Technology enhances patient care, eliminates radiation exposure
CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, July 23, 2012 - Lake Health is the first health care system in Northeast Ohio, and one of only ten in the state, to implement a new technology to improve the placement of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines. The FDA approved device, Sapiens TCS by Bard Access Systems, provides real-time PICC tip location information without the use of x-ray, thereby eliminating radiation exposure and reducing procedure time.
PICC lines are used for patients undergoing prolonged treatments such as intravenous nutrition, antibiotic therapy or chemotherapy. A PICC is a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into one of the veins in the upper arm and then threaded through increasingly larger veins towards the heart until the tip rests at its desired location. The catheter can remain in place days, weeks and even several months, which means fewer needle pokes and less pain.
In the past, a chest x-ray was needed to confirm final placement of the lines. Using the Sapiens TCS (Tip Confirmation System), Lake Health's team of specially trained registered nurses are now able to verify accurate PICC placement at the bedside by through the patient's electrical cardiac activity alone.
The system uses ultrasound for vessel assessment, access and real-time guidance as the catheter is threaded through the veins. Magnetic tip tracking, using the Sherlock Tip Location device placed on the patient's chest, provides audible and visual signals to pinpoint tip position. The Sapiens monitor provides an ongoing real-time ECG for faster and more accurate tip positioning so infusion therapy can begin immediately.
"As a community hospital, we're committed to implementing innovative technologies that enhance patient care and safety. This technology enables us to provide unparalleled intravenous access so that patients can be treated quickly, effectively and with the least amount of risk possible," explained Lake Health board-certified vascular surgeon David Rollins, M.D.
Read more: Lake Health Uses X-Ray Free Technology For More Accurate Placement of Central Catheters
The Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association recently named Lake Health Certified Athletic Trainer Debra Walko as Ohio Athletic Trainer of the Year. Ms. Walko is one of two athletic trainers to receive this year's award in the clinical/professional division. Award recipients are nominated by their peers and then chosen by the Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association, the governing body for all athletic trainers in the state of Ohio.
Ms. Walko was recognized for her vital contributions to the Lake Health Athletic Training Bureau of Worker's Compensation (BWC) Therapy Clinic at the Tyler Blvd. Urgent Care Center in Mentor. The Athletic Training BWC Therapy Clinic is unique in the state of Ohio and shows innovation in the utilization of athletic trainers in workers' compensation rehabilitation. Ms. Walko and fellow Lake Health athletic trainers apply the principles of sports medicine to the evaluation and treatment of injured workers to help these "industrial" athletes return to work as quickly as possible.
Ms. Walko received her bachelor of science degree in Education from the University of Akron and has been a certified athletic trainer for 19 years. Prior to joining Lake Health in 2007 as Kirtland High School's athletic trainer, she was head athletic trainer for Hawken Upper School in Gates Mills, OH. Ms. Walko is a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association, the Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association and the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association.
Ms. Walko will be honored at the Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association annual meeting in May in Akron, OH.
Innovative approach speeds recovery, minimizes downtime
CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, July 18, 2012 - When professional athletes get hurt, athletic trainers initiate aggressive therapies to accelerate recovery and minimize time on the bench. Now, Lake Health is applying the same sports medicine methodology to the evaluation and treatment of injured workers to help them return to the workplace more quickly, with minimal days lost due to injury.
"By providing injured workers with the same high level of medical care and rehabilitation typically available only to professional athletes, we can help promote more rapid healing and expedite a return to functional work status," explained John Smith, a certified athletic trainer and the director of Sports Medicine at Lake Health.
Restoring injured employees' health and productivity is not only the right thing to do, it also has financial advantages. Timely return to work benefits employers by reducing the effects of lost productivity and wages and workers' compensation costs.
At the Lake Health Sports Medicine Bureau of Worker's Compensation Therapy Clinic located inside the Tyler Boulevard Urgent Care Center in Mentor, Smith leads the team of certified athletic trainers (ATCs) who collaborate with physicians to evaluate and treat fractures, sprains and strains resulting from accidents, repetitive motion and overuse. With expertise in anatomy and physiology, the team takes a holistic approach to rehabilitation-focusing on progressive treatments, ergonomics and strength and conditioning practices that enable injured workers to return to activity sooner with less risk of re-injury.
"Using ATCs as the catalyst and gatekeeper for injured worker rehabilitation further elevates the quality of care we provide to our patients and results in superior outcomes," explained Brian Juriga, D.O., co-medical director of Sports Medicine at Lake Health.
For Concord firefighter Luigi Ianiro, Lake Health's innovative approach was crucial to his recovery from a debilitating ankle injury that occurred last June while exiting a house fire. The misstep left him with a fracture and a severe sprain requiring six months of rigorous rehabilitation. A veteran firefighter, this was Ianiro's first serious accident. And being away from his job and the outdoor activities he loved took an emotional toll.
Read more: Lake Health Sports Medicine Experts Treat Injured Workers Like Professional Athletes
The Lake Health Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Bruce M. Kephart has been elected Chair. The other officers elected were Vice Chair Thomas P. Jubeck, Treasurer Michael E. Mayher and Secretary Timothy P. Doyle, MD.
They also welcomed new Board member Frank Myers, DO, a Lake Health orthopedic surgeon for 20 years and secretary/treasurer of the Lake Health medical staff. Dr. Myers earned his medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Brentwood Hospital. He was voted Physician of the Year at East Medical Center in 1999.
Other members of the Lake Health Board of Trustees include John F. Platz; Susan McGuinness, RN; Lillie Mae Wilson; I. James Hackenberg, Esq; Paul C. Sirko; and Robert G. Schiebli.