CARING Fall 2007

FALL 2007Christopher Grandpre – Aortic Dissection Survivor

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

“I thought

I wasn’t going

to make it.

The odds

were not

with me.”

Working together

tosavea life.

Gary L. Wolfe, ChairMartin A. Pops, M.D., Vice ChairHarry L. Maynard, SecretaryGlen C. Farr, Treasurer

Douglas Woodburn, M.D. Chief of Staff, Community Memorial HospitalDaniel Sommer, M.D. Chief of Staff, Ojai Valley Community Hospital

Ralph R. BennettMichael D. Bradbury, Esq.Trudy CookPhilip C. Drescher, Esq.Stanley Frochtzwajg, M.D.Timothy J. Gallagher

John J. HammerWilliam L. Hart, M.D.John V. Hill, M.D.Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-MillerFritz R. HuntsingerRobert J. Lagomarsino, Esq.F. Ted Muegenburg, Jr., Esq.Erin A. QuinnJohn W. RussellGregory H. SmithWilliam Speitel, M.D.Kathryn M. Woodburn

EMERITUS MEMBERS OF THE BOARDRalph Busch, M.D.Leonard OrtizJanice P. Willis

Michael EllingsonVice President of Marketing and Development

Mary McCormickEditor

Amy BentleyJohn Cressy

Stephanie PaulLisa Snider

Margie StitesWoody Woodburn

Writers

Jann Hendry Hana Sumalpong

Photographers

ZestNetArt Direction/Design

Gary K. Wilde, President & CEO, Community Memorial Health System

wilde thoughtsAdmiration for a “Whole” Team EffortGary Wilde

President & CEO

Community Memorial Health System 2007 Board of Trustees

2 CARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM

F I cannot underestimate the value and extent, of the collaboration that went on daily. Not only the collaboration between people at CMH, OVCH and the Centers for Fam-ily Health, but also between all of the hospitals; Ventura County Medical Center, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, Santa Paula Hospital, and Simi Valley Hospital in our surrounding communities. As Dr. Douglas Woodburn, CMH Chief of Staff, noted: “All the hospitals in the area communi-cated with each other and supported each other.” In other words, here again the sum added up to a greater whole. In this issue you will read about how exten-sive this collaboration and how thorough these preparations were. Our cover story featuring the ordeal of Christopher Grandpre dramati-cally showcases how we seamlessly handled the greatly increased patient load, as he found his way to CMH - due to the St. John’s closure – and received the expert care that saved his life. We consider it not only our great respon-

sibility but our great honor to care

for each of you in our community. The closure of St. John’s simply increased this honor by increasing the number of friends, co-workers and neighbors – patients – we were responsible for. Because we prepared for the worst-case sce-nario, we were able to provide our community with the best-care scenario. In these pages you will also be introduced to CMH Chief of Staff Dr. Douglas Woodburn and OVCH Chief of Staff Dr. Daniel Sommer through a Q & A discussion. While you will surely appreciate the insights our two Chiefs share, I appreciate the selfless commitment of time and energy they both put in to provide their valuable leadership towards ensuring that we continue to provide the highest quality care. Of course, as Drs. Woodburn and Sommer would both tell you, they are surrounded by colleagues who are just as dedicated and selfless. I have witnessed many remarkable efforts from healthcare workers during my career, and seeing the “whole” sum at Community Memo-rial Health System rise to the occasion during St. John’s closure truly moved me. But then they do that to me daily.

For two weeks this past August, my pride swelled as rarely before. Facing the unique and daunting challenge posed by the temporary closure of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Community Memorial Health System proved the cliché true: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” From our physicians and nurses to the administration staff to technicians, recep-tionists and volunteers, everyone pulled together and worked as one to turn this unprecedented – and potentially disastrous – occurrence into a shining moment of accomplishment. Paramount to success was tireless prepara-tion and collaboration that began fully four months before SJRMC closed to undergo fumi-gation with chlorine dioxide to address its ongo-ing mold issue. The potential closure of a major healthcare facility posed more questions than answers, so our Community Memorial Health System team instantly sprang into action to find the answers. The formation of a Contingency Planning Steering Committee was vital, as were the efforts of ten specialized sub-committees.

Community Memorial HospitalOjai Valley Community Hospital

Centers For Family Health

A not-for-profit organization.147 N. Brent St., Ventura, CA 93003

©2007 Community Memorial Health SystemFor permission to reprint any portion of this

magazine please call 805/652-5492.

R 12HAND IN HANDCMHS Responds to a Local Hospital Closure

16PHARMACIST CORNERExtending Your Healthcare Dollar

13EXCELLENCE in Innovation

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 3

caliber of individuals on the Board who have a great love and passion for what they do.” Rabbi Lisa was first invited to be on the hospital’s Institutional Review Board, comprised of medical and local individuals whose insight and comments are used to evaluate research protocols and protects the rights of those participating. She still sits on that Board. “It’s fascinating work. We are always considering: is it in the best interest of the hospital and the community?” Recently celebrating 10 years at Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah, her pastoral work keeps the busy

mother of three working six days and many nights a week for the large congregation. Yet, she still finds the time to be on a number of the Board of Trustee sub-committees, including Personnel, Operations, Audit and Compliance, and Quality Assurance. “The complexity of running a hospital is staggering,” she noted. “It’s been wonderful to learn about the administrative aspect. I am incredibly impressed by the skills of the Board members, and the vision and competency of the hospital’s leadership. It’s very inspirational.” Born in St. Louis, it was a male rabbi who first suggested that Lisa pursue a career in the faith. “I was only 16 at the time,” she recalled. “There were only maybe four women rabbis in the country. He was light years ahead, knowing he needed to cultivate women in this field.” Lisa first received her bachelors in journal-ism from the University of Missouri and spent some time in public relations before moving to Boston to work on a master’s degree in Jewish

contents

4

5

11

14

TORN

COOL & COLLECTEDCommunity Memorial Hospital’s “Heart Team” Excels Under Pressure

THE IMPORTANCE of Personal Health Records

7FOUNDATION NEWS

CHIEF OBJECTIVESQ&A With CMHS Chiefs of Staff

Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller deeply believes in the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam – the religion’s teaching on the responsibility to care for others and to help repair the world. That compassion and humanity first brought her to Community Memorial Hospital years ago when she started making pastoral stops to visit members of the Jewish faith. Today, ‘Rabbi Lisa’ – as she is widely known – proudly sits on the Board of Trustees. “I was so honored to be asked,” she recalled of her appointment in 2005. “There is a tremendous

16COMMUNITY @ Community

BOARD PROFILE

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

Free Flu Shot ClinicsSaturday, January 12, 20089:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Center for Family Health – Citrus Grove250 Citrus Grove Ln., OxnardInfo: 805/585-3090

Upcoming Heart Symposium - February 2008Symposium will feature leading community heart specialists speaking on heart related diseases, treatments and preventative options.Date to be announced. For more information return attached postcard or call 805/652-5385.

