Colorectal cancer is Healthcare reform brings sweeping changes to the

preventable, treatable
– provided you have industry; hospitals will form the core of the new system
regular colonoscopies
by Lisa Fipps
managing editor
Howard Regional up to the challenge
editor@kokomoperspective.com by Patrick Munsey
staff writer
pmunsey@kokomoperspective.com
he best way to screen for

T colorectal cancer is with

a colonoscopy. Howard
Regional Health System’s
Dr. John Salter, a medical
oncologist and hematologist, just
can’t say it any plainer than that.
March is Colon Cancer Awareness
T
he components of
the healthcare re-
form bill are gradu-
ally taking effect.
According
Howard Regional Health Sys-
to

tem chief executive officer

Month, and it brings to mind a body part
that a lot of people don’t like to talk
about.
“People will occa-
sionally pass blood in
their stool – and I’m
not talking about going
to the bathroom and
wiping and finding
some blood on the toi-
let tissue, which is usu-
ally minor bleeding
from hemorrhoids or Dr. Salter
diverticulitis, but I’m
talking about where the water in the
bowl turns red with all the blood – for
weeks or longer before seeking medical
attention because they’re so embar-
rassed about talking about their bowel
movements,” said Salter. “The colon is
dirty. It excretes waste. There’s a lot of
negative connotation to it.”
Howard Regional Health
System Oncology Services
wants to encourage
everyone who is at risk for
colorectal cancer to
receive an occult blood test
during March, Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month.
The test is easy and can be
done in the privacy of your
own home. The results will
be processed by Howard
Regional and returned to you
via U.S. Mail. If you are over
50 or have a family history of
colon cancer, please pick up
your FREE colorectal
screening kit at HRHS’s
Oncology Center on the west
side of the main campus at
3500 S. Lafountain St. For
more information, please
James Alender, understanding
how they will
affect the hos-
pital and
health care in
general is the
challenge.
“First, we
need to un-
derstand how
accountable Alender
care organiza-
tions will roll out on a statewide
basis,” said Alender. “The next
phase is value-based purchasing
and the process of paying for
quality versus quantity. Finally,
there are some definitive new
regulations related to not-for-
profit hospitals providing char-
ity care to the communities they
serve.”
Accountable care
When it comes to account-
able care, Howard has directed
its energies to a massive $22
million conversion to electronic
medical records. Alender ex-
plained that all healthcare
providers will be required to
maintain electronic records by
2015 or face reductions in
Medicare reimbursement. The
hospital is well ahead of the
curve in this regard.
“We have a June 13 go-live
date on this project, and we are
using a house-wide conversion
St. Joseph a catalyst for change in Kokomo
Hospital flexing its muscle as an economic development tool, featuring
top place to work, improved technology and community-level care
method, or ‘Big-Bang Theory,’”
said Alender. “All of the records
will go live at one time. When it comes to accountable care, HRHS has
“There is stimulus money in directed its energies to a massive $22 million
this project. Based on the vol- conversion to electronic medical records. All
ume of Medicare business we
healthcare providers will be required to maintain
did in 2008, there is $3.1 million
electronic records by 2015. Howard Regional is
of stimulus money in the proj-
ect. That doesn’t cover the well ahead of the curve in this regard.
costs, however, it helps us get to
our goal.”
Electronic medical records
where they are. This will allow toms arise a few weeks later
will significantly alter the
that. And in the end this will re- while away from home.
healthcare landscape, Alender
duce healthcare costs. It will re- “The next hospital managing
believes. It allows for portabil-
ity and access of information,
duce duplicity and excess your care will be able to pull up
ordering of tests.” your records and see how you
which is particularly important
With the records digitally were managed so they don’t re-
for people who follow the
maintained, a patient can be peat what didn’t work,” said Al-
weather south for the winter.
moved through the system ender.
“This is the right thing to do
for our patients,” said Alender.
more efficiently, meaning less But electronic medical
time in the emergency room in records won’t be a cure-all.
“Kokomo people who are snow-
acute cases. It also means that
birds need to have access to
the same patient will have an
their medical records, no matter
advantage should similar symp- HRHS–D2
Photo by Morgan Young

“
call 453-8571. by Patrick Munsey
staff writer
pmunsey@kokomoperspective.com

“What upsets me is colon cancer’s t seems that a lullaby Our people are

I
very treatable,” Salter said. “It’s pre- plays every 10 minutes in
ventable if caught early.” the hallways of St. Joseph
working really
Someone who dreads talking to a
doctor about bowel movements, the
Hospital. CEO Kathy hard to make sure
Young smiles every time
colon and rectum and fear having a
colonoscopy should consider the alter-
she hears it for a couple of rea- everyone is taken
sons. First, it signifies that an-
native: Polyps can become cancerous,
other baby has been brought
care of. It’s very
possibly leading to surgery, chemother-
apy, radiation and excreting waste into the world. And second, it busy. It’s a great
through an ostomy bag. tells her that business is good.
“It’s terrible to think that a patient In fact, business is booming problem to have,
at St. Joseph. The hospital has
will be forced to use an ostomy for the
rest of his or her life when this outcome been running at or near full ca- even if there isn’t
is potentially preventable for most pa- pacity for most of the month. always an easy
tients,” Salter said. That’s not necessarily unusual
Because a person is given general se- for March. Young explained that solution.

