Spring 2012

Elbow Replacement SurgeryPage 6

Physician SpotlightPage 12

InnovationsPage 4

MIRACLE BABYPage 10

Medical Milestonesmemorial

Spring 2012

Technology has become an increasingly important part of our daily lives. Healthcare is no different. Now in its third year of a 3-year transition to a paperless medical records environment, Lake Charles Memorial Health System is implementing the final stages of our Electronic Medical Records system.

What that means for our patients is improved access to their healthcare records across the continuum of care within the Memorial system, more accurate charting and record keeping, and improved safety.

From our doctors to our emergency department to ancillary services, important information – such as blood type, prescribed drugs, medical conditions and other aspects of your medical history – can be accounted for much more quickly. An existing EMR can save time at the doctor’s office and provide quick access to your records in a lifesaving emergency.

The benefits are without question. Tragic events like Hurricanes Rita and Katrina showcased the need for electronic record keeping because stored records are replicated in several places across the country so that one tragic event won’t destroy them. Another benefit is safety. In the past, the way a doctor obtained your health history was by asking you. Each time you visited a new doctor’s office, you filled out forms about your history, including previous surgeries, or the drugs you take on a regular basis.

However, when doctors and hospitals share records electronically, they only need to ask your name, birth date, and possibly another piece of identifying information and your records are pulled from an electronic storage space. The benefits are efficiency, accuracy, safety, and better communication among your healthcare providers.

As healthcare continues to adapt and optimize the advantages of the digital age, so does Memorial. At the end of the day, we anticipate that EMR will initiate another milestone in our goal to enhance patient care.

Sincerely,

To our community

PHYSICIAN REFERRAL • 1-800-494-LCMH (5264) 2

Larry Graham, CEO

Now in its third year of

a 3-year transition to a

paperless medical records

environment, Lake Charles

Memorial Health System is

implementing the final stages

of our Electronic Medical

Records system.

Innovations 4Digital diagnosis

Elbow Replacement 6Rare procedure comes to Memorial

A View from Within 8Non-invasive procedures enhance patient care

Cover Story 10Miracle Baby: Inside Memorial’s NICU

Physician Spotlight 12Stacy McBroom, DO: Navy Veteran

A Return to Duty 14Spinal fusion brings pain relief

Coming Events 16Education classes

Letters 19Compassionate care

Medical Milestonesmemorial

3

Page 4

Page 8

Page 12

Page 14

On the Cover

Memorial for Women and its NICU have

served the families of Southwest Louisiana

for the past nine years.

Page 19

Innovations4

DIGITAL DIAGNOSIS

Memorial’s new digital X-ray

For more information about this topic, log on to www.lcmh.com/imaging

5 PHYSICIAN REFERRAL • 1-800-494-LCMH (5264)

Upgrading the race against time

When patients hit the door of the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (LCMH) Emergency Room, the clock is ticking. Minutes are precious and could mean the difference between life and death.

The fight against time received another weapon this past fall with the addition of the hospital’s first digital X-ray machine. Unlike a conventional X-ray, as soon as an exposure is made, within two seconds an image is created.

“In an emergency room setting, that is huge,” says Scott Daigle, director of radiology at LCMH. That means you’re diagnosing the patients faster, which in turn can give you a higher percentage of better outcomes, such as saving lives. Time is of the essence in emergency medicine.”

Digital X-ray sensors are used instead of traditional photographic film. The image capture bypasses chemical processing and the ability to digitally transfer and enhance images.

The addition of the digital X-ray has made the hospital’s emergency room case load much more efficient. On average, each patient has four to five images taken during an X-ray session. The digital X-ray is three to four minutes faster per image. This leads to the digital X-ray room being able to handle three-times the work load of a conventional room.

“Not only that, but patient satisfaction is improving,” Daigle says. “Not having to wait on an X-ray, being able to get the patients in and out faster. It’s helping the ER treat cases much faster.”

Memorial Hospital plans to move the entire radiology department into the digital age over time. Another digital X-ray machine is in the works and plans are to install it later this year.

As we get older, the wear and tear on our bodies becomes more prevalent and usually signals its arrival with joint pain. Today, knee and shoulder replacements are more common, but a rare and technically challenging surgery has come into the mix.