Acid Reflux - What You Need to Know (OVCH)Community Memorial Health System 2008 Seminar SeriesSaturday, January 26, 2008Soule Park Banquet Room, OjaiInfo: 805/640-2355

UPCOMING SEMINARS

Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller & Family

Continued on page 6

A Responsibility to Care & Repair


More than two months after the fateful mid-August Sunday, Christine Grandpre still tears up at the memory. She knows how close she came to losing her 44-year-old husband, Christopher. And Christopher knows that without a speedy, accurate and difficult diagnosis of an aortic dissection – a tear in the inner layers of the aorta, the same medical emergency actor John Ritter died from – in the ED, followed by a six-hour operation by cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Lamar Bushnell and Community Memorial Hospital’s expert “Heart Team,” his wife would today be a widow raising their two young daughters by herself. “I thought I wasn’t going to make it. The odds were not with me,” says Christopher, who grew up in Westlake and has lived in Oxnard for the past eight years. “I’m not overly religious, but thank God for CMH and its outstanding doctors.” Dr. Alex Kowblansky, CMH’s Emergency Department Medical Director, was the first physician to see Christopher when he came through the ED doors. Though the life threaten-ing dissection usually happens quite suddenly – in Christopher’s case – he had experienced symptoms for days which may have been due to very high blood pressure – a common finding in patients suffering aortic dissection. “With the extent of his dissection the mortality rate is probably close to 90 percent,” Dr. Kowblansky estimates.

“Off and on that month I had been tired, but didn’t think anything of it,” Christopher recalls. “The day before I was supposed to go surfing, but I didn’t because I had no energy, which is unusual for me.” Also unusual was the day he had at work on Friday. A land surveyor, Christopher found himself struggling to concentrate. “I was strain-ing to do math. Easy things for me were sud-denly giving me a hard time,” he shares. Sunday morning, despite still feeling lethargic, Christopher was on his hands and knees cleaning the hardwood floors for his wife when he felt a shooting pain in his neck. “It was intense,” he says. “My shoulders also hurt and I had some tightness in my chest.” Pausing to gather his emotions even in the retelling, he adds: “Thank God I wasn’t in the water surfing.” Christopher sat on the couch to rest, thinking the pain would pass. Christine, who had been upstairs with the couples two young daughters – Chase, 4, and Chelsea, 2 – thought differently. Because St. John’s Regional Medical Center was closed for fumigation for a mold problem, she drove Christopher to Community Memorial Hospital. “On the way to the ED the pain got worse,” Christopher says, including down in his right leg. “My wife was already scared, but I scared her even more when I said, ‘You need to hurry and start running red lights.’” “It was not the typical profile of a serious heart problem,” Dr. Kowblansky remembers. “He’s a very buff, fit guy in his early 40s with no risk factors.” An IV quickly brought Christopher’s plummeting blood pressure back up. His EKG was normal as was a chest X-ray. However, the pulse in his right leg was weak. “That raised a red flag,” Dr. Kowblansky explains. “Now it sounds like possible aortic dissection.” The gold standard for diagnosing aortic dissection – to confirm there is a tear in the aorta, and not a heart attack – has histori-cally been an angiogram of the aorta but the diagnosis can now often be made much more rapidly with a CT Scan with contrast (dye). One problem: Christopher’s blood work came back and indicated his kidney function was not normal, and the contrast can pose a slight risk of renal failure. After discussing the situation with Christo-pher and Christine, it was decided to have the “study of choice” with CMH’s state-of-the-art CT Scan. It was a wise choice. “It showed a massive dissection,” Dr. Kowblansky notes. Christopher’s six siblings quickly arrived; his parents rushed up from San Diego; and more

torn

The CMH Emergency

Department and Heart Team

respond to a torn aorta and a 90% mortality rate.


than a dozen friends from work also showed up to lend support in the waiting room. Meanwhile, a call had already been made to Dr. Bushnell who rushed from the OR to the ED. “Alex’s diagnosis was right-on,” says Dr. Bushnell. “This was a surgical emergency.” As Dr. Bushnell explained to Christopher, without surgical repair of the torn aortic wall the mortality rate is twenty-five percent in the first 24 hours. Fifty percent die in the first week. “Most people panic in such a situation but he was incredibly calm,” Dr. Bushnell remem-bers. “He was like, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s go.’” “It was an easy decision for me,” Christo-pher says. There is nothing easy about the open-heart operation that includes cooling the patient to 18 degrees centigrade and turning off the heart-lung machine during the actual repair of the aortic arch. A quick-setting, high-tech bio-glue made of protein is used to put the split layers of the vessel together. Next, thin sterile

Cool Collected

Continued on page 6

Community Memorial Hospital’s “Heart Team” Excels Under Pressure

The Grandpre Family

It reminds you what Emergency

Medicine is all about. This is what

we do. We’re trained for this.

The open-heart surgical procedure to repair an aortic dissection is pretty cool.Actually, it’s downright cold – 18 degrees Centigrade, to be precise. That is the tempera-ture a patient’s blood is cooled down to during the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) portion of the operation. Because the aorta needs to be repaired without blood circulating through it, and because cross-clamping is not possible with an aortic dissection, the heart-lung machine is turned off and the patient’s head is packed in ice. By slowing the basal neurologi-cal metabolic rate, DHCA protects the brain and greatly lowers the risk of subsequent mortality. In addition to the deep cooling, medications are used to further slow down the patient’s metabolism. Dr. Lamar Bushnell, a cardiovascular surgeon at Community Memorial Hospital, successfully employed DHCA while performing a life-saving descending aortic dissection on 44-year-old Oxnard resident Christopher Grandpre this past August. Dr. Bushnell and the highly acclaimed CMH “Heart Team” also performed retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) – that is, they pumped blood backwards to Grandpre’s brain in order to provide further cooling and protection during the DHCA. Even with RCP and meticulous attention to cooling techniques, the hypothermic circulatory arrest portion of the operation – Grandpre’s entire surgery lasted over 6 hours – needs to be completed in less than 45 minutes, and ideally within 30 minutes. The time pressure is extreme, but unlike many heart surgeons, Dr. Bushnell is not a clock watcher – or listener. “I don’t have the minutes called out,” he explains. “I don’t want to hear it and be distracted. I just want to focus on what I’m doing and do it as

quickly and perfectly as I can.” Only after he has finished the delicate vessel repair, and the heart-lung machine can be turned back on to start re-circulating the blood, does Dr. Bushnell want the time reading. During the Grandpre case, he was pleased with the final reading. “We finished in 29 minutes,” Dr. Bushnell says, “we” referring to assisting cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Dominic Tedesco and the other 10 members of the Heart Team in the OR. “It is always very much a team effort.” An experienced team effort. “We’ve all done this before,” Dr. Bushnell notes of DHCA.“ For example, our perfusionists are experienced with the technique, and that’s crucial. It’s important to know how fast to cool – and warm – the blood. Also, controlling the CO2 and acid/base balance in blood is tricky during cooling. All our Heart Team anesthesiologists are very experienced and extremely good at these techniques.” From the primary and assisting surgeon to the nurses and scrub techs, Dr. Bushnell proudly notes, “Experience and expertise runs through each member of the team.” And that is pretty cool.