dation, it’s not painful to undergo a
colonoscopy.
During the colonoscopy, a gastroen-
terologist or surgeon (depending on the
patient’s choice) will remove any polyps
and perform any needed biopsies.
“The great thing about a colonoscopy
is we can find anything and remove it
right there and then,” Salter said. “That’s
why having a colonoscopy is so impor-
tant. If a polyp is precancerous, we can
remove it before it becomes cancer.”
Left undetected and untreated, colon
cancer can spread to other organs, in-
creasing a person’s chance of dying
from the disease.
Some colon cancers are genetic, just
like with breast cancer.
According to the American Cancer
Society, “Genetic tests can help deter-
mine if members of certain families
COLON–D2
”
the seasonal change from win-
ter to spring seems to bring peo-
ple out of doors, chocked full of
illnesses and injuries. But this Kathy Young,
year seems a bit different from MS, FACHE,
the last few. president,
“Our people are working re- St. Joseph Hospital
ally hard to make sure everyone
is taken care of,” said Young.
looking to land here. For us, the Young. “They want to know of Indiana’s best places to work
“It’s very busy. It’s a great prob-
most important thing is that lev- they have first-class, high-tech, five years in a row. That’s awe-
lem to have, even if there isn’t
eling off of charity care. We’re quality care close to home. But some. The first couple of years
always an easy solution. I get
able to manage where we are.” they also want to have a say in is exciting, but to continue it for
the feeling that confidence in
As the CEO of one of the how health care is delivered. five years ... we have people
the economy is coming back.
largest and most important em- Our ability to provide health begging to work here.
You can’t say it is healed yet, but
ployers in the community, care is a big deal to potential “Several years ago, we were
confidence has returned. Peo-
Young realizes that St. Joseph businesses. Does that help eco- out there advertising like crazy
ple are accessing care again.
has a special role that many nomic development? Ab- to get nurses and healthcare
Our charity care is leveling off.
might overlook. It is a major solutely. We have valuable input workers here. Now we have
But things continue to be chal-
player in the economic develop- into how the community moves people calling every day, trying
lenging. I feel good about the di-
ment arena. And it is one of the forward. to figure out how to get a job
rection our community is going
greatest assets Kokomo and “We want to be a part of the with us. What a great feeling
in terms of bringing new jobs
and in how we present our-
Howard County has to offer.
“Health care is a huge con-
positive message in the commu-
nity. We have been able to add
selves to potential businesses
cern for employers,” said to it. We are proud of being one ST. JOE–D2
Kokomo Perspective
D2
COLON
continued from page D1
have inherited a high risk
for developing colorectal
cancer due to syndromes
such as familial adenoma-
tous polyposis (FAP) or
hereditary non-polyposis
colorectal cancer (HNPCC).
Without genetic testing, all
members of a family known
to have an inherited form of
colorectal cancer should
start screening at an early
age and get screened fre-
quently. If genetic testing is
done for a known mutation
within a family, those mem-
bers who are found not to
have the mutated gene may
be able to be screened at
the same age and frequency
as people at average risk.
“When looking at
whether testing might be
appropriate, a genetic coun-
selor will try to get a de-
tailed view of your family
history. For example, doc-
tors have found that many
families with HNPCC tend
to have certain characteris-
tics:
•A least three relatives
have colorectal cancer.
•One should be a first-de-
gree relative (parent, sib-
ling, or child) of the other
two relatives.
•At least two successive
generations are involved.
•At least one relative had
cancer when that person
was younger than age 50.
•Tumors should be veri-
fied by pathologic examina-
tion.”
For more information
about FAP and HNPCC
(Lynch Syndrome) go to the
American Cancer Society
website, www.cancer.org.
While a person cannot
control genetic factors,
there are some lifestyle
changes people can make to
possibly help prevent col-
orectal cancer.
“Diets high in vegetables
and fruits have been linked
with lower risk of colon
cancer,” according to the
ACS. “Diets high in
processed and/or red meats
have been linked with a
March 23, 2011
Health Care
gests that NSAIDs (nons-
teroidal anti-inflammatory
Symptoms of drugs), which includes as-
pirin, may reduce the for-
colon cancer mation of polyps. That’s
something you should talk
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer di- to your doctor about. Some
agnosed in both men and women in the United States.
It is also one of the most preventable. Men and women
50 and older are encouraged to make getting tested for
colorectal cancer a priority by contacting their physi- HRHS
cians and scheduling a colonoscopy.
Signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer
continued from page D1
Dr. John Salter, a medical oncologist and hematolo-
There still will be inefficien-
gist at Howard Regional Health System’s Oncology
cies and duplication in the
Center, notes that oftentimes with colorectal have no
system. The compromised,
symptoms and that symptoms can surface after it’s ad-
vanced. reworked version of health-
Colorectal cancer may cause one or more of the care reform is missing a key
symptoms below. If you have any of the following you protection for the industry.
should see your doctor: “What did not happen was
A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, consti- there was no relief of tort li-
pation, or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more ability,” said Alender. “The
than a few days. consequences of that, de-
A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement spite the fact that Indiana is
that is not relieved by doing so a great state for physicians
Rectal bleeding, dark stools, or blood in the stool because of its malpractice
(often, though, the stool will look normal). fund, is you still find defen-
Cramping or abdominal (belly) pain. sive medicine being prac-
Weakness and fatigue.
ticed, particularly in the
Unintended weight loss. emergency room.”
Most of these symptoms are more often caused by
conditions other than colorectal cancer, such as infec-
Value-based
tion, hemorrhoids, or inflammatory bowel disease. purchasing
Still, if you have any of these problems, it's important
With reforms pushing the
to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found
industry toward preventa-
and treated, if needed.
tive care, there should be
Source: American Cancer Society
fewer patients in need of
acute care, which means
less income for hospitals. In
essence, a hospital will be
encouraged to work against
higher risk. The American lower your risk of colorec-
its traditional bottom line by
Cancer Society recom- tal cancer,” according to the
addressing concerns before
mends that you eat a ACS. “The American Cancer they progress to the hospi-
healthy diet, with an em- Society recommends no tal’s level of care.
