Issue 1, 2013 St. Elizabeth Health Center • St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center HMpartners.org

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Members of the St. Elizabeth radiologydepartment gathered recently to bless thenew Artis zee® biplane system, aninnovative imaging system that providesphysicians detailed three-dimensional viewsof small blood vessels and soft tissue duringangiography and neuroradiologyprocedures. The new imaging system could helplead to more accurate and efficientdiagnosis, providing patients fasterdiagnostic and treatment procedures –including those being treated for strokesand aneurysms. The system is specially designed toprovide patients with the lowest possibleradiation dose while maintaining highquality images. Minimizing radiation doseis especially beneficial during interventionalprocedures because they are often lengthyin duration.

Radiology DepartmentBlesses NewEquipment, Suite

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Health Literacy: What it Is, Why itMatters and How You Can Help is aspecial program for HMHP physicians,senior leaders and board members to raiseawareness of the importance ofunderstandable health information. It isscheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday,April 30 at Our Lady of Mount CarmelSocial Hall in Youngstown. Dinner isincluded. Speaker Helen Osborne, nationallyrecognized expert in health literacy, willmake a one-hour presentation to helpphysicians and organizational leaders learnmore about the complex issue of howhealth literacy has a direct impact on healthoutcomes and cost. Helen is the founderand president of Health LiteracyConsulting in Natick, Mass. Her book,Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Waysto Communicate Your HealthMessage, is considered by many as the mostimportant health literacy reference today. A common definition of health literacyis: A shared responsibility between patients(or anyone on the receiving end of healthcommunication, including the lay public)

and providers (or anyone on the givingend, including agencies that provide healthinformation). Each must communicate inways the other can understand. Studies consistently show that asignificant number of people haveproblems reading, understanding andacting on health information. Reasonsinclude 1) health information is complexand health providers sometimes are notskilled communicators; 2) patients bring awide range of learning needs to the healthcare experience; c) basic literacy skills,language, age, disability, cultural contextand emotional responses can all affectthe way people receive and processinformation. The program is free. Brochures andmore information are available from EllenFord, manager of community healtheducation, at 330-480-5620. This programis presented through the generous supportof the HMHP Foundation. This activity is planned in accordancewith the Essentials and Standards ofACCME.

Doctors Invited to Health Literacy Program

Dr. Albert J. Cook II (back) gathers withmembers of the St. Elizabeth radiology staffto celebrate the blessing the new angiographysuite. From left are Natalie LaCivita,Karen Olenick, Melissa Capple, Angela Toth,Rachel Conner, Maggie Rivera, Alaina Boganand Josephine Dyer.

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PARTNERS: Physician Welcome Profile

Marie Awad-AlexanderGeneral Surgery

HMHP Physician Associates welcomes Marie Awad-Alexander, MD to Southbridge General Surgery inBoardman. Dr. Awad-Alexander specializes in minimally invasive surgical procedures and endoscopy such ascolonoscopies and upper endoscopies. She treats a wide variety of conditions including GERD, peptic ulcers,colitis, Crohn’s disease, and breast and colon cancer. She also performs minimally invasive surgeries such ashernia repair and removal of the gallbladder, spleen and adrenal glands. Her clinical interests include the surgical treatment of breast cancer and colon cancer. Dr. Awad-Alexandercompleted medical school at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in Rootstown and residency atUPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. She is currently accepting new patients. For information, contact: Southbridge General Surgery 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd., #A-1 Boardman, Ohio 44512 Phone: 330-726-8881

Harriet Lemberger-Schor, MDFamily Medicine

HMHP Physician Associates is proud to announce that Harriet Lemberger-Schor, MD, an established familymedicine specialist, has joined the Church Hill Family Health Center practice. Dr. Lemberger-Schor graduatedfrom Indiana University School of Medicine, in Indianapolis, IN and completed her residency training atWestern Reserve Care System in Youngstown. Her clinical interests include preventative medicine, sleep medicine, and the impact of nutrition and stressmanagement on wellness and disease management. Dr. Lemberger-Schor and her husband, Neil, have two children, Alyssa (19) and Meryl (15). In her sparetime, she enjoys gardening and reading. Dr. Lemberger-Schor is accepting new patients. For referral information, contact: Church Hill Family Health Center 4694 Belmont Avenue Liberty, OH Phone: 330-480-7655

