Winter Health & Hope edition

voyageSt. Pat’s cardiologists travel inside the arteries to save lives

Fantasticvoyage

S A I N T PAT R I C K . O R GS A I N T J O E S. O R G

YO U R G U I D E TO H E A LT H Y L I V I N G W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

Health & Hope

MORE INSIDE!• CANCER CARE• JOINT REPLACEMENT• SAVING ENERGY

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Our Men’s Heart Health Program is a comprehensive program to help men identify and treat their risks for heart disease. The program consists of an EKG, cardiac specific lab draw and three office visits, all for $75. Please call 406-329-5615 to enroll.

Enroll in our Men’s Heart Health Program.Heart health starts here.

saintpatrick.org

Alexander Jehle, M.D. Rick McNelis, R.N. Christine Bond, Dietitian Donna Fuller, R.N.

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CONTENTS

4 UPFRONT WITH ST. PAT’SSt. Patrick Hospital earns more kudos for environmental efforts; the new-est team member at the Women’s Care Center helps patients develop a winning treatment program.

6 FEELING YOUR WAY THROUGH CANCERExplore the emotional ups and downs of cancer treatment, plus learn some straightforward solutions for how to cope.

14 LOCAL CAREThe total joint replacement program at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center means Mission Valley residents don’t need to travel for quality orthopedic care.

15 THE FOUNDATION OF CARELandscape mural photography now beautifi es the view for St. Pat’s most medically vulnerable patients and their loved ones.

16 THE SPIRIT OF PROVIDENCEFirst Step Resource Center’s clinical supervisor helps victims of abuse and assault begin their journey to a happier life.

815

16 6

THE STATE OF CARDIAC CAREOver nearly 40 years, St. Pat’s cardiac cath lab has moved from a diagnostic center to a place where interventional procedures save lives. PAGES 8–13

Our MissionAs people of Providence, we reveal God’s love for all, especially the poor and vulnerable, through our compassionate service.

Our VisionTogether, as people of Providence, we answer the call of every person we serve: Know me, care for me, ease my way.

On the cover: St. Patrick Hospital cardiology team members Mark Sanz, M.D.; Tod Maddux, M.D.; Stan Wilson, M.D.; Simone Musco, M.D.; Richard Goulah, M.D., FACC; Phil Roper, M.D.; Michael Reed, M.D.; Sharon Hecker, M.D.; Brad Berry, M.D.

Winter 2012 Health & Hope | 3saintpatrick.org

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Health & Hope

ST. PATRICK HOSPITAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Scott Burke, Chair

Stephen Hiro, M.D., Vice Chair

Martin Burke

Jeff Fee

James Foley

Anne Guest

Greg Kazemi, M.D.

Leonard Landa

Fr. Richard Perry

Molly Shepherd

Michael Snyder, M.D.

Printed on recycled paper.

SENIOR EDITOR:Sam Mittelsteadt

ART DIRECTOR:Tami Rodgers

PRODUCTIONTECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR:Mary Winters

PRODUCTION MANAGER:Laura Marlowe

V.P./CREATIVE DIRECTOR:Beth Tomkiw

CREATIVE DIRECTOR:Lisa Altomare

IMAGING SPECIALIST:Dane Nordine

COVER ART:Mark Bryant

Health & Hope is published three times annually by McMurry, 1010 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014. © 2012 McMurry.

The material in Health & Hope is not intended for diagnos ing or prescribing. Consult your physician before under taking any form of medical treatment or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines.

For permission to reprint any portion of this magazine, to give us a new address, to let us know that you are receiving more than one copy or if you would prefer not to receive Health & Hope, call 888-626-8779.

Want to receive Health & Hope electronically?

It’s easy—just email [email protected] with “Health & Hope” as your subject line.

UPFRONT WITH ST. PAT’S

Certifi ed physician assistant Jean Higgins-Peretto

HELPING WOMEN BE THEIR HEALTHIESTCertifi ed physician assistant Jean Higgins-Peretto, who has more than 10 years of experience caring for families and their primary care needs, is especially interested in wellness and prevention—and she lives the lifestyle! An avid rock climber, hiker and triathlete, Jean appreciates the value of fi tness and feeling great. She joins the other providers at the Women’s Care Center, which offers in-novative primary care to women of all ages.

Take the “Morning of Wellness”: In this popular and effective program, women see their provider fi rst, then have labs and scans performed before gathering with others for a morning of breakfast, yoga, education and sharing on topics such as emotional balance, optimizing sleep, self-compassion, simplifying nutrition and healthy hearts. Then they check in again with their provider to get lab results and make a plan for care.