phasis on plant sources. more than one drink per day “Value-based purchasing
This includes the following: for women or two per day
will be a real change in the
•Choose foods and bever- for men. Physical activity is
healthcare arena,” said Alen-
ages in amounts that help another area that you can
der. “Hospitals have always
achieve and maintain a control. The American Can-
been paid by volume. We’re
healthy weight. cer Society recommends
being legislated into being
•Eat five or more serv- that adults get at least 30
minutes of moderate or vig- paid for quality. If we do a
ings of a variety of vegeta-
orous physical activity on very good job of managing
bles and fruits each day.
five or more days of the wellness at the primary care
•Choose whole grains
week. Moderate or vigorous level, we should see less vol-
rather than processed (re-
fined) grains. activity for at least 45 min- ume, which means the hos-
•Limit your intake of utes on 5 or more days of pital will see less in-patient
processed and red meats.” the week may lower your admissions.
“The theory is that with risk for colorectal cancer “Consequently, there will
more fiber in your diet, any even more. Obesity raises be further consolidation in
carcinogens will have less the risk of colon cancer in
time to have contact with both men and women, but
your colon wall,” Dr. Salter
said.
the link seems to be
stronger in men.” ST. JOE
“Avoiding excessive alco- Salter pointed out that continued from page D1
hol intake may also help there is some data that sug-
and reassurance that we’re
moving in the right direction
and taking care of people.”
Being named one of the
best places to work in the
state not only helps with
business attraction and
maintaining full employ-
ment, but it also aids the
hospital in physician recruit-
ment — a major concern as
healthcare reform pushes
hospitals and primary care
providers to consolidate into
healthcare systems.
“It is a huge help in re-
cruitment,” said Young.
“Physicians want to know
that they will be working
around quality profession-
als. Recruiting is getting eas-
ier and easier. The hard part
for all hospitals is that pri-
mary care recruitment is
tough. There is huge de-
mand in anticipation of the
covered lives that will come
with healthcare reform. It is
highly competitive. Family
practice, internal medicine,
pediatrics — they are very
people should not be on as-
pirin therapy; others can be.
Anemia in men and post-
menopausal women is a big
red flag, Salter said, so that
the person needs to have a
colonoscopy.
the industry. We all believe
that we should be paid for
doing it right, so we feel
comfortable with that.”
Already, hospitals and
care providers are forming
larger networks to ensure a
full continuum of care
within a given system. In this
structure, hospitals will find
themselves in a unique role
when it comes to Medicare
reimbursement.
“The next step will be
bundled payments, which
will be rolled out in 2014,”
said Alender. “It puts the
provider, the hospital, in the
position of receiving the
payment for the physician’s
professional services, the
hospital’s technical services
and room and board, and the
extended care facility’s serv-
ices when applicable.
“Bundled payments make
us responsible for disburs-
ing the payment, which en-
courages continuity of care.
The result will be integration
between the hospital and the
physicians and extended
care facilities. It’s happening
now.”
Charity care
Primary care providers al-
ready are in high demand as
the healthcare industry
gears up for consolidation.
Howard Regional currently
has 40 physicians under con-
tract in its network and is
searching for more. And
with good reason. The third
aspect of healthcare reform
— access for all — will be
here before you know it.
“It’s still not known how
the 32 million previously
uninsured people will be
handled,” said Alender. “We
competitive. We feel we can
put a great face forward.”
Over the past year, St.
Joseph has taken a “behind-
the-scenes” approach to im-
provement of services.
Rather than build a new fa-
cility or start a new spe-
cialty, resources were
reinvested in the hospital’s
existing services and tech-
nology. Young is pleased
with the results.
“We went back to make
sure all of our equipment we
have is as up to date as pos-
sible,” said Young. “We’ve
made sure our monitoring
systems are the latest and
greatest. We’ve worked in
the OR to bring in a new
lighting system to help with
surgical procedures. Now
we’re starting to plan for ex-
pansion of programs.
“We are moving toward
obtaining the best technol-
ogy available for the early
detection and treatment of
breast cancer. This year we
upgraded our detection serv-
ices through MRI to make
sure we have the most re-
cent technology. Those parts
are coming together to offer
a center of excellence for
“Iron-deficiency Anemia
is not a normal finding
among American adults,
given that the typical Amer-
ican diet should provide ad-
equate amounts of iron,”
Salter said.
all gave up millions in future
increases from Medicare,
believing that these people
would get something under
the reform act. We need to
see that come together.
“Then we need to know
who will manage all of these
patients. I have a real con-
cern once these people have
access to care. The ER is the
most costly form of medical
treatment. Our plan is to
offer urgent care centers.
We have one planned to
open in July. I think you’ll
see management at a lower
acuity instead of allowing
them to come to the ER.”
With a glut of patients hit-
ting a system already short
of service providers, it will
be important for people to
educate themselves on the
services provided and their
specific healthcare needs.
Alender believes that the
hospital will play a key role
in that process.
“More and more con-
sumer education and re-
sponsibility is falling to the
patient,” said Alender. “It’s
up to them to look at the sys-
tem and the providers and
see who they are aligned
with. It’s our job to provide
that education. It’s becom-
ing very complex and more
restrictive and financially
detrimental to go out of net-
work for treatment.
“The patient has to take
ownership of his or her
health care. Second, the em-
ployer needs to understand
the health plan it provides.
The third part is up to us to
help them understand the
services provided by the
hospital.”
breast care. Then, we’ll take
it to the next level, centered
around convenience and ac-
cess. We upgraded our tec-
nology so we get a more
clear picture. The tumors we
can pick up are very small,
which is where we want to
catch them, while they are
still highly treatable. This al-
lows us another level of clar-
ity.”
St. Joseph also has an eye
on how society prefers to
consume health care today.
Young explained that pa-
tients want access to health
care as close to home as
possible. Driving for miles to
see a specialist or even just
across town to a primary
care provider is becoming
an impediment to the deliv-
ery of care. The hospital is
seeking to overcome the
hurdle with the implementa-
tion of walk-in community
care centers. With the recent
opening of a facility in Dixon
Plaza, St. Joseph now has
three primary care centers.
(See “Westside St. Vincent
Physician Network practice
relocates to facility
that will improve patient
care” on page D4.)

