• Since the first robot-assisted hysterectomy was completed at St. Joseph Health Center in April 2012, more than 160 women have undergone robot-assisted hysterectomies. More than 60 others have undergone other robot-assisted surgical procedures, which include bariatric (weight-loss) and general surgical procedures. Surgeons who are currently performing robotic-assisted procedures include Drs. Amine Abdul-Aal, Emad Baky, Anthony DeSalvo, Paresh Mehta, Mohammad Rashid, Tara Shipman and Robert Woodruff.

• St. Joseph Surgical Services welcomes Bel-Park Anesthesia, who assumed anesthesia responsibilities in November 2012. Bel-Park also serves St. Elizabeth and St. Elizabeth Boardman health centers.

• Welcome to Tara Shipman, MD. The Case Western University School of Medicine graduate is Obstetrics and Gynecology board certified and is currently performing robotic-assisted procedures at St. Joseph.

• The endoscopy department continues to perform small bowel procedures using single balloon enterscopy. This simple yet highly efficient system has the ability to maneuver and extend into a region of the human body considered the "Last Frontier." More information is to come on a Single Balloon Enterscopy seminar for physicians to learn more about this new innovative technology.

Surgery News

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

Issue 1, 2013 St. Joseph Health Center HMpartners.org

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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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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

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

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Achievements and Goals: Past and Future

I would like to take this opportunity tothank everyone for all the many contributions to St. Joseph Health Centerand our community in 2012. St. Joe’s hada very successful year, with manyaccomplishments. Some of these were: • St. Joe’s Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program received an unprecedented third 5-year inspection approval from the AOAO and the AOA • In June, 8 residents graduated and in July we added 7 new residents to our programs • St. Joe’s implemented the first robot assisted surgery program in Trumbull County • Transitioned anesthesia services to Bel Park Anesthesia, standardizing anesthesia services across HMHP • Introduced Single Balloon Endoscopy Small Bowel Procedures • Recertification of Bariatric Center of Excellence • Completed remodeling of St. Joseph (Howland) Surgery Center • Complete Upgrade and renovation of the cafeteria and dining room • New LED lighting installed throughout the facility and parking lots • Addition of new, state-of-the-art Linear Accelerator and renovation of Radiation Oncology department at the Cancer Center • X-ray room added to accommodate emergency room flow • Re-accreditation by FDALODH of mammography department

The American Academy of SleepMedicine (AASM) has granted The St.Joseph Diagnostic Sleep Lab completeaccreditation for a period of 5 years. AASMaccredited centers provide the highestquality of patient care. Additionally, AASMcenters enhance the awareness of sleep as animportant element for health, public safety,and quality of life.

Sleep LabAccreditation • Re-accreditation of Ultrasound by

American College of Radiology • New advanced GE workstation for CT imaging • We resumed our affiliation with the American Cancer Society to have an on-site resource navigator dedicated to the HMHP cancer patients • Howland Sleep Lab expanded from 4 to 6 rooms • CHF core staff all became CHFN certified • St. Joe’s along with St. Elizabeth and St. Elizabeth Boardman were recognized by US News and World Report as top hospitals for the metropolitan areas

We are already into the first quarter of2013 and it has been very busy at St. Joe’s.Emergency visits and the daily census wereextremely high in January. I want to thankthe medical staff for your patience duringthat very high census period and assure youthat we are working hard to be as efficientand timely as possible. In 2013, we are focused on improvingour throughput which is centered on ourQOS process implemented in 2012. Thegoals or “must haves” for Patient First:QuEST for Excellence continue to be: • Clinical screening of patients prior to arrival to ensure that they are assigned the most appropriate patient status and that they are placed on the unit that best meets their clinical needs • Efficiently managing the clinical progression of the patient while in the hospital • Expediting patient throughput via proactive discharge planning as evidenced by documentation of an initial needs assessment and plan of care in the H&P and/or the initial progress note which will allow case managers and social workers to make referrals to all necessary agencies • Necessary interventions from all staff and physicians to reduce and/or eliminate denial of payment

Thank you again for your continuedsupport and please contact me with anyquestions or concerns.

John FinizioPresident, St. Joseph Health Center

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 nationallyestablished 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.