Women’s Care providers use what they call the EMBERS approach in treatments, focusing on Emotions, Mind, Body, Environment, Relationships and Spirituality. Health is not just being free of bodily disease—it is more full and robust, involving a more complete sense of health and addressing risks of illness more broadly.

Save the date! The second annual Turning the Tide conference will be Feb. 24–25. For more information, go to saintpatrick.org and at the top of the page, click “Events.”

4 | Health & Hope Winter 2012 saintpatrick.org

TURNING THE TIDEThe annual Turning the Tide event focuses on the intersection of human health and the natural environment. We may understand we need clean air and clean water to be healthy, but it can be diffi cult to see how our life choices harm the health of the natural environ-ment … which in turn can cause health problems for us.

The theme of this year’s conference is “What Is Our Obligation to the Future?” with public health specialist Ted Schettler, M.D., as keynote speaker.

Schedule your annual exam today!To make an appointment at the Women’s Care Center, call 406-327-3057. The center is on the third fl oor of the Broadway Building.

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UPFRONT WITH ST. PAT’S

A great place to work

Want to become part of the Providence team? Go to

ProvidenceIsCalling.jobs to see all the opportunities that Providence Health & Services has for you!


HAVINGTHEIR SAYTHROUGH SHARED GOVERNANCE,ST. PAT’S NURSES CAN WEIGH INON DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEM

About one-third of the staff members at St. Patrick Hospital are nurses who play a role in almost every clinical, administrative and edu-cational setting. To do the complex work that is needed and meet professional goals, nurses need to be organized and visionary at once.

A growing trend in nursing is shared gover-nance, where input from industry professionals helps infl uence policies and organizational decisions that affect their work. Discussions about shared governance began at St. Pat’s in 2005, and a system was put in place the following year.

In the six years since, hundreds of changes were inspired by or resulted from monthly councils that meet about specifi c topics,

Watch our Core Values in action To learn about the inspiration for our fi ve Core Values (including Stewardship) and how they direct our decisions, go to saintpatrick.org and under “About St. Patrick Hospital,” select “Our Core Values.”

Watt a difference!St. Patrick Hospital, working with Northwestern Energy, has taken some major steps toward energy savings. By reworking the chilled water pumping system, the hospital will save 1.5 million kilowatt-hours per year. An incentive program from Northwestern Energy helps pay upfront costs, so St. Pat’s can enjoy signifi cant savings. As an example, a portion of this work has been completed regarding our electricity for the data center. While we expected to save $6,000 a year, our fi rst year showed that we saved $31,000—while also helping the environment. This effort to decrease environmental impact refl ects St. Pat’s Core Value of Stewardship, which says: “We strive to care wisely for our people, our resources, and our earth.”

“Saving this much energy all in one shot is the most signifi cant energy-saving project any of us at St. Pat’s have ever worked on,” says Tim Chopp, supervisor of facilities.

such as professional development, clinical operations and medication safety. The chairmen of those councils also meet monthly, to keep everyone aware of clinical concerns that could affect nursing careers.

In addition to unit-based councils dedicated to clinical con-cerns in specifi c areas or departments, in 2011 St. Pat’s added a nursing research council and a night shift council dedicated to issues that are unique to those who work evening hours.

At St. Pat’s, shared governance serves as a platform for nurses in an ongoing effort to provide the best care we can to patients while also supporting the professional needs and strengths of nurses.

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saintpatrick.org

cancerFeeling

your waythrough

Patients facing a cancer di-agnosis quickly learn about the physical toll treatment takes on their bodies. But the mental health seas you

will navigate are diffi cult to fore-cast. Absent-minded days and mid-night worry sessions are expected for those facing cancer, as are bright spots of hope and optimism.

Here are a few common mental characteristics of cancer, and options for optimizing your mental health.

B Y L O R A S H I N N

The emotional side of cancer treatment

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Tap Into an Online Support SystemThe Cancer Survivors Network at csn.cancer.org offers chat

rooms, blogs, photo sharing and other ways to sustain your spirits.