Dr. Lamar Bushnell

sheets of Teflon felt are sewn on the inside and outside to reinforce the aorta. Oftentimes the heart valve needs to be replaced, but Dr. Bushnell was able to save Christopher’s. Christopher doesn’t remember waking up later that evening or being visited by Christine the following day. However, Dr. Kowblansky remembers seeing Christine that next morning. And also this: “I remember the last thing I said to Christopher as he rolled out to go to surgery. I shook his hand and said, ‘I’ll see you tomor-row in the ICU.’” Monday morning, on his way to hopefully keeping his word, Dr. Kowblansky saw Chris-tine in the hallway. “How did he do?” the anxious ED doctor asked. Christine was speechless. “She just gave me the biggest bear hug in the world,” Dr. Kowblansky continues. “I got teary eyed.” He pauses, thinks about the “extremely nice young man” facing the long odds, and adds: “It was a good save. I still get teary eyed think-ing about it. A lot of things we do in the ED is small stuff really. Then something like this comes along. It reminds you what emergency medicine is all about. This is what we do. We’re trained for this – to make the right call and see that definitive care is received.” Mission accomplished. Christopher left Community Memorial Hospital after 10 days; within weeks was walking 30 minutes at a time; and only nine weeks later was given the medi-cal clearance to go surfing. “To be able to tell him he can paddle out again is a wonderful feeling,” says Dr. Bushnell, an avid surfer himself. However, even better was when Dr. Bush-nell told Christopher he could once again lift his young daughters high overhead, something they enjoyed and missed. “For more than two months I couldn’t pick them up on my shoulders,” Christopher shares, noting that his daughters call the 12-inch scar on his sternum “Daddy’s boo-boo.” “When Dr. Bushnell gave me the OK, I lifted Chase up, and she was so excited and happy. She said, ‘You can lift me again, Daddy!’ That was wonderful.” Daddy knows the story almost didn’t have a happy ending. “At one point a priest was brought in,” Christopher shares. “Like I said, I’m not overly religious, but I am so thankful. When I was in the ED, I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. But I did because I had absolutely great docs. Thanks to them and the outstanding nurses and everyone else, I get a second chance with my girls.”


Continued from page 5

education. She then continued with rabbinic studies at Hebrew Union College Jewish Insti-tute of Religion. Rabbi Lisa was ordained in 1991 when there were only a small number of women clergy. Presently, there are approximately 600 women rabbis within the Reform Movement of Judaism – the largest denomination of Judaism in North America. Married for 19 years to Seth Hochberg-Miller, who is also an ordained rabbi, the couple has three daughters, Mara (16), Elisheva (14) and Hannah, (11). In addition to her countless volunteer hours at CMHS, Rabbi Lisa also sits on the board of Ventura County CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice); and is active with the Ventura Interfaith Ministerial Association, where she co-created the annual interfaith gathering, the Women of Vision conference. “Every interaction I have with the hospital staff, the Administration and Board is amazing. They are such top-notch individuals and there is such a commitment to quality at every level, it isn’t difficult to devote my time to the hospital,” she added.

Continued from page 3to Care & RepairA Responsibility

Dr. Alex Kowblansky

She just gave me the biggest bear hug in the world, I got teary eyed.

Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller


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

On a Sunday night, Leslie Gietzen was rushed to Community Memorial Hospital.

Twenty-four hours later, Ella and Anna were born, 10 weeks premature.

The roller coaster ride of emotions, however, was just beginning. More dips, curves,

lows and life-and-death worries lay ahead. “At this point it was so risky because they were

so young,” stated their father Dale, a longtime Ventura resident. “There were so many

unknowns. It was extremely emotional. I was not only worried about the babies,

I was worried about my wife.”

Due to the high level of care at Community Memorial Hospital, this potentially

critical event was expertly handled by the skilled staff at the Maternal Child Health

Center. “As stressful as it was, it was reassuring to know we have such a great NICU

right here in our community” Dale further stated.

Two months later, with everyone healthy, the Gietzen twins went home with their

mom and dad to meet their new brothers - Cole and Tanner.

With over 3,000 deliveries a year, Community Memorial Hospital is the county’s

number one choice for child birth. Our High-Risk Pregnancy Unit, and level III Neonatal

Intensive Care Unit provide families with the highest level of perinatal care, which gives

parents a much needed peace of mind. Our expertise is the reason why the prestigious

UCLA School of Medicine selected Community Memorial Hospital for their

gynecological surgery residency program.

However, the delivery of healthcare is increasingly becoming a financial

challenge for hospitals, and it is through the generosity of the people in our community

that we are able to continue enhancing patient care and services at Community

Memorial Hospital.

As the only independent, community-owned hospital in the area, your support is

essential in maintaining the high quality of healthcare that Community Memorial

Hospital has long provided to our residents.

Please help make a difference in your community this holiday season, and support

this year’s annual appeal campaign. “Excellence Begins with Caring.”

Best of Health,

Kathryn M. Woodburn Gary K. Wilde

President President & CEO

Community Memorial Community Memorial

Healthcare Foundation Health System

Kathryn M. Woodburn, PresidentBarbara C. Rose, Vice President

Dorothy Jue Lee, SecretaryTommy Slater, Treasurer

Gary Wilde, President & CEO

Joanie Abou-SamraTrudy Bale

Loye BartonRalph R. Bennett

Michael D. BradburyJim ButterbaughBonnie Carlton

Trudy CookRay DiGuilio

Philip C. DrescherMichael EllingsonAnthony P. Fowkes

David B. GlyerJohn J. Hammer

William L. Hart, M.D.Lydia Hopps

Fritz R. HuntsingerLynn Jacobs

William J. KearneyJohn P. Keats, M.D.Gregory F. LampSandra R. MasielJohn Masterson

Harry L. MaynardBarbara MeisterLeonard B. Ortiz

Dottie PasJeffrey D. PaulJeanne PetersMel Sheeler

Carolyn TedescoDominic J. Tedesco, M.D.

Norm WeitzelStan Whisenhunt

Douglas S. Wilkinson, M.D.Gary L. Wolfe

James D. Woodburn II, M.D.James D. Woodburn III, M.D.

Community Memorial Healthcare

Foundation

BOARD OF DIRECTORStto our community

T This year four outstanding high school seniors have been awarded the Maria Cavallo Scholarship for their work, as Junior Volunteers at CMH.

Makena Heise, Scott Carr, Rebecca Kim and Lauren Ricketts are the recipients of the annual scholar-ship that was estab-lished in memory of dedicated volunteer, Maria Cavallo, who donated over 15,000 hours of her time to the hospital. Maria was a long-time member of the Aux-iliary and contributed most of her hours in the gift shop.

