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Director of well-known heart study to headline St. Joseph Regional Health Network 7th Annual Cardiovascular Symposium

In its seventh decade, the Framingham Heart Study established much of the conventional wisdom on heart disease, preventative care; St. Joseph experts to discuss valve procedures

The director of a heart study that established much of the now common knowledge regarding heart disease and prevention will be the keynote speaker in Berks County during the 7th Annual Cardiovascular Symposium, coordinated by St. Joseph Regional Health Network�s Heart Institute, on March 16th.

About 150 physicians and other medical professionals from across Pennsylvania will attend the event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Wyomissing. They will hear from medical experts about innovations in the treatment of a variety of complex heart and heart valve ailments, and from William P. Castelli, MD, Director of the Framingham Heart Study, who will present �Seven Decades of Framingham: What Have We Learned?�  Dr. Castelli was named the 3rd Director of the Framingham Study in 1979.

The symposium runs from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Dr. Castelli speaks at 12:30 p.m.

The Framingham Study is a long-term, ongoing cardiovascular study on residents of the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. The study began in 1948 with 5,209 adult subjects from Framingham, and is now on its third generation of participants.

Much of the now-common knowledge concerning heart disease, such as the effects of diet, exercise, and common medications, such as aspirin, is based on this study. 

Andrew Waxler, MD, a cardiologist with Berks Cardiologist, Ltd., and course director for the symposium notes that, prior to Framingham, doctors had little sense of prevention and its importance for heart care.

�(Before Framingham) it was commonly believed that clogging and narrowing of arteries was a normal part of aging and occurred universally as people became older,� Waxler explained.  �High blood pressure and high cholesterol were also seen as normal consequences of aging and there was no treatment for either.  Much of the way preventative cardiology is practiced today has its basis in the Framingham study.� 

Waxler noted that Framingham also established the importance of healthy diet, weight management and regular exercise in maintaining good health, and that there are differences in cardiovascular risk and signs and symptoms between men and women.  He added:  �Almost incomprehensible today, but Framingham also confirmed that cigarette smoking was a significant factor in the development of heart disease.�

Other symposium presenters include:

�Minimally Invasive Aortic Surgery�  presented by Susan M. Trocciola, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Joseph Medical Center.

�New Advances in Valvular Heart Disease, including TAVR� presented by Berks County native Blasé A. Carabello, MD, the Chief of Cardiology at the Texas Heart Institute.

�Future Treatments of Valvular Heart Disease� presented by Guy N. Piegari, Jr., MD, the Medical Director of Interventional Cardiology and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at St. Joseph Medical Center.

�Coronary Artery Disease and Erectile Dysfunction: What�s the Connection� presented by Phillip C. Ginsberg, DO, JD, an urologist at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.

�Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation� presented by Michael D. Ezekowitz, MD, an attending cardiologist at Lankenau, Bryn Mawr and Paoli Hospitals and Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College.

The event is open to qualified medical professionals who can obtain more information from the St. Joseph Medical Affairs office at 610-378-2159.

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Pregnancy takes �centering� stage

Information on the Centering Pregnancy Program, which was supported by St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation�s $726,000 grant announcement earlier this month, will be shared with more than 20 local community organizations at a luncheon Thursday, Feb. 21st in the Langan Allied Health Academy on St. Joseph�s Downtown Reading Campus at 6th and Walnut Streets, Reading, Pa.,  starting at noon.

They event is billed as a chance to �learn first-hand how Centering Pregnancy is making a difference in our community,� according to Camille Stock, Interim Vice President of the St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation. 

The information session includes an opportunity to meet with mothers-to-be currently enrolled in a Centering Pregnancy group.  Michelle Djevharian, Certified Nurse Midwife, will talk about the program�s roots at Yale University to the impact it is having across the nation.  Participants will have an opportunity to observe one of the Centering Pregnancy classes at 1:30 that day.

About Centering Pregnancy:                        
Centering Pregnancy is a multifaceted group model of care that integrates the three major components of care � health assessment, education, and support � into a unified program within a group setting. Eight to twelve women with similar gestational ages meet together, learn care skills, participate in a facilitated discussion and develop a support network with other group members. Each group meets for at least 10 sessions throughout pregnancy and early postpartum and each session lasts approximately 90 minutes.  Within the group space, the medical practitioner and care team complete standard physical health assessments for the women.