Behind-the-scenes caregivers play big role in health care
by Lisa Fipps
managing editor
editor@kokomoperspective.com
hen you
W think of St.
Joseph Hos-
pital, you
think of doc-
tors and nurses. But there
are more behind-the-scenes
caregivers (669) than there
are doctors (157) and nurses
(260) combined, and those
behind-the-scenes care-
givers have an equally im-
portant role to play when it
comes to taking care of pa-
tients.
Laboratory
Working 24/7/365 are the
folks who can perform
about 700 different proce-
dures in chemistry (finding
out the patients’ glucose,
cardiac enzymes, creatinine,
bilirubin, etc. levels), hema-
tology (checking blood), mi-
crobiology (studying a
variety of specimens),
pathology (examining tis-
sues) and coagulation (as-
sessing how blood clots),
said Gail Greene, director of
the lab.
Quality control is para-
mount. For example, when a
phlebotomist is drawing
blood for a variety of tests,
tubes must be filled in a spe-
cific order because the nee-
dle which pierces the tubes
can carry additives from one
tube to the next, resulting in
cross-contamination and in-
accurate results.
Some tests have to be
done within minutes of a
blood draw or there could
be inaccurate results.
“For some patients, we
shouldn’t draw from one
arm,” said Sandy Herman,
director of marketing. “Gail
and her staff are very good
about making sure every-
thing’s done right.”
“The results we give affect
a patient’s treatment,”
Greene said. “That’s why the
lab has always been very an-
alytical with very high stan-
dards of quality.”
Accuracy is also crucial
because doctors also use lab
results to reach a diagnosis.
“You can come to the hos-
pital with a pain in your
side,” said Mary Beck, a
technologist in the lab.
“There can be a lot of rea-
sons for that. Testing gives
the doctor clues, a direction
to go to figure out what’s
wrong.”
Greene noted the hospi-
tal’s blood bank is also part
of the lab and is AABB ac-
credited; AABB promotes
the highest standard of care
for patients and donors in all
aspects of blood banking,
transfusion medicine,
hematopoietic, cellular and
gene therapies, transplanta-
tion, and relationship test-
ing.
Supplies
Shelly Wood, manager of
material services, and her
team order and distribute
several hundred thousand
items a year to make sure
that the various departments
have all that they need to
provide the best care for pa-
tients.
“We provide the right
items in the right amount to
the right places at the right
time,” she said. “We treat the
hospital staff and all the de-
partments as our customers.
When they need something,
we need to respond.”
Material services delivers
supplies to the departments
all week long and checks
stock to ensure that prod-
ucts that are about to expire
are removed and not used.
About nine months ago,
St. Joseph Hospital began
ordering items out of St. Vin-
cent’s warehouse in Indi-
anapolis; buying in bulk
allows the hospitals in the
system to receive the items
they need for less money.
“Some people think they
have to go to Indy for health
care, but we have the same
items they have,” Wood said.
Environmental
services
Connie Peach, manager of
environmental services, and
Health Care
“
At St. Joseph
Hospital, we
live by the phi-
losophy that
every member
of our team is
a caregiver.
”
Sandy
Herman
director of
communications
her team provide care to pa-
tients by providing a clean,
pleasant environment in
which they can heal.
The staff of 45 provides
housekeeping, floor care,
linens, setup for meetings in
conference rooms, including
preparing AV equipment,
valet service, and selection
of colors when it comes to
the interior décor.
“Our main focus is safety,
infection control and elimi-
nating cross-contamination,”
she said. “Our staff has to be
trained. For example, some
cleansers will not kill certain
germs, so our housekeepers
have to know which prod-
ucts to use in each area of
the hospital. Plus they need
to be trained to properly use
personal protective equip-
ment. Even simple things,
like pulling a bag out of
trash, has to be done in a
specific way.”
Herman noted that house-
keeping even provides softer
sheets without wrinkles –
wrinkles can be painful for a
patient with fragile skin. The
department is that detail-ori-
ented when it comes to care.
FROM SOUP TO NUTS — Chaoch Seidensticker, manager of food and nutrition serv-
ices, and his team prepare a variety of items for the St. Joe Café, and employees often
get takeout to take home to their families.
“Our staff is also good
about talking with patients
when they’re in their rooms
to clean,” Peach said. “They
often do little things, like
make sure a tray is close by,
or provide an extra pillow,
so patients don’t have to ask
a nurse to do that.”
“That allows nurses more
time to focus on patients,”
Herman said.
Spirituality
Being in a hospital is
stressful to patients and
their loved ones. That’s
where Marcia Jewsbury, co-
ordinator of Workplace Spir-
ituality and Planetree at St.
Joseph Hospital, comes in.
She ensures chaplains
who serve all faith traditions
are available 24/7 to comfort
the sick, to support their
loved ones, and to educate
patients and their loved ones
about advance directives
and end-of-life care. “We
have great respect and rev-
erence for people’s reli-
gions,” Jewsbury said.
Twice a week, a priest
provides mass. Chaplains
are there to pray for patients
and their loved ones. “We
focus on the spiritual side
March 23, 2011 Kokomo Perspective
when there’s a crisis,” such
as a wreck, a death, a crime
victim, or an accident victim,
she said.
But Jewsbury and the oth-
ers on her team know that
the hospital workers face a
lot of stress, too.
“We have prayer services
when we have a crisis, like a
staff death,” Jewsbury said.
“We do stress debriefing
after a crisis.” For example,
doctors and nurses may
have to treat crime victims
and the perpetrator. Doctors
and nurses can go emotion-
ally numb so they can stay
focused mentally on the task
at hand in order to take care
of the patients in crisis, but
after it’s over, they need to
deal with what’s happened.
Again, that’s when Jewsbury
and her team step in.
Food and nutrition
services
Good food is essential to
staying healthy and support-
ing the healing process, so
Chaoch Seidensticker, man-
ager of food and nutrition
services, and his team care
for patients and staff by pro-
viding healthy, fresh food
that’s also convenient.
D3
Dietitians provide inpa-
tient and outpatient assess-
ments, teaching those with
special dietary needs or
health issues how to make
the best choices.
At St. Joseph Hospital, a
patient can order a meal or
snack any time, day or night.
That’s important to provid-
ing the best patient care be-
cause, for example, if a
patient’s been sick during
the night, breakfast might
not sound so good at 7 a.m.,
but the person could be feel-
ing better and hungry by
10:30 a.m. A patient’s loved
can also order a meal for a
small fee, which is helpful
because many times a loved
one doesn’t want to leave
the person who is sick.
Unless a diet is restricted,
a patient can order a variety
of foods, including Asian
stir-fry and pizza.
St. Joseph provides seven
different menus, including a
liquid diet, a renal diet, a di-
abetic diet and a normal
diet. That means a patient
on a low-sodium diet, for ex-
ample, doesn’t see the foods
CAREGIVERS–D4
 Kokomo Perspective
D4
Huddle up
St. Joseph’s leadership
team focuses on safety
by Lisa Fipps
managing editor
editor@kokomoperspective.com
t 9 o’clock in
A
the morning
M o n d a y
through Friday
at St. Joseph
Hospital, you’ll find the lead-
ership team just standing
around talking. And that’s a
good thing.
It’s called the Safety Hud-
dle.
During the huddle, lead-
ers representing every de-
partment in the facility go
through a seven-point
agenda.
No. 1: A quick update on
key safety statistics, includ-
ing how many days since the
last serious safety event,
how many days since the
last patient fall, and the cur-
rent patient loyalty score.
No. 2: What’s happened in
the past 24 hours related to
patient safety or patient ex-
perience?
No. 3: Any follow-ups to
issues from the previous
day? The expectation is that
issues are to be resolved
within 24 hours.
No. 4: Anything antici-
pated for today that could
become a safety concern?
No. 5: Any good safety
catches or great patient ex-
perience stories? The stories