Feeling: Anxiety WHY IT HAPPENS: “When people are fi rst diagnosed and hear the word cancer, many people associate that word with death,” says Andy Kneier, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who helps people cope with cancer’s challenges and dilemmas, and the author of Finding Your Way Through Cancer. It’s a common reaction, he says, but fortunately, in many cases, today’s cancer treatments support long-term survival.WHAT TO EXPECT: Anxiety permeates every cancer diagnosis, from the initial screening test through treatment. The what-ifs of the future can nag at you at inopportune moments—or throughout the day. You may feel afraid of death, physical pain, being alone, overdependence on friends or family, or how your cancer will affect your family. You may feel like your future is out of your control, and that you have few choices.HOW TO WORK WITH IT: Anxiety can strike after diagnosis, during treatment or even when you’re in remission. Here’s how to handle it:

Find a mental health therapist specializing in cancer treatment, or join a cancer support group and share your frank concerns within a support-ive environment.

Set aside a few minutes in the morning to get all your anxiety out of the way, Dr. Kneier says. This may include concerns about loved ones, a poor outcome or treatment side effects. Then try to go about your day. When nagging thoughts crop up, remind yourself that you’ve already worried about those things today, and set aside those worries for tomorrow. “With practice, people get really good at managing their fears,” Dr. Kneier says.

Discuss your anxiety with your physician, as worry may be a side effect of treatment medi-cations. A short-term antianxiety prescription may help you get through this rough patch.

cancer Feeling: “Chemo brain” WHY IT HAPPENS: Chemotherapy helps your body fi ght cancer cells, but the chemo agents can also damage normal cells, including brain cells. Patients call these changes in brain function “chemo brain” or “chemo fog.”WHAT TO EXPECT: Chemo brain involves your brain’s executive functioning aspects such as short-term memory, multitasking, motivation, attention and concentration, says Dan Silverman, M.D., Ph.D., a physician specializing in the effects of cancer and cancer therapies on brain function, and the coauthor of Your Brain After Chemo. Many survivors complain that symptoms persist years after undergoing their last cancer treatment.HOW TO WORK WITH IT: It becomes even more important to boost your brain’s natural defenses, both during and after chemotherapy, Dr. Silverman says. Among his suggestions:

Maintain your protein intake at 60 grams per day to ensure proper amino acid levels, which help the brain function more effi ciently.

Head to bed and wake up at the same time daily. A dependable daily rhythm maintains your internal clock, which helps your brain function optimally.

Most important, exercise on a regular basis (20 to 30 minutes per session, three or four times per week), even if you have to ask a friend to help you establish a routine and keep you on your toes. “Aerobic exercise helps grow back brain neurons that were killed off by chemotherapy in a part of the brain critical for memory functions,” Dr. Silverman says.

Feeling: Hope WHY IT HAPPENS: Although anxiety and chemo brain affect many patients, most people also feel hopeful while fi ghting cancer. Positive patients may cope better with physical symptoms, are more able to reach out to others for support and enjoy a better quality of life, Dr. Kneier says.HOW TO WORK WITH IT: Some cancer-healing books or friends encourage a relentlessly cheerful attitude, which can make you feel person-ally responsible for your illness. Hope is a positive emotion, but it’s OK not to feel hopeful all the time. Follow these tips:

Don’t feel guilty if you experience negative feelings or periods of pessimism. Dr. Kneier says there’s no correlation between positivity and survival rates. You are not personally responsible for cancer’s course.

Strive to avoid the extremes, whether unreal-istic hope or a pessimistic, anxious attitude. It can be a struggle to balance optimism and realism, Dr. Kneier says. “People have perfectly valid reasons for being afraid or anxious. Cancer happens to a human being, and you’re only human,” he says.

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THE STATE OF CARDIAC CARE

Cardiologist Stan Wilson, M.D., was the fi rst to work in St. Patrick Hospital’s cath lab when it opened in 1974.

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Catheterization treatments mean less blood loss, faster recoveries

Fixing the system from

Cutting-edge heart procedures often involve very little cutting. That’s because doctors can now treat diseased arteries not by slicing through to them, but by traveling inside them. The procedure—catheterization, or “cath” for short—uses a

high-tech system of tiny fl exible tubes to diagnose and treat blockages.

The history of St. Pat’s cath lab refl ects the evolution of this fast-changing fi eld, including its most stunning breakthroughs.

The inside storyWhen the cath lab opened in 1974, its staff consisted of one doctor, one nurse and one technician.

The doctor, interventional cardiologist Stan Wilson, M.D., was fresh from his training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. With a blend of medical skill and youthful charm, he persuaded St. Patrick Hospital to move to a procedure that just a few years before had migrated from research labs to hospitals.