Elbow replacement surgery is now performed locally by Dr. Lawrence Weber of Orthopaedic Specialists, a part of the Memorial Medical Group on the campus of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. In the past, Southwest Louisiana patients’ closest options were to have this surgery done in Houston or Baton Rouge.

“It’s best to have the surgery locally should complications arise after the procedure,” says Dr. Weber, who specializes in orthopaedic hand surgery. “You have to have access to your surgeon and when your surgeon is three hours away it makes it very difficult. Some issues can turn into big problems unless they are handled right away.”

Having the surgery so close to home brings convenience for the patient and their loved ones. Travel expenses are greatly reduced, less time off work is needed and the procedure itself will most likely be less costly. Paying out-of-network benefits can increase the cost of the surgery by 30 to 50 percent.

Elbow joints don’t tend to wear out in the same fashion as knees and shoulders, so candidates for an elbow replacement tend to be those suffering from osteoarthritis, a genetic problem, post traumatic arthritis, which happens from an accident where the joint never healed correctly or rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease.

“Most of the cases we see for this surgery are people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis,” Dr. Weber says. “Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body’s immune system – instead of attacking foreign cells such as viruses and bacteria – attacks the body’s own tissues, specifically a thin membrane that lines the joints. As a result, fluid builds up in the joints, causing inflammation and pain.”

Specialized training is needed to perfect the elbow replacement procedure. Dr. Weber took part in two fellowships in shoulder, elbow and hand surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health Care System in Philadelphia.

elbow replacement surgery

now available in lake charles

6

Lawrence Weber, MD, PhD

“Having the surgery so

close to home brings

convenience for the

patient and their loved

ones.”

7

elbow replacement surgery

now available in lake charles

For more information,go to www.lcmh.com/orthopedics

The challenges with this cutting edge procedure are the result of the elbow being a very shallow joint, lying right underneath the skin. All the nerves and blood vessels that run to your hand run through your elbow. These have to be carefully moved out of the way before the joint can be replaced.

“It’s very rewarding to help people,” Dr. Weber says. “These are the kinds of surgeries that have to have a healthy hospital in order to be able to provide this kind of service. It takes a lot of nurses, a lot of expensive equipment. It takes a lot of time. The hospital may actually lose money on the surgery, but we see it as a community service.”

Still with all the challenges, patients usually stay just a night for observation to monitor pain and swelling. Physical therapy follows to help regain motion as many of the patients haven’t had full motion of the elbow in years. They literally have to retrain their muscles and joints to get the full benefit of the surgery.

Orthopaedic Specialists is composed of a team of doctors who specialize in advanced endoscopic surgery, minimally invasive arthroscopic knee, shoulder and hip repair, diagnostics and treatment for joint pain, cutting-edge sports medicine and rehabilitation.

PHYSICIAN REFERRAL • 1-800-494-LCMH (5264)

A view from within

8

It’s about the size of a large vitamin and just about everybody can swallow it. The capsule

progresses through the digestive tract naturally, while the patient wears a receiver belt to

capture the video. After about 8 hours, the process is over.

Enlarged:

PillCam compared to a quarter.

9

“The problem is standard upper endoscopy and colonoscopy can only see a fairly small percentage of the entire gut,” says Dr. Frank Marrero, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center, a part of the Memorial Medical Group located on the campus of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. “The small bowel is very long and the scope will not go even close to all the way through that. If we need to see if there is something going on in the small bowel, the best less invasive tool we have is to have them swallow this capsule.”

It’s about the size of a large vitamin and just about everybody can swallow it, Dr. Marrero says. The capsule progresses through the digestive tract naturally, while the patient wears a receiver belt to capture the video. After about 8 hours the process is over.

The receiver is brought back to the doctor where the video is reviewed and a diagnosis is made. The good news – the PillCam doesn’t have to be returned.

“That can direct us to what we need to do next,” Dr. Marrero says. “A lot of times the issue can be fixed without surgery. This is kind of the major first step in preventing someone from having to have an operation when they don’t necessarily need to have to do that.”

Long gone are the days where invasive exploratory surgeries are used to pinpoint the problem. About the only time such an aggressive type of procedure would be used today is during an emergency.

Dr. Marrero first became familiar with the PillCam while working at the Cleveland Clinic. The video technology test was used there more than any other clinic, in many cases several times a day.