Upon her death, her family established the scholarships that in 2007 alone award-ed a total of $6,000 to these college-bound students. They have collectively given over 1,700 hours during their time with the program. Students are eligible for this scholarship by meet-ing the following


criteria. They must be seeking a career in healthcare, planning on attending an accredited college or university, have maintained a 3.0 GPA or better and have volunteered 100 hours or more at the hospital in the last two years. This year’s scholarship winners have been extensively involved in school and extracurricular activi-ties. All four have participated in other service oriented programs in addition to Junior Volunteers. Makena Heise was honored with a $2,000 college scholarship this year. She has served in the Emergency Department since 2003 and contributed 844 hours as a Junior Volunteer. In addition, she was Junior Co-Chair of the Emergency Department for the past two years. Eventually

Makena would like to work in Public Health. “I want to go places and find new things.” she says, “Maybe work for the Peace Corps or the traveling nursing program.”

Scott Carr was also awarded a $2,000 college scholarship after contributing over 700 hours in the last two years to Junior Vol-unteers. He is currently working in the Emergency Department and was the Junior Co-Chair of the Maternity Department. He now attends UC Irvine as a pre-med major and plans to become a research physician. Rebecca Kim realized in third grade that she loved helping people and wanted to be a doc-tor. After spending time in the

Emergency Department at CMH as a Junior Volunteer, Rebecca has been awarded a scholarship to help her reach her goal of attending UCLA and becoming a pediatri-cian. “I love little kids,” says Re-becca, “I hope to help them.” Scholarship recipient Lauren Ricketts works in the Maternity Department and has also worked in the Emergency Department as a Junior Volunteer. Lauren makes the CMH complimentary birth certificates for each new mom. “It’s really great to see how happy the moms are.” says Lauren, “and the nurses are so appreciative.” She plans to run cross country at UC San Diego and become a physician. Maria Cavallo will always be remembered for her dedication and hard work. The students and adult volunteers at CMH appreciate the generosity of Maria’s family for the ongoing support their annual contribu-tion brings to those interested in a career in medicine. The scholarship puts the doctors, nurses and medical technicians of the future one step closer to fulfilling their dreams.

The Maria Cavallo Scholarship

awards outstanding student volunteers seeking a career in

healthcare

“I want to go places and find new things. Maybe work for the Peace Corps or the traveling nursing program.”

Rebecca Kim

Makena Heise

OUTSTANDINGJr. Volunteers Awarded Scholarships

Scott Carr

Lauren Ricketts


1984, learned of a growing nursing shortage, she acted. She and her husband Larry Meister approached Commu-nity Memorial Hospital about establishing a scholarship for students in the Ventura Col-lege Associate Degree Nursing Program. The plans were put on hold, however, when Larry Meister, who purchased Barber Ford in 1968, was stricken with pan-creatic cancer, and died in June 2005. Meister was moved by the caring treatment the nurses at CMH provided her husband of 52 years. She also marveled at their dedication, making her all the more determined to establish the scholarship. As Meister put

We’re Always Looking for Volunteers!Auxiliary volunteers provide that special touch of comfort, compassion and assistance to patients and their families.

For More Information Call Community Memorial Hospital:

(805) 652-5043

B Barbara Meister is not one to see a need in her community and leave it to someone else to come up with solutions. For decades Meister, Presi-dent and Chief Executive Officer of Ventura’s Barber Automotive Group, has volunteered her time and made significant finan-cial contributions to a variety of nonprofit organizations in Ventura County and to her temple. She also sits on a number of nonprofit boards. “It’s just the way I was brought up,” Meister said. “I was taught to always give back to the community.” So when Meister, a member of the Community Memo-rial Healthcare Foundation Board since it was formed in

Giving Back to the CommunityTO

Inaugural Winners of the Annual Meister Family Foundation Nursing Scholarship are Chosen

Julia Durr, Barbara Meister and Evie Arauz

it, “It’s a great hospital with great nurses. This is something I’ve thought about doing for some time; it was just a matter of fol-lowing through with it.” In June, Meister presented $5,000 checks to Julia Durr and Evie Arauz, the first re-cipients of the annual Meister Family Foundation Nursing Scholarship, named in memory of Larry Meister. The scholarship winners were chosen by a four-member CMHS nursing committee, based on criteria that included grade-point average, community service, financial needs, a letter of reference from a VC nursing faculty member and a 500-word personal statement focusing on their career goals. A condition of the scholar-ship is that winners commit to working for CMHS for one year upon earning their nursing degrees. Meg Larramendy, Clinical Manager of Nursing Resources for CMHS, said both winners provided inspiring reasons for being chosen.

For both Durr and Arauz, coming from families with medi-cal backgrounds played major roles in wanting to be nurses. “I basically grew up around Community Memorial Hospital,” Durr said. Durr’s grandfather, Dr. Jo-seph Gstettenbauer, was formerly a staff physician at Community Memorial Hospital, and her mother, Carolyn Estrada, is Di-rector of CMH’s Intensive Care and Critical Care Units. Durr has worked part-time at CMH for six years, and presently works as a surgical scrub technician in CMH’s Labor and Delivery Unit. She plans to be a surgical nurse. Arauz has been a medical assistant at CMHS’s Center for Family Health office on Tele-graph Road in Ventura for five years. Her grandmother was a nurse and her mother provides homecare services for patients. Arauz would like to work in the Emergency Department. “This means a lot to me,” Arauz said. “A big financial weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”


patients through the hospital’s annual golf tournament benefit-ing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and as a dedicated and talented contributor to the Foun-dation Board. Several years ago, Tommy met CMHS Vice President of Community Relations, John Masterson. Knowing Tommy was an avid golfer, John sug-gested he become involved with the hospital’s golf tournament. That invitation led to his appointment to the Foundation Board in 2000. Last year, the well known local banker, was named the Foundation’s Treasurer. “My role is to work with the hospital’s finance office in the reporting of financial state-ments,” he explained. “I report to the Foundation Board, and carry through items that need to be

voted on regarding the finances.” Tommy’s talents also extend to working with the Foundation’s Executive Committee on strate-gic planning, and establishing policies and guidelines. Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Tommy and his family relocated to Goleta in 1965. He attended Santa Barbara City College and UCSB studying history and communications before turning his sights to banking. Tommy believes his sense of giving back to the community was instilled at an early age. “My parents were very involved in the church and my dad did a lot of volunteering after he retired. He was even named Volunteer of the Year,” he proudly added. In addition to his work with the hospital, Tommy is presently serving a two-year term as Board

A Champion of Caring

SlaterPresident at the Ventura County Museum of History & Art. A past president of Ventura East Ro-tary, he is also very involved with the Big Brother program and is currently mentoring an 11-year-old boy. Married for 16 years, Tommy and Debbie are self-proclaimed museum nuts who spend their free time doting on an ador-able pair of Clumber Spaniels, Brinkley (the champion), and the newest member of the household, Cooper. They also love to travel throughout the U.S. and over-seas, and this year they enjoyed a three-week trip to Scotland to celebrate Tommy’s 50th birthday. Debbie, a senior accountant and financial analyst with Af-finity Group, also donates time to the hospital as a member of the Gold Dust Gala committee. Proceeds from the yearly event help fund life-saving diagnostic services and care at the CMH Breast Center for women who lack the means to pay. Tommy’s dedication to the Foundation and the continued success of the hospital’s important fundraising events is as strong as his champion-sized heart. “After the care Debbie received… I would do anything for the hospi-tal,” he emphasized.

C Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation Treasurer Tommy Slater is surrounded by champions. His wife, Debbie, has championed her battle with breast cancer, and he owns a

champion show dog. The fam-ily, no doubt, feels very blessed and lucky on many levels. But behind the scenes at CMH, he’s our hero working to raise money for our tiniest

“After the care Debbie received... I would do anything for the hospital.”

CORRECTIONThe last edition of Caring magazine included a donor list acknowledging a gift listed in memory of Dr. Robert Warwar. This was in error. It should have been listed in honor of Dr. Robert Warwar.

Tommy

Helping OVCH in its continuous effort to offer the best healthcare possible by consistently investing in the newest technology, education and training.


Ojai Valley residents will soon see first-hand how a community that pulls

together gets results. In partnership with the Community Memorial Health

System, our community has been able to see its wish for a new emergency

room at our local hospital become a near reality. Plans for the facility are

currently awaiting state approval, and construction is slated to begin sometime

next spring. Community contributions large and small provided the seed money to

jump start this high-priority improvement. People throughout the Valley, as

well as those who visit or simply pass through, will benefit from a greatly

expanded, more user-friendly ER and waiting room space.

We can be truly proud of what we’ve accomplished together since our

Ojai Valley Community Hospital became a nonprofit institution in 2001.

Despite these achievements, our work is far from finished.

Advances in medical treatment and technology, along with changing

demographics, present ongoing challenges. We need, for example, to upgrade

our radiology equipment and capabilities. We need to strengthen services to

our growing senior population by modernizing our Continuing Care Center.

Structural improvements in an aging facility are a never-ending concern.

Our hospital may be modest in size, but our goals reflect an ambitious

vision for the future and a strong commitment to quality. We’ve seen that

remarkable progress can be made when our community joins together. As we

enter this holiday season, we ask you again for your tax-deductible financial

contribution to ensure that this progress continues.

We appreciate your confidence and generosity and wish you a happy,

healthy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Barbara PopsChair

P.S. We hope to see you at the groundbreaking for the new Emergency Room

in 2008. Watch for details.

Barbara Pops, ChairGary Farr, Vice-Chair

John Mothershead, SecretaryTim Wolfe, Treasurer

Peggy Russell, Asst. TreasurerDon Anderson

Dorothy CrossmanMichael Ellingson

James Halverson, M.D.Sue Horgan

Don LawMartin Pops, M.D.

John RussellNita Whaley

Ojai Valley Community Hospital

Foundation

BOARD OF DIRECTORStto our community


&RUN WALK ROLL


The Center Features:• Recovery from post operative conditions, such as hip or knee replacement, complex medical conditions, neuro rehabilitation, including stroke and Parkinson’s. • 24 hour skilled nursing care.• Part of an acute-care hospital. One of three hospital based facilities in all of Ventura County. • Physician referral is not required. • Ratio of nurses to patients is double the state standard. • Planned off-site activities as well as regularly scheduled exercise classes.

Continuing Care Center1306 Maricopa Highway • Ojai, California 93023

805/640-2280

The Only Skilled Nursing Facility in Ojai That is Connected to an Acute Care Hospital.

Continuing Care in Ojai

O Curves, the Medicine Shoppe, The Manor and the Bryant Street Gym. “Our event is unique in that we have wheelchairs,” remarked Dr. Fauvre. Many of those par-ticipants came from the hospital’s Continuing Care Center as well as some of the local assisted living centers. Volunteers transported them to the event, and then took them around Nordhoff ’s track. And for the first time, a chil-dren’s relay was featured. Dr. Rob-ert Skankey sought runners from local elementary schools, and, using rubber chickens as batons, got 40 kids teamed up to relay around the Nordhoff track in an effort to encourage children’s fit-ness. “The ultimate goal is to reduce obesity in children by increasing their physical activity,” said Dr. Skankey. For the seventh year in a row, the October Classic was hailed as a success, with funds raised go-ing towards hospital equipment improvements.

On October 6th at Nordhoff High School, 200 runners, walk-ers and wheelers participated in the October Classic, a fundraiser for the Ojai Valley Community Hospital featuring a 5K, 10K, wheelchair course and kids’ re-lay. Dr. Fred Fauvre started the event in 2000 in an effort to raise money for the hospital shortly af-ter it became a not-for-profit. Also an avid runner, Dr. Fauvre runs in the event each year. “One year, in 2005, I had heart surgery, so I walked the 5K with my wife and my dog. Now that I’m back in the saddle, I run the 10K. I did it in 64 minutes at age 64!” he said. All ages came out for the event, with the oldest a 5K par-ticipant in the 80-89 age division, and the youngest were babies in strollers going along for the ride. The day’s big winners of the 10K were Aaron Sharp of Port Huen-eme and Mary Jones of Ventura, each taking home a cash prize of $200. Booth sponsors included

the Ojai Valley Community Hos-pital Foundation, whose organiza-tion funded the project. “Looking to create a pleas-ant place for patients, visitors and staff to come to, the Foundation decided to pursue a landscaping project, which would allow their dollar to go a long way toward making a positive impact on the hospital. Incorporating color into the design was a priority. “We knew we wanted color all year round and plants that

were bright and cheerful,” said Pops. With that, the Foundation turned to an expert landscape designer in Ojai: Lisa Phelps Irrigation and Landscaping, whose firm’s motto is, “You dream and we create.” Phelps’ plans called for low maintenance, little water-ing and a lot of impact. According to Phelps, “The hospital needed drama!” Draw-ing from her signature style of cottage jewel tones, she refers


to her design for the project as, “loud, colorful and beautiful!” After several months of preparation, due in large part to the need to replace outdated irrigation equipment and remove aging overgrowth, including old trees whose roots were disrupting the hospital’s plumbing, the long anticipated planting began. The Ojai Garden Club donated mon-ey toward trees, which include Redbud Forest Pansy trees, Fruit-less Olives, and a Japanese Maple. Red Ribbon Roses and Black-eyed Susan’s provide bold colors at ground level. The end result is an elegant and inviting setting for all who visit the hospital. Realizing the project’s suc-cessful outcome, Phelps decided to enter the hospital in the Cali-fornia Landscape Contractors Association 2007 Ventura County Beautification Awards. Her firm took away two honors for excel-lence at the June awards ceremo-ny: the Excelsior Award, given to a first time entrant, as well as first place in the commercial category. The next time you find yourself at the Ojai Valley Com-munity Hospital, take time to smell the flowers!