help St. Joseph identify he-
roes and assures that what
one department learns is
shared with all.
No. 6: Any announce-
ments?
No. 7: The final item is a
brief prayer, assuring that
every member of the team
leaves the huddle thinking
about his or her reason for
being there that day — to
care for patients in the best
March 23, 2011
way possible.
April will mark the one-
year anniversary of the
Safety Huddle. Eighty per-
cent of the time it’s led by
the president of St. Joseph
Hospital, Kathy Young, MS,
FACHE. Each individual
department has their own
safety huddles, too. The
message at St.Joseph is crys-
tal clear: Safety is the No. 1
priority. There isn’t a single
employee who does not
know that.
Meeting in a huddle in-
stills a sense of teamwork.
“The beauty of huddle is it
strengthens the sense of
team,” said John Rudy, PhD,
executive director of diag-
nostic and treatment serv-
ices. “When there’s a
problem, it’s not ‘there’s a
maintenance problem or a
housekeeping problem or
whatever.’ It’s our problem.”
“We talk about what al-
most happened, but didn’t,”
Kathy Peoples, vice presi-
dent of nursing, said. “Those
are the things for us to know
about so we can step back,
think about it, find a way to
address it and implement it.
We empower and encourage
people to make changes.”
“For years medicine was
quiet about errors, and we’re
changing that culture,” said
Peoples. “We understand
that we have to acknowl-
edge the errors in order to
learn from them.”
While huddle provides a
safe place to talk about is-
sues, it also provides bal-
ance by rewarding safety
behaviors. “Our agenda also
reminds leadership to give
as much positive feedback
as possible,” Rudy said. “We
try to provide each associate
with five positive feedbacks
for every one corrective.”
Health Care
Safety Huddle has had un-
expected side benefits as
well. Leaders have found
that because they know they
will see each other every
morning they can have
fewer meetings. A lot of
business gets taken care of
at short, five- and 10-minute
meetings after the safety
huddle concludes.
And St. Joseph Hospital
associates have learned not
to be anxious about speak-
ing up if they notice another
associate about to make a
mistake or overlook a safety
issue — even if the associate
who sees it is a housekeeper
and the associate about to
make a mistake or overlook
a safety issue is a physician.
There is no hierarchy when
it comes to safety. Every-
one’s on the same level.
Rudy noted that on March
27, 1977, a Pan American 747
and a KLM Boeing 747 col-
lided on a runway in Santa
Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Is-
lands. All 249 aboard the
KLM and 333 of the 394
aboard the Pan Am jet were
killed for a total of 582 casu-
alties — the highest number
for any type of aviation dis-
aster in history. The captain
made a mistake. The two un-
derlings in the cockpit with
him knew it. They were
afraid to confront him be-
cause he was the captain.
“Because of that hierar-
chy, they didn’t question
him, so 582 people died be-
cause two people were
afraid to speak up,” Rudy
said. “Everybody can make a
mistake; it takes a team to
make something happen
safely.”
CAREGIVER
continued from page
that are not on his or her
diet.
D3
“We’re constantly trying
new things, too,” Seiden-
stricker said.
Nowhere is that more evi-
dent than the Innovation
Station in the St. Joe Café.
There staff and visitors will
find made-to-order salads
and hot entrees with higher-
end quality ingredients.
The food in the Café is so
good, staff members often
purchase quarts of soup and
dessert items to feed their
families when they go home.
“When staff take it home
to their families, you know
it’s good,” Peach said.
At St. Joseph, staff mem-
bers often go above and be-
yond the call of duty to care
for patients. For example,
food and nutrition services
employee Lois Wilson was
WELCOMING — The interior of the new facility at 138 N. Dixon Road.
Westside St. Vincent Physician Network
practice relocates to facility
that will improve patient care
by Lisa Fipps
managing editor
editor@kokomoperspective.com
our doctors with St.
F
home.
Vincent Physician
Network have a new
Dr. Devona Beard, a fam-
ily practitioner, Dr. Sara Jafri
Husain, a pediatrician, Dr.
Christi Redmon, an
OB/GYN, and Dr. Jim Whit-
field, a family practitioner,
have relocated to 138 N.
Dixon Road. (In the north-
east corner of Dixon Plaza at
Dixon Road and Sycamore
Street.)
While the move only takes
them less than a mile east of
their previous location, the
facility is leaps and bounds
better when it comes to pa-
tient flow, said Sandy Her-
man, director of marketing
for St. Joseph Hospital.
“The facility was designed
with input from the doctors
and associates,” she said.
“With the beautiful design,
enhanced services and im-
proved patient flow, patients
will get the best possible
care.”
At the new facility, there
are 15 exam rooms, and the
design is flexible enough to
add two more as the prac-
tice grows.
checking on a patient who
had lost her appetite. Wilson
asked, “Well, what sounds
good?” The patient replied,
“Watermelon.” St. Joseph
didn’t have any in the
kitchen that day, so after
Wilson got off work she
went to the store and bought
one and brought it to the pa-
tient.
Facilities
Steve Laudenschlager, fa-
cilities, building manage-
ment and construction
administrator, has a big job.
He and his team care for the
16 buildings that make up
the main hospital campus –
the oldest building dates
back to the 1940s – as well
as 11 outbuildings around
Kokomo. The department
averages 15,000 to 18,000
work orders a year.
“Keeping an older build-
ing working like a new one
frees up money to go di-
rectly to patient care,” Lau-
denschlager said.
The exterior
There’s an on-site labora-
tory, which makes it more
convenient for patients to
get the tests they need.
Beard, Husain, Redmon
and Whitfield can also have
a patient X-rayed on site.
In addition, the practice
includes immediate care,
which means a person can
receive care for minor ill-
nesses or injuries without
having an appointment or a
regular physician.
Herman notes that the
new location was selected in
part because it is on
Kokomo’s City Line Public
Transportation trolley blue
line. (For more information
go to
http://www.cityofkokomo.or
g/main.asp?SectionID=64&T
M=60675.7.)
“A number of our patients
have transportation chal-
lenges. This location makes
it easier for them to get the
health care they need,” Her-
man said.
There are five St. Vincent
In addition to making re-
pairs, the department takes
a proactive approach to
keeping everything in work-
ing order. Not to mention
fire prevention, dealing with
snow removal, and manage-
ment of hazardous materi-
als. The list goes on and on.
Safety and security also
fall under facilities. “We
have uniformed officers on
duty 24/7,” Laudenschlager
said.
“At St. Joseph Hospital,
we live by the philosophy
that every member of our
team is a caregiver. Each of
us can help patients heal, in
our own way,” said Herman.
“From keeping patient
rooms clean to making sure
the food always arrives on
time and at the right temper-
ature, there are so many
ways our associates can
help to speed healing and as-
sure that patients know they
matter.”
Physician Network practices
that are part of the St.
Joseph Hospital system in
Howard County. The new fa-
cility at Dixon Road; the
practice of Dr. Joseph We-
strom at 317 S. Berkley
Road; the practice of Dr. An-
drea Hoover, OB/GYN, and
Dr. Maryann Chimhanda,
OB/GYN, on the third floor
of St. Joseph Hospital, 1907
W. Sycamore St.; the prac-
tice of Dr. Victoria Moyer,
family practitioner, Dr. Odell
G. Smith, family practitioner,
and Dr. Phil Whitfield, fam-
ily practitioner, at 188 E.
Southway Blvd.; and the
practice of Dr. Devona
Beard, family practitioner,
and Dr. Ken O. Ridgeway,
family practitioner 712 W.
Main St. in Greentown.
“The network exists to
provide a continuum of pa-
tient care,” Herman said.
“The doctors are part of the
hospital family, which
makes care seamless for pa-
tients.”
So if a patient at one of
those five facilities needs
hospitalization or tests, it
can easily be arranged at St.
Joseph Hospital or one of
the other St. Vincent facili-
ties in Indianapolis, if
needed.
March 23, 2011 Kokomo Perspective Page D5
 Kokomo Perspective March 23, 2011
D6 Health Care

