' Every Minute Is Precious' for Boscobel Couple
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Volume 9, Issue 1 GUNDERSENWINTER 2020 Certified wound care nurse keeps care close to home in Boscobel Gundersen invests in rural healthcare New doctor offers family medicine, obstetrics care in Viroqua ‘ EVERY MINUTE IS PRECIOUS’ FOR BOSCOBEL COUPLE Winter 2020 1 Gundersen Health System has the following locations in your Gundersen Prairie du Chien area. For a complete listing, visit gundersenhealth.org. welcomes new medical staff Boscobel • 205 Parker St. Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics Hospital (608) 375-4112 Clinic (608) 375 -4144 Fennimore • 220 Lincoln Ave. Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics Fennimore (608) 375 -4144 Muscoda • 525 N. Wisconsin Ave. Amber Crawford, DO, Anton Breunig, PA-C, Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics Muscoda (608) 375-4144 General Surgery Family Medicine Prairie du Chien Dr. Crawford offers a variety of Anton offers a full range of primary • 610 E. Taylor St. procedures including hernia care for all ages, including prevention Medical Clinic (608) 326-6466 or repairs, appendectomy, colon and wellness, annual physicals, basic (800) 714-5362 Behavioral Health (608) 326-3380 and bowel surgery, colonoscopy, behavioral services and treatment of upper endoscopy and benign and illnesses and injuries. He has a special • 118 S. Marquette Road Gundersen Eye Clinic (608) 326-6453 cancerous breast lesions. She joins interest in men’s health. Dental Specialties (608) 775-2202 Carrie Kramer, MD, in providing Richland Center surgical care in Prairie du Chien. • 165 W. Haseltine St. Gundersen Eye Clinic (608) 647-8995 To schedule an appointment call Viroqua (608) 326-6466. • 407 S. Main St. Gundersen Medical Clinic, Behavioral Health (608) 637-3195 or (877) 543-3195 Orthopedic surgeon joins Eye Clinic (608) 637-8281 General & Orthopaedic Surgery, Podiatry (608) 637-4081 Gundersen Viroqua Andrew Lehman, MD, Orthopedic Surgery Dr. Lehman provides a variety of orthopedic procedures including joint replacement of hips, knees and shoulders; sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, hand and upper extremity surgery and orthopedic fracture care. He joins Jeffrey Lawrence, MD; Kylie Berger, NP; Colin J. Kratochwill, PA-C; and Randy J. Mickelson, PA-C; in providing orthopedic care in Viroqua. To schedule an appointment call (608) 637-4081. 2 gundersenhealth.org Gundersen Prairie du Chien welcomes new medical staff VIRTUALVISIT: We’re ready when you need us Getting sick seems to happen at some of the most diagnose, treat and send prescriptions, and/or inopportune times—the middle of the night, while recommendations for over-the-counter medicine, to the traveling, before an important meeting, or when you’re pharmacy of your choice. pressed for time. While VirtualVisit is convenient, it is not meant to That’s why Gundersen Health System offers live, on- replace every trip to the clinic. It is a good option for demand VirtualVisits using your smartphone or tablet. minor, temporary medical conditions and illnesses, Now you can skip the traffic, waiting room and time such as a cold, flu, sore throat, sinus infection, pink eye, off work but get the quality medical attention you rashes and urinary tract infections. need 24/7. To set up an account, download the free Gundersen Our secure VirtualVisit technology makes it possible for VirtualVisit app from Google Play or the App Store, patients, age 2 and older, to see a healthcare provider or go to gundersenhealth.org/virtualvisit. You’ll see face-to-face for many common medical conditions. a list of healthcare providers—including Gundersen Much like an office visit, a healthcare provider will providers—their biographies and experience before review your medical history, answer questions, starting your visit. Benefits of VirtualVisit Affordable No appointments Fast Open 24/7 $49 compared to the Sign into your account See a healthcare Care is provided average cost of $164+ and start your visit provider and get a 365 days a year, for a Gundersen urgent anywhere in the U.S. diagnosis in including nights, care visit; less than $49 No phone calls or 20 to 25 minutes. weekends and if covered by insurance. waiting rooms. holidays. Prefer a visit from your personal computer? No problem. Log into your account at gundersenvirtualvisit.org Winter 2020 3 New cancer treatment is RIGHT ON TARGET Kristine (Kris) Loeser, 69, of Holmen, Wis., is a country girl at heart. Born and raised on a farm in La Crosse, Kris adores animals (especially her dog Smokey), flowers and gazing at the sky. Yet, even when the skies have been grey, Kris found a way to see through life’s challenges. In 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram at Gundersen Health System. “Fortunately, my cancer was detected early and was only the size of a grain of rice,” Kris recalls. Four years after finishing what she hoped would be curative treatment, the breast cancer spread to a lung and her bones. “The