and ask for 55PLUS.

The following trips are planned for 2012 …

Day trips:Discover Lincoln — The Prairie Capital City Friday, June 15

Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park and More! Thursday, Sept. 20

The Amish of Jamesport, Mo. Tuesday, Oct. 30

Multiple-day trips:Discover Nebraska — Something New/Something Old Wednesday-Saturday, June 20-23

Discover the Wisconsin Dells Wednesday-Saturday, July 25-28

City of New Orleans Amtrak Adventure Saturday-Thursday, Oct. 20-25

Did you miss a program?Didn’t make it to a favorite program? Now you can

watch past community health programs online, and you can download handouts. To view these programs, go online to www.bryanlgh.org/communityhealthvideos.

Join the fun at the55PLUS ice cream socialSunday, June 241:30-4:30 p.m. in the Bryan Medical Plaza Conference Center, BryanLGH East, 1500 S. 48th St.

Join other 55PLUS members for an afternoon of socializing,ice cream and the music of Mac McCune and the Mac Five Combo.

To register, go online towww.bryanlgh.org/calendar or call 402-481-8355.

New member will join our team May 31

Valerie Hunt will join BryanLGH May 31 as our senior development officer. Valerie is a native Nebraskan who grew up on a farm east of Lincoln and graduated from Waverly High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in business and marketing at Northwest Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration at Regis University.

Valerie’s wide range of experience will benefit BryanLGH. She worked in the Alumni Relations Department at her alma mater,

was director of development for performing and visual arts at the University of Northern Colorado and currently is assistant dean for development at the West Virginia College of Law, Morgantown.

Welcome back to Nebraska, Valerie!

If you have questions for our Advancement team, contact:n Bob Ravenscroft, vice president for advancement and chief development officer, 402-481-3001 [email protected] Heidi Cuca, major gift officer, 402-481-3139 [email protected] DeEtta Mayrose, development officer, 402-481-8287 [email protected]


W5342.indd 39 4/18/12 6:04 AM

40 Spring 2012

A C H I E V E M E N T S

Friesen electedto national HFMA Board

Carol Friesen, FHFMA, has been elected to the board of directors of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Friesen is president and chief executive officer of Crete Area Medical Center.

She also serves on the Executive Council of the HFMA, a national organization for health care financial management executives. Its more than 37,000 members value the Association’s role as a respected thought leader on trends and issues facing the health care industry.

Through various initiatives and the work of member bodies, the Healthcare Financial Management Association develops and promotes ethical, high-quality health care finance practices. n

Carol Friesen, CAMC president and CEO

Dr. McCannreappointed toTrauma Board

Rhondel McCann, MD, has been reappointed to the 10-member Region II Trauma Board for a second, two-year term.

Dr. McCann is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She serves as medical director for the inpatient acute care rehabilitation unit at BryanLGH Medical Center. This unit is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for these programs: adults, children and adolescents, brain injury, amputation and stroke.

Region II represents southeastern Nebraska. The state’s four Trauma Boards advise the Department of Health and Human Services about trauma care needs and help ensure trauma care for patients in Nebraska is of the highest possible quality. n

Rhondel McCann, MD

Firefighterssalute BHIscreening effort

On behalf of BryanLGH Heart Institute, cardiologist Steven Krueger, MD, accepted the Business of the Year Award from officers of the Lincoln Firefighters Benefit Association. The award recognizes BHI’s efforts to reduce firefighters’ risks for heart attacks.

When he learned that firefighters have a 300 percent greater risk of heart attack than the average person, Dr. Krueger put his heart and soul into improving their chances.

He and BHI implemented a program that focused on risk factors. Firefighters completed the free, online HeartAware survey via the BryanLGH website, and then met with the HeartAware staff to assess risks. Participants were urged to see their doctors and take steps to modify personal risk factors. Many were found to be at risk, and several said the survey may have saved their lives. n

Steven Krueger, MD, with Bill Hershberger, Lincoln Fire Dept.