“Minimally invasive, it’s definitely the way to go,” Dr. Marrero says. “Just the direction we have moved in the last 10 years. The standard of care is to look for ways to prevent pain and suffering.”

Another tool in this innovation age is the Bravo capsule that is used to monitor the pH levels in the esophagus. Bravo uses technology similar to the PillCam, sending signals to a monitor the patient wears. The system collects 48 hours of data, while the patient keeps a diary and enters symptoms on the device.

When the data is downloaded doctors can see how much acid the patient has in their esophagus, and how the acid correlates with their heartburn, chest pain or other symptoms that may be related to acid reflux.

It’s another state of the art tool that helps make a more accurate diagnosis.

“Not everybody with heartburn has acid reflux. Sometimes heartburn comes from other disease processes,” Dr. Marrero says. “There are quiet a few people out there that are on strong acid medicines that still have heartburn. Those people can be hard to figure out and this is a tool that can definitely make the difference figuring out what the diagnosis is and tailoring a treatment plan for that patient.”

Find out more at www.lcmh.com/gi


“Minimally invasive, it’s definitely the way to go. Just the direction

we have moved in the last 10 years. The standard of care is to

look for ways to prevent pain and suffering.”

Frank Marrero, MD

We’ve all heard the saying “Take two and call me in the morning.” Times have changed with innovation. In some cases, doctors are asking patients to swallow cameras, not just a pill.

10

The hour is growing late and

3-year-old Ella Claire Hinton is

supposed to be in bed. Mother,

Kymberli, opens her bedroom

door to check on her only to

find the rambunctious toddler

playing dress up.

Dresser drawers pulled out,

clothes covering the floor, Ella

looks back at her mother with

a smile.

Miracle BabyCover Story

It is an amazing revelation for Kymberli given the fact Ella came into this world 10 weeks too soon. It could have been even sooner as Kymberli’s water broke 28 weeks into the pregnancy. She was put on bed rest and doctors were able to delay Ella’s arrival for another two weeks until Kymberli went into labor on her own.

Ella came into the world just before the stroke of midnight on July 7, 2008 at a mere 3 pounds 12 ounces. She was born at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women and immediately went to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

“She was breathing okay on her own,” Kymberli recalls. “I got to hold her for a little bit before they took her to the NICU. It was a little freaky experience, needless to say.”

Ella was placed on a feeding tube and had a bout with jaundice. Her lungs were not fully developed, but she progressed amazingly while in the NICU. She was even able to suck on a bottle earlier than expected. In all, Ella spent four weeks in the NICU.

inside memorial’s nicu

“She’s a fireball,” Kymberli says. “There is nothing that holds her back.”

Ella Claire & Kymberli Hinton

Kymberli knew she would have complications with her pregnancy, but never expected Ella would come so early. She battled a history of fertility issues throughout her life. She tried for years to get pregnant and was finally able to do so at age 37.

She started dilating when she was in her second trimester and a stitch was put in to prevent a premature delivery. Doctors prepared Kymberli for all possibilities and outcomes. From there on, she was checked every two weeks until Ella arrived.

“I had a lot of obstacles through the pregnancy, but every time I went in, I was taken great care of,” Kymberli says. “I feel like Memorial helped me carry her and have a safe delivery, even three to four months before she was born. I could have lost her and I was taken great care of.”

Premature babies are at a very high risk for medical problems such as bleeding within their brain, chronic lung disease and infections. They’re simply not ready to be born and once they are exposed to the outside world it can be a cruel place.

Premature birth is a complex problem with no single solution. More than half a million babies are born prematurely each year in the United States. Louisiana has one of the highest rates of prematurity in the country.

“Prematurity, statistically is still on the rise,” says Beth Phillips, a registered nurse and director of Memorial for Women’s NICU. “It’s not going down even with all our OB care. Even though the equipment and medicines are better, they’re bodies still aren’t prepared for the environment.”

Still, it is those advancements in technology and medicines that have brought on more success cases for premature babies, as opposed to 20 or 30 years ago.

The March of Dimes organization has been instrumental in this fight, raising money to find a cause for premature births. The Hintons have been named the 2012 March of Dimes Ambassador Family. The March of Dimes walk will be held May 19, 2012 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Memorial for Women and its NICU have served the families of Southwest Louisiana for the past nine years. The 23 bed facility staffs 25 registered nurses to handle every case from extreme prematurity to a sick full-term baby. There is also a 24 hour transport team that will respond to any outlying hospital when the need arises.