Through this unique model of care, women are empowered to choose health-promoting behaviors.  The effectiveness of this model and delivery of care has been measured by health outcomes for pregnancies, specifically increased birth weight and the gestational age of the mother at delivery.  Additionally, scores show increased satisfaction by both the mother and the healthcare providers. 

Centering Pregnancy groups provide a dynamic atmosphere for learning and sharing that is impossible to create in a one-to-one encounter. Instead of short visits alone with a provider, Centering Pregnancy group participants receive approximately 20 hours of prenatal care across pregnancy, compared to about 2 total hours � all at no additional cost.

Centering Pregnancy is prenatal care that serves the general needs of all pregnant women and meets the special needs of racial and ethnic groups. This prenatal care model transcends barriers to bring women together to share what they have in common:  the desire to have a healthy baby and a safe, satisfying labor and delivery experience.  Hearing other women share concerns which mirror their own helps the woman to normalize the whole experience of pregnancy.  

St. Joseph is implementing Centering Pregnancy with patients at our Downtown Reading Campus, and is reaching out to the community by hosting groups at other community based organization sites.

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Working with regional EMS providers, St. Joseph Medical Center�s Heart Institute is setting the standard for opening clogged arteries of heart patients, often in 30 minutes or less, often bypassing the national standards often by a full hour.

Upon receiving a wireless EKG from the field that show the patient is experiencing a heart attack, St. Joseph�s ONE CALL MI ALERT system activates its Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Cath Lab Teams to expedite treatment. 

As the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association approve guidelines to develop balanced, patient-centric recommendations for clinical practice in all hospitals, �St. Joseph�s Heart Institute remains at the forefront of these evidenced-based guidelines which set the standards for emergency cardiovascular practice,� explains Lori Shober, Director of the Heart Institute.

Shober notes that the MI ALERT TEAM partners with Berks� and other EMS professionals on the Central Task Force for AHA�s Mission: Lifeline, to intervene quickly with patients who experience ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)**, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or both.

Shober notes that St. Joseph provided Berks County�s EMS units with wireless EKG technology more than five years ago to improve pre-hospital care and expedite the quick treatment of heart patients.

�Our partnership with EMS has set the standard for care in rapidly treating heart attack patients,� she explained.  �It has worked because we have blended state of the art technology with a tremendously coordinating working relationship.�

Foundation grants help at-risk populations

Reading, PA, February 8th, 2013 � The St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation has announced it will provide $726,000 to fund diabetes and obesity care, pre-natal care for underserved women at its Downtown Reading Campus, and to support a new community wide program that creatively integrates running and exercise to teach life lessons to younger girls.  

Details will be provided at an event today at St. Joseph�s Bern Township campus and attended by representatives from Penn National Gaming Foundation, Berks Encore, Opportunity House, The Hispanic Center, Community Prevention Partnership, YMCA, Berks Women in Crisis and Girls on The Run of Berks County.

Called �Creating a Healthier Community,� the multi-year initiatives further augment St. Joseph�s approach to addressing pre-existing health and social problems in the Berks Community, which were further emphasized in a Community Health Needs Assessment in which St. Joseph participated and was released last week.  The initiatives are designed to meet the unique linguistic and cultural needs of the Hispanic and Latino at‐risk populations.

The funding is part of St. Joseph's Foundation's 2013/2014 annual fund effort and includes contributions from Penn National Gaming Foundation.

�Centering� on Type 2 Diabetes

The St. Joseph Foundation has granted $560,000 over the next two years to expand its Diabetes Management program by creating a comprehensive �Centering Diabetes� program. 

The community health needs assessment reported that one in seven adults (13.9%) in Berks County has been diagnosed with diabetes, a percentage that represents approximately 44,000 adults. Statewide, only 9.5% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes.  The percentage of adults with diabetes is highest among adults in the City of Reading (18.9%), according to the study (page 30/31).  Nearly one‐third of adults in Berks County (30.2%) are obese and more than one‐third (35.9%) overweight.

Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are placing a growing burden on our country and on the healthcare systems.

