START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT - Akron General Medical Center
START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT - Akron General Medical Center
START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT - Akron General Medical Center
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fit life<br />
for<br />
<strong>Akron</strong>’s<br />
Most<br />
Preferred<br />
Hospital<br />
Heart Rhythm Problems:<br />
Living to the Right Beat!<br />
page 6<br />
Important News about<br />
Hysterectomy<br />
page 7<br />
Emergency Care,<br />
Wherever<br />
You Are<br />
page 4<br />
Local Woman<br />
Defeats<br />
Breast<br />
Cancer<br />
page 5<br />
WELLNESS<br />
Champions<br />
Start The New Year Right<br />
page 2<br />
akrongeneral.org | WINTER 2009
From the<br />
President<br />
Happy 2009!<br />
As we begin each new<br />
year, many of us resolve<br />
to make improvements<br />
in our lives and lifestyles.<br />
Sometimes these<br />
resolutions stick and<br />
sometimes, sadly, we<br />
forget all about them in a couple of months.<br />
As we begin this new year, I urge you to make a<br />
resolution toward a more healthy lifestyle. <strong>Akron</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong>’s Wellness Champion Award winners,<br />
including Michael Wiant (cover photo), have been<br />
inspirational through the changes they have made<br />
in their own lives and those of others. We can all<br />
follow their examples.<br />
Michael Wiant<br />
Wins Gold<br />
in <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>’s<br />
Wellness Champion Awards<br />
Michael Wiant of Copley has a passion for wellness. The 37-year-old husband<br />
and father of two young children – with a third on the way – works in sales and<br />
marketing for a downtown <strong>Akron</strong> developer. Even with his busy schedule, he<br />
maintains his own fitness and inspires others with his passion.<br />
Wellness Champion Michael Wiant receives his award.<br />
Let me personally thank you for again choosing<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> as our area’s Most Preferred<br />
hospital. This choice, coming through an<br />
independent survey by the National Research<br />
Corporation, is one of the highest honors that we<br />
can receive. It is our mission to improve the health<br />
and lives of our patients and community. We are<br />
privileged to be able to serve you.<br />
Best wishes for a healthy 2009,<br />
Alan Bleyer<br />
President & CEO<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health System<br />
Do you or someone you know want to<br />
receive this free publication regularly<br />
Call 866-934-3492.<br />
Fit for Life is published by <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health System to provide general<br />
health information. It is not intended to provide personal medical advice,<br />
which should be obtained directly from a physician. Your comments<br />
are welcome. Images may be from one or more of these sources:<br />
©Jupiterimages, ©Getty Images, ©iStock, ©SnapVillage.<br />
©2009 Priority Publications priorityresults.com<br />
You may request to be removed from our mailing lists by calling a voice<br />
mailbox at 866-934-3499 and leaving your name and address, or by sending<br />
your name and address to <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health System, Media and Public<br />
Relations Department, 400 Wabash Ave., <strong>Akron</strong>, OH 44307.<br />
His friend, Steve Catalano, credits Michael for making a big impact on his<br />
life. Steve has seen significant results from the encouragement and dedication<br />
he has received from Michael.<br />
Michael motivates without expecting anything in return. His passion for<br />
helping others comes from deep within his heart. For his personal example of<br />
wellness and his efforts in leading others to wellness, <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> recognizes<br />
Michael Wiant as the winner in the Gold Category for the <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
Wellness Champion Award.<br />
Other individual winners were Matthew Adams and Kevin O’Shea.<br />
City of Dublin Earns Top Corporate Honors<br />
The City of Dublin is an employer that walks the wellness talk. Located<br />
16 miles northwest of downtown Columbus, the local government consists<br />
of 380 full-time employees and a seasonal workforce that fluctuates between
250 and 450. Given the organization’s<br />
dynamic, fast-paced, achievement-oriented<br />
culture distinguished by its leadership<br />
style, high expectation levels, collaborative<br />
relationships and customer-oriented<br />
philosophy and core values, is it any<br />
wonder that the city of Dublin also<br />
has a first-class wellness program<br />
Employees who participate in the<br />
complete array of wellness opportunities<br />
enjoy substantial reductions in their<br />
healthcare expenses. The program’s<br />
success is evident by the enthusiasm of<br />
participating employees and their families.<br />
What’s more, Dublin has received an<br />
extra reward for its positive efforts –<br />
the employer has seen a decrease in its<br />
corporate healthcare expenses.<br />
For its success as a leader in health and<br />
wellness, <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> salutes the city of<br />