Angela Matthews, DOFamily Medicine

HMHP Physician Associates is proud to welcome Dr. Angela Matthews to the Church Hill Family HealthCenter practice in Liberty. Dr. Matthews is originally from Massillon, OH. She received her medical degree fromthe Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, OH, and completed her residency training atSt. Joe’s – where she served as Chief Resident in Family Medicine. Dr. Matthews’ clinical interests include office procedures, medical education, and community education. Inaddition to her practice, Dr. Matthews serves as the Physician Medical Advisor for the Greater Bethel ApostolicChurch Health Professionals Auxiliary, and is an Associate Professor for Ohio University. For information, contact: Church Hill Family Health Center 4694 Belmont Avenue Liberty, OH Phone: 330-480-7655

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Church Hill Family Health Center, HMHP Physician Associates first family practicein Liberty, celebrated its blessing and dedication last month. Many employees, physicians,local business owners and community leaders joined the celebration and toured the newpractice located at 4694 Belmont Avenue in the Church Hill Commons Plaza. The practice, staffed by Drs. Harriet Lemberger-Schor, Angela Matthews and CrispinBarlatt offers comprehensive family care. The practice is currently accepting newpatients – call them for more information at 330-480-7655.

Church Hill Family Health Center HostsBlessing/Dedication

Physicians and staff of Church Hill Family Health Center gather for a group photo during theblessing and dedication. From left, Dr. Crispin Barlatt, Dr. Harriet Lemberger-Schor, Amy Roskos.LeChelle Irizarry, Tynetta Code, Dr. Angela Matthews, (back row, from left) Noel Stickle,Mary Frances Sohayda, Kara Hitchcock, and Adrienne Winlock.

Orthopedics by Design returns your patients to their everyday, active life as quickly aspossible. The program helps relieve the stress associated with knee or hip replacementsurgery by educating patients on what they will experience before, during and after surgery. Orthopedics by Design is available at St. Elizabeth, St. Joseph and St. ElizabethBoardman. For more information, contact Lynn Gardner at 330-841-4891.

Get Your Patients Back in the Swing

In 2013, HMHP operationalperformance measures are focusing onquality and patient care. The items beloware now being monitored by CMS. Pleasebe aware of these focus areas. Thank You.

Patient Experience (Your patients, andCMS, are measuring you on this one)top quartile in 6 of 12 areas in HMHP. • Inpatients target at least 18% of value based purchasing HCAHPS points – target top quartile • Emergency Department target – top quartile • Ambulatory Surgery target – top quartile • Home Care target – top quartile

Preventable Harm (target is zero) • Stage 3&4 pressure ulcers • Falls with trauma • Central venous catheter related blood stream infections (CLABSI) • Catheter related urinary tract infections (CAUTI)

Inpatient All-Cause Readmissions • 30-day hospital-wide all cause unplanned readmission rate • Excludes rehab, OB, psychiatry • Target observed to expected ratio 0.95 (12.6% readmit rate) • Our greatest opportunity is in preventing readmissions of patients diagnosed with CHF, COPD, Pneumonia, and MI.

Emergency Department Length of Stayfor Admitted Patients • Target less than 300 minutes

Working together, we’ll hit these targetsand go beyond in providing quality care toour patients.