Indiana Pit: fitness for the fit

Hawaiian Kempo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes offer challenge for those already in good condition
by Patrick Munsey
staff writer
pmunsey@kokomoperspective.com
For most people, joining
a fitness program or start-
ing in a martial art marks a
change in physical lifestyle.
They want to get in shape
or learn to defend them-
selves. But there are many
people who already are
physically fit and who are
looking for a greater chal-
lenge.
Indiana Pit is the next
level. It offers a number of
programs that provide the
intensity needed to push a
person’s conditioning
higher, and offers a martial
arts program that is heavier
on the martial than the art.
“The Pit is Hawaiian
Kempo, which is John
Hackleman’s system,” said
Terry Gruel, owner of Indi-
ana Pit. “It is a traditional
belt-rank system, like any
other martial art. It in-
volves more kickboxing
techniques like you might
see in mixed martial arts
competitions, but it also
has a grappling program.
It’s a good, all-around, no-
nonsense system.
“It’s not based on theo-
Hawaiian Kempo
Hawaiian Kempo is a
blend of KaJuKenBo,
Boxing, Kickboxing,
Judo, Jiu-Jitsu,
Wrestling, and Extreme
Fitness ala Cross-
Fit/CrossPit (Anaerobic,
Aerobic, Plyometric,
Strength training, Calis-
thenics).
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a
modern style that has its
roots in Japanese Jiu
Jitsu. It favors standing
and ground grappling,
and is favored by many
mixed martial arts fight-
ers for it’s intricate and
varied submission holds
and choking techniques.
ries. It’s traditional martial
arts without katas. It’s
geared toward realistic
self-defense. Katas are
awesome to watch, but this
is to the point.”
Hackleman, the founder
of Hawaiian Kempo, is best
known for his work with
MMA champion Chuck Lid-
dell. His system focuses on
realistic self defense. If a
technique works, it is in-
cluded in the program. If it
doesn’t have self-defense
value, it gets discarded.
What remains is a martial
art designed to get the
practitioner out of a sticky
situation, rather than to
beat an attacker into sub-
mission. However, those
skills are taught as well.
“It’s effective techniques COVER UP — Tony Pironello (left) covers up while sparring with a student.
Perspective photo / Patrick Munsey
for a real self-defense situ-
ation,” said Gruel. “On the
ground, the first rule is ing. Physical fitness is ford to go to work with
protect yourself. The sec- given priority over tech- bumps and bruises still can
ond is escape. If you can’t nique in the Hawaiian benefit from superior con-
to that, you try to reverse. Kempo system. As a result, ditioning and self-defense
And finally comes submis- people looking to maintain techniques.
sion. It’s a different philos- or improve their fitness “We have a basic pro-
ophy. Instead of wanting to level will find The Pit more gram and an elite pro-
than adequate. And best of gram,” Gruel explained.
grapple on the ground, in
Kempo you want to be on all, the program doesn’t re- “The basic program, some-
quire full contact until one can come in and take
your feet.”
The key to The Pit sys- reaching the highest levels. classes and learn all of the
tem, however, is condition- Professionals who can’t af- techniques, but they don’t
have to fight. You’re not re-
quired to do any contact
fighting until testing for
black belt, but you are
highly advised to do it at
least by brown belt level.
“The elite program is
three to four times a week
and includes actual spar-
ring. People first starting
the program aren’t put at a
disadvantage. We try to
work down to their level to
help them grow as an indi-
vidual. This isn’t a tough-
man’s club. It’s a JAB —Jeremy Mast (left) throws a left jab.
professional school. You Perspective photo / Patrick Munsey

don’t learn to become a
fighter by throwing gloves
on and winging at each
other.”
Indiana Pit recently
added a new dimension to
its training by affiliating
with Best Way Jiu-Jitsu. In
tandem with The Pit, the
program promises to do
more than just whip a per-
son into shape. Those few
who are interested in en-
tering the world of MMA
fighting can find the neces-
sary specialized training
right here in Kokomo
We are affiliated with
SPARRING — Terry Gruel (right) spars with a student at The Pit. Luigi Mondelli, who is the
Perspective photo / Patrick Munsey owner of Best Way Jiu-Jitsu
and member of American
Top Team, based in
Florida,” said Gruel. “He is
our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in-
structor. He will come here
a couple of times a year for
seminars, and he will han-
dle the ranking and ad-
vancement on those dates.
It is fully certified.”
Gruel cautioned that
people who have not been
physically active or are in
their late 30s to early 40s or
older should get a physical
before starting to train at
Indiana Pit through the
Hawaiian Kempo or Best
Way Jiu-Jitsu programs.
But the only way to know if
these more extreme train-
ing programs are appropri-
ate is to give them a try.
“Come in and watch the
classes or just get on the
mat with us and try it out,”
said Gruel. “There’s no ob-
ligation to do that. It allows
you to find out if you’re
comfortable with our
school. This is a place to
learn to defend yourself
and not worry about getting
beat up in the process.”
For more information on
Indiana Pit, including the
cost of classes and sched-
ules, visit
www.indianapit.com.