It was a good move. In the 38 years since Dr. Wilson’s fi rst day in the lab, it has grown more than thirtyfold, keeping pace with a torrent of advances in catheterization technology—and making major contributions of its own.

within

Winter 2012 Health & Hope | 9


Dr. Wilson recalls that in the early 1970s, “catheterization was a diagnostic tool, period.” It was used to deliver “contrast” to the heart so blocked arteries could show up better in X-rays, which were then used to plan bypass surgery. The fi rst big step beyond diagnostics was angio-plasty, a technique that allowed catheters carry-ing tiny balloons to force open blocked arteries. Dr. Wilson and his recently recruited colleague, George Reed, brought the new procedure to St. Pat’s in 1982.

By the very next year, the hospital’s emergen-cy room was using angioplasty to stabilize heart attacks. “That was quite early for a community hospital,” recalls Dr. Wilson. St. Pat’s “was at the leading edge of heart procedures.”

2012 HEART EXPOSt. Patrick Hospital’s annual Heart Expo is a great way to make sure you’re taking good care of your ticker. Among the displays, demonstrations and information booths at the free event:

• Physicians and care providers at the International Heart Institute of Montana (IHI) will present informative lectures on the medical therapies, procedures, treatments and research being conducted at IHI.

• Get a lipids and glucose blood screen for $5, a prostate-specifi c antigen test for $10 or a thyroid stimulating hormone test available for $10. Payment is by cash or check only, and do not eat or drink anything for 12 hours before the test. Refreshments follow the test.

Expansion effortsIn 1994, the lab incorporated another recent revolution in interventional cardiology: stents. Tiny tubes of compressed wire mesh, stents could be placed in an artery and expanded by a balloon to create a permanent scaffold.

In recent years, innovation has just kept ac-celerating. Stents are now cut from pencil-lead-thick cylinders of exotic metals by computer-guided lasers. They’re coated with drugs that can prevent the growth of artery-blocking scar tissue. Biodegradable stents are not far off.

And St. Pat’s remains at the leading edge: The cath lab’s staff of cardiologists uses catheterization to address an ever-wider range of medical issues—and with increasingly innovative techniques.

Voyage to the futureLooking back almost four decades, Dr. Wilson observes that “St. Pat’s has made major contri-butions ... to angioplasty and to stenting.” Dr. Wilson himself has contributed, most recently by inventing the Stent for Bifurcation, a soon-to-be-approved device that expands into a forked shape, to support not just an artery, but also that artery’s branch.

When Dr. Wilson ponders the next four de-cades, he’s at a rare loss for the right words. “You can’t imagine what’s coming,” he ventures. But if he had to speculate, what does he think will be the next step in the medical journey of cardiolo-gists? For Dr. Wilson, it won’t be a mere step. “It’ll be an exponential leap.”

Ashley Harden, left, a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist who assists physicians with invasive procedures, and registered nurse Lisa Stelling examine an ultrasound of a patient’s coronary artery.


Make plans to attendThe annual Heart Expo will be 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 11, at the

St. Patrick Hospital Broadway Building Con-ference Center, 500 W. Broadway. The free event is open to the public; no registration is required. Information: 406-329-5668 or [email protected].


Stay heart-healthy

N eed an action plan for your heart health? St. Patrick Hospital has developed programs to help men and women determine their risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, then address those risks through diagnostic testing, education and treatment.

St. Pat’s programs are designed to addressmen’s and women’s different needs

Take the fi rst step today!To make an appointment for the heart health

programs, call 406-329-5615.

THE MEN’S HEART HEALTH PROGRAM INCLUDES:• Initial nurse assessment (1 hour)• Fasting blood sugar and cholesterol panel, and diagnostic 12-lead

EKG• Follow-up appointment with medical provider to discuss results and

make a plan for risk reduction (1 hour)• Appointment with exercise physiologist or dietitian, or both• One-month free membership to St. Patrick Hospital Wellness Center• Recommendations for more tests or treatment, as needed• Phone support and education from trained registered and licensed

practical nurses• Follow-up appointment (30 minutes) after two months• Final meeting after six months, along with certifi cate of participation

and a giftThere are also invitations to optional educational, inspirational and fun events throughout the year. Cost is $75.

