Great Lakes Cancer Institute-McLaren Unveils Expansion with ...

Connection
A Monthly Publication of McLaren Regional Medical Center Volume 8, Issue 3 March 2008
What’s Inside...
A Giving Soul Creates an Ever
Living Legacy..........................3
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Bowling Challenge 2008........4
Do You Speak SBAR..............4
“This new facility
is giving us
the space and
technology we
need to take care
of our patients
in a nice, warm
atmosphere.”
– Dr. Hesham Gayar
The expansion of GLCI-McLaren includes a new main entrance located on the eastern side of the facility.
Great Lakes Cancer Institute-McLaren
Unveils Expansion with Building Dedication
and Open House
The two-year, $7 million expansion of the
Great Lakes Cancer Institute-McLaren (GLCI-
McLaren) is now complete, creating a warm,
spacious and sophisticated environment of
healing for area cancer patients. Along with
accommodating the newest technology in
cancer treatment, the new design features wood
floors, soothing earth-tone colors, artwork and
potted plants located throughout the 30,000 sq.
ft. facility.
“This new facility is giving us the space and
technology we need to take care of our patients
in a nice, warm atmosphere,” noted Dr. Hesham
Gayar, radiation oncologist at GLCI-McLaren.
“All of this beautiful color and artwork are the
shell of good caring and service we provide to
our patients.”
Special enhancements include:
• Patient Resource Library complete with
internet access and staffed by American
Cancer Society volunteers
• New patient/family waiting areas
• Expanded conference space for
multidisciplinary cancer conferences and
support groups
• Expanded Radiation Oncology Suite,
featuring the latest technology in radiation
treatment
Continued on page 2

Great Lakes Cancer Institute-McLaren Continued from page 1
(Above) The Patient Resource Library located off the Radiation
Oncology lobby provides a comfortable and convenient space to
access information and support.
Bobbi Jo Lucas
stands before the
new cancer donor
wall, honoring
her granmother
who founded the
Ever Living Tree
Cancer Fund.
• 18 comfortable chemotherapy
infusion stations individually
equipped with cable television
monitors
• New office for research
protocol nurse
The evening’s
events included a
brief dedication
ceremony,
followed by the
unveiling of a
commemorative
wall honoring
those who have
made generous
contributions
to the cancer
program at
McLaren. Also of
special interest, an
international art
exhibit by Eli Lilly
and Company
entitled “Oncology
on Canvas” was
on display at GLCI-
McLaren from March 3 through
March 14. The artistic creations
featured works by cancer patients,
caregivers, and friends as a way to
express their own cancer journeys.
Regional Medical Center; Hesham
Gayar, M.D., radiation oncologist;
T. Trevor Singh, M.D., medical
oncologist, and Ray Demers, M.D.,
President/CEO of the Great Lakes
Cancer Institute. Also receiving
special recognition were Sukamal
Saha, M.D., surgical oncologist;
Madan Arora, M.D., and David
Eilander, M.D., both medical
oncologists, and Jack Nettleton,
M.D., radiation oncologist.
Bobbi Jo Lucas, granddaughter of
Jeanne Prevo, the founder of the
Ever Living Tree Cancer Fund
at McLaren, and Donald Kooy
unveiled the donor wall during the
ceremony.
An open house and building
dedication was held March 4
for patients and their families,
physicians, donors and staff.
Featured presenters at the
dedication ceremony were Donald
Kooy, President/CEO of McLaren

