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"MMH Medical Education Program Receives Accreditation with Commendation" Hospital Happenings May 2008 It is always my pleasure to talk about the wonderful physicians that we have at Montrose Memorial Hospital. The depth and breadth of our medical staff is phenomenal for a hospital this size. Our physician recruitment program is very successful and one of the reasons that doctors are interested in joining MMH is because of our excellent Continuing Medical Education (CME) program. Our CME program must be surveyed and accredited by the Colorado Medical Society Committee on professional Education and Accreditation on a regular basis. Their responsibility is to see that the established standards for accreditation are observed by participating organizations. MMH’s program was recently re-surveyed and awarded top honors of Accreditation with Commendation for a period of six years! We are the ONLY program in Colorado that has ever been awarded a six year accreditation. Montrose Memorial Hospital’s CME program was first accredited in 1978 and holds the distinction of being the first program accredited in the State of Colorado. Over 100 hours of instruction was provided for physicians in 2007 which includes formal lectures from a variety of medical specialists, case presentation conferences and videoconferencing with other institutions. During their Doctor’s Day celebration, the medical staff enjoyed a lively game of “Medical Jeopardy” hosted by Dr. Charles Manak, Director of Medical Education. Dr. Manak oversees the development of CME programs along with Julie Disher and Nancy Abel, with input from the hospital’s Continuing Medical Education Committee and the Fall Clinics Committee. Here are some comments regarding MMH’s CME program from some of our new physicians. Dr. Charles Harper, Otolaryngologist (ears, nose and throat) physician said: “I feel that the continuing medical education program offered by MMH is the best I’ve ever seen.” "Physicians here are a lot more academic than some of their big city counterparts. They take continuing education seriously here and provide a great level of dedicated, very personal care" states Randall Raziano, Radiologist. MMH is one of only a few hospitals in the state of Colorado that require our physicians to complete a minimum of 100 hours of CME every two years. We congratulate the physicians on their standards and achievements of excellence.

Montrose Memorial Hospital Upgrades website to Provide Community Health Education and Information How many of you have used the internet to find information about your health? In the latest Pew Internet study, 80% of adult Internet users (113 million) report they have used the Internet to look up health information. The Internet plays a major role in the lives of our patients and the community in general. The staff at MMH has been working hard to improve our health toolbox to make it easier and faster for our community to find the answers they need to help manage the health of their families. At www.montrosehospital.com, we recently added Discovery Hospital, an online health content service, to make the information on our website more in depth and easier to access. Discovery Hospital gives us online health information (consisting of over 7,500 pages of health-related articles and interactive tools) specifically designed to assist you in managing your health more effectively. The library on Discovery Hospital includes a wealth of information and tools to help patients manage their health. Among the thousands of pages of useful information patients can access, topics include: Disease and Condition Information, Self-Management of Symptoms, Health Risk Assessments, Behavioral Change tools, Drug Reference Database, Parenting Information, Diet and Fitness, Pediatrics and much more. They have great pictures and videos which can be used for teaching and learning. You can get information about your upcoming surgical procedure and even take an anatomy tour and explore different basic systems in the body. When you go to www.montrosehospital.com, just click on the Discovery Hospital button to access the educational information. In addition to the Discovery Hospital content library, we also added a virtual web nursery. Many parents comment that they would like to be able to send pictures to family and friends immediately following the birth of their child. Now, parents will be able to provide a link to their baby’s picture to family and friends throughout the world who might otherwise miss this special occasion. As always, Montrose Memorial Hospital continues to focus on delivering high-quality care and health information to the region. We believe these health tools will allow us to fulfill our mission in continuing to be a health resource in a new and creative manner.

The Montrose Memorial Hospital Stroke Support Group meets the last Thursday of every month at 11:00am on the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at MMH. Please call Amy at 240-7369 with any questions

What is MRSA and What can we Do?

What is MRSA and What can we Do? Hospital Happenings, November 2007 We have all seen and heard a lot about MRSA infections in the newspapers and on television lately. The information can be quite confusing and cause undo concern if it is not completely understood. I hope to give you some easy to understand information that will help you appreciate and be aware of these types of infections. Some germs that commonly live on the skin and in the nose are called staphylococcus or "staph" bacteria. About one third of the population has these bacteria on them, but they aren’t sick. However, sometimes these germs get inside the body through a break in the skin and cause an infection and these infections can usually be treated with antibiotics. In some instances, common antibiotics don’t kill the staph bacteria, which means the bacteria have become resistant to those antibiotics commonly used to treat it. Dubbed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it is one of the first germs to outsmart all but the most powerful drugs. MRSA was first identified in the 1960’s and was mainly found in hospitals and nursing homes. This occurred because antibiotics were being given to people when they weren’t needed, and because patients were not taking antibiotics as directed. In the 1990s, a type of MRSA began showing up in the wider community and is responsible for many serious skin and soft tissue infections. Staph infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. They can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. It is important to note that MRSA staph "bugs" are not any more aggressive or invasive than regular staph "bugs." The only difference is that they are resistant to some antibiotics and need to be treated with different drugs. They are not "Super Bugs" because they cause more damage or disease, but only because we have to use stronger medicines to treat them. The best thing you can do to decrease your chances of getting MRSA is to cleanse your hands often. Soap and warm water work great and when that is not available, you can sanitize your hands with an alcohol-based hand gel. It’s important to keep an eye on any sores you have on your body and contact your health care provider immediately if you see signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, pain, or pus. Do not share towels, razors, toothbrushes or other personal items and take good care of your skin. The physicians and staff at MMH continually receive education and updates about staph infections, MRSA, and how to prevent the spread of all infections. The overall infection rate for patients at MMH is 1 to 1.5%. This is a very low rate of infection acquisition even for a rural hospital. Most infection control literature you read, including that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says that the commonly reported infection rate for a hospital is between 5% and 6%. Rural hospitals typically show 3% - 4% rates while some large teaching hospitals have much higher rates because they typically care for very complex and complicated patients. In the past two years MMH has seen a slight increase of people in our community who have staph infections, but we have seen a larger increase of people who have MRSA. MRSA is not a new problem; however, it is becoming a bigger issue than it was in the past. It is definitely not something to panic about but you do need to be aware of how to prevent yourself from getting an infection and how to keep from spreading it. If you have questions, check out our website at:  http://www.montrosehospital.com/