Magazinehighlights migraine study

BryanLGH employee health manager Cathy Parker, RN, and nurse practitioner Nancy Waltman, PhD, of the University of Nebraska College of Nursing wrote “Reducing the Frequency and Severity of Migraine Headaches in the Workplace, Implementing Evidence-based Interventions.” This article was published in Workplace Health & Safety.

Their yearlong study was conducted at employee health services of BryanLGH.

“Migraines more often affect women,” Parker says. “Our workplace is made up primarily of women, so I thought it would be a good place to study migraines and their impact on productivity.”

Participants identified triggers and were coached on dietary and lifestyle changes. Headaches decreased by 76 percent, severity by 31 percent and perception of disability by 67 percent. n

Cathy Parker, RN, and Nancy Waltman, PhD

W5342.indd 40 4/18/12 6:04 AM

C O M M U N I T Y C A L E N D A R

Mother’s Day at Fairviewsupports projects throughout BryanLGH

Friday, May 11, is Mother’s Day at Fairview, with proceeds supporting the special needs clothing closets (see Page 26 for a related article) and patient activity rooms at BryanLGH.

Buy Mom a nice plant or other gift!Volunteer Resources hosts this special event from

9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to raise funds for these volunteer projects. Fairview is at 50th and Sumner Street on the BryanLGH East campus.

Enjoy guided tours of the former home of William and Mary Bryan. Coffee and tea will be served, and local stores will be selling annuals, perennial plants and hanging baskets, as well as home and garden decor, accents and gifts.

Concussion awareness coloring contestemphasizes safety for young athletes

Get your children involved in spreading the word about how to protect their heads while playing sports or participating in other activities, so they avoid getting a concussion.

BryanLGH is part of Heads Up Nebraska, an effort to raise awareness (see related stories on Pages 8-11) about the dangers of concussions. Your children can help! Create a picture that shows an activity where it is smart to wear a helmet to protect your head. Artwork will be divided among age categories — you could win a $25 gift card and be featured on the BryanLGH concussion website!

Join us in helping spread the word that Helmets Are Cool and It’s Smart to Protect Your Head.

Visit www.bryanlgh.org/helmetsarecool or www.headsupnebraska.com to participate in this contest.

Submit your entry Saturday, June 9, during the BryanLGH Kids’ Health & Safety Fair at BryanLGH East.

Winners will be announced Friday, June 15, on BryanLGH Facebook and will appear in the next Kids’ Club newsletter. Be

sure to check www.facebook.com/bryanlgh on June 15.

BryanLGH Kids’ Health & Safety Fair

n Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where? Zone B Parking Garage at BryanLGH East, 1600 S. 48th St. It’s free!

This annual event provides families with opportunities to learn about the many children’s health and safety programs offered at BryanLGH Medical Center and other Lincoln organizations. With a multitude of interactive displays, demonstrations and entertainment, this will be an opportunity for kids and parents to learn valuable health and safety lessons in a fun and festive atmosphere. For details, call 402-481-8855 or go to www.bryanlgh.org.

BryanLGH Run to Overcome

n Sunday, Sept. 30, 12:30 p.m. Where? Lincoln Southwest High School and surrounding neighborhood. Kids 1-mile Fun Run begins at 12:30 p.m. 5K and 10K races start at 1 p.m.

Cost: Kids Run is $10 and includes a T-shirt; 5K and 10K runners pay a $20 fee, which includes a T-shirt, or $25 for a short-sleeve dri-fit shirt.

BryanLGH Run to Overcome brings hopeful awareness of mental illness, and proceeds will benefit mental health services.

Registration opens Friday, June 1. For more details about this event, go to bryanlgh.cvent.com/2012run or contact Justin Pfeifer by calling 402-481-8855.

RUN to2012

OVERCOME


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TraumaAs Nebraska’s first American College of Surgeons verified

Trauma Center, the BryanLGH team stands ready to

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Documents

Journeys, Spring 2012