“You have to be prepared in every delivery,” Beth says. “If there is any thought that the doctor thinks the delivery is high risk or it’s a known high risk they request the NICU. We attend all C-sections just because they’re a little more high risk.”

Nurses at the Memorial for Women NICU will care for one to three babies at a given time, allowing them to deliver more personalized care to the patient and family.

“There’s nursing for every person. Nurses that come here stay here a long time,” Beth says. “We’ve got a lot of experience because if you’re a baby nurse, you’re a baby nurse. Once you come into this, you know this is where you are meant to be.”

Ella left the hospital with two holes in her heart. One has since closed, while the other is on its way. Should it remain open by age 5 or 6, surgery could be a possible solution. Still, the energetic three year old doesn’t give away any signs that she came into this world a bit early.

Ella will remain Kymberli’s one and only child. The risks associated with another pregnancy are far too great. She doesn’t want to tempt fate, instead choosing to enjoy a daughter, whose life is nothing short of a miracle.

“I constantly tell her she is my miracle baby. She constantly calls herself a miracle baby, a gift of God and she is. When you say she is a preemie and I look at how healthy she is, I feel blessed,” Kymberli says. “It could have gone so many different ways. I could have easily, if I had not been watched so well, miscarried her in the second trimester. It’s a little overpowering to think about the ‘what ifs’ and how she came to be.”

11

“I’ve wanted to do that ever since I can remember, since I was a kid,” Dr. McBroom recalls. “I always wanted to be a doctor and I have no idea why because I have no doctors in my family. It’s always what I wanted to do.”

What she does have in her family is a line of Navy veterans. Dr. McBroom’s father served for 20 years, retiring after tours of duty in World War II and the Korean War. Her husband, Curtis, whom she met while in the Navy, retired after serving 23 years.

Dr. McBroom’s Naval service dates back 10 years, not counting the time spent in medical school. She was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1992 after graduating. It was during her first year of medical school when she received a scholarship through the Navy.

After graduating, she spent her year long surgical residency at a Naval hospital. The next was a year on a ship out of Norfolk, Virginia. Then it was off to San Diego, where she completed her residency. She rounded out the last three years of her Naval career in Jacksonville, Florida. She left at the rank of lieutenant commander and entered her new practice days before 9/11 changed the world.

“I do miss it. I wish I would have stayed in long enough to retire, but the climate at the time was not right,” Dr. McBroom says.

“The war was starting and I had an 18-month old boy. My replacement actually went to Iraq.”

12

Physician SpotlightStacy McBroom, DO

Everyone has a past that helped them reach the point in life they are at today. Dr. Stacy McBroom’s happened to be in the armed forces. It is a past that helped her turn a dream of being a doctor into a way of life. That love for medicine is something she has carried through her life from a young age.

navy veteran expert markswoman

Stacy & Curtis McBroom

13

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or

DO is a professional doctoral degree

for physicians in the United States.

Holders of the DO degree are known

as osteopathic physicians and have

the same rights, privileges and

responsibilities as MDs. Although

DOs have traditionally been family

physicians, today many physicians

holding the DO practice in every

specialty field in medicine. DOs are

licensed to practice the full scope of

medicine and surgery in all 50 states,

equivalent to their MD counterparts.


Medicine isn’t the only skill she picked up while on duty. Dr. McBroom is also an expert markswoman and she has the ribbons to prove it. While working in a Naval hospital, she saw others on the shooting range and challenged herself just the same. Her husband was the one who arranged some practice time on the range. By the time it was all said and done, she achieved the level of expert with a 9mm.

Today, Dr. McBroom practices medicine at Urology Associates, a part of the Memorial Medical Group, located on the campus of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital.

“Before deciding on urology, I first considered being a pediatrician or an OB-GYN. Then when I realized how much you had to give up your sleep, I didn’t like that so much so I chose urology,” she says with a laugh. “That was in my third year of medical school.

She and her husband have called Lake Charles home since 2006. They have two daughters, Katie, 26, and Maegan, 14. The couple also has an 11-year-old son, Carson.

The McBroom’s share their home with four Dobermans and a Beagle – most of them rescue dogs. The latest family edition came to them from a woman who suffered some serious health problems. Dr. McBroom got her first Doberman when she was in her twenties and has loved them ever since.