Dublin as the Gold winner of the Wellness<br />
Champion Award.<br />
Other corporate winners include<br />
Infocision and SS&G Financial Services.<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
Voted Most<br />
Preferred Hospital<br />
Once again, <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> has won the area’s<br />
Consumer Choice Award from the National Research<br />
Corporation. <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> is the ONLY <strong>Akron</strong>-area<br />
winner of this prestigious designation. This award<br />
goes to organizations identified by consumers as<br />
having the best overall quality, image, reputation,<br />
nurses and doctors.<br />
Thank you<br />
once again for<br />
voting <strong>Akron</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong> your<br />
Most Preferred<br />
hospital!<br />
Expanded<br />
Radiology Hours<br />
If you need an X-ray, CT<br />
Scan, MRI, ultrasound or<br />
any general diagnostic test,<br />
the <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health<br />
& Wellness <strong>Center</strong>s – both<br />
North (Stow) and West<br />
(west <strong>Akron</strong>) – now have<br />
convenient, expanded hours.<br />
Health & Wellness <strong>Center</strong><br />
– North<br />
4300 Allen Road, Stow<br />
Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.<br />
Saturday, 8 a.m. - noon<br />
Health & Wellness <strong>Center</strong> – West<br />
4125 Medina Road, west <strong>Akron</strong><br />
Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.<br />
Make an Appointment<br />
Call: 866-934-3715<br />
fit life winter 2009 | 3<br />
for
Wherever You Are<br />
Emergency Care in<br />
Your Neighborhood<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> is the area’s leader in accessible, convenient<br />
emergency care.<br />
The downtown facility is northeast Ohio’s only emergency<br />
department with certifications in Level I Trauma, chest pain and<br />
stroke. The emergency department at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>’s Health<br />
& Wellness <strong>Center</strong> – North in Stow treats patients in an average<br />
of two hours. And the emergency department at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
Lodi Community Hospital in Medina County provides equally<br />
fast, quality care. It also serves as a helicopter base for MedFlight.<br />
All three Emergency Departments and the new facility to open<br />
at the Health & Wellness <strong>Center</strong> – West in Bath in 2009 make<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> the area’s leader in emergency care, close to home.<br />
Patients Continually Give High Satisfaction Scores<br />
The emergency department at the Health & Wellness<br />
<strong>Center</strong> – North rates in the top percentile in the Press Ganey<br />
Patient Satisfaction Survey, the nation’s leading independent<br />
patient satisfaction measurement.<br />
Lodi Community Hospital’s emergency department has twice<br />
been awarded the prestigious Summit Award by Press Ganey<br />
Associates. The Award is given to hospitals across the country that<br />
have maintained a patient satisfaction rank in the top percentile<br />
for a minimum of three consecutive years. Lodi Community<br />
Hospital is one of only 12 hospital emergency departments<br />
nationwide to receive this award and one of only eight emergency<br />
departments to have received it two years in a row.<br />
Eggs, Milk, Bread, Checkup<br />
ExpressCare Clinics Now At Acme Fresh Markets<br />
Acme Fresh Market and <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> have partnered to provide walk-in medical<br />
clinics inside select Acme Fresh Market stores. ExpressCare Clinics are a new, exciting<br />
concept in healthcare. They offer speedy service with exceptional quality, complete<br />
affordability and unmatched convenience. <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> nurse practitioners staff<br />
the clinics under the direction of <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> family medicine physicians.<br />
ExpressCare Clinics are intended for minor illnesses, including (but not limited to):<br />
• Strep throat<br />
• Ear infections<br />
• Cold and flu<br />
• Pink eye<br />
• Poison ivy<br />
• Acne<br />
• Allergies<br />
• Wart removal<br />
• Swimmer’s ear<br />
• Minor injuries<br />
• Vaccinations<br />
• Sinusitis<br />
• Cholesterol screenings<br />
• Diabetes screenings<br />
• Bronchitis<br />
• Sports physicals<br />
4 | <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health System | akrongeneral.org
Beating<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Team Helps Patient Thrive<br />
Breast<br />
Cancer<br />
Talk to breast cancer survivor Linda Stewart and you may be<br />
surprised to hear her say how much she has been blessed, rather<br />
than focus on her battle against breast cancer that included<br />
many months of chemotherapy, radiation and a lumpectomy.<br />
No, Linda instead will tell you, “God has blessed me with two<br />
families – my own and my co-workers at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>.”<br />
Breast cancer survivor Linda Stewart, left, beat the disease in large part<br />
due to the care and friendship of Kathy Lukity, RN, at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
