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December 2005

Primary Stroke Center Earns JCAHO Certifi cation

People experiencing signs of stroke have another excellent reason to choose St. Mary Medical Center for urgent evaluation and treatment: After a rigorous on-site review of policies, procedures and patient outcomes, the St. Mary Primary Stroke Center recently earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), an independent organization that evaluates clinical care quality. St. Mary is one of only nine hospitals in Pennsylvania and 166 nationwide to earn this important distinction.

“We have placed a great deal of emphasis on creating one of the best primary stroke centers in the region, and we are proud to achieve this distinction,” says Greg Wozniak,

A Fond Farewell to Happenings

St. Mary has the fi rst and only JCAHO-certifi ed stroke program in Bucks County

Johanna Nieves, MSN, CRNP, CNRN, left, and Dr. Emil Matarese visit with a stroke survivor in the Primary Stroke Unit. St. Mary was the fi rst hospital in Pennsylvania to implement the recommended Brain Attack Coalition’s Guidelines for Acute Stroke Treatment, and also was awarded a Certifi cate of Recognition for implementing the American Stroke Association’s “Get with the Guidelines” stroke beta pilot program.

Continued on page 2

This is the fi nal edition of Happenings,

our long-time colleague newsletter. We

are launching a new publication, Spirit, in

January 2006 as part of our overall efforts

to better communicate.

“Spirit was shown to focus group

participants, along with a brief explanation

of the objectives and approach taken to

improve the overall strategic direction,

editorial content, creative design, and

layout. Overwhelmingly, 95 percent of

colleagues responded favorably to Spirit,”

says Patrick Donohue, Director, Marketing

and Communications.

In addition, the Marketing and

Communications department has taken

signifi cant steps over the last few months

to improve newsletter distribution to all

colleagues, physicians, and volunteers

by increasing printing quantities and

coordinating with Human Resources and

Volunteer Services. That process will

continue with the Spirit launch.

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St. Mary cardiologists are using

three-dimensional (3D) digital

echocardiography to diagnose heart

disease with greater precision than

ever before. The breakthrough new

technology—also known as cardiac

ultrasound—provides high-defi ni-

tion, real-time images of the valves,

vessels, and chambers of the

human heart and allows doctors to

view progressive slices through the

heart tissue image.

Cardiac ultrasound helps pa-

tients better visualize and under-

stand their condition, minimizes

the need for more invasive tests

and inpatient procedures, and helps physicians identify heart disease earlier.

Integrated Heart Lab

Along with new cardiac imaging technology, St. Mary is upgrading its informa-

tion technology to speed the processing and reporting of results from cardiac

catheterizations, nuclear medicine studies, and EKGs.

“Physicians will be able to view multiple study results at the same time,

from numerous hospital workstations or a secure Internet connection,” says

Scott Hartman, MS, Director, Cardiopulmonary/Neurology/Sleep Lab.

Cardiac Ultrasound Now Offered at St. Mary Heart Center

New MRI Capabilities Offer Enhanced Breast and Prostate Imaging ServicesDetecting cancer in its earliest stages is essential to treatment success, and St. Mary Medical Center has upgraded its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capabilities to better diagnose suspected breast and prostate tumors.

“We are using the most recently available, specially designed equipment for MRI of the breast, which provides higher resolution images of both breasts simultaneously. Because MRI of the breast is so sensitive, it has become a valuable tool for early detection and char-acterization of very subtle fi ndings on mammography or ultrasound,” says Daniel Cohen, MD, Medical Director, Langhorne MRI.

The speed and resolution of the sophisticated MRI system also enhances the diagnostic capabilities in orthopedic, neurological, and orbital imaging.

In 2005, St. Mary Langhorne MRI increased its operating hours until 11 PM each weeknight and added weekend hours. We’re now providing same-day or next-day services in many cases,” says Suzanne Monte, Service Line Administrator, Radiology/Oncology.

Primary Stroke Center (from page 1)

St. Mary President and CEO. “The JCAHO certifi cation of our Primary Stroke Center reinforces St. Mary’s commitment to

providing outstanding care to our community.”

Working hand in hand with St. Mary’s Emergency Department, the primary stroke center brings together a 24-hour on-call team with stroke-trained physicians from multiple specialties, including neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, and emergency medicine. The team uses state-of-the-art technology to evaluate and treat patients who exhibit signs of a stroke, which increasingly is referred to as a “brain attack.”

The goal of the St. Mary Primary Stroke Center is to

lessen and prevent further brain damage by providing acute intervention with the most advanced medical therapies, pharmaceutical treatments, and neuroradiological techniques. In addition to direct medical care, the stroke center also provides programs designed to educate the public about stroke symptoms and treatments.

The St. Mary Primary Stroke Center was developed under the direction of Emil L. Matarese, MD, director of the Primary Stroke Unit at St. Mary Medical Center, working with a team of St. Mary physicians and nurses.

“We are an emergency stroke-ready hospital that can meet the needs of any potential stroke victim,” says Dr. Matarese. “Every second counts when treating a stroke. Prompt care could mean the difference between permanent paralysis and/or death,

and complete recovery or minimal residual defi cits.”

Richard Leshner, DO, Chief of Cardiol-

ogy, is one of the St. Mary cardiologists,

cardiothoracic surgeons and echocar-

diac technicians who recently completed

comprehensive onsite training in using

the complex new technology.

MRI Senior Technologist Kristin Castelberg, RTR, checks a bilateral breast image obtained by the new MRI system.