New Physicians Welcomed at MMH

Montrose Memorial Hospital has been fortunate to add four new physicians to our medical staff in the last two months. One of our hospital’s greatest strengths is the depth and breadth of its medical staff members who choose to practice medicine in a thriving and growing community like ours. It’s always a privilege for me to share some information about these new additions. Dr. Shawn Severson is an OB/GYN who has joined the practice of Dr. Jackie Garrard. Dr. Severson specializes in the care of women during their pregnancy and also sees patients for abnormal uterine bleeding, urinary incontinence, contraception and infertility. Shawn is married and has two small children. Our Medical Imaging/Radiology department has also welcomed two new radiologists. Dr. Richard Remark and Dr. Randall Raziano have contracted with MMH to provide radiology services. Dr. Remark is from Las Vegas and completed his Residency training at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Raziano comes from Denver and completed a Fellowship in Interventional Radiology. Interventional Radiology uses imaging guidance to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as angioplasty and stent placement. These two physicians bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to MMH and they truly enjoy interacting with patients and other physicians. And most recently, Dr. Charles Harper, who is a board certified Otolaryngologist (Ears, Nose and Throat), came to Montrose from Virginia. Dr. Harper’s practice includes medical treatment of ears, nose, and throat problems, surgical correction of nasal obstruction, sinus surgery, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, tube placement in ears and laryngoscopies. He will also help diagnose and treat patients with head and neck cancer. He and his wife, Valerie, have two children who are looking forward to skiing and enjoying the outdoor activities in our area. If you would like more information about any of these physicians, please call the Montrose Memorial Hospital physician referral line at 240-7374.

"Answers about Giving Blood at MMH"

Hospital Happenings – August 2007 Have you ever thought of being a blood donor? The blood bank at MMH processes over 900 units of blood each year. We are fortunate to have over 600 active donors who generously give blood when needed. When called, the donors give one pint of blood which has the potential to help up to two people here at Montrose Memorial Hospital and the San Juan Cancer Center. I know I’ve talked to you about giving blood a couple times however; I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about giving blood in our community. When you donate blood at MMH, the blood stays in our blood bank and is used by patients in our hospital or at the Cancer Center. When you give blood at one of the mobile blood banks that come to town, the blood may be used at MMH if we need it however, we have to purchase it back from the people who operate the mobile unit. They don’t “reserve” it for people in Montrose nor do they “give” it to our blood bank to use. The blood is used as needed for their patients and the patients of other hospital they serve. Don’t be misled if you are told “yes, the blood is used for patients in Montrose” because that isn’t completely accurate. Currently we rarely use blood from other sources. So far this year, we have used 706 units of blood from Montrose Hospital donors and have only had to purchase 60 units from other sources. As you can see, we rarely use blood from other sources, so if you want to assure that your blood is used for patients at Montrose Hospital or the San Juan Cancer Center, be sure to give blood at the MMH blood bank. Giving blood at MMH takes a total of 30 minutes: only 7-10 minutes to draw your blood, plus some time for registration, pre-donation health screening, and your snack/rest period afterward. It is VERY simple – all you need to do is call 240-7220 to schedule a time that works for you. If you would like to bring your office staff, your service club, or members of your family, we are happy to set aside a special time for you and your group. To be eligible to give blood, a donor must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. If you have any questions about taking medications and donating blood, let us know and our staff will advise you about your eligibility to donate. If you have a tattoo or body piercing, the U.S. health advisers voted to continue a policy that requires people who have been pierced or tattooed to put off donating blood for a year after the procedure, but said those who have received acupuncture can safely give blood. If you are currently a blood donor, thanks for “giving the gift of life.” If you are interested in becoming a donor or have any questions, please call us at 240-7220. "

Brachytherapy Services available at MMH

"The San Juan Cancer Center at Montrose Memorial Hospital Offers New Service: Brachytherapy The San Juan Cancer Center at Montrose Memorial Hospital has been open for a little more than a year and is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re seeing more patients than we anticipated which is a bit of a good news/bad news story. We wish people didn’t get cancer and need us; however, we’re thankful that the center is here for those who do. The physicians and staff are working very hard to help and build some great relationships with those they care for. As we see more patients and continue to grow, it is important for MMH to keep up with the current trends in cancer care. Brachytherapy is one of these trends that is now offered at MMH. Dr. Douglas Rock, Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Richard Shannon, Urologist and several MMH staff members have received additional training in a specialized procedure called Brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is one treatment option for men who have prostate cancer. During this advanced cancer treatment radioactive seeds or sources are placed in or near the tumor itself, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in the surrounding healthy tissues. The term "brachy" is Greek for short distance, and brachytherapy is radiation therapy given at a short distance. Because the seeds are so small, they cause little discomfort and are simply left in place after their radioactive material is used up. The procedure is done at the hospital and is usually an outpatient procedure that lasts around an hour and most people can go home the same day. Seed implantation requires no surgical incision and offers men a short recovery time. Additionally, most men can return to their normal activities a few days after treatment. It’s nice to have one more treatment options that patients can choose to receive "Close to Home."