Reflections Breast Health <strong>Center</strong>.<br />
Linda attributes much of her successful journey and ultimate<br />
recovery from breast cancer to <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Reflections Breast<br />
Health <strong>Center</strong>, where co-worker Kathy Lukity, RN, and many<br />
others “carried me and helped me fight with positive thoughts –<br />
they kept me going.” Starting with her first visit to the <strong>Center</strong>,<br />
Linda and her family were always clear about her course of<br />
treatment. The treatment team explained why or when things were<br />
happening, and fostered her questions. “Kathy would even come<br />
over to hold my hand during chemotherapy,” says Linda. “She gave<br />
me something to look forward to during a very devastating time.<br />
“My care team was always positive – no one ever had a<br />
bad attitude,” shares Linda. “They did whatever they needed<br />
to do to make it right for me and my family and explained<br />
everything every step of the way.”<br />
The Expert Care You Need and Deserve<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> and Reflections are now <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
Reflections Breast Health <strong>Center</strong>. With five locations and<br />
evening hours, it’s easier than ever to get your mammogram.<br />
And should you ever have an abnormal mammogram, rest<br />
assured we’ll understand your worry and concern. To help<br />
you through the process, we provide:<br />
• A dedicated breast health nurse available to guide your care<br />
and help you with questions.<br />
• A follow-up appointment at our all-digital location, the only<br />
one in the area equipped with this advanced technology.<br />
• Accurate results six times faster than other centers in the<br />
country, which means less time waiting for follow-up results.<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Reflections Breast Health <strong>Center</strong>s are<br />
in <strong>Akron</strong>, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson and Tallmadge.<br />
Sports Injury Help Online<br />
www.akrongeneral.org/sportsmedicine<br />
Stiff and sore Muscle and joint aches and pains <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Sports Medicine<br />
offers a new and interactive website to help you learn more about what could be<br />
causing those aches and pains, how to care for them and when it might be time to<br />
go to the doctor. Go to www.akrongeneral.org/sportsmedicine to read more about<br />
conditions such as sprains and strains, tendonitis, heel pain and much more!<br />
Shoulders<br />
Broken Collarbone<br />
Shoulder Dislocation<br />
Shoulder Separation<br />
Rotator Cuff Injury<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Sports Medicine is the area’s largest sports medicine program,<br />
with board-certified doctors, trainers and therapists at five locations.<br />
Learn more<br />
Visit: www.akrongeneral.org/sportsmedicine<br />
fit life<br />
for<br />
winter 2009 | 5
Heart Rhythm Problems<br />
Living to the Right Beat<br />
Robert Schweikert,<br />
MD<br />
When your<br />
heart skips a beat,<br />
it’s usually because<br />
you’re nervous or<br />
excited or maybe<br />
even in love! But if<br />
a fluttering heart<br />
keeps you awake at<br />
night, there may be<br />
cause for concern.<br />
“Each time your<br />
heart beats, it’s the<br />
result of your heart muscles squeezing<br />
to pump blood to other parts of your<br />
body,” says Robert Schweikert, MD,<br />
Chief of Cardiology at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>.<br />
“Under normal circumstances, this<br />
happens between 60 and 100 times a<br />
minute. An occasional heart palpitation<br />
is usually harmless. But when your heart<br />
beats too quickly, too slowly or erratically,<br />
this abnormal heart rhythm is known as<br />
arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythms.”<br />
Arrhythmias are very common,<br />
especially as you get older. Most cases<br />
are harmless, but some arrhythmias<br />
are extremely dangerous and require<br />
treatment and management.<br />
Electrophysiologists specialize in the<br />
electrical activity of the heart and in the<br />
diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm<br />
disorders. <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>’s worldrenowned<br />
electrophysiologists provide<br />
innovative and comprehensive treatment<br />
options for heart rhythm disorders – so<br />
patients with arrhythmia can continue<br />
enjoying life to the fullest.<br />
If you think you’re experiencing<br />
heart rhythm abnormalities, make an<br />
appointment with your doctor. As always,<br />
if you are having severe symptoms, don’t<br />
wait. Call 911.<br />
Learn More<br />
Call: 866-934-4156<br />
Welcome Jennifer Cummings, MD, FACC<br />
Jennifer Cummings,<br />
MD, FACC<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Partners Physician Group and Heart Rhythm<br />
Associates are pleased to welcome a new cardiologist,<br />
Jennifer Cummings, MD, FACC. Dr. Cummings is boardcertified<br />
in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine and<br />
clinical cardiac electrophysiology. She most recently served as<br />
Director of Electrophysiology Research and Staff Cardiologist<br />