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In October, St. Mary Medical Center celebrated the 150th

anniversary of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, which

founded the hospital. The celebration included a Mass at the

Church of St. Andrew, Newtown, followed by a dinner reception in the

Sister Clare Carty Education Center at St. Mary.

To honor the Sisters’ “legacy of love,” St. Mary developed a Wall

of Heritage, left, commemorating their work in education, healthcare,

spiritual and pastoral care, care of orphans, the elderly, homeless,

poor, and persons with AIDS, immigrants and refugees.

View the pictorial tribute and video in the main lobby.

Founding Sisters Honored at St. Mary

First row, left to right:Sr. Alberta Chelius, OSF, Library Sr. Agnes Schilling, OSF, Sacristan Sr. Mary Ann Potenza, OSF, Emergency DepartmentSr. Rose Marie Lynch, OSF, Nursing

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation UnitSr. Margaret Jones, OSF, Spiritual CareSr. Marie Cecilia Irwin, OSF, Community Health

Ministries, Bensalem

Second row, left to right:Sr. Julia Tierney, OSF, Emergency DepartmentSr. Marie Barbara McNamara, OSF, Spiritual CareSr. Catherine Alexis, OSF, Community Health

Ministries, BensalemSr. Eileen Hennessey, OSF, AccessSr. Patricia Warman, OSF, Holistic Center

Sr. Mary Louise, OSF, Spiritual Care

Sisters Serving St. Mary Today

Clinical Decision Unit Blessing

On Tuesday, November 8, Father Holleran, pictured far left, led a blessing of the new clinical decision unit (CDU) in the Emergency Department (ED) at St. Mary Medical Center.

According to Pat Geary, RN, BSN, ENPC, Nurse Manager, CDU and Pediatrics, the unit is designed to determine within 23 hours if a patient is well enough to go home or requires admission to the hospital for further evaluation.

“The CDU provides an alternative to waiting overnight in the ED, and provides a comfortable, state-of-the-art center for a patient to relax and wait for test results or further cardiac workup. Patients can receive a full range of services without having to be away from home, work, or other commitments for greater than 23 hours,” she says.

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Mark Your Calendar

Important Phone Nos.Work-related Injuries1. Contact supervisor

2. Notify Employee Health, ext. 5827

SAFE HotlineExt. 7233 (SAFE)

Compliance Hotline800.254.0458

JCAHO Quality Monitoring630.792.5636

complaint@jcaho.org

Luxury Car Raffl eGrand prize drawing, December 9Proceeds benefi t St. Mary Regional Cancer Center patients

Contact: Lil Schonewolf, ext. 2096

St. Mary Thrift Shop Blessing and Grand OpeningSaturday, December 10, 10 AM–3 PM

140 North Pine Street(Pine Watson Plaza), Langhorne

Contact: Andrea Hogan, 215.750.8400

Colleague Holiday PartyThursday, December 1511:30 AM – 2 PM • 5 PM – 7 PM

10 PM – MIDNIGHT

St. Mary Auditoriums

Emergency Department Ribbon Cutting Wednesday, January 11, 8:30 AM

St. Mary Auditoriums and ED

Contact: Patrick Donohue, ext. 6908

Cardiovascular Care Unit (CVCU) Ribbon Cutting Wednesday, February 1, 8:30 AM St. Mary Auditoriums and CVCU

Contact: Patrick Donohue, ext. 6908

SPIRIT will be published monthly by theMarketing and Communications department of St. Mary Medical Center. Submit items of interest to ksmith@che-east.org.

According to Patrick Hogan, RN, Cardiology, the Cath Lab performed new procedures to

close congenital defects in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart.

“One patient had a patent foramen ovale closed. In the other, an atrial septal defect

was closed. Both cases went perfectly and the patients are doing great,” says Patrick.

Each patient was treated using the Amplatzer Closure device from AGA Medical.

The device is placed through a catheter in the femoral vein and advanced through the

inferior vena cava to the right heart and intra-atrial septum. Once in position the device

is un-sheathed, allowing it to deploy across the defect and closing the hole.

Cardiac Cath Lab Marks Another Clinical Milestone

St. Mary Mammography Technicians

Dawn Larcher, left, and Linda Krebs

prepare to pick another winning

name from the nearly 1,300 women

who received mammograms at

St. Mary during National Breast

Cancer Awareness month in October.

St. Mary colleagues and breast

cancer survivors donated prizes for

the weekly drawings held in October

to encourage women to schedule

a mammogram, which is the fi rst

line of defense for early detection of

breast cancer.

A Successful Mammogram Promotion

Best Places to Work in Pa.Thank you to the 250 colleagues who responded to the survey for St. Mary’s application for “Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania.” The survey process was lengthy and enlightening.

“Even though St. Mary was not selected, your feedback is being used to further improve our workplace. St. Mary remains committed to being a great place to work, practice medicine, and receive care,” says Marcia Miller Telthorster, Vice President, Human Resources.

Survey Follow-upFrom the Mail Bag

“My heartfelt thanks for the beautiful bag and its contents that were given to me at St. Mary while a recent patient . . . . I have been given pleasure with the many items in the bag, and I have had such

wonderful warmth from your beautiful

blanket. . . . May God bless you.”

—N.M., recent patient at the St. Mary

Regional Canter Center

Through a donation to the Cancer Healing Ministries, the Women’s Guild is providing tote bags fi lled with comfort items for each chemotherapy patient who receives infusions at St. Mary.