A Giving Soul Creates an Ever Living Legacy
She keeps every letter, card, and
photograph stowed in an antique
cedar trunk. Bobbi Jo Lucas
cannot explain why she has held
on to all of these mementos from
her late grandmother. Listening to
Bobbi Jo tell stories, one thing is
clear, Jeanne Prevo was more than
just a grandmother. For Bobbi Jo,
she was an inspiration. Jeanne’s
spirit, strength, and compassion
touched many during her lifetime.
Her efforts to give back continue
to touch the lives of men and
women today through the Ever
Living Tree Program benefiting
cancer patients at the Great Lakes
Cancer Institute (GLCI)-McLaren.
Jeanne Prevo, a special education
teacher at Durant-Tuuri-Mott
Elementary school in Flint,
underwent treatment for breast
cancer in 1982 at McLaren
Regional Medical Center. She
was in and out of treatment over
the next several years before she
was declared to be in remission
in 1990 and returned to work.
Prevo was immensely grateful
that her employer supported her
throughout her extended leave and
sought a way to help other cancer
patients less fortunate.
“My grandmother was tireless,”
recalls Lucas. “She was always
volunteering and finding ways to
better herself. She found purpose
in bringing happiness to others.
During her battle with cancer, she
was greatly influenced by Bernie
Siegel, MD, the well-known
author of support books for cancer
patients. The central question that
he posed to his readers was ‘What
can you do to be happy for the rest
of your life’”
Jeanne found her true happiness
in comforting and helping others.
Prevo was involved in the creation
of the Breast Cancer support
group at McLaren. Through these
meetings, Prevo discovered some
women that were unable to afford
a wig, medicine, or even basic
living expenses such as gas money
to drive to their treatments. True
to her spirit, she found a way to
help. Through Prevo’s inspiration,
and the guidance and support of
McLaren administrators, the Ever
Living Tree Program took shape
in 1990.
The Ever Living Tree Program
was established with the goal of
providing financial assistance to
cancer patients being treated at
McLaren. The program bestows
a one-time cash gift to current
cancer patients.
The Program is funded through
the generous support of
employees, patrons and special
friends of McLaren’s cancer
program. An annual campaign
makes it possible for patients to
receive some financial assistance
during their treatment. In
November, when people’s thoughts
turn to holiday shopping and
parties, McLaren mails a special
holiday letter giving recipients
the opportunity to honor a loved
one and support the Ever Living
Tree Program with a financial
gift. Donors can also customize
an ornament and have it placed on
the large Christmas tree displayed
in the lobby of McLaren Regional
Medical Center.
The Ever Living Tree Program
has firmly taken root in the hearts
of many whose lives have been
touched by cancer. The Program
has raised more than $150,000 and
provided help to more than 400
patients. With continued support,
the program will continue to
grow and provide respite for those
with a special need who come to
McLaren for cancer treatment.
The Ever
Living Tree
Program was
established
with the goal
of providing
financial
assistance
to cancer
patients being
treated at
McLaren.
Bobbi Jo Lucas

(Far Left) Front row l-
r: Terry Striggow, and
Kelly Leavy. Middle
row l-r: Mollie Royce
and Tiffany Cannon.
Back row l-r: Jen
Colvin, Dana Struble,
Alan Hammond and
Randy Adams.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowling Challenge 2008
A big ‘thank you’ goes out to everyone who participated
or gave a donation the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters
2008 Bowling Challenge. The Bowling Challenge
represents the most beneficial fundraiser for the BBBS
agency each year.
Here are some of the McLaren Teams that hit the lanes
on Saturday, February 23.
Terry Striggow was lucky enough to win one of BBBS
50/50 raffles while he was bowling. He generously
treated his co-workers and others to a pizza party on
Wednesday, March 5 with some of his winnings.
Front row l-r: Lori
Emmendorfer, Kelly
Hinman, Cindy Diehl,
Robin Hartfelder and
Julian Garcia. Back
row: Jean Brownley,
Jeff Glover, Pablo
Montera, and Joe
Glover.
L-r: Amber Esterdahl,
Alan Wenzlick, Renee
Pattee, Melissa Hurst,
Manny Quitos, Vicki
Stebner, Sharrie
Creasey, Julie
Herronen, Beverly
Dent, Lynn Weller,
and Monica Blondin.