Her love of animals is much like her love of country, an experience she wouldn’t change and highly recommends. After all, service is what helped mold her into the doctor she is today.

“I didn’t have a day that I regretted it. Not once,” Dr. McBroom says passionately. “I loved it actually. It was good. They did well for me and I really enjoyed it. It’s a patriotic thing. I think it’s a pride thing too. I was proud to serve my country.”

what is a DO?

Dr. Stacy McBroom with her husband Curtis and their five dogs: Riley, Colbie, Bella, Gunnar and Russ.

Then out of nowhere a clothes line catches Michael at the neck,

sends him into the air and slams his body to the ground. Adrenaline

kicks in and Michael continues the chase, eventually catching the

suspect.

The impact of his body hitting the ground caused his rig belt to

rupture a vertebra in his lower back. It is not an injury the police

officer expected in his early twenties.

“I did what I could to manage the pain for as long as I possibly could,”

Michael says.

The pain became so intense it forced him to seek treatment from

a neurosurgeon. Michael would end up having surgery and an

artificial disc put in the lumbar area of his lower spine. Weeks and

weeks would pass and the pain never went away.

Additional tests would ensue and Michael’s frustration would grow

with the lack of answers. He decided it was time for a second

opinion and made an appointment with Dr. Gregory Rubino, a

neurosurgeon at the Neurosurgical Institute,a part of the Memorial

Medical Group located at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital.

“Dr. Rubino was like no other doctor I’ve encountered, as far as back

procedures or patient care,” Michael recalls. “As many times as I

wanted to go visit with him, he personally sat down and explained

my options.”

14

A return to duty

Michael Flurry and Dr. Greg Rubino

It is late one night in Lake Charles and police officer Michael Flurry is in hot pursuit of a suspect.

The chase takes them on foot through

neighborhood backyards. Maneuvering through

the darkness, there is barely enough light to

make the suspect visible to Michael.

Treatment began again with some conservative steps such as

physical therapy. Core and muscle building are used to get the body

to support the spine with its natural muscles. A strong abdomen

helps the back tremendously.

Epidural injections help manage the pain during therapy, but are

not considered a mainstay treatment. Then, there is the use of non-

narcotic pain killers.

“You couldn’t get him into better shape,” Dr. Rubino says. “We

exhausted all the conservative treatments and that’s when surgery

came in. We reserve this as kind of a last step because it is a fairly

aggressive last ditch effort to fix a spine.”

The decision was made for Michael to have a spinal fusion, where,

in this case, the bottom two vertebrae were joined by metal and

screws to allow bone to grow and fuse the vertebrae together.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Rubino this past December.

Michael admits post surgery was no picnic, because of the

number of muscles that are moved around to access the spine.

Time has passed and all indications are the procedure is working.

It is the perfect example to show that the latest and greatest

technologies are not always the right choice.

“The problem with artificial disks is they are meant to maintain

motion, but the back is so complicated you don’t know where

the pain is coming from. When you’re preserving motion you’re

preserving other possible pain generators,” Dr. Rubino says.

“Fusion is superior because we don’t understand where the

pain is coming from. So it freezes the whole segment, stops the

movement and that usually gets rid of the pain.”

Dr. Rubino stops short of claiming the procedure is perfect.

Lumbar fusion has about a 60 percent success rate and a fairly

good track record. The surgical procedure has been around for

more than 50 years. The success of a spinal fusion is best judged

after a year.

Michael looks forward to the milestone. He is ready to return to

the police department and ready to return to an active lifestyle

with his wife and two young daughters.

“I didn’t want to go the rest of my life hooked on pills and

searching for anything to take the pain away,” Michael says. “My

pain is less now than it was pre-surgery, which is a good sign. I’m

just working on my recovery.”

A check up and CAT scan in mid-February showed signs of

progress and that the bones were beginning to fuse.

Now 29, Michael still wears a brace throughout the healing

process. He has returned to the police department on a limited

basis and once the bones fuse completely, he will be back to full

duty and back to the life he once knew.

“I had many doctors tell me ‘why don’t you look into disability,

why don’t you try to find another career.’ I’ve been doing this

for almost nine years and when you have nine years invested in

a career, it’s hard to go do something else because a doctor told

me to,” Michael says. “Dr. Rubino was never like that. He gave me

hope and I can already tell my life is going to be different, even a

couple of months out of surgery.”