Our Hospital QualityMeasures

Nick Kreatsoulas, DO Chief Medical Officer, HMHP

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Blue Distinction forSt. Elizabeth Boardman

St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Centerhas earned the designation as a BlueDistinction Center for knees and hips withAnthem BCBS. This designation signifiesthat St. Elizabeth Boardman met nationally

established quality care and outcomecriteria developed with input from themedical community and also met costmeasures that address consumers' need foraffordable healthcare. St. Elizabeth Boardman joinsSt. Joseph and St. Elizabeth health centerin this status as designated facilities.* *St. Elizabeth is designated for knees,hips and spine. St. Joseph is designated forknees and hips.

St. Elizabeth Earns‘Get With theGuidelines’ Gold

St. Elizabeth Health Center hasreceived the Get With theGuidelines® – Heart Failure GoldQuality Achievement Award fromthe American Heart Association. This award recognizesSt. Elizabeth for achieving anexceptional goal of treating heartfailure patients according to theguidelines of care recommended by theAmerican Heart Association/AmericanCollege of Cardiology. The recognition marks the secondyear in a row that St. Elizabeth HealthCenter has been recognized with a GetWith the Guidelines® gold qualityachievement award. Get With the Guidelines® – HeartFailure helps the staff of St. Elizabeth todevelop and implement acute andsecondary prevention guidelines toimprove patient care and outcomes. Theprogram provides hospitals with aweb-based patient management tool, bestpractice discharge protocols and standingorders, along with a robust registry andreal-time benchmarking capabilities totrack performance. The quick and efficient use ofguideline procedures can improve thequality of care for heart failure patients,save lives and ultimately, reduce healthcarecosts by lowering the recurrence of heartattacks. “St.Elizabeth Health Center isdedicated to making our care for heartfailure patients among the best in thecountry. The American HeartAssociation’s Get With the Guidelines® – Heart Failure program helps us toaccomplish this goal,” observes MariannPacak, director of heart and vascularservices at St. Elizabeth Health Center.“This recognition demonstrates that weare on the right track and we’re veryproud of our team.” “Recent studies show that patientstreated in hospitals participating in theAmerican Heart Association’s Get Withthe Guidelines® – Heart Failure programreceive a higher quality of care and mayexperience better outcomes,” says Lee H.Schwamm, M.D., chairman of the Get

The Artis zee® biplane imaging systemfeatures advanced software technology thatcreates detailed images of soft tissue to helpdetect intracranial hemorrhages, visualizebrain tissue, and support quick andaccurate therapeutic decision-making. "What is really important from aradiologist’s standpoint is that we can dothe procedure in about half the time,” saidInterventional Radiologist Albert J. CookII during his remarks at the blessing. “Wecan see everything at once, and this makesthe procedure better and faster for thepatient and makes a big difference in whatwe do every day.” The room renovation and equipmentpurchase project represents a $2 millioninvestment to provide the best care to thepeople in the Mahoning Valley.

Radiology DepartmentBlesses NewEquipment, Suite

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With the Guidelines national steeringcommittee and director of the TeleStrokeand Acute Stroke Services at Massachu-setts General Hospital in Boston. “St.Elizabeth Health Center’s team is to becommended for its commitment to im-proving the care of patients.” Following the Get With theGuidelines® – Heart Failure guidelines,heart failure patients are started onaggressive risk-reduction therapies ifneeded, including cholesterol-loweringdrugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors,aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants whilein the hospital. Before discharge, they alsoreceive education on managing their heartfailure and overall health, includinglifestyle modifications and follow-up care.Hospitals must adhere to these measuresat a set level for a designated period to beeligible for the achievement awards. According to the American HeartAssociation, about 5.7 million peoplesuffer from heart failure. Statistics alsoshow that, each year, 670,000 new casesare diagnosed and more than 277,000people die. Even so, many heart failurepatients lead full, enjoyable lives. Heartfailure can often be managed withmedication, medical devices and healthylifestyles.

About Get With the Guidelines Get With the Guidelines® is theAmerican Heart Association/AmericanStroke Association’s hospital-based qualityimprovement program that empowershealth care teams to save lives and reducehealth care costs by helping hospitalsfollow evidence-based guidelines andrecommendations. For more information,visit heart.org/quality.