�Today, we face substantial challenges in transforming care models,� according to Sharon Strohecker, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer.  She says St. Joseph is working on strategies to effectively manage individuals and populations with chronic diseases.

�The health status issues in Reading, as raised in the needs assessment, cannot be addressed without more effective, comprehensive and collaborative approaches to primary care,� Strohecker explained. �Centering Diabetes is a multifaceted approach to care, integrating the three major components of health assessment: education and support in a unified program within a group setting.�

She says Centering Diabetes groups provide a dynamic atmosphere for learning and sharing that is impossible to create in a one-to-one encounter. Instead of short visits alone with a healthcare provider, the centering group participants receive approximately 4 hours of care per month, which significantly contrasts with the 10 to 15 minute office visit � all at no additional cost.

�Centering Diabetes brings the care component, both the provider's assessment and the patient's self-assessment, into the group space,� she explains.

Group members collect their weight and blood pressure data, do blood checks and have foot and eye assessments done within the structure of the group. An individual health check with the provider also occurs with triaging of any complicated issues requiring either privacy or specialist follow-up. 

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body's ability to produce and/or use insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common�and fastest growing�form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Type 2 and many more are unaware they have it or are at high risk. In Type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.  The growth in the number of people who have the disease is linked to the alarming increases in, Strohecker noted.

It Takes a Village:  Centering Pregnancy

The St. Joseph Foundation has secured $151,000 in funding from the Penn National Gaming Foundation to build on its Centering Pregnancy program which offers prenatal care to underserved women.

Clinical studies show that participants in the program have healthier pregnancies which lead to better outcomes including fewer premature births and more moms who are better prepared to handle the challenges of motherhood, according to Elizabeth Currier, Executive Director of St. Joseph�s Downtown Reading Campus.

While many of the Centering classes will be held at St. Joseph�s Downtown Reading Campus, collaborative efforts will help to further expand services.  Two classes will be held at Opportunity House in downtown Reading with free childcare at their Second Street Learning Center for participating moms during class time. (Opportunity House is a multi-service organization that improves the quality of life for children, families and adults who face various obstacles to independence, and supports their efforts to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and well-being.)

Other Center Pregnancy partners will include Berks Encore and Centro Hispano Daniel Torres who will collaborate with St. Joseph to provide informational and referral counselors to help enroll Centering Pregnancy �moms� in social services programs. Penn State Nutrition Links program will provide education on simple solutions to help families eat smart and exercise more. Berks Women in Crisis will provide education on safe home environments and the YMCA of Reading will to help provide childcare for the children of moms attending centering pregnancy classes at the St. Joseph Downtown Reading Campus.

Another partner, Community Prevention Partnership�s Nurse Family Partnership Program (NFP), will provide home visits from registered nurses to first-time, low-income moms (many teens) from birth through age 2. The nurse provides appropriate medical care and also reviews parenting skills and shares child development education.

�By having these experts work directly with our moms, we are able to connect moms to resources in appropriate and meaningful ways,� says Dr. Katherine Navone, Medical Director, St. Joseph Family & Women�s Care.  �Even if we looked at just one outcome, such as increase number of full-term deliveries, we can see a tremendous health and economic impact.�

Girls on The Run of Berks County

Girls on the Run (GOTRB) will be supported with a $15,000 grant from St. Joseph.  GOTRB is a character development and prevention program for girls in grades 3 through 8 which uses a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running as it teaches life lessons in three focus areas.

The girls first learn about who they are and what�s important to them and then move on to examine the role of teams and healthy relationships. Finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape their community and our world. Lessons cover topics such as self-esteem, positive self-talk, gratitude, peer pressure, standing up for oneself, gossiping, bullying, media literacy, the importance of healthy eating, the importance of physical activity, and the importance of community.

The 10-week program culminates in a non-competitive 5K event in which the girls run, walk, hop, skip or jump along with a running buddy in order to celebrate their participation in the program and all realize their full potential.  The program is starting in Berks County this fall, according to Kim Rivera, Executive Director.

GOTRB is planning to launch the program at the following 4 sites:

� Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center � Wyomissing School District
� Glenside Elementary - Reading School District
� Whitfield Elementary - Wilson School District
� Mifflin Park Elementary - Governor Mifflin School District

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Financial Assistance key to St. Joseph�s mission

Reading, Pa., January 31, 2013  -- St. Joseph Regional Health Network�s success in providing quality care in Berks County is matched by its efforts at price transparency and by offering both financial counseling and financial assistance--including free or discounted care--to uninsured or underinsured patients. 