15 PHYSICIAN REFERRAL • 1-800-494-LCMH (5264)PHYSICIAN REFERRAL • 1-800-494-LCMH (5264)

Calendar of Events

Support Groups

COPING WITH CANCER

For those cancer patients who are newly diagnosed, undergoing

treatment, or who have completed treatment. For more

information call Memorial’s Chaplain, Rev. David DeWitt at (337)

802-1933.

Third Tuesday of Each Month

Noon – light refreshments served

DESIGNER GENES

A support group by and for the parents of children with genetic

disorders. Located at Memorial Hospital for Women, 1900 W.

Gauthier Road. For more information, call the group’s founders,

Ashleigh Hornsby (337) 853-7657 or Jessi James (337) 563-1178.

Second Saturday of Each Month • Noon

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP

Don’t underestimate the importance of education and peer

support when living with diabetes. Located at Memorial’s

Diabetes Education Office, 1801 Oak Park Boulevard. For more

information, call Memorial’s Diabetes Education at (337) 494-

6425.

First and Third Tuesday of Each Month • 10am – 11am

SISTERS SURVIVING

A breast cancer support group for African-American women,

but open to any woman regardless of race. For more

information, call (337) 433-5817.

Third Tuesday of Each Month • 6pm

LA LECHE LEAGUE

A breastfeeding group, La Leche League offers a series of

meetings consisting of four classes that are helpful for pregnant

moms and moms who are already nursing. Meetings are free

and open to mothers and babies. For more information or to

register, call (337) 480-7243.

First Thursday of Each Month • 10am – 11:30am

REALLIETY CHALLENGEJump, crawl, swing, slide, hang, glide through 3.5 miles of

military obstacles. The challenge benefits The Mission

Continues, which supports wounded veterans. Lake Charles

Memorial Sports Medicine is a proud sponsor.

Click to register: www.reallietychallenge.com

Saturday, March 31

Iowa, LA

$75 • $50 Military and Law Enforcement discount

blood driveApproximately half of the nation’s blood supply is collected at

blood drives. Memorial partners with United Blood Services to

provide blood products for our patients. Join us for the next

Community Blood Drive, which will be held in the parking lot

across from Memorial’s main entrance, located on Oak Park

Boulevard. For more information, call (337) 235-5433.

Fourth Monday of Each Month • 2pm – 6pm

Prenatal and Family Education ClassesRegistration is required for all classes. For more information or to register, call 480-7243. All classes are

held at Memorial Hospital for Women, 1900 W. Gauthier Road.

Tours are available after all prenatal classes and at 1:30pm on

the first Thursday of each month.

PREPARED CHILDBIRTH CLASS • 4-WEEK SERIES

This class is highly recommended for its hands-on, and often

fun, approach to dealing with labor, delivery and recovery.

Birth preparation is discussed regarding natural delivery, birth

with an epidural and cesarean birth. Bring your pillows, your

questions and don’t forget to breathe. Recommended during

the last three months of pregnancy.

Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27

Wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23

Tuesdays, July 10, 17, 24, 31

6:30pm – 8:30pm

$35

16


Spring 2012

ONE DAY PREPARED CHILDBIRTH CLASS

Learn comfort, relaxation, positioning, breathing,

and massage techniques for increasing the comfort

level and enhancing the birth experience during this

condensed version of the Prepared Childbirth Series.

Recommended for the last 3 months of pregnancy.

Saturday, April 14

Saturday, June 9

9am – 4:15pm

$35

BREASTFEEDING CLASS

Learn positioning, latch-on, early feedings and the

importance of assessing baby’s intake during the

Breastfeeding Class. Recommended during the last 3

months of pregnancy.

Thursdays

March 8 June 14

April 19 July 19

May 17

6:30pm – 8:45pm

$10

SIBLING CLASS

This class is recommended during the last three months

of pregnancy. Preparing siblings for the arrival of a

new baby can be as confusing as it is joyous. This class

focuses on the unity of the family. Older siblings ages

2-10 are asked to attend with one or both parents. The

children will have hands-on practice with dolls to learn

how to interact with a new baby. Parents will receive

informative guidelines and everyone will tour the

mother/baby unit.