A A gorgeous new award-win-ning landscape project is now on display at the Ojai Valley Com-munity Hospital, featuring lush plants, shady trees and bright beautiful colors. Transforming what was once an ordinary and underwhelming sense of arrival, the design has breathed new life into the hospital’s façade, giving it a fresh and distinguished look. “The appearance is important - the outside reflects what goes on inside,” said Barbara Pops, chair of

Smell the Flowers The appearance

is important - the outside reflects what

goes on inside- Barbara Pops

Landscaping Project Wins Ventura County Beautification Award

PHR


Why is your personal health information so important? You will never know when you will need it, but when you do, it can be for a vital reason. The more complete and accurate your health information, the better tool you have to help you play an active role in your own quality healthcare.

What is the definition of a Personal Health Record (PHR)? It is a collection of important information about your health, or the health of someone you are caring for, such as a parent or child, that you actively maintain and update. To begin your personal health record, you will simply need to start with your next doctor’s appointment. Contact your doctors’ offices or medical records staff at each healthcare facility where you received treatment. You most likely don’t need your entire record. Ask your physician or health information management professional to help you determine what you need. Most facilities may charge for copies of medical records. This is another reason why it is important to ask your provider or health information management professional to assist you, as requesting the entire record could be expensive. What if you need information from a physician who has moved, retired or died? His or her estate still has an obligation to retain your records, including immunization records, for a period defined by federal and state law. In California, the rule is seven years for an adult patient. For a minor, the rule is to retain the record until the patient reaches age 19 or seven years, whichever is greater. So, if you are having trouble, you may be able to locate your records by contacting:

• Your physician’s partners.• The Health Information Manager at a nearby hospital where the physician practiced.• The local medical society. The telephone number for the Ventura County Medical Society is 805-484-6822.• The state medical association. The California Medical Association can be contacted at 916-444-5532, or www.cmanet.org An Advance Directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions. Your local healthcare facility can probably assist you if you wish to complete an Advance Directive. Durable Medical Power of Attorney means that you assign someone to make your healthcare decisions for you in the event that you become incompetent or otherwise unable to make your own decisions. Once you have gathered the information, there are different ways to maintain your PHR. You can keep the information in a file folder, transfer it to a computer disk or use an internet- based service. Keeping your own complete, updated and easily accessible health record means you can play a more active role in your healthcare.

3 A problem list – what conditions you are being treated for.

3 Current medications and dosages, including over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements.

3 A list and dates of significant illnesses and surgeries.

3 Immunizations and their dates.

3 Allergies.

3 Important events, dates, and hereditary conditions in your family history.

3 A recent physician examination.

3 Records from visits to specialists.

3 Important test results.

3 Eye and dental records.

3 Correspondence between you and your provider.

3 Permission forms for release of information, operations, or other medical procedures.

What You Need In Your Personal Health Record

The Importance of Personal Health Records


“Our mission is to take care of our com-munity,” adds Rhonda Spiegel, CMHS Vice President of Patient Care Services. “We knew with St. John’s closed we would be faced with the challenge of caring for an even larger community.” To gear up for this expanded challenge, CMH held a series of meetings among medical staff and management to identify the impact SJRMC’s closure would have on Commu-nity Memorial Hospital. A measure of just how large, and unique, the challenge promised to be: Homeland Security, the Environmental Protec-tion Agency and FBI were all watching and in contact with SJRMC – particularly regarding the use of Chlorine Dioxide. The answer was readily summed up after-wards in an in e-mail from Michael Murray, President of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, to Gary Wilde: “You and your staff were ab-solutely super! I can’t thank you enough! … If you ever need anything from me, I’ll be there! Thanks for everything!” This “absolutely super” performance required an absolute collaborative effort. As Dr. Woodburn notes: “The medical staff along with the coordinated effort of the administra-tion, hospitalists, nursing staff and everyone else worked to identify where the problems might arise – and then worked together to prepare for them. The success was truly a communal effort.” The planning stage began with the creation of a Contingency Planning Steering Committee. This “Steering Team,” comprised of a cross sec-tion of hospital and medical staff, met with the other area hospitals and their administrators, as well as with Emergency Medical Services. “We needed to get a sense of the number of patients we’d need to prepare for,” Spiegel explains. This entailed not just talking to the Emergency Department at SJRMC to get an idea of how many ED patients could be expected from its surrounding community, but to the Emergency Departments at all of the sur-rounding hospitals – Ventura County Medical Center, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center, Santa Paula Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and Simi Valley Hospital – to get an idea what por-tion of this overflow from the loss of the 265 beds at St. John’s Hospital each might be capable of handling. “The capacity from St. John’s would have to be made up by the rest of us,” explained Spiegel. “It was vital to look at historical trends, not just the volume at each Emergency Department but the historical patient volume in all departments. We needed to diagnose any deficiencies in the

“We already had an existing collaborative environment,

but this challenge took that collaboration and

cooperation to a new level.”

F “Failing to prepare,” an old maxim warns, “is preparing to fail.” By combining a commitment to preparation with new levels of collaboration, Community Memorial Health System successfully rose to the occasion during the recent two-week closure of St. John’s Regional Medical Center. Four months before SJRMC underwent mold fumigation with chlorine dioxide to address an ongoing mold issue, Community Memorial Health System sprang into action to be fully prepared for this unprecedented situation. “When we first learned that St. John’s closure was going to occur, our entire team of professionals pulled together to make sure we would be able to meet the needs of each and every extra patient,” says Gary Wilde, President & CEO of Community Memorial Health System. “The level of collaboration and cooperation

that followed was remarkable. I am humbled and extremely proud of how everyone here dedicated themselves to making sure our entire community was cared for.” Dr. Douglas Woodburn, CMH Chief of Staff, echoes Wilde’s praise. “Frankly, I could not be more proud of how this turned out. Everybody, from the medical staff and

nurses and administration to the volunteers downstairs at the reception desk, all worked at it and pulled together. The reason it looked so smooth was because we prepared ahead of time for the worst case scenario.”

HandHand

inCMHS responds to alocal hospital closure

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 13COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 13

county, and in turn what resources we would need to bring in to deal with them.” “Importantly,” adds Adam Thunell, CMHS Vice President of Operations & COO, and a co-chair of the Contingency Planning Steering Committee along with Spiegel and Dr. Wood-burn, “this information was used to create a best case scenario and a worst case scenario. We had to prepare to respond instantaneously to however many extra patients flooded through our doors.” Indeed, the entire team at 242-bed Com-munity Memorial Hospital was ready for the flood. “Whenever we asked people to plug holes, they were more than willing to step up,” says Dr. Woodburn. “Not just the physicians – it was everyone at the hospital. And, frankly, all the hospitals in the area communicated with each other and supported each other. I think

we already had good relationships between area hospitals, but this definitely furthered these relationships and made them even better.” This improved relationship did not happen by chance. CMH’s Steering Team took a leader-ship role in the county by initially meeting with the other hospitals every two weeks to share information and plans. When the August 14th closure date for SJRMC arrived, CMH initiated daily conference calls to discuss such things as how many open beds in different departments each area hospital currently had available. “We really felt an urgency, and quite honestly a responsibility, to be a leader and be proactive because we felt certain that the most cases would be coming to us at CMH,” says Spiegel. “And, in fact, that is proportionally what happened.” While the Steering Team looked at the