A recent Pennsylvania study of common medical procedures conducted by the Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council (www.phc4.org) lauded St. Joseph's efforts in providing quality care at prices typically lower than other providers in the region.

Since 2008, St. Joseph has offered a price estimator on its website that can be used by any person, regardless of financial situation, to help in understanding the cost of their anticipated healthcare needs. 

According to Maria Franklin, St. Joseph's Director of Patient Access, the online price estimator is usually an opening point for a discussion with a financial counselor who assists patients in understanding what costs and procedures their insurance will cover and what they will be responsible for.   Any patient can discuss their situation with financial counselors, and the online price estimator is available 24/7 www.thefutureofhealthcare.org, click on clinical services.

For patients who need financial assistance

When registered, patients are asked about their coverage for health care services. For those without a form of coverage or whose coverage is not likely to be sufficient, the hospital offers the services of a financial counselor who will review the financial assistance policy and help with the application process. The financial counselors will also screen and assist patients to determine eligibility for state-assisted or other assistance programs.

"For patients who meet guidelines that would lead to significant personal financial difficulty, the hospital has programs that would erase the entire cost of care," says Franklin.  "For people who have the means to pay, but for whom the cost would be a burden given their current financial situation, we offer up to a 50 percent discount regardless of where you live."

All physician services provided by private physicians have separate guidelines and should be reviewed with the physicians' practices.

For more information about qualifying or applying for financial assistance, please contact mariafranklin@catholichealth.net or call 610-378-2389.

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Reading, Pa., January 9, 2013, -- With the outbreak of flu in Berks County expected to peak over the next three weeks, St. Joseph Medical Center will open a Rapid Flu Assessment Area in its Emergency Room in Bern Township to handle the growing volume of patients seeking care for flu-like symptoms.

The Rapid Flu Area will open Monday and will be in operation during the bulk of the time when patients with symptoms are arriving which is between noon and 8 p.m. Monday thru Friday.  The facility will remain open until the outbreak abates.

Patients with flu-like symptoms should check in to the main emergency department in order for a professional triage nurse to fully assess their condition. 

�Triage is an important part of the process, particularly so we can ensure that flu symptoms are not masking something more serious, like a heart or lung condition,� says Sandy Reedy who manages St. Joseph�s Emergency Department.

Reedy say if patients� symptoms are clearly resulting from the flu�and they are not too severe, like suffering from dehydration�patients will be directed to the Rapid Flu Area.   Reedy says state-wide medical and clinical sources are indicating that the flu outbreak is �really just beginning and expected to become more severe over the next three weeks before it breaks.�

Reedy cautions that patients with �co-morbidities�, i.e., another health problem like congestive heart failure combined with the flu, will not be moved to the Rapid Flu Assessment area as their conditions require closer monitoring.

Reedy says by grouping flu patients in the same area it minimizes exposures to others and also will expedite these patients through the Emergency Department.

National business consortium gives St. Joseph Regional Health Network an "A"

The Leapfrog Group grades safety, quality and affordability of hospitals across the nation

St. Joseph Regional Health Network today announced that it earned an "A" in the hospital safety score given by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.

The Hospital Safety Score was calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group's Blue Ribbon Expert Panel using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. U.S. hospitals were assigned an A, B, C, D, or F for their safety.

The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans.

To compare St. Joseph Medical Center�s scores nationally and locally, visit http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/search-result.html?zip_code=19605&hospital=&city=&state_prov=&agree=agree. 

The Hospital Safety Score uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital's overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections and injuries.  The score is calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group's nine-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel.

�Our collective efforts at delivering care with high quality outcomes at an efficient cost are taking real effect as evidenced by Leapfrog�s analysis,� says Network President and Chief Executive Officer John R. Morahan.  �We are one of the most cost-effective providers of quality care in our region.  We offer great value to employers� health insurance programs for those willing to price shop and compare.�

Morahan noted that he was �exceedingly proud� of the hard work and effort put forth by St. Joseph medical staff, and clinical and support staff.