Mondays

April 9

May 21

July 2

6pm – 7pm

$10 per family

BABY CARE CLASS

The Baby Care Class reviews newborn characteristics,

general baby care, early parenting issues and community

resources. Recommended during the last 3 months of

pregnancy.

Mondays

March 12

May 7

June 11

July 30

6:30pm – 8:30pm

$10

INFANT AND CHILD CPR CLASS FOR FAMILY AND

FRIENDS

Learn and practice rescue for choking and CPR for

infants. This is not a certifying or credentialing course,

but is recommended for expectant parents, new parents

and support persons.

Tuesday, April 17

Thursday, June 21

6:30pm – 8:30pm

$5 per person

SAFE SITTER®

The best sitter is a safe sitter! The Safe Sitter® Class

is designed for boys and girls ages 11 to 13. Sitters learn

safety tips, how to recognize a medical emergency, what

the appropriate action should be during an emergency,

such as when a child or infant is choking, and how to have

fun with children.

Wednesdays

June 13 July 11

June 20 July 18

$35 per sitter Find out more atwww.lcmh.com

17

Saturday, March 31, 2012•

Historic Calcasieu Marine National Bank, 844 Ryan Street•

7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Enjoy appetizers served by local restaurants and caterers, complimentary wine, liquor cash bars, premium raffle items and outstanding entertainment featuring

•Leif Pedersen’s 1944 Big Band

•attire: dressy CasuaL

BEatLEMaNIa MaGIc

$75 per person

Tickets are available online at www.lcmh.com/on-the-town or at The Foundation office by calling (337) 494-3226.

Payroll deduction is available for Memorial employees.

All tax deductible proceeds benefit The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, a 501(c)(3) entity.

A national touring Beatles tribute band

ON thE tOWNLondon

the foundation at Lake CharLes MeMoriaL hosPitaL Presents

18

Letters

Mary Fontenot

Have you or a loved one recently received excellent service and compassionate care at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital or Memorial Hospital for Women? If so, tell us about it. Log on to www.lcmh.com and click on the “Tell Us Your Story” feature located on the home page. Your story could be featured in the next issue of Memorial Medical Milestones.

tell us yOur story

To the Staff of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital:

You know how devastating a cancer diagnosis usually is, and it surely was for me. Since I was seeing two earlier cancers in my rearview mirror, it was hard to accept and it was certainly not something anyone would like to experience.

My mom used to say that everything, good or bad, comes with a lesson to be learned. Having cancer has taught me several lessons.

1. There is a big difference between a problem and an inconvenience. Most of us have lives filled with inconveniences that we see as problems. I know the difference.

2. People are kind and want to help. I’ve learned to let them.

3. My faith in God brings me peace when I slow down and remember He is with me always.

4. There are angels among us and they are disguised as you and others who devote their lives to minister to the needs of your patients. When I have felt helpless and hopeless you have instilled me with trust in your ability and given me hope for my future.

Of course, I don’t know what is to come, but I know that you are available to help if needed. Your compassion, gentleness and competence have helped me more than you can know.

Sincerely, Mary S. Fontenot

1701 Oak Park BoulevardLake Charles, La 70601337-494-3000

Or how about a primary care physician who works with your orthopedist…. your cardiologist….your gastroenterologist…your oncologist….so that all of your health providers are on the same page when it comes to your medical issues.

Or maybe physicians who network, as a team, and complement each phase of your healthcare treatment…64 physicians…24 family medicine residents…. representing 20 specialties and subspecialties combined.

And how about the ability to access such a network of doctors and specialists with one phone call…one mouse click.

MeMorial Medical Group

Here’s a great thought….doctors working together to coordinate your care.

1-800-494-lcMH (5264)www.lcmh.com/mmg

call click

Isn’t that what you want?

That’s what you get with Memorial Medical Group.

More docTors. More specIalTIes.

MeMorIal MedIcal Group….the doctors you WaNT.

Physician Specialties

Cardiology

Cardiovascular Surgery

Ear, Nose & Throat

Gastroenterology

Family Medicine

Internal Medicine

Hematology

Neurosurgery

Oncology

Orthopaedics

Physical Rehabilitation

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Pulmonology & Critical Care

General & Vascular Surgery

Urology

non-profit org.U.S. poStage

PAIDLake charLeS

Lapermit# 372

Documents

Spring 2012