THE WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH PROGRAM INCLUDES:• Initial nurse assessment (1 hour)• Follow-up appointment with medical provider to discuss results and

make a plan for risk reduction (1 hour)• Fasting blood sugar and cholesterol panel, and diagnostic 12-lead

EKG• Recommendations for more tests or treatment, as needed• Phone support and education from trained registered and licensed

practical nurses• Halfway-point follow-up appointment (30 minutes) after six months• Final meeting after one year, along with certifi cate of participation

and a giftThere are also invitations to optional educational, inspirational and fun events throughout the year. Cost is $50.



different blocks

Different docs for

THE STATE OF CARDIAC CARE

Thanks to cath lab medical director Tod Maddux, M.D.,St. Patrick Hospital was among 36 sites in the U.S. that tested a clip to repair the heart’s mitral valve, instead of doing so through traditional surgery.



different blocks

For such important, lifesaving procedures,only St. Pat’s specialists like these will do

director. One of Dr. Maddux’s specialties is a relatively new procedure called PFO/ASD closure. That’s the technical name for patching a hole between the two top chambers of the heart using an expandable, twin-disc shaped device.

His other specialty is the repair of the mitral valve, which regulates the fl ow of blood between the heart’s two left chambers. The valve was traditionally treated with surgery, but a re-cent procedure allows cardiologists such as Drs. Maddux and Sanz to reinforce it by installing a special clip.

—————While these “mitral clips” were still in the

experimental phase, Dr. Maddux became a passionate advocate. He has not only trained and become certifi ed in the procedure but has also arranged for St. Pat’s to serve as one of only 36 test sites in the country, most of them hospitals in major cities. “It’s a testament to our long-standing reputation as a valve center of excellence that we even qualifi ed for the trial,” he says. “And that’s one reason patients are sent to St. Pat’s from around the Northwest—we take on the complex cases that other hospitals can’t address.”

Sometimes, however, the problem is not with the heart’s arteries or valves, but with its tempo. Electrical signals keep the heart’s muscles fi ring in a precise sequence and, if a cardiologist deter-mines that those signals are getting crossed, the patient will be referred to Simone Musco, M.D., the cath lab’s electrophysiologist. Dr. Musco can restore the right rhythm by installing a pacemak-er or defi brillator or, in some cases, by removing targeted tissues in a process called ablation.

Every cardiologist in the cath lab at St. Patrick Hospital can both diagnose and treat patients, but diagnostic specialists Brad Berry, M.D., and Sharon Hecker, M.D., get to the heart of the problem.

Diagnosticians begin by making a small inci-sion in the groin, then guiding a tiny wire into the leg’s main femoral artery and up the arterial system to the heart. Next, a fl exible plastic cath-eter follows the wire and injects a dye that shows up in X-rays.

After assessing the images, a diagnostician may recommend bypass surgery, especially if the artery is completely blocked. If stenting is safer or surgery too risky, diagnosticians could call in a cardiologist who specializes in intervention.

—————Interventionalists maintain the same arterial

route followed by the diagnostician, but inside each catheter is a compressed stent the thickness of a pencil lead, surrounding a defl ated balloon. Once the catheter reaches the blockage, the balloon is infl ated, pressing the stent against the expanded artery wall.

While stenting can be used to open arter-ies on the heart, it can also be applied to the “peripherals,” most commonly the legs. In fact, peripheral catheterization and stenting is one of the specialties of Michael Reed, M.D., the most recent member of the cath lab medical staff.

—————Mark Sanz, M.D., a 23-year St. Pat’s veteran,

works on coronary arteries and peripherals but has an additional specialty: abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). An aneurysm is a weakened section of an artery wall that can expand and rupture. That can be bad news. The good news is that in certain situations, AAAs can now be stabilized without surgery, and that’s where Dr. Sanz comes in—literally. He uses CT scans or MRIs to monitor the affected artery and, when it reaches a critical diameter, he installs a special fabric-covered stent. Depending on how far down the aortic artery it’s located, the stent can have one or, in a more involved procedure, two legs.

—————In addition to treating blocked and weak-

ened arteries, catheterization is being used to repair the walls of the heart and even its valves. Both applications have been brought to St. Pat’s by Tod Maddux, M.D., the cath lab’s medical



LOCAL CARE

Many people are skeptical that a small-town hospital could provide the same quality healthcare as larger medical centers, but residents of Polson and surrounding areas now can receive the special orthopedic care they need, close to home instead of traveling to Kalispell, Missoula or Spokane.

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center’s total joint replacement program and board-certifi ed orthopedic surgeon Michael Righetti, M.D., who has more than 25 years of experience, make it possible for patients to receive high-quality surgery and compassionate care in the Mission Valley.

St. Joe’s personalized joint replacement pro-gram provides patients and their family members with education and support as soon as the surgical procedure is considered, and continues all the way through recovery. Components include individualized consultation, evaluation, and treatment from a physi-cal therapist, occupational therapist, pharmacist and social services.