in the Cleveland Clinic Department of Cardiovascular<br />
Medicine, Electrophysiology and Pacing. Specialty interests<br />
include management of arrhythmias, catheter ablation<br />
including AF, pacemakers, defibrillators and device therapy<br />
for heart failure. Her fellowships include cardiovascular<br />
medicine at MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve<br />
University and clinical cardiac electrophysiology at the Cleveland Clinic. She<br />
joins Dr. Schweikert at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Heart Rhythm Associates.<br />
Need a Ride to a Cardiac or Diagnostic Test<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> is pleased to offer a transportation program for patients scheduled<br />
for diagnostic or cardiac testing appointments at our centers. The transportation is<br />
available for patients who are pre-scheduled for a test at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>’s Health<br />
& Wellness <strong>Center</strong> – West, Health & Wellness <strong>Center</strong> – North, Green Health<br />
<strong>Center</strong> or Tallmadge Health <strong>Center</strong>. The cost is only $10 roundtrip. Transportation<br />
is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., and it must be scheduled<br />
48 hours in advance.<br />
Schedule TransportaTion<br />
Call: 866-934-4158<br />
6 | <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong> Health System | akrongeneral.org
Jeffrey Zwart, MD<br />
Director, Robotic<br />
Surgery, Gynecology<br />
Ask the Expert<br />
Why Choose Robotic<br />
Surgery for<br />
Hysterectomy<br />
QQ: A<br />
My doctor told me I need a hysterectomy,<br />
and the last thing I want is an incision across my<br />
stomach with a large scar and weeks of recovery.<br />
How does robotic surgery eliminate that<br />
A: Because of the precise movements and<br />
small tools of the robot, the incisions made for a<br />
hysterectomy are barely the length of the tip of a<br />
finger. The tiny incisions result in much less scarring,<br />
reduced blood loss and trauma to the body, less postoperative<br />
pain and a shorter recovery time.<br />
Q: Who is appropriate for robotic laparoscopic<br />
hysterectomy<br />
A: Anyone who is recommended for a<br />
Qhysterectomy A<br />
is a potential candidate, even if the<br />
case is considered complex. Uterine or cervical<br />
cancer with lymph node removal is especially<br />
suited for robotic hysterectomy.<br />
Q: It’s hard to imagine a robot doing surgery.<br />
How exactly does it work<br />
QA: The surgeon is seated at a console that contains<br />
Q<br />
the<br />
A<br />
master control and display. The surgeon’s hand,<br />
wrist and finger movements are seamlessly transferred to<br />
A<br />
the robot’s surgical instruments inside the patient. The<br />
movements of the robot and the surgeon occur at the<br />
Open Hysterectomy Incision da Vinci ®<br />
Hysterectomy Incisions<br />
exact same time. Small laparoscopes (small cameras) attached to the “arms”<br />
of the robot allow for the surgeon to operate using a 3-D image. <strong>Akron</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong>’s robot features four arms to represent the surgeons left and right<br />
hands, to change the surgeon’s visual field and to perform additional tasks.<br />
Surgeons who perform robotic surgery have undergone intensive training.<br />
Q: What if my doctor doesn’t know much about robotic surgery –<br />
how can I find out more and if I am a candidate<br />
A: Visit www.akrongeneral.org/davinci for more information on robotic<br />
surgery at <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong>.<br />
Over 50 Step Up Screenings<br />
Getting regular health screenings<br />
is always wise, and the following<br />
screenings are especially important<br />
as you reach your golden years.<br />
Annual Mammogram. The American<br />
Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that<br />
women ages 40 and older get a yearly<br />
mammogram screening for breast<br />
cancer. Women at high risk for breast<br />
cancer should ask their doctors about<br />
adding magnetic resonance imaging<br />
(MRI) to their mammogram routine.<br />
Bone Mineral Density Test. The U.S.<br />
Department of Health and Human<br />
Services recommends that women get<br />
a bone density test beginning at age<br />
65 to screen for osteoporosis – or by<br />
age 60 if you have a thin build.<br />
Talk to your doctor or nurse at <strong>Akron</strong><br />
<strong>General</strong> about which health screenings<br />
are right for you.<br />
fit life winter 2009 | 7<br />
for
A special thank you to<br />
the following Corporate<br />
Partners for their generous<br />
support of <strong>Akron</strong> <strong>General</strong><br />
throughout the year.<br />
<strong>Akron</strong> Beacon Journal<br />
Gojo<br />
Heidelberg Distributing<br />
Company<br />
ING<br />
Krumroy Cozad Construction<br />
Corporation<br />
Main Street Gourmet<br />
Messina Floor Covering<br />
National City Bank<br />
QT Equipment<br />
Roetzel & Andress<br />
The Ruhlin Company<br />
Sodexo<br />
Time Warner Cable<br />
Wadsworth Golf Charities<br />
Foundation<br />
Williams on the Lake<br />
WQMX FM 94.9<br />
400 Wabash Avenue • <strong>Akron</strong>, OH 44307<br />
866-934-3492<br />
akrongeneral.org