�We are working well together to develop creative, effective and efficient ways to deliver care and to offer even more access to health and wellness services for more people,� he explained.  �By building on our tradition of innovation and our legacy of care we will continue to build a healthier community in body, mind and spirit.�

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Severe Asthma patients are breathing easier with new Bronchial Thermoplasty treatment at St. Joseph Medical Center

St. Joseph Medical Center is offering a new treatment that can dramatically reduce the impact of Asthma for most people 18 years and older.  It did for Raymond Arndt.  As a severe asthmatic, he was hospitalized 45 times in the past two years related to his Asthma condition, but with Bronchial Thermoplasty with the Alair® System he is breathing easier, literally and figuratively. 

Arndt, of Florida, was the first patient to undergo the series of outpatient procedures at St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading, Pa., in October, and the Reading native has returned to his Florida home feeling better than he has in years.

�My wife could not keep up with me at the airport,� Arndt, a Reading native, reported as he boarded the plane to his home in Florida.  �I am looking forward to getting my life back.�

More than 20 million Americans live with asthma every day and are aware of their symptoms throughout the year.  Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes the airways in the lungs to narrow and makes it hard to breathe.  For people with asthma, this condition can significantly impact their quality of life and, in some cases, can be life threatening.  According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), asthma accounts for approximately 13 million asthma attacks, 2 million emergency room visits, 500,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths each year.  There is no cure for asthma, however, asthma can be managed with proper education and treatment.

Bronchial Thermoplasty is the first non-drug procedure approved by the FDA for the treatment of severe persistent asthma in patients 18 years and older whose asthma is not well controlled with standard asthma medications (inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists).  The procedure uses a small catheter to deliver controlled energy to the airways of the lung to reduce the amount of excessive airway smooth muscle.  This reduction decreases the muscle�s ability to constrict the airways, resulting in a decreased frequency of asthma attacks.  In clinical studies, the benefits of bronchial thermoplasty included reduced severe asthma attacks, decreased visits to the ER and hospital for respiratory symptoms, and less time lost from work and school due to asthma.

More information on the procedure is available at www.BTforAsthma.com.  Information is available from St. Joseph Medical Center at 610-378-2155.

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Strausstown group votes unanimously in selecting St. Joseph Regional Health Network as partner

St. Joseph will locate health services in new community campus.

The Strausstown Volunteer Fire Company and Community Campus Board of Directors last week unanimously voted to accept St. Joseph Regional Health Network�s proposal to offer health services in the Strausstown Community Campus, formerly the Strausstown Elementary School.

St. Joseph�s will provide primary care, urgent care, laboratory, radiology, employee health services and, potentially, specialty care from the new outpatient location in late Spring/early Summer 2013.

St. Joseph�s was selected over other healthcare providers by the Strausstown organization which began its search in response to a community survey that indicated the need for more medical services locally. The survey was conducted by Kutztown University and the Berks County Area Agency on Aging. It was distributed to 5,000 residents in the vicinity of Strausstown, including the area from Shartlesville to Bethel and south to Bernville.

�We worked hard on behalf of all of our residents to find a partner that understands our needs and that really knows our community,� said Campus Chairman Scott I. Sechler. �We feel St. Joseph has the clinical network and capabilities to meet those needs and that, as an organization, they would be particularly flexible in serving our area as our needs change over time. We look forward to working together to provide these important services as quickly as possible.�

�We are pleased to be working with the residents of Northwestern Berks County in bringing access to healthcare closer to their community. We are also happy to participate in the reuse of the former Strausstown Elementary School and being good stewards of existing community resources,� said Mary Hahn, St. Joseph�s Vice President of Strategy and Business Development

Hahn noted that St. Joseph was familiar with the community through the network�s family practice office currently in Strausstown and that the hospital�s senior staff spent a great deal of time engaging the leaders and residents in a dialog about their needs.

�The community was very thoughtful and detailed in its approach, so it was even more affirming to have been selected,� Hahn added.

The Strausstown Community Campus is located on Route 183, near I-78 and about 14 miles from St. Joseph�s Bern Township Campus. The Strausstown Volunteer Fire Company and Community Campus is the non-profit group that owns the property where St. Joseph�s will house its services.

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