Community Memorial Hospital was recently honored by the Voluntary Hospital Association with its 2007 Innovation Award for the collaboration measures CMH developed and employed during the temporary two-week closure of St. John’s Regional Medical Center. CMH stood out for the way everyone pulled together and worked hard to find solutions in order to rise to the challenge of seamlessly caring for an increased flow of patients caused by a neighboring hospital being closed. One of CMH’s many key innovations was the expansion of its “Patient Flow Bed Huddle.” Held three times a day, the 15-minute Huddle

greatly improved communication between nursing departments, and also between nursing and other clinical departments. The result was to improve patient outcomes. One personal story told to the VHA highlights, better than statistics can, the positive effects of this collaborative measure. A supervising nurse shared that at the very first evening Huddle, the night shift nurses were ex-cited to meet each other. It seems that even some nurses who had worked at CMH for more than 10 years had never met each other fact to face! Just the fact that these nurses now person-ally know each other improves team building, which in turn improves patient care.

big picture, CMH created 10 subcommittees to focus on specific concerns. Each subcommittee had two co-chairs – one from Medical Staff and one from management in order to maximize harmony and collaboration. “We already had an existing collaborative environment,” says Spiegel, “but this challenge took that collaboration and cooperation to a new level.” One vital component to this collaborative effort was “The Daily Huddle” that took place three times a day at the beginning of each new shift at 8:45 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. About two dozen frontline staff – such as the Patient Flow Coordinator, Hospitalist Coordinator, charge nurses and key management personnel – met to discuss admissions, discharges, current census, staffing and more in order to improve patient flow and care. All of this was accom-plished within 15 minutes. Furthermore, CMH used innovation to increase its surge capacity in many depart-ments. For example, it created an additional 22 monitoring beds by bringing in more telemetry equipment. Also, the staff studied Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s patient flow methods that decreased its time for bed turnaround from an average of 6 hours to just 88 minutes. “We anticipated the largest impact would be felt in the Emergency Department, OB, Cath Lab and Critical Care Unit,” Spiegel shares. “This proved true.” What also proved to be true was that every department was ready for the surge. The Emergency Department, for example, went from caring for an average of 120 patients daily to an average of 150 during the two-week span – and as many as 200 on a couple of days. To handle this rush, physician coverage was increased along with the nursing staff and hospitalists. While CMH’s physicians and staff regularly undergo emergency disaster drills, Spiegel emphasized: “This wasn’t a drill. This was live. This was the real thing. Everyone – docs, staff, nurses, administration – did an unbelievable job!” An unbelievable job with believable lasting benefits. “It was an excellent dry run for if we had a real disaster,” noted Dr. Woodburn. “It prepared us and makes us more capable for future events.” Indeed, under trying and unique circum-stances, Community Memorial Hospital’s proud motto “Where Excellence Begins With Caring” took on a new twist: “Where Excellence Begins With Preparation And Collaboration.”

Excellence in Innovation

CMH staff prepare to respond.


and then joined the OVCH staff in 2002 where he has served as the chief of the radiology department ever since. After graduating from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, Sommer attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He then completed a radiol-ogy internship and residency at UCLA Harbor General Hospital before serving two years as a radiologist in the U.S. Air Force at Castle Air Force Base Hospital in Merced. Next, Dr. Sommer did a fellowship in interventional radiology at the University of California at San Diego before moving to Ventura in 1978. Dr. Sommer, a board-certified radiologist, has lived in Ojai for the past 20 years. He and his wife Edie have been married for 35 years. The couple has two children: Justin, 35, and daughter Jamie, 32. Caring recently caught up with the two Chiefs of Staff for a wide-ranging, hour-long discussion. Dr. Sommer: We’re adding some exciting things up in Ojai. Our Foundation has been very active in raising money, and that together with the union with Community Memorial Hospital as part of the Community Memorial Health System, I think, is resulting in good things for Ojai Valley Community Hospital. For example, it’s going to bring us new state-of-the-art equip-ment as well as some much-needed upgrades to almost every department at Ojai. Dr. Woodburn: One of the exciting things that’s going on at Community Memorial Hos-pital right now, in my mind, is the development and maturing of the Hospitalists program. I’m also enthusiastic about the assimilation of the two hospitals, and also of the Board of Trustees. One of the really great things to come out of the union of the two hospitals is we’ve gotten some really, really great board members from Ojai. Beyond that, just the interaction with the medical staffs here in Ventura and up there in Ojai is a plus – we’ve all known each other for a long time and now we’re really on the same team together.

CHIEF OBJECTIVES

Q&A With Community Memorial Health System’s Chiefs Of Staff

B Between them, Dr. Douglas Woodburn and Dr. Daniel Sommer have nearly 50 years of com-bined experience practicing medicine on staff at Community Memorial Hospital and Ojai Valley Community Hospital. This year, they are putting their vast experience and commitment to the community to further use as the Chiefs of Medical Staffs at the two hospitals. Dr. Woodburn, Chief of Staff at Community Memorial Hospital, joined the CMH staff 19 years ago after completing a five-year General Surgery residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in 1988. He graduated from New York Medical College in 1983 after receiving his under-graduate education at the University California at Santa Barbara. Woodburn belongs to the California Medical Association and Ventura County Medical Society. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is also a Fellow with the American College of Surgeons. Woodburn and his wife Caryn have been married for 27 years. The couple has three children: Jeanette, 23, Sharon, 21, and Doug, 18. Dr. Sommer, Chief of Staff at Ojai Valley Community Hospital, joined the staff at CMH in 1978

“President & CEO Gary Wilde has been really incredible at

orchestrating this team effort. He is not just bringing every-body together, he’s bringing the best out of everybody.”


CARING: What are some specific chal-lenges ahead that you are really focused on?

Dr. Sommer: In general the physical plant up in Ojai needs a lot of work and we’re start-ing to act on that. The new Emergency Room expansion is coming up, which is going to be tremendous. And we’re getting new X-ray equipment as well a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) like CMH already has for the computerized storage and retrieval of images and medical information. Dr. Woodburn: A specific challenge we have in the future in Ventura is building a new hospital. It’s an exciting concept. It’s a big chal-lenge, it’s a doable challenge, and it’s a motivat-ing challenge. But it’s going to require a lot of concerted effort, not just of the community but on the part of the Medical Staff and Adminis-tration and Board. Fortunately, I think we’re in a unique situation here because we have such a unified Medical Staff and such a supportive Ad-ministration and supportive Board, that work-ing together I believe we’re going to be able to overcome the challenges that will be involved. [President & CEO] Gary Wilde has been really incredible at orchestrating this team effort. He is not just bringing everybody together, he’s bringing the best out of everybody. CARING: What are your assessments of the new push for “paper performance” where various groups come out with “report cards” for hospitals and physicians?