The team also visits the patient’s home before surgery and throughout recovery to ensure the proper discharge equipment has been coordinated and safety hazards have been addressed. With this program, indi-viduals can maximize their recovery after total joint replacement surgery.

Participating in the joint replacement program from the beginning and immediately after the proce-dure can make a positive difference in surgery results, including shorter inpatient stay and fewer postopera-tive complications.

QUALITY CARE STARTS AT HOMESt. Joe’s total joint replacement program even includes house visits for safety’s sake

Peace of mind—just a call away!

To discover more about the total joint replacement program, call 406-883-5680.

Michael Righetti, M.D.


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sphgift.org

THE FOUNDATION OF CARE

St. Patrick Hospital’s most medically vulnerable patients are admitted to the intensive care unit, where they

typically are confi ned to their beds. Windows in four rooms faced a two-story beige stucco wall, which patients and their visiting loved ones saw during their stay and provided small distraction from a life surrounded by medical equipment and walls. Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, aides, chap-lains and ICU staff also experience the intensity of being in the ICU, both professionally and emotionally. As they provide care to the patients in these rooms, they have little to look at to gain a moment’s respite from the sobering nature of their work.

After a conversation between registered nurse John Breen and Mike Cox, vice president of Mission Leadership, the suggestion to use the wall to provide a more soothing environment went to the Healing Environment Committee, which includes representatives from the hospital

ROOMS WITH A VIEWFoundation gift beautifi es life for ICU patients and families

Just one click makes a difference

Donating online to the St. Patrick Hospital Foundation

is an easy way to instantly make a difference in your community. Choose the amount you’d like to give and, if desired, a specifi c department to be the recipient. Go to saintpatrick.org and at the top of the page, click “Donate.”

Generous gifts from donors helped brighten the view from patient rooms in the intensive care unit. Now windows look out on two wall-mounted, mural-sized nature photos by Lance Schelvan: High in the Tobacco Roots, left, and Missoula Valley from Blue Mountain.

and Providence Medical Group. The commit-tee’s purpose is to support the hospital’s Mission of providing compassionate care by attending to the environment that patients, visitors and staff experience. This includes anything from messages on signs and visibility of the chapel to viewable artwork and development of respite spaces for family members.

To offer a soothing, inspiring view of the natural world, the committee decided to hang mural-sized photographs of Montana nature scenes on the wall, and requested funds from the St. Patrick Hospital Foundation.

The committee approached Lance Schelvan, a photographer whose nature prints hang through-out St. Pat’s inpatient facilities, and he suggested two murals, 7 feet high and 10 feet long. The photographs were specially cast and laminated using a powder-coated metal process that is made to last indefi nitely outdoors, fi lling a once-beige wall with color and life.


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NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

P A I DABOUT HEALTH

THE SPIRIT OF PROVIDENCE

St. Patrick Hospital500 W. BroadwayMissoula, MT 59802

THE FIRST STEP TO SAFETYClinical supervisor helps victims of abuse, neglect and assault

You wouldn’t think that Mary Pat Hansen would smile as much as she does. For the past six years, she has been a nurse practitio-ner at First Step Resource Center, a place that sees child victims

of abuse, neglect and endangerment, child witnesses to violence and adult victims of sexual assault.

She’s now the clinical supervisor at First Step, where part of her job is doing forensic interviews, structured conversations with children who are brought to First Step when abuse is suspected. A thorough talk with Hansen could reduce the number of interviews—with law enforcement, medical staff, child protection agencies, etc.—that the child would other-wise need to sit through.

First Step, which is accredited through the National Children’s Alliance, sees about 300 cases a year and coordinates with medical and mental health providers, social service professionals, advocates, and law enforce-ment and prosecution offi cials.

At First Step, children and adults see trained professionals who specialize in responding to these kinds of trauma—no waiting in an emergency department as patients with life-threatening injuries require more immediate help. Professionals are on call 24/7, and also provide family support services and mental health screening and assessment in coordination with the team.

“I feel honored to do the work that I do,” says Mary Pat. “Sometimes I am the fi rst person to hear their story; they’ve entrusted me with a personal trauma and I do my best to hold it carefully and respectfully. I do what I can to make this part of the process a little bit better.” “I do what I can to make

this part of the process

a little bit better.”Report child abuse!

If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call Montana Centralized Intake at 866-820-KIDS (5437). If you

have questions, call First Step at 406-329-5776.

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Winter Health & Hope edition

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Transcript of Winter Health & Hope edition