Insurance costs always an issue for business
Working to find an affordable solution isn’t as easy as it once was
by Tim Turner
digital media manager
tturner@kokomoperspective.com
One of the upsides of the
recent downturn in the
economy is the rejuvenation
of entrepreneurship in
Kokomo. Many workers
have decided to branch out
and start their own busi-
nesses.
One of the main cost busi-
nesses have to consider is
health insurance, and with
recent changes to federal
law, businesses can no
longer ignore the problem.
“Health insurance costs,
to state the obvious, are ex-
pensive,” said Pierre Fox,
vice president with Regions
Insurance. “Most people
that are self-employed and
buy their own health insur-
ance tend to buy higher de-
ductible plans, such as
$1,500 or $2,000 or higher
because the cost is lower.”
Fox said that if the busi-
ness has multiple employ-
ees and is able to buy as a
group, it can work out better
in the long run.
“If they are fortunate to
have enough employees to
start a group, you can start a
group health plan with two
employees,” said Fox. “The
cost can be a sizable budget
item for a new business.
Most starting businesses
start off with individual
health insurance plans and
then at some later time look
at some kind of group cover-
age.”
“Working to find an af-
fordable solution takes some
work. It is not as easy as it
used to be because health-
care reform has changed the
type of health plans that are
available on an individual
basis. For example, they
cover preventative care now
if you are writing a new pol-
icy. After March 23, 2010,
those plans all cover preven-
tative services at 100 per-
cent. The prices have gone
up, too, because they cover
more preventative services.
If you are starting a com-
pany or buying a company
and have more than two em-
ployees, a group plan can be
cost-effective and can help
you attract and retain em-
ployees.
The advantage of group
coverage is you get better
prescription drug benefits. In
addition, maternity is in-
cluded on those plans. Indi-
vidual coverage plans do not
generally have maternity
benefits unless you pay
extra.
Fox said that is why many
businesses elect to use a
high-deductible plan.
“They buy a higher-de-
ductible plan to cover large
medical costs, but they pay
for the smaller items out of
their pocket, like office calls
and prescription drugs,” said
Fox.
One high-deductible plan
that is really popular is
Health Savings Accounts, or
HSAs.
“Health Savings Accounts
are still popular and that is
what a lot of small business
owners end up with is a
health savings account that
allows them a tax deduction
if they put money away,” said
Fox. “The deduction for 2011
is $3,050 for a single person,
and $6,150 for a family, if you
have family coverage. Some
of them buy our $3,000 de-
ductible plan and that allows
them to put money away on
a pre-tax basis in a Health
Savings Account.”
A new trend, similar to
HSAs, is Health Reimburse-
ments Accounts (HRAs)
“One of the other things
that employers are doing are
what is called an HRA, or a
Health Reimbursement Ac-
count,” said Fox. “An HRA is
similar to a medical savings
account in that every em-
ployee has a $3,000 de-
ductible but the employer
funds a portion of that de-
Health Care
ductible and only has to pay
out money for claims when
the claim occurs. This cost
the employer less because
they can keep that money in
their bank account until it is
needed by the employees. It
is popular.”
Fox said businesses of all
different sizes are now con-
sidering HRAs.
“We have a lot of employ-
ers that are moving towards
that type of plan. It is also
called a consumer-driven
health account,” said Fox.
“Usually the employee has an
incentive, and they can roll
over that money year after
year. So there is some incen-
tive not to go out and spend
it on healthcare claims that
are not necessary.”
Fox said that the plan sat-
isfies the upcoming federal
requirements on businesses
to provide health insurance
to their employees.
“In fact, a lot of larger em-
ployers are going that way
because it improves trans-
parency,” said Fox. “The
problem with health insur-
ance in the past was the em-
ployee never saw the cost of
health care. They would buy
prescription drugs or go to
office visits and seek spe-
cialty care and the health
plan made the true cost of
those claims invisible to the
employee. The new age, or
the new version of health
plans, which we call con-
sumer-driven plans allow the
consumer to see the cost of
medical services which, in
turn, really helps lower med-
ical trends. It is the employ-
ees money that they are
spending. Do they really
need that MRI or would an X-
ray be satisfactory? Do they
really need to see a specialist
when their primary care
physician would be the
same? Having an HRA where
an employee is given dollars
to spend and they can keep it
if they use it wisely can be
cost-effective for both the
employer and the employee.”
Because of the large cost
of health insurance, Fox said
that any employee who is
leaving a job to start a busi-
ness should talk with his or
her company first.
“Prior to starting the busi-
ness, you really need to un-
derstand if you have benefits
now, before you quit; you
need to understand how
much your employer is pay-
ing for coverage,” said Fox.
“I have had clients that are
considering starting a busi-
ness but after they realize
they spend $10,000 a year in
health cost that it is more
beneficial for them to stay
working for their employer.”
March 23, 2011 Kokomo Perspective
D7
Health insurance facts
• The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized na-
tion that does not have a universal health care system.
Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of
Sciences
• In 2006, the percentage of Americans without health in-
surance was 15.8 percent, or approximately 47 million unin-
sured people. Source: US Census Bureau
• Among the 84.2 percent with health insurance in 2006,
coverage was provided through an employer 59.7 percent,
purchased individually 9.1 percent, and 27.0 percent was
government funded (Medicare, Medicaid, Military). (There
is some overlap in coverage figures.) Source: US Census Bu-
reau
• The primary reason given for lack of health insurance
coverage in 2005 was cost (more than 50 percent), lost job
or a change in employment (24 percent), Medicaid benefits
stopped (10 percent), ineligibility for family insurance cov-
erage due to age or leaving school (8 percent). Source: Na-
tional Center for Health Statistics
Health care
• More than 40 million adults stated that they needed but
did not receive one or more of these health services (med-
ical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, den-
tal care, or eyeglasses) in 2005 because they could not
afford it. Source: National Center for Health Statistics
• Medicaid, which accounted for 12.9 percent of health
care coverage in 2006, is a health insurance program jointly
funded by the federal and state governments to provide
health care for qualifying low-income individuals. Source:
US Census Bureau
• Medicare, a federally funded health insurance program
that covers the health care of most individuals 65 years of
age and over and disabled persons, accounted for 13.6 per-
cent of health care coverage in 2006. Source: US Census Bu-
reau
• Medicare operates with 3 percent overhead, non-profit
insurance 16 percent overhead, and private (for-profit) in-
surance 26 percent overhead. Source: Journal of American
Medicine 2007
Health care expenditures
• In 2005, personal health care expenditures were paid
by private health insurance 36 percent, federal government
35 percent, state and local governments 11 percent , and
out-of-pocket payments 15 percent. Source: National Center
for Health Statistics
• The United States spends twice as much on health care
per capita ($7,129) than any other country . . . and spending
continues to increase. In 2005, the national health care ex-
penditures totaled $2 trillion. Source: National Center for
Health Statistics
• 75 percent of all health care dollars are spent on pa-
tients with one or more chronic conditions, many of which
can be prevented, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease,
lung disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. Source:
Health Affairs
 Kokomo Perspective March 23, 2011
D8 Health Care

Express Care provides quick, convenient health care for all

by Peter Adelsen
staff writer
padelsen@kokomoperspective.com
For those who can’t find
the extra time to see a doc-
tor, there is now a quick,
convenient way to be
treated for minor illnesses.
No appointment is neces-
sary.
Express Care, a service
of American Health Net-
work, recently opened its
walk-in clinic at 2330 S.
Dixon Road, Suite A, and is
providing the service to
anyone. Patients do not
need to be an existing
American Health Network
patient.
Express Care provides
convenient care for minor
illnesses such as colds, flu-
like symptoms, strep throat,
ear, eye, sinus and
bronchial infections, and a
variety of other minor
symptoms and conditions.
The clinic also provides
sports physicals and immu-
nizations.
The same high quality of
care that has been provided
in the past with the Ameri-
can Health Network family
of doctors is also provided
with Express Care without
having to be an existing pa-
tient.
“If you have any type of
minor illness, such as flu-
like symptoms or a cold or
infections, you can basically
walk in and a nurse practi-
tioner will see you hopefully
within 15 minutes and get
you on your way,” said Ju-
lian Stanisic, a marketing
manager with American
Health Network. “It’s basi-
cally a quick, convenient
way for somebody who
doesn’t have time to make
an appointment with their
doctor’s office.”
The prices of services and
treatment range from $30
for a sports physical to $65
for a sinus infection, sore
throat or nasal congestion.
Express Care accepts
most health insurance. For
patients paying in cash or
credit, treatment prices are
posted outside each Ex-
press Care clinic and on on-
line at
ExpressCareIndiana.com.
Express Care is open
Monday through Friday
from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
American Health Net-
work is a physician system
that covers Indiana and
Ohio with more than 70 of-
fices and more than 200 pri-
mary care physicians and
specialists.
For more information on
Express Care, go online to
ExpressCareIndiana.com or
call 455-5444.