words metastatic breast cancer scared the living daylights out of me,” recalls Kris, who, days later, was introduced to Gundersen hematologist and medical oncologist Benjamin Parsons, DO. 4 gundersenhealth.org “We are entering an era of modern medical sciences where the next generation of treatments really are a significant step forward for patients, and clinical trials are the way to bring these to all of society,” states Benjamin Parsons, DO, Hematology and Medical Oncology. A strong advocate for cancer research, Thanks to cutting-edge clinical trials Dr. Parsons and his colleague Paraic Kenny, and participants, like Kris, Gundersen’s PhD, director of Gundersen Medical Research team can help evaluate the safety BENJAMIN Foundation’s Kabara Cancer Research and effectiveness of new treatments. For PARSONS, DO Institute, recommended Kris enroll in a example, by opening the Strata Oncology clinical research trial known as APILOT screening protocol at Gundersen, close to (Adaptive Patient Instructed Longitudinal 440 patients in the Tri-state Region have Optimization of Therapy) that studies already participated in precision medicine new approaches to treat people with clinical trials. incurable cancers. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me “I had nothing to lose. If anything, I knew to be in an institution where you can go that my participation could help someone past what the standard of care is. You can else,” Kris shares. offer patients options that are not available Next-generation cancer genome in other places. To have Dr. Kenny and his sequencing—provided through research team working alongside us to PARAIC Gundersen Medical Foundation’s Research better understand the conditions affecting KENNY, PhD Department’s partnership with Strata our patients is very valuable. It’s something Oncology—found Kris’ tumor had a rare that I believe few institutions in the world mutation, or alteration, known as have, let alone here in Wisconsin. It puts us ROS1 fusion. in a very elite category,” Dr. Parsons says. Based on the identified mutation, Dr. For patients, precision medicine clinical Parsons prescribed targeted therapy rather trials offer newfound hope—sunshine on than standard-of-care chemotherapy. This a cloudy day. Support for research like this customized approach to cancer treatment, is made possible through the generosity of also known as precision medicine, targets grateful patients and philanthropic support mutated genes in a tumor rather than the of Gundersen Medical Foundation. part of the body affected by cancer. “Between God and Dr. Parsons, I’m still here. “Kris has been on targeted therapy on and God has me here for a reason. I would love off since May 2018, and it has been the only to talk someone through this because you thing that has worked against her cancer,” can’t do it alone,” Kris says. reports Dr. Parsons. Your gifts give hope Thanks to the generosity of our community, Gundersen Medical Foundation can invest in cutting-edge laboratory research and Watch how clinical trials at the Kabara Cancer Research Institute to help Gundersen researchers are drive changes in how cancer is treated. personalizing cancer treatments at gundersenhealth.org/target-cancer. Winter 2020 5 foot problems you shouldn’t ignore There are some situations in life where you’re better off grinning and bearing it. Foot and/or ankle pain isn’t one of them, says Gundersen Health System podiatrist Bradley Abicht, DPM, who specializes in diagnosing, treating and managing conditions of the feet and ankles. If your feet or ankles are causing pain, don’t ignore it. “Pain, in any part of the body, is simply not normal. It may be an indication that there is a problem that should at least be assessed,” Dr. Abicht says. Seek expert attention for: 1) Foot or ankle injuries 2) Flat feet especially if 3) Great toe joint pain, 4) Diabetic foot ulcers, including sprains, cuts, accompanied by pain such as bunions or or open wounds on puncture wounds and or stiffness arthritis, that cause you the bottom of the feet, broken bones to change the way you which put patients walk or limit your daily with diabetes at activities increased risk for non- healing, infection and/ or amputation “Our non-surgical treatments are effective when foot and ankle problems are identified early,” Dr. Abicht says. Treatment can range from establishing a diagnosis and monitoring the condition without any intervention to conservative treatment (such as physical therapy or a brace) to help with symptoms and lessen the likelihood of them worsening or progressing. In some situations, surgery is the best option. You don’t need to live with lingering pain. Gundersen foot and ankle specialists see patients at more than a dozen locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. BRADLEY ABICHT, DPM To find a clinic near you, visit gundersenhealth.org/services/foot-care 6 gundersenhealth.org ‘ A HUGE BENEFIT’ Wound care, close to home in Boscobel Some wounds can take Registered nurse Teri Miles knows how devastating months to heal.