Dr. Sommer: It’s a little daunting at first. We may get used to it, but it’s going to be a drastic change, and honestly I think it’s going to be difficult to implement, at least to do so fairly and effectively so it has true meaning. What makes it so difficult is there are so many variables in medicine that play a part in patient outcomes and so forth.

Dr. Woodburn: There’s kind of a healthy cynicism amongst physicians because we’re not convinced at this point of the merits of “paper

performance.” We’re cynical about whether the information is accurate and whether it’s meaningful. Don’t get me wrong – there is no question we are very interested in quality care, and improving that quality care. For instance, we have a Quality Assurance Committee that is looking at quality issues all the time.

CARING: Do you feel there is a real sense of family at our hospitals because it truly is neighbors taking care of neighbors?

Dr. Woodburn: Very much so. Patients aren’t a number here; they’re people we know, people we live with. In fact, that’s one of the things we’ve been discussing at the medical staff level – we need to provide a high quality of care because the people we’re taking care of are our friends and our neighbors. So there’s a great connection here.

Dr. Sommer: I wholeheartedly agree. “Neighbors caring for neighbors” is not just a nice phrase, it’s the truth. When you walk through our doors, you are more than a patient; you are our friends and our neighbors. We consider it a privilege to provide you the highest quality healthcare.

Daniel Sommer, M.D. Douglas Woodburn, M.D.

SELECTING A PHYSICIANIS A DIFFICULT DECISION

Community Memorial Health System is here to help. Physician referrals are

available at no charge.

Physician Referral Service(805) 652-5600

“It’s going to bring us new state-of-the-art equipment

as well as some much-needed upgrades to almost every

department at Ojai.”

Every month, Community Memorial Health System offers a variety of support and informational meetings. Please verify meeting date and location with the contact person listed. Sometimes meetings may be cancelled or rescheduled.

Meetings & Support Groups at CMH147 N. Brent St., Ventura

Amputee Support Group6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.Call for meeting dates.Contact: Meg Larramendy(805) [email protected]

Better BreathersAmerican Lung Association3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., 2nd Wed.Contact: Juanita Trine(805) [email protected]

Bariatric Surgery Seminar6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.Selected MondaysContact: Nancy Barber(805) 648-2227, ext. [email protected]

Bariatric Support Group7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m., 3rd Thurs.Contact: Nancy Barber(805) 648-2227, ext. [email protected]

Caregivers Support Group3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m., 2nd Fri.Contact: Marilyn Beebe(805) 445-1181

Diabetes Education Program5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m., every other FridayContact: Quin Rex, RN(805) 797-3676

Diabetes & Weight Management ClassesNutritional management classes.5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m., Tuesday’sContact: Heather Gilliam, Registered Dietitian(805) 652-5061

Diabetes UpdateDiabetes technology update for patients who take insulin. Call for class dates.Contact: Jacquie Berg(805) [email protected]

HICAPInsurance Help for Seniors.1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., 3rd Mon.Contact: Katharine Raley(805) 477-7310, press 4

Hepatitis C Support Group6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., 1st TuesdayContact: Janeen Lyche, RN, FNP(805) 641-6536

Living with Cancer3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m., WednesdaysContact: Carrie Sundberg, LCSW(805) [email protected]

Lymphedema Support Group6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., 3rd Wed.Contact: Melissa Stoen(805) [email protected]

Mended HeartsAmerican Heart Association6:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m., 1st Tues.Contact: Dick Hiser, President(805) 646-4636

Prostate Cancer Support GroupMan to Man Group / American Cancer Society6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m., 2nd Thurs.Contact: May Lee Berry(805) 278-6100, ext. [email protected]

Restless Leg SyndromeSupport group & relevant seminar topics.Meets quarterly on the 3rd Sunday at 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.Contact: Dave Hennerman(805) [email protected]

Stop Smoking Class10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Monday’s, OR6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Thursday’sContact: Kathy Cook(805) 652-3231

Weight Management ClassesOvercoming barriers to weight management.5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m., Tuesday’sContact: Heather Gilliam, Registered Dietitian(805) 652-5061

Meetings & Support Groups at OVCH1306 Maricopa Hwy., Ojai

Stop Smoking ClassCall for class dates.5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.Contact Erika Mendez (805) 640-2203

Meetings at Maternal Child Health House129 N. Joanne St., VenturaContact: 658-BABY (2229) or go to www.cmhhospital.org and click on the Maternal Child Health logo.

• Early Pregnancy, Prepared Childbirth Refresher Classes• Maternity Tours, Sibling Class, Pediatric CPR Class• Prenatal Yoga

Babysitting 101Children 11 years and older learn to be responsible babysitters and how to administer CPR to an infant or child.

Baby & Me, Bittie Baby (Newborn to 3 months), Bigger Baby (3-7 months): Various weekly discussions and breastfeeding support.

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

Non Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDCommunity Memorial

Hospital of San Buenaventura

W Which would you prefer to watch on television: drug or beer commercials? Probably neither, but while beer advertising is clearly more entertaining, both types of commercials are obvi-ously biased toward their product. Now there is an unbiased source of drug information from the

nonprofit group that tells us what cars, TV’s, and probably, what beer is the best. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, has established a web site to guide consumers and doctors in mak-ing more cost-effective prescription drug choices. Drugs are rated on cost and effectiveness. The information is free, but you need a computer and internet connection to access the information. The drug ratings use evaluations developed by the Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP). The project provides an independent and com-prehensive review of the scientific evidence and literature on the effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects of drugs for a given medical condition. Consumers Union translates this information into language the average person can understand and adds cost comparisons. Reports can be printed and discussed with your physician. It is important to understand that the information is not a substitute for a doctor’s judgement but is intended to help your doctor give you the most value for your healthcare dollar. Why hasn’t this been done sooner? Currently, the site lists “best-buy” drug recommendations for 33 medical conditions including Alzheimer’s, depression, diabetes, high

blood pressure, high cholesterol, insomnia, pain, and so on... a total of 33 in all. The site also lists medications by trade and generic name so cost and effectiveness comparisons can be made with similar acting drugs. Utilizing an equally effective “best-buy” drug could result in savings of thousands of dollars each year for uninsured individuals. Those with insurance coverage can save by selecting a drug that will have the lowest out-of-pocket cost under their insurance plan. The site states that drug and cost reports are updated regularly to reflect new research and changing markets, and e-mail updates are available for those who sign up. Finally, the site provides prescription advice for those on Medicare, and critiques the biased information in recent TV advertisements (for drugs, not beer). And remember, it’s all free. For years, understandable and unbiased drug information has been nearly impossible to find. I commend Consumers Union for taking the initiative to provide this information in a manner that everyone can understand. It has been long overdue. Even if you don’t take one of the drugs listed, the web site makes for informative reading. The site is www.crbestbuydrugs.org.

PHARMACIST

CORNERby Gary Metelak


Extending Your Healthcare Dollar

CARING Fall 2007

Documents

Transcript of CARING Fall 2007