Do You Speak SBAR By Sheri Myers, RN
Often in medical practice we
tend to use a ‘hint and hope’
approach to communication.
‘Hint and hope’ is fundamentally
an inadequate method of
communication. It means that we
‘hint’ to the other person what the
situation is, and ‘hope’ they pick
up on the urgency. For example,
a nurse may say to a doctor, ‘The
patient doesn’t look well, and he’s
having difficulty breathing’ and
then hope the doctor will pick up
on her discomfort and take action.
By hinting to the doctor about the
potential severity of the situation,
she is hoping that he will respond
accordingly. But often, this does
not happen.
Imagine for a moment, you
begin your shift bombarded
with a ton of information, not
only regarding the patients to
whom you are assigned, but also
about the activities of the unit.
You implement your system to
organize your day, absorb as much
information as you can, and start
prioritizing and checking in on
your patients. Shortly into your
shift, one of your patient’s medical
conditions starts to deteriorate.
As a prudent nurse you intervene
accordingly and now you
are required to inform and
communicate with the patient’s
attending physician. One of
the new initiatives at McLaren
Regional Medical Center is the
application of a communication
technique called SBAR. SBAR
is an acronym and stands
for Situation, Background,
Assessment and Recommendation.
SBAR is a framework for
communication regarding a patient
or a situation among health care
professionals. The tool consists of
standardized “prompt” questions
within each of the four sections,
to ensure that clear, concise,
and focused information is
conveyed. In many cases involving
incidences of error or adverse
events, retrospective review
often reveals that a breakdown in
communication has taken place.
SBAR is a powerful technique for
eradicating a culture of ‘hinting’
and ‘hoping’.
The use of SBAR sets an
expectation that specific and
relevant information will be
shared every time a patient or
situation is discussed, thereby
promoting consistency and
clarity. The SBAR process
incorporates critical thinking and
organization of information. The
communication resulting from
the utilization of the framework is
assertive, direct, respectful, and
results oriented.
The climate of our current health
care system is such that we
may experience and encounter
information overload and
multiple demands on our time.
Therefore, the ability to articulate
information thoughtfully and
succinctly is greatly needed to
effectively achieve positive clinical
outcomes for our patients. This
applies not only when speaking
to physicians, but also when staff
speaks to each other in the form of
caregiver handoff and report.
In the clinical arenas, a patient
report may be given numerous
times. A shift-to-shift report
from the primary nurse to the
oncoming nurse, along with a
report when transferring patients
to procedural areas and upon
returning to the floor, and a report
from the emergency department
triage nurse to the floor nurse, as
well as information reported to
health care provider are expected.
Standardizing the information
given and received will reduce
error, and will pinpoint the
information needed in every case.
Why implement SBAR at
McLaren
The safe and effective care of
patients depends on consistent,
flawless communication
between caregivers. Handovers
(the process of passing on
specific information about the
patients from one caregiver to
another), is an area where the
breakdown of communication
between caregivers may lead to
episodes of avoidable harm to a
patient. The Joint Commission
on Accreditation of Hospitals
has added to Goal 2 in the
2007 Patient Safety Goals. The
additional statement (2e) reads,
“Implement a standardized
approach to “hand off”
communications, including an
opportunity to ask and respond to
questions.”
Why does SBAR work
When you use this method, both
you and the other person are on
the same page to think through a
problem
You are proactively giving the
listener data that they would be
requesting anyway if they were
going to try to solve the problem.
You save time by researching
options. You keep others from
having to guess by giving them a
recommendation.
Doctors already know how to use
this method. They use a similar
method known as SOAP when
they speak doctor to doctor about
patient care issues.
So look for SBAR to come to your
unit soon and be the champion
for your area. Better yet, practice
using SBAR right now and watch
yourself become more productive
and less frustrated as you
communicate with others.
The use of
SBAR sets an
expectation
that specific
and relevant
information
will be shared
every time
a patient or
situation is
discussed,
thereby
promoting
consistency
and clarity.

Welcome to the Medical Staff
Genevieve Alumit, M.D., a board certified nephrologist, has joined the medical staff at McLaren
Regional Medical Center. Dr. Alumit is seeing patients at her Flint office, located at G-1071 N.
Ballenger Hwy., Suite 301, Flint. Dr. Alumit completed a fellowship in nephrology at St. John Hospital
and Medical Center in Detroit. She completed her residency at the University of Florida in Jacksonville,
Florida. She received her medical degree from American University of Caribbean in Monterserrat, NA.
Genevieve Alumit, M.D.
Mohamad Arja, M.D., a board certified internist, has joined the medical staff at McLaren Regional
Medical Center. Dr. Arja has also joined Hospital Consultants, P.C. He is caring for inpatients at
McLaren Regional Medical Center. Dr. Arja completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree from Universita’ degli
studi Di Trieste in Trieste, Italy.
Mohamad Arja, M.D.
Andrea Goethals, D.O., a board certified general surgeon, has joined the medical staff at McLaren
Regional Medical Center. Dr. Goethals is seeing patients at her Flint office, located at G-3169 Beecher
Rd., Suite 102, Flint. Dr. Goethals completed her residency at Genesys Regional Medical Center in
Grand Blanc. She received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic
Medicine.
Andrea Goethals, D.O.
Ahmed Hamoda, M.D., a board certified internist, has joined the medical staff at McLaren Regional
Medical Center. Dr. Hamoda has also joined McLaren Regional Medical Center Academic Hospitalist
Group. The group cares for inpatients at McLaren.
Dr. Hamoda completed his residency at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn. He
received his medical degree from Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt.
Ahmed Hamoda, M.D.
Michael Tawney, D.O., F.A.C.O.E.P., wound care specialist has joined the medical staff and is
seeing patients at the McLaren Wound Care Center, G-3200 Beecher Rd., Suite 02, Flint. Dr. Tawney
completed his residency at Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center in Mount Clemens. He received
his medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa.
Michael Tawney, D.O.,
F.A.C.O.E.P.