Chicken pox: Not just a childhood disease

by Steve Geiselman
staff writer
sgeiselman@kokomoperspective.com
Chicken Pox. A disease
caused by infection with the
varicella zoster virus, which
causes fever and an itchy
rash.
Every kid used to get
them but these days, ac-
cording the Center for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
(CDC) the best way to pre-
vent chicken pox is through
a vaccine.
But what about adults
who didn’t have the com-
mon childhood disease as a
child? According to the
CDC, the virus can be par-
ticularly deadly in adults.
Symptoms
Symptoms tend to appear
14 to 16 days after the initial
exposure but can occur any-
time from 10 days up to 21
days after contact with the
virus. Chickenpox is char-
acterized by one to two days
of mild fever up to 102 F,
general weakness, and a
rash, often the first sign of
the disease. Rarely, a person
may have the disease with-
out the rash. The rash of
chickenpox develops in
crops with raised red spots
arriving first, progressing to
blisters that burst, forming
open sores, before crusting
over. This process usually
starts on the scalp, then the
trunk (its area of greatest
concentration), and finally
the arms and legs. Any area
of skin that is irritated (by
diaper rash, poison ivy,
eczema, sunburn, etc.) is
likely to be hard hit by the
rash. The rash is typically
very itchy (pruritic).
Complications
Bacterial infection of the
skin, swelling of the brain,
and pneumonia. Adoles-
cents and adults are more at
risk for severe disease.
Transmission
Chickenpox is very highly
contagious. It is easily
passed between members of
families and school class-
mates through airborne par-
ticles, droplets in exhaled
air, and fluid from the blis-
ters or sores. It also can be
transmitted indirectly by
contact with articles of
clothing and other items ex-
posed to fresh drainage from
open sores. Patients are con-
tagious up to five days
(more commonly, one to
two days) before and five
days after the date that their
rash appears. When all of
the sores have crusted over,
the person is usually no
longer contagious.
Treatment options
Most of the treatments for
chickenpox are aimed at de-
creasing the symptoms,
such as severe itching. Acet-
aminophen (Tylenol) can be
used to decrease the fevers
and aches often associated
with the initial presentation
of the viral infection. Chil-
dren should never be given
acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin)
or aspirin-containing cold
medications because of the
risks for developing Reye's
syndrome (a severe acquired
metabolic disease associ-
ated with liver and brain
dysfunction and death).
Who needs to be vacci-
nated?
All children and adults
without evidence of immu-
nity to varicella need the
vaccine. Evidence of immu-
nity includes any of the fol-
lowing:
• Documentation of two
doses of varicella vaccine
• Blood tests that show
you are immune to varicella
or laboratory confirmation
of prior disease
• Born in the United
States before 1980, exclud-
ing health-care workers,
pregnant women, and im-
munocompromised persons.
These individuals need to
meet one of the other crite- Chicken pox in an adult

Therapy helps you get back to normal
by Peter Adelsen
staff writer
padelsen@kokomoperspective.com
Rehabilitation therapy is
becoming a more popular
option for patients as
health care evolves.
Therapy can be adminis-
tered to a patient before
and after a surgery to max-
imize gains of that surgery.
Therapy can also be used
instead of a surgery in
some cases. In every case,
therapy is administered to
return that patient back to
normal movement.
The most familiar types
of therapy are physical
therapy and occupational
therapy and they work
hand-in-hand with each
other in many ways.
“The line between physi-
cal and occupational ther-
apy is kind of blurry,” said
Randous Bowens, a physi-
cal therapist at St. Joseph
Physical and Sports Ther-
apy. “Physical therapy fo-
cuses on gross movement
so we get gross muscles
back to working and func-
tioning normally. Occupa-
tional therapy focuses
more on specific activities
that you use those muscles
for. So while we would get
that person’s arm or hand
back working right, the oc-
cupational therapist would
go back in and say this is
what you do with your
hand. You put things away,
you button your clothes,
and you put your pants on.
So that’s the primary dif-
ference. It’s just the func-
tion.”
Occupational therapy is
most commonly used for
people who have lost func-
tion in fine motor skills
due to a car accident or ex-
tensive surgery.
William Carlson is a cur-
rent patient at St. Joseph
Physical and Sports Ther-
apy. He has received ther-
apy from occupational and
physical therapists after he
was in a car accident last
March 23, 2011 Kokomo Perspective
kokomoperspective.com/sports D9
fall. He suffered a shat-
tered hip, three broken
ribs and the post in the
rear-view mirror plowed
into his skull, but didn’t
enter, he said.
Carlson said he is thank-
ful for what each has pro-
vided even when he didn’t
want to get out of bed after
the injury.
“I had occupational ther-
apy and physical therapy,”
Carlson said. “My occupa-
tional therapy was geared
at improving my upper
body strength. The physi-
cal therapy was strictly on
both of my legs.”
When he arrived at the
St. Joseph Physical and
Sports Therapy on
Sycamore Street, he said
he was on the road to re-
covery.
“When I came here, I
was pretty much on my
way,” he said. “The pool
here is great. It’s the only
time I feel weightless. The
buoyancy in the water sub-
stitutes for the cane or
walker. It feels great. I just
love the in-water therapy
until I get out and the grav-
ity returns. They have
amazing people here.”
Carlson also has some-
thing in common with the
rehabilitation therapists
H2O — Hydrotherapy is just one way patients can feel better after an injury or illness.
Perspective photo / Peter Adelsen
besides his injury. He is the
business manager at Sonny advertising for physical therapist at St. Joseph apy. who would like to continue
Care, an in-home care therapy and physicians are Physical and Sports Ther- At each rehabilitation fa- at the facilities after their
agency. He has now seen more aware of the benefits apy. “We deal with all kinds cility, the patients do not therapy. The cost is $20 per
both sides of the giving
of physical therapy and are of pelvic surgeries. Any- just get personal attention month for previous pa-
and receiving of therapy.
more accepting of it,” thing related to pregnan- from therapists, they also tients; however, they can-
Thanks to the surgeries
Bowens said. “Patients also cies and post partum. We have work-out machines,
and therapy that followed, not use the pool.
understand that this is a work with the same things weights, steps and a pool.
Carlson is almost back to “For some people, they
much better option instead we work with in regular Each of them work to get
normal. could go to a gym or the
of rushing in and getting therapy. This is just di- the patient back to normal.
Rehabilitation therapy YMCA,” said Sandy Her-
surgery that may be unnec- rected at different muscle The pool is unique.
has become more visible
essary.” groups that people forget “We offer the pool for man, director of marketing
over the past few years as
new buildings have opened With the additions of that are important to our people who can’t tolerate a for St. Joseph. “But, some
in the Kokomo area. For these facilities, other types bodies.” lot of land therapy or their people after they’ve been
just St. Joseph Hospital of therapy have become Within women’s health, in the initial stages of through a trauma may be a
alone, they have opened fa- more readily available. the therapy includes incon- rehab,” Bowens said. “It little nervous about exer-
cilities on Sycamore Street One such program fo- tinence issues with the takes weight off with walk-
cising on their own after
and Southway Boulevard. cuses on women’s health. bladder. ing. There is a treadmill
“We deal with diagnoses Some other types of ther- and jets in the pool, for they’ve had that safety net
The popularity came out of
that are related to breast apy offered are balance re- swimming and running sim- of these wonderful people
the benefits that they pro-
cancer and surgeries re- habilitation therapy, ulation.” keeping an eye on them.
vide.
“It has spread through lated to that,” said Jacque- cardiac rehabilitation and There is also an after When folks exercise here,
line Rayno, a physical speech and language ther- care program for those there is help right there.”
Page D10 Kokomo Perspective March 23, 2011