Spine Express Launched in March
McLaren’s Spine Program is
now offering Spine Express for
patients who are scheduled for
one of three specific types of
procedures. Patients receiving
a laminectomy, discectomy, or
spinal cord stimulation are eligible
to participate in the educationfocused
program. Spine Express
offers an educational session for
patients and caregivers that covers
what to expect before, during
and after surgery. The first Spine
Express class was held on March
12. A big thank you to everyone
who worked so hard to put the
program in place in a shorter than
normal time frame.
underway to hold another
presentation in the Flint area.
Hugo Lopez, M.D., Neurosurgeon,
and Jawad, Shah, M.D.,
Neurosurgeon, both presented
information to the audience and
then took time to answer their
questions. Nicola Pavelka, RN,
BSN, Spine Program Director also
gave an overview of the McLaren
Spine Program.
If you have questions about the
McLaren Spine Program, please
call 1-888-501-(BACK) 2225.
Members of the McLaren Spine
Program held a community
program in Lapeer on February
27. The event was very well
attended and plans are now
Hugo Lopez, M.D.
Abdul Moqtadir A. Hasnie,
M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I.
Applause
The Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology (CBNC) is pleased to announce that
Abdul Moqtadir A. Hasnie, M.D. F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. passed the recertification
examination in December 2007 and has met the requirements set by CBNC. He has
been designated as Diplomate of the Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology. Dr.
Hasnie’s practice includes nuclear cardiology, vascular medicine, general cardiology
and interventional cardiology.
Wes Ellis has accepted the position of Cardiovascular Services Buyer for McLaren
Regional Medical Center. Wes brings extensive knowledge and experience in
Materials Management that will truly be an asset to the Cardiovascular Services
Department. Wes can be reached at 342-4257 or on spectralink 342-5887.
Wes Ellis
Acknowledgement Oversight
In the Door-to-Balloon time story featured in the February 2008 Connection the efforts of the Communications Department were
inadvertently missed. As the Emergency Department and Heart and Vascular Department worked to change processes to improve
door-to-balloon time to patients, the Communications Department had to change its procedures as well. During the hours the
cardiac alert team is in house Communications staff do an overhead alert. On off-hours they do what they call a burst page to
the team. They also send an e-mail out to specific staff. They are certainly an important part of the entire process flow and their
efforts are also appreciated in helping improve the outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) heart attack patients.

February 20
Dale Wilson, M.D.
This FREE KIT
could save
your life!
Call GLCI by
March 31 st .
Community Connection
Want to Give Your
Daughter
the World
Take Something Away:
Her Risk of Cervical Cancer
Caroline Johnston, M.D., a gynecologic
oncology specialist from the University
of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
and Dale Wilson, M.D., a gynecologist with
McLaren Ob/Gyn Associates in Flushing, gave
a free informational presentation to the public
about the dangers of the sexually transmitted HPV
virus, including cervical cancer. The program also
discussed the vaccine which guards against certain
strains of the virus. Dr. Wilson is available to speak
to groups regarding prevention and protection against
HPV. He may be reached by calling McLaren Ob/Gyn
Associates in Flushing.
Connection
A monthly publication for
employees and friends of
McLaren Regional Medical
Center.
Donald Kooy,
President and CEO,
McLaren Regional
Medical Center
Managing Editor:
Laurie Prochazka,
Director of Marketing
Communications
Editor:
Ellen Peter,
Marketing Communications
Specialist
Contributing Writers:
Sherry Stewart, Ellen Peter,
Laurie Prochazka, and
contributions from McLaren
employees
Photography:
Ted Klopf, and contributions
from McLaren employees
Design:
Shamiah Specht,
Graphic Designer,
McLaren Art Department
Printing:
McLaren Graphics
Department
We welcome comments,
suggestions, and ideas:
ellenp@mclaren.org or call
(810) 342-4478
Mark Your
Calendars!
Blood Drive
May 28
Blood Drive
The American Red Cross invite all MRMC
employees and visitors who qualify to
donate blood at the upcoming blood
drive held in Ballenger Auditorium on
Wednesday May 28. Help us achieve our
goal!
MISSON:
McLaren Health Care,
through its subsidiaries, will
be Michigan’s best value
in healthcare as defined by
quality outcomes and